NEWS
Off Season Elections: PDP, APC War Over Imo State Gets Messier
The war between the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on who wins the off season gubernatorial election in Imo State has gotten messier.
While voting is underway in Imo as well as Bayelsa and Kogi States for the people to speak with their votes over who would be their governor for the next four years, the situation in Imo has been remarkably tense.
The Saturday, November 11, 2023 in Imo State has been attracting global attention for all the wrong reasons.
Recall that the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, an indigene of Imo State, almost lost his life in events believed to closely connected with the desperation of a political party to win the election.
Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) allegedly apprehended him and left him at the mercy of thugs who had a field day manhandling him.
The entire organised labour in Nigeria is still licking its wounds and strategising on how to take a pound of flesh over the incident.
In another curious incident, another main actor, the Labour Party (LP) had decried the desperate antics of the APC, feared to be conniving with the umpire to effect unwarranted last-minute changes on deployment of the Polling Unit Officers (PUO).
In the bid to drive their point home, the Spokesperson for the LP’s governorship candidate, Chibuikem Diala, opined that the INEC was doing the same thing throughout the state.
According to him, the LP campaign organisation stumbled on the startling reality that the actual PUOs trained by the INEC were dropped at the dying minute, with people who didn’t take part in the INEC’s training being deployed to conduct the election.
He said, “The Senator Athan Achonu Media Centre wishes to alert security agents and patriotic INEC staff, especially those sent from outside Owerri for this election, about plans already concluded to compromise the BVAs for use for today’s election by the RATECH team.
“A reliable intel from some LGAs in Owerri Federal Constituency has uncovered plans by the technical team in those LGAs discussing issuing wrong passwords to some of the ad hoc staff for this election.
“Specifically, this devious plan was being discussed at the Owerri Municipal and Owerri North Local Government Areas where the Head of the RATECH team has concluded plans to issue wrong passwords to PO, especially those posted to polling units with large voters. According to the source, the instruction is to ensure that some of the BVAS malfunction at the Polling Units.
“The purpose is to either generate a fake result or frustrate the voting process in specific areas where the riggers do not have a strong presence. This is shameful and devilish.
“All party agents in every booth and ward, as well as voters, should hold the ‘RATHEC Team responsible, not the POs, wherever BVAs password is wrong because it has been compromised. We also urge all POs to escalate this criminality wherever it is found.
“The agents and indeed all Imo Voters must resist this and insist that the proper thing is done.
“We vehemently condemn this evil plot and call on the INEC Commissioners we have been told were seconded to the state to ensure a free, fair, and smooth exercise to forestall this, as the opposition parties can never accept it.
“We request that the head of the RATECH team in Owerri Federal Constituency and indeed all other LGAs should be cautioned before they discredit a process that is meant to yield positive outcomes.
“We also charge security operatives to ensure that compromised INEC staff do not create a crisis during this electoral exercise.”
And as if that was not enough, the PDP has taken to its verified X handle to lament what is going on in Imo State in the name of conducing gubernatorial elections.
The PDP appear to have taken its fate into its hands by going public with the matter copying the APC and the INEC on its post on X.
The PDP, tweeted, “#ImoDecides2023:
“@OfficialAPCNg Members Cannot Serve as @inecnigeria Ad-Hoc Staff
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has busted plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to plant is members as ad-hoc staff to conduct election in Imo State.
“Of particular reference is the APC Woman Leader in Owerri Ward caught taking delivery of INEC materials.
“This is apparently part of the rigging plots designed by the compromised Imo REC, Prof. Sylvia Agu.
“The people of Imo State know such APC members and will not accept them as INEC officers.
“INEC should immediately withdraw such APC members and re-profile their staff to avert crisis.”
NATO air defence systems have intercepted a third ballistic missile believed to have been launched from Iran after it entered Turkish airspace, Turkey’s Defence Ministry confirmed on Friday, raising fresh concerns about the growing tensions in the Middle East.
In a statement, the ministry said the missile was neutralised by NATO air and missile defence assets deployed in the eastern Mediterranean after it crossed into Turkish territory.
SEE MORE: WHO Releases Alarming Casualty Figures From US‑Israel‑Iran Conflict
The latest interception triggered security alerts across parts of southern Turkey.
Air raid sirens reportedly sounded at the strategic Incirlik Air Base, a key NATO military facility that hosts United States troops and other allied personnel.
Residents in the nearby city of Adana were awakened around 3:25 a.m. by the warning alarms. Some locals reportedly captured footage showing what appeared to be a fast-moving object on fire streaking across the sky.
Similar sirens were also heard in the eastern Turkish city of Batman around 4:00 a.m., with reports indicating the alarm may have been linked to a nearby military drone base located close to the city’s airport.
The incident marks the third time NATO defence systems have intercepted missiles linked to Iran in recent weeks. The first missile was shot down on March 4, while a second was intercepted earlier this week.
Following Monday’s incident, the United States temporarily shut down its consulate in Adana and urged American citizens to leave southeastern Turkey due to security concerns.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, however, reportedly denied that the missile had been launched from Iran during a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The rising tensions come amid the ongoing conflict that erupted on February 28 involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Since the outbreak of hostilities, Tehran has reportedly carried out retaliatory strikes across several locations in the Middle East.
Incirlik Air Base remains one of NATO’s most important strategic military facilities in the region. The base has hosted US troops for decades and also accommodates military personnel from other NATO member states including Spain and Poland.
Another key NATO installation is located in Kurecik, in Turkey’s Malatya province, where US troops operate an early-warning radar system capable of detecting missile launches from Iran. The radar facility forms part of NATO’s broader ballistic missile defence shield.
Although Turkish authorities have consistently denied that radar data from the base has been shared with Israel, its presence has reportedly raised concerns in Tehran.
Earlier this week, Turkey also confirmed the deployment of a Patriot missile defence system in Malatya as NATO strengthens its regional missile defence posture amid the escalating conflict.
Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), operator of the joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and CNL has reiterated commitment to socio-economic development in the Niger Delta.
CNL has demonstrated interest in stakeholder discussions in respect of the proposed Escravos to Warri Road Project and continues to partner with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Delta State Government to understand the proposal.
During a visit of CNL and NDDC to the Delta State government on March 12, 2026, in Asaba, Segun Kuteyi, Director & Chief Operating Officer, Chevron Nigeria and Mid-Africa Region, highlighted CNL’s belief that the construction of the road will potentially improve connectivity and foster economic development in the region. He also recognized the critical importance of building the required synergy with the Delta State government through the project lifecycle.
ALSO READ: Coalition Faults Claims of N210tn Missing at NNPC Ltd
According to him, CNL believes that a collaborative approach with various stakeholders including government agencies, local communities, and private sector partners will deliver best value and the NDDC, being the initiator of the project, is a critical stakeholder in the project.
He said: “Nigeria’s Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme (RITCS) provides a framework that may incentivize eligible private sector participation,” he stated, adding that CNL will continue to collaborate with the Nigerian government and other stakeholders to support the development of the Nigerian oil and gas industry and the Nigerian economy.”
Allegations that about N210tn is missing from the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has been faulted by a coalition of professionals under the Ajiyya Solidarity Forum (AJF).
Addressing journalists on Thursday, ASF National Coordinator, Usman Hamza, described the claim as “mathematically impossible” and politically motivated.
The group’s position is in response to a recent claim by the Chairman of the Senate Public Accounts Committee, Ahmed Wadada, that the NNPC Limited could not account for about N210tn.
According to Hamza, such a figure was misleading.
ALSO READ: Dangote Refinery Cuts Petrol, Diesel Prices
“Senator Wadada’s claim of N210tn ‘unaccounted for’ funds is a mathematical impossibility designed to shock the public,” Hamza said.
He argued that the claim did not align with Nigeria’s fiscal reality, noting that the country’s entire 2024 national budget stood at about N28.7tn.
“To suggest that a single entity ‘lost’ nearly eight times the national budget is an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians,” he added.
The forum also condemned threats of arrest warrants against former officials of NNPC Ltd, including former Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya, describing the move as part of a coordinated campaign of political blackmail.
According to the group, the Senate committee may have misinterpreted financial figures by combining accrued expenses and receivables in a way that falsely suggests missing funds.
“We consider that the committee has erroneously ‘netted’ N103tn in accrued expenses, largely joint venture liabilities, with N107tn in receivables owed to NNPCL. Labelling money owed to a company as ‘missing funds’ is a professional travesty,” Hamza stated.
During the ongoing review of the financial records of NNPC Ltd, the Senate Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Wadada, raised concerns over alleged discrepancies running into trillions of naira.
The ASF maintained that the allegations ignored the broader financial and structural reforms undertaken by the national oil company in recent years.
Furthermore, Hamza mentioned that the tenure of former CFO Ajiya coincided with the transition of the national oil firm into a commercial entity under the Petroleum Industry Act, a reform that ended decades of opaque financial reporting.
“Mr Ajiya’s tenure saw the transition of NNPC into a commercially driven entity and the publication of the first audited financial statements in 43 years,” the forum stated.
ASF defended the N5.9bn cost incurred during the transition process of NNPC to NNPC Limited, saying it covered complex legal and structural reforms required to transform the former state corporation into a limited liability company.
The forum warned that politicising the Senate’s oversight role could damage Nigeria’s credibility in the eyes of international investors.
“Using the Senate’s hallowed chambers to pursue personal vendettas damages Nigeria’s reputation with international investors,” Hamza said.
The forum further called on the leadership of the Senate to institute an independent ethics investigation into what it described as an alleged demand for bribes linked to the ongoing oversight process.
“We call on the Senate leadership and its Ethics Committee to investigate the alleged bribe demand connected to this oversight exercise,” he said.
He urged lawmakers to stop what he described as the harassment of officials who have already submitted several technical responses to the committee.
“Public accountability should be pursued through a sober forensic review of facts, not through sensational claims and phantom numbers,” he added.
NATO Shoots Down Third Iranian Missile in Turkey
Inside Tinubu’s Closed-Door Meeting With Opposition Leaders – SDP, IPAC Reveal Details
Defections Won’t Break PDP in Sokoto, Says Former Senator Gada
Nigeria’s Crude Output Falls to 1.3mbpd
Chevron Reiterates Commitment to Niger Delta Development
Coalition Faults Claims of N210tn Missing at NNPC Ltd
Trump’s Family Unveils New Cryptocurrency Platform
Reps Recommend 3-year Jail Term For Aviation minister
Dangote Cement Lights Up Benue Host Communities With CSR Initiatives
Senate Denies Receiving Petitions Against Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Nominees
Things To Know About Threads, Zuckerberg’s Twitter-like App
