News
2023: INEC Assures Integrity Of Ballot
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has restated its commitment to uphold the integrity of the ballot in the conduct of the 2023 general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, stated this during a media briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Kano, yesterday.
Yakubu, who was in the state to assess the continuous voters’ registration exercise and to inspect some of the commission’s facilities, assured Nigerians that, “the 2023 general election will not only be free, fair and credible, but it will be one in which the votes cast by Nigerians will truly continue to count.”
While acknowledging the successes recorded by the commission in the recent elections in Ekiti and Osun states, respectively, he stressed that INEC was not a political party and had no candidate of choice.
“We have no candidate in any election. Our commitment is to uphold the integrity of the ballot. What Nigerians determined at the polling units is what we are going to upload. We would not take any step to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate,” he said.
Yakubu also assured Nigerians that the commission would continue to deepen the use of technology in the conduct of elections in Nigeria, adding that much of their activities had already gone digital.
He listed some of the activities to include the present voters’ registration exercise and the weekly update of the total number of registrants among others steps taken to digitalise the process.
“The INEC portal has come to stay, where after elections at the polling units results are uploaded in real time. So, Nigerians can see the results even before the election is concluded,” he said.
He charged Nigerians to register on INEC portal to be able to access INEC’s information as they were being uploaded and be part of the happy experience.
“We have overcome the initial challenges of the bimodal voter accreditation system as you saw in Ekiti and Osun, we have no issues with the Verver and we are confident going into the 2023 elections, the Verver will also perform optimally,” he said.
He said in the days to come, INEC would decide whether or not to extend the ongoing continuous voters’ registration exercise, bearing in mind a number of factors.
On the likelihood of registration and elections in places affected by insecurity, he said: “We would not put our staff in harm’s way on account of registration. The law is clear. Even when we conduct elections, the law says where we anticipate there is going to be violence, let us suspend it (where we anticipate it) in the processes leading to the elections.”
He affirmed that INEC was working closely with the security agencies ahead of 2023, adding that, “you will appreciate at this point that it is not something that we are going to go public with.”
News
Fubara Attends PDPGF Meeting In Asaba …..Back Court Verdict On National Secretary Position
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, last Friday, attended the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
The Rivers State Governor, who is the Vice Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, attended the meeting, alongside 10 other Governors of the party’s controlled states across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The first PDPGF meeting in 2025, was held at the Government House in Asaba, at the end of which a seven-point resolution was reached.
Reading the communique at the end of the meeting, the Chairman of the Forum, and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed urged the National Working Committee (NWC) to put every machinery in place to ensure a hitch-free NEC meeting on March 13, 2025.
The communique stated:
“The Forum, having examined all the notices required by law to be given to validly convoke NEC, advised NWC to reschedule NEC to the thirteenth (13Th) of March 2025.”
The Forum further noted the Court of Appeal judgment affirming Udeh Okoye as the National Secretary of the party, saying that as a party that believes in the rule of law, it will respect the position of the Appellate Court on the matter.
“The Forum noted with delight the ongoing efforts at resolving the crisis in the National Working Committee, NWC, on the position of the National Secretary, and has reaffirmed its support for the Court of Appeal judgment; consequently, the Forum advised the NWC to set up the machinery for the effective implementation of the court judgment.
“While commending the country’s valiant and patriotic Armed Forces and Security Agencies for maintaining the frontline in securing the country and the gains of our gallant personnel against bandits in parts of the country, the Forum viewed with deep concern, the resurgence of brazen non-state actors. It, therefore, calls for the strengthening of the nation’s security architecture.”
Governors in attendance include: H.E Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed (Bauchi State); H.E Sir Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers State) – Vice Chairman; H.E Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta State) – Host; H.E Dr. Agbu Kefas (Taraba State); H.E Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa State); and H.E Dr. Dauda Lawal (Zamfara State).
Others are H.E Senator Ademola Adeleke (Osun State); H.E Senator Douye Diri (Bayelsa State); H.E Pastor Umo Eno Ph.D (Akwa Ibom State); H.E Dr. Peter Mbah (Enugu State); H.E Barr. Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau State);
and H.E Bayo Lawal (Deputy Governor, Oyo State), who represented Governor Seyi Makinde.
News
NGO Implants Free Pacemakers Into 22 Cardiac Patients In PH
A United States based Non Governmental Organisation, Cardiovascular Education Forum, in collaboration with the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), has successfully implanted free pacemakers into 22 patients with different cardiac cases in Port Harcourt.
This is in a bid to save lives and encourage patients with low heartbeats to live longer.
The implantable device, which costs $20,000 each, was inserted free of charge on the selected patients.
Speaking during a Special Hospital Ground Rounds at the UPTH with its Theme, “Recent Advances in Cardiac Pacing,” a cardiac Physiologist, Dr Neil Grub, said the NGO was in Nigeria to improve training and learning on cardiac issues and help patients with cardiac problems.
Accompanied by a team of experts comprising a cardiologist and cardiac device implanter, Dr Jagdeep Siagh, and UPTH interventional cardiologist, Dr Edafe Emmanuel, Dr Grubb said pacemakers were inserted on patients with low heartbeats to boost their heart rates.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director, UPTH, Prof Henry Arinze Ugboma, said each of the implantable devices cost over $20,000.
Ugboma, represented by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, UPTH, Prof Datonye Alasia, said the partnership between UPTH and the foreign NGO was to build networks, and improve services in terms of healthcare delivery, training and learning.
According to him, there is now a ray of hope in terms of treatment of patients with cardiovascular cases in the hospital.
He said the UPTH started the collaboration with Cardiovascular Education Forum in 2018 to boost health, training and learning on cardiac health.
He assured that, “in coming years, the scale of our collaboration with the mission will be higher.”
Chinedu Wosu
News
FG Unveils National Broadband Alliance To Drive Internet Access
The Federal Government has unveiled the National Broadband Alliance, a new initiative aimed at transforming the nation’s digital infrastructure and boosting connectivity across the country.
The initiative was unveiled yesterday in Lagos by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, who was represented by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Aminu Maida.
In his address, Tijani stated that NBAN would significantly enhance broadband penetration, which has grown from just six per cent in 2015 to approximately 42 per cent as of October 2024.
To support this agenda, he said the government was leveraging a Special Purpose Vehicle to deploy 90,000 km of fibre backbone across the nation, connecting underserved and rural communities to high-speed internet.
According to him, the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritises innovation, technology, and collaboration as key drivers of national prosperity.
Tijani stated that the expansion would not only improve access to reliable broadband but also empower Nigerians, particularly in rural areas.
“While the progress made in broadband penetration is commendable, we recognise that much more needs to be done to ensure every Nigerian can enjoy the benefits of reliable, high-speed internet,” Tijani said.
The minister also emphasised the importance of strategic partnerships with donors, investors, and other key stakeholders in achieving the goals set out in the National Broadband Plan (2020–2025).
He said these collaborations would be essential in overcoming infrastructure development challenges and making broadband affordable and accessible for all Nigerians.
“These targets reflect our unwavering commitment to ensuring that broadband is accessible, affordable, and inclusive for all Nigerians. However, we are also aware of the challenges ahead,” he added.
Tijani stressed that achieving the government’s targets—70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025, a minimum internet speed of 25 Mbps in urban areas, and broadband access for 80 per cent of the population by 2027—will require sustained efforts.
“Achieving these goals will require more than just the efforts of the private sector. It will require a holistic approach that includes strategic partnerships with donors, investors, and other key stakeholders in accelerating the rollout of critical infrastructure,” he said.
-
Niger Delta1 day ago
A’Ibom CP Cautions Youth Against Violence In Oil Producing Communities
-
Sports23 hours ago
IBF Cancels purse bid for Ajagba, Bakole elimination bout
-
Politics1 day ago
Edo Gov’ship: PDP, Ighodalo Close Case After 19 Witnesses At Tribunal
-
News1 day ago
RSU Lecturer Unveils Research Innovation On Soap Production
-
Nation24 hours ago
Commissioner Inaugurates Street Lights In 16 Communities
-
Niger Delta1 day ago
ThisDay award, Affirmation Of Oborevwori’s Performance — Commissioner
-
Sports23 hours ago
NCF targets success after W’Cup outing
-
Politics1 day ago
Controversy As Ondo Dep Gov Allegedly Incurs N130m Hotel Bill In One Year