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OPINION: A Critical Response to the Removal of Certificate Forgery as Grounds for Election Petitions. By: Tony Ewaleifoh Introduction “Animal Farm, oh Animal Farm…”—a poetic warning that power, once unchecked, rewrites its own rules. The reported removal of certificate forgery as a ground for election petitions represents more than a legislative adjustment. It signals a dangerous shift in Nigeria’s democratic philosophy—from truth as a foundation to truth as a negotiable element. Legitimacy Without Integrity: Democracy is not sustained by ballots alone. It is sustained by trust. When individuals can ascend to power under questionable or falsified credentials—and citizens are stripped of the legal means to challenge them—the system ceases to function as a mechanism of accountability. Instead, it becomes a structure that protects outcomes, regardless of process. The Rise of Untouchable Leadership When truth is no longer enforceable, a new class of leadership emerge—one insulated from scr...

  OPINION APC Automatic Tickets, Direct Primaries For National Assembly Aspirants...                                                                 - Izibili calls for caution By: Esezobor Izibili, Esq In the high-stakes world of Nigerian politics, how a party chooses its candidates can determine not just electoral victory, but its internal survival. Nowhere is this more evident than in Edo State, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) has spent years oscillating between two flawed systems: consensus candidacy and open competitive primaries. E sezobor Izibili, Esq. What appears, on the surface, to be a procedural choice is, in reality, a deeper struggle over power, control, and political survival. The Two Roads To A Ticket Within political parties, candidates' selection typically follows one of two paths.  The...

Court Cancels Movement Restrictions On Sanitation Days It is now unlawful for the movement of person to be restricted on environmental sanitation days. This development, follows the declaration of Edo State High Court in a landmark judgment delivered today, 26th March 2026, that the restriction of human and vehicular movement during the state’s environmental sanitation exercise, is unlawful. Today, Justice Isoken Urhomwen Erameh ruled that the enforcement of a stay-at-home order between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on sanitation days violates citizens’ constitutional rights. In its decision, the court held that such restrictions are inconsistent with Section 41(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which guarantees freedom of movement. It further found the measures to be in breach of Articles 12 and 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. In view of the foregoing, Justice Erameh  issued a declaration that the prohibition of movement during the ...

FOCUS: Violence, Insurgencies...   Usual Occurrences During Electioneering Periods in Nigeria:  A Worrisome Trend By: Oriaifoh Godwins  The current rise in security challenges, including kidnapping attacks on our military and law enforcement agencies are not new to the Nigeria society, especially at time like this, when politicking is gradually getting to crescendo. It is at this time that criminal elements who live on nothing other than crime, come all out to earn their criminal living. Hence, those crimes that Innocent citizens are experiencing today. The question to ask is: why this recurrent decimal, and why at this time?  The reason is simple: Many of those that are not on the same political divide with the ruling party, want to do everything they can, to unseat the ruling party; sometimes by sponsoring crisis and causing mayhem, so as to make the ruling party unpopular. This is how desperately wicked, callous and demonic the heart of some men can be. They are n...

Esan Central LG Chairman Presents 2026 Budget Of Transformation ...It is in line with the wind of positive change -Chairman By: Our Reporter Today, Thursday 12 March 2026, the Chairman, Esan Central Local Government, ECLG, area of Edo state, Rt. Hon. Kelvin Ainiyalahimi Iyere, presented the 2026 Budget Christened the Budget of Transformation.  Presenting the Budget to the Legislative Arm of the local government, the Chairman assured that, the budget is crafted with the vision of enhancing the quality of life for the people in the local government, and also for promoting sustainable development in the communities, saying; “…This is yet another opportunity to render the account of my stewardship on the extent to which our administration has been able to actualize the 2025 Budget Estimate”. Continuing, the Chairman said; ”This year Budget is Christened BUDGET OF “TRANSFORMATION”. It is in line with this bold objective of ours; coupled with the wind of positive change which is being pu...

  INSECURITY : Dr. Agbonmhere Takes Fight To Criminals' Enclave ...calls on others to join By: Oriaifoh Godwins Edo state, just like the other states in Nigeria, has been facing several security challenges in recent time. Following the unabiting security challenges being faced by the state a public spirited political figure in Edo state and the current Chairman of Edo state Ecological Funding and Management Commission,Hon. Dr. Blessing Agbonmhere has joined security forces in Edo state to support their ongoing efforts in flushing out the terrorist, kidnappers, and other hoodlums out of our Forest. Speaking in a viral video, Hon. Dr. Agbonmhere who challenged the different confraternities in Edo state to come all out in support of the fight against the criminals, also charged them that this is the time their expertise and temerity is needed as Edo state is facing security challenges. Dr. Blessing Agbonmhere's advise, is apt and pragmatic, and in my opinion, the Edo state Governo...

  How Not To Play Politics . . .. Daniel Bwala as a case study By: Oriaifoh Godwins Politics, some people say, is a dirty game; but for me, I believe it is a NOBLE GAME, but played by some people who are dirty inside and out.  To play politics in Nigeria, you must be 'dirty' inside, you must be capable of speaking from both sides of your mouth and must have the ability to discredit people, so you can have your way. You must be ready at all time to put out peoples' candles so your own candle can shine. To be a politician, you must be someone that is ready to do anything including killing people that you feel their presence is threatening your position, fame, recognition or acceptability. I say this with every certainty, because I experienced it from some of those dirty individuals that so called themselves politicians. Moreso, we have seen several instances of all these play out in Nigeria. But must it be so? While campaigning for his former party, the Peoples Democratic Par...