The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has said that 22,239 Police personnel would be deployed to Ondo State for next Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

Egbetokun who disclosed the stakeholders meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Akure on Thursday observed that the success of any important process like the forthcoming Governorship election depends on peace, order, and security.

Stressing that a breach of the peace or security can surely scuttle the success expected in the exercise, the IGP represented by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 7, Abiodun Olabisi called on stakeholders to discharge our various duties with security-conscious approaches.

The Police boss said: “The Nigeria Police and other supporting security agencies responsible for providing security in the forthcoming election have a responsibility to solidly synergize and work as a formidable team to identify and nip in the bud, all security threats, provide water-tight security at the polling stations as well as all the public spaces within the state.

“Security of the voters the electoral officials, the electoral materials and the general public will have to be effectively provided before, during and after the election. This can be efficiently achieved by concerted covert and overt operations by the synergized security agencies assigned for the election duties.

“In order to deliver adequate election security, the Nigeria Police, apart from additional manpower from sister agencies, is going to deploy a total of 22,239 officers for the exercise.”

Egbetokun urged political parties, contesting candidates and their agents to conduct themselves peacefully and lawfully, in line with global best practices of democracy.

“All stakeholders should eschew violence, avoid the do-or-die approach, should not employ thuggery, and play the game according to the rules in the spirit of sportsmanship that will enable the loser to lose gallantly and the winner to be magnanimous in victory,” he said.

“It should be stated that violators of electoral laws run the risk of diligent prosecution. He that loses today may win tomorrow- there is always hope for the future.”

INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who noted that the 2024 Ondo State Governorship election is of global interest, disclosed that sensitive election materials will arrive in the state next week Tuesday.

Disclosing that the mock accreditation in 12 polling units across six Local Government Areas in the three Senatorial Districts of the State was successful, Yakubu clarified that machines used for the mock accreditation and the training of officials will not be used on Election Day.

He said the commission possesses sufficient machines for the election which have been configured for voter accreditation and the upload of results distinct from those used for mock accreditation and training.

“We have made arrangements for land and maritime transportation of personnel and materials. We have arranged for the delivery of sensitive materials for the election to arrive as early as Tuesday next week.

“We will invite political parties and other stakeholders for the usual inspection of the materials at the Central Bank here in Akure and throughout the movement of sensitive materials to the Local Governments and the ward centres.

“We have warned our staff that there will be consequences for dereliction of duty in any way or form. Tomorrow afternoon, I am going to address the staff, including the Electoral Officers from the 18 Local Government Areas.”

For the second day running, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has taunted the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, describing him as Africa’s most infamous election loser.

APC in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Mr Felix Morka claimed that Atiku’s long record of electoral defeat was serially certified by Nigeria’s highest courts, sealing his rejection by the electorate with judicial and constitutional finality.

APC noted that it is surprising that an unabashed Atiku has continued to lay what it termed as “a bogus claim” that he did not lose the 2023 presidential election.  

APC contended that Atiku’s desperation to be president can only be understood in the context of his determination to complete what it termed “the full subversion of Nigeria’s economic life from where he left off as Vice President.”

APC stressed that Nigerians will not entrust their country to someone who, allegedly puts his selfish interest, and the interest of his cronies over and above the national interest. 

APC observed that Atiku’s inability to come to terms with the reality of his rejection cuts an ominous portrait of extreme and disturbing political desperation. 

APC thereby urged Nigerians to stand fast in support of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-administration of President Bola Tinubu and valiant effort to restore vitality to our economy for the good of all Nigerians.

“Make no mistake. Atiku is Africa’s most infamous presidential election loser. Since serving as vice president, he has lost election to every single president that has been elected to office in Nigeria,” he said.

“Six times in the last 17 years, Nigerians have declared their verdict of untrustworthiness, incompetence, chronic corruption, visionlessness, uncanny desperation, and lack of sportsmanship on Atiku’s presidential candidacy, and roundly rejected him at the polls.”

Nigeria’s intelligent and discerning electorate will not act against their own best interest by electing into office a man with some of the most obscene record of breach of public trust, so odious that, former President Olusegun Obasanjo reportedly stated that “if I support Atiku for anything, God will not forgive me.”

Atiku is a central and recurrent player in some of our country’s most vile roll call of corruption scandals perpetrated PDP administrations.

 “Atiku was the Vice President in the government that created crooked and viscerally corrupt petrol subsidy hydra-headed dragon that has crippled our country’s economy, and laid the foundation for the endemic corruption and inefficiency that have undermined our power sector through the years.

 “Having now demystified himself with the release, last Sunday, of “What I Would Do Differently”, it is now settled that Atiku has nothing to offer Nigerians but his stale, tired, tested, and failed economic ideas that are at polar relevance to the current existential economic challenges facing our country. 

“Atiku had a chance to execute whatever economic ideas he may have ever had. He failed fantastically to do so as vice president and also failed to get his forlorn PDP to do so in all of their 16 profligate years.

Atiku thinks himself capable of fixing Nigeria but cannot fix the rot and hopeless dysfunction in his PDP.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has labeled the All Progressives Congress (APC) a party of vampires while condemning the attack on Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

The PDP hit out at the ruling APC on Monday night in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba.

Ologunagba described the APC as a party of “political vampires” who thrive and relish in “sucking the blood” of the citizens and foisting excruciating pain and hardship on Nigerians.

The PDP further described the APC as a haven of power-grabbers, treasury looters and manipulators who are only out to “grab, snatch and run” with Nigeria’s national patrimony at the expense of millions of the citizens.

The PDP said it strongly condemns the APC’s attack on Governor Makinde for speaking out for the Nigerian masses who have been subjected to untold hardship by the APC administration.

The opposition party further described the attack as reckless, insensitive and a reprehensible display of arrogance in failure.

“The attack on Governor Makinde also confirms that the APC is jittery that its days are numbered as Nigerians have seen through its lies, subterfuge, falsehood, suppressive policies and crass incompetence in governance,” Ologunagba said.

“Governor Makinde remains a credible and effective leader with astonishing record of performances not only in prioritizing the needs of the people of Oyo as evident in the numerous development projects in the state but also working with other governors elected on the platform of the PDP in the quest for development, sustenance of democracy and resistance to APC’s scheme to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.

“It is indeed an assault on the sensibility of Nigerians that in the midst of worsening insecurity, biting economic hardship, widespread hunger and starvation, comatose infrastructure, crippled productive sector, weakened currency, closure of millions of businesses with over 36% unemployment rate, hopelessness and general despondency all occasioned by the irresponsible anti-people policies of the APC administration, the party is living in alternate reality, arrogantly claiming that Nigeria is “on the cusp of prosperity”.

“Our party finds it preposterous that the APC thinks that it can continue to hoodwink citizens with lies and harvest of false performance claims when it has failed on all fronts, reversed all the gains made in the 16 years of the PDP in governance and turned our once economically thriving nation into the poverty capital of the world where over 100 million Nigerians are no longer able to afford their daily meals and other basic necessities of life.”

Ologunagba lamented that today, under the APC voodoo economy, the naira which exchanged for N168 to the follar under the PDP now exchanges for almost N2,000 per dollar and petrol which sold for N87 per liter now sells for over N1,500 in various parts of the country.

He also lamented that a bag of rice which sold for N8,000 now sells for over N100,000, a measure of beans which sold for N250 now sells for N3,800 while a measure of garri which sold for N100 now sells for N1,500.

Ologunagba added that more distressing is that while Nigerians are experiencing harrowing hardship, corrupt APC leaders are busy looting the nation’s treasury to fund their luxury appetite and consumption.

He said it is, therefore, not surprising that as the day progresses towards 2027, the APC is resorting to manipulation of data, politicization of issues and personal attacks on outspoken Nigerians as being witnessed in its outburst against Governor Makinde.

“Such attacks by the APC cannot fly as Governor Makinde and indeed other PDP governors are massively delivering on their mandates as being witnessed in the astounding infrastructural, human capital and citizen empowerment projects going on in PDP states to the admiration of Nigerians,” Ologunagba said. 

“Indeed, the PDP-governed states continue to be the oasis of development compared to the APC-controlled states. 

“The APC should end its shenanigans, accept failure and come to terms with the fact that its lifespan in the face of abysmal failure in governance cannot last beyond February 2027 when the PDP and Nigerians will send it to political oblivion where its contraption truly belongs,” he concluded.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a swipe at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his relentless condemnation of the policies of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.

APC spokesman Mr. Felix Morka in a statement argued that Atiku’s antagonistic posture is not only politically motivated but hypocrisy taken too far.

Urging Nigerians to double down on their support for President Tinubu’s administration, the party expressed confidence that despite what it termed “the transient economic pains” associated with the reforms lasting gains, better and brighter days are ahead for all.

APC argued that Atiku’s policy prescription was a disappointing rehash of more of the same old disastrous policy approaches that brought our country to its knees, to begin with, under the PDP’s long rule.

APC contended that Atiku’s policy offering starkly failed to acknowledge complex contradictions, past mistakes, and the extreme urgency of the moment.

APC particularly accused Atiku of continually gaslighting Nigerians, inciting outrage and enabling street protests against the administration’s reform policy plan that is designed to rebuild the country’s economy that he, allegedly helped to destroy as a two term Vice President under PDP’s wasteful years.

It noted: “While conceding that he would have removed fuel subsidy and eliminated the multiple exchange rate regimes, Atiku offered an implementation plan that regurgitates the same tired and ineffective ideas that turned widespread corruption, inefficiency, and economic stagnation as pillars of state policy under successive PDP administrations.

“His gradualist approach to subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms have been tested before and failed to produce any significant outcomes. Specifically, his preferred managed-floating system unfairly favors opportunists and cronies who exploit and fleece the system for personal gain to the extreme detriment of the Nigerian people.

“Atiku’s gradualist model did not address Nigeria’s problems of old, did not fundamentally alter the structure of our economy, and cannot address our current, more complex, challenges. In a rational manner, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has continued to intervene in the foreign exchange market, to provide some liquidity and reduce pressure on our local currency.

“Atiku’s proposed Economic Stimulus Fund and Infrastructure Development Unit is opaque, lacking clarity and concrete implementation plans. He touts his five-point agenda that aims to restore unity, rebuild the economy, tackle insecurity, and provide qualitative education but bare on detail of how these may be achieved.

“It is now clear for all to see that Atiku’s stale policy prescription has got nothing on the robust economic policy framework now under implementation by President Tinubu’s administration.”

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has said that he did not lose the 2023 presidential election as it was criminally stolen from Nigerians.

Atiku said this on Monday afternoon in his response to a statement by the presidency, saying he would have plunged Nigeria into a worse situation as the president.

The presidency said this on Monday morning in a statement signed by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga in response to Atiku’s criticism of the current administration which has plunged Nigeria into an economic meltdown.

“I have taken note of the initial responses highlighting the striking disparity between President Tinubu’s faltering economic policies and the alternatives I have proposed. It is exciting to witness such a vigorous debate on these critical matters, and I sincerely hope that this discourse will ultimately benefit Nigeria and its citizens,” Atiku wrote on X.

“Furthermore, let me emphasize that the citizens who cast their votes in the 2023 presidential election are well aware that I did not lose; rather, we find ourselves in this predicament because the election was criminally stolen from the Nigerian people.”

Atiku said like many fellow Nigerians, he firmly believes that we find ourselves in this current economic turmoil due to the Tinubu administration’s hasty ascent to power, devoid of a coherent plan.

He said in stark contrast, his team not only devised a comprehensive recovery plan, but also welcomed significant input from Nigerians, ensuring that their approach was inclusive and well-considered.

“Isn’t it fascinating how the so-called “tested” Tinubu administration’s only policy response seems to be a national prayer led by the First Lady and the NSA? Just a mere 24 hours after I proposed my alternative solutions! What a bold strategy!,” 😂 Atiku said, adding a laughing emoji.

“In my humble interpretation of the scriptures, prayer indeed serves as a noble path to follow. However, the sacred texts also counsel us to engage in diligent labour and hard work.

“It is therefore uncharitable for Tinubu’s team to claim that my proposals remain untested. What remains unproven is the erratic, trial-and-error nature of the policies so far implemented by this administration, which elucidates our present predicament.”

The former VP called on Nigerians not to forget that under their economic stewardship between 1999-2003, Nigeria soared to the pinnacle of Africa’s economies, while Tinubu’s administration has relegated the country to a disheartening fourth position.

He said the average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rate under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration that he served in was 6.59% and peaked at 15% in 2002, 7.98% under the late Musa Yar’Adua administration and 4.8% under Goodluck Jonathan compared to the dismal 2.8% of the so-called “tested” Tinubu era.

“Enough of the pains of the shambolic “bolekaja” economic policy prescriptions! We cannot hope to tax our way out of the economic quagmire wrought by these misguided experimental policies of a novice administration,” Atiku said.

He stated that numerous nations, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Monaco (an EU territory with a zero-income tax policy), among many others, have emerged as economic powerhouses by fostering growth through lower taxation.

“Why then are we fixated on inflicting further hardship upon an already struggling populace?,” he asked.

“One can only speculate that Tinubu’s government is anchored to a mere Tea-plan, which can only lead to a T-pain.”

The former Vice President had earlier revealed what President Tinubu needs to do to differently to transform Nigeria.

Amid the suffering faced by common Nigerians, especially due to the rise in the prices of food items caused by the removal of fuel subsidy by Tinubu, Atiku in a post on his official X account on Sunday said he had been inundated with inquiries of what he would have done differently if he were at the helm of affairs of Nigeria.

“I am not the president, Tinubu is. The focus should be on him and not on me or any other. I believe that such inquiries distract from the critical questions of what President Bola Tinubu needs to do to save Nigerians from the excruciating pains arising from his trial-and-error economic policies,” he wrote.

“However, I understand and appreciate the challenges faced by citizens in seeking alternatives to what is not working for them. I hope Tinubu and members of his administration are humble enough to borrow one or two things from our ideas in the interest of the Nigerian people. I would now go ahead and articulate some of our ideas that would have had the potential to transform our beloved country.”

Atiku said in general, he would have planned better and more robustly as his journey of reforms would have benefited from more adequate preparations, more sufficient diagnostic assessment of the country’s conditions, more consultations with key stakeholders, and better ideas for the final destination.

He said his administration as the president would have been guided by his robust reform agenda as encapsulated in ‘My Covenant With Nigerians’, his policy document that sought to, among others, protect the country’s fragile economy against much deeper crisis by preventing business collapse, with his document having spelt out policies that were consistent and coherent.

The National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has disclosed that flaws observed and recorded during the recent Edo State gubernatorial election have been identified and will be improved upon during the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State.

While assuring the electorate in the state that the poll would be seamless, Yakubu stressed that the two challenges that hindered the Edo election were logistics issues and result management.

According to the INEC Chairman, who revealed this in Akure, the state capital, the electoral body is fully prepared for the poll, hence his arrival in the state to meet with stakeholders ahead of the election.

Prof. Yakubu, who stated that mock accreditation of voters will be observed in six local councils of the state on Wednesday, added that the peace accord will also be signed by the political gladiators in the state.

He said: “We have received positive reports from our state office in Akure, but we also decided to come for a readiness assessment.

“So, we are here basically to look at what is happening and the good work that the state office has done. We are going to meet with the stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organisations, the media, and security agencies, and we are also going to meet with our staff to assess our readiness. We will be here for a few days.

“One of the activities we are also going to observe is the mock accreditation of voters, which will take place in 16 polling units across six local government areas in the three senatorial zones of the state.

“In addition to other activities, we are also going to meet with the stakeholders on Thursday, and the following day, the National Peace Committee will also invite all the stakeholders for the signing of the National Peace Accord.

“We have learnt a lot of lessons not only from the last election but also from previous elections. Basically, there are two challenges. The first one is logistics for the election so that polling units open promptly on election day.

“The second one is result management, and my assurance to voters in Ondo State is that they are going to see fast improvement in these two processes.”

While at the state headquarters of the commission, the INEC Chairman inaugurated a newly built Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) storage facility stating that “this facility is an essential component in maintaining the integrity of our electoral proces