TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY SATURDAY 

TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY SATURDAY 

1. Edo 2024: Olumide Akpata Wins Labour Party Gubernatorial Ticket

The former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Olumide Akpata has reportedly won the gubernatorial ticket of the Labour Party for the Edo State Governorship Election.

The Edo State Governorship Election is scheduled for September 2024.

Akpata scored 316 votes to win the exercise held at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre, Airport Road in Benin City, Edo State capital on Friday.

The Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emeta, who is the returning officer for the poll made the declaration after collating the results.

2. Peter Obi Speaks On Dumping Labour Party

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has disclosed that he has no plans to leave the party.

He also described insinuations from certain quarters that he was leaving the party as the handwork of political mischief makers.

Obi, in a statement on Friday, signed by the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) said enemies of democracy bent on causing crisis in the Labour Party are the ones spreading rumours about his defection.

The LP candidate, in a statement signed by his media aide, Michael Jude Nwolisa, on Friday, dismissed the trending fake and fallacious news story suggesting that he was parting ways with the Labour Party.

3. Okpebholo Emerges Edo APC Gov Candidate

In a significant development within the Edo State political landscape, Senator Monday Okpebholo (Edo Central) has emerged as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship direct primary election.

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The declaration was made by the Cross River Governor, Bassey Otu, who served as the Chairman of the Edo APC shadow poll, following the comprehensive collation of results from the 18 local government areas.

The announcement took place at the Lushville Hotel and Suites, located in the Government Reservation Area (GRA), Benin.

Senator Okpebholo secured a total of 12,433 votes, surpassing his closest competitor, Dennis Idahosa, the representative of Ovia constituency in the House of Representatives, who garnered 6,541 votes.

This victory marks a pivotal moment for Okpebholo, positioning him as the APC’s gubernatorial candidate for the upcoming electoral contest in Edo State.

4. INEC Opens Up On IReV Failure During 2023 Presidential Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally opened up on the Result Viewing Portal (IReV) failure during the 2023 presidential election.

INEC stated the failure of IReV in a comprehensive report on the 2023 general election released on Thursday, the first anniversary of the election.

In the report seen by TheCable, INEC said the server returned an “HTTP error” because of a configuration bug discovered after the polling units’ presiding officers could only upload the results of the national assembly elections.

INEC narrated how the problem was first reported at 4 pm on election day and how it was partially resolved in four hours, adding that after identifying the source of the problem, it quickly created and deployed hotfixes, software updates for fixing a bug or any vulnerabilities in a system.

INEC stated that the deployed hotfixes eventually resolved the HTTP error on the system, and the first presidential election result sheet was successfully uploaded at 8.55 pm on 25th February 2023.

5. INEC Releases Comprehensive Report On 2023 General Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally released a comprehensive report on the 2023 general election.

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The electoral body released the report on Thursday, February 22, on the first anniversary of the election.

The report reads: “In configuring and mapping the election results for the presidential and NASS elections, the Commission created Four Hundred and Seventy (470) election types consisting of one presidential constituency covering the entire country, 109 Senatorial Districts and 360 Federal Constituencies.

“Each Senatorial District and Federal Constituency election on the database was mapped to their respective States. However, the presidential election result is a single, countrywide constituency and, therefore, does not belong to any one State.

6. CAN Youth Wing Calls For Immediate Arrest, Prosecution Of Cleric For Hate Speech Targeting Oluremi Tinubu

The Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) has demanded prompt arrest and public legal proceedings against Muslim Cleric, Idris Abdulaziz Dusen Tenshi.

The cleric was reportedly advocating for the killing of Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of the President, branding her an “infidel” because of her Christian faith.

This demand was put forth during the 2024 National Prayer Day and the 1st Quarter National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of YOWICAN, held at the National Christian Centre in Abuja on Friday.

The YOWICAN Chairman, Belusochukwu Enwere, articulated the council’s unified viewpoint in a formal communication, underscoring the immediate necessity for governmental and security authorities to intervene.

7. Reps Orders NAFDAC To Suspend Ban On Sachet Alcoholic Drinks

The House of Representatives Committee on the National Agency on Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has decided to temporarily lift the ban on the sale of spirits and alcoholic drinks in sachets and pet bottles until the investigation is completed.

Chairperson of the House Committee on NAFDAC, Regina Akume, made this announcement in Abuja on Friday following a public hearing on the ban of these products last week.

She emphasized the importance of following proper procedures before imposing a ban, highlighting the necessity of implementing access control measures to prevent children and young people from accessing and consuming alcoholic beverages sold in sachets and pet bottles.

Akume underscored the committee’s responsibility in ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of NAFDAC in promoting job creation and economic development.

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She promised to reach a level playing field between NAFDAC and manufacturers that would not be detrimental to children or public safety.

8. Bayelsa Governorship Election: Diri To Open Defence At Tribunal Next Week

Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri, and his Deputy, Lawrence Ewhrujakpo, are slated to present their defence at the state governorship tribunal in Abuja next week.

The tribunal is hearing a challenge against their re-election by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva.

The dispute stems from the November 11, 2023, governorship election results, where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Diri the winner with 175,196 votes, defeating Sylva, who garnered 110,108 votes.

Unsatisfied with the outcome, Sylva and the APC have petitioned the tribunal, contesting Diri’s victory.

The core of Sylva and the APC’s argument revolves around the conduct of elections in certain polling units across three local governments—Southern Ijaw, Ogbia, and Nembe—where they allege that votes were not accounted for in the official results.

9. I Am Not Desperate To Become Edo Governor – Shaibu

The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has said he is not desperate to be the Governor of the South-South state.

Shaibu had on Thursday emerged as the winner of a parallel primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo.

The deputy governor won the parallel primaries conducted in his house in Benin City, with over three hundred and one votes.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Friday morning, Shaibu stated that he is not a desperate politician and he is not desperate to be the next Edo governor.

The deputy governor stated that the reason he conducted a parallel primary election was because the process of the Edo PDP primary election was faulty.

Shaibu asserted that he is the authentic flagbearer of the PDP in Edo state or else the party will not field any governorship candidate in the forthcoming governorship election

10. Peter Obi Doesn’t Have Any Reason To Leave Labour Party – Tanko

The spokesperson of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, has said the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, does not have any reason to leave the party.

The opposition party has been enmeshed in a leadership tussle and controversy before, during and after the 2023 general election.

Also, the National Chair of the party, Julius Abure, has been accused of alleged corruption, attempted murder, illegal firearm possession, and other offences.

Following the development, many supporters of Obi, known as ‘Obidients’, called on him to leave and form a new party, promising to follow him to wherever he decides to pitch his tent.

Speaking in a chat with TheCable, Tanko said the former Governor of Anambra State is not thinking of dumping the party and remains a strong member of the party.

Speaking further, Tanko revealed that Obi had not discussed forming a new political party with anyone, and has added credibility and purposefulness to the party.