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US announces new visa regime for Nigerians The U.S. Mission will increase visitor visa validity from 24 months to 60 months for Nigerians who want to enter the United States temporarily for business and/or tourism. The new policy takes effect on March 1, 2023, according to a statement issued on Monday, February 27, 2023. The visa validity extension allows Nigerians to use the visa for 60 months to make short trips to the United States for tourism or business purposes before having to renew their visa.... The Federal Government of Nigeria has directed the full implementation of a new visa reciprocity policy for citizens of the United States of America with effect from March 1, 2023. The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, gave the directive following the approval for the implementation of the new Bilateral Consular Policy Agreements between the governments of Nigeria and the United States of America. The agreements amongst others include: The reciprocity of five (5) year touri...

2023 Elections Fell Short Of Expectations- US Institutes February 27, 20230 The Joint Election Observation Mission of the International Republican Institute, IRI, and the National Democratic Institute, NDI, led by former President of Malawi, Joyce Banda, says the 2023 election fell short of the reasonable expectations of Nigerians. According to the 40-member delegation of the two United States Institutes, logistical challenges and multiple incidents political violence overshadowed the electoral process and impeded a substantial number of voters from participating. The Joint Election Observation Mission stated these in their preliminary statement and recommendations in Abuja on Monday. They explained that members of the team were deployed across all six geopolitical regions of the country to observe all stages of the voting process; stressing that their observations informed the preliminary findings and practical recommendations to improve future elections. The preliminary statement rea...

Four Policemen  Arrested  Over Involvement  In Electoral Malpractice in Rivers State. Four Policemen have been arrested by the Authority of Rivers State Police command over their alleged Involvement in electoral malpractice  last week Saturday (25, February,2023) during the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state. SP Grace Iringe Koko, Spokesperson for the Rivers State Police command in a statement on Monday, 27th February, 2023 said following a video which  trended on social media suggesting  the involvement of some police personnel operating in a Pick Up Vehicle with incscription “RRT 050” in alleged electoral malpractice, Rivers State Police Command has arrested and taken into custody one officer and three Inspectors for interrogation.  SP Koko said the police pick-up van in the trending video has also been impounded for thorough investigation. She said the Command  assures the electorate in Rivers State of its unalloyed commi...

Maiduguri Fire: Zulum hosts victims, presents N1b cheque … Appoints disbursement committee chair  Governor Babagana Umara Zulum on Monday in Maiduguri hosted hundreds of victims, most of them traders at the Monday Market whose shops and goods worth billions of naira, were razed by an inferno that engulfed the market yesterday, Sunday.  Zulum while hosting them, presented a cheque of one billion naira for onward disbursement as emergency palliatives to the victims, pending the outcome of an assessment committee.  The governor had, during a statewide broadcast yesterday, announced a palliative of one billion naira which came after he visited the scene and mobilized armed forces to secure the market.  The Maiduguri Monday Market, said to be the largest in the northeast, was completely burnt by fire that lasted for some hours. The fire began between 1am and 2am from yet to be ascertained cause(s).  Zulum received the victims at the premises of Borno State Government...

Governor El-rufai's Son, Bello Wins Kaduna North Federal Constituency Seat  Bello El-rufai, the son of the Executive Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has emerged winner of Kaduna North House of Representatives seat.  Bello secured 51,052 votes, defeating the incumbent Samaila Suleiman of the People's Democratic Party who secured 32, 802 votes. More details shortly.....  

LP Candidate, Prof. Oby Lilian Orogbu wins Awka North and South House of Representatives election* Prof. Oby Lilian Orogbu of Labour Party has been elected as Honourable Member-Elect to represent the good people of Awka North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. Announcing the results at the Independence National Electoral Commission's (INEC) local government area office at Amawbia, Anambra State, the Returning Officer, Dr. Uche Nnyagu, said out of  59,978 accredited voters, Prof. Orogbu polled a total of 34,713 votes to beat the All Progressives Grand Alliance candidate (APGA) candidate, Hon. Obi Nwankwo, who came 2nd with a total of 24,814 votes. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr. Emeka Igwe came third with 12,850 votes, among other candidates who contested the February 25 National Assembly election. Other parties that participated in the election include Accord party that scored (624), ADC (108), APC (856), NNPP (244), NRM (33), SDP (43...

 February 27, 2023 Text of Press Conference by the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Debo Ologunagba, on the Position of the PDP on the ongoing Collation of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election Results by INEC PDP To INEC: Halt Announcement of Manipulated Results Now …Electoral Commission Pushing Nigerians to the Wall Gentlemen of the Press, we have called you to update you on our observations and concerns on the ongoing collation of results of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It is very clear from the votes as cast at the Polling Units across the country, that the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar substantially defeated the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in line with the expressed aspiration and Will of Nigerians. However, it is alarming that INEC is aiding and abettin...

INEC compromised, election rigged, anarchy looming; Obasanjo writes Buhari, wants counting of result stopped I am constrained to speak at this point. I crave the indulgence of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency General Muhammadu Buhari, to make this statement because I have had opportunity to keep him aware of what I know is happening and the danger looming ahead.   On many occasions in the past, I have not hesitated to point out lacuna in the action of the President and his government.  But as far as the election issues are concerned, the President has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he will want to leave a legacy of free, fair, transparent and credible elections. Until last Saturday night, February 25, 2023, the good and noble plan and preparation for the elections seemed to be going well.  For the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a lot of money was spent to introduce Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and ...

GOV. ORTOM LOSES SENATORIAL BID TO FORMER AIDE IN BENUE Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has lost the Benue North West senatorial election to his former aide, Titus Zam of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Zam was declared the winner for Benue North West senatorial district by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning officer, Prof. Rufus Shaato. Shaato said Zam scored a total of 143,151 votes to emerge winner of the election as against Ortom who polled a total of 106,882 votes to come second while the Labour Party candidate, Mark Gbillah, had 51,950 votes. The results from various polling units, wards and local government area collation centres across the senatorial district indicated that the governor lost in six out of the seven local government areas winning only his native Guma. The senator-elect was Ortom’s Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs during his first tenure.  

Obidients Want To Kill Me Over Rivers Authentic Election Results - Collation Officer  The Collation Officer for the Presidential election in Rivers State and Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Prof. Charles Adias, has raised the alarm over threats to his life by supporters of the Labour Party. Adias said since resuming his duty as a collation officer, he has received many threat messages accusing him of being deployed to manipulate Rivers poll. Addressing the state agent of the Labour Party, Deinye Pepple, during the collation of results, in Port Harcourt, Adias explained that he was doing his job transparently. Besides, he said his job had nothing to do with computation of results as he only received compiled results from field officers. Pepple faulted some results but lauded the collation officer for Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, for bringing what he described as the authentic results. “All the results he presented tallies with what I have from the polling uni...

Dear Lagosians, We got reports of friction in some parts of Lagos this morning, however, all is calm now.  There is no need for violence, which is not part of our culture.  I therefore urge all Lagosians to go about their businesses without any fear of harassment. Law enforcement agencies have been asked to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order in any part of the state.  I have been your Governor for almost four years, promoting harmony and friendship across ethnic and religious lines without any form of discrimination whatsoever.  Let us remain calm. All will be well. We are a peaceful people and so we shall remain.  

 PRESIDENT BUHARI RECEIVES NASS ELECTION WINNERS IN DAURA CONSTITUENCY, COUNSELS ON RESPECT FOR VOTERS President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday evening opened his doors to welcome the winners of the Senate and House of Representatives elected to represent the Daura zone, the constituency that produced him.   The President gave them an important lesson: “respect the voters and make them feel important. If you don’t, they will wait in ambush for you in the next election. Depending on how you deal with them, they will keep you in office, or they will send you packing.” He congratulated the Senator-elect, Nasiru Sani who obtained 174,062 votes, to beat the incumbent, Senator Ahmed Babba Kaita who had defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP following his defeat in the primary elections.    Senator Kaita fell short by more than ten thousand votes.   President Buhari also welcomed the election of Alhaji Aminu Jamo, House of Representatives member-elect for Daura/Sandamu...

 Court Of Appeal Justice,  Slumps, Dies In Courti February 27, 20230 A Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Lokulo-Sodipe has been confirmed dead today. Justice Lokulo-Sodipe who was until his demise one of the Justices at the Court of Appeal, Ekiti Division is said to have slumped while dressing up in his Chambers for today’s matter. Attempts to resuscitate him failed. The Late Justice was born on the 18th of February, 1956 and was appointed to the Appellate Court on the 15th of February, 2008. He is from Abeokuta South in Ogun State, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1979. He is widely regarded as a hardworking Judge and a masterful writer of judgements.

PRESS RELEASE POLICE CHARGES PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO CAUTION PARTIES, SUPPORTERS AGAINST INCITING COMMENTS Sues for Calm, Patience as INEC Intensifies Effort on Speedy Collation In furtherance of the close monitoring of the ongoing 2023 electoral exercise, and consequent upon a series of intelligence reports, and high expectations from all angles, the Nigeria Police Force has deemed it necessary to charge Presidential Candidates of all political parties, most especially APC, PDP, LP and NNPP, to caution their party stalwarts and supporters to avoid making inciting comments capable of unnecessarily heating up the polity and creating undue excitement amongst the electorates and the general populace in the country. The NPF, having assessed the trend of scaled-up expectations and psychological projections on the ongoing electoral process viz-a-viz collation of results, charges all presidential candidates, as leading and respected figures in their respective political parties, to seize t...

*PRESS RELEASE* *Tinubu to Lagosians: Be calm, maintain the peace* All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has appealed to the people of Lagos State to be calm and eschew any act that can lead to breakdown of law and order. Tinubu said the outcome of the election in Lagos where Labour Party won the presidential election should not be a source of provocation saying that the beauty of democracy is that people have a right to vote for the candidate of their choice. The APC candidate further said that as a democrat he is bound to accept the outcome of any election whether favourable or not.  In a statement released Monday by the Presidential Campaign Council signed by Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu expressed serious concern over reports of violence in parts of the state especially reported attacks on some traders of Igbo origin. The former Lagos State Governor condemned any form of violence against people of any ethnic gro...