The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • NBA to INEC: don’t disenfranchise any voter

    NBA to INEC: don’t disenfranchise any voter

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure no one is disenfranchised.

    Its president, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), said in a statement: “It is quite unfortunate that by this time, reports are getting to us that some persons in some places have not been able to carry out their civic rights by voting.

    Read Also ; Everyone must not vote, INEC adhoc staff tells voters

    “I appeal to the INEC officials to please do better in order to make it easy for people to exercise their franchise.”

  • Results may be announced today- Oyo REC

    Results may be announced today- Oyo REC

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo State Dr Adeniran Tella has assured the result of Saturday’s election would be ready earlier than the previous exercises.

    Tella said this while addressing some reporters in his office after monitoring the exercise.

    He said BVAS has changed the game and reduced processing time which will make the result ready earlier than in previous elections.

    Read Also : Ortom kicks as EFCC arrests campaign director with N100,000

    He said: “Part of the election procedure that the BVAS comes with is the uploading of the election result on the INEC server. That means that we have got the result.”
    He said what is left is for the result to be easily collated and announced which should not take an unnecessarily long time to complete.

    “This implies that we are going to declare the winner as soon as possible. I can assure you that we are likely to announce the result later today if there are no unforeseen hitches.”

  • BVAS fails to accredit Dogara

    BVAS fails to accredit Dogara

    Former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara could not not be accredited in his unit.

    The Bio-modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine failed to accredit him and some other voters.

    The former Speaker, who arrived at his polling unit in Gwaranga School in Bogoro Local Government Area, claimed that INEC officials kept them waiting since 10am.

    He said the BVAS machine could not serve about 1,938 registered voters in the Bogoro C ward due to poor network.

    He said when it was his turn to get accredited, he was told the only BVAS that was functioning could not capture his Permanent Voter Card.

    Dogara said: “As we say in law, the matter speaks for itself. All of you who are here must have seen the situation.

    “This polling unit holds 1,938 registered voters here but 20 per cent have not been able to cast their votes since morning.

    “If you ask me why, I don’t understand myself.

    Read Also ; INEC: thugs now target BVAS machines

    “When I came here, I was told the only BVAS that was functional couldn’t capture my card.

    “I sought to know why, and they said my card is on another BVAS, so I went to the INEC office in Bogoro LGA to find out what was happening and the Electoral Officer told me that there was a problem with the BVAS.

    “INEC said they have taken the BVAS to Tafawa Balewa which is about 12 kilometers from here to fix the network but I was wondering if it’s a network issue per se because we have two functional networks, you can see it here.

    “I have Wifi on GLO and MTN. I can even sacrifice it for them to use.

    “I don’t want to speculate, I don’t want to say that it’s deliberate, maybe they want to disenfranchise some voters in the polling unit but it appears that is their intention.

    “I think they said BVAS can even work in unconventional locations where you don’t even have a single network, and if there is any problem, you can even use with hotspot.

    “The only comforting news from the E.O. is that whosoever is in the queue will vote even if it’s 8 pm.

    “But the point is why keep people for more than five hours in the scorching sun?

    “You can see the price we are paying for democracy but we are good citizens, we know our civic responsibilities.

    “Despite this, it appears people still desire to express their civic responsibility which has been frustrated by INEC.”

  • Abdulsalami preaches nonviolence after polls

    Abdulsalami preaches nonviolence after polls

    Former head of state and Chairman of National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has urged Nigerians to maintain peace after polls.

    He said that he was glad to perform his civic duty.

    Speaking with reporters after casting his vote at the Hilltop Polling Unit in Minna, Abdulsalam appreciated Nigerians for maintaining peace during the elections.

    He said: “I have been able perform my civic responsibility.

    Read Also ; Abdulsalami: Political actors haven’t learnt any lessons

    “I am happy we have peace in the country during the election.

    “Everything is going on smoothly and peacefully.

    “We thank God for how things are going on in Nigeria and Niger State.”

  • PHOTOS: Thugs disrupt voting in Oshodi, Mafoluku 

    PHOTOS: Thugs disrupt voting in Oshodi, Mafoluku 

    PHOTOS: Thugs disrupt voting in Oshodi, Mafoluku

  • Everyone must not vote, INEC adhoc staff tells voters

    Everyone must not vote, INEC adhoc staff tells voters

    Voters were infuriated at the Polling Unit 002 at Yaya Gusau Primary School, Sokoto as an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Adhoc staff said everybody must not vote in the election.

    The Assistant Presiding Officer 2, who refused to give her name, said this as the BVAS machine used at the PU lost network.

    “Must everybody vote?” she queried

    Many voters who had been standing under the scorching sun were infuriated as the 2.30pm deadline for the closing of voting passed.

    The situation got rowdy as they complained bitterly.

    They insisted they must vote.

    It took the intervention of police officers who pleaded with the voters to be calm as the problem would be addressed to quell the angry voters.

    The Presiding Officer of the PU, Mubarak Umar, said efforts to reach the Supervisory Presiding Officer to address the situation were futile as he could not be reached on the phone.

    At the time of filing this report at 2.40pm, the voters at the PU were still waiting for the problem to be addressed.

    Read Also ; Kate Henshaw bashes INEC over poll

    This was as some voters were upset that they could not find their names at the polling units they were designated to vote.

    The voters lamented they were at a loss as to the location they were to exercise their franchise.

    One of them Juliet Nwaize said: “This venue (Yaya Gusau Primary School) was to be my polling unit. I received a message from INEC that this is where I should vote.

    “But I am here now and they are telling me my location is not here.

    “I received a message telling me to check the website www.voters.inecnigeria.org.

    “I have been trying to open it but to no avail as the site is not opening. Right now I don’t know what to do.”

    INEC chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu had said everyone on queue must vote even after the voting deadline.

  • Voters defy rain torrents in Delta

    Voters defy rain torrents in Delta

    Hundreds of voters defied heavy rainfall to vote in the ongoing presidential and National Assembly NASS elections at Alegbor Primary School Ward 1, Unit 5 and 6, in Uvwie council area of Delta state.

    A voter, Chief Emmanuel Erute, told The Nation that materials arrived at the centre at 10:59 a.m.

    Stating that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), had no hitches, he however noted that the Labour Party is not on the senatorial ballot paper.

    Another voter, Christian Ohwofasa, who said he had been at the polling unit since 7:30a.m lamented the late arrival of the INEC officials and materials.

    A mild drama ensued at the polling centre when officials announced that they were out of thumb printing ink to continue the process at unit 6.

    Read Also ; NLC urges INEC to ensure elections reflect voters’ wishes

    Some women who were in the queue protested the development, accusing the officials of trying to frustrate their efforts to exercise their franchise.

    Efforts to speak with the officials about the development were futile.

    But this reporter observed political party agents trying to make arrangements for more thumb-printing ink to be delivered.

  • Kate Henshaw bashes INEC over poll

    Kate Henshaw bashes INEC over poll

    Actress Kate Henshaw has expressed disappointment over her inability to vote.

    The respected actress complained the Bimodal Voter Accreditation (BVAS) could not recognise her though her name was on the list and INEC official website.

    “INEC, I registered, I transferred my card. I picked up my PVC now your BVAS is saying I’m not registered but I have seen my name on the register on the wall and on your website,” Henshaw said in a video shared on social media.

    Read Also ; Kate Henshaw, Okanlawon others canvass turnout at poll

    “What are you guys doing? It’s like you people want problems with me. CNN, BBC, anybody watching this video from outside the country, INEC is playing games, it’s not just me but there are so many people here who have not been found on the Bivas, please whoever is in charge of Inec Lagos needs to come and sort it out in the polling unit here, I beg you.”

  • Ortom kicks as EFCC arrests campaign director with N100,000

    Ortom kicks as EFCC arrests campaign director with N100,000

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the Director of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Campaign Council in Benue State, Dr. Cletus Tyokaa, for being in possession of N100,000 on election day.

    He was set to go to his village in Daudu, Guma Local Government Area, when the anti-graft agency arrested him on suspicion of vote buying.

    Governor Samuel Ortom, while reacting to the incident, accused the EFCC of overstepping its bounds.

    The governor, who spoke with reporters after casting his vote at GSS Gbajumba in Guma Local Government, said N100,000 was too small for Tyokaa to go and influence voters with.

    He, therefore, called on EFCC to release Tyokaa to enable him to exercise his civic right.

    Read Also ; As Benue Governor finishes with Ortom-atic flourish

    He accused the agency of working for a particular political party in Benue.

    Ortom expressed happiness with the high turnout of people, who converged to vote in the 20 polling units INEC set up within the Government Secondary School, Gbajumba.

    The governor, who voted alongside his wife, Eunice, said the people of Benue North West were behind him.

    He said he was confident of emerging victorious at the polls.

    He commended INEC for conducting a free and fair elections so far.

  • Nasarawa Speaker votes, predicts Tinubu’s victory

    Nasarawa Speaker votes, predicts Tinubu’s victory

    Nasarawa Speaker Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi has voted at Galadima B polling unit in Umaisha, Toto LG.of Nasarawa State.

    The Speaker, who voted at Galadima B polling unit Umaisha, was surrounded by his supporters amidst cheers.

    He commended the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) for the early distribution of electoral materials and was optimistic that Bola Ahmed Tinubu the APC Presidential candidate will emerge victorious with a landslide.

    Read Also ; JUST IN: Tinubu votes, says I’m confident of victory

    He said: “We as APC went round all nooks and crannies of our constituency and mobilized for our party, I am very sure we are going to win massively”