Accredidation in Oyo State started early today and voters turned out en-masse. According to uncomfirmed reports by our correspondent, 850,000 already thumprinted ballot papers were allegedly found with some people in Oke Ogun area. Soldiers have already arrested some people.

Mr Adisa Bolanta, the Commissioner of Police in Delta, on Monday said the command would treat any political thugs caught as armed robbers.

In what appears to be ademonstration of being their brothers’ keepers, state governments in the Southern part of the country have been responding to distress calls from members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, from their various states who are serving in the north and were trapped in the violent protests that greeted the announcement of the results of the last presidential election.

Just as the accreditation of voters is about to begin this morning, the Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Chukwuemeka Onukaogu has announced the postponement of  polls in Ogbaru Federal Constituency where the results of the April 9 Polls were cancelled.

GOVERNORS are more powerful than most people realise. There are 36 of them and the President makes a point of kowtowing to them on most matters.

As Nigerians go to the polls today for the last phase of the 2011 General elections, to elect the candidates of their choice in the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections, the Presidential Committee on Public Awareness on Security and Civic Responsibilities, has called on all registered Nigerians to go out en masse and exercise their civic responsibility.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has scheduled National Assembly elections in the outstanding wards of Ekeremor and Sagbama local government areas of Bayelsa State for Thursday, April 28, 2011.

IF there is anybody out there that still nurses any doubt about the ability of the Nigerian masses to determine for themselves, then the just concluded presidential election is enough for the doubting Thomas to start believing in the ability of what the Nigerian citizens are capable of doing.

FINALLY the 2011 presidential election will end in the same place the last two previous presidential elections ended: At the electoral petition tribunal. With the generally favourable comments from local and foreign observers concerning the elections, one would have thought things would go differently this time around.

Security operatives in states of the South West have stepped up their activities to forestall the threat of violence as a result of today’s governorship and House of Assembly elections in the region.

Barely 72 after the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Alakuko, CSP Joseph Olatunmokun and two other policemen were killed by armed robbers in Lagos State,operatives of the State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS),at the early hours of yesterday, killed a seven-man gang of robbers, who have been terrorizing residents of the state in recent times during a shoot-out in Mushin.

The Heads of Mission of the European Union and the United States of America in Nigeria have condemned the violence surrounding elections in Nigeria.

A NUMBER of governors seeking re-election and their major challengers , yesterday, traded allegations and counter allegations of diversion of electoral materials, intimidation and other rigging schemes allegedly aimed at improving their chances in today’s polls.

SCHNEIDER Electric, the global specialist in energy management, has signed a partnership agreement with GIL Automation Nigeria Limited, giving them the status of an Elite System Integrator (ESI). This was contained in a statement issued by the company and made available to Vanguard in Lagos.

THERE is something that is seriously wrong in Africa where those who lose elections refuse to accept defeat. There is something wrong in situations where those who do not win refuse to give up even when they have reached the end of the road.