News
Bayelsa guber poll: Panic hits Sylva’s camp as loyalists leave in droves
Bayelsa guber poll: Panic hits Sylva’s camp as loyalists leave in droves
By: Michael Mike
As the Bayelsa State governorship election, scheduled for November 11, 2023 gets closer, panic has hit the camp of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Timipre Sylva, as his support base is being eroded daily with supporters ditching him for the camp of the incumbent governor, Senator Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The scenario has also been compounded by the reluctance of the national leadership of the party to support his campaign financially.
Only recently, the closest political ally of Sylva, who is also an immediate past member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Israel Sunny Goli, dumped him for the PDP over what was described as irreconcilable differences.
Also, few days ago, the platform of former legislators from 1999 till date declared their support for Governor Diri with the motion of vote of confidence on Diri moved by a former Sylva’s ally, Hon. Robert Enogha, and seconded by Rt. Hon. Werinipre Seibarugu, former Acting Governor and also a deputy governor to Sylva.
The development is becoming a source of worry to his supporters and party leaders in the state.
A close associate of Sylva, who spoke to our reporter in confidence, while taking stock of the political climate in the state ahead of the election, said: “if care is not taken, the way Sylva is going about it, Sylva and his supporters may be plunged into political oblivion and ultimately be retired from the Bayelsa political space, because the events of the past are hunting him and his followers.”
The source recalled how Sylva led a team of his supporters to meet the National Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, to raise N11 billion to support his campaign.
“The team met a brick wall as the Chairman was not enthusiastic about the idea. Rather than buying into the idea as the usual practice during a serious election season like the governorship election, he mockingly threw the task back to Sylva by giving him the task to first list the number of persons he had empowered in his state.
“Sylva and his team were given one hour to do that, while Ganduje waited to no avail and they left the national chairman’s residence with forlorn faces and utter disappointment.”
Another source further expressed disappointment that APC supporters back in Bayelsa State are frightened by daily depletion of supporters, defecting in droves to the ruling PDP with confidence in the Diri administration soaring higher.
The indicators, according to the sources, are gloomy for the APC, so long as free and fair election is conducted in the state.
However, recall that in the past couple of weeks, the media has been agog with reports about the desperation of the APC governorship candidate to win at all cost.
Accusing fingers pointed at his direction over plans to use BVAS machines without appropriate codes, the allegation of co-opting fake policemen and INEC officials to do his bidding.
Also, he tried unsuccessfully to drag the Presidency into his campaign, trying to enlist the support of the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
His effort was also futile.
Very significant to note is the fact that Sylva is hell bent on returning the state to its dark days during his five years reign of terror. Remember, the bombing of political opponent rallies, the unexplained death of the younger brother of his late ADC whom we gathered was ready to cooperate with the police.
A prominent community leader from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area bursted in anger while condemning his choice of a deputy from a local government that produced the first graduate in the person of late Chief N A Frank Opigo. He said: “Southern Ijaw people are appalled at the APC’s choice of a deputy governorship candidate whose credentials are well known to be questionable. What an insult to our collective sensibilities?
“His deputy governorship candidate we recall was boastful of his jail break while serving a ten year jail term for multiple felonies in Kaduna prison. Whither are we bound? Haba, has Bayelsa State become the state of jokers?”
The question on the lips of vast majority of Bayelsans is: Is there any interest the former Minister of State for Petroleum has other than coming to sell the state just as he was accused of revoking the state most priced asset , the Atala Oil Field OML 46 which is the common patrimony of the land of his birth . OML 46 recall is the marginal oil field allocated to Bayelsa State during the resource control agitations.
Rather than protect it for his state Sylva revoked it and reallocated it to a company that was only incorporated in September 2019 with no single asset or experience using fake receipts and unverifiable investment claims. These are some of the baggage the APC has to contend with in the days ahead of the election.
Bayelsa guber poll: Panic hits Sylva’s camp as loyalists leave in droves
NIMC Pushes Digital Identity Reforms to Boost Service Delivery, Security
By: Michael Mike
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) through the deployment of secure digital identity systems aimed at improving governance, enhancing national security, and expanding access to public services.
Speaking at a digital conference in Abuja themed “Building Africa’s Digital Foundations Together,” the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, represented by the Head of Infrastructure Technology and Identity Databases, Mr. Sulaiman Falade, said the commission is driving reforms and institutional partnerships to build an inclusive and interoperable digital identity ecosystem.
According to her, the National Identification Number (NIN) has become central to Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda, serving as a key tool for identity verification, biometric authentication, and access to both government and private sector services.
She noted that following the Presidential Directive issued on April 5, 2024, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were mandated to integrate the NIN into digital services, particularly in areas involving data capture, identity verification, and authentication processes.
Coker-Odusote stated that NIMC has already established implementation structures to ensure compliance with the directive and to deepen the adoption of digital identity solutions across the country.
She further stressed that the Federal Government’s vision is to establish a unified, secure, and transparent digital identity framework capable of supporting efficient service delivery and accountability in governance.
The NIMC boss added that the commission is also advancing Nigeria’s broader digital governance goals through the deployment of the National Public Key Infrastructure (nPKI), a system designed to strengthen trust in digital transactions, safeguard citizens’ data, and promote secure online interactions.
She called on stakeholders in both the public and private sectors to continue supporting the implementation of Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem, noting that the initiative is critical to national development and economic growth.
According to her, NIMC remains committed to leveraging technology and innovation to build a more connected, efficient, and resilient nation.
NIMC Pushes Digital Identity Reforms to Boost Service Delivery, Security
Tinubu Sweeps Zulum’s Ward with 100% Votes in APC Presidential Primary
By: Michael Mike
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recorded a landslide victory in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary election in Mafa Ward of Borno State, securing all valid votes cast in the exercise held in the home ward of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum.
The direct primary election took place at Mafa Central Primary School under the supervision of the Chairperson of the Presidential Primary Election Committee, Hajiya Inna Alkali Imam.
According to the results announced at the ward level, Tinubu polled 2,175 votes, representing 100 per cent of the valid votes cast during the exercise. Out of the 2,277 registered APC members in the ward, 2,175 were accredited and participated in the voting process.
Tinubu’s challenger, Stanley Osifo, an APC chieftain and businessman from Edo State, failed to secure any vote in the ward.
Governor Zulum, who served as the Coordinator and Collation Officer for the presidential primary in the state, said he participated in the exercise as an indigene of Mafa Ward.
“I am from Mafa Ward, and that is why I am here to witness and participate in the exercise. We have two candidates, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mr Stanley Osifo,” Zulum stated.
The governor also commended the peaceful conduct of the exercise and the turnout of party members.
“So far so good, we have conducted the presidential primary election for Mafa Ward, and I am very impressed with the turnout. We have a total of about 2,277 registered party members in Mafa Ward, out of which 2,175 were accredited for the voting, and all of them voted for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while the other candidate scored zero,” he said.
The APC presidential primary is ongoing in several states across the country, with the party expected to collate and announce final nationwide results at a later date.
Tinubu Sweeps Zulum’s Ward with 100% Votes in APC Presidential Primary
News
I Remember At Age Of 8,General Gowon Would Send Hand Written Letter To Yusuf Signed Uncle Joe-Sanusi
I Remember At Age Of 8,General Gowon Would Send Hand Written Letter To Yusuf Signed Uncle Joe-Sanusi
By: Our Reporter
The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has recounted a touching childhood memory about former Nigerian Head of State Yakubu Gowon, portraying him as a compassionate leader who extended personal support to the family of a military officer killed during the 1966 coup.
Speaking during an interview on Signature TV, Sanusi reflected on his early years at St Anne’s Secondary School in Kaduna, where he attended school alongside Yusuf Pam, the son of the late Colonel Joseph Pam, one of the victims of the January 1966 Nigerian coup.
The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria recalled that despite the demands of national leadership, Gowon took a personal interest in the wellbeing of Yusuf following the loss of his father. According to Sanusi, the former Head of State frequently sent handwritten letters to the young boy, signing them “Uncle Joe.”
“What I remember at the age of eight was that General Gowon, as Head of State, would send a handwritten letter to Yusuf signed ‘Uncle Joe.’ That is a window into the person you are dealing with,” Sanusi said.
The Emir noted that the gesture has remained vivid in his memory over the years because it revealed a caring and humane side of leadership during one of the most turbulent periods in Nigeria’s history. He suggested that Gowon’s actions reflected empathy and a sense of responsibility toward families affected by the political upheaval of the time.
Colonel Pam was among several prominent figures who lost their lives during the 1966 coup, a pivotal event that reshaped Nigeria’s political landscape and contributed to years of instability and conflict that followed.
I Remember At Age Of 8,General Gowon Would Send Hand Written Letter To Yusuf Signed Uncle Joe-Sanusi
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