• Adamawa, Kebbi, and other states conduct supplementary elections
• Nobody can force me to leave Nigeria – Peter Obi
• Collapsed building in Banana Island yields one fatality
• Gov Uzodinma selected as Imo APC Governorship candidate
• Adamu Garba labels OBIdient movement a ponzi scheme

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss:

Adamawa, Kebbi, and other states conduct supplementary elections

Today, thousands of registered voters are expected to participate in supplementary elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 23 states. Following the presidential/National Assembly elections on February 25 and the governorship/state assembly elections on March 18, INEC scheduled the governorship, national, and state assembly supplementary elections for Saturday, April 15.

The Adamawa governorship election saw the incumbent Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 421,524 votes, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Aishatu Dahiru, scored 390,275. However, the election was declared inconclusive by the INEC state collation officer, Prof Muhammadu Mele of the University of Maiduguri, due to the margin of votes. Similarly, in Kebbi, the APC won 388,258 votes against the PDP’s 342,980, leading the INEC Returning Officer, Professor Yusuf Sa’idu, to declare the election inconclusive due to violence, destruction of election materials, disruption of electoral proceedings, and over-voting.

The second round of polling will take place in the two states, each with 20 local government areas (LGAs) participating, and will be the focus of the nation. INEC’s website indicates that a total of 69 polling units (PUs) will be involved in the Adamawa poll, with 37,706 eligible voters. In Kebbi, 142 PUs with 94,209 voters will participate.

There will also be supplementary elections for five senatorial seats: Kebbi North, Sokoto East, Sokoto North, Sokoto South, and Zamfara Central. In Kebbi North, a total of 13,243 voters in 23 PUs are eligible to participate, and in Sokoto East, there are 87,138 eligible voters in 169 PUs. Sokoto North has 115,266 eligible voters in 185 PUs, while Sokoto South has 85,022 collected PVCs across 156 PUs. In Zamfara Central, 83 PUs are affected, comprising 47,227 eligible voters.

The House of Representatives polls will be held in 31 constituencies across 15 states: Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara.

The state House of Assembly elections will involve 59 constituencies in 17 states: Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Ogun, Taraba, and Yobe.

Nobody can force me to leave Nigeria – Peter Obi

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25, 2023 election, has emphasized that he cannot be compelled to leave Nigeria.

Despite reports of pressure on him to leave the country, Mr Obi has expressed his commitment to creating a new Nigeria. He made this statement during a campaign rally to drum up support for Afam Ogene, the Labour Party candidate for Ogbaru Federal Constituency, in Onitsha, Anambra State.

During the rally, Mr Obi pointed out that the country has too many corrupt individuals who are causing hardship for the masses. He stated that the Labour Party is determined to rid the political system of such individuals and create a new Nigeria.

In his words, “Labour Party is fighting to create a new Nigeria. I am here with you, and nobody is going to force me to leave Nigeria.”

With this, he made it clear that he is steadfast in his mission to build a better future for Nigerians and will not be intimidated or discouraged.

Collapsed building in Banana Island yields one fatality

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has confirmed the recovery of one body from the rubble of the collapsed building at 1st Avenue, Banana Island, Ikoyi area of Lagos. The building, which was under construction, collapsed on Wednesday evening, trapping several workers under the rubble. The excavation of the collapsed building is still ongoing, as workers from LASEMA continue their search and recovery efforts.

The identity of the body recovered is yet to be known, and Gbenga Omotoso, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, stated that everyone who was present at the site had been accounted for. Omotoso further disclosed that the site has been divided into quadrants for a thorough search and rescue operation, with Quadrants 2 and 3 having been leveled to ground zero, and Quadrant 4 still ongoing.

Although 25 people were rescued from the site, the Commissioner could not confirm whether the victim whose body was found was on the site when the roll call was taken. Meanwhile, Rotimi Edu, the President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), has described the incident as a case of negligence by the contractors who undertook the project.

Despite the tragedy, the Lagos State Government remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of its citizens. The search and rescue operation will continue until all workers are accounted for, and the government will take decisive action to ensure that those responsible for the incident are held accountable.

Gov Uzodinma selected as Imo APC Governorship candidate

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced Governor Hope Uzodinma as its flagbearer for the Imo State governorship election.

The announcement was made by the chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee, Rear Admiral William Kayoda (retd). Uzodinma emerged victorious in the party’s primary election, which was held at the Ndubuisi Kanu Square in Owerri, the state capital, on Friday.

Using the direct primary mode of election, Uzodimma secured 63,618 votes to win the party’s ticket. In his speech, he pledged to redouble his efforts in tackling insecurity and delivering good governance to the people of the state if re-elected.

The Imo State governorship election is scheduled to hold on November 11.

With his victory in the APC primary, Uzodinma will now face off against candidates from other political parties in what is expected to be a fiercely contested race.

Adamu Garba labels OBIdient movement a ponzi scheme

Former presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adamu Garba, has described the presidential campaign of the Labour Party (LP) as “a grand Ponzi scheme.” He made the assertion in response to a news headline that reported non-compliance with UK audit regulations, shady campaign transactions, and other reasons Peter Obi, the LP presidential candidate, was detained at London’s Heathrow Airport.

Garba shared the screenshot of the news headline on his Twitter account, expressing his lack of surprise that the LP’s presidential campaign was a Ponzi scheme. He wrote: “Hmmm Hmmmmmm. So the whole Obi-Datti thing was a grand Ponzi scheme? Shocked but not surprised.”

According to reports, Obi was detained for hours at London’s Heathrow Airport on Friday, over alleged impersonation. However, he was later released after interrogation by officials of UK Immigration.

The statement by Garba, who was once a presidential aspirant under the APC, has sparked reactions from Nigerians, with some questioning his motive and credibility. Many have called for more evidence to back up his claims about the LP’s campaign.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party has issued a statement refuting the allegations made against its presidential campaign. The party said the claims were baseless and unfounded, adding that it has always operated with transparency and accountability in all its dealings.