Author: Eileen Peters

THE Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has overturned the judgement of a Federal High Court which ordered the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to allow the participation of 381 ad-hoc delegates in its February 22 primary election in Edo State. The primary election produced Asue Ighodalo as the candidate of the party in the September 21, 2024 governorship election in the state. A three-man panel of the appellate court set aside the judgement of Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered on the 4th of July, 2024, on the grounds that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit of the aggrieved…

THE Supreme Court has affirmed the re-election of Senator Duoye Diri as the Governor of Bayelsa State after dismissing the appeal of Timipre Sylva, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the November 11, 2023 off-cycle election. A five-member panel of the Apex Court headed by Justice Lawal Garba, on Friday affirmed the Court of Appeal decision of July 15 which deemed Sylva’s appeal as an abuse of Court process for filing two notices of appeal. Citing a section of the 1999 Constitution, the Apex Court panel held that the APC Governorship candidate has only one right to appeal…

THE Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has congratulated Edo Queens for securing a place in the finals of the CAF Champions League WAFU Group B Qualifier, after defeating Inter FC 2-1 in their semi-final match. The final match will determine who will represent the zone at this year’s CAF Women’s Champions League Finals in November. Edo Queens, who are the Nigerian Women’s Premier League (NWPL) champions, are participating in the fourth edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU-B Inter–Clubs play-off. “I congratulate Edo Queens for their victory today in Ivory Coast against FC Inter. Our girls dominated the game…

THE Energy Consortium – IIT Madras at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras was delighted to host Daere A.  Akobo and a leadership delegation with representatives from PANA Holdings , PE Energy Ltd , AKD Digital Solutions, as well as our Dr. Arunkumar Ranganathan and team on behalf of our founding member, Infosys. Our discussions covered the impactful work being conducted by the Energy Consortium in active collaboration with its founding member companies and government partners in accelerating net zero, as well as the recent formation of a Chapter to be based out of our IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus. We share…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission, on Tuesday, said 2,629,025 voters will take part in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State. INEC’s Supervising National Commissioner for Edo, Delta and Cross River States, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, stated this at the commission’s office in Benin at the presentation of voter registers to the chairmen and representatives of the 16 participating political parties. Gumus said: “In line with the Electoral Act, 2022, INEC must present the voter registers to the chairmen of the political parties, not later than 30 days to the election. We are trying to obey the law, and carrying…

THE police authorities in Rivers State have released details and networks of the suspect arrested in a recently bombing attempt in Port Harcourt. On June 25, a substance believed to be dynamite went off near the Presidential Hotel axis of the Aba expressway causing panic in the area. Two months later, the State Police Command said the suspect was a member of a cult group – Vikings Confraternity. Disclosing this in a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the suspected bomber underwent three major surgeries and has made a significant recovery. She said the suspect…

DIRECTOR General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, has said that one of the “graduates” fraudulently mobilised for the scheme by University of Calabar, Cross Rivers State, is a bread seller who did not attend the institution. This is coming on the back of 101 certificates that were recently voided by the scheme, making it 178. The NYSC Director General, Brigadier General YD Ahmed disclosed this on Saturday in Abuja. He also said they would face legal prosecution. According to him, another 19 among them who initially registered online for mobilisation have been prevented from service, while…

THE Coalition of Rivers State Leaders has called on President Bola Tinubu, to wade into the never-ending political brawl between the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The coalition said the president’s intervention was necessary to protect the state. They accused the federal government of neglecting the situation, which they said was escalating tensions in the state. Also, they warned that the continued standoff could lead to severe conflict if not addressed. Led by Chief Sunnie Chukumele, the group condemned what they termed “the ongoing efforts by Wike’s allies to destabilise the government,” including…

NATIONAL oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, said it has uncovered and confiscated products from 63 illegal refineries in the past week. A documentary by the company on Wednesday, said in the past week, 19 illegal pipeline connections and 63 illegal refineries were uncovered in the Niger Delta. The company announced the development amidst fresh concerns over the delay in the commencement of operations by the Port Harcourt Refinery as earlier announced. The Port Harcourt Refining Company, a refinery under the management of the company in Rivers State, had again failed to commence operations after about six postponements.…

SOME parts of Rivers and Bayelsa states will experience months of blackout after vandals destroyed thirteen Transmission Company of Nigeria’s towers along the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV Double Circuits. Ndidi Mbah, General Manager of Public Affairs, TCN, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday. The TCN urged the governments of Rivers and Bayelsa states to assist it in addressing the ongoing vandalism of its installations, which has become increasingly alarming and overwhelming. This comes after vandals had earlier destroyed the same Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission line. “Additionally, a new contract was recently awarded for the reinforcement of towers 19-31 on the Ahoada-Yenagoa line, where…

SUSPECTED fraudsters have hacked the WhatsApp number of Umo Eno, the governor of Akwa Ibom state, leaking some of his classified correspondence to his contacts and asking other contacts for money. Eno, a pastor who founded the All Nations Christian Ministry International, was elected last year. News Point Nigeria reports that many of Eno’s phone contacts received messages from his WhatsApp number on Tuesday asking them to transfer a specified amount of money to an account and promising reimbursement later and others got screenshots of classified corrspondences. The governor’s chief press secretary, Ekerete Udoh released a statement confirming that the…

RIVERS State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has worn in five new commissioners and two special advisers at the executive chambers of the Government House in Port Harcourt. Addressing the newly appointed officials on Wednesday, the governor urged them to refrain from responding, either verbally or through actions, to the provocations of his political opponents. He said the intention of his opponents is to divert his administration’s focus from achieving its set goals, saying it is important to maintain focus and dedication to the administration’s objectives. To Fubara, the appointments are made to better equip the cabinet to deliver on its promises…

THE reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State Philip Shaibu has resumed office and has directed his staff to follow suit. He is also warning banks carrying out transactions with the Office of the Deputy Governor of Edo State without his express consent about the illegality of such transactions. In a video broadcast, Shaibu mandated those yet to resume work since his reinstatement to do so or face the consequences. According to him, the judgement of the Federal High Court which reinstated him indicated that his office has never been vacant. He also disclosed that he was saddened by the killing…

A DYNAMITE explosion rocked the secretariat of the Action People’s Party (APP)along the GRA axis of Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, Monday morning. News Point Nigeria gathered that the incident occurred in the wee hours of Monday precisely around 2am. The assailants allegedly threw substances believed to be dynamite into the building housing the secretariat shattering windows and doors, as well as destroying other property of the party. This came amidst strong indications that the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has begin plans to move with his supporters to the APP following the alleged hijack of the Peoples Democratic Party in…

A LIEUTENANT Commander, Gideon Yashim Gwaza, attached to the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base in Bonny Island, Rivers State, has died while trying to rescue about 59 crew onboard a sinking ship. Though, the 59 crew onboard the ill-fated dredger were rescued, the naval officer who led his team on the search and rescue operation died in the process. It was gathered that the ill-fated vessel, MV AMBIKA 4, was sudden hit by a heavy tidal wave while the crew were working at Okpobo oil field on July 30,2024. A statement issued by the Director of Information of the Nigerian…

COALITION of Civil Society Groups have advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to integrate state Governors if he is desirous of seeing an end to the nationwide protests that have grounded the country. The Coalition of Civil Society Groups made this known in a media parley the groups had with journalists in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory FCT while appraising the impact of the protests through its National Coordinator and convener Amb. Emmanuel Nkweke and Secretary Ali Abacha. The group urged the president to take decisive actions which will be appreciated by the people rather than rely on his speech which…

NATIONAL Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced that the State Coordinator of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Okun Christopher, and Driver, Mr Daniel Effiong Asibong, are missing. Speaking to the press in Abuja, Director Press and Public Relations department, Eddy Megwa, said they were abducted between Delta and Akwa Ibom States while traveling for an official assignment on Monday, July 29, 2024. Megwa lamented that since their abduction, all efforts to locate their whereabout have yielded no results. He said the scheme was in touch with their families in the bid to get any information about their whereabouts. Megwa pleaded with…

THE Rivers State Government has denied the allegations by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that it sponsored protesters to vandalise a billboard at the state office of the party in Port Harcourt on Monday. The Rivers State Commissioner for Information Joe Johnson told Channels Television in a telephone interview that the allegation that was made during a press briefing by the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC in Rivers State Tony Okocha on Tuesday is baseless. He said the Governor Siminalayi Fubara-led government is too occupied with the management of the state to consider such an act. The commissioner said…

THE Joint Task Force South-South, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), says Nigeria’s crude oil production has hit 1.7m barrels per day (bpd) and also re-echoed its commitment to securing the pipelines. This came in a statement by the Coordinator (OPDS) Joint Media Campaign Centre Major Kayode Owolabi. He disclosed that following a directive from the Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa to end crude oil theft, OPDS Commander Rear Admiral John Okeke implemented several key measures starting from 18 July 2024. His statement revealed that the terminal factors on major pipelines—Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), Trans Escravos Pipeline (TEP), and Trans…

THE International Association Of World Peace Advocates IAWPA has announced the list of it’s delegates that will attend the forthcoming United Nations International Day of the Girl Child billed to take place in Copenhagen, Denmark on Friday 11th October 2024. A statement signed by the association’s International Spokesman and Chief Contact Person Amb. Emmanuel Nkweke and made available to newsmen by its Director of Media and Publicity Amb. Nwokoma Messiah, said Amb. Mrs Amaba Sam-Ogbuku will lead the group which will also comprise other Eminent Peace Ambassadors from Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Kenya including  the African Director of IAWPA Amb…