By David Owei

Osun APC is spreading falsehood and fake news about the hugely successful Accord canvassers’ rally because it failed in its anti-democratic plot to stop the event from holding.

Giving the above clarification was the spokesperson to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Mallam Olawale Rasheed who decried the concerted efforts of the state APC to deploy the state police command as a tool to block a legally convened campaign and mobilisation event.

Narrating how Governor Ademola Adeleke foiled APC bid to stop the rally, the spokesperson said the Osun APC launched a coordinated plot to use the police to stop the event from holding by clandestinely claiming to be organising another event on the same day as an alibi for the police to cancel all political events in the town.

In what appeared like a joint operation, the state police command without consulting the state government purportedly issued a statement cancelling a campaign event in which the state governor was the chief host.

The purported police directive was widely seen as a hatchet job in favour of Osun APC and a politically motivated decision designed to deny the Accord and its candidate their legitimate rights guaranteed under the constitution and the Electoral Act.

“Mr Governor then decided to engage the police authorities,calling attention to the inherent illegality and the partisan implications of the police position on the subject. The police authorities later bow to fair policing requirements and withdraw their reported opposition to the hosting of the rally.

“We submit that the rally was held under all legal conditions. Mr Governor did not disobey any police directive because there was no legal directive to obey. The police after engagement only realised its errors and withdrew what was apparently a partisan stance.

“On the minor incident of stage collapse, the truth is that there were a few hiccups at the beginning. It was fixed and the programme proceeded with a huge crowd of voters and canvassers. All key leaders spoke and Mr Governor rounded it up with the official inauguration of the canvassers. The videos are all over social media.

“Our hale and hearty governor addressed the crowd and sang and danced with thousands of canvassers. Details of speeches were issued in a statement. The Osun APC cannot deny what the public can see, watch and read on their mobile telephones.

“On the spiritual dimension of today’s event, that such a mammoth crowd can grace such an event in the home constituency of its campaign director general and its sitting Senator confirm the political death of APC in Ijeshaland and Osun state as a whole.

“Again, that the event was successfully held after the desperate bid of Osun APC to stop it and that the programme also proceeded after initial hiccups, signal supreme victory over Bola Oyebamiji and continuity of Adeleke governorship ”, the Spokesperson narrated.

While debunking all the fake news emanating from the Osun APC, the governor’s spokesperson concluded that the mammoth crowd at the canvassers’ rally is a signpost of what will happen across Osun state, affirming that “by God and people, Governor Adeleke will be re-elected come August 15”.

By David Owei,Bayelsa

There is currently heavy tension and disruption of vehicular movement at Igbogene Junction, the major gateway into Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, as protesters have mounted a blockade, leaving commuters, travelers and residents stranded.

The protest, which is part of a broader nationwide demonstration marking Nigeria’s Democracy Day, is centred on growing public frustration over economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, rising cost of living, inflation and worsening social conditions across the country. Civil society groups and activists had earlier declared June 12 a day of mass action to draw government attention to the plight of ordinary Nigerians.

Eyewitnesses at Igbogene Junction reported that protesters occupied strategic sections of the road, causing a complete standstill of traffic. Motorists travelling into and out of Yenagoa were forced to seek alternative routes, while many passengers were seen waiting helplessly as commercial transport operations ground to a halt.

The demonstrators are demanding urgent government intervention in addressing the soaring prices of food items, transportation costs, electricity tariffs and the persistent security challenges confronting many communities across the country. Protesters argue that despite Nigeria’s democratic journey, many citizens continue to struggle under severe economic pressure.

Security personnel have reportedly been deployed to monitor the situation and prevent any breakdown of law and order. As of the time of filing this report, the protest remained largely peaceful, although movement through the axis was completely restricted.

The situation in Yenagoa mirrors developments in several cities across Nigeria where citizens have taken to the streets to express dissatisfaction with the current socio-economic realities. Organisers of the nationwide action insist that the protest is aimed at compelling authorities to address issues of insecurity, hunger, unemployment and the declining standard of living.

Residents have appealed to both protesters and security agencies to exercise restraint and ensure that the demonstration remains peaceful. They also called on relevant authorities to engage stakeholders and address the concerns raised by the protesters to prevent further escalation.

At the time of this report, Igbogene Junction remained blocked, with no thoroughfare for motorists and commuters. Travelers are advised to avoid the area and seek alternative routes pending the resolution of the protest.

Authorities are urged to swiftly intervene and engage the protesters, as prolonged disruption at Igbogene Junction could significantly affect economic and social activities in Yenagoa and adjoining communities.

By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed profound disappointment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2026 Democracy Day address, describing significant portions of the speech as repetitive, disconnected from the harsh realities facing Nigerians, and fundamentally defective in its approach to the nation’s worsening security crisis.

In a statement by the national cordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko on Friday, the group said that while acknowledging the President’s recognition of June 12 heroes and democratic values, HURIWA believes the speech failed to address the most urgent concerns confronting ordinary Nigerians, including terrorism, insecurity, the rising cost of living, mass unemployment, and the growing threat to education across several parts of the country.

Most troubling is the President’s continued insistence on keeping “the door of surrender open” for terrorists who have murdered thousands of innocent Nigerians, destroyed communities, abducted schoolchildren, and displaced millions of citizens.

HURIWA considers this position fundamentally flawed.

What exactly happens after terrorists surrender? Are Nigerians expected to continue witnessing a policy under which individuals responsible for mass killings are rehabilitated, reintegrated, and returned to society while victims and their families continue to suffer without justice?

The association firmly rejects any policy that appears to reward terrorism with rehabilitation while communities devastated by violence remain neglected.

Instead of repeatedly extending surrender offers, the Federal Government should deploy the full might of the Nigerian Armed Forces, supported by the best available intelligence-gathering capabilities, to identify terrorist enclaves and dismantle them completely through carefully coordinated military operations.

The primary responsibility of government is to protect law-abiding citizens, not to negotiate endlessly with those who have declared war against the Nigerian state.

Equally disturbing is the President’s failure to address the issue of sabotage within the nation’s security architecture.

For years, allegations have persisted that some insiders within the military and security establishments leak operational plans to terrorists and criminal networks, thereby undermining military operations and exposing personnel to danger.

HURIWA expected the President, as Commander-in-Chief, to announce concrete measures aimed at identifying, investigating, and rooting out such saboteurs. His silence on this critical issue represents a major omission.

The association is also alarmed by the President’s failure to present a comprehensive plan for securing Nigerian schools.

At a time when school abductions continue to traumatize families and force thousands of children out of classrooms, the absence of any detailed commitment to school safety is unacceptable.

Education is a fundamental human right. Yet many parents across Northern Nigeria remain fearful of sending their children to school because of persistent threats from terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers.

A Democracy Day speech that fails to address the protection of children and educational institutions cannot be considered complete.

Furthermore, HURIWA notes that the speech devoted extensive attention to government achievements and the distribution of national honours while offering insufficient acknowledgment of the suffocating cost-of-living crisis currently confronting Nigerians.

Millions of families are struggling to afford food, transportation, healthcare, housing, and education.

Inflation continues to erode purchasing power, while unemployment and underemployment remain at disturbing levels, particularly among young people.

Poverty, hunger, unemployment, and economic hopelessness are themselves grave threats to democracy.

A democracy in which citizens cannot afford basic necessities is a democracy under severe strain.

The association also observes that large portions of the speech closely mirror themes repeatedly presented in previous national addresses, offering little in terms of fresh policy direction or innovative solutions to the nation’s pressing challenges.

While national honours have their place in preserving history and recognizing sacrifice, governance cannot be reduced to the annual distribution of awards.

What Nigerians urgently require are measurable improvements in security, economic wellbeing, access to education, job creation, and public confidence in state institutions.

HURIWA therefore calls on President Tinubu to move beyond ceremonial declarations and provide Nigerians with a concrete, results-driven roadmap for defeating terrorism, securing schools, addressing economic hardship, tackling unemployment, and strengthening democratic institutions.

The sacrifices of the heroes of June 12 can only be truly honoured when democracy delivers security, justice, prosperity, and hope to ordinary Nigerians.