Nigerian comedian and actor, Nosa Afolabi popularly known as Lasisi Elenu sits with Chude Jideonwo host of #WithChude to discuss the way he dealt with losing his mother, why he got married last year, and how his first video went viral.

“Last year was a very significant year for me because I welcomed my daughter. Before now, I have been godfathers to kids, uncles to so many. I thought it would feel the same way but having my wife bring that child to this world was extraordinary. Also, my mum passed on last year. So, after my mum died then came Rain, and I also got married last year.”

Lasisi shared why he got married last year. “I think it is long overdue. I was one of those people who consistently undermined the essence of what you have. I just casually did things. I won’t say I am an emotionless person; I just quantify my emotions. Sometimes, my wife doesn’t know how I feel, ‘Are you happy? Are you fine?’. But then in retrospect to last year, it dawned on me that there was nothing else I was looking for. I had someone who is caring, supportive, loving, all those things put in one. So, what is left? Why is the decision making a big deal? It was one thing I had to do because my mum has always wanted me to get married. She was my biggest fan, from when I started. Her late years were very bad because she was very sick for 13 years. So, I saw her go through a lot phases. She wanted so much for me, I remember when she told my wife in 2021, when she was staying at mine for a while because she was really sick. She told her to take care of me. My dad always sits me down on my birthday to ask me, ‘when are you getting married, you can’t help everybody’. My sibling and I felt like my mum was getting to a point when the sickness was getting worse, and I wanted to hold on to something. Then my wife was there, she was very supportive, and I said, ‘let me hold on to this moment, before I look back and I regret not making that choice and I did”.

On what he missed the most about his mum, he shared, “It hurts to say this, but I miss her being the vibrant woman that she was.” He also recounted how he missed her being the strong woman who could support her family. “We saw my mum as a ‘stubborn’, ‘wicked’ woman, most of the characters that I created are a real replica of my mother – how she says it, how she speaks it. All of the things I say like, ‘blood of Jesus’, was a replica of who my mother was in those days, but not in the last 13 years of her life. Shoutout to my dad, he was always there for her.  Before she passed, she’d always make comments like, ‘let me just go; I am tired’. So, it’s a sweet and bitter feeling because you still want her but then it hurts you to see her the way she is. She can’t walk, she almost can’t talk, she wants to laugh, she can’t even control her laugh. She had partial stroke. She had it about 3 or 4 times. We were changing hospitals so much that there were days you’ll just see her where she’s laying down, tears in her eyes, a lot of things happening to her. My older brother Uyi was pretty much the one that was everything for her in terms of being available. I was not as available as he was, so he felt it more than I did. As a matter of fact, he took her corpse from the hospital, he was there with her the day she died, he had just gone down to get something and by the time he’s back, she had gone. I remember when they called me and told me she had died, I was trying to do a skit that day. I wanted to shoot so I was in my room. I was in my costume, and he called me and he said, “Ehn mumsy…” The moment he said that I sat down, I didn’t cry. I was just looking, and I cut the call. I’ve had friends who lost people, but it’s never the same. I’d feel like everybody should stop everything they’re doing for you to feel what you’re feeling. So, when I went online, I’m seeing people post videos, I’m angry. I feel like, ‘these people don’t know my mother has died?’ It was so bad that I just sat there on my couch for minutes before I started crying”.

On the life altering moment his first video went viral, he said, “I just went online, Twitter, I just see say I dey hot. I just called my brother and showed him because I have never experienced that kind of thing before. Even when I dey do music sef, when we dey do music we dey run am. I give one person my 100k, dem say dem go do my page for me, baba make we no loud am. I no know where the ten thousand followers come from that time. They just told me I had 10k and I said ok thank God. That was what you could call organic, I experienced it. It was the first time in my life I tasted ‘Organism’. As I opened my page, for the first time in my life, Chude I put it to you, you don’t know how it feels to see 2000 views on your old videos, even videos you posted 7 days ago, you’re seeing 116,000 views. I say, ‘where dem from come? Who are you? How do you do what you do? What do you want from me?’ Bro! I was sweating. Baba, I say God, different people don fight, don talk, ha! I love Nigerians. Ha! una too much. They don analyze my life. oh! This thing that he’s doing now, this thing is so good, another person say ‘but do you think he can keep up with it?’ Another one reply, ‘but do you know that this thing he’s doing is different?’ Another one say ‘what if the filter goes tomorrow?’. And me I dey my house for Ayobo, dey wonder wetin dey sup? So, it was interesting? I went on Twitter, there were lots of engagement. People had reposted the video, so many people. Bizzle, Frank Edoho , Kate, a lot of people, and then I said, you know what? I still didn’t have a plan. And then a lot of people were advising me, ‘please be putting your handle on your videos’.”

Speaking about his stint in music, ‘At the time I gained fame as Lasisi Elenu, I didn’t want anybody to know about the music part because I was thinking I was going to return to music, and it would be a surprise. But I never explored it, I was like let me pursue this career, and see where it takes me. This is not the western world. Even for them over there, the ones who were able to sustain it were very few. I just thought that I should stick to the comedy, I think I can build a lifetime of greatness from there.”

Driver evading arrest by traffic officials kills two road sweepers in Lagos

A driver evading arrest by traffic officials on Monday morning killed two road sweepers on the Gbagada-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos State.

The driver, whose name is unknown as of press time, was chased by officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) when the fleeing driver rammed into two members of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) at their duty post by the roadside.

The situation led to a demonstration as passersby and motorists protested the killing of the street sweepers.

Security agents including policemen have since arrived at the scene and tear-gassed protesters in an attempt to disperse them and quell the situation.

Meanwhile, LAWMA confirmed the death of the two sanitation workers in a statement on Monday.

“LAWMA is working with security agencies to apprehend and prosecute the errant driver of the car, with vehicle number EPE 984 DV,” the statement read.

“We wish to appeal to motorists for the umpteenth time, to drive with utmost caution on the highways, to avoid sad incidents like this happening to our sanitation workers or anyone in the course of their legitimate duties.

“The public is urged to remain calm as appropriate steps are being taken and necessary measures put in place.

“Our heartfelt condolences go to the families of the deceased, whom we love most dearly. May their souls continue to rest in peace.”

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT TINUBU CONGRATULATES GOVERNORS HOPE UZODINMA, DOUYE DIRI, AND GOVERNOR-ELECT USMAN ODODO ON ELECTION VICTORY

President Bola Tinubu congratulates Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, and Governor-elect Usman Ododo of Kogi State, on their victory in the November 11 governorship elections.

The President commends the electorate in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa for their participation in the electoral process, affirming the resilience of democratic institutions and the power of the people in shaping the nation’s political landscape.

President Tinubu says the outcome of the elections reflects the wishes of the people, emphasizing that democracy thrives when voters reward competence, transparency, and good governance.

While expressing gratitude to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for working assiduously to create a level playing field for all contestants and the nation’s security agencies for maintaining law and order during the highly-anticipated elections, the President affirms the need for a sustained commitment to all efforts aimed at further sanitizing the electoral system and enhancing the credibility of future elections.

With the election processes concluded, President Tinubu anticipates a renewed sense of hope for the people of Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States, as well as consolidation on progress that will position the states as hubs of peace, commerce, entrepreneurship, and prosperity in Nigeria.

In the spirit of fostering a harmonious and inclusive political landscape in the aforementioned states, President Tinubu asks the victors to prioritize the common good of the people over partisan interests.

“May your tenure in office be defined by close collaboration with all of your counterparts across party lines in the attainment of pan-Nigerian developmental achievements that benefit everyone, and may you lead at all times with compassion and a deepened commitment to our nation’s unity,” President Tinubu concluded.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

November 13, 2023

Douye Diri Wins Bayelsa governorship election

Governor Douye Diri has won Southern Ijaw Local Government Area as the collation of results for the Bayelsa governorship election continued on Monday afternoon. 

While the collation centre went on a break around 1:00 pm, the state Returning Officer Prof Faruq Kuta resumed collation at about 2:20 pm in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital.

Diri, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the poll, scored 24,685 votes in Southern Ijawa, beating his closest rival Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 18, 174 votes.

The Labour Party (LP) came third with 119 votes out of the 50,153 accredited voters.

The latest results mean Diri has clinched six of the eight local government areas of the oil-rich state while Sylva got two. Sylva won Brass Local Government Area polling 18, 431 votes while PDP’s Diri got 12,602. APC also won in Nembe LGA having scored 22,248 votes. Diri had 4,556 there.

Bayelsa Governorship Results By LGA:

Southern Ijaw LGA

APC:

18,174

LP: 119

PDP: 24,685

Brass LGA

APC – 18,431

LP – 83

PDP – 12,602

Sagbama LGA

APC – 6,608

LP – 217

PDP – 35,504

Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA

APC – 5,349

LP – 22

PDP – 18,465

Ogbia LGA

APC – 16,319

LP – 57

PDP – 18,435

Yenegoa LGA

APC – 14,534

LP – 244

PDP – 37,777

Nembe LGA

APC – 22,248

LP – 113

PDP – 4,556

Ekeremor LGA

APC – 8,445

LP – 50

PDP – 23,172

Man who sells illicit drugs in wheelchair, ex- convict, others arrested in NDLEA raids

– As Agency recovers over 33 tons of psychoactive substances in Edo, Ogun, Osun, Adamawa, Delta, FCT

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a notorious drug dealer, 45-year-old Godwin Emuneyin who is physically challenged and uses his wheelchair as cover to deal in illicit substances such as methamphetamine and skunk in Afuze, headquarters of Owan East local government area of Edo state.

The suspect was arrested on Tuesday 7th November at his base in Afuze following credible intelligence. As at the time of his arrest, a wooden box used to conceal illicit substances including 18 pinches of methamphetamine, one block and 71 wraps of skunk, was recovered from him.

In other interdiction operations in Edo state, NDLEA operatives on Monday 6th November recovered 42 bags of skunk weighing 480kgs from a camp in Aviosi forest in Owan West LGA, while the Utese forest in Ovia North East LGA was also raided same day with 231.5kgs of the substance recovered and a cannabis farm measuring 0.778960 hectare destroyed.

In Adamawa state, operatives on patrol along Ngurore-Yola road on Thursday 9th November intercepted a Toyota Corolla car marked TZG 97 KY loaded with 30, 899 Tramadol 225mg and 100mg pills concealed inside the body compartments of the car. The driver found in possession of the drug exhibits, Sani Samaila (a.k.a Isa Male),25, said he was bringing the consignment from Jalingo, Taraba State to deliver in Yola, Adamawa State. The previous day, Wednesday 8th November, a suspect, Abdullahi Sani (a.k.a Danfulani) was arrested at Ngurore town in possession of some quantity of dried weeds suspected to be cannabis sativa in a white nylon. He thereafter led operatives on a follow up operation to the home of a drug lord, Alhaji Bubakari (a.k.a Dan Mamuda), an unrepentant ex-convict, where 19 blocks of compressed cannabis that weighed 13kgs were recovered.

In Ogun state, not less than 18.875 tons of cannabis sativa on 7.55 hectares farmland were destroyed and another 100 jumbo bags weighing 1,100 kilograms of the psychoactive substance recovered at James town, Ogunmakin area of Obafemi Owode LGA on Monday 6th November, by a combined team of NDLEA operatives with officers and men of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, Defence Intelligence Agency and the State Security Network, Amotekun. Okpor Chukwuma and six other male suspects found on the farmland were arrested.

While a commercial bus driver, Olayinka Sowo, 25, was arrested on Friday 10th November along Ibadan – Akure expressway over alleged conspiracy to transport 45.150kgs cannabis from Lagos to Osun state, NDLEA officers in Abuja on same day intercepted 7, 980 pills of diazepam and 567 bottles of codeine syrup in a commercial bus along Abaji-Abuja highway after which a follow up operation at Zuba motor park led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Ugwu Ikenna, 30.

In Delta state, NDLEA operatives backed by men of the Nigerian Army stormed a remote forest in Umuchime community, Ndokwa West LGA where they destroyed 12.5 tons of cannabis on five hectares of farmland, and recovered 53.22kgs processed weeds and seeds of the substance. A suspect, Christopher Anim (alias Ogidi) was also arrested in the course of the operation. Two suspects: Amarachukwu Eugene, 32, and Abdulaziz Auwal, 25, were arrested in another operation by operatives in Kano with 202 blocks of skunk weighing 113.1kgs on Tuesday 7th November.

In the same vein, Commands across the country intensified their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy lectures. These include: Sensitisation lecture for students of Government Commercial Secondary School, Wudil, Kano state; WADA advocacy visit to Zamfara state governor, Dr. Dauda Lawal in Gusau; WADA sensitisation lecture for students of George Burton Memorial School, Ilesa, Osun state and similar lecture delivered at Kenneth Dike Secondary School, Awka, Anambra state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of the Edo, Ogun, Osun, Adamawa, Delta, and FCT Commands of the Agency for their balanced efforts in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) equally applauded their counterparts across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures thus creating parity between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.

Femi Babafemi

Director, Media & Advocacy

NDLEA Headquarters Abuja

Sunday 12th November 2023

EFCC operatives arrests 14 suspected vote buyers in Otueke, Adawari playgrounds in Bayelsa State and at various polling units in Imo and Kogi States

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested 14 (Fourteen) suspected vote buyers in Otueke, Adawari playgrounds in Bayelsa State and at various polling units in Imo and Kogi States.

They were arrested on Saturday, November 11, 2023 in intelligence-driven operations that commenced several days before the ongoing governorship elections in the three states.

Also, a total sum of N11,040, 000( Eleven Million, Forty Thousand Naira only) comprising N9,310,00( Nine Million, Three Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira) intercepted from suspected vote buyers and sellers in Bayelsa and N1,730, 000( One Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira) intercepted from electoral fraud suspects across Imo State, were also recovered from them.

Also, two vehicles were intercepted from the suspects.

They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

Media & Publicity

November 11, 2023.

ALLEGED N2.2BN OIL SUBSIDY FRAUD: COURT ADMITS IN EVIDENCE, MORE DOCUMENTS TENDERED BY EFCC AGAINST MAMMAN NASIR ALI AND CHRISTIAN TAYLOR

Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, November 9, 2023, admitted, in evidence, more documents tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against Mamman Nasir Ali and Christian Taylor, who are being prosecuted for an alleged N2.2bn oil subsidy fraud.

They were arraigned alongside Nasaman Oil Services Limited on amended 49-count charges bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence ,contrary to Section 8 and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006; obtaining money by false pretences, contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006; forgery, contrary to Section 363 (3)(j) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011; and use of false documents contrary to Section 364 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

One of the counts reads: “Nasaman Oil Services Ltd, Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo (now at large) and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez (still at large), on or about the 9th day of November 2011 at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud ,conspired to obtain the sum of N749,991,273.36 (Seven Hundred and Forty-Nine Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-One Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy-Three Naira Thirty-six Kobo) from the Federal Government of Nigeria by falsely claiming that the sum of N749,991,273.36 represented subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd under the Petroleum Support Fund for the importation of 10,031,986 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which Nasaman Oil Services Ltd purported to have purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Ltd of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Ltd Ex MT Overseas Lima, which representation you knew to be false.”

Another count reads: “Nasaman Oil Services Ltd, Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo (now at large) and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez (still at large),on or about the 11th day of April 2011 at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N1,480,074,125.61 (One Billion Four Hundred and Eighty Million, Seventy-Four Thousand, One Hundred and Twenty-Five Naira Sixty-One Kobo) from the Federal Government of Nigeria by claiming that the sum represented subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd under the Petroleum Support Fund for the importation of 20,492,982.50 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS),which Nasaman Oil Services Ltd purported to have purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Ex Mt. Hellenic Blue and Ex MT. Milleura, which representation you knew to be false.”

They pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges preferred against them.

They were initially standing trial before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja. However, Justice Onigbanjo withdrew from the case, prompting the re-assignment of the case to Justice Dada.

At Thursday’s proceedings, a prosecution witness, Tolulola Tola-Ukabam, an investigative officer with the EFCC and a member of the Special Team on Petroleum Subsidy, STPS, set up in 2012 by the EFCC to probe the alleged fraud in the fuel subsidy regime, told the court that “The Special Team on Petroleum Subsidy was tasked to investigate payment of subsidies to importers of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS. As a member of the team, I was given the sole responsibility of investigating the vessels that were used by the marketers to import PMS.” Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, S.K. Atteh, she told the court that her task was to confirm that vessels were active as well as the locations of the vessels on some particular dates – that is, the date they loaded PMS at the port of origin and also the date they had ship-to-ship, STS transfer with smaller vessels. “I carried out my investigation, using the Lloyd’s List of Intelligence database,” she said.

According to her, the Lloyd’s List of Intelligence is a subscription -based online platform, which provides real time and historical maritime data. “It tracks the location and movement of vessels, and you can also find details of each vessel such as the type of vessel, the history of the ownership and the status of the vessel, whether inactive or active. The EFCC subscribed to this platform by paying a fee, and an account was created for the Commission in the name of the then Director of Operations. I was selected as the Desk Officer to access the platform”, she said.

She further testified that she began her vessel’s search on the website of the Lloyd’s List of Intelligence,using the name of the vessel and its International Maritime Organization (IMO) number, which is unique to each vessel. According to her, “Once it displays the result, I then download the copy of the report on the vessel. Nasaman Oil Services Limited was one of the marketers I was investigating. In quarter two, 2011, they had a transaction in which they claimed to have imported PMS, using a vessel called MT Overseas Lima loaded at Belgium on the 9th of September 2011, and they also claimed that it had a ship-to-ship transfer with a daughter vessel called MT Liquid Fortune on the 1st of October 2011 offshore Lome. From my search on the Lloyd’s List of Intelligence, I discovered that the mother vessel was at Chile on that 9th September 2011; and on the 1st of October 2011, the vessel was at China, not offshore Lome, as claimed.”

The witness further told the court that Nasaman Oil Services Limited also had two transactions for quarter three, 2011. “First, they claimed to have imported PMS, using the vessel called MT Milleura loaded at Belgium on the 14th of October 2011; they also claimed it had a ship-to-ship transfer on 23rd November 2011, with MT Liquid Fortune offshore Lome. From my search on Lloyd’s List Intelligence database, MT Milleura was around Dover, UK, during the period of loading, while on the 23rd of November 2011, it was in Russia, not offshore Lome as claimed”, she said.

“For the second transaction, they claimed to have used a vessel called MT Hellenic Blue, which loaded from Amsterdam on the 14th of November 2011; they claimed it had ship-to-ship transfer on the 20th of December 2011 with MT Liquid Fortune. My search further revealed that the vessel, MT Hellenic Blue, had its name changed to MT Nireus on 26th January 2010 and its last position was in India on February 17, 2010. So, the vessel was long broken up and dead before this second transaction”, she said.

She stated that she subsequently downloaded copies of the report and also printed the Certificate of Identification, which was also endorsed by her. Thereafter, Atteh applied to tender the bundle of documents.

There was no objection by the defence. In view of this, the documents were admitted in evidence by the court and marked Exhibit P20.

Testifying further, she told the court that she obtained the port of loading from the bill of laden. She identified the bills of laden for the vessels, which were already before the court as Exhibit P18.

Under cross-examination by the defence, she told the court that the bills of laden were the ones submitted by the defendants to the then Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, to claim subsidy funds. She also confirmed that she interviewed Christian Taylor, the third defendant, in the course of the investigation.

After listening to all the submissions by the prosecution witness, Justice Dada adjourned the matter till December 15 and 20, 2023 for continuation of trial.

Media & Publicity

November 11, 2023.

PRESS RELEASE

IMO ELECTION: SANWO-OLU CONGRATULATES UZODINMA, COMMENDS TINUBU FOR CREATING LEVEL PLAYING GROUND

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated his Imo State counterpart and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Governor Hope Uzodinma, on his victory at Saturday’s governorship election in the state, saying his re-election is well deserved.

Governor Sanwo-Olu in a congratulatory message issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, on Sunday in London, said Governor Uzodinma’s success in the election is a validation of people’s acceptance of his administration, having impacted positively in the lives of the citizens during his first term in office.

He said the people of Imo State deserve commendation for coming out en-masse to perform their civic responsibility and for defying all odds to vote for Governor Uzodinma-led APC administration in the state.

Sanwo-Olu said Governor Uzodinma’s victory is a clear manifestation that the APC remains the party of choice for Nigerians, stressing that the party will continue to work in the best interest of Nigerians in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

He said: “I congratulate my brother and the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Governor Hope Uzodinma, for emerging victorious in Saturday’s gubernatorial election. I am glad that Governor Hope Uzodinma was returned by the good people of Imo State after a convincing victory over his opponents as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the poll.

“Governor Hope Uzodinma’s re-election affirms his administration’s good performance in the last four years. I believe strongly that he was re-elected because he delivered beyond the expectations of the Imo people during his first term.

“The APC candidate’s victory across the 27 local government areas in Imo State with over 400,000 vote margin against his main opponent, is a confirmation of the trust and belief of the people in the APC-led administration in Imo State, having benefitted immensely from the various people-oriented programmes of his administration.

“The real winners at the end of the day are citizens of Imo State because they have re-elected a “talk and do” governor. The victory is deserving. It is an assurance to us that the APC government at the state and national levels is doing something right. We know there are areas of improvement and we are determined to ensure that we give Nigerians the best they deserve.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu also commended President Bola Tinubu for creating a level playing ground for the gubernatorial elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states.

He said the President deserves commendation for deepening democracy and the electoral process in Nigeria, considering some successes recorded in the Imo governorship election and gubernatorial polls in Kogi and Bayelsa states.

SIGNED

GBOYEGA AKOSILE

CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY

12 NOVEMBER 2023

Identify, arrest sponsors of electoral offences in Bayelsa, Kogi, Imo, SERAP tells INEC

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “to promptly establish a joint, credible, transparent, effective, and broad-based investigation into allegations of electoral bribery and violence in the off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states.”

SERAP urged him to “identify, arrest, name and shame suspected perpetrators and their sponsors of these grave human rights crimes, and ensure their effective prosecution, regardless of their political status or affiliations.”

SERAP also urged him to “disclose the spending details on the governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states, including the specific amount spent to conduct voter and civic education and activities carried out in these states.”

In the letter dated 11 November 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “If INEC is to live up to its constitutional and statutory responsibilities, it must take bold and effective measures to combat the culture of impunity for electoral bribery and violence in the country.”

SERAP said, “The recurring cases of electoral bribery and violence make a mockery of Nigeria’s electoral process and participatory democracy.”

The letter, read in part: “INEC must acknowledge its own limitations and now embrace a transparent, credible, inclusive and broad-based investigation into the allegations of grave electoral offences in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states.”

“Electoral integrity is critical to a legitimate democracy. When the integrity of that process is compromised, the legitimacy of our government and the public confidence in our public institutions is seriously undermined.”

“Reports of grave electoral offences in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states have shown that INEC and politicians have learnt little or nothing from the well-documented problems during the 2023 general elections.”

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel INEC to comply with our request in the public interest.”

“The right to vote is fundamental and is the essence of a democratic society, and any restrictions on that right strike at the heart of representative government. Nigerians should have the final say in the election of governmental officials.”

“Persistent cases of bribery and violence in the country’s elections gravely violate Nigerians’ right to vote, which is central to the effective participation of every citizen.”

“Unless there is a transparent, effective, credible, inclusive and broad-based investigation into these allegations, and perpetrators and their sponsors are named and shamed and brought to justice, impunity for these electoral crimes will continue. And citizens will continue to lose confidence in the electoral process.”

“Nigerians have the right to know how INEC is spending public funds in the discharge of its constitutional and statutory responsibilities. It is in the public interest to publish the details of spending on governorship elections in the three states.”

“According to our information, the governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states witnessed cases of electoral offences including electoral violence, vote-buying, conspiracy, and undue influence.”

“The proposed joint investigation should comprise of INEC, anticorruption and law enforcement agencies, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, the National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and independent leaders and citizens’ groups from Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states.”

“Electoral bribery and violence and other electoral offences undermine the ability of INEC to discharge its responsibilities under Section 153 of the Nigerian Constitution and paragraph 15(a) of the third schedule of the Constitution, and the Electoral Act.”

“Electoral bribery and violence and other electoral offences reportedly committed during the off-cycle governorship elections in the three states are contrary to the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act and international standards.”

“The Nigerian Constitution provides in Section 14(1)(c) that, ‘the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.’”

“Sections 121 and 127 of the Electoral Act prohibit electoral bribery and undue influence before, during and after any election. Section 145(2) provides that, ‘a prosecution under this Act shall be undertaken by legal officers of the Commission or any legal practitioner appointed by it.’”

“Under section 2(a) and (b), the commission ‘shall have power to conduct voter and civic education and to promote knowledge of sound democratic election processes.’”

“The crisis confronting the country’s elections and lack of public trust and confidence in the electoral process can be addressed if impunity for electoral bribery and violence is combated through a transparent, credible and effective investigation and prosecution of suspected perpetrators.”

“There are reports of specific cases of pre-completed result sheets including in five local government areas of Kogi State – Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene.

“Suspected political thugs reportedly harassed journalists covering the governorship election in Omuma Community in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State. INEC official in the Oguta Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State also alleged that some men invaded her polling unit and carted away result sheets.”

“According to a report by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), there were several reports of electoral violence and vote buying across the three states. For example, there were reports of incidents in PU 1, Ward 8 and PU 11, Ward 1 in Sagbama LGA in Bayelsa West.”

“In Bayelsa Central, vote trading was reported in PU 16, Ward 6 in Yenegoa LGA, PU 22, PU 30 and 31, Ward 13 in Southern Ijaw LGA with reports of voter inducements ranging from N5,000 – N22,000, and items such as wrappers and rice were also reportedly shared to buy votes.”

“In Kogi, there were reports of vote buying in PUs 004, 038 and 039 in Ward A of Lokoja LGA, where party agents were allegedly sharing out money to voters upon confirmation that they voted for their party candidates.”

“In Imo, the two major parties’ agents reportedly engaged in vote buying, sharing between N2000 to N3000. INEC officials were reportedly bribed. Electoral violence was reported in Dekini LGA, town where a thug was reportedly shot and killed by military officials while fleeing in an attempt to snatch a ballot box.”

“INEC presiding officer was also reportedly abducted in Bayelsa while on his way to the Registration Area Centre – 06 (Ossioma) in Sagbama Local Government Area.” There are reports of thugs attacking several polling units in the three states.”

Kolawole Oluwadare

SERAP Deputy Director

12/11/2023

Lagos, Nigeria

Emails: info@serap-nigeria.org; news@serap-nigeria.org

Twitter: @SERAPNigeria

Website: www.serap-nigeria.org

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