Economy
House Of Reps, Voter Apathy, Malfunctioned BVAS, Violence Mar Ogun By-Election
House Of Reps, Voter Apathy, Malfunctioned BVAS, Violence Mar Ogun By-Election
House of Reps, voter apathy, malfunctioned BVAS, violence mar Ogun by-election. Voter apathy as well as malfunctioned Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) affected the conduct of the House of Representatives by-election for the Ikenne, Remo North and Sagamu Federal Constituency of Ogun State on Saturday.
This came on the heels of mid-day’s sporadic gunshots and ballot boxes snatching that also greeted the exercise in Iperu Remo, the home town of the incumbent governor of the state, Prince Dapo Abiodun.
At the Igan/Ajina Polling Unit 16, ward 2 in Remo North Local Government, there were 445 registered voters at the centre but as of 11am when LEADERSHIP visited, only 64 voters had turned up and were accredited to vote, while the BVAS machine also encountered challenges of identifying elderly voters.
One of such elderly voters was a 70-years, Sobanke Fasasi who lamented his inability to vote for the candidate of his choice due to the failure of the BVAS machine to recognise him.
Pa Fasasi failed to vote despite repeated trials at the Wesley School Isara 2, Polling Unit 006 and Polling Unit 005 in MoborodeOke – Ola area of Remo North LGA where voters turnout was also poor.
This was attested to by an ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), female Corps member telling journalists that the BVAS was failing to recognise elderly voters even after several trials.
Low voter turnout was also recorded at the Ajegunle Ward 6, Polling Unit 1 in Ogere, Ikenne local government area, as well as Polling Unit 005, Town Planning in Ilisan 1 where 953 was recorded as registered voters but 98 voters were accredited for the by-election scheduled to end at 2: 30pm.
Meanwhile, at the Wesley Nursery & Primary School in Iperu, Polling Unit 04 and Polling Unit 05, in Iperu 3 Area of Ikenne local government area where the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu usually cast his vote, only 123, out of the 750 registered voters were accredited as at 12:03pm when LEADERSHIP visited.
Meanwhile, the by-election, which commenced peaceful in the morning assumed a dangerous dimension mid-afternoon when armed hoodlums, suspected to be political thugs stormed the Wesley Nursery & Primary School in Iperu Remo and started shooting sporadically into the air.

House Of Reps
The thugs, numbering about six, masked in hoods and rode on two motorcycles popularly called “okada’ and started shooting their dane guns, thereby forcing accredited voters on the queue and journalists to scamper for safety, while they had a free day carting away the ballot boxes.
Also earlier in the day, the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo denied knowledge of the arrest of a PDP chieftain, who was allegedly caught with an undisclosed sum of money at an hotel in Iperu-Remo.
When contacted, CP Ogunlowo said the Command was investigating the purported arrest.
An unverified viral video had claimed that Chairman of the PDP in the state, Abayomi Tella, and two INEC staff – Toryem Joe-Stans and Mandara Amina Mamman were arrested in connection with a huge amount of money suspected to be for vote buying in the ongoing Remo Federal constituency by-election.
The CP said, “We are investigating the matter, that’s how much I can say for now, you may please call back later in the day for further information”.
Economy
Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition
Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition
Lagos assembly strongly seeks suspension of Makoko demolition. The Lagos state house of assembly has called for the suspension of demolition activities in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro waterfront communities following protests by displaced residents and growing public concern over the exercise.
The call was announced on Tuesday by Noheem Adams, chairman of an ad hoc committee set up by Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the house, during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Lateef Jakande auditorium.
Adams called on all state ministries to cease demolition work and promised compensation to the affected residents.
“On behalf of the speaker and all 40 members of the house, we are directing that all demolitions in Makoko, Oko-Agbon, and Shogunro communities should stop from today until further notice,” New Telegraph quoted Adams as saying.
He called for transparency by demanding the full list of taskforce members and the criteria used for engagement, insisting that residents must be actively involved in the process.
“That the taskforce that was constituted, we want to see the list of the taskforce because we want the residents to be duly involved and to be carried along. So we want to have the schedule of those task forces and the criteria for those that we are inviting,” Adams added.

Lagos Assembly
“To the residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro communities, as your representatives, we are giving you all assurances that they will stop demolitions henceforth and there will be compensations for all those whose properties have been demolished.”
Stephen Ogundipe, member of the ad-hoc, said there is need for clear communication, adding that residents targeted for relocation or redevelopment must be informed of the government’s plans in advance.
Babatunde Olajide, special adviser to governor of Lagos on E-GIS and urban renewal, confirmed that $2 million had been earmarked since 2021 to transform Makoko into a modern, internationally compliant water city.
He said enumeration of affected properties is underway and reiterated the administration’s commitment to handling the situation with a human face, prioritizing resident safety and fair compensation.
Yusuf Sagra, baale of Makoko, described the assembly’s decision as a “word of peace,” while Orioye Ogungbure, another leader of the community, praised the “democratic responsiveness” of the government.
Crime
EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video
EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video
EFCC arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for alleged naira mutilation in viral video. The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 arrested a Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa over alleged Naira mutilation.
Inuwa was arrested following a viral video circulated on social media platforms where she was seen conspicuously cleaning mucus from her nose using Naira notes.

EFCC
Following the release of the viral video, the Commission swung into action by tracing and subsequently arrested her to answer questions.
She is currently being held at the Commission’s detention facility while investigation is ongoing.
The suspect will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
Dele Oyewale
Head, Media & Publicity
February 3, 2026
Economy
Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Access Bank gets new board chair Ifeyinwa Osime. Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29.
Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29, according to a statement to the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. on Monday.
Ms Osime, a legal practitioner, joined Access Bank’s board in November 2019 as an independent non-executive director and had chaired its Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and the Governance, Nomination, and Remuneration Committee. This role made her contribute significantly to the bank’s corporate governance, leadership development, and sustainability initiatives.
Additionally, Ms Osime is a director at Ebudo Trust Ltd. and a partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises on corporate and commercial matters and contributes to strategic leadership.
She is also a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Women Corporate Directors, Nigeria Chapter, and the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria, where she serves on the Executive Committee of the Women Sectoral Group.

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Beyond her professional responsibilities, Ms Osime is committed to mentoring youths and is actively involved in the Autism and Developmental Delays Support Community, reflecting her dedication to inclusion and social impact.
Speaking on her appointment, the group chairman, Aigboje Aig-lmoukhuede, said, “Mrs Osime is a principled and experienced leader with a deep understanding of the Bank’s strategy and values.
“She has demonstrated strong commitment to the bank’s vision and mission, and I am confident that, under her leadership, the bank will continue to advance its strategic objectives of delivering sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders in the pursuit of its vision to become the world’s most respected African bank.”
Mr Aig-lmoukhuede also congratulated Mr Usoro on the completion of his tenure and on his exemplary leadership, dedication, and significant contributions to the group, saying he remains a valued member of the Access family.
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