•I’m not afraid of EFCC, says Alao-Akala Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said it has filed a petition against the victory of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)in the governorship election. ACN’s candidate Senator Abiola Ajimobi defeated Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala. The governor’s Special Adviser on Public Communication Dotun Oyelade said the PDP and not the governor petitioned the tribunal. Oyelade said: "While it is true that Governor Akala congratulated Senator Ajimobi after the April election and cited the need to reduce tension and actively support the growth of our fledgling democracy as his reason for his public remark, the issue must not be confused with the determination of the Party to challenge his victory at the Tribunal, which it has done yesterday. "Governor Akala is not in a position to stop the decision of the Party to contest the result in the face of more daunting evidences which it may have in its possession." Alao-Akala yesterday said he was not afraid of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which he alleged was being used to intimidate him. He said he had not committed any financial crime that would make him lose sleep over the intimidation he alleged some people made on the pages of newspapers. The governor described the threats of arrest against him as abstract, spurious and empty, adding that he had not committed any crime to make them tenable. He said he had not soiled the good name his father left behind for generations. Alao-Akala spoke when he received members of the state chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at the Governor’s Office, Ibadan. He urged reporters to be fair on him and members of his executive council when they write about his administration’s four years and 11 months. Alao-Akala said: "I want you to be very fair on us after we have left office. I beg you journalists, when you hear anything about Akala, please call me. My phone numbers remain the same; call me and crosscheck your facts. We know what we have done while in office. As a government, we have been able to put a lot of smiles on the faces of the people of the state. So, we can always walk tall wherever we go. "We have been able to make a difference in the lives of our people and we have been able to adhere strictly to our 13-Point Agenda since the inception of this administration. We have indeed added value to the infrastructure and we’ve ruled the state with the fear of God. We leave every other thing for posterity to judge. I saw a headline last time that said Akala, and …are on the list of EFCC. I’m not afraid of EFCC." Praising journalists for shaping the society, the governor warned them against receiving money to tarnish the reputation of fellow beings, adding that those who did so in the past had not fared well in the profession. NUJ Chairman, Comrade Gbenga Opadotun said the visit was for a farewell to the governor whom he said had supported the union

Three more victims of Saturday’s kerosene explosion in Port Harcourt died on Monday, bringing to five the casualty figure. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the explosion in the home of Maxwell Udoh, a police sergeant of the state investigation bureau, had killed his two daughters instantly. The incident took place around 11 p.m. when the family was preparing a late supper on Bernard Carr Street, Port Harcourt. The spokeswoman of the Rivers State Police Command, Rita Abbey, told NAN in Port Harcourt on Monday that Mr Udoh’s wife, son and brother-in-law died on Monday from the burns sustained in the aftermath of the explosion. Mrs Abbey said Mr Udoh is still in intensive care at the Police Hospital and that doctors are battling to save his life. She said the police has commenced investigation into the incident with a view to nabbing the dealer who sold the adulterated kerosene to the family.