Covid-19

Canadian PM, Trudeau, family flee home as thousands protest against COVID mandates

Published

5 years ago

February 1, 2022

Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau and his family abandoned their home after thousands of people descended on Canada’s capital Ottawa to protest against COVID mandates.

The protesters, mostly truckers, carried various placards protesting against vaccine mandates, masks and lockdowns.

Protesters compared vaccine mandates to fascism, one truck carried a Confederate flag and many carried expletive-laden signs targeting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The statue of Fox, a national hero who lost a leg to bone cancer as a youngster, was draped with an upside down Canadian flag and a sign that said “mandate freedom.”

Local media reported that Prime Minister Trudeau and his family were escorted out of their home and taken to an undisclosed location in the capital for security purposes.

One of Trudeau’s children has Covid-19 and the prime minister has been isolating and working remotely in recent days.

The convoy of truckers and others prompted police to prepare for the possibility of violence and warn residents to avoid downtown.

A top Parliament security official advised lawmakers to lock their doors amid reports their private homes may be targeted.

Leave a Reply
Cancel reply

ISRT 2026: Global experts converge in Lagos to advance cancer care across Africa

Health6 days ago

ISRT 2026: Global experts converge in Lagos to advance cancer care across Africa

Ballon d’Or 2026: The key rules shaping the race for football’s biggest prize

Football6 days ago

Ballon d’Or 2026: The key rules shaping the race for football’s biggest prize

Business6 days ago

Versat Automobile to launch Chery’s EXEED premium brand in Nigeria

Miss World 2026: 24 African Contestants Flying the Continent’s Flag in Vietnam

Entertainment1 week ago

Miss World 2026: Meet 24 African Contestants Flying Continent’s Flag in Vietnam(VIDEO)

Osun 2026: Vote-Buying, Security Concerns Raise Fresh Questions Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 Elections OSOGBO — The 2026 Osun State governorship election has ended, but concerns over vote-buying, electoral technology, security and public trust could offer important lessons as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections. The August 15 election was largely peaceful across the state, with election observers commending voters and electoral officials for the overall conduct of the poll. However, reports of voter inducement, technical difficulties with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and isolated incidents of violence highlighted persistent weaknesses in Nigeria's electoral process. The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), in its preliminary assessment, reported BVAS delays and biometric verification problems in several local government areas, while observers also recorded allegations of vote-buying and isolated security incidents. Vote-buying remains a major concern One of the strongest warnings from Osun was the continued presence of vote-buying and voter inducement. Yiaga Africa said the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were consistent with its independent statistical projections, but cautioned that this did not remove concerns about the integrity of voters' choices amid reports of vote-buying and inducement. The concern is particularly significant ahead of 2027, when political competition will take place nationwide and involve presidential, National Assembly and state-level contests. The International Republican Institute (IRI), following a pre-election assessment mission conducted in August, identified monetised political competition, election-related violence, insecurity and declining public confidence in INEC among the structural challenges facing the 2027 elections. IRI recommended stronger investigation and prosecution of vote-buying and voter inducement, urging INEC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and security agencies to act on credible allegations. Technology improves transparency — but has limits The Osun election also demonstrated how electoral technology can improve transparency. INEC's electronic transmission of polling-unit results through the IReV platform provided observers and members of the public with a mechanism to monitor uploaded results. Yiaga Africa subsequently said the official results were consistent with its independent statistical estimates, describing the outcome as evidence that the announced results reflected the ballots counted at polling units. However, technical problems with BVAS were reported during voting. CDD said difficulties involving biometric verification and slow processing occurred in several LGAs, including Irepodun, Ejigbo, Obokun, Osogbo, Olorunda, Ola Oluwa, Ede North and Ede South. These problems underline the need for INEC to ensure that electoral technology is not only available but also reliable, properly tested and supported by effective backup systems. Security remains another test for 2027 Although voting was generally peaceful, isolated incidents of violence and disruption were reported during the Osun poll. CDD called for security agencies to maintain political neutrality, investigate reported incidents and protect voters regardless of their political affiliation. IRI has similarly warned that insecurity and election-related violence could undermine meaningful political participation in 2027. Its assessment noted that more than 81 election-related violent incidents had been recorded in Osun in the year preceding the governorship election, with violence increasing as Election Day approached. The institute urged security agencies to identify high-risk areas early and develop location-specific plans to prevent intimidation, disruption and attacks on electoral participants. Osun offers lessons ahead of 2027 Despite the challenges, observers say the Osun election also provides evidence that improvements in election administration can produce positive results. Yiaga Africa's assessment found that INEC and security agencies largely passed the test of conducting the election, while its independent verification indicated that the official results accurately reflected the ballots counted at polling units. The challenge ahead is to build on those gains while addressing the weaknesses exposed during the election. For INEC, that means improving BVAS reliability, strengthening result-transmission and collation procedures and maintaining clear communication with voters and political parties. For security agencies, it means preventing electoral violence and ensuring that investigations and prosecutions are not selective. Political parties also face pressure to take greater responsibility for the conduct of their candidates, agents and supporters, particularly over voter inducement and intimidation. A bigger test awaits in 2027 The central lesson from Osun may be that a technically transparent election is not automatically the same as a completely free election. Electronic transmission can make results easier to monitor, but technology cannot by itself prevent voters from being offered money, threatened or pressured before they cast their ballots. IRI's latest assessment similarly stressed that the credibility of the 2027 elections will depend not only on technical administration but also on security, consistent application of electoral rules, timely communication and public confidence in INEC. With Nigeria's 2027 general elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, the Osun experience provides both a warning and an opportunity: the country has made progress in electoral transparency, but vote-buying, insecurity and declining trust must be confronted before they are magnified across a nationwide election.

Comments and Issues7 days ago

Digital Rights and the 2027 Poll in Nigeria

Olufemi Olaiya to deliver keynote at Africa Business & Enterprise Conference 2026

Business4 days ago

Olufemi Olaiya to deliver keynote at Africa Business & Enterprise Conference 2026

Yes, Many Kidnappers Are Embedded in the Nigeria Police

Comments and Issues5 days ago

Yes, many kidnappers are embedded in the Nigeria Police

Petrol Price War: Where are Nigerians getting the cheapest Fuel?

Energy7 days ago

Petrol Price War: Where are Nigerians getting the cheapest fuel?

National Daily Newspaper

Canadian PM, Trudeau, family flee home as thousands protest against COVID mandates

Covid-19

Canadian PM, Trudeau, family flee home as thousands protest against COVID mandates

Leave a Reply
Cancel reply

Leave a Reply

Trending

National Daily Newspaper

Canadian PM, Trudeau, family flee home as thousands protest against COVID mandates

You may like

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Leave a Reply

Trending

Leave a Reply
Cancel reply