News

Eight Varsity Students Travelling for Election Perish in Road Accident

Published

1 month ago

February 20, 2023

Eric

Eight students of Madonna University, Elele, Rivers State have reportedly died in an auto crash on their way to Taraba State from Port Harcourt.

According to reports, the students were travelling home from school on account of the forthcoming general election.

An eyewitness, Matthew Mbam, said the incident happened on Saturday, February 18, at the TTC/Special Science School junction, Abakaliki in Ebonyi State.

Seven other students, who reportedly survived the incident with varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to the Alex Ekwueme Teaching Hospital Hospital in Ebonyi State.

Mbam, who narrated the incident on his Facebook page, said, “While returning from Nwezenyi, Igbeagu, Izzi, Ebonyi State, Nigeria this Sunday evening where I went to pick some people, I met this horrific scene at exactly TTC/Special Science School junction along the trans-Saharan road.

“Seeing the crowd of persons with some army officers around the burnt vehicle, I decided to park my car by the roadside and came out to find out what really happened. I was told that the accident occurred yesterday twilight being Saturday, February 18, 2023.

“After asking some persons there who all declined telling me what really happened, I met the soldiers who accompanied the relatives from Taraba State, directly to ask them what happened with the burnt vehicle.

“They briefed me that the bus was coming from Port-Harcourt, conveying some students from Madonna University with some of the parents who were returning to Taraba State for a break due to the upcoming elections.”

Mbam added that the seven persons that survived were in “bad conditions” while the eight that lost their lives were “burnt beyond recognition.”

“The story further has it that eight students/a parent are the chelated bodies/ashes that were burnt beyond recognition. And about seven persons in bad conditions who are currently at Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, escaped from the bus when it caught fire after having head-on collision with a Sienna car.”

Ezra M Usman, the father of one of the deceased students, expressed his sorrow in a Facebook post, attaching a picture of his daughter.

Usman wrote, “Grace Usman Ezra, I never knew sending you to Madonna University would lead to your untimely death. 18 of you left Madonna to Jalingo yesterday only to hear the news that your bus had [an] accident and caught fire, eight out of 18 came out from the bus. It is well with the 10 of you and the rest that are alive, I pray for your speedy recovery and may God comfort us all that lost our children.”

Efforts to reach the Vice Chancellor of the university, Dr Uchenna Anyanwu, were unsuccessful as calls to his telephone were not answered and he had yet to reply to an enquiry sent to his telephone through text message as of the time of filing this report.

The Punch

News

INEC Declares LP’s Alex Otti Winner of Abia Guber Polls

Published

4 hours ago

March 22, 2023

Eric

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared Alex Otti of the Labour Party, LP, winner of the Abia state governorship election.

Otti defeated his closest rival, Okey Ahiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to emerge winner.

The Labour Party candidate scored 175, 467, while Ahiwe polled 88,529.

INEC Returning Officer in the state, Prof Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti declared Otti the winner on Wednesday evening after the resumption of the final collation of governorship election results in Umuahia.

The electoral umpire had suspended the collation of results for 48 hours.

Reacting, Otti praised God for his victory at the poll.

Tweeting via his verified Twitter handle, Otti wrote: “See what the lord has done.”

News

Tinubu Sick, Flown to Europe for ‘Proper Medical Attention’

Published

4 hours ago

March 22, 2023

Eric

By SaharaReporters

Former Lagos State governor, who is Nigeria’s ‘president-elect’, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Bola Tinubu, is travelling to Europe to seek medical care after falling ill, SaharaReporters has learnt.

SaharaReporters gathered that Tinubu fell ill after the “hectic” electioneering that led to his emergence as the ‘President-elect’ and the tension that built up ahead of the March 18 Lagos State governorship and House of Assembly elections where he also voted.

Authoritative sources revealed on Wednesday that Tinubu left for Europe on Tuesday night.

“Tinubu has left for Europe for medical care. He fell ill after voting on Saturday during the Lagos guber election. He was attended to by local doctors but he has left for Europe for proper medical care,” one of the sources close to him revealed.

“He initially said his doctors should be brought down to Nigeria for him, and that when things die down, he would leave. But I’ve confirmed that he left last night (Tuesday night) because he is definitely ill,” another source confirmed.

“His plane Falcon 9X with registration number VP-CBT can’t be tracked by air flight tracking websites.”

Indeed, efforts made by SaharaReporters to track the flight came back with: “VP-CBT – Unknown Owner (Cayman Islands (UK))

This aircraft (VP-CBT) is not available for public tracking per request from the owner/operator.”

SaharaReporters had reported that Tinubu cast his vote at his polling unit in Lagos on Saturday.

He had shared photos of himself voting on his Instagram page.

“I just joined other Nigerians in exercising my civic duty in the ongoing governorship and state assembly elections. I encourage you all to go out and vote peacefully,” he had written.

News

It’s My Turn to Be Senate President, Says Orji Kalu

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2023

Eric

The Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Kalu, has declared his intention to contest for Senate presidency in the 10th National Assembly.

Kalu, who won re-election to represent Abia North in the Red Chamber, disclosed this Tuesday while briefing newsmen at the National Assembly.

The ruling All Progressives Congress maintained a majority in the Senate, having secured 57 seats.

APC senators eyeing the Senate presidency have been lobbying their colleagues to seek their support.

Aside from Kalu, who has publicly declared interest in the position, Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Sani Musa (Niger); Barau Jibrin (Kano); and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) are also said to be interested in running for the coveted office.

The final candidates for the position will largely be determined by zoning.

However, the APC leadership said it has not zoned the Senate presidency.

Some pundits believe that it is likely that APC might zone the post to the South for power balance, especially after its Muslim-Muslim ticket triggered outrage from some quarters, especially the Christian community.

Kalu told reporters that it was his turn to become Senate President, being a ranking lawmaker and from the South East.

He said, “It is my turn to become the Senate President. If I’m elected Senate President, I will be team Nigeria. I’m going to work in every corner of Nigeria.

“I schooled in Maiduguri, Borno State. I started my business in Lagos and spread it across all state capitals. My first name will be team Nigeria, my last name will be team Nigeria.

“Remember, I’m the only former governor who has never changed phone line for more than 20 years ago. I’m still willing to maintain that telephone number to answer all my calls. I’m not going to switch off my phones because I’m Senate President.

“I’m hoping that Nigerians will pray for me to become Senate President because it’s my turn.”

The Punch