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INEC Drops Soludo, PDP Candidates from List of Contenders for Nov 6 Anambra Guber Election

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The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has published the list of candidates for the November 6 Governorship Election in Anambra state.

In the list published on Friday, the electoral umpire, in obedience to orders of court, dropped the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Mr Valentine Ozigbo and that of the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA, Professor Chukwuma Soludo.

Justifying their exclusion, INEC national commissioner in charge of Publicity and Information. Festus Okoye said in a statement that the commission met Thursday, and among other things considered the List/personal particulars of candidates nominated by the various political parties for the Anambra State Governorship election scheduled to hold on 6th November 2021.

He also said that the Commission considered and took cognizance of the Judgments/Court Orders served on it in relation to the primaries of the political parties and other processes leading to the election.

Okoye said that the action was taken ⁰⁰in line with section 31(3) of the Electoral Act, 2010(as amended) , where the personal particulars of the candidates will be published in the Commissions Notice Board in Awka, Anambra State while the names of the candidates, their gender, party, age, qualification and the Commissions decision/ remarks are herein attached.

He said that the Commission will continue to act in consonance with the Constitution and the law and will continue to obey the judgments and orders of courts served on it.

An FCT High Court Abuja had issued an order mandating INEC not to publish the name of anyone as the candidate of PDP for November 6 Anambra state governorship election.

This order came as a shock to the camp of Val Ozigbo after it was reported Friday that the restraining order from the state high court Awka which had earlier stopped the publication of Ozigbo as the candidate of PDP was not renewed by Justice Obiorah Nwabunike after it elapsed.

Ozigbo also asked the court to grant an order that INEC should publish his name and not that of any other candidate. And that PDP should not tamper with name which was submitted to INEC on June 2nd.

But the court turned against him and rather refused to grant his main reliefs and went ahead to block INEC from publishing the name of any candidate of PDP pending the hearing and determination of the motion.

In the case of Soludo, it may not be unconnected with the controversy trailing his nomination as the flag bearer of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), for the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, which resulted into a lawsuit filed before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court.

In the originating summons, a chieftain of the party, Okoye Nwabuogo, is seeking an order of court setting aside the election and nomination of Soludo as the party’s candidate for the November election.

The suit dated July 6, 2021, and filed the same day by counsel to the plaintiff, Okoro Nkemakolam, is further seeking an order restraining Soludo from parading himself as the validly or duly elected candidate of the party for the said election.

It is the case of the plaintiff, who is a card-carrying member of the party and a registered voter, that the statutory 21 days notice was not given to INEC by the party, prior to holding of the special ward congress, held on June 15, 2021, for the election of ad hoc delegates for the nomination of the party’s governorship candidate for the Anambra State gubernatorial election scheduled to hold on November 6. 2021.

Listed as defendants in the pre-election suit were All Progressive Grand Alliance Charles Soludo and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Culled from This Day News Nigeria

 

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Nigerian officials probe plan to marry off scores of female orphans

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May 15, 2024

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ABUJA, NIGERIA — Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Women Affairs says it is investigating a plan by a lawmaker in central Niger state to marry off some 100 female orphans of unknown ages later this month.

Speaker of the Niger State Assembly Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji announced the mass wedding last week but called off the ceremony following widespread outrage.

Minister of Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, condemned the plans.

Kennedy-Ohanenye said she had petitioned the police and filed a lawsuit to stop the marriages pending an investigation to ascertain the age of the orphans and whether they consented to the marriages.

“This is totally unacceptable by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and by the government” of Nigeria, she said.

Last week, Sarkin-Daji announced his support for the mass wedding of the orphans, whose relatives were killed during attacks by armed bandits. He said it was part of his support to his constituents following an appeal for wedding funding by local traditional and religious leaders.

The mass wedding had been scheduled for May 24.

“That support I intend to give for the marriage of those orphans, I’m withdrawing it,” he said. “The parents can have the support [money], if they wish, let them go ahead and marry them off. As it is right now, I’m not threatened by the action of the minister.”

Despite national laws prohibiting it, forced or arranged marriage is a common phenomenon in Nigeria, especially among rural communities in the predominantly Muslim north, where religious and cultural norms such as polygamy favor the practice.

Poor families often use forced marriage to ease financial pressure, and the European Union Agency for Asylum says girls who refuse could face repercussions such as neglect, ostracism, physical assault and rape.

Raquel Kasham Daniel escaped being married off as a teenager when her father died and now runs a nonprofit helping children, especially less-privileged girls, get a formal education for free.

She said the ability of women to avoid forced marriage in Nigeria depends on their income and education.

“I was 16 when I lost my dad and I was almost married off, but then I ran away from home. And that gave me the opportunity to complete my education, and now I have a better life,” Daniel said.

“So, the reason why I prioritize education is to make sure that other girls have access to quality schooling so that it will help them make informed decisions about their lives. Education not only increases our awareness as girls about our rights but also enhances our prospects for higher income earning,” she said.

Thirty percent of girls in Nigeria are married before they turn 18, according to Girls Not Brides, a global network of more than 1,400 civil society groups working to end child marriage.

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Shell investigates smoke near Gbaran oil facility in Nigeria

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May 15, 2024

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YENAGOA, Nigeria, May 14 (Reuters) – Oil major Shell is investigating reports of smoke early Tuesday near its Gbaran Ubie oil and gas facility in Nigeria’s coastal Bayelsa state, a spokesperson said after residents reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke near the area.
The incident would not immediately lead to an operational shut-in, the Shell spokesperson said.
A fire was reported around 0600 GMT by residents in the nearby community, who said blasts were heard where pipeline repair works had been ongoing.
The Gbaran facility, which began operations in 2010, is by far the most important Nigeria LNG gas feedstock project, processing almost 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.
“We are actively monitoring reports of smoke detected near our Gbaran Central Processing Facility in Bayelsa State. While the source appears to be external to our facility, we are in close communication with regulatory authorities to look into the incident and ensure the safety of the surrounding communities,” a Shell spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
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Shell did not immediately respond to the accounts of residents in the area.
Resident Ovie Ogbuku told Reuters: “At about 7 a.m. I heard the sound so deafeningly and it shook the foundation of the earth and we ran for our dear lives. The result is the thick smoke you are seeing now.”
Another resident Uche Ede said; “We have no idea of the cause of the explosion but we are grateful no life was lost because it was far away from homes.”
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Land operations in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta are prone to sabotage, theft, and pipeline vandalism, forcing oil majors to exit such fields to focus on deepwater drilling.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Nigeria tour: A Round Up

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May 15, 2024

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Meghan and Harry spent three days in the African country, Nigeria in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent time in Nigeria as part of a three-day tour, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of The Invictus Games.

The couple were personally invited on the trip by Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, General Christopher Musa; they are not there in any official capacity on behalf of the royal family or the UK. The tour schedule, which started in the bustling capital of Abuja, has been jam-packed, including a visit to primary and secondary school Lightway Academy, where they met with students, and experiencing the work of Nigeria Unconquered, a charitable foundation dedicated to aiding wounded, injured, or sick servicemembers.

Naturally, the trip also provided the opportunity for Meghan to showcase a multi-day “tourdrobe”, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the couple stepped down as senior working royals in early 2020 – and she hasn’t disappointed, in a series of summery maxi dresses, elegant tailoring and striking separates.

See highlights from their trip so far, below.

On day three, the couple arrived at Lagos airport, where they were given an official state welcome.

The couple posed for a photo with children and Nigerian dignitaries.

 

The couple were greeted by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

 

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They then attended a basketball exhibition training match at Ilupeju Grammar School in Lagos. After the match, they posed for a photo with the Toronto Raptors basketball team president, Masai Ujiri, and the principal of Ilupeju Grammar School, Josephine Egunyomi.

 

The couple attended a reception hosted by the charity organisation Nigeria Unconquered, held at the Officers’ Mess in Abuja.

 

A visit to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

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