Lagos monarch denies plan to hold Oro ritual on election day
A monarch in Lagos, Nojeem Aberejo, has denied claims that they had scheduled the Oro festival on 18 March which coincides with the governorship and state legislature elections.
(News Source: Premium Times)
“It is absolutely untrue, there is nothing like that, I will not be a part of illegality, ” the Alake of Akesan told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday.
The Oro festival is a traditional rite common among people of Yoruba origins and it is partrichiacal in nature.
(Photo credit: Google)
According to Abdulmahmud on Twitter, the monarch has allegedly scheduled the festival on election day to prevent voters from turning up to exercise their civic rights.
“Interesting development coming out of Igando area of Lagos. Last week Oba of Akesan scheduled the Oro festival for 11th March 2023,” he tweeted on Sunday.
“No sooner INEC announced the postponement of today’s election to 18th March, the Oba rescheduled the Oro festival to next weekend.
In response to his tweet which had over 560,000 views, @sofineND who claimed to be a resident of Iba said that the rites were performed on Friday and they have been told it will be held again on election day.
“Yes, that’s my area. I witnessed they had it on Friday night as we were all warned never to stay outside from 10 pm till 5:30 AM and also warned to avoid the Iba area from 10 am till 4 PM on Saturday as the traditional rite will be going on there but we know all was for political suppression,” his tweet reads.
Chuks Okorie, in response to a post by a former governorship candidate in Lagos, also confirmed the claim by Mr. Abdulmamud.
“Oro festival date was first put on 11th March by the baale of IGANDO as soon as the election was postponed to 18th, he shifted it to 18th… deliberate attempt to suppress voter,” he tweeted.
China lifts visa ban on foreigners
China will once again start issuing a range of visas to foreigners with effect from Wednesday, the country’s foreign ministry said, in a major easing of travel restrictions in place since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
(News Source: Punch Newspapers)
The move marks the latest step towards reopening China to the outside world, as Beijing breaks with the strict zero-Covid strategy that defined its pandemic response until a few months ago.
In addition to new visas being reviewed and approved, those issued before March 28, 2020, that remain valid will once again allow entry to China, said a notice posted Tuesday on a social media account affiliated with the foreign ministry’s consular affairs bureau.
Similar notices appeared on the websites of several overseas Chinese missions, including its embassies in the United States and France.
The updated policy will also allow for the resumption of visa-free travel for those arriving on cruise ships to Shanghai as well as for certain tourist groups from Hong Kong, Macau, and countries within the ASEAN regional grouping, the notice said.
GRV remains LP guber candidate in Lagos - legal team
Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour will remain the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate for March 18 Governorship election in Lagos State, according to his legal team.
(News Source: PM NEWS)
Mr. Olagbade Benson, the Lead Counsel to Rhodes-Vivour, stated this while speaking with newsmen on Monday in Lagos.
According to the lawyer, the three court cases instituted against its client’s candidacy recently had been struck out.
In the briefing, Benson with two other lawyers, Uchechukwu Ani and Kemi Afesojaye, noted that claims by the former LP gubernatorial candidate and Chairman in Lagos, Prince Ifagbemi Awamaridi, that he had a substantive case against Rhodes Vivour is false.
Benson said that the affidavit being brandished by Awamaridi as the true position of the court that he had been certified as an authentic Labour party candidate is fake.
He said the affidavit did not represent the judgments delivered by the court in the state.
Benson explained that there were two judgments, including that from the Federal High and Appeal Courts, affirming the candidature of Rhodes-Vivour as the bonafide standard-bearer of the party for Saturday’s election.
The lawyer said that the case against Rhodes-Vivour by the PDP had been thrown out by the Federal High Court for lacking merit.
Consider Faleke For Chief Of Staff, APC Campaign Director Urges Tinubu
The national director of Grassroots engagement and Orientation, presidential campaign council (PCC) Amb. Hajiya Sa’adatu Garba Dogon Bauchi has urged president-elect of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu to make the secretary of the APC presidential campaign council (PCC) Hon. Abiodun Faleke his chief of staff when he is sworn into office.
(News Source: LEADERSHIP NEWS)
Dogon Bauchi, who made the appeal in collaboration with the chairman 100% Focus Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed, in an open letter to Tinubu obtained by LEADERSHIP, appealed to him not to forget the APC supporters who have been with him for over 30 years of his journey to the presidency.
Congratulating Tinubu on his victory, she urged him to ensure that his political appointments will place emphasis on those he knows better and who have shown meritorious service to the nation based on capacity, patriotism, ability, agility, and rich experience.
Dogon Bauchi who is also president of the Arewa Women for Tinubu/Shettima, said in the letter, “Your Excellency, we write to appeal to your good office to not forget the APC supporters who have been with you for many years in this journey. The 30 years journey has not been easy but it’s now a reality. We thank the Almighty God for this success.
Content created and supplied by: MEDTips (via Opera News )
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