Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM) on Thursday, vowed that nothing would stop it from conducting the Local Government elections on Saturday October 23, 2021, in the remaining two local government areas.

The election was earlier postponed due to security challenges.

In a statement on Thursday by the KADSIECOM chairman, Dr. Saratu Binta Dikko-Audu, he noted that residents in those local government areas were free to vote for any candidate of their choice.

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According to her, the election would hold between 8.00am to 4.00pm in Zagon Kataf and Birnin Gwari Local Government Areas of Kaduna State.

The statement further said residents of Sabon Sarki ward in Kachia Local Government will also be voting for Chairman and Councilors, while residents of polling units in Kachia Urban Ward will vote for their choice of Chairman only.

The Chairman appealed to residents in the listed polling units and wards to conduct themselves peacefully and avoid behaviors that could lead to cancellation of results.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation has suspended its operations after bandits detonated explosives on the tracks serving the Abuja-Kaduna line.

The attack, which took place between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, left passengers traumatized, with reports that the attackers also fired live rounds into driver compartments.

Confirming the incident, Shehu Sani, a former Kaduna Central Senator, revealed that the train he boarded ran into a portion damaged by explosives used in attacking a Kaduna-Abuja train, adding that he narrowly escaped death.

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The former lawmaker alleged that terrorists had attacked a Kaduna-Abuja train on Wednesday with explosives.

Reacting, the NRC, in a statement via its website, on Thursday afternoon said operations have been suspended till further notice.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, train services have been immediately suspended for the safety of our dear passengers.

“Efforts are in place to restore service. Further information would follow immediately service is restored,” the statement said.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it is working with the Lagos State Government to address the traffic gridlock on the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA) road in the state.

The traffic gridlock has worsened on the airport road in recent times, forcing some travelers to resort to motorcycles in order not to miss their flights.

There were mixed reactions when the former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, was sighted on a bike along the airport to catch a flight. It was not clear where the governor was heading to.

Our correspondent reports that many passengers on several occasions had to resort to Okada in order not to miss their flights following the hectic traffic gridlock that has become a daily occurrence especially at peak periods on the airport road.

The worst hit is the domestic wing of the airport as the gridlock usually stretches from Ikeja under bridge to as far as the airport tollgate.

When such happens, commercial motorcyclists popularly known as Okada riders usually flood the airport road, charging passengers as much as N1000 and N2000 to convey them to either the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) or the MMA2, a private terminal operated by the Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL).

Though Okada is banned on major roads in Lagos, the riders have continued to defy the law to take over the road leading to the busiest airport in Nigeria.

Passengers and airport users have continued to lament the daily traffic gridlock on the airport road where they spend hours commuting from the international airport to the local terminals or the popular Ikeja Under-Bridge.

Speaking with Daily Trust, General Manager, Corporate Communications of FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu in a chat with Daily Trust said Okada remain banned on the airport road and vowed that the authority would continue to clamp down on the riders.

She, however, said the authority was working with the state government to address the gridlock on airport road while further clamping down on Okada riders.

Asked on what FAAN is doing on the Okada menace, she said, “Of course we are doing something. We usually arrest them and take them to the Police station. We impound their bikes. Only recently we mounted signages warning them on the use of bikes on our access roads. There’s a fee of 50k if caught.”

On the worsening gridlock, she said, “FAAN is working with the LASG to address the traffic gridlock. It starts from under the bridge and the government promised to do something.”

Aviation analyst, Group Capt. John Ojikutu, decried the situation, saying it was wrong for Okada to be operating a shuttle on airport service road. He charged FAAN to urgently do something about it.

Popular On-Air Personality, OAP Dotun, has told activists Folarin Falana, also known as Falz, Aisha Yesufu and other pioneers of End SARS movement to join a political party.

Dotun said youths in Nigeria can shake many things in the country if they become part of the system.

According to him, it’s tougher to win or change things outside the club.

He said this on his Instagram page while suggesting that youths need a candidate for the next election.

His post read: “It will be good if these guys Falz, Mr Macaroni, Rinu, Aisha Yesufu and DJ Switch can be part of a political party that represents the youth.

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“This strength gathered overtime can shake many things collectively. We need a candidate, Do you agree?

“Or can we all join Seun Kuti’s party ‘MOP’ or Yul Edochie party and let’s be part of the system.

“You can’t win from outside the club, it’s tougher to change or become disruptive from outside.”