NATIONAL VIBES

By Tony Okechukwu The PDP Governors Forum has congratulated all its members on the landslide victory recorded on the various post-election petition cases at the several Courts of Appeal across the country. In a press statement released on Friday and signed by the DG of the Forum, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, the forum said the Appeal Courts have by their judgments affirmed the wishes of the people who not only voted en-masse for their preferred PDP Candidates, but defended their votes and the mandates they granted the governors during the gubernatorial election of March 2019. In the statement, the forum urged the electorate not to relent their efforts in giving the necessary support, prayers and loyalty to their leaders. It also pleaded with the governors to reciprocate the love of their people with the resolve to continue to do more in delivering democratic dividends to the people who have not only put their hopes on them but have given them their wholehearted trust and undiluted loya...

- Set Fresh Agenda for Economic Diversification The PDP Governors Forum has begun the countdown to hosting the 2019 Edition of its annual IGR Summit in Abuja. Glimpses into the event show that an array of tested IGR experts are billed to make strategic presentations, aimed at boosting revenue generation initiatives in the PDP-governed States. The ultimate intention of the Forum in hosting the strategic event is aimed at increasing the economic well-being of the citizenry, and more access to dividends of democracy, a cardinal objective of the PDP. The summit is expected to parade finance and IGR experts like Dr. Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and Vice Presidential Candidate of the PDP, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, a former CBN Deputy Governor, Mr. Akinyele Oladeji, an IGR Expert and Managing Consultant/Country Representative of Canadian Software Development Corporation (CSDC Consulting Nigeria) and a coterie of frontline speakers, session chairmen, faculty members amongst...

President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to sack the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva over his comment on a female judge. Recall that Sylva while featuring as a guest on a programme on Channels Television on Thursday, the 14th day of November, 2019, had made comment on the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting at Yenegoa wherein the Court delivered a judgment in the case filed by Senator Heineken Lokpobri and cancelled the Bayelsa State APC Primaries. Sylva, the former governor of Bayelsa State had made some indicting and defamatory remarks about the person of the Honourable Judge of the Federal High Court who presided over the case. Reacting to Silva's comment, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youths, under the aegis of PDP South South Youth Vanguard, said that the Minister is not decent enough to hold a public office. Calling on President Buhari to sack the Minister, the PDP youths, in a statement by its National Chairman, James Ef...

BY NELSON NSEABASI Economic planning and development has been the bedrock of thriving economies all over the world. The issue of income generation for a micro and macro level is vital to the well being of a particular economy, as it is with it that development is planned. In recent time, the nation Nigeria has witnessed a period of drastic decline in the economy, leaving the price of stocks very low in the trade market while unemployment rose to an alarming rate. Firms were forced to relocate resources, scale back production and lay off employees. To salvage the situation, it is recommended that government adopt strategic macroeconomics policies. Intermittently and constantly, there are series of discussions on how to continually improve the economy, as against inflation and deflation. It behooves of the leadership and persons responsible in various offices at federal and state levels, to see to it that they generate a tangible percentage of the resources required to meet the...

The failure of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to clichéd the governorship seat in Bayelsa State has been blamed on the party leadership. The PDP youths, under the aegis of PDP South South Youth Vanguard, also blamed Governor Seriake Dickson’s highhandedness for the failure The PDP youths, in a statement by its National Chairman, James Efe Akpofure, alleged that monies exchanged hands between the party leadership and the governor over his choice of candidate. The youth further alleged that monies also exchanged hands between the party leadership, Timi Alaibe and Ken Koko over the party ticket. The group noted that Bayelsa people were not happy with Governor Dickson's decision to feature a candidate that is not popular among the people. The PDP Youth Vanguard added that the decision of the governor on his choice of candidate was selfish, adding that if Dickson had listen to the voice of the people, things would have been different. Aside blaming Dic...

- Summit to tackle newer IGR options in a recessed economy The PDP Governors Forum is set to host the 2019 Edition of its annual IGR Summit in Abuja. In a statement released Tuesday by the Summit Organizing Committee and signed by Patrick PA Okon on behalf of the Forum; the Summit will hold at the BON Hotel Stratton, (formerly Protea Hotel), Asokoro, Abuja,  on Wednesday/Thursday, November 27-28, 2019. The statement in part reads: ‘’The current economic reality in the country has more than ever informed the need for the forum’s initiative to escalate same for public discourse at the upcoming summit. It added that: “The challenge of declining internally-generated revenue and the need to boost alternative sources of income for the PDP-governed states outside reliance on the monthly federal government allocation will be receiving adequate attention at the converge. “It will also strive to define the extant possibilities and proffer fresh initiatives to increase revenue ...

...ASK INEC TO DECLARE HIM GOVERNOR ELECT Posted By Tony Okechukwu The Peoples Democratic Party Governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has said that he won the Saturday Gubernatorial election in  In the State. Diri therefore that called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare him winner of the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state. Senator Diri who  made the call on Monday while briefing newsmen in Yenagoa, said that the results monitored by his party's situation room in the eight local government areas, showed in clear terms that he won and  should be declared the governor-elect of Bayelsa state. The PDP governorship candidate who announced 98,582 as the total figure scored by the PDP said the APC got a total of 55,903 in the election. Giving a breakdown  of the figures, he said the PDP scored 4,096 in Brass local government area while the All Progressives Congress (APC) got 2,525. Accord...

By Tony Okechukwu Some journalists covering the ongoing governorship election in Bayelsa have been involved in a boat accident as the boat they were travelling in capsized. The four Nigerian Journalists cheated death on Saturday  as the boat conveying them across flooded parts of Sampou community on Nun River, Kolokuma Opokuma area of Bayelsa capsized midway. Their destination, Kolokuma Opokuma, is the home of the candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Duoye Dori. The Journalists were among other journalists accredited to cover the  Bayelsa election. The victims were returning from the polling station when the incident happened and left them submerged.  The timely intervention of sympathisers who rescued the journalists, prevented them from drowning. The flood in the area prevented the journalists from travelling by road and in the alternative, made use of local canoes to travel to the polling unit 4, Ward 6, where the PDP candidate h...

…Urges Security Forces to Protect The People Posted By Tony Okechukwu The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urges the people of Kogi and Bayelsa state to remain at alert, resist all undemocratic brigand elements and take all legitimate steps to protect their votes to the very end. The party also charges INEC and security forces to ensure that nothing happens to the ballots at every level and that results reflect only the will of the people as expressed at the polling units. The PDP cautions INEC to note that the people already know how they voted; they already know the outcome of the polls at the respective polling units, they already know how the parties are standing and as such, will never accept any alternation of results at the collation level. The party also calls on the Inspector General of Police of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the military high command to be patriotic by taking measures to assist and protect the people, in their quest to protect their votes. The PDP ...

By Tony Okechukwu The Governor òf Bayelsa State, the Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson has accused  the General Officer Commanding the 6th Division òf the Nigerian Army of compromising security in Favour òf the All Progeessives Congress against the PDP. The Governor  said that even though Gen. Sarham has been transferred to the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, he refused to move and waited behind to supervise the use of the Army to perpetrate heinous electoral crimes and irregularity  in the Bayelsa guber polls. The Governor said that the GOC and the  Brigade Commander òf the Artillery Brigade, attached soldiers to all APC leaders in all the wards who they use to terrorize people from one polling unit to another. The Governor added that the GOC moved to Yenagoa to  personally supervise  the undemocratic and illegal activities  of the Army in the Bayelsa polls using the Brigade Commander of the Artillery Brigade as the commander of his  ...

By Tony Okechukwu The gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) in Bayelsa state, Senator Douye Diri, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is colluding with the security agents to manipulate the election. Senator Diri stated this shortly after casting his vote at his polling unit, ward six, unit four in Sampou community, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state. “It is going on peacefully in my unit and Kolga. Voting orderly here. It’s going on well here. However, I have reports of pockets of electoral fraud commited by APC, coming on with thugs to hijack materials denying PDP members from voting. I raised the red flag about Nembe Bassambiri. What I have is that no PDP agent is allowed to go into Nembe Bassambiri. At Eniware in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, the reports I have is that the APC thugs went there. The same with Opolo, and other places. But we are monitoring the process”, Diri stated. The PDP candidate also...

By Tony Okechukwu A Coalition of Civil Society groups currently in Bayelsa have raised alarm over a sudden deployment men of the Nigerian Army from the 6 Brigade Port Harcourt Rivers, towards the end of the ongoing governorship election in Bayelsa. They said they have been authoritatively informed that the soldiers some of whom have just arrived Yenagoa are being positioned to take over the collation centers and headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, in the state capital. Speaking in a press statement signed by its Coordinator, Barrister Atari Emmanuel, the said "The world is watching with breathtaking attention the funny game currently being played by the Nigerian Army, in the ongoing governorship election in the state.  We are worried that despite aiding thugs across the various local governments, particularly in Southern Ijaw, Nembe and Ekeremor local government areas to unleash terror on innocent voters, the Army is going further, by impo...

The Rev John Pofi Foundation and some communities in Bayelsa State, have warned the Nigerian military personnel against turning communities into war zones, following an intelligence that the security agency was being mobilised to disrupt collation process. The foundation warned that the Military personel in large numbers and stationed at Aridof hotels , the political base of All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipriye Silva, is currently experiencing unusual large presence of military officers. The military personnel were drafted to communities  allegedly by the APC stalwart and the Governorship candidate, David Lyon, on the suspicion to be used to disrupt the collation of election results. "They are allegedly camped in a location within the communities  in preparation for disruption of results", said Mr. Owie Luke one of the indigenes of Bayelsa. Rev. John Pofi of Reverend John Pofi Foundation, expressed great worries...

The APC Governorship Candidate Hon. David Lyon Cast his Vote at exactly 11:00 hours in his hometown Olugbobiri. Hon. David Lyon who casted is vote at Unit 001 Olodiama Ward 4 in Southern Ijaw Local Government area, Bayelsa State. Says he will win the contest by landslide

At Ward 5, Unit 7 and 9,  Opolo Town Hall polling centre, where two persons were shot, an INEC official said the people refused to vote, insisting they would not vote and allow others to vote for another party apart from APC  INEC officials have started relocating their materials to yet to be known destination. Security have however been beefed up in the area with police, army and DSS officials stationed in the area.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has cancelled voting in Ologi (Ward 03) of Ogbia Local Government Area (LGA) due to violence. A senior officials of the commission was quoted as saying that violence in the area, including manhandling of electoral officials led to the cancellation. According to Ukuachukwu Orji, INEC Supervisory Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ogbia LGA, members of the Ologi community forcibly prevented election in the riverine area. “As our people (electoral officers) were coming into the community after crossing the river, they seized them and the materials and burnt all the materials. They chased our people away and seized some but the military rescued them,” he said. He spoke in Otuoke (Ward 13 of Ogbia LGA) where President Goodluck Jonathan and his family voted, saying that election in the community was then cancelled as a consequence of the violence. He expressed satisfaction that election has been smooth in other communi...

Posted By Tony Okechukwu Reports of hijacked electoral materials as well as detention of some party leaders currently mars the ongoing governorship election in Bayelsa State. Also, INEC officials were absent in many polling units including that of former President Goodluck Jonathan, in Ogbia local government. In Ekeremoh local government, political thugs were allegedly led by a top party leader to hijack sensitive electoral materials to his residence at Ekeremoh LGA. An INEC official, after collecting sensitive materials from Oporoma allegedly arrived Otuan without the sensitive materials, after voters discovered that the original sheet were not in the list with her. The official was however apprehended by party agents who questioned her motives for showing up at the polling unit without the original voting sheets. In SILGA Ward 14, the military stationed around the area were also allegedly holding top party leaders hostage in Ogboinbiri community. The leaders have repo...

Posted By Tony Okechukwu The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that a total of 45 candidates will contest this election in a bid to succeed Governor Seriake Dickson whose second term administration ends on February 13, 2020. The state capital, Yenagoa is deserted. Although there are multiple contestants, today’s election will see Senator Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party go head-to-head against the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) David Lyon. As early as 5am, security operatives including the Nigeria Police, Army, Customs, Road Safety, NSCDC, Prison Officers have all barricaded several points as elections are expected to commence as early as possible. Below is our LIVE COVERAGE of the Bayelsa Governorship Elections 8:00AM LGA: Kolga Ward: 8 PU: 007 -INEC Officials are on ground and ready, security agents are on ground, party agents are also present, the atmosphere here is peaceful. 7:45AM LG: Brass Ward: 2 PU: RAC, ...

By Tony Okechukwu The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youths have warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) to perish the thought of trying to allegedly manipulate the judiciary to remove Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde. The youths, under the aegis of PDP South South Youth Vanguard, said that they have watched with keen interest what played out in the state during the appeal court judgement. The youths, in a statement by its National Chairman, James Efe Akpofure, said they could detect the "hands of Esua, the voice of Jacob," in the entire scenario that played out during the appeal case, where the judiciary couldn't stand its ground and pronounce judgement. The youths cautioned APC to stop any plan to gag or manipulate the judiciary to do its bidding as doing so will only ridicule the laws of the land and make the country a laughing stock before the comity of nations. "The idea of manipulating, harassing and intimidating the judiciary to subvert the will...

- Call on US,UK to place travel ban on perpetrators By Tony Okechukwu The John Pofi Foundation working in collaboration with the United States Nigeria Law Group (USNLG) and the Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Electoral Integrity has demanded for a probe of the sponsors of election violence in Bayelsa state. The groups also urged  the United States of America and the United Kingdom governments to place an immediate travel visa ban on unscrupulous politicians, who have sponsored,incited or executed violence in previous or forthcoming Bayelsa state elections. Bayelsans will tomorrow go to the polls to elect their governor for a four-year tenure.The concerned groups called for a peaceful election in the state and read riot act to any perpetrators of election violence. Already a driver of Outside Broadcasting Van attached to Radio Bayelsa,Simon Onu, was killed and scores shot on Wednesday during an attack by APC thugs on a People's Democratic Party rally in Nembe Ogbo...

By Tony Okechukwu National Democratic Frontiers has demanded for an immediate arrest of sponsors and perpetrators of yesterday's killing of some indegenes and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party in Nembe, Bayelsa State, among whom was a Radio Bayelsa  OB Van driver, Simon Onu, during the campaign rally of the party's governorship candidate, Senator Douye Diri. Recall that yesterday, suspected militants of the Otita Force led by one Gabriel Jonah, a member of the campaign of the candidate of the All Progressive Congress unleash violence on the venue of the PDP campaign, leading to the killing of three people with several injured. The Civil Society group in a statement issued in Yenagoa and signed by its Coordinator Dr Ben Shuaib said that the sad event undermines the preparedness of INEC and the security agencies towards the Saturday gubernatorial election, if these perpetrators are not immediately brought to justice, there are every tendency for a repeat of thei...

Less than 60 hours to the Saturday, November 16 Guber Election in Bayelsa State, the main opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been engulfed in a dire straits. The gloom, insiders say is not unconnected with the turn around of events in the last hours of Wednesday. Sources have it that in the closing hours of the day, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), were both served with an order, disqualifying the APC Governorship candidate, Mr. Lyon David and his Deputy Governorship Candidate, Senator Degi-Eremienyo, from participating in the November 16, 2019 Bayelsa State Gubernatorial election. Scoops from sources close to the corridors of the decision makers at the APC boardroom have it that the party has already lost its sleep since being hit by the shocking service of the court order, and the subsequent adherence by INEC in disqualifying of the David Lyon ticket. Recall that Tuesday the ...

Also Watch: Bayelsa International Airport

By Tony Okechukwu Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youths Monday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for setting up a Steering Management Committee to probe the account of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The youths also appealed to the oil-producing state governors to support the committee probing the financial records of the NDDC so that the region will be developed. The Youths Vanguard noted that while the region was suffering as a result of misappropriation of the funds meant for the development of the region, the people vested with the authority to utilize the funds were having bazaar and looting the commonwealth of the people. Specifically, the youths, in a statement by its National Chairman, James Efe Akpofure, noted that not more than two senators and other stake-holders were suspected in the looting spree, all in the name of carrying out fathom projects for the people. The group added that the setting up of forensic audit committee by Presid...

-        Ihedioha may also go, Judges blackmailed -        North West Gov, Former South East Senator Fingered By  Tony Okechukwu All Progressives Congress (APC) is plotting to use the Appeal and Supreme Courts to sack Sokoto State Governor, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal and his Imo State counterpart, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha. This plot was learnt Wednesday through a source close to the Office of the National Chairman of the party. It was also learnt that a governor from the North West zone and a former Senator from the South East are the arrow-heads of the plot. The source told our correspondent that pressures are mounting on the appeal court judges to ensure that judgement is in favour of the APC candidates. The plot, according to the source, is to stop Tambuwal from the 2023 presidential election, so that the governor from the North West will have a major boost in his ambition ahead o...

By Tony Okechukwu A coalition of accredited Election Observers for the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa State on Tuesday challenged voters in the state to put to shame doomsday politicians by ensuring that they come out to cast their votes and protect it against sponsored political thugs and incidences of violence during the poll. The coalition put in place by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), made this known during the unveiling of the Observer Situation Room titled “Democracy Watch Nigeria and a Peace Walk sensitization” held in Yenagoa under the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizen Awareness, called on the electorates in the state to ensure that there is peace, free, fair and credible elections come November 16. The convener and Director-General of the Centre for Credible leadership and Citizen Awareness, Dr. Nwambu Gabriel, said the call on electorates in Bayelsa became necessary following the stereotype status the state is tagged as a...

By Tony Okechukwu The Peoples Democratic Party Youth Network has cautioned against the deployment of the military for electoral purposes during the November 16, 2019 gubernatorial poll in Bayelsa. The Secretary General of the PDPYN Comrade James Oputin, said in a statement on Monday that the soldiers have shown bias by their antecedents in providing purported security during previous elections. Oputin recalled that soldiers of the Nigerian Army shot and killed a Government House Photographer, Mr. Reginald Dei and a PDP Ward leader In Oweikorogha, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area on Election Day on February 23, 2019. He added that soldiers connived with APC thugs to cart away election materials and aided the wildest rigging in Bayelsa history which gave the party its victory in the last senatorial election. He noted further that soldiers who arrested the Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Nabena Yekini with arms at Odi quickly released him at the prompting of their ...

- Say APC Will Never Support Ijaw Struggle - Eyeing Bayelsa Oil Posted by Tony Okechukwu Ahead of Bayelsa State governorship election scheduled for November 16, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youths have alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) are recruiting herdsmen to cause mayhem and rig the election in their favour. Expressing concern over this development, the PDP youths under the aegis of PDP South South Youth Vanguard pointed out that the APC will not support the Ijaw Struggle and should desist from any form of violence during the election. The PDP youths, in a statement by its National Chairman, James Efe Akpofure added that the only interest of APC is the oil in Bayelsa State. The Youths Vanguard said that the APC is not interested in the development of the State, adding that their only concern is to lay their hands on the oil in the state. The PDP youths noted that APC has always been looking for a way to get at least a state from the oil rich re...