By Ishaq Zaki

Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has signed into law, the Bill establishing the state Anti-thuggery Agency.

This is contained in a statement issued in Gusau on Sunday by the Press Secretary to the Governor, Jamilu Iliyasu.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Matawalle had in February 2022 issued an Executive Order setting up a committee to tackle thuggery, drug abuse and related offences in the state.

The governor later forwarded a bill to the state House of Assembly for a law to establish the state anti-thuggery agency, which was passed by the lawmakers.

The governor said the agency was established by his administration to complement the efforts of security agencies in curtailing thuggery related cases in the state.

He added that the agency would also help to inculcate good morals in the youths towards a more decent society.

According to the statement, the governor also assented to the amended law setting up the state Area Development Councils.

He said the area development councils were created to bring people closer to government and enhance development at the grassroots, to meet the aspirations of the electorate.

The governor thanked the Assembly for passing the two bills into law and supporting the government to ensure the overall development of the state. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Abubakar Ahmed/Maharazu Ahmed

By Usman Aliyu

An heavy rainfall on Saturday slowed down electoral activities in many parts of Edo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the downpour, which started at 3 p.m., halted the exercise at Afuze, Sabo Ora and Uben in Owan West Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Usman Bello, Daily Trust Correspondent in Benin, also said that a similar rainfall occurred in the state capital, thereby elongating polling exercise in the area.

In Uben, voting still continued as of 5 p.m. when a Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) got to the village.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police on Election Duty in Edo, Mr Benjamin Okolo, has said that the police were investigating a reported case of vote buying in Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.

Okolo said this while speaking with newsmen during a monitoring of situation in Edo North Senatorial District.

Comrade Adams Oshiomole, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the senatorial election, and Mr Philip Shaibu, Deputy Governor of Edo, are from the area. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Angela Okisor/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

By Julius Toba-Jegede

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial Candidate for Ekiti Central, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, has defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the race in his polling unit in Iyin Ekiti.

The current Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, defeated his closest rival Oladimeji Ajijola of PDP  with 171 votes.

Ajijola pulled two votes, according to the result confirmed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Polling Unit 003 of Ward 13 on Saturday.

NAN reports that Bamidele is seeking a re-election to National Assembly where he’s the Chairman, Southern Senators’ Forum.

In the same polling unit, APC Presidential Candidate, Sen. Bola Tinubu scored 155 against his opponent, Atiku Abubukar of PDP who scored two.

Also in  the same polling unit the APC House of Representatives Candidate Steve Fatoba  polled 165 votes, while his closest opponent from the PDP scored only one vote.

Bamidele appreciated the people of his ward for the overwhelming victory and promised to report his qualitative representative he’s offered in the last three years. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

JTJ/IAA

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

By Julius Toba-Jegede

The Senatorial candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ekiti Central District, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, has given kudos to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for going ahead with the 2023 general elections in spite of initial challenges.

Bamidele gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, after casting his vote at Polling Unit 003 of Ward 13, Ibedoyin Ward, Iyin Ekiti.

NAN reports that the current Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, arrived at the polling unit at about 12 noon and voted by 12:27pm.

While describing the process of his accreditation and voting as smooth, he said that INEC deserved commendation for overcoming some initial obstacles on its way of carrying out the exercise.

He made allusion to the problems created by the introduction of new naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) few months to the general elections.

He said that initial challenges of non-functional BVAS in some parts of his senatorial district were corrected by INEC, thereby making the process hitch-free.

“We give God the glory that this election is even holding today. This election is holding today against the backdrops of daunting challenges in our country; owing to certain policies of government, especially through the CBN.

“But we’re happy that people refused to be pushed to violence and everybody worked hard to prevent the eventual breakdown of law and order.

“This is an election that would have been enmeshed in crisis due to recent development, but we’re happy that the election is holding.

“I took my time before coming out to vote, I came here after 12 noon because I needed to touch base with different parts of my senatorial district and different parts of the state.

“With respect to my senatorial district, what I gathered from various reports from the field is that the turnout of voters has been impressive and secondly INEC has lived up to expectations,” he said.

Sen. Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele( 2nd left) and his wife, Yemisi (3rd left) with other family members on queue for accreditation and voting in Iyin Ekiti on Saturday

By Olawale Jokotoye

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, have adjudged the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections in Ogun as smooth and credible.

Osinbajo and Obasanjo expressed their views in separate interviews with journalists after casting their votes in Ikenne and Abeokuta respectively.

Commenting, Obasanjo who voted at about 10:32 a.m. at Ward 11, Polling Unit 22, Olushomi Compound, Sokori area of Abeokuta-North, expressed satisfaction at the peaceful and orderly conduct of the polls.

“I think we are getting it through in election in our country.

“One can see things that are encouraging and giving hope for future as far as election is concern, because there are improvements,” he said.

Obasanjo, particularly, commended INEC for the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), saying that technology had improved the voting process.

“I came in and I was checked. I was asked to remove my glasses and the gadget was placed before my face and my picture appeared.

“That is a new one and if that will happen all over the country, I think we are making progress.

“One should encourage and support anything that will help the credibility, integrity and transparency of the electoral process, because credible election is the begining of good governance of any country,” he said

Obasanjo expressed optimism over the outcome of the polls, adding, “my expectation is high”.

Also, Osinbajo, who cast his vote at Unit 014, Ward 1, Ojurege in Ikenne Local Government area of the state, also described the exercise as peaceful.

He expressed hope that the election would be orderly and peaceful across the country.

“This is my polling booth. The Ojurege polling booth is very peaceful.

“I hope this is the same all across the state and the country,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Olagoke Olatoye