General
PDP Tells INEC to Declare Rivers Governorship Results
By Dipo Olowookere
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been urged to conclude the collation process and declare results of the botched March 9, 2019 governorship election in Rivers State.
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made this call on Wednesday during a solidarity visit to the Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
Chairman of the opposition party, Mr Uche Secondus, who led the team, said INEC should also collation the process for Bauchi State, saying that the losers can approach the election tribunal to seek redress.
According to Mr Secondus, it is illegal for anyone to stop an election midway, saying, “I call on the INEC Chairman not to drag the country into crisis because of inconclusive elections. This manoeuvre is not good for the nation’s democracy.
“He should go ahead and conclude the process of elections in Rivers and Bauchi States. We should move ahead. Those aggrieved should approach the tribunal.”
The PDP National Chairman said that leadership of the party are with the Rivers State Governor, saying, “We are here to say that we stand with you. We have prayed with you in private and we are standing with you at this crucial and trying moment. We ask God almighty to ensure that you cross this red sea.”
National Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Tsauri said that the military should concentrate on the protecting the nation’s territorial integrity instead of getting involved in election matters.
He said that the negative involvement of the military in the Rivers State Governorship election is a threat to nation’s democracy.
“The military should protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria. They should not be involved in electoral matters. The involvement of the military in the Governorship election of Rivers State is an attempt to truncate the nation’s democracy “, he said.
He called on INEC, security agencies and the APC federal government to work within the law at all times.
The PDP National Secretary said INEC should do what is right regarding the Governorship and State Assembly elections in Rivers State by declaring the results.
He described Governor Wike as a pillar of the party, who worked for the PDP when it mattered most.
“We are here to identify with you. If we talk of PDP, Rivers State is the first to be mentioned and you are the pillar of the party. We are confident that justice will be done. God is with you and the people of Rivers State are with you,” he said.
He noted that the people of Rivers State voted overwhelmingly for Rivers State Governor because of his excellent works.
Responding, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike said that the enemies of the state are struggling to stop the Collation and Declaration of the Governorship election.
He said that the police is now inviting Electoral and Collation Officers to intimidate them over collated results in the Governorship Election.
He said: “The Police is trying to intimidate Collation and Electoral Officers by inviting them for one offence or the other so as to impinge on the Collation Process.
“Imagine where the police is inviting the entire Returning Officers, the entire electoral Officers and Entire Electoral Officers because allegations have been made against the INEC officials. This is just to let the entire world see what we are talking about “.
The Governor said that the enemies of the state continue to roll out strategies to destroy the Governorship Election Collation Process.
“They go by this strategy, if it fails, they go by the other strategy. They brought the Army , it failed. They have gone to the court and now they want to use the police”.
Governor Wike said that the good people of Rivers State will overcome all the challenges thrown at the state by the system.
“Like I said, this victory will be the best. It will be the sweetest amongst all the states. That is what I see coming. There is no election that will be held in this state and another party will win.
“Not to talk about a party that is not on ground. They have failed and that is the truth of the matter “, he said.
Governor Wike said the political situation in Rivers State has exposed the negative aspects of the system.
“In the end, PDP will emerge victorious in this State. It is a victory that can be delayed, but not denied.
“This morning, the other political party went to court to stop Collation. As God will have it, the court did not grant them their request.
“You see how funny it is. The candidate of AAC said he won the election. The same candidate has gone to court to stop Collation and seek for the cancellation of an election, he claimed that he won “, he said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the court ordering the freezing of the bank account of the Osun Srate government.
In a statement today by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President said he’s “deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order” because of its timing, which is just a few days to the governorship election in the state next Saturday.
According to him, actions of an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action.
“Since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference. I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law.
“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval. Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers. While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene.
“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process.
“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” the statement stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it initiated a move to freeze the bank account of the Osun State government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, claimed that the anti-money laundering agency asked one of its bankers, First Bank, not to release funds to the state government.
According to the Governor, this was part of the strategies to frustrate his administration ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the issue on Wednesday night, the EFCC, in a statement, said it has been investigating the state government since March 2026 over an alleged “fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11.0 billion.
The organisation noted that some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.
“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” parts of the statement said.
In the disclosure, the agency noted that its preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources, stressing that it cannot “watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it pointed out.
The EFCC disclosed that it is “keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity. The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.”
The organisation urged the public “to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonisation of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
