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Blame Southeast leadership for abysmal inec pre-online registration figure – Ohanaeze

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation has blamed the failures of Ndigbo to adequately participate in the recently concluded Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, online voters registration exercise on the South-East leadership. Ohanaeze, said following a thorough internal investigation into the dismal performance of the Southeast region, it finds themselves compelled to deliver this unvarnished truth
Blame Southeast leadership for abysmal inec pre-online registration figure – Ohanaeze

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation has blamed the failures of Ndigbo to adequately participate in the recently concluded Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, online voters registration exercise on the South-East leadership.

Ohanaeze, said following a thorough internal investigation into the dismal performance of the Southeast region, it finds themselves compelled to deliver this unvarnished truth to the Igbo people.

The pan-Igbo group stated that the figures are stark and deeply concerning. According to Ohanaeze, during the one-week online registration exercise, from August 18th to August 25th, 2025, the entire Southeast region recorded a profoundly unacceptable 1,998 new voter registrations.

This is contained in a statement issued on Monday by the factional Deputy President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and Chief Thompson Ohia, and made available to journalists in Abakaliki, noting that the paltry sum stands in stark contrast to the 1.3 million Nigerians registered nationwide.

Part of the statement read: “Astonishingly, the Southwest region registered a staggering 848,359 new voters, followed by the North-Central region with 250,218. These figures represent a profound and unacceptable underperformance for the Southeast.

“Therefore, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, driven by an unwavering commitment to the welfare and future of Ndigbo, issues this imperative: Every eligible Igbo voter must, without hesitation, register during the ongoing INEC in-person voters registration exercise.

“Our internal investigations reveal a catastrophic failure of leadership and a glaring lack of awareness among the Southeast electorate regarding the significance of the online registration process.

“The absence of participation in Anambra State, where not a single individual registered, is particularly egregious and demands immediate condemnation.

“We hold all political leaders in Anambra State accountable, including Governor Chukwuma Soludo and former Governor Peter Obi, for their dereliction of duty.

“Their failure to mobilize eligible citizens for this crucial exercise represents a profound betrayal of trust. The blame, however, extends far beyond Anambra. We castigate the Southeast governors, whose focus on narrow political agendas has demonstrably overshadowed the paramount political interests of the Igbo people.

“While Ohanaeze Ndigbo itself acknowledges its own shortcomings in this endeavor, the traditional rulers and Southeast civil rights groups are also implicated in this collective failure. This irresponsible conduct has rendered the Southeast a political caricature in the eyes of the nation.

“These leaders have committed a grave political sacrilege, an unforgivable blunder, by failing to mobilize the Igbo people for this vital registration process. Ohanaeze Ndigbo now summons its righteous resolve to call upon Ndigbo to seize control of their destiny.

“The ongoing INEC in-person voters registration exercise, which commenced on August 26th, 2025, and will continue for one year, until August 31st, 2026, presents an opportunity for redemption. During this period, Ohanaeze Ndigbo will relentlessly exert pressure on the Southeast governors, the 95 Local Government Area chairmen under ALGON, traditional rulers, religious organizations, civil rights organizations, presidents of Igbo town unions, Igbo market associations, student groups, and all relevant stakeholders to mobilize every eligible individual to register.

“We cannot afford to be excluded from this critical electoral process. Failure to register will have dire consequences.

“Nothing that the Southeast will continue to suffer exclusion from the center, and the cries of ‘marginalization,’ though self-inflicted in this instance, will amplify the suffering of the Igbo people.

The Igbo organisation explained that this is a clarion call and rallying cry to all Igbo across Nigeria to participate in the INEC voters registration exercise across the 774 Local Government Areas of the country.”

Blame Southeast leadership for abysmal inec pre-online registration figure – Ohanaeze

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Salary crisis: ASUU shuts down academic activities in Ondo varsity

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, AAUA, chapter, has directed its members to withdraw services following the Ondo State Government’s failure to pay outstanding salaries and arrears. The decision was contained in a notice jointly signed by the branch Chairperson, Dr Boluwaji Oshodi, and Secretary, Dr Olusegun Taiwo, and made
Salary crisis: ASUU shuts down academic activities in Ondo varsity

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, AAUA, chapter, has directed its members to withdraw services following the Ondo State Government’s failure to pay outstanding salaries and arrears.

The decision was contained in a notice jointly signed by the branch Chairperson, Dr Boluwaji Oshodi, and Secretary, Dr Olusegun Taiwo, and made available to journalists on Sunday.

According to the union, the action was taken after a resolution reached at its Congress on Thursday, August 21, where members unanimously agreed to suspend academic activities until the government fulfils its financial obligations.

“Sir, by this memo, our members have been directed to withdraw their services from all academic activities in the university until all our outstanding salaries and arrears are paid,” the notice partly read.

This move comes on the heels of a 14-day warning strike declared in June by the Joint Action Committee of Ondo State-owned Tertiary Institutions, ODSTI, of which ASUU-AAUA is a member. That strike, the union explained, was necessitated by the prolonged neglect of workers’ welfare despite repeated appeals to the state government.

JAC had at the time listed several grievances, including poor and inadequate funding, non-implementation of the National Minimum Wage, unpaid arrears from previous wage regimes, non-payment of the final tranche of wage awards, outstanding gratuities for retirees, and six months of unpaid salaries owed to staff of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

While acknowledging the financial constraints of state-owned institutions, the Ondo State Government maintained that it is making deliberate efforts to address the challenges. Commissioner for Information, Mr Idowu Ajanaku on Sunday, disclosed that a committee had already been constituted to proffer lasting solutions.

“A committee was set up to resolve the issue. It has met and recommendations have been made. For the salary arrears, the governor has already directed the university to commence payment. I am confident the matter will be resolved within days,” Ajanaku assured.

He also explained that recommendations from the committee would be factored into the state’s next budget cycle to guarantee improved funding for its tertiary institutions.

Salary crisis: ASUU shuts down academic activities in Ondo varsity

NSA office counters El-Rufai accusations, makes clarifications on alleged payments to bandits

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has rejected claims by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai that the federal government pays or offers incentives to bandits. In a statement issued on Monday and signed by Zakari Mijinyawa for ONSA, the office described El-Rufai’s allegations as baseless and said no arm of the
NSA office counters El-Rufai accusations, makes clarifications on alleged payments to bandits

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has rejected claims by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai that the federal government pays or offers incentives to bandits.

In a statement issued on Monday and signed by Zakari Mijinyawa for ONSA, the office described El-Rufai’s allegations as baseless and said no arm of the government has ever engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals.

“On the contrary, we have always cautioned Nigerians against paying ransom. El-Rufai’s claims are false and go against the verifiable facts on the ground,” the statement said.

The statement further highlighted the approach the current government uses to address insecurity, stating that, “From the start, this government has pursued a dual approach: strong military operations alongside community engagement to address local grievances. The impact of this strategy is clear in places like Igabi, Birnin Gwari, Giwa, and other areas of Kaduna that once faced severe terror but are now enjoying relative peace.”

The statement also praised the sacrifices of security personnel.

“The efforts of our military and security agencies in capturing or neutralising notorious bandits has been widely reported. In Kaduna alone, key criminals who once terrorised communities, including Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka, have been eliminated. 

“More recently, leaders of Ansaru who had bases in the state were also apprehended. These achievements came at a great cost, with some of our brave officers paying the ultimate price. 

“For a former governor like El-Rufai to dismiss these sacrifices on national television is both unfair and deeply disrespectful to the memories of our security personnel,”the statement added.

The office called on El-Rufai and other political actors to refrain from politicising national security issues.

The statement emphasized that the fight against banditry is a collective struggle, not a platform for political point-scoring.

Recall that El-Rufai had on Sunday alleged that the government was paying bandits to dissuade them from killing Nigerians.

NSA office counters El-Rufai accusations, makes clarifications on alleged payments to bandits

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