The Nation Newspaper

Category: Anambra Election

  • PPMC revokes bulk purchase agreement with three marketers

    PPMC revokes bulk purchase agreement with three marketers

    Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) has revoked the bulk purchase agreements of three petroleum marketers caught diverting petroleum products out of the country, an official has said.

    Mr Nasir Imodagbe, Manager, Public Affairs and Community Relations of PPMC, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday.

    Imodagbe named the marketers as Funo Alfa Ltd, Organiser West Africa Ltd and Rich Oil Ltd.

    He said that the marketers’ actions violated the bulk purchase agreement with PPMC.

    According to him, “the revocation is part of the corporation’s effort in sanitising the industry by checkmating marketers diverting products meant for domestic consumption.

    “This will also reduce frequent petroleum hoarding and diversion by marketers.

    “The process is continuous and we are going to ensure adequate monitoring of marketers.’’

    NAN recalls that Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had on July 19 banned 113 oil tankers from entering Nigerian oil facilities and territorial waters.

    The corporation in a statement signed by Gbenga Komolafe, the Group General Manager Crude Oil Marketing Division, prohibited tankers “from engaging in crude oil and gas loading activities in any of the terminals within the Nigerian territorial waters until further notice.”

    The company made the announcement in a letter dated July 15 and addressed to terminal operators in Nigeria.

  • ‘Intensify action on cassava bread initiative’

    The Chairman, Fortunate Buttered Bread, Alhaji Hakeem Adejumo has urged the Federal Government to be more committed to the cassava bread initiative. Such committment, he said, would encourage massive production of cassava. The initiative, he said, will also improve farmers’ income.

    Adejumo spoke after receiving certificate of Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MACAP) from the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

    He further said the cassava bread initiative would provide job opportunities for millions of “our teeming youths.”

    Alhaji Adejumo said: “The government needs to do more to improve power supply. The company relies much on diesel-powered generating set for its production. This is not good enough as it is negatively affecting production cost.

    “Security is another area government should give priority attention to. Indeed, security is the bedrock of economic and political development of any country. A lot should be done to ensure security of lives and property.

    “The relative stability in the price of baking materials has impacted positively on bread making business. This, in turn, has stabilised the prices of bread, thus making bread affordable to the people.”

    Presenting the MACAP certificate to Alhaji Adejumo, the state Director of SON, Popoola Adesina said the award was informed by the company’s compliance with the minimum industry regulations.

    The director added that Fortunate Buttered Bread is bromate-free and therefore fit for human consumption.

    Mr. Adesina urged the management of the company to report any form of faking and counterfeiting of its products to the organisation.

  • Anambra poll: INEC declares Obiano winner

    Anambra poll: INEC declares Obiano winner

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Chief Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) winner of the governorship election in Anambra State.

    This followed the completion of the supplementary election in the state on Saturday in areas where it did not hold on November 16.

    Declaring the result, the Chief Returning Officer, Prof. James Epoke, said the APGA candidate scored 180,178 votes to win the election.

    He said Mr. Tony Nwonye of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Sen. Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 97,700 and 95,963 votes to emerge second and third respectively.

    Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah of the Labour Party came forth with 37,495 votes and Chief Godwin Ezeemo, candidate of Progressive Peoples Alliance clinched the fifth position with 5,120 votes.

    Results from INEC showed that of the 1,776,167 registered voters in the state, 465,891 people accredited and total vote cast was 442,242.

    The results also showed that 16,988 votes were voided and valid votes were 425,254.

    “To declare a winner, the candidate must score 25 per cent vote in two-third of local government; having satisfied this condition, Chief Willie Obiano is now returned winner, ” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the Chief returning officer as saying on Sunday morning.

     

     

     

     

  • Supplementary election: Voting ends in Idemili LG

    Voting has ended in many polling stations in Saturday’s supplementary governorship elections in Anambra.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at Iffite Agbaja, Idemili North Local Government Area, the process ended at 1.30 p.m. at units 022 with 18 registered voters, and 023 with 24 voters while only 15 and 20 persons cast their votes respectively.

    One of the accredited voters who could not vote, Dr Edozie Aroh, protested against the conclusion of the exercise before 4 p.m.

    He said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could order voting to stop because the guidelines stipulated that it was only when the last accredited voter had voted.

    “I came out early enough for accreditation and by 1.30 p.m. I am not able to vote.

    “If accreditation had to last between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m., why should voting end by 4 p.m. “, he asked.

    In Amansea, Awka North Local Government Area, votes were counted at Okukwa Hall 04 and Ugbene unit 012.

    Security operatives were busy maintaining the peace in the areas. (NAN)

  • Anambra: Apathy trails supplementary election in Onitsha

    Voters apathy on Saturday trailed the on-going Anambra supplementary election in some parts of Onitsha metropolis, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    A NAN correspondent who monitored the exercise in polling units in Ward 6 in Onitsha South Local Government Area and a polling unit in Ward 9 in Onitsha North, reported that INEC was fully prepared for the exercise.

    It was gathered that election materials and INEC personnel arrived at the various polling booths as early as 7 a.m. while  sensitive electoral materials were also on ground with the electoral officers.

    However, the electorate were not forthcoming as expected as most residents had decided to go to their daily businesses.

    There was high number of security personnel at each polling booth, which in some cases, out-numbered the voters who turned out.

    Mr Chidi Okereke, a resident of Zik Avenue in Fegge, told NAN that the materials, INEC main and ad hoc staff, as well as security agencies were in place as early as 7a.m.

    Okereke, who is a member of Fegge Community Police Public Relations Committee, said that mass movement of residents out of Fegge hindered the the conduct of the polls.

    “Although, you cannot blame the people because having sacrificed some days for the election, they did not see reasons for the cancellation (postponement) of the result in the first place,’’ he said.

    Mr Ndubuisi Nwokabia, a worker at the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Onitsha South area, told said that the residents were looking at the supplementary election as disturbance now “since at the first day the turn-out was very very high’’.

    “This is one of the areas in Anambra State where people turn-out en mass to vote during election but this today’s development is unlike this area,’’ Nwokabia, who is a Chief Orientation and Mobilisation Officer in NOA, said.

    He said that the number of security-men on ground was okay,.

    “Honestly there is no amount of money spent on security that is ever a waste.’’

    “I want to believe that it is based on information available to security chiefs that made them bring this number of security men, especially to check activities of some dissidents in this area that can pull surprises,’’ he said.

    Prince Edward Okosi, Chairman of Onitsha North Caretaker Committee, told NAN at the polling booth 4 in Ward 9, that he believed that more people would see the need to turn out for the election.

    “The leaders of thought in the neighbourhood had gone ahead to create the awareness about the exercise among their people,’’ Okosi said. (NAN)

  • Anambra supplementary poll holds Nov 30 – Jega

    Anambra supplementary poll holds Nov 30 – Jega

    Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega Saturday announced November 30, 2013 for Anambra supplementary election.

    Jega, who confirmed that the Returning Officer declared the poll inconclusive admitted that the election “was not the best by the commission.”

    He regrets irregularities encountered during the exercise.

  • Anambra 2013: Between expectations and reality

    The just-ended but inconclusive governorship election in Anambra State is arguably the most newsworthy event in Nigeria today and has dominated the landscape in the last quarter. The buildup was particularly captivating despite its many features of intra- and inter-party petty squabbles. As enthralling, too, was the field of competitors, so variegated that the voters must have had a hard time making up their minds on whom to root for. It was really a drama-fest which lived up to its billing, as would be expected of any political contestation in the storied state.  It was little surprise then that the theatre continued after what was a largely peaceful voting process, with doubts still lingering long after similar processes elsewhere would have produced a clear winner.

    There is hardly a national consensus on what to make of Anambra State, elections and all; nor can there be, considering the range of events that have shaped it among the comity of states in Nigeria. The impressions that easily come to mind do the state and its people no favours, sometimes because critics lose sight of its essentially cosmopolitan disposition: a melting-pot of cultures and a potpourri of unregulated socio-economic ventures.

    Despite a few distinguishing sharp practices in the business landscape, however, no one can argue about the endowments of this south east state in human and material resources. It will be impossible to find any polity that has contributed as much as Anambra State in the Nigerian project, especially in earning the nation plaudits before the international community in politics, sports, academics or entrepreneurship.

    The generation of the great Zik of Africa dominated politics. Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Okalla, Onyali, Mikel Obi, among many others, illuminated sports. Kenneth Dike, Chike Obi, Emeagwali and others set the pace in academics. Sir Odumegwu Ojukwu was the first Nigerian millionaire. Today there are dollar-billionaires in Cosmas Maduka, Prince Arthur Eze, Cletus Ibeto, Obianodo, Innoson Chukwuma to talk about as leaders in corporate Nigeria.

    Enter INEC, the Independent Electoral Commission, with its embarrassing spasms of inefficiency. As always, the electoral umpire brought discomfiting mixes of their own in avoidable controversies. If the body could not acquit itself well in a single election in a single state, the expectations for 2015 should be left to the imagination, for now.

    That INEC disappointed most observers by its shoddy performance in what could have been a hitch-free electoral exercise is not the news. No amount of casuistry or rationalizations could detract from the legendary underwhelming performance the commission has willingly imposed on itself. The surprise is that anyone expected any form of improvement, based on the Electoral Commission’s gladly earned labels – compromised, mischievous, subpar, name it. Their performance in the election was the low point. On that score it would be appropriate to declare that INEC was the only loser!

    As a contestant in that election, I was elated that public issues for once became relevant. It is unheralded that candidates were literally compelled to canvass practicable solutions to social problems. Copious social contracts became articles of faith, debated with fervor and condour.  Everyone in rallies and the multiple debates based their request for public acceptability and the electorates’ votes on their blueprints. Quite frankly, every attempt to bring the core needs of society to the fore became a celebration of the electorate, now wooed with a superfluity of road maps and manifestos. It is amazing that action plans and deliverables could be bandied with such seriousness in Anambra State of all places. For me that represented a significant departure from the past. A quantum leap, looking back on this democratic journey!

    By and large, the almighty INEC failed, woefully in some cases, when it was easier to succeed. The claims of disenfranchisement of many eligible voters are real and offered opportunities for bitter losers to lay their claims for a rejection of the entire process. But, even then, that is not enough reason not to notice other subtle details that swung it for the runaway leader All Peoples’ Grand Alliance, APGA.

    No one bothered to take a cue from what happened the last time around. Experience counted for much of the outcome of this election, as for the last one won by Peter Obi. While other parties were busy squabbling over candidacy, lofty programs, recruitment of campaign managers etc., APGA invested rigour in the basics: motivating (perhaps inducing) their supporters to verify and secure their voting eligibility. Newly eligible voters were encouraged to register and enlist their willingness to vote. It was a superiority of strategy that caught everyone napping. Only eligible voters could exercise their franchise, anyway!In combat parlance, APGA secured its position!

    Credit goes to Governor Peter Obi and his foxy think tank. They may not have had the most impressive debates or even campaign sallies; but they sure knew their way around the electoral business, including its legalities. And legalistic brawls! Against this background it appears increasingly futile in my view for any sensible candidate to seek to multiply their losses by engaging APGA or its candidate to post-election contests. Victory has been won, Pyrrhic or not. It is time for us to count our losses and get on with life. There will definitely be another day, if only people will learn to be patient! This, I reckon, is not going to be easy, not after all the toil, wastages, hope, adulations, endorsements, titles, prophesies and affirmations. Yet this is the path of honour!

    More germane for now is for society to be on its guards in demanding its rights to good governance. It is pointless erecting obstacles or living in denial, or spattering bad blood. All who lost like me should congratulate the winner, line up behind him to move things forward. There is a great difference between losing and losing out. If Anambra State benefits from all the great milestones projected in the buildup, then everyone has won. The winner too should be magnanimous in victory. The problem is always with the entrenched winner-takes-all mentality. There is nothing wrong in asking fellow contestants over to contribute ideas on how to help society master its many problems. A post-election dinner with candidates will be another pleasant novelty!

    Failure of any kind leaves a lump in the throat, especially when expectations are lofted so high. But even in the colossal failure such as we just had lessons abound which, if cerebrally analyzed will stand us all in good stead. With all modesty I quote myself in my publication of October 11, 2013 in the Nation Newspaper:  “for the avoidance of doubt, the due diligence process preceding successful gubernatorial candidature is no stroll in the park. Anyone who has scaled the many hurdles en route: packaging oneself; surviving intraparty intrigues, funding self-projection with so much to dust up; winning primaries; passing fastidious INEC and security scrutiny, deserves respect and should be accorded recognition…Finally, the rigours of voter endorsement, genuine qualifications, certificates and CVs to plead, affidavits sworn to, declarations to be made, and the logistics of voter romance and several intangibles, are not everyday events and should not be dismissed with a sleight of hand…”.

    Every candidate, therefore, deserves respect and recognition. Beyond  “ the fawning, mealy-mouthed ‘supporters’ or the hubbub of illegal sirens, the culture of ‘rice and kerosene politics’, Anambra State has won, andshould be given a chance to move on from INEC’s mea culpa, despite personal feelings.

    INEC was INEPT, but life goes on.

     

    Mazi Austin Nwangwu  is a candidate of CPP in Anambra State 2013 governorship election

  • PDP ‘satisfied’ with conduct of Anambra election

    PDP ‘satisfied’ with conduct of Anambra election

    The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State.

    The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, at a briefing on Monday praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies for the peaceful conduct of the poll.

    Deploring calls by some candidates for the cancellation of the result, Metuh said those calling for the cancellation have displayed poor sportsmanship, adding that the PDP has faith in the electoral process.

    He accused opposition parties of attempts to blackmail the INEC with the view to discrediting the election.

    According to him, the opposition parties want to create hopelessness in the minds of the Anambra people.

    The party called on the INEC to address genuine grievances arising from the conduct of the poll, saying that the people are waiting for the electoral body to fix a date for the completion of the election in the interest of the people.

    Metuh said late preparation by the PDP affected the party’s candidate chances in the election, saying that the situation would have been different if the party had commenced its campaign early enough.

     

     

  • Anambra election inconclusive – INEC

    Anambra election inconclusive – INEC

    Anambra State governorship election ended in an  anti-climax Monday morning  as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared it inconclusive.
    At exactly 6:10am, the Returning Officer, Prof James Epoke, who is also Vice-Chancellor, University of Calabar (UNICAL), declared that a supplementary election would be conducted at a date to be fixed by the electoral umpire.
    The main reason for declaring the election inconclusive, according to Prof Epoke, is that, for a candidate to emerge as the winner, he must have scored not only the highest number of votes cast, but should also ganner 25 per cent in two-third of the local government areas in the state.
    Apparently because of the large number of cancelled votes, which stood at 113,113, no candidate scored the required percentage.
    Therefore, the commission had to examine the votes of the winner and the runner-up to determine if  the difference is less than the cancelled  figure.
    Whereas, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chief Willie Obiano polled 174,710 votes to come first, the first runner-up, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Comrade Tony Nwoye polled 94,956 votes to place second.
    Because the difference in the figures between the first two candidates, which is 79,754 is less than the cancelled votes, which 113,113, the commission could not declare anybody the winner.
    A total of 1,763,751 voters were registered for the election, while 451,826 were accredited.
    Total valid votes was 413,005, while total number of rejected votes was 16,544. Total votes cast was 429,549.
    Out of the cancelled votes, 89,997 were from Idemili North Local Government Area alone, and additional 636 from two units in Idemili South.
    According to figures released by INEC, APGA came first with 174,710 votes.
    It was followed by PDP which scored 94,956 votes.
    The All Progressives Congress (APC) came third with 92,300 votes, while Labour Party (LP) polled 37,446 votes.
    A total of 23 candidates stood for the election.
    The APGA won in 16 of the 21 local government areas; APC won in two, PDP won in two, while LP won one.
    The announcement began at about 12.40am.
    All the local government collation officers were professors or senior staff of UNICAL.
    A date for the supplementary election will be fixed after the commission must have met, it was announced.
    “The commission will arrange a supplementary election in those areas where election was cancelled,” the Prof Epoke said.
    He added that all the parties that participated in last Saturday’s election will participate in the supplementary election.
    In Aguata, APC scored 5,275 votes, APGA polled 10,180, PDP got 4,275 votes, while LP polled 1,129.
    There were 24,883 accredited voters in Aguata, 23,452 votes were valid.
    In Ayamelum, APC polled 1,827; APGA scored 9,121; PDP got 5,681 and LP (624). Total valid votes was 17,449.
    In Anambra East, APC 1,418; APGA (15,300), PDP (5,579) and LP (511). Total valid votes cast was 23,315.
    In Anambra West, APC scored 2,478; APGA (5,128), PDP (3966) and LP (321).
    In Anaocha, APC polled 3,174, APGA (14,563), PDP (2,948) and LP (733). A ballot box was snatched at Unit 016, Obiamaka Primary School, it was reported.
    In Awka North, APC scored 1,712 votes, APGA (5,385), PDP (3,943) and LP 474.
    In Awka South, APC polled 6,596, APGA (9,206), PDP (5,689) and LP (1,648).
    The PDP scored the highest number of votes in Dunukofia, followed by APGA (3,670), APC (3,522) and LP (1,236).
    The APGA polled the highest number of votes in Ekwusigo (6,815), followed by PDP (4,426), APC (2,958) and LP (1,692).
    In Idemilli North, APC scored the highest number of votes (7,135), followed by APGA (2,795), PDP (1,462) and LP (643).
    The APC also led in Idemili North, where is scored 9,539 votes. APGA polled 2,899; PDP scored 3,786 while LP got 1,021.
    In Ihiala, APC scored 4,069; APGA (10,067), PDP (5,517) and LP (1,854).
    The APGA scored 10,753 votes in Njikoka. APC polled 4,585, PDP got 5,630 and LP scored 754.
    In Nnewi North, LP led with 18,014 votes, followed by APGA (4,846), APC (3,076) and PDP (1,942).
    In Nnewi South, APGA led with 8,145, followed by PDP (3,031), APC (2,676) and LP (2,214).
    In Ogbaru, APGA polled 11,716. Others are: APC (7,687), PDP (6,114) and LP (95).
    The APGA scored 10,842 votes in Onitsha North. Other results are: APC (7,616), PDP (4,947) and LP (776).
    In Onitsha South, APGA led with 9,786 votes. Other results are: APC (7,094), PDP (3,520) and LP (716).
    The APGA led in Orumba North, polling 9,161 votes, followed by PDP (4,567) and APC (3,343).
    In Orumba South, APC scored 3,147. Other results are: APGA (6,338), PDP (4,003) and LP (1,265). In Oyi, PDP led with 9,123 votes, followed by APGA (6,994), APC (3,373) and LP (206).

  • INEC performed creditably, says APGA Chairman

    All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) National Chairman Chief Victor Umeh, has dismissed allegations that the Saturday governorship election in Anambra State  was marred by irregularities.

    On the contrary, he hailed the efforts of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, which he said, forestalled the plan by the opposition parties in the state to rig the election.

    Umeh said the security agencies stopped the opposition parties in their tracks and that accounted for the allegations.

    He said the election was free, fair, and violence free.

    Umeh denied that his party was helped  to rig the governorship election in Anambra.

    He said INEC lived up to its promise to conduct free, fair and peaceful governorship poll.
    “Other political parties were crying foul because their plot to rig this election was frustrated by the vigilance of the security agents.”

    “People who in their usual characteristics would want to rig the election could not this time, rather they started disparaging INEC and security agencies in order to discredit the poll.

    “The performance of APGA in the election was not unusual as they have campaign in the past two months.

    “I am surprised that some candidates who did not campaign were making spirited efforts to discredit the election even when they know that there was no way they could have won the election,” he added.
    He alleged that the Interim Deputy National Secretary of the APC, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai attempted to rig the Anambra State governorship election.

    The APGA national chairman also said that the former minister of the Federal Capital Territory deserved the in-house detention he got from men of the State Security Service.

    The SSS officials had prevented him from leaving the hotel where he lodged on election day.

    “If he (El-Rufai) hadn’t any ulterior motive on that election day, why then would he want to monitor an election in which he had no accreditation,” said Umeh.

    He said, “Yesterday (Saturday) was election, it wasn’t campaign time, so what had he come to do in Anambra State if not to perfect his rigging plans and then implement them.

    “He came all the way from Katsina State to constitute a nuisance here and he was confined to his room, the way all other criminals who came for the same purpose were confined to their room.”