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LIVE UPDATES: Results Collation Ongoing, INEC Adjourns Exercise In Bayelsa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is holding the first off-cycle elections since the 2023 general elections today as the people of Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states decide on their governors for new four-year terms.
A total of 46,084 regular and ad hoc staff are deployed in the three states, according to the electoral body.
At least 126 national and international organisations are accredited with 11,000 observers deployed for the elections, while 80 media organisations applied to deploy 1,203 personnel, including journalists and technical/support staff.
All 18 political parties are contesting in Kogi, while Imo and Bayelsa have 17 and 16 candidates, respectively, with the parties deploying 137,934 agents made up of 130,093 polling and 7,841 collation agents.
To ensure a secure environment for electoral conduct, the police mobilised a total of 92,565 personnel, including 27,000 in Bayelsa, 25,565 in Imo, and 40,000 in Kogi, and several assets such as five helicopters and 15 gunboats.
The Federal Road Safety Corps also deployed 1,500 operatives and 105 vehicles.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, says the elections will be held in 10,470 polling units across 649 electoral wards in 56 local government areas.
9:41 pm: INEC adjourns state collation of results for the Bayelsa governorship election. The collation was moved to 10:00 am on Sunday.
9:28 pm: Activities about to begin at the collation centre in Bayelsa State
8:28 pm: INEC suspends elections in nine wards in Ogori/Magongo LGA of Kogi State, saying incidents in some other LGAs are being investigated and its decision will be announced in the next 24 hours.
7:17 pm: INEC announces the release of its Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO) abducted on Friday, saying, “The officer is doing fine.”
7:12 pm: LP governorship candidate in Imo State, Athan Achonu, wants INEC to cancel polling units where violence was recorded and calls for a rerun in those areas.
Athan Achonu, the LP Governorship candidate, wants INEC to cancel polling units where violence occurred.#ImoDecides2023
3:35 pm: An INEC official uploads the results onto the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) at Polling Unit 012 Crowther Memorial College, Ward A in Lokoja LGA, Kogi State.
An election official trying to upload results on the INEC Results View at Polling Unit 012 Crowther Memorial College, Ward A in the Lokoja local government area.#KogiDecides2023
5:35 pm: Results arrive at the Kolokuma/Opokuma Council Area in Bayelsa State from polling units for collation.
3:35 pm: An INEC official uploads the results onto the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) at Polling Unit 012 Crowther Memorial College, Ward A in Lokoja LGA, Kogi State.
An election official trying to upload results on the INEC Results View at Polling Unit 012 Crowther Memorial College, Ward A in the Lokoja local government area.#KogiDecides2023
3:13 pm: At Polling Unit 069, Crowder 2, Open Place in Ward 01 in Lokoja LGA, voting has ended and ballots have been counted.
The results are as follows:
AA – 1
ADC – 3
APC – 38
PDP – 15
SDP – 23
Invalid Votes – 6
3:13 pm: INEC refutes allegations that shortlisted and trained INEC ad hoc staff members were dropped and replaced with unknown individuals.
2:55 pm: Voting has ended at Polling Unit 079 in Ward 01 of Lokoja LGA, Kogi State. Election officials are crossing out the unused ballot papers as stipulated in the Electoral Law.
2:45 pm: Sorting and counting concludes at Ward 9, Unit 10 of Agudama Ekpetiama Community in Bayelsa State.
Voting and collation concluded at Ward 9, Unit 10, in the Agudama Ekpetiama community in Bayelsa State.
News
Terrorism: Ansaru commander Jailed 15 years
Justice Emeka Nwite handed down the sentence but ordered that the defendant remain in DSS custody pending his trial for 31 other terrorism-related charges.
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced a senior commander of the proscribed terror group Ansaru, Mahmud Usman, to 15 years in prison.
He pleaded guilty for involvement in illegal mining to finance arms procurement for terrorism and kidnappings.
The Department of State Services (DSS) arraigned Usman, who admitted that proceeds from the illicit mining supported his terrorist activities.
Justice Emeka Nwite handed down the sentence but ordered that the defendant remain in DSS custody pending his trial for 31 other terrorism-related charges.
In the Court’s filings, Usman and his associate, Abubakar Abba, were accused to have launched a deadly attack on the Nigerian Army’s Wawa Cantonment in Niger State in 2022, which resulted in mass casualties.
The charges also alleged that both men received training in weapons handling, bomb-making and guerrilla tactics from camps in Nigeria and Mali.
The DSS further claims that the two commanders masterminded the July 2022 raid on Kuje prison near Abuja, which freed more than 600 inmates, including hardened extremists.
News
Delta bans workers from wearing bushy beards, artificial hair, others
In the the circular, male civil servants are no longer allowed to grow bushy beards or wear certain traditional caps such as the “Resource Control” or “Papas” caps. Female staff are now prohibited from coming to work with artificial braided or dyed (tainted) hair, long eyelashes, and fake nails.
• Delta Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori/ Government House photo
The Delta State Government has issued a new directive banning bushy beards, artificial braided or tainted hair, long eyelashes, fake nails, and other forms of what it calls “indecent appearance” among public servants.
The ban was announced in a circular issued by the Office of the Head of Service, which stated that all public servants must now appear in neat, professional, and modest attire that reflects their level in the civil service.
In the the circular, male civil servants are no longer allowed to grow bushy beards or wear certain traditional caps such as the “Resource Control” or “Papas” caps. Female staff are now prohibited from coming to work with artificial braided or dyed (tainted) hair, long eyelashes, and fake nails.
The directive also provides updated dress code standards. Senior officers are expected to wear full corporate suits, while junior officers must dress in trousers with shirts and ties.
Traditional attire is permitted only on Fridays or for special events and must be clean, decent, and modest.
For female public servants, acceptable clothing includes trouser suits, skirt suits, or corporate gowns that fall below the knee and have sleeves. Sleeveless outfits, spaghetti straps, revealing clothing, and any dress that exposes cleavage are strictly banned.
(The Guardian)
News
Umahi : FG embarking on underwater tunnel to connect Lagos-Calabar, Sokoto-Badagry highways
” Our tunnel is inside the ground. It’s going to be 2.9 kilometres. When done, it’s going to be the first tunnel in Africa inside water,” Umahi said
The Federal Government has announced plans to construct an underwater tunnel to connect the ongoing Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry highways.
During an inspection tour in Lagos on Wednesday, David Umahi, the minister of works, said the tunnel will run for 2.9 kilometres, connecting Ahmadu Bello Way to Snake Island and extending to Badagry.“
“Our tunnel is inside the ground. It’s going to be 2.9 kilometres. When done, it’s going to be the first tunnel in Africa inside water,” Umahi said.
The minister explained that the project would be executed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, using land resources around Snake Island and Badagry to fund the initiative.
“Before people start shouting, oh, you want to borrow, we have land at Snake Island and by Badagry. We hope to use this land under PPP to fund the project, under Build, Operate, and Transfer,” he stated.
Terrorism: Ansaru commander Jailed 15 years
Delta bans workers from wearing bushy beards, artificial hair, others
Umahi : FG embarking on underwater tunnel to connect Lagos-Calabar, Sokoto-Badagry highways
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