Connect with us

News

2027: Fashola Questions APC Reward System As Voter Turnout Drops

Published

on

Former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has questioned the All Progressives Congress, APC, reward system.

 

Fashola raised the question while identifying a drop in the number of votes accrued by the APC.

 

To this end, he wondered if APC’s policies still resonates with its traditional base.

 

He spoke during the APC’s Stakeholders Forum which endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term yesterday in Lagos.

 

The former governor of Lagos State wondered if the party has a well documented register for members can can be engaged which could help stimulate votes.

 

According to Fashola: “Our closest opposition back then used to have about one third of the total votes that we got. That was what it used to look like.

 

“And so what has happened? Why have the votes dropped? And I think that is the heart of the matter. There are a lot of numbers here, but I don’t want to go into interrogating all of those numbers.

 

“Where are our traditional voters? Are they still with us? Are they turning out for us? And why are they not turning out enough?

 

“This is a time for honest answers and for honest questions, and I hope those questions will be asked, as I said, after this meeting by people who are resolved to ensure that we turn out voters for the next election.

 

“Some of the questions to ask are, whether our policies and programs are still resonating with our traditional base.

 

“What is our own party reward system like? How do we even network with ourselves?

 

“I have asked questions such as, if we wanted to undertake a particular program that involved a certain set of tradesmen or tradeswomen, do we have a register that we can consult to say who are the party members who will be interested in this?

 

“Those are questions that I think this conference provokes us to ask because political party participation is based on enthusiasm.

 

“If people are enthusiastic, they will turn out and they will vote. But hope is not lost because we are in a season of renewed hope and therefore we will turn our renewed hope into renewed enthusiasm for our party and for our programs.

 

“Of course, some of the speakers before me have alluded to the growing demography of young people.”

 

The former minister also wondered why the children of APC leaders are not involved in the party’s affair.

 

“Now, how many of our children are involved in what we are doing? How many of our children come to our rallies and our campaigns?

 

“If it is important to us, we must make it important to them and we must find a way to connect them to it. Because really and truly, who would we be handing it over to if not to them?

 

“And a good place to start is to ask ourselves, in APC-controlled states and state institutions, educational institutions, where are the APC youth wings? How are we connecting and getting people? Because APC can be like any other club in a university that you can join.

 

“And so these, for me, I think are the questions that we need to ask and we need to answer very, very honestly,” he said.2027: Our votes dropping – Fashola questions APC reward system

News

Panic In Ibadan As Rising Kidnap, Robbery Threats Trigger Official Red Alert

Published

on

By

Residents of Ibadan, specifically in Bodija, Agbowo, Akobo, and the Agodi GRA, are currently on high alert after the Police and the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) issued an urgent warning regarding a recent surge in kidnappings and armed robberies in those areas.

 

According to the DAILY POST, the Bodija Housing Estate Police Division and its community partners have formally expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in the area.

 

In a statement signed by Bodija Housing Estate Police Division PCRC and Community Policing Unit of the division, they noted that there is an increase in the rate of kidnapping and armed robberies in areas such as Akobo and Bodija.

 

The statement urged residents to take necessary safety measures amidst rising cases of kidnapping and other criminal activities in areas such as Akobo and Bodija.

 

In the statement tagged “Urgent Safety Measures Amid Rising Kidnapping and Armed Robbery Incidents in Areas Including Akobo and Bodija the residents were alerted that the desire for quick wealth has driven some individuals to commit terrible acts.

 

Part of the statement reads, “In light of the recent increase in criminal activities such as kidnapping and armed robbery across our communities, it has become imperative to issue updated safety guidelines. The desire for quick wealth has driven some individuals to commit terrible acts, and we must all be vigilant.

 

“Please adhere strictly to the following precautions, and also note the additional measures outlined below:

 

“Remember: Your safety and that of your loved ones depend greatly on your level of awareness and willingness to take precautionary steps. Security is a collective responsibility.

 

“Report emergencies promptly to: Oyo State Police Command: control room:08081768614, 08081768574

Bodija Division: DPO +2348052046348; PCRC Helpline/ Chairman – 07068874553”.

 

JomogNews reports that some residents have been in a panic mood as a result of the notice.

 

A resident of Bodija Housing Estate, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, explained that the recent happenings necessitated the notice.

 

“The recent happenings necessitated the move. Yes we have to be careful. People now think twice before they go out. We are more security conscious than before,” he said.

 

 

Continue Reading

News

Rivers Assembly Formally Serves Impeachment Notice To Gov. Fubara

Published

on

By

The Rivers State House of Assembly has formally served an impeachment notice to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu.

 

The move marks the third major attempt to remove the governor since 2023, following his return to office in September 2025 after a six-month state of emergency.

 

Recall that the assembly on Thursday during an emergency plenary, commenced the impeachment of the governor and his deputy.

 

26 members of the House accused the governor of misconduct, capable of undermining democracy in the state.

 

The notice which was addressed to the governor, contained the signature of at least 19 lawmakers.

 

The notice also contained about 8 alleged gross misconducts by the governor and his administration.

 

In a post on its official Facebook page,the assembly said, “The impeachment notice has been successfully served on the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara”.

 

 

 

Continue Reading

News

NCC, CBN Set To Roll Out Refund Framework For Failed Airtime And Data Transactions

Published

on

By

In line with the consumer-focused objectives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the two regulators have drawn up a framework to address consumer complaints arising from unsuccessful airtime and data transactions during network downtimes, system glitches, or human input errors.

 

The framework is the outcome of several months of engagements involving the NCC, the CBN, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Value Added Service (VAS) providers, Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), and other relevant stakeholders. These engagements were prompted by a rising incidence of failed airtime and data purchases, where subscribers were debited without receiving value and experienced delays in resolution.

 

The Framework represents a unified position by both the telecommunications and financial sectors on addressing such complaints. It identifies and tackles the root causes of failed airtime and data transactions, including instances where bank accounts are debited without successful delivery of services. It also prescribes an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA) for MNOs and DMBs, clearly outlining the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in the transaction and resolution process.

 

Under the new framework, where a purchaser is debited but fails to receive value for airtime or data—whether the failure occurs at the bank level or with an NCC licensee—the purchaser is entitled to a refund within 30 seconds, except in circumstances where the transaction remains pending, of which the refund can take up to 24 hours.

 

The framework further mandates operators to notify consumers via SMS of the success or failure of every transaction. It also addresses erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect airtime or data purchases, and instances where transactions are made to the wrong phone number.

 

Speaking on the development, the Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs. Freda Bruce-Bennett disclosed that the framework also establishes a Central Monitoring Dashboard to be jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN. According to her, the dashboard will enable both regulators to monitor failures, the responsible party, refunds, and track SLA breaches in real time.

 

“Failed top-ups rank among the top three consumer complaints, and in line with our commitment to addressing these priority issues, we were determined to resolve it within the shortest possible time,” she said.

 

“We are grateful to all stakeholders—particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria and its leadership—for their tireless commitment to resolving this issue and arriving at this framework, and for ensuring that consumers of telecommunications services receive full value for their purchases.

 

“So far, pending the approval of management of both regulators on the framework, MNOs and banks have collectively made refunds of over N10 billion to customers for failed transactions.”

 

Mrs. Bruce-Bennett further noted that implementation of the framework is expected to commence on March 1, 2026, once the two regulators have made final approvals, and technical integration by all MNOs, VAS providers and DMBs is concluded.

 

Continue Reading

Trending