FocalPoint Reports

  Delta 2023: Gbagi is Endorsed by God to Win – Ughievwen Ministers Ughievwen Ministers, comprising of Bishops, Prophets and notable men of God, on Thursday, February 23rd, gathered in prayers for the Governorship Candidate of The Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi in Oginibo, Ughelli South Local government area, Delta State. The prayer session that was declared open by Rev.Young Emuophe of Forward unity church of God, Oginibo witnessed hundreds of men, women and ministers who hopefully prayed for Gbagi to emerge as the next governor of Delta State, Stating that; "Gbagi is the candidate endorsed by God, and he will win in the forthcoming elections". While urging Deltans to vote for Gbagi, Archbishop Dr Solomon Sunday, of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN Chairman Ughelli South disclosed that God chooses "the person after his heart and Gbagi is the right prayer person, the door has been open for him", he...

Pre-election violence: Military, others begin raids on hoodlums’ hideouts The military, police and the Department of State Services have begun massive raids on the hideouts of hoodlums as a pre-emptive measure to curb violence during Saturday’s general election. As part of the crackdown, no fewer than 63 suspected thugs were arrested in Kano on Thursday after hoodlums attacked the New Nigeria Peoples Party supporters. It was learnt that at least four persons were killed while 10 vehicles were destroyed during the attack which occurred at noon along Naibawa-Zaria Road. It was learnt that the NNPP supporters were on their way to Kwanar Dangora on the outskirts of the city to receive the party’s presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso when the incident happened. Kwankwaso was on his way to Kano for the grand finale of his presidential campaign rally. Our correspondent gathered that the NNPP, the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressive Congress had mobilised their memb...

Delta 2023: Gbagi Plans Housing Estate for Serving, Retired Judges    GOVERNORSHIP candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Delta State, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi has promised to build housing estates for serving and retired judges in Delta state. Gbagi added that Judges deserve better provisions from the time of service till their retirement. He also promised to strengthen the judiciary if elected. The industrialist stated this on Wednesday, January 22nd, during an interactive meeting with Members of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, and 2023 gubernatorial candidates in Delta State. The session was held at the Park Royale hotel inside NPA Estate along airport road Warri. The interactive session was organized for the gubernatorial candidates in the State to enable them to tell the Bar what their plans are for the judiciary when they eventually win the election. The NBA Chairman represented by his Vice Chief Kelvin Agbroko said, “The message of NBA to D...

INEC Commences Distribution of Sensitive Election Materials in Niger The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun the distribution of sensitive election materials to the 25 local government areas of Niger State. The sensitive materials, apart from the BVAS machines, had been in the custody of the Minna branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The distribution of the materials was being carried out under the watchful eyes of representatives of some of the registered political parties. The Niger State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Yushau Ahmed Garki, who presided over the distribution of the materials, was optimistic that the exercise will be done successfully since the sharing of the non-sensitive materials was done without any hitch. Garki assured the public that the election will be conducted peacefully. A member of the Peoples Democractic Party (PDP) campaign council, Alhaji Sani Kutigi, applauded the exercise, saying,: “So far so goo...

SDP Guber Candidate Urges INEC to Be Apolitical in Rivers  Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe, has urged the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to be neutral and adhere to the rule of law in the 2023 general election in the state.  Senator Abe, who revealed that his party members were facing series of attacks in the state, told INEC to follow procedures of the commission as published, saying that the will of the Rivers people should be established and determined.  The SDP guber candidate spoke yesterday in a chat with journalists in Port Harcourt, capital of the state. Abe, who noted that the state was already on a tender box, insisted that INEC should not do anything outside its regulations that would give the impression that they are partisan or favouring a particular political party. The former representative of the Rivers East Senatorial District at the National Assembly further disclosed th...

DTHA Ughelli South 2023: Teminor Assures Quality Representation, Says Constituency Projects Must go Round Ugelli South Communities Delta State House of Assembly candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, for the 2023 general election in Ughelli South constituency, Prince Temienor Anagbo Oghenekevwe has assured that he will give his constituents quality representation at the State Assembly If he is elected to represent them. Temienor Anagbo Oghenekevwe, made the assurance yesterday in  Eyara community, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta, during media chat with FocalPoint Reports, he said that his determination to give his constituents effective representation is currently being felt across communities in Ughelli South. Now is the time to do the best for Ughelli South. "My focus is to do things that will make people happy, constituency projects my go round all the communities in Ughelli South Local Government Area. “I am in the race for the Ughel...

Delta2023: Why private school owners endorse Gbagi for governor No fewer than 5000 members of School Owners of Nigeria (SON), Delta state chapter have endorsed the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, His Excellency, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi as their preferred candidate in the March 11, 2023 gubernatorial polls. The organization said in Oginibo, Ughelli south local government area of the state on 16th February 2023, that it took the decision to endorse the former minister of state for education because of his demonstrated integrity, character, competence, good experience and capacity. Declaring support for Gbagi, SON chairman, Pastor Joseph Odjuederie, called on all Deltans to render their voices, resources and commitment, toward the actualization of Gbagi’s noble aspiration to govern and liberate the state. Pastor Odjuederie, who commended the SDP gubernatorial candidate for the privilege accorded them, encapsulated their agenda...

Petroleum Training Institute Matriculates 1,901 Students in Delta The Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, near Warri, Delta State yesterday matriculated 1,718 students for its 2022/2023 academic session. The acting Principal/Chief Executive, PTI, Dr. Henry Adebowale Adimula, who administered the matriculation oath on the students called on them to shun all sorts of vices on campus.  Some of the vices, he said, included examination misconduct, all forms of physical abuse, bullying, cultism, use of drugs, narcotics and drug peddling as well as certificate forgery, exposure of body parts, indecent dressings, stealing and misuse of social media. The Principal warned that the management does not tolerate any social vices as spelt out in the Institute’s Handbook, adding that anyone caught would face the consequences. Adimula urged the students to take their study with all seriousness which was their primary aim of coming to the PTI. The Acting Principal /Chief Execut...

SDP Candidate to Revive Asaba Textile Mill, Dein Of Agbor Commends Gbagi on Ideas to Rebuild Delta  The Dein of Agbor Kingdom, His Majesty, Dr Benjamin Ikenchuku, yesterday urged the Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party SDP to look inward and come up with Solutions to initiate problems in Delta State. Dein Keagborekuzi 1, expressed confidence that Gbagi has great ideas to rebuild Delta State if given the chance to serve. "You have great ideas, he said. The first-class traditional monarch remarked on Wednesday, February 15th 2023, when the former Minister of State for Education and members of his campaign train visited the king in his palace at Agbor, Delta State. Responding to a brief speech by Olorogun Gbagi on the reasons for the visit, the Agbor monarch described the SDP governorship candidate as a man with Solutions and great ideas. He said; "Nigeria is on the brink, there is anger and frustrations everywhere, come up with a solution, tell us what you wil...

Delta 2023: INEC, CEPEJ, Advocate for Peace Process - as political parties, candidates, sign peace accord Asaba: Political parties and their candidates in Delta State on Tuesday 15th February, 2023, signed a peace accord to be of good behaviour in the build-up to the 2023 general elections. The peace accord was at the instance of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in collaboration with Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ, and International Republican Institute, IRI, in the State. Part of the reasons for the peace accord was to forestall violence during and after the elections, as violence had been one of the factors that had militated against credible elections in Nigeria. To nip this in the bud and run a violence-free election, INEC, CEPEJ and IRI assembled the political parties and their candidates to make a commitment that they would play by the rules. In addition to what the peace accord is expected to achieve, INEC Resident Electoral Com...

It's turn of old Midwestern region to produce V/President - group The Mid-Westerners, a Socio-political pressure group has called on the people of the old Midwestern region to arise and vote enmasse for the People's Democratic Party (PDP) that had Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as it's Vice Presidential candidate in the forthcoming general elections. The group made the call at a news briefing presided over by it's chairman, Mr Iwemdi Nwaham on Wednesday in Warri, Delta State. Mr Nwaham who was flanked by his vice chairman, Prof. David Ejenobo and Mr Fidelis Chimokwu (secretary) lamented that the old Midwestern region which comprised Edo and Delta States had suffered marginalisation in the nation's political space since it's creation in 1963. According to him, the choice of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP was one of the greatest things that had happened to the region politically and urged the people to support h...

Delta2023: Labour Party presidential support groups Endorse Gbagi as governorship candidate  Various splinter groups supporting the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, in Delta State led by the Director of Peter Obi in Diaspora, Dr. David Solomon, have endorsed the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi OON as governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections. The groups on Monday February 13th 2023, comprising different groups supporting Peter Obi, endorsed the SDP’s candidate, in a voice vote, after a meeting in Oginibo, Ughelli south local government area of the state. They said after a careful evaluation of all the candidates including that of Labour Party, Ken Pela, they recommend and endorsed the LP presidential and SDP gubernatorial candidates, to all lovers of democracy geared towards liberating the country and the state, for the 2023 general elections. Dr. Solomon gave them all necess...

Gale of Defection Hits APGA as Gbagi, SDP Welcome Decampees in Delta Ahead of the forthcoming general elections, gale of defections has cut across the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2023 guber race in Delta State, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru has continued to suffer major setback on daily basis. Ogboru's candidacy in the 2023 election has continued to face threats from different part of the state. The latest hit on the APGA gubernatorial flag bearer on Thursday February 9th 2023, is the defection of his State Youth Leader, Engr. Clement Oghoje and hundreds that joined the Social Democratic Party in Okpe local government areas of state during SDP LGA Rally at Baptist Grammar School, Oreeokpe, the administrative headquarter of Okpe local government area. The former APGA Youth Leader, Engr. Ighoje, joined the SDP with hundreds of his supporters, thereby jeopardizing Ogboru's chances in the forthcoming general election. He said: "I am a form...

Delta Ijaw Comrade Community Congratulates New Leadership Of Ogulagha Kingdom Youth Council  Umbrella body covering all Ijaw Human Rights Activists in Delta State on Monday congratulated the new leadership of Ogulagha Kingdom youth council (OKYC). The congratulatory message was personally signed by Amb. Binebai Yerin Princewill on behalfofthe group, a copy of which was sent to The Liberator Newspapers Worldwide yesterday.  The President of Delta Ijaw Comrade Community, Amb. Binebai Princewill had particularly lauded the people of Ogulagha Kingdom for the peaceful transition, stressing that DICC is proud of them.  However, the Delta Ijaw Comrade Community have expressed optimism that the new OKYC led by Comr. Roland Dede will no doubt work for the progress of the Kingdom and Ijaw nation at large, stressing that Dede Roland is a strong hand, tested and trusted youth leader in the system. According to Princewill, the antecedents of Dede in Ogulagha Kingdom over t...

Urhobo Youth Leaders Protest Against Attacks On Okowa, Oborevwori  ...As UPU Denies Efemena Umukoro As President of UPU Youth Wing By Sunday Apah  The Urhobo Youth Leaders Association has protested against some Urhobo political elements who have been using the name of Urhobo to always attack the Okowa administration and the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori. The youths who protested to the Urhobo Cultural Centre along the Okere Road in Warri South Local Government Area of the state with placards with inscriptions: "Okowa, a man to trust'', "Sheriff, the Unifier'', 'Sheriff is our Governor '', Okowa emergence as VP is God's Designed'', Okowa loves Urhobos", "Derivation fund", well utilised'' and others, called on the leadership of UPU to call to order persons who believed in dragging their Urhobo brother down because of primitive que...

Warri Constituency Delineation: Delta leaders storm INEC, threaten fresh suit Ijaw and Urhobo leaders in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta state on Thursday staged a peaceful protest at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC in Abuja, demanding immediate implementation of a Supreme Court judgment which ordered fresh delineation of the constituency. The group had met on Thursday in Abuja and recalled that sometime in 2011, the constituents had acknowledged the overwhelming fictitious units and ward structures in the Warri Federal Constituency which were been used to rig elections and subvert the will of the people. Presenting a petition to the commission, the group said it does not have any dispute with any politician, but that INEC should go ahead and commence the delineation exercise as ordered by the Supreme Court. “Accordingly, we will not hesitate to invoke further legal proceedings against officials of INEC at the Supre...

Delta South 2023 Beyond APC, A Call to Support Joel Onowakpo for Senate By Ezekiel Kagbala FPR Media, Public advocacy AHEAD of the 2023 campaigns, Delta South Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Hon. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, has dished out hope for qualitative education and infrastructural development through productive representation. Joel Onowakpo Thomas, popularly known as (JOT), during his campaign with ward leaders and his party faithful on Wednesday, February 8th 2023 in Ayakoromo, Burutu local government area of Delta State, promised to complete the Ayakoromo bridge, support free education and attract more constituency projects. A journey to Ayakoromo informed the position that Delta South Senatorial seat 2023 is beyond Judging Joel as a member of the APC. Everyone in Delta South needs development. There is no doubt that Joel will give the best of representation and attract development. Beyond the APC factor, Joel is a lea...

N805m scam: Senator Nwaoboshi finally lands in prison The senator representing Delta North in the National Assembly, Peter Nwaoboshi, has finally been taken to prison to commence his seven years sentence after trying for months to get the Supreme Court to quash his conviction for N805 million scam. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which prosecuted the lawmaker, disclosed this in a Wednesday statement signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren. According to the EFCC, Nwaoboshi has been on the run months after the Court of Appeal Lagos Division convicted and sentenced him to 7 years imprisonment for money laundering. The anti-graft agency said that the lawmaker was intercepted by its operatives at a hospital in Lagos on Monday, February 6, and remanded in Ikoyi Custodial Centre today, February 8, 2023, to commence his prison term. The Court of Appeal had in a judgement delivered on July 1, 2022, sentenced the lawmaker to prison after co...

Union Bank Gets $30m IFC Facility To Support SME  To boost access to finance for smaller businesses in Nigeria and to support increased trade, International Finance Corporation (IFC) is extending a facility of $30 million to Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. The facility is to help the bank extend trade financing and working capital loans to small businesses operating in critical sectors in the country, including food, healthcare, manufacturing, and services. Commenting on the facility, the managing director and chief executive officer of Union Bank, Mudassir Amray, said “As a bank, we are deeply committed to enabling success for SMEs. We understand the critical role of small businesses in leading Nigeria’s economy towards recovery. This funding from IFC will enable us to extend financial relief to our customers during this difficult time. I am confident that the funds will help these businesses harness opportunities, and preserve jobs.” On his part, IFC Senior Country Manager...

Delta 2023: SDP Receive Decampees From AAC In Delta as Gbagi Campaign Train Storm Sapele Over 100 members and supporters of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, in Delta State, have dumped the party for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its gubernatorial candidate, His Excellency, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi OON, FNIM, ahead of the general election. They alleged a reign of impunity as their reason for defecting to the SDP in order to join hands with Gbagi, a former minister of state for education to develop the State. The defectors, led by Felix Galasi, stormed Sapele Atlantic Club, Venue of SDP Rally in Sapele local government area on Saturday January 4th 2023, to express their support for SDP and Gbagi, the party's standard bearer. Pitching tent with Gbagi and SDP, Galasi, said they had already collapsed AAC structures with most of the party’s exco members following them. According to him, the decision to co...

Nigerians will not get new Naira notes until after election due to hidden agenda – Fani-Kayode The Director of Special Media Projects & Operations & New Media, Tinubu/Shettima Pres. Campaign Council, Femi Fani-Kayode said Nigerians will not be able to get the new Naira notes until after the forthcoming 2023 general elections due to what he described as “a hidden agenda.” Fani-Kayode stated this in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday. He said, “It will be very difficult for people to get the new naira notes till after the elections because there is a hidden agenda.

Delta 2023: Gbagi Challenge his Rivals, Omo-Agege, Oborevwori to Disclose their Sources of Wealth **Caution Urhobo Nation against Politicians With Stolen Wealth   Governorship Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Delta State, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, has dared his rivals to disclose their sources of wealth, if they are innocent of corruption accusations being levelled against them. The governorship candidates jostling for the number one seat with Gbagi who is a lawyer, includes the Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and others. The SDP candidate and former Minister of State for Education, before throwing up the challenge on Tuesday, January during the 2023 Urhobo Prayer Day/Thanksgiving at God...