Politics
Anambra: ADC coalition unveils candidates
Anambra State governorship candidate under the platform of the Africa Democratic Congress, ADC, Mr John Nwosu says he will end insecurity and review the tax on artisans and small businesses in Anambra if elected governor.
Nwosu said this during the campaign kickoff and unveiling of ADC Coalition candidates for August 16 by-election and Nov. 8 governorship election in Onitsha on Friday.
Mrs Justina Azuka, widow of the late Mr Justice Azuka, representing Onitsha 1 State Constituency who was kidnapped and later found dead, is seeking to succeed her husband while Mr Chidi Amamgbo is contesting for Anambra South Senatorial District.
Nwosu said incumbent, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo had failed in the area of security, development and respect for the rule of law, respect for traditional institutions and should not be reelected.
The candidate, who received the party flag in company of his running mate, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, said Anambra was broken, needed urgent repair, adding that he was presenting himself as a credible alternative.
“Governance is not rocket science, it is also not to try your luck or making bogus promises, if Soludo did not succeed in the first four years, he won’t succeed in another four years.
“We promise four years of seamless, transformative and adaptive governance along these lines,” he said.
The Information and Technology expert enunciated his seven-pillar policy thrust which included Security, Health, Education, Economy, Enterprise, Market, and Social Welfare (SHEEEMS).
He said he would deploy Hi-tech security infrastructure including fingerprint and AI-powered facial recognition cameras, well trained and motivated community based personnel to end insecurity.
He said his administration would introduce e-Government to fight corruption, improve transparency, and enhance efficiency such that people could access and track government services from their phones.
“It will be a government that works at the speed of technology, not the speed of paperwork.
“Within six months, we will restore peace across our communities, safety will return to our streets; traditional marriage ceremonies and festivals will return to our villages.
“The era of exploitation is over, I will abolish enforcement with pestles ‘Aka-Odo’ and review the tax system.
“We will restructure the tax system to be fair, growth-friendly, and humane; you will no longer pay to suffer.
“From my first day in office, we will cut tax tariffs and charges payable by shuttle bus and keke drivers, barrow pushers and artisans by 30 per cent.
“Our people are underserved and overtaxed, this government deployed brutality to collect revenue, and many have been maimed and some have died in the hands of these agents,” he said.
Handing over the party flag to the candidates, Chief Ralph Nwosu, immediate past National Chairman of ADC, said the coalition was set to change the leadership narrative of Anambra.
Nwosu said the by-election elections would be the first victory for the ADC Coalition and that with wide membership from Labour Party, Peoples Democratic Party and others, Nwosu would be next Anambra governor.
He urged party faithful to go to their polling units, wards and local government and for the victory of ADC Coalition and its candidates.
A faction of Accord Party has held its own governorship primary, where Mr. Clement Bamigbola emerged as the faction’s governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun State election.
This is coming just four days after the emergence of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the party’s flag-bearer.
Recall that the party under the leadership of Maxwell Mgbudem, on Wednesday, held a similar exercise which produced Governor Ademola Adeleke as the party’s candidate.
However, a faction of the party rejected his emergence, insisting that Barrister Maxwell Mgbudem is not the legally recognized national chairman of the Accord Party.
In a fresh development on Sunday, about 300 delegates of the Accord Party from across Osun State elected Bamigbola as the factional candidate during a primary held at Regina Suite, Osogbo.
Bamigbola emerged through a voice vote conducted by the delegates, after which the Chairman of the Primary Committee, Hon. Olufemi Ogundare, declared him the party’s candidate for the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
President Bola Tinubu and leaders of ECOWAS countries are currently meeting in Abuja.
The 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government is taking place at the State House Conference Centre, in Abuja.
Leaders of West African countries at the meeting include President Julius Bio (Sierra Leone, ECOWAS Chair), President Patrice Talon (Benin), José Maria Neves (Cabo Verde) and Alassane Ouattara (Côte d’Ivoire).
Others are Adama Barrow (The Gambia), John Mahama (Ghana), Umaro Embaló (Guinea-Bissau), Joseph Boakai (Liberia), Bassirou Faye (Senegal) and Faure Gnassingbé (Togo).
The meeting is coming against the backdrop of five turbulent years for West Africa, which saw coups in Mali (2020, 2021), Burkina Faso (twice in 2022), and Niger (2023).
The latest incidents include an attempted coup in Benin on December 7, 2025, and renewed instability in Guinea-Bissau.
At the time of filing this report, details of the meeting are yet to be disclosed.
Politics
Breaking: Diri Orders Autopsy on Bayelsa Deputy Governor’s Death, Warns Against Politicisation
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death of the state’s Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
Governor Diri gave the directive on Saturday while receiving former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Government House in Yenagoa.
Reacting to the incident, the governor condemned what he described as widespread misinformation and speculation on social media, warning against any attempt to politicise the deputy governor’s death.
“I want to make an appeal. I have seen people politicise his death. In Ijaw land, there is no enmity in death. Let nobody politicise the passing of our dearly beloved deputy governor,” Diri said.
“If anyone truly loves him, this is the time to show it. I have directed that an autopsy be carried out to reveal the cause of his death. There is a lot of nonsense going on on social media.”
The governor further urged the public to focus on mourning and honouring the late deputy governor, noting that the state government had declared three working days of mourning in his honour.
“If anyone is issuing statements to eulogise him, let it end there. Let us mourn him because Bayelsa State is in a mourning mood,” he added.
Governor Diri also called for unity and love among the people, reminding them of the inevitability of death.
Speaking during the condolence visit, former President Goodluck Jonathan described the late Ewhrudjakpo as a committed and dedicated individual who played a key role in the activities of his foundation.
“For me, he was someone my foundation and I will never forget. He represented the governor in all our programs,” Jonathan said, adding that Ewhrudjakpo worked tirelessly in that role, even more than when he served as deputy governor.
The man who tackled a gunman to the floor and saved people from getting sh0t at Bondi Beach in Australia has been identified as Ahmed al Ahmed.
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