By Femi Ogunshola

Mrs Ibim Semenitari, Director, New Media, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council for Rivers governorship election, says its governorship candidate, Mr Siminalayi Fubara will provide affordable renewable energy supply if elected.

Semenitari who said this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, added that Rivers indigenes would experience a new electricity regime.

She said Fubara would create a sustainable energy infrastructure by investing in renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydroelectricity.

The director said the candidate would also improve on the existing grid system by modernising outdated equipment and increasing access to electricity in underserved regions.

She said electricity would be the priority of Fubara`s administration, adding he would focus on the energy sector upon assumption of office.

Semenitari said the governorship candidate would audit the energy requirements of the State and develop a plan to secure energy security for the State.

She said to further solve the energy problem, he would invest in solar systems to power public institutions and also embark on rural electrification projects.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited Joseph Edeh

By Angela Atabo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is willing to make available all necessary documents on the Feb. 25 presidential election for inspection by interested parties.

Prof.Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman, INEC, said this when he received a team of lawyers from the Labour Party (LP) led by Dr Livy Uzoukwu,a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in Abuja on Monday.

Yakubu acknowledged the receipt of a letter from the LP dated March 6, notifiying it that the team would visit for inspection of election materials.

He said that the letter also requested the commission to get in touch with its Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) across the 36 states and the FCT to make the documents available for the prosecution of the LP’s petition.

Yakubu said that INEC had scheduled a virtual meeting with all the RECs to discuss among other issues, the matter of providing Certified True Copies (CTCs) not only to the LP but to all other litigants.

“ I want to assure you that the commission will not hide any document from anybody and will make available any document that they have requested.

“Please be assured that INEC has nothing to hide;whatever you are asking for will be made available to you.

“There are two categories of documents those that are in possession of the headquarters of INEC we will easily make these documents available to you.

“Specifically the EC8Ds from the states and the EC8DA, which is the collation at the national collation centre by the commission itself.

“The EC8DA, the declaration, so many documents ,a total of I think 39 documents, this we can easily certify and give you almost immediately,’’ he said.
Yakubu said other documents being sought for were at the states level, saying that INEC would work out a schedule to know when the team would visit the states ,so as to easily facilitate not just certification of documents, but also the inspection requested for each of the documents.

“The other one is accreditation data from the back end. This will also be made available to you. Remember that the accreditation data covers over 176,000 polling units.

“We have to print them physically certify them, and give them to you ,so the tall and short of what I am saying is that you will get this document speedily,” he said.

Yakubu urged the LP legal team to interface with INEC’s legal team immediately to work out things.

Speaking, Uzoukwu,a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Lead Council to the LP Presidential Legal Team, said the visit was to prepare ground for the inspection of the materials for the presidential election.

“As you all know, election petition is time sensitive,we have 21 days to file a petition on behalf of our clients and out of that 21 days we probably have about 10 days to go and up till now we have not received any documents.

“We have written to INEC requesting for documents apart from that,the Court of Appeal made an order on the March 3, ordering INEC to release those documents to us but we haven’t received any hence requested for a meeting with the chairman of finance.

“ INEC graciously granted that audience within a very short notice, and he has given us assurance, concrete assurance on record that all documents we require will be made available and if possible, some of them will be made available to us today,’’he said.

Uzoukwu said the team believed that INEC would respond as promised adding that “we are leaving here rest assured that at least we will leave with some documents,the rest can then come from tomorrow and so on and so forth.

“At least if we get some of them today that is indicative that we’ll get some other documents from tomorrow, next tomorrow to enable us fight this petition,’’he said.

Dr Tanko Yusuf, Chief Spokesperson for Peter Obi/Datti Ahmed presidential campaign council, said that the party gave an ultimatum for INEC to make available the documents failure of which it would mobilise its members to demonstrate against INEC nationwide.

Yusuf said that graciously the chairman of INEC haven read that particular statement granted them the opportunity to come and liaise with him and he has assured the team of lawyers to present these documents.

Yusuf said however, that the INEC chairman granted the party’s request for its lawyers to assess the documents.
“So we want to wait and see the responses of our legal team,it is the legal team that will give us the marching order.
“When they are satisfied with what they’ve received from INEC so that our members nationwide and worldwide will be satisfied that we are doing our job and they are ready to prosecute this case accordingly,” he said (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ali Baba-Inuwa
 

By Naomi Sharang

The Senator representing Kogi-East Senatorial District, Sen. Jibrin Isa has assured his constituents of more infrastructural development.

Isa, popularly known as Echocho, who gave the assurance while speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Monday expressed gratitude to God and member of his constituents for the victory at the polls.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on March 7, presented Certificate of Return to Isa alongside 97 other senators.

The senator promised better days for the people by sponsoring bills and motions that would have direct impact on them.

“I will focus on projects that will be of direct benefit to the people of Kogi-East and the state at large.

“I have done a lot and a lot more will come from me during this second tenure especially at harnessing the raw materials Kogi is endowed with.

“I will want to believe that a lot more will come from me. In my first tenure, I have been able to set up two rice processing plants, a cashew processing plant, cassava processing plant, oil palm processing plant and skills acquisition centre among others,’’ he said.

He further said that his contribution to the development of the constituency was the only way he could appreciate them for the opportunity given to him for the second term.

Isa also urged the senators to live above board by upholding national interest above personal interest.

The lawmaker, however, appreciated Gov. Yahaya Bello for his support, saying that he would do his best to attract federal presence to the state.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kabir Muhammad/Sadiya Hamza

By Angela Atabo

The Support Group Cordination of the APC Presidential Campaign Council has urged security agencies to caution Labour Party’s activities.

Secretary  of the group ,Tosin Adeyanju, made the call in a statement  on Sunday in Abuja.

Adeyanju  alleged that the leadership of the Labour Party had threatened to truncate  the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC’s)  activities with protest over inability to inspect election materials of the last Presidential election.

He described the act as mischief making  and warned them to desist from any protest.

‘We  have uncovered plans by some groups of persons who want to, in the name of protest, unleash violence, instead of addressing their grievances to the tribunal.

“We hereby warn these groups/persons to shelve their planned violence or have us to contend with.”

“Therefore, parents and guardians are advised to warn their children against participating in the planned protest slated for tomorrow across the country.”

Adeyanju alleged  that  Labour Party  was  sponsoring protests and  warned that they should  desist from such unpatriotic plans.

“We call on Security agencies, to as a matter of urgency, take proper action against these enemies of democracy.”(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

By Bashir Rabe Mani

Sen. Aliyu Wamakko (APC-Sokoto North) has appealed to the electorate to be peaceful as they troop to the polling units to cast their votes in Saturday’s Governorship and State Houses of
Assembly elections.

Wamakko, in a special message to the people of Sokoto State, said that peace is the prerequisite of any meaningful development.

“Without peace and harmony, development and socio-economic prosperity will continue to elude us.

“Our topmost priority should be the sustenance of peace, unity and the spirit of good neighbourliness,” the former Governor of Sokoto State said.

Wamakko said that violence would not do anybody any good, as it is destructive and retrogressive.

He said: “Nobody should perpetrate violence in the name of politics, hence we should all uphold the sanctity of human life.

“God gives and takes leadership to whosoever He wishes and at his appointed time.

“So, we should all go out peacefully on Saturday and cast our votes for our preferred candidates.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Vincent Obi