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2023: Allow Rivers people choose their Governor— Abe tells politicians

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Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt

The Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State, Sen Magnus Abe, has called on politicians in the state to allow the people of the state to choose who becomes their Governor in 2023.

According to him, going by the new rules guiding election in Nigeria, there will be no middlemen during the 2023 general elections as candidates must talk to voters one on one.

Abe spoke in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital at an event to receive members of the Nigeria Ethnic Forum (NEF), a forum of all ethnic groups in Nigeria living in Rivers State, who declared support for his candidature.

“Today, I went to Church to pray to God for Him to make this forthcoming election peaceful,no gunshot shall be heard in Rivers State. I told God that I will not buy knife neither will I buy pen-knife. I will not buy guns, I will not send anybody to go and beat up anybody. I will not tear anybody’s poster and I will not disturb anybody.

“Let us give room to Rivers people to choose whoever they want; let us give them room to appoint whoever they want. Whoever they choose, let all of us join hands with that person to build Rivers State, so that the state will grow.

“No one is bigger than the other person. What causes problems during election is when people think that they have right more than you. They believe that whoever they choose should be accepted by all. Let all of us realize that it is God that gives power.

“Under this democracy, the President has one vote, Governor has one vote, Senator has one vote, driver has one vote, gardener has one vote, market woman has one vote.

“In as much as the Senator wants people to respect his own vote, let the Senator also respects the vote of the cameraman. Don’t spoil his vote, so that he can say his mind,”Abe said.

He further stated that the removal of middlemen in election by the new Electoral Act, led to the formation of the Project SMA 2023, in order to reach out to voters on one-on-one basis.

“I have said it, that in this election, there is no middleman. Now, if a law has been passed that every vote must count, it means there is no more middleman. The middleman will leave the road and the candidate will talk to the voter man to man.

“That was why we launched the Project SMA 2023 because we realized that any day they remove the middleman, politicians who cannot talk to people directly will start looking for another work,”he said.

Highpoint of the event was the inauguration of former members of the Wike Continuity Movement (WCM) as members of Abe for Positive Change (MAPC).

The former pro-PDP group, ‘Wike Continuity Movement’, collapsed its structure to pitch tent with Senator Magnus Abe.

Speaking at the event,Leader of the Grassroots Mobilisation Group for Non-indigenes in Rivers State, Chief Uchenna Okokoba said, the Forum has decided to drum support for the gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State,Senator Magnus Abe in the 2023 general elections.

He said God directed him and his group to join forces with Senator Abe, testifying that they did the same thing for Governors Nyesom Wike and Prof Charles Soludo of Anambra State.

Speaking further, Secretary General of the Nigeria Ethnic Forum(NEF), Wole Agunbiade who read the communique of the NEF said the Non-indigenes in the state have decided to massively support Abe as the next Governor of the state and will work for the victory of the SDP Governorship candidate

In a related development, Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Senator Magnus Abe has assured the Akwa Ibom Community in Rivers State of better welfare if he wins the 2023 elections.

He stated this while addressing the Akwa Ibom Community at its monthly meeting held at the Ibom House Secretariat in Elelenwo, Port Harcourt on Sunday.

Abe went further to say that his intention to govern the state was borne out of the need to build a state where the interest of any individual will be the priority of the State Government.

Earlier, President General of the Akwa Ibom Community in Rivers State, Pastor Bassey Ekpe-ma promised Senator Abe that they will consider his manifesto and wish him well in the 2023.

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Politics

Bribery allegations: Kano court fixes date for Ganduje’s arraignment

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Kano State High Court No. 7 has re-scheduled the arraignment of the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Ganduje to June 5.

Ganduje is standing trial alongside his wife Hafsat Umar, his son, Abdullahi Umar and five others

The defendants in the case included Abubaka Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari textile Ltd., and lasage General Enterprise Ltd

Kano State High Court No. 5 presided over by Justice Usman Na’abba had earlier scheduled May 16 for ruling on the request substituted service on the defendants.

This was before the State Chief Judge, Justice Dije Aboki reassigned the case to High Court No 7 presided by Justice Amina Adamu.

The new charge sheet sighted contained 11 count charges against the initial eight count charges against Ganduje and his co-defendants.

They include allegations bordering on criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

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Edo elections: INEC to commence distribution of 373,030 uncollected PVCs

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Over 373,030 uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will be redistributed to the owners from May 27, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on the forthcoming Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Anugbum Onuoha stated that the PVC collection exercise would be done side-by-side with the CVR exercise, also scheduled for May 27.

Recall that the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, had announced to begin the CVR exercise in Edo and Ondo ahead of the governorship elections in the two states.

Onuoha says while the statistics of registered voters in Edo is 2,501,081, collected PVC is 2,128,288 and uncollected PVCs stand at 373,030.

He said both the CVR and the PVC collection would be a 10-day exercise, starting from May 27 to June 5, from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. daily, including weekends.

The REC explained that the exercise would be conducted in the 192 wards and the state headquarters of INEC in Edo.

He also disclosed that each registration centre would be managed by two officials drawn from the commission and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

“In addition to the registration of voters, the commission will also make available the uncollected PVCs for collection during CVR.

“Also note that no PVC will be collected by proxy. Registered voters should come in person to collect their cards.

“There will be no pre-registration option because of time constraints,” he said.

Onuoha, however, appealed for the support of the media, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), traditional rulers and religious leaders in encouraging voters to locate and pick up their PVCs.

According to him, the commission has published the final list of candidates for the Edo governorship election following the conclusion of primaries of the political parties.

The Deputy Director, Voter Registry, INEC Abuja, Mrs Doris Kande-Wyom, who took stakeholders through CVR processes, appealed to them to mobilise prospective registrants for the exercise.

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Gov. Namadi inspects road projects, insists on timely completion

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By Umar Akilu Majeri, Dutse

The Jigawa state governor Malam Umar Namadi  has inspected 26 ongoing road projects across the state and insisted for timely  completion of the work.for the benefit of the public.

The ongoing projects inspected by the governor were mostly rehabilitation and reconstruction of the  roads and bridges damaged by the flooding in the last two years.

Speaking to various contractors, Governor Namadi expressed satisfaction on the quality of the job at the site and urged a speed  work rate for a timely completion.

The Governor told the contractors that Jigawa state is ready to continue patronising any company that demonstrates seriousness and sincerity in handling its work.

“We will not joke about paying your money as soon as you complete the work, however, we will not tolerate or accept any breach of contractual agreement particularly on quality and timely completion in accordance with the specification.”

Governor Namadi assured the Jigawa state people that his government will ensure the completion of all the ongoing road projects, and award new ones to facilitate the movement of goods and services for social and economic development.

While shading more light, the State Commissioner for Works and Transport Engineer Gambo S Malam said, the ongoing road projects have a total distance of 360 kilometers, while in some roads the works included rebuilding the collapsed bridges and provisions of new ones .

He added that so many measures were taken in the reconstruction of the roads and bridges damaged by the flood to prevent such problem In case of any flood in the future..

On their side, the contractors handling various road projects across the 27 local government areas of the state, assured the state governor that they will deliver a quality job and in a good time.

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