News
Enugu guber: Controversy trails LP’s inspection of BVAS machines
From Lateef Taiwo,
ENUGU
A coalition of some political parties in Enugu State said on Wednesday that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has complied with the order of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
It could be recalled that the Tribunal had ordered the INEC to allow the Labour Party and its candidate, Barr Chijioke Edeoga access to the BVAS machines used for the conduct of the March 18, governorship election in the State.
But weeks after, the LP raised the alarm that the INEC had repeatedly denied it access to the BVAS in defiance to the court order.
However, at a press briefing late on Wednesday, chairmen of some political parties in the State claimed the INEC had complied with the order of the Tribunal.
They alleged that contrary to the order of the Tribunal, the LP attempted to tamper with the BVAS machines.
The parties said that such an alleged attempt was contrary to paragraph 8 of the court’s order, which expressly states that the LP and its governorship candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, be allowed to inspect, but not tamper with the BVAS machines.
They equally alleged that whereas the order for LP to inspect BVAS was granted on 29th March, 2023, the party and Edeoga did not present it till the last minute because they wanted to take other parties by surprise and inspect the BVAS alone.
Mr Afam Ani, the State Chairman of Action Peoples Party, APP, as well as the gubernatorial candidate of the party during the election said the INEC had complied with the order.
Ani said, “We were invited by INEC for BVAS inspection because a court gave an order that the LP should come and inspect the BVAS today. But we actually came here yesterday, but the LP insisted it was not going to hold and it was shifted to today.
“INEC complied with the court order by bringing out the BVAS. The directive said that LP should inspect the BVAS. But they came and insisted they must tamper with the BVAS. But inspection is not tampering with the BVAS.
“The Electoral Law says the BVAS must not be tampered with. INEC is the only body constitutionally empowered to deal with the BVAS. So, we said it would not happen.
“The LP has been displaying numerous rascally behaviours in Enugu State, and we have also witnessed it today. It was too awful. But we, the political parties are here to state that INEC played their part according to what the court expected it to do.
“We played our part too because we were here to observe what was going to happen. And we observed that the thing was done according to the directive of the court.
“We also want to state that nobody should set Enugu State on fire. Enugu State is our home. The election has been conducted and the results declared. Aggrieved parties are seeking redress in court. We are now into governance and the state does not need all these distractions”.
Also speaking, the Enugu State Chairman and gubernatorial candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, Barr Ken Ikeh, expressed disappointment at what he described as LP’s offensive conducts.
“I was disappointed at the attitude exhibited by the LP. They brought a handwritten list of other materials they were now requesting from INEC, different from what is recorded in the court order. But there was no objection.
“In the process, we agreed that those materials should be sorted out per quarter, per quarter, because they can’t all be brought out at the same time. The first set of BVAS brought out was when the argument started. INEC then called all the parties to decide on what should be done because it is a neutral body.
“But LP, which is just one out of the 14 political parties present, was insisting that their wish must be done and their wish was that they can handle the material whichever way they wanted, but which we all objected to”.
On his part, the Deputy Chairman of the PDP in Enugu State, Chief Innocent Ezeoha, accused the LP of mobilising their members, who ought not be involved to intimidate INEC and create crisis and confusion.
“There were about 14 other political parties present, all chairmen, not even representatives. So, we insisted that BVAS should be inspected, not be opened or tampered with, as LP wanted it.
“To our utmost surprise again, LPs that were not invited by INEC all surged into this place and they were demanding that BVAS should be opened and tampered with. That is why we objected to it. BVAS should be inspected, not tampered with”.
He however commended INEC for complying with the court order by bringing out the BVAS for inspection, noting that the exercise had been conducted.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party has insisted that no inspection of the BVAS machine took place on Wednesday.
The Party is accusing the Enugu State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu of disobedience to the court order.
The LP said contrary to the order of the court, the Head of Department, Voter Education at INEC, Mr. Chuka Rex Achumie, invited members of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, insisting that the Labour Party will not conduct the inspection without the agreement of the PDP.
It added that this situation led to a shouting match at the INEC premises in Enugu, leading to the disruption of the exercise by thugs.
According to the spokesman of the Edeoga Campaign organisation, Engr. George Ugwu, the INEC became partisan in an exercise it was supposed to be the umpire.
He called on well-meaning Nigerians to advise the electoral body to toe the path of honour by respecting a court order.
“We do not understand what these people are doing. As you can see, we arrived here expecting to inspect the BVAS machines.
“How the INEC invited the PDP and insisted they will have to agree before we carry out the inspection is what we do not understand.
“This is the height of impunity and we want Nigerians to bear witness that Enugu REC and INEC are not only showing unhindered partisanship but also disobeying an order of the tribunal in an attempt to frustrate our search for justice,” Ugwu said.
They accused LP of displaying “rascally behaviours”, warning that nobody should set the state on fire.
Addressing newsmen at INEC’s state headquarters in Enugu on Wednesday, one of the 14 party chairmen present and a gubernatorial candidate in the March 18 election, Dr. Afam Ani of the All Peoples Party (APP) said: “We were invited by INEC for BVAS inspection because a court gave an order that the LP should come and inspect the BVAS today. But we actually came here yesterday, but the LP insisted it was not going to hold and it was shifted to today.
“INEC complied with the court order by bringing out the BVAS. The directive said that LP should inspect the BVAS. But they came and insisted they must tamper with the BVAS. But inspection is not tampering with the BVAS. The Electoral Law says the BVAS must not be tampered with. INEC is the only body constitutionally empowered to deal with the BVAS. So, we said it would not happen.
“The LP has been displaying numerous rascally behaviours in Enugu State, and we have also witnessed it today. It was too awful. But we, the political parties are here to state that INEC played their part according to what the court expected it to do. We played our part too because we were here to observe what was going to happen. And we observed that the thing was done according to the directive of the court.
“We also want to state that nobody should set Enugu State on fire. Enugu State is our home. The election has been conducted and the results declared. Aggrieved parties are seeking redress in court. We are now into governance and the state does not need all these distractions”.
Also speaking, the Enugu State Chairman and gubernatorial candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, Dr. Ken Ikeh, expressed disappointment at what he described as LP’s offensive conducts.
“I was disappointed at the attitude exhibited by the LP. They brought a handwritten list of other materials they were now requesting from INEC, different from what is recorded in the court order. But there was no objection.
“In the process, we agreed that those materials should be sorted out per quarter, per quarter, because they can’t all be brought out at the same time. The first set of BVAS brought out was when the argument started. INEC then called all the parties to decide on what should be done because it is a neutral body.
“But LP, which is just one out of the 14 political parties present, was insisting that their wish must be done and their wish was that they can handle the material whichever way they wanted, but which we all objected to”.
On his part, the Deputy Chairman of the PDP in Enugu State, Chief Innocent Ezeoha, accused the LP of mobilising their members, who ought not be involved to intimidate INEC and create crisis and confusion.
“There were about 14 other political parties present, all chairmen, not even representatives. So, we insisted that BVAS should be inspected, not be opened or tampered with, as LP wanted it.
“To our utmost surprise again, LPs that were not invited by INEC all surged into this place and they were demanding that BVAS should be opened and tampered with. That is why we objected to it. BVAS should be inspected, not tampered with”.
He however commended INEC for complying with the court order by bringing out the BVAS for inspection, noting that the exercise had been conducted.
By Emmanuel Kuza
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State, Abuga Ovie, has described the name Ombugadu as a political brand, saying the popularity and wide acceptance of the name have made David Emmanuel Ombugadu a major force in the state’s political landscape.
Ovie, who stated this in an interview on Tuesday, said what started as opposition from some of Ombugadu’s biological brothers and people he described as fathers and uncles who betrayed him for personal political interests had now assumed a wider dimension, with political parties allegedly joining the battle against him.
According to him, the latest development was an attempt to undermine the political value of the Ombugadu name by presenting another person with the same surname, describing it as an indication of how far some political actors were prepared to go to weaken the PDP governorship candidate.
“Ombugadu is a brand, not a title. The people are not fools. They know their own. You cannot simply bring another person bearing the same name and expect the people to forget the political identity that Ombugadu has built over the years,” he said.
He further alleged that a former governor was working to introduce a political associate who had served as Accountant-General of Nasarawa State into the political equation, with the alleged objective of destabilising the PDP and weakening its chances by ensuring that the party fields a less competitive candidate in 2027.
“The plan, as we understand it, is to destabilise the PDP and make sure the party presents a weak candidate, thereby creating an advantage for the former governor’s preferred candidate. But all those efforts have proved abortive because the national leadership of the PDP stood its ground and refused to lose its best bet for the 2027 governorship election,” Ovie said.
The PDP chieftain said the resolve of the national leadership to retain Ombugadu had demonstrated the confidence the party had in his capacity to win the governorship election, despite what he described as attempts by some political actors to frustrate his ambition.
Ovie urged political parties and their leaders to resolve their internal differences instead of concentrating their efforts on Ombugadu, whom he compared to David in the Bible, saying he remained focused despite betrayal and opposition from those close to him.
“Ombugadu is like David in the Bible. Even when his brothers forsook him, he remained focused. Today, despite the people who have betrayed him, he remains focused and has a blueprint that can rescue Nasarawa State,” he said.
He said political parties should concentrate on presenting their programmes and convincing voters about how they intend to address the challenges confronting the state rather than expending their energy on attempts to stop Ombugadu.
“Political parties should fix their problems instead of wasting their strength fighting Ombugadu. Let everybody bring their blueprint before the people and explain what they intend to do for Nasarawa State,” he said.
Ovie maintained that the 2027 election should be about ideas, competence and the future of Nasarawa State, rather than attempts to manipulate political structures or undermine individuals perceived to enjoy strong grassroots support.
He urged the people of the state, particularly the Eggon community, to remain politically vigilant and resist what he described as efforts to make them settle for less, insisting that voters would ultimately determine who enjoys their confidence at the polls.
Reduce repeated references to Ombugadu
By Israel Adamu, Jos
Two hundred widows from communities across Langtang North Central State Constituency of Plateau State have benefited from an empowerment outreach organised by Gimbiya Gani Nandir Lar under the Jagoran Talakawa movement.
The outreach, held at Pilgani in Langtang North Local Government Area, was aimed at supporting vulnerable women and drawing attention to the challenges faced by widows, particularly those struggling to provide food, pay school fees and meet other basic needs for their families.
The organiser, Nandir Lar, who is the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate for Langtang North Central State Constituency, said the gesture was motivated by compassion and concern for vulnerable members of the society.
She stressed that the outreach was not a political programme but an expression of love and support for humanity.
Nandir Lar said: “The plight of widows may not always make headlines, but their struggles are real, painful and deserving of our collective attention.
“This is simply an expression of compassion and love for humanity. It is not a political programme.
“Our constituency is home to people with diverse needs, including mothers, widows and young people who are seeking opportunities to improve their lives.”
Former Provost of the Federal College of Education, Pankshin, Amos Chirfat, commended the initiative, saying it had brought smiles to the faces of vulnerable women in the constituency.
Minority Leader of the Langtang North Legislative Council, Dirya Sheni, also commended Nandir Lar for supporting widows and other vulnerable members of the community.
At the end of the outreach, each of the 200 beneficiaries received a 10-kilogramme bag of corn flour, seasoning and N10,000 cash
By Francis Wilfred
The Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), and the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) have expressed commitment to ensure a full compliance with the Anti Money Laundering/Counter Finance on Terrorism/Counter Proliferation Financing, (AML/CFT/CPF) laws within the Nigeria’s real estate sector.
They made the resolve during a stakeholders’ engagement held on Thursday, September 10, 2026
The engagement focused on Mutual Evaluation readiness, risk-based supervision, beneficial ownership transparency, customer due diligence, internal controls and stronger collaboration between SCUML and the real estate sector.
Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE 1 Ibinabo Amachree, speaking on behalf of SCUML highlighted the strategic role of real estate operators in protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system, particularly given the sector’s vulnerability to money laundering and other financial crime risks.
Amachree encouraged REDAN members to move beyond registration to ensure that compliance is embedded in their day-to-day operations. He mentioned the areas to include: understanding institutional risks, knowing customers and beneficial owners, identifying politically exposed persons, conducting appropriate sanctions screening, maintaining effective internal controls and meeting applicable reporting obligations
He, therefore, reaffirmed readiness to working closely with REDAN and other stakeholders to improve compliance, build capacity and promote a stronger culture of accountability across the real estate sector
“The message is clear: effective compliance is not just about meeting regulatory requirements; it is about protecting businesses, strengthening the real estate sector and safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system”, she said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of REDAN, Lagos state, Mr Tony Kolawole pledged readiness to partner with SCUML in ensuring compliance with AML/CFT/CPF in the real estate sector to uphold financial integrity.
The engagement also provided an opportunity for REDAN members to share practical regulatory and operational challenges affecting the sector, reinforcing the importance of continuous dialogue between regulators and industry stakeholders.
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