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2023: ECOWAS Mission meets IPAC in Lagos

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2023: ECOWAS Mission meets IPAC in Lagos

2023: ECOWAS Mission meets IPAC in Lagos

The ECOWAS Fact-Finding Mission for Nigerian Elections on Saturday met with members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Lagos State.

Dr Kwadwo Afari-gyan, Head of the mission and former Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, told IPAC members at its secretariat in Ikeja that the 2023 general elections in Nigeria remained important to African continent and beyond.

Afari-gyan said all stakeholders needed to play roles to achieve the democratic expectations.

He said that the delegation had been talking with INEC, security agencies and other stakeholders, adding that the mission would move to various zones in Nigeria to hear from the stakeholders.

According to him, there is an urgent need for stakeholders to unite to ensure that the nation conducted elections that would be a model for the continent.

He urged political parties and candidates in the elections to comport themselves well, so as not to ignite violence capable of disrupting the exercise.

Afari-gyan added that a lot of lessons would be learnt from Nigeria by other members of the ECOWAS, who would be having elections in 2023, 2024 and so on.

He urged party leaders and their candidates to commit ourselves to achieving free, fair and credible elections.

Afari-gyan asked the party leaders what the challenges had been in the build-up to the 2023 elections.

Responding, the IPAC Chairman, Mr Olusegun Mobolaji, raised the issues of vote-buying, vote-selling, violence and challenge of insecurity during the election.

Mobolaji also raised the challenge of compromise by some officials of the electoral management body during elections.

He said there was the need for more political education at the grassroots to prevent electorate from selling their votes.

According to him, the new technology being adopted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is now sophisticated to mitigate electoral frauds.

Mobolaji presented a document of IPAC’s proposal on voter education, how to address vote buying and selling as well as violence and insecurity during the polls.

Commending the mission, Mobolaji asked for partnership and support on ways of dealing with all the challenges facing Nigeria’s elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the delegation on Friday, paid a courtesy visit on Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran, the Lagos state PDP Governorship Candidate and his campaign team at the Liberty House in Ikeja.

Members of the ECOWAS delegation included Mr Mohammed Konnel, the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Sierra Leone; Dr Remi Ajibewa, Director, Political Affairs, ECOWAS and Dr Onye Orukuwa, Head of Peace and Mediation Unit.

Others were ASP Nuru Hamidu, Head of ECOWAS Security and Mr Abu Turay, Election Technical Expert, ECOWAS.

2023: ECOWAS Mission meets IPAC in Lagos

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Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge

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Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge

By: Zagazola Makama

The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the sudden death of an unidentified man who collapsed and died at Government House Lodge, Minna. Zagazola learnt that the incident occurred on Friday, Aug. 2, 2025.

Sources said that the deceased had visited House No. 8, Government House Lodge, in an attempt to see Mr. Sammy, Chairman of Niger Foods. However, upon meeting his host’s absence, the man suddenly took ill.

Medical doctors were reportedly contacted from the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna, for urgent attention. Unfortunately, by the time the doctor arrived, the man had already passed away.

Following the report, a team of police operatives from GRA Division visited the scene. The body was photographed and evacuated to the IBB Specialist Hospital Mortuary for autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge

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Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027

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Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027

By Amina Ahmed Dankawuwa

The Senator representing Bauchi South at the national assembly, Senator Shehu Buba Umar has accepted the calls by the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bauchi North Senatorial District to contest for Governorship come 2027.

The Director General of the campaign for the actualisation of Sen Buba’s Gubernatorial ambition, Alhaji Muhammad Sade (Usman) accepted the calls on behalf of the Senator during a town hall meeting held on Saturday by the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bauchi North Senatorial in Azare.

He appealed to members of APC to maintain peace with all other aspirants within the party.

“Let’s respect other aspirants, such that anybody who win the primary election can have will be assisted by others, so we must value and respect each other”, he reasoned.

Muhammad Sade also called on party members to commence looking for delegates for ahead of the party primaries.

“It is now that we have to look for those that have votes. I call on our esteemed supporters to start mobilizing for delegate”, he emphasized.

He also advised social media handlers (citizens journalist) to avoid creating problems for personal gain, adding that social media some times create a lot of problem within and out side the party endorsed Senator representing Bauchi South, Senator Shehu Buba Umar for Bauchi Governor come 2027.

Baushe Daily Times reports that members of the APC gathered in thousands during the meeting in Azare during which they unanimously agreed to support Senator Shehu Buba for Governor come 2027.

Earlier in a welcoming address, former majority leader in the Bauchi state house of assembly, Hon Tijjani Mohammed Aliyu, the choice to support Sen Shehu buba Umar’s Governorship ambition was due to his concern and care he has for the people of Bauchi state.

“He respects us, he values our people politically and he also call on party members to respect each other because politics shouldn’t be considered as a do or die affair”, he said.

Also speaking, Alhaji Bashir Bukar Rimin Zayam charged the youth to cast their votes for the youth only and avoid voting older politicians who will always be going abroad for medical attention.

He therefore, appealed to members of APC to mobilised people to support Sen Shehu Buba for Governor.

Among those who attended the town hall meeting include state assembly member Azare/Madangala Hon Zakariyya sale maigero, comr sabo Mohammed S A to Sen Shehu Buba on media and communication, Hon kasuwa Shehu Damana, Hon Adamu Fanta Misau, Hon maiwada Misau,Hon Mohammed Hassan, Barr Muktar Umar, Alhaji Nura Adamu among others.

Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027

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NHRC: Closure of Badeggi Radio, A Suppression of Press Freedom, Affront to Democracy

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NHRC: Closure of Badeggi Radio, A Suppression of Press Freedom, Affront to Democracy

By: Michael Mike

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has condemned in strong terms the closure of Badeggi Radio in Niger State by the State Governor Mohammed Bago, discribing it as not only a suppression of press freedom but an affront to democracy.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission Dr Tony Ojukwu, condemned the action while reacting to the ugly incident. He said the governor’s decision to shut down the radio station without following due process is disappointing and a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed by Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Ojukwu noted that the consequences of suppressing press freedom are far-reaching and can lead to increased government opacity, reduced citizen participation, creat obstacles to accountability, and weakening of democratic institutions.

He said: “The arbitrary shutdown of media outlets undermines the checks and balances essential to a functioning democracy.”

He called on Governor Bago to immediately unseal the Radio Station and allow it to resume full operations, asking him to channel issues concerning any alleged unconstitutional operations of the Radio Station to the appropriate authority and not act with impunity.

He said: “This is both a moral imperative and a democratic requirement.”

Ojukwu who is also the president of the Network of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa ( NNHRI-WA) urged the governments to protect journalists and media freedom, foster a culture of tolerance, and support independent media. “Journalists must be able to operate without fear of harassment, intimidation, or violence,” He emphasized.

He lamented that the media has severally come under attack in various forms, a situation he termed as unacceptable in a civilized society.

He called on the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to be firm in carrying out its Statutory mandate which must not be abused at any slight opportunity.

He used the opportunity to ask media practitioners to be professional at all times in order to prevent needless censorship by political office holders.

He also called on Nigerian Guild of Editors to provide professional guidance at regular intervals as this will curb the use of hate speech, fake news and other unprofessional conducts capable of adversely affecting the media houses.

He insisted that the Commission remains committed to promoting and protecting human rights in Nigeria and would continue to monitor the situation closely.

NHRC: Closure of Badeggi Radio, A Suppression of Press Freedom, Affront to Democracy

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