Female lawyers on Thursday protested the increased cases of rape, sexual abuses and other gender-based crimes against women and girls in the country.

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has warned individuals or stakeholders planning violence before the Edo 2020 governorship election that repercussions that awaits them will not be palatable.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, information and voter education committee, Festus Okoye Esq gave the warning while declaring open a workshop for Journalists on Edo 2020 governorship election processes and procedures.

He said it will be in the best interest of every stakeholder to be law-abiding, for a smooth, free, fair and credible electoral process.

According to him, ‘everyone involved in the process must see the conduct of this election as a national project that must be executed with strict compliance with safety protocols.

‘The commission is fully prepared to conduct the Edo governorship election.

”The governor and his deputy must vacate government house on the 11th day of November 2020’

‘Section 180 of our constitution provides for the president of the federal republic of Nigeria with the concurrent of the national assembly to postpone the election by a period of six weeks if the country is at war and the territory of Nigeria is involved.

If the governor and his deputy are not there either through impeachment, death or resignation, the speaker takes over for a period of three months which is not available in this instance So the only thing here, on section 305 of the constitution which states that if there are challenges in any state, the governor can request the president to declare a state of emergency and make a declaration of how the state should be governed in line with the national assembly’

”Also if there is a second election which is as a result of inconclusive polls, again it must be within 21 days and should not exceed 13th October.

Earlier, the resident electoral commissioner, Dr Johnson Sinikiem said with almost all eyes on the Edo governorship election he believes the process will defend Nigeria democracy.

Also, the chairman Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Edo state council Sir Roland Osakue who was represented by the council secretary Titus Akhigbe urged newsmen to be apolitical in their reportage no matter the situation before, during and after the election in September.

The Police in Niger State have nabbed 46 years old Samaila Jagaba for allegedly attempting to bribe Police officers to secure the release of a suspected bandit.

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Effurun branch in Delta State, on Thursday, vowed to challenge in court, the new Company and Allied Matters 2020 Act, CAMA, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 7.

The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alh. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has declared Friday, August 21, as Hijjrah, the Muharram 1442.

The Jigawa State Governor, Mohammadu Abubakar, on Thursday, said President Muhammadu Buhari was not responsible for the hardship being faced by millions of people in the country.

Following the order by Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, for a nationwide clampdown on the proliferation of prohibited firearms, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Bala Ciroma, has constituted a team to enforce the directive in Abuja.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has said that the various projects being executed by the Commission and other agencies under the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMoCDE) have been adding significant value to the digital transformation journey of Nigeria.

 3 New Additional Directors in the offing

Some members of Lagelu family in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital have petitioned the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji and the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) over alleged encroachment of Lagelu shrine by some land-grabbers.