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“PDP Has Been Retrenched From the Southeast”, Stakeholders Tell Enugu Governor
After 24 years of dominating Southeastern politics since the restoration of democratic rule in the country in 1999, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been retrenched from the zone because of its poor record and poor treatment of leaders from the area, according to the Enugu State Stakeholders Forum (ESSF).
The party no longer controls Anambra, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi states.
The Enugu stakeholders in a statement today in Enugu signed by its leader, Professor Joseph Aneke, and countersigned by their secretary, Dr Ifeanyi Agbo , noted that “Enugu as the capital of the Southeast cannot afford to be in an odd position in the zone”.
The stakeholders accused the PDP of pretending to be in charge of the executive arm of the state, saying the pretension would end the moment the Governorship and House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal delivers judgment on the authentic result of the gubernatorial vote.
“The performance of PDP’s various administrations in Enugu State, for instance, except that of Sullivan Chime, has been anything but inspiring”, the stakeholders said.
The forum claimed that the Southeastern people never forgot how the party treated Nigeria’s first Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, whose learning and personal integrity as well as unimpeachable leadership attributes gave the PDP its original reputation of a national movement that enabled it to win the historic 1998/9 general election by a wide margin.
“On two occasions”, it recalled, “Dr. Ekwueme sought the party’s presidential ticket and on two occasions it was denied him simply because he came from the wrong part of the nation.
“Still, the people continued to give the PDP the benefit of the doubt until the 2023 general elections when the party was routed because the people had become fed up”.
It explained: “The people voted overwhelmingly for change in the election by siding unabashedly with the Labour Party (LP) and its candidates”.
“The Labour Party won 88.7% of the presidential vote, two of the three senatorial seats, seven of the eight House of Representatives seats, and 14 of the 24 House of Assembly seats”.
The Enugu stakeholders described the result of the governorship election declared by INEC as “a pure electoral heist which cannot be defended or rationalised”.
Noting that the claim that PDP’s Peter Mbah won over 16,000 votes in his home Nkanu East Local Government Area composed of mostly villages and small towns “is ludicrous”, the forum said that the “figure is amusing to even the INEC national headquarters which announced at a press conference on March 22 in Enugu that it had slashed the number of votes allocated to Mbah to a little over 15,000, though enough to give the PDP a spurious victory”.
Concluded the stakeholders: “The truth is that the PDP has been retrenched from Enugu State and the rest of the Southeast, and it cannot come back”.
News
536 blind candidates participate in 2026 UTME
Other categories, including candidates with down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder and dyslexia, also recorded notable admission rates, with dyslexia candidates achieving a 100 percent success rate.
More than 536 blind candidates and others with special needs participated in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) across 11 designated centres nationwide, under arrangements tailored to their needs.
Chairman of the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, disclosed this in a statement, in Abuja, yesterday.
He disclosed that Kano State recorded the highest number with 136 candidates, followed by Lagos with 95, while Abuja hosts 46 candidates.
Others were from Ado-Ekiti, Bauchi, Benin, Enugu, Kebbi, Oyo, Jos and Yola, each supervised by experienced academics, many of whom are former vice-chancellors.
He noted growing interest among candidates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, describing it as a positive shift and also acknowledged the ongoing challenges faced by blind students in pursuing science-related disciplines, and disclosed that efforts have been underway since 2018 to address these barriers.
Prof Okebukola expressed satisfaction with the improving admission outcomes for candidates with disabilities, noting that in the 2025 admission cycle, 483 candidates applied for tertiary education out of which 252 secured admission, representing a 52.2 percent success rate.
He disclosed that candidates with visual impairment formed the largest group, accounting for 429 applications, with over half successfully admitted.
Other categories, including candidates with down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder and dyslexia, also recorded notable admission rates, with dyslexia candidates achieving a 100 percent success rate.
(The Sun)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the appointment of Dr. Fatima Suleiman Zuntu as the new Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), for an initial term of four (4) years, effective from April 16, 2026 in accordance with the provision of Section 5 of the National Biosafety Management Agency, 2015.
Dr. Fatima Suleiman Zuntu is a Public Health professional and policy strategist with a proven track record of driving impactful national programs.
The President tasks the appointee to contribute her expertise to the agency for the good of the nation.
Developing story.
News
JAMB releases Thursday’s UTME results
In a statement issued by the Board on Friday, and signed by its spokesperson Fabian Benjamin, candidates were advised to check their results by sending “UTMERESULT” via SMS to 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number (SIM) used during registration.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the results of candidates who sat for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination on Thursday, April 16, 2026, with a total of 632,788 results now available for viewing.
In a statement issued by the Board on Friday, and signed by its spokesperson Fabian Benjamin, candidates were advised to check their results by sending “UTMERESULT” via SMS to 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number (SIM) used during registration.
JAMB clarified that at this stage, candidates can only view their results, as printing options are not yet available.
It also issued a strong warning against attempts to manipulate or alter result messages received from official channels, stressing that such actions constitute a criminal offence.
The Board added that it is already taking action against offenders, revealing that some suspects are currently in custody.
“Currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means. Any candidate found culpable will face the full consequences of the law,” it stated.
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