Author: Eileen Peters

A SECTION of the Eleme Local Government Council secretariat has been set ablaze by unknown thugs. According to a phone conversation with former Ambassador Oji Ngofa who hails from Eleme, the newly elected chairman Brain Gokpa came to the council secretariat accompanied by his councilors and supporters but discovered that a few of the buildings in the council had been set ablaze. The new council chairman, his councilors, and supporters have vowed to take over the secretariat come what may. In Emohua council, some unknown individuals have barricaded the entrance to the secretariat. They’re resisting the resumption of the new…

THE Rivers State Police Command has unsealed all 23 Local Government Area Secretariats in the state following the election and swearing in of new chairmen. This was confirmed in a statement by the Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko earlier on Monday morning made available to News Point Nigeria. She said the newly deployed Commissioner of Police, CP Mustapha Bala acting on the orders of the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun has ordered the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel previously deployed to seal and safeguard the council secretariats in the state. The development was after Governor Siminalayi Fubara had sworn in 23 newly…

AMID opposition protests especially from Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has overwhelmingly won the local government elections across 30 of the 31 councils in Akwa Ibom State. The Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC), Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, who declared the outcome of the Saturday:s contest on Sunday, said the ruling PDP won in all the councils except Essien Udim LGA, hometown of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) won. However, Akpabio, who lamented the PDP’s sweeping victory, recalled that during his era as Governor (2007-2015), he never…

ON October 5, residents of Rivers State came out to vote for the next set of representatives that will govern them at the grassroot level. It was an election that had generated a lot of controversy before its commencement over its legitimacy, however ,the Action Peoples Party(APP) emerged victorious sweeping 22 of the 23 LGAs. The state electoral umpire suspended the declaration of results for Etche Local Government Area (LGA) because the collation is ongoing. Declaring the results on Saturday in Port Harcourt, the Chief Electoral Officer of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Adolphus Enebeli, said that announcement…

THE Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has announced that the office of the First Lady of the State will continue functioning, with Helen Eno Obareki as the coordinator, to immortalize his deceased wife, Patience Eno. Governor Eno announced while receiving the wife of the President, Oluremi Tinubu, who was on a condolence visit at the Government House, Uyo, on Friday, to commiserate with the Governor and people of Akwa Ibom State on the demise of the state’s First Lady. He assured his administration will continue to sustain and broaden the visions and programmes initiated through the Office of the…

THE Action People’s Party (APP) has won 22 chairmanship positions out of 23 in the just-concluded local government election in Rivers State.  The Chief Election Officer of the  Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) Adolphus Enebeli declared the results on Saturday in Port Harcourt. However, the state electoral umpire suspended the declaration of results for Etche Local Government Area (LGA) because the collation is ongoing. The RSIEC chairman also said that announcement for the 319 councillorship seats will be announced alongside that of the Etche Chairmanship position when collations are concluded. He described the election as free, fair, and credible,…

AS the Rivers State local government election progresses across the 23 Local Government Councils of the state, there were reports of sporadic gunshots in Port Harcourt. Some unidentified individuals in a black Toyota Corolla vehicle were seen firing gunshots around the Wimpy area, not very far from the home of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike. As of the time of filing this report, there is no report of any casualties and the police have yet to comment on the incident. Explosion had earlier rocked the secretariat of the Rivers State All Progressives Congress led by Tony Okocha. The…

THE Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has cautioned River State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, from making “unfounded allegations” against him. This newspaper had reported how Fubara accused Egbetokun of working with his opponents, vowing to hold him accountable if there is break down of law and order in the state. Fubara made the allegation after intervening in an incident at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) office on Friday morning. According to the governor, he prevented an alleged attempt by the police to remove materials meant for the upcoming local government elections. Egbetokun, while reacting in a statement on Friday…

THE Vote Count Campaign Organisation says it will be deploying over 1,000 Observers to observe tomorrow’s Local Government elections in the state. The President of the group, Amb. Emmanuel Nkweke said the action was to observe any form of rigging, voter intimidation or vite buying among others during the course of the elections. He said the organization will also be deploying 30 drone systems as well as open its situation room to observe the elections. Amb. Nkweke who briefed newsmen in the state  called on the people of Rivers State to be law abiding before, during and after the elections.…

RIVERS State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara has expressed surprise at the actions of the police in allegedly attempting to invade the premises of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to disrupt the planned Local Government election on Saturday. Speaking during a media briefing at the government house in Port Harcourt, Governor Fubara on Friday, said the move was surprising because he had previously received information indicating that the police intended to withdraw from the local government elections. He questioned why Rivers State is being singled out, especially with what he described as an undue focus on an electoral body that…

SECURITY operatives in Rivers State, on Friday, foiled an attempt by men dressed in police uniform to take over the office of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission. The incident reportedly occurred around 1am on Friday (today). It was gathered that the miscreants attempted to scale through the gates and strong room of the commission to cart away sensitive electoral materials meant for the conduct of Saturday’s local government election in the state. A source who witnessed the incident but was not authorised to speak on the matter said, “The move was botched when vigilant security officials alerted principal officers…

THE Rivers Governor, Siminalyi Fubara, has regretted that his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), will not be taking part in the October 5 Local Government Election in the state. Governor Fubara stated this on Thursday during a meeting with some stakeholders of the party at the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt. He said the election has to be held on Saturday to comply with the three months of grace given by the Federal Government to begin the implementation of the Supreme Court judgement on local government autonomy. “You know this election, I am the greatest loser because…

AN ENERGY Company, H-PTP Energy Services Limited has dismissed claims by some groups under the handle of the Integrity Group alleging it is involved in economic sabotage because of delayed payments to its subcontractors. The CSOs had through a publication, alleged that the delayed payments were an economic sabotage, urging the presidency and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to intervene In a rejoinder, H-PTP Energy Services clarified that it has yet to receive the outstanding payments for the project it handled due to disputes with the project owner, adding that it is working hard to resolve the said…

RIVERS State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared Thursday, October 3 and Friday, October 4, 2024 as public holidays to enable residents of the state to travel to their various communities to fully participate in the Saturday, October 5, Local Government elections. The governor also announced strict restrictions on vehicular movement of residents from midnight on Friday, October 4 to 5pm on Election Day. He made the declarations in a statewide broadcast to the people of the State at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Wednesday. The full text of the broadcast reads, “My dear people of Rivers State,…

SOME members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State on Wednesday staged a protest at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Benin City, the state capital. The party supporters, who wielded placards and PDP insignia, called on the electoral umpire to reverse the results of the September 21, 2024 governorship election in the state announced a day after the poll. The protesters insisted that PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, won the election; and not Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC). INEC had declared Okpebholo the winner of the poll. The APC candidate, 54,…

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has again failed to begin fuel production at the Port Harcourt refinery in Rivers State. This is despite the refinery failing to commence operations after about six postponements as of August 2024. This newspaper observed that promises made to Nigerians by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPC about the refinery have continued to hit brick walls. After the failure of the early August promise, the Chief Financial Officer of the NNPC, Umar Ajiya, said the Port Harcourt refinery will commence operations in September 2024. Speaking to journalists in August, Ajiya had said…

THUGS on Tuesday took over the protest ground used during the August #EndBadGovernance protest in Rumuokwuta, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.  The protest ground was earlier announced as the state’s convergence point for the “FearlessInOctober” demonstration against economic hardship in the country. However, cane-wielding hoodlums took over the ground, saying they didn’t want any protest in Rivers state. The thugs threatened they’d beat up any journalist who dared film them. Similar protests are being held in other parts of the country like Lagos and Abuja as Nigeria celebrates its 64th Independence Day Anniversary. The demonstrators want President Bola…

THERE is currently heavy security at the Edo State government house (Osadebe Avenue) following reports that Philip Shaibu is plotting to resume office as Deputy Governor. The Edo House of Assembly had impeached Shaibu at the height of his rift with Governor Godwin Obaseki. However, he challenged the impeachment in court, saying the lawmakers did not give him fair hearing. A Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice J. K. Omotosho had annulled the impeachment and ordered reinstatement of Shaibu, but the government failed to comply with the order, saying it had filed a stay of execution. When…

AHEAD of the October 5, 2024, local government election in Rivers State, an Abuja-based court has barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the 2023 voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). This followed an order of a high court in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has ordered RSIEC to conduct the forthcoming local government elections in the state, using the 2023 voters’ register. Justice I. Igwe of the High Court gave the order on September 4, 2024, in a case instituted by the Action People’s Party (APP) against the State Electoral umpire, the…

THE office of the deputy governor of Edo State, on Osadebe Avenue, Benin, the state capital, has been sealed off by stern-looking policemen who were spotted there on Sunday. The sealed office was the one Philip Shaibu was relocated outside the Government House in the height off his face off with Governor Godwin Obaseki. As of Sunday, the entry gate was closed while a machine gun mounted police truck with three policemen was parked in front of the gate. It was gathered that staff of the office were on Friday told to resume at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service…