Politics
Edo 2024: Play By The Rules, NBA Urges Parties, Candidates
The Chairman, Benin Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Nosa Edo-Osagie, on Monday, called on the 13 political parties and their candidates in the governorship election in the state to ensure that they play by the rules to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Edo-Osagie stated this at the opening ceremony of the Annual Law Week of the branch also known as the Lion Bar with the theme, “Law as a tool for economic advancement and national security”.
He said, “The political parties and their candidates must play by the rules. Incidentally, there are some of the candidates who are members of the NBA. What is critical to the NBA is that they must play the game by the rules otherwise there will be consequences.
“Anarchy is not what we crave for in society because when there is anarchy, there is a bigger problem than you may not expect. So for all those aspirants in the field, they must play by the rules.”
The association also invited some of the candidates including Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), who are both members of the NBA.
Earlier, the chairman of the planning committee, Paschal Ugbome, said the topic was chosen to reflect the current realities in the country and that solutions would also be proffered.
Ugbome said, “We have chosen the topic because it is important to our country. These two issues today, are capable of either moving us forward as a nation or making us remain static or collapse as a nation.
“As lawyers, we decided to look at it from the prism of law because we believe that law is a pivot on which these two issues rotate. We will interrogate how we have fared as lawyers and why the law itself has failed as an instrument for economic advancement to guarantee national security. We believe we will come out with a way forward on these issues at the end of the Week.”
In his goodwill message, the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki, represented by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, said the theme of the weeklong activity was apt as it encourages investment and economic advancement.
“We must examine our legal framework with the possibility of reforming it to ensure it is fit for the realities”, he said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
-
News1 day agoRSG Targets Nine Million Residents in Mosquito Net Distribution Campaign
-
News1 day agoKenPoly Holds Eight Convocations, August 29
-
News1 day agoRSG Begins Another Phase of Projects Commissioning Today
-
News1 day agoOsun Guber: Probe Vote-Buying, Violence, SERAP Urges INEC, EFCC, ICPC
-
News1 day ago2027: Adeleke Reaffirms Support For Tinubu, Calls Him Osun Son
-
Maritime1 day agoMarine Minister Commends President Tinubu On NPERA Bill Assent
-
Maritime1 day agoNAGAFF Petitions IGP Over Alleged Maritime Police Harassment
-
News1 day agoRMAFC Completes Revenue Sharing Review, Proposes New Pay