News

Demystifying COVID-19 Spread with Rate Your Leader App

Published

5 years ago

March 10, 2020

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

In the last couple of weeks, Nigerians have lived in absolute carefulness owing to the fact that someone brought in the dreaded Coronavirus disease otherwise known as COVID-19 into the country. The importer, an Italian citizen, had flown in via a Turkish airline on February 25 before he was discovered two days later and quarantined. His contacts were as well isolated though one has tested positive to the virus, bringing the number of infected persons to two.

Ever since, the cyberspace has been inundated with myths and conspiracy theories about the Coronavirus disease, and as a result social media experts, led by Digital Democracy Project originators and owners of the prolific Rate Your Leader app, are calling on politicians to take the lead in stopping the spread. This is by complete engagement with their electors one on one to disabuse their minds regarding these myths. Some of them are that it can be cured by keeping clean shaven or by covering yourself in sesame oil and that it was created as a weapon by the Chinese or CIA. These myths need to be rapidly rebutted by credible sources to keep people safe, and Rate Your Leader app is the veritable avenue.

Echoing world leaders’ advice that “the media has a very important role in this, particularly the social media and electronic media of all types,” the Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Rate Your Leader, Mr. Joel Popoola, said that the app will allow the free flow of accurate information concerning the virus from those who should know. He noted that dependence on unfiltered communication channel will be eliminated thereby giving electors access to only the truth.

He said:

“Social media timelines are being taken over by stories about the virus with myths about what you can do to fight it spreading almost as quickly as the virus itself.

“People might tell you that they don’t trust their representatives, but in reality, they are high credibility sources with a unique power and reach to promote crucial health messages through their networks.

“Networks like Rate Your Leader have a vital role to play in allowing accurate information to be communicated unfiltered from reliable sources to the people who might otherwise be panicked into listening to less reputable advice and taking steps which might actually be dangerous or damaging to their health.”

Rate Your Leader, a free app, was created by the Digital Democracy project to bridge the gulf between people and their elected representatives with phones and other handheld devices – whilst blocking malicious or offensive communication in a way that other social media platforms do not.

The abuse-proof Rate Your Leader app confirmed voters in specific electoral divisions to communicate directly with the elected representatives, as well as rating them for responsiveness.

The Rate Your Leader app is available from the Apple and Google Marketplaces. The app has a five star rating on the Google market, with one reviewer writing “This is the new level of politics…better communication of leaders with the electorates and accountability”.

The app, which is already making waves in the United Kingdom, is due for launch in Nigeria in the coming weeks. It is worthy of note that the launch has received the unequivocal support of not only the Nigerian government, but the generality of the public, including the oppositions

At launch, representatives of the people at all levels will take advantage of the free democracy app to stay in touch with the people who elected them and to get their messages out to confirmed voters in their constituencies, helping them truly understand what matters most to them.

News

Edo Guber: Tribunal Dismisses Ighodalo’s Petition, Affirms Okpebholo As Duly Elected

Published

1 day ago

April 2, 2025

Eric

The Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, affirmed Senator Monday Okpebholo as the governor.

A three-member panel headed by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, against the outcome of the September 21, 2024, governorship election.

In its judgment, the panel ruled that the petitioners failed to call competent witnesses to prove the allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

‎‎In the lead judgment read by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the Tribunal said non-compliance must be proven convincingly. It noted that the failure of the petitioners to call polling unit officers, presiding officers or even voters during the election proved fatal to their petition.

The Tribunal stated that most of the 19 witnesses called by the PDP merely gave hearsay evidence during the proceedings.

‎‎Justice Kpochi faulted what he termed as the PDP’s reliance on Section 137 of the Electoral Act to dump documents on the Tribunal. The Tribunal noted that it’s not for it to scrutinise documents tendered by the petitioners.

‎‎The Edo Tribunal further said the BVAS machines tendered by the petitioners remain dormant, as it’s not the duty of the Tribunal to access the data in the machines.

‎‎In the unanimous decision, the Tribunal thereby restated that to prove overvoting as alleged by Ighodalo and the PDP, there’s a need to tender the voters register, BVAS machines and polling unit results or Forms EC8A.

Following that, the Tribunal dismissed the petition of Asue Ighodalo, candidate of PDP for lacking merit.

‎‎INEC had declared that Okpebholo of the APC secured 291,667 votes to defeat Ighodalo who got 247,655 votes. PDP approached the Tribunal to challenge the results from 765 polling units of the 4,519 units in Edo State.

‎The PDP candidate faulted the outcome of the election on the grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act and the failure of Monday Okphebholo to secure a majority of the lawful votes cast. Putting that in context, the PDP governorship candidate alleged improper computation of votes by INEC, non-serialisation of electoral materials and over-voting.

News

Sen Natasha Defies Ban, Holds Rally in Kogi, Receives Rousing Welcome

Published

2 days ago

April 2, 2025

Eric

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Tuesday, received a rousing welcome from her supporters and residents of the Ihima community of Kogi State, despite the government’s ban on rallies and processions.

As early as 8am, her supporters from the five local government areas of Kogi Central Senatorial District that Akpoti-Uduaghan represents flooded the Ihima community of Okehi Local Government Area (LGA) to welcome the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker.

Several local musicians took turns entertaining the people who attended the celebration while they awaited the arrival of the female lawmaker.

It did not, however, take long before the embattled senator arrived at the place in a white helicopter, eliciting applause from her teeming, jubilant supporters.

“Yesterday, we heard on the news that rallies and gatherings will not be allowed, that roads will be blocked, and convoys leading into the state will not be allowed. I knew that we were the targets. But then I said, this is not political season, this is not campaign time,” the lawmaker told her supporters and constituents.

“We are not having a rally. This is just me, the Senator representing Kogi Central, coming down to her people to celebrate this festive time – the Sallah with you, and there is nothing wrong with that. I am breaking no law. This is Nigeria. We have the right to be free, to express our choice in gatherings and celebrations.”

Her return comes hours after the Kogi State Government banned public gatherings and processions, citing security threats.

This was followed by the imposition of a curfew in the area by the Okehi Local Government Area chairman, Amoka Monday, and a warning from the police for her to cancel the event.

Despite the warnings, the lawmaker told the crowd of supporters that no one can stop her from coming home.

“Nobody and nothing can stop me from coming home. I’m an Ebira woman; this is my land. I’m the daughter of the late Jimoh Abdul Akpoti. I know my roots; I’m not a bastard, and I’m not afraid of anybody,” the PDP senator said.

News

Edo Guber Tribunal Delivers Judgment Today

Published

2 days ago

April 2, 2025

Eric

The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, has
scheduled Wednesday, April 2, 2025, to deliver its judgment on the petition filed by Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo in the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial election.

A three-member panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, reserved judgment on March 3 after parties in the suit concluded their final arguments.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on September 22 declared Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the election with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who polled 247,274 votes, and Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata, who garnered 22,763 votes.

Dissatisfied with the outcome, the PDP and its candidate approached the tribunal, alleging widespread irregularities, including
over-voting, ballot serialisation issues, errors in collation, and miscalculations in results.

In the suit marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024,
Ighodalo presented a senior technical officer from INEC’s ICT department as a witness, who tendered 154 BVAS machines as evidence to substantiate claims of
over-voting.

Adopting his final address, Ighodalo further alleged that results from 765 polling units were manipulated at the collation centers and that errors in computation affected the final outcome.

He urged the tribunal to nullify the Certificate of Return issued to Okpebholo and declare him the rightful winner of the election.