The Ondo State Governorship Election commenced at 8:30 am on Saturday in Akoko North-East and Akoko North-West LGAs of the state with large turnout of voters.

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC were seen at some of the polling units visited by NAN, attending to the electorate.

At Iyometa Ward 1, Unit 1; Iyometa Ward 2, Unit 007 and Ikado Ward 2, Unit 5 in Ikare-Akoko and also at Ugbe Akoko, Ward 3, Unit 2, election commenced at 8:30 am.

Speaking with the NAN, Vincent Ugboma, the Presiding Officer (PO) at Ikado Ward 1, Unit 001, said that there was a little delay due to the BVAS malfunctioning, but the issue had been sorted out.

Ugboma said that voters started coming out in large numbers, adding that over 50 persons had been accredited and have voted in the unit by 9:00 am.

“The electorate are much; there is need to divide the unit into two so that it could be managed effectively by the electoral officials,” he said.

Also, in Ikado Ward2, Unit 13, Mr Felix Adedoja, the Presiding Officer, said that the election had been going well without any hitch.

He, however, said that some of the voters were impertinent and unruly.

Surajudeen Yakubu, 32, a physically-challenged person, who cast his vote at Iyometa Ward 2, Unit 008, urged the electoral body to allow the votes to count.

Yakubu also advised persons with disabilities, PWDs, to always exercise their right in any given election, adding “being a PWD should not limit them from exercising their rights”.

The Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the appointment of Gani Audu as his Chief of Staff.

According to a statement issued by the Secretary to State Government, Musa Ikhilor, on Friday, Audu’s appointment is expected to drive meaningful reforms across the state.

The statement read, “It is hereby announced for the information of the general public, particularly the good people of Edo State, that Governor Monday Okpebholo has approved the appointment of Gani Audu as his Chief of Staff.

“The appointment takes immediate effect.”

Born on August 18, 1969, Audu holds an HND from Auchi Polytechnic (1994), a PGD in Business Administration from Benson Idahosa University (2011), and an M.Sc. in Intelligence and Global Security from Baze University, Abuja (2024).

Audu served as the Chairman of Etsako West Local Government Council from 2004 to 2010 and as a member of the Edo State House of Assembly for Etsako West Constituency 1 from 2015 to 2023.

He was also the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress during the 2020 Edo State Governorship elections.

Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have arrived Akure, the Ondo State capital, ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos, Dapo Abiodun, Ogun, Biodun Oyebanji, Ekiti, and the immediate past deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu are in Akure for the grand finale of the party’s campaign.

Sanwo-Olu’s media aide, Gboyega Akosile, disclosed the arrival of the APC chieftains for the mega rally.

Posting on X, Akosile wrote, “Flash: Governors @jidesanwoolu, his Ogun State counterpart @DapoAbiodunCON, Ekiti State Governor @biodunaoyebanji, former Deputy Governor of Edo State @phillips Shuaibu, Lagos GAC members and leaders of the @OfficialAPCNg storm Akure for the party’s and Governor @LuckyAiyedatiwa’s mega rally ahead of Saturday’s Governorship election.”

APC candidate and incumbent governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, will on Saturday lock horns with other contestants in his quest to retain his seat.

Aiyedatiwa emerged as governor following the death of his former boss, Rotimi Akeredolu in 2023.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has warned against malpractice in Saturday’s governorship election.

Atiku warned that the PDP would firmly stand against any form of election malpractice during Saturday’s poll.

Sensitive materials for the Ondo State governorship election, scheduled for Saturday, 16th November 2024, have arrived in Akure, the state capital.

The materials were transported by the Nigerian Air Force and have been received by officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

This was disclosed in a brief message posted on the official X page of the Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday.

This marks a significant step towards ensuring a smooth and secure election process in the state.

The message read: “Breaking News! Sensitive materials for the Ondo State governorship election, scheduled for Saturday, 16th November 2024, have arrived in Akure, the state capital, and have been received by officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria. The materials were conveyed to Akure by the Nigerian Air Force.”

Donald Trump claimed victory and pledged to “heal” the country Wednesday as results put him on the verge of beating Kamala Harris in a stunning White House comeback.

His exuberant speech came despite the fact that only Fox News had declared him the winner, with no other US networks having made the call so far.

As jubilant supporters cheered and chanted “USA”, Trump took to the stage at his campaign headquarters in Florida along with his wife Melania and several of his children.

“We are going to help our country heal,” the Republican former president said.

“It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before.”

US networks have called the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina for the 78-year-old, and he led the Democratic vice president in the others although they have not been called yet.

Gloom swiftly descended on Harris’s camp.

“You won’t hear from the vice president tonight but you will hear from her tomorrow,” Cedric Richmond, Harris campaign co-chair, told a watch party in Washington as supporters left.

In a further blow to Democrats, Trump’s Republican Party also seized control of the Senate, flipping two seats to overturn a narrow Democratic majority.

A Trump victory threatens to cause shockwaves around the world, as US allies in Europe and Asia fear a return of his nationalist policies and his praise of autocrats like Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

But the US dollar surged and bitcoin hit a record high while most equity markets advanced as traders bet on a victory for Trump as the results rolled in.

Polls for weeks had shown a knife-edge race between Harris and Trump, who would be the oldest ever president at the time of inauguration, the first felon president and only the second in history to serve non-consecutive terms.

Trump also faces sentencing in a criminal case over hush money payments on November 26, while the controversy over his denial of his 2020 election defeat by Joe Biden still persists.

But in the end victory came surprisingly quickly.

The mood shifted sharply at Harris’s watch party in Howard University — her former college and a historically Black university in Washington — as the results came in.

“I am scared,” said Charlyn Anderson. “I am anxious now. I am leaving, my legs can barely move.”

In contrast, the celebrations intensified at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and the watch party nearby.

Tech tycoon Elon Musk, who has backed Trump and stands to lead a government efficiency commission under him, posted a picture of himself with the Republican.

“Game, set and match,” Musk said on X, the social media network he owns along with the Tesla electric vehicle firm and the Space X company.

Millions of Americans had lined up throughout Election Day — and millions more voted early — in a race with momentous consequences for the United States and the world.

They were deciding whether to either hand a historic comeback to Trump or make Harris the first woman in the world’s most powerful job.

In a stark reminder of the tension — and fears of outright violence — dozens of bomb threats were made against polling stations in Georgia and Pennsylvania.

The FBI said the threats appeared to originate in Russia, which is accused by Washington of trying to meddle in the election. The threats were all hoaxes but succeeded in disrupting proceedings.

Harris, 60, had aiming to be only the second Black and first person of South Asian descent to be president.

She made a dramatic entrance into the race when Biden dropped out in July, while Trump — twice impeached while president — has since ridden out two assassination attempts and a criminal conviction.

She hammered home her message that Trump was a threat to democracy and her opposition to Trump-backed abortion bans.

Trump has vowed an unprecedented deportation campaign of millions of undocumented immigrants, in a campaign full of dark rhetoric.

The election is being watched closely around the world including in the war zones of Ukraine and the Middle East. Trump has indicated he will cut aid to Kyiv’s battle against the Russian invasion

Republican Senator Ted Cruz, representing Texas, has won his reelection bid, defeating Democratic Party candidate Colin Allred.

Mr Cruz polled 5,678,209 votes, representing 53.7 per cent of votes cast to return for a third term in the U.S. Senate.

His rival, Mr Allred, polled 4,655,039 votes, 44 per cent of votes, to come second behind Mr Cruz.

“Tonight, the people of Texas have spoken, Mr Cruz said in his victory speech on Wednesday, “and their message rings clear as a bell across our great state: Texas will remain in Texas.”

This comes as Americans await the results of the presidential election featuring Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has claimed that the 2023 presidential election won by President Bola Tinubu was “criminally stolen” from him.

Mr Abubakar’s statement comes over a year after the Nigerian Supreme Court affirmed Mr Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election.

Reacting to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson for Mr Tinubu, who claimed that the former vice president was rejected at the polls in 2023, Mr Abubakar said on his official X account on Monday that he did not lose the election, asserting it was “criminally stolen.”

“Let me emphasise that the citizens who cast their votes in the 2023 presidential election are well aware that I did not lose; rather, we find ourselves in this predicament because the election was criminally stolen from the Nigerian people,” Mr Abubakar stated.
The former vice president further criticised Mr Tinubu’s government for lacking concrete governance plans, adding, “One can only speculate that Tinubu’s government is anchored to a mere Tea-plan, which can only lead to a T-pain.”

“Like many fellow Nigerians, I firmly believe that we find ourselves in this current economic turmoil due to the Tinubu administration’s hasty ascent to power, devoid of a coherent plan,” Mr Abubakar added.

Mr Abubakar’s remarks mark the latest in an ongoing exchange between his camp and Mr Tinubu’s over Nigeria’s struggling economy.

President Bola Tinubu has sworn in seven new ministers to his cabinet at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja.

This follows their confirmation by the Senate on Thursday, during which all seven nominees were confirmed after being screened individually.

The new cabinet members took the oath of office in two batches—four in the first batch and three in the second—after their citations were read by the State House Director of Information, Abiodun Oladunjoye.

The first four appointees include Idi Maiha (Minister of Livestock Development); Yusuf Ata (Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development); Dr Suwaiba Ahmad (Minister of State, Education); and Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu (Minister of State, Foreign Affairs).

Subsequently, Dr Jumoke Oduwole (Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment), Dr Nentawe Yilwatda (Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction), and Muhammadu Dingyadi (Minister of Labour and Employment) took their oaths before the President.

In a major cabinet reshuffle on October 23, Tinubu approved the reassignment of 10 ministers to new portfolios, dismissed five others, and nominated seven new ministers for onward transmission to the Senate for confirmation.

The Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) says the All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all 18 chairmanship and 196 councillorship seats in the state.

Ekong Boco, chairman of the commission, announced the results at the commission’s office in Calabar on Sunday.

The election was conducted in all the 18 local government areas in the state on Saturday.

Mr Boco urged the elected chairmen and councillors to be magnanimous in victory and also give priority to the development of their local governments.

Mr Boco, thereafter, presented certificates of return to the winners.

U.S. former President Donald Trump rode in a garbage collector’s van on Wednesday at the Wisconsin campaign and subtly mocked President Joe Biden, who previously referred to his supporters as “floating garbage.”

“I have to begin by saying 250 million Americans are not garbage,” Mr Trump, who wore a garbage collector’s vest, said during the campaign, referring to Mr Biden’s comment.

Mr Biden, in a virtual Harris campaign call with Voto Latino on Tuesday, berated Mr Trump after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” in a joke at the former American president’s rally over the weekend.

“The only garbage I see floating out there is his (Trump) supporters,” Mr Biden said. “His demonisation of Latinos is unconscionable, and it is un-American.”

Though the video of his comment has gone viral, Mr Biden denied calling Mr Trump’s supporters garbage as reactions continue to trail his remarks.

Riding on Mr Biden’s remarks, which have submerged Mr Hinchiffe’s joke and sparked reactions from Americans, Mr Trump rode in a garbage van to his campaign in Wisconsin, one of the battleground states projected to determine the election outcome.

“Kamala and Joe call of us and them garbage. I call you the heart and soul of America,” he said ahead of the November 5 presidential election.

The former American president criticised Ms Harris for labelling him a “fascist” and “Hitler,” saying, “Joe Biden’s comment is a direct result of Kamala Harris portraying those who don’t vote for her as evil and subhuman. They treat the whole country like garbage.”

Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has called on its members and supporters to disregard recent remarks by Primate Elijah Ayodele, the head of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, claiming that the party’s chances in the upcoming 2026 gubernatorial election in the state is dependent on cooperation between prominent party leaders.

This call was contained in a statement by Kola Olabisi, the Osun APC Director of Media and Information on Sunday in Osogbo.

The party revealed that Primate Ayodele had in a widely circulated video stated that APC’s victory would hinge on uniting former Osun governor, Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola, currently the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, with former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, under the Omoluabi Movement.

Rejecting Ayodele’s prediction, the APC asserted that the claim was unfounded and intended to “create unnecessary tension within the party.”

Olabisi, who described Ayodele’s statement as a “political analysis disguised as prophecy,” maintained that “our party is united and working diligently towards success in 2026 without external influences.”

Citing Ayodele’s past incorrect predictions as grounds for dismissal, Olabisi pointed out, “This is the same prophet who falsely predicted former President Goodluck Jonathan’s continued rule till 2019 and claimed that Atiku Abubakar would win the 2023 presidential election.

“We reject the Primate Ayodele’s fallacious prophecy which we consider to be in the realm of a figment of the imagination of the suspected mercantile prophet of which its prediction is aimed at causing unnecessary tension and friction within our party in Osun State.

“We would like to impress it on Prophet Ayodele and his discreet sponsors that our party which has been working assiduously round the clock to achieve victory in the said elections would continue to work for its victory without the enlistment of any metaphorical serpents who have become political pariahs and men of yesterday in the corridor of political power in the state because of their evil deeds unleashed on the party in the past.”

According to the APC spokesperson, the party is committed to moving forward, confident in its direction and leadership.

Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has reacted to President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet reshuffling that led to the sack of five Ministers, saying there should be more sack.

The lawmaker also praised the administration for the recent de-dollarisation policy which he described as “right steps in the right direction”, stressing that the development will strengthen the naira and boost transatlantic trades with other nations of the world who don’t depend on the United States dollar.

He encouraged President Tinubu to pursue the de-dollarisation policy to a logical conclusion by making Nigeria join BRICS, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa.

Ndume gave the suggestions in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday.

In his explanation, Ndume said, the de-dollarisation is a process by which nations look for alternatives to transacting international businesses in other currencies other than relying heavily on United States dollars, noting that it would help businessmen and women importing goods from China and other Asian countries.

“That policy announced by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must be commended. If it is fully implemented, it will drastically reduce the pressure on the naira, and our international businessmen and women who import goods from countries like China will not depend on the United States dollar.

“The policy will also assist the naira in appreciating significantly. This will help us as a country in so many ways. So, I commend the President for taking these economic bold steps at a time like this,” Ndume noted.

An erstwhile Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has said President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet overhaul is not impressive.

Shittu said the cabinet shake-up was more politically motivated than bringing in superior minds as ministers into the Federal Executive Council, FEC.

Shittu stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, a day after the president sacked five ministers, redeployed 10 ministers and made seven fresh nominations, awaiting Senate confirmation.

“If you look at the changes we had yesterday (Wednesday), I doubt whether it is necessarily bringing in superior minds or better minds, in terms of governance, in terms of expectations, in terms of performance.

“As far as I am concerned, it is just a case of some Nigerians being asked to move on, some other Nigerians are being brought in, which does not necessarily mean that those who have been shoved aside are inferior to the new people being brought in,” Shittu said.

Tinubu appointed 48 ministers in August 2023, three months after he was inaugurated as Nigeria’s president.

One of the ministers, Betta Edu, was suspended in January 2024, while another, Simon Lalong, resigned and joined the Senate.

Tinubu has faced intense criticisms over his ministers’ performance in the last 15 months since their appointment with Nigeria’s wobbling economy, skyrocketing inflation and worsening security.

The president, however, bowed to pressure to shake up his cabinet on Wednesday, with the disengagement of five ministers, the reassignment of 10 others and seven fresh appointments.

Reacting, Shittu said the cabinet shake-up was a mere political ritual to appease displeased citizens.

“More often than not, it is not everybody who is appointed as a minister that fits in.

“You’ll agree with me that because of the Nigerian factor, a lot of decisions have political colourations than meritocracy in determining who becomes a minister,” the former minister said.

Shittu said ministerial nominees must be thoroughly screened by the Senate, as Nigerians don’t have the patience for trial-and-error ministers.

President Tinubu’s has requested in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and read at the beginning of the plenary on Thursday.

The Ministerial nominees as contained in the letter are Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda; Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, and Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odinaka Odumegu – -Ojukwu.

Others are, Minister of Industry, Trade and Development, Dr Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Muktar Maiha;, Minister of State, Housing Yusuf Abdullahi Ata and, Minister of State, Education, Dr Suwaiba Said Ahmad.

President Tinubu in the letter, sought for expeditious consideration of his request by the Senate.

Accordingly as announced by Akpabio, the Senate referred the presidential request to the Committee of the Whole for consideration very soon.

He said, ” Distinguished colleagues, the presidential request is referred to the committee of the whole for consideration very soon.”

The Peoples Democratic Party has rescheduled its National Executive Committee meeting from October 24 to November 28.

Governor Bala Mohammed disclosed while reading a communique issued by the PDP Governors’ Forum at the end of its enlarged meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr Mohammed, the chairman of the forum, said that, based on the consultative meeting of the various organs of the party, the PDP resolved that the NEC meeting originally slated for October 24 had been rescheduled for November 28.

He said the postponement was to ensure that the party goes into the forthcoming Ondo gubernatorial elections of November 16 with the unity and strength demanded to unseat the All Progressive Congress government in the state.

Reiterating the need for unity in the face of efforts by detractors to divide the party, the meeting called on all members to shun divisive utterances.

He urged members to shun divisive utterances that could undermine ongoing efforts at strengthening the party to effectively play its role as the country’s main opposition, preparatory to taking over in 2027.

Those who attended the meeting included members of the PDP-GF, the Board of Trustees, NWC, National Assembly leadership of the PDP Caucus and Forum of Former Governors of the party.

The Federal High Court, Gusau division, Zamfara State, has refused to stop the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from postponing its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Thursday, October 24, at Wadata House in Abuja.

The court specifically declined to grant the request to bar the party from shifting the NEC parley billed to hold at its Abuja National Secretariat, where the leadership feud rocking the party is expected to be resolved.

Ruling on an ex-parte application filed by a chieftain of the party in Zamfara State, Mr Imam Auwal, Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim refused to issue an order of interim injunction restraining the PDP from shifting the NEC meeting of October 24.

A certified true copy of the order obtained by DAILY POST showed that the order was signed by the judge.

The PDP chieftain, through his lawyer Ibrahim Ali, had in the ex-parte application prayed the court to issue an order of interlocutory injunction against the PDP, restraining it from postponing the upcoming Thursday NEC meeting.

He also applied for an order of the court barring recognition of any other NEC meeting except the one scheduled for October 24.

Besides, Auwal asked that the court issue an order of interim injunction against the National Working Committee (NWC) or any organ of the party from recognising the suspended National Vice Chairman of PDP in the South East region, Mr Ali Odeifa, as a national officer of the party.

However, after taking arguments from the plaintiff’s lawyer in the ex-parte motion marked FHC/GS/CS/68/2024, the judge declined to grant any of the requests sought by the PDP chieftain.

Rather, Justice Ibrahim ordered the plaintiff to put the defendants in the matter on notice regarding the substantive matter.

The judge only granted an abridgement of time to hear the matter and fixed Friday, October 25, for both parties to appear before him.

The aggrieved party chieftain had also sought an order of interlocutory injunction against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), restraining it from receiving any correspondence or communication of whatever nature from the PDP unless a substantive National Chairman is appointed in accordance with Section 47(6) of the PDP Constitution.

The request was also declined by Justice Ibrahim.

The Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State has insisted on its call for the removal of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, over her indigeneship.

The party, in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission’s failure to mention her state of origin in its rebuttal already cast doubt on the integrity of the election.

The INEC, however, said since the calls were not backed by any credible evidence of unethical or criminal acts against the REC in question, she would not be redeployed.

Making reference to its background checks, the PDP said the INEC failed to do a diligent check on Babalola to know that the Ondo REC grew up in the state with her parents residing in Akure, the state capital.

Even if not an indigene by birth, the PDP stressed that Babalola particularly qualified as an Ondo indigene, having lived in the state for over 10 years.

In the letter addressed to the INEC chairman, signed by the state Secretary of the PDP, Mr Oluseye Olujimi, the opposition party said redeployment of the REC was urgently needed to restore public confidence in the commission’s integrity to deliver a credible Ondo governorship election.

The PDP stressed that Babalola was not qualified to be an umpire in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State, “because she has been residing in Ondo State for more than three decades now, even up till this moment, with her parents and siblings at House Number 3, Majekodunmi Street, Ijoka Area of Akure Town.”

The PDP has repeatedly called for the removal of Babalola over alleged fraternity with leaders of the All Progressives Congress in the state, a call resonated by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State during last week’s governorship campaign in the state.

The letter read in part, “ For the umpteenth time, we are calling on you, to as a matter of urgency, replace the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Toyin Babalola, appointed and posted to Ondo State by the INEC under your authority, with a non-partisan official with no previous association with Ondo State.

“We also counsel that you view this request with the seriousness and urgency it deserves for the preservation of our nation’s very fragile democracy and the restoration of Public confidence in your Commission’s integrity.

“It has become expedient, that you act positively on the content of this letter, following a statement credited to your commission on Tuesday, 15 October, 2024, in direct reaction to the call by the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, that the Ondo REC should be replaced. Governor Seyi Makinde’s warning that the PDP will continue to protest until its request is met, should not be taken as an empty threat.

“Moreso, since it is on record that the governor’s call of Tuesday was not the first time the party had made such a request. Our party, the Peoples Democratic Party, had earlier mentioned to you in a previous letter to your office, that the Ondo State Commissioner, Mrs Toyin Babalola is not morally and reasonably fit to supervise the gubernatorial election fixed for November 16.

“Quite unfortunately, however, a statement credited to you on Tuesday, said the REC would not be removed because she is not from the state, even though you refused to mention her state of origin.

“A diligent check on the background of the REC would have revealed to you that, not only did she grow up in Ondo State, but that she currently also lives in her parents’ house which is No. 3, Majekodunmi Street, Ijoka Area, Akure town, the state capital.

“Even if she were not of Ondo State origin by birth, the constitution of Nigeria makes it quite clear, that anyone who has lived in a particular place for 10 years, statutorily qualifies for recognition as an indigene. Chairman Sir, it is obvious that your office did not do a diligent check before issuing that unfortunate statement.

“That unfortunate omission on your part sadly gives the impression that INEC cares less, should the issue of the REC’s residency status and dubious integrity result in avoidable controversies and/or crises, that may fall out from any unwitting act of replicating in the upcoming Ondo State election, the controversial APC template so ignominiously used in the recent Edo State gubernatorial election, the dust from which is yet to settle.”

Reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said INEC has an established policy for deploying and redeploying RECs.

Oyekanmi stressed that the decisions were not influenced by political parties or partisan individuals, unless “there’s credible evidence of unethical or criminal conduct.”

He stated that the Ondo REC would not be redeployed based on recent calls and urged the PDP to collaborate with INEC to ensure a free and fair election in the state on November 16.

The CPS stated, “The Independent National Electoral Commission deploys and redeploys Resident Electoral Commissioners based on its established policy, not on calls by political parties or partisan individuals, especially if such calls are not backed by any credible evidence of unethical or criminal act against the REC in question.

“To that extent, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ondo State will not be redeployed.

“We appeal to the PDP to join hands with the commission in its effort to conduct a free and fair election in the state on November 16.”

Kamala Harris targeted her United States presidential election rival Donald Trump’s mental state and fitness for office on Tuesday after the 78-year-old Republican’s televised town hall descended into a surreal, impromptu music session.

Three weeks ahead of the US election, Harris’s campaign has increasingly focused on Trump’s health and mental stability. The campaign was quick to comment, stating that the former president appeared “lost, confused, and frozen on stage.”

For around half an hour, Monday’s event in Oaks, near Philadelphia, followed the usual script for the November 5 election, with Trump fielding friendly questions from supporters on the economy.

However, a pause due to two medical emergencies in the crowd led to a bizarre 39 minutes of music and dancing, as Trump abandoned the election discussion to play his favourite hits, swaying awkwardly on stage.

“Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?” he quipped, abruptly ending the Q&A session and instructing his team to turn up the volume.

For years, Trump has made a brief, jerky dance his signature at the end of rallies, almost always to the Village People’s 1978 disco anthem “YMCA.”

On Monday, though, he remained on stage for nine songs, which ranged from opera to Guns N’ Roses and Elvis, alternating between awkward dance moves and standing still, staring into the crowd.

“Hope he’s okay,” Harris remarked dryly on X.

Undeterred, Trump was bopping to the Village People once again on Tuesday at a rally in Atlanta, where he arrived 90 minutes late and did not address the previous night’s events or the criticism.

Delivering his usual stump speech focusing on illegal immigration, Trump reiterated his now-familiar falsehoods and exaggerations about migrant crime in Colorado and Ohio, referring to the country as “occupied” by foreign criminals.

If his intention was to move on from Monday’s odd display, he failed to do so.
Dead heat –

Trump referred to the two world wars as “beautiful” and claimed to have invented the word “caravan.” In explaining how he intended to make America great again, he went off on a tangent about his wealthy friends, beachwear, and President Joe Biden.

“I have a lot of rich friends. They go here. They go there. They’re boring as hell,” he began, seemingly out of nowhere. “Nobody cares. They put on their bathing suit. They don’t look much better than Biden.”

Harris and Trump are in a dead heat, according to polls, with the election likely to be decided by seven swing states where the margins could be as close as a few thousand votes.

Trump is the oldest person ever nominated for a presidential bid, following Biden’s withdrawal from the race after a disastrous debate that sparked concerns about his age.

Trump has not released a recent comprehensive health report, drawing fierce criticism from Harris, 59, who has increasingly focused on his age and his physical and mental fitness.

In her closing argument during an interview with popular radio host Charlamagne tha God, aimed at boosting her messaging to Black male voters — a demographic where Trump has made gains — she reiterated her concerns about Trump’s rallies, repeating a claim that angered him during their September debate: that supporters were leaving his rallies early.

“This man is weak and unfit,” Harris said.

Trump began the day with a more restrained tone at an Economic Club of Chicago event, where he advocated for imposing “obnoxious” tariffs on trading partners like Mexico, to encourage companies to relocate factories to the US.

“To me, the most beautiful word in the dictionary is tariff,” Trump remarked.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has denied obstructing any political party from inspecting election materials and BVAS machines used in the Edo governorship election.

In a statement in Benin on Wednesday, Anugbum Onuoha, the resident electoral commissioner, said that the allegations of obstructing the inspection of materials were baseless, misleading, and devoid of truth.

The PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, had accused INEC of not obeying a court order granting the inspection of the election materials.

Mr Onuoha explained that the commission, in furtherance to its commitment, had fixed Wednesday for the inspection of the materials at its headquarters in Benin.

“The attention of INEC and my office has been drawn to certain unfounded allegations suggesting that I have refused political parties and their representatives access to inspect the BVAS devices and other election materials used during the recent elections.

“We wish to categorically state that these allegations are baseless, misleading, and completely devoid of truth. INEC, under my leadership in Edo, remains committed to upholding the highest standards of transparency, fairness, and integrity of all electoral processes,” he said.

Mr Onuoha noted that the inspection of election materials was the fundamental right of all political parties involved in election petitions, adding that it was a process that INEC was mandated by law to facilitate.

He explained that at no time did he or any official in his office obstruct or deny any political party or their representatives access to inspect the materials used in the last election.

“INEC is fully aware of the legal implications of such actions, and we are dedicated to supporting the lawful processes that enable parties to seek redress in the courts.

“In furtherance of this commitment, I wish to inform the public that the inspection of the election materials, including the BVAS devices, has been formally scheduled for Wednesday (today) at the INEC Headquarters in Benin.

“All political parties and their representatives are invited to participate in this exercise, as per the legal procedures, to ensure transparency and adherence to the rule of law, ” he added.

He assured political parties and their candidates seeking to inspect the materials of unhindered access, provided they follow the proper procedures as outlined by the election petition tribunal and relevant legal frameworks.

He added, “I urge all stakeholders and the general public to disregard such misinformation. As a commission, our loyalty remains to the Nigerian people, the Constitution, and the rule of law.

“INEC, as an institution, stands for transparency, and we are fully committed to ensuring that the electoral process is free, fair, and accountable.”

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State on Wednesday sacked his Special Assistant on Forestry (Central Senatorial District), Adeboye Taofiq Ewenla, over N30 million bribery allegation levelled against him.

Aiyedatiwa, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, ordered that a probe be conducted into the allegations, adding that the sack takes immediate effect.

Ewenla had in a leaked audio demanded the sum of N30 million from timber traders operating in the state with a threat that failure to pay the amount will lead to their banishment from the forest reserves.

Infuriated by the demand of the governor’s aide, the timber traders vowed to embark on protest following an alleged claim by Ewenla that he was acting on Aiyedatiwa’s order.

Meanwhile, Aiyedatiwa, who disclosed that Ewenla will soon be replaced, stated that the activities of everyone manning the forest reserves across the state would be looked into.

He said: “The Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has dismissed from office the Special Assistant on Forestry (Central Senatorial District), Mr. Adeboye Taofiq Ewenla, with immediate effect.

“This followed allegations of bribery and intimidation levelled against Mr. Ewenla by some timber merchants in the state. Governor Aiyedatiwa also ordered a probe into the activities of those saddled with the responsibility of managing forest reserves in the state.

“A replacement for Mr. Ewenla will be announced in due course. The Governor urged all political appointees to conduct themselves in line with the provisions of the law and rules guiding their duties.”