The Nation Newspaper

Category: Election 2019

  • Gombe Assembly elections: APC wins Deba constituency

    The candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) Mohammed Sa’idu has been declared winner of Deba constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Dr Mukhtar Baba, the INEC Returning Officer who announced the result in Deba on Sunday, said Sa’idu scored 19,957 to defeat his closest rival Lano Salihu of the People Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 9,526 votes.

    Read also: APC set to win 23 seats in Edo

    He said that the election recorded 31,999 total vote cast, 1,495 rejected votes and 30,504 total valid votes.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Deba constituency has four registration areas which are Deba, Kuri, Kabawa/wajari and Nono.
    NAN also reports that the result was announced in the presence of Party Agent’s and security personnel.(NAN)

  • Adebule, ex-council chiefs win for Sanwo-Olu

    The Deputy Governor of Lagos State Dr Idiat Adebule has won her polling unit for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    At the Polling Unit 029 Devince, Iba Lagos, where she voted around 1pm, APC scored 172 votes to defeat the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with 49 votes in the Governorship election.

    APC had 157 votes, PDP, 34 in the House of Assembly election.

    Also delivering his Ashabi/ Shonuyi’s Unit in Ijeshatedo, Surulere Lagos for APC is the party’s State Vice-Chairman Hakeem Bamgbola.

    APC won the governorship election with 117 votes to defeat PDP with 38.

    The House of Assembly results showed APC with 115 votes, PDP, 43.

    Abiodun Mafe being accredited for voting

    Chairman of former Lagos State Local Government Areas (2008 – 2014) Abiodun Mafe also won his Ward G South Polling Unit 037 in Alimosho Local Government Area.

    Mafe, the former Mosan-Okunola LCDA Chairman gave Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s APC 111 votes, PDP had 37.

    APC also won the House of Assembly with 105 votes to PDP’s 32.

    Read also: INEC begins release of election results in Kaduna

    Adebule described the results as far better from what was recorded during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    She hailed APC members for ensuring victory at the unit.

    “We are able to achieve this feat because we listened to those who monitor the last election and reviewed their reports.

    ‘’We realised our shortcomings and re-strategised by intensifying more on grass root campaigns. We thank God for the result we achieved today,” she said.

    According to her, the late arrival of INEC officials affected the turnout of voters “because people returned to their homes due to the absence of INEC officials at the polling unit but as soon as they are informed that they are around, they came out to vote.”

    She advised INEC to perfect the electoral process and rectify all inadequacies that might have caused the delay in the voting process, adding “no matter how perfect an organisation will be, they are bound to have challenges, but the most important thing is for INEC to learn from their mistakes, perfect the electoral process and rectify all issues that affect smooth and early take off,” she said.

    Bamgbola said the victory at the unit showed that people still have confidence in APC.

    “They still have faith in our party to take the state to greater height and that is what we will strive to achieve. I thank all our party members for doubling their efforts,” he said.

    Mafe dedicated the victory to all hard-working members of the party.

    “Just like the former election, we all work together to achieve victory for the party despite our differences. It is a victory for collective efforts,” he said.

  • Sanwo-Olu wins in AD candidate’s polling unit

    Lagos State All Progressive Congress Governorship (APC) Candidate Babajide Sanwo-Olu has won the polling unit of his Alliance for Democracy (AD) counterpart, Owolabi Salis, in Aturanse Estate, Phase 11, Gbadada, Lagos.

    The result was announced by the Presiding Officer of the unit, Mr. Rasak at about 6: 15 pm.

    He said Sanwo-Olu polled 102 to beat his closet rival, the governorship candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP) Jimi Agbaje who clinched 60.

     Salis scored 13 while the candidate of All Democratic Party, (ADP) Rasheed Gbadamosi scored 6

    Also, APC won the House of Assembly, Kosofe Constituency seat at the polling unit with 102 votes to PDP’s 63, AD’s 8 and ADP’s 4.

    Salis said he would accept the overall results of the election if it was free and fair.

    He said the election generally had been adjudged to be peaceful in parts of Lagos, except in Mushin and Ogudu where he alleged ballot papers were missing.

    Salis said: “In my polling unit, there has not been incidence of ballot snatching and vote buying.

    “They are elites who have conducted themselves in a peaceful manner”.

    He added: “Though, I cannot talk about other places but on the field, information reaching me was that the election so far has been free and fair.

    “However, my concern is at the collation centres, if there are obvious cases of fraudulent practices, I will contest this election in court.”

    The gubernatorial candidate lamented the low turn of voters across the state, which he noted was not the best for the growth of democracy in Nigeria.

    He said that out of 777, 000 registered voters in Alimosho Area of Lagos, less than 11 per cent voted in the presidential and national assembly election.

  • Voters sell votes to highest bidder during polls –Centre

    The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) on Saturday in Abuja said voters were scrambling to sell their votes to the highest bidder during Saturday elections.

    Prof. Adele Jinadu, Chair, CDD Election Analysis Centre (EAC), while briefing newsmen said vote-buying prevailed in spite of the warning by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the anti-corruption agencies.

    Jinadu said that the centre sent out observers to monitor the elections in the states and came out with its findings.

    “On the ground, our observers reported seeing EFCC arresting people involved in vote buying, for example, the EFCC arrested some prominent party stalwarts in Benue and Kwara.

    “However, reports from our observers indicated significant role played by voters and politicians in the vote trading market.

    “The trend as we observed, is that voters are bargaining for a higher amount and sold their votes to the party with the ability to meet their demand.

    “In Polling Unit (PU) 011, Madobi Ward, Madobi LGA, Kano State, vote traded for between N3,000 and N4,000.

    “In PU 02, ward 4 Oke Balogun Epe local government area, Lagos State, party agents were seen writing down the names of voters who were expected to collect a paltry amount of N1,500 each.’’

    Jinadu said that CDD’s observers reported cases in which politicians offered ad-hoc officials’ money at the Registration Area Centres (RACs).

    “For example, in a RAC in Ikosi Senior High School, Ikosi-Ketu, Kosofe-Lagos, a presiding officer alleged that politicians offered them N5,000 each which they refused.

    “The ad-hoc staff turned down the offer but instead demanded that they should be paid N40,000 while some of them requested N20,000,’’ he said

    Read also: Be vigilant at collation centres, Ogun APC tells party agents

    Jinadu said that another worrying trend observed was that supporters of mainstream party were disguising as members of smaller parties to buy votes for their parties.

    He added that CDD gathered that agents of smaller parties were influenced to purchase votes on behalf of the dominant parties.

    Jinadu said that before the commencement of voting, a number of incidents that were capable of disrupting the election were reported by the observers.

    He said that in Benue, armed hoodlums razed down a school in Aya containing electoral materials meant for Mbalom ward in Gwer East Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

    He added that other cases were abduction of a corps member, election materials were destroyed and INEC officials were attacked, thereby, disenfranchising many voters.

    Jinadu said that in spite promises to improve the safety and welfare of corps members in this election, the day witnessed protests by ad-hoc staff who threatened not to carry out their duties until INEC cleared pending allowances.

    He said that there were also cases of killings in Ahoada West Local Government area of Rivers, Ndoni, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, Rivers and abduction of a youth corper in Etinan Ward in Akwa Ibom state.

    According to him, this is extremely disturbing, and called on security agencies to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to prevent further incidents of violence likely to negatively impact the outcome of the elections. (NAN)

  • Fayose loses Unit, ward to APC

    Former Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state on Saturday failed to deliver his polling unit and ward in his hometown Afao Ekiti in Irepodun Ifelodun local government area of the state to the Peoples Democratic Party.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) swept the ward in the House of Assembly election.

    At Fayose’s unit at St David’s Primary School , the APC candidate in Irepodun/Ifelodun constituency (2), Alhaji Hakeem Jamiu, polled 168 votes to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Sunday Omosilade, who got 26 votes.

    The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that Omosilade, who was Fayose’s personal assistant, had in a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission, signified his intention to withdraw from the race.

    He cited a lack of confidence in the neutrality of INEC to conduct free and fair election.

    His withdrawal was rejected by INEC which claimed that Omosilade remains the candidate of the PDP for the constituency. INEC said he should have withdrawn from the race at least, 45 days before the poll, as allowed under the Electoral Act.

    Also at units 15 and 003, Igbemo ward, Jamiu recorded 171 and 335 votes respectively , while PDP polled 0 in the two units.

    The former governor also lost in his Afao/Araromi ward , as APC scored 648 while the PDP got 67 votes.(NAN)

  • EFCC arrests Ogun APM Assembly candidate over alleged vote- buying

    Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)  arrested a candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) for the Abeokuta South State Constituency 1, Mr. Sotayo Johnson, for allegedly luring voters to cast their ballots for party during the governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Ogun state.
    Sotayo was  said to have been going about while election was going on, allegedly to buy votes but the Operatives of the EFCC caught and arrested him  in Ward 7, Ijaye area of Abeokuta with a polythene bag laden with one thousand naira notes.
    Witnesses alleged that the House of Assembly candidate,  stormed the ward with cash to induce voters to cast their votes for APM.
    The suspect was subsequently  whisked away by the Operatives to an undisclosed destination for questioning.

  • Buhari not against card reader – Omo Agege

    Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is not against having the Card Readers embedded in law.

    Omo-Agege made the remark on Saturday while speaking with newsmen in Orogun, Ughelli North Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta.

    The senator who represents Delta Central at the National Assembly said lawmakers would addressed the card readers issue in the 9th Assembly.

    “The challenge the president had at that time was the ECOWAS Protocol, it came very late.

    “You cannot make fundamental change in your electoral law six months to the election, otherwise Mr president was not against the spirit of the letters in that amendment,” he said.

    Omo-Agege who just won his returned ticket to the senate alleged electoral malpractices in the Saturday’s Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Delta.

    According to him, there are feelers of ballot box and results sheet snatching in Bomadi, Patani, Warri South-West and some parts Udu LGA.

    He, however, expressed hope that relevant authorities would do justice on that.

    “It will be difficult to give a comprehensive evaluation of the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Delta.

    “The information I am getting from other LGAs is not very good. It is all about ballot box and results sheet snatching.

    ” I do not think that it is good for our democracy.

    “I expect the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do the right thing at the collation level.

    “INEC made it clear that Card Readers must be used in every polling units not withstanding that the court says card reader is not part of the law.

    “Since INEC insist Card Readers must be used, it will be unfair for some to use it and others not to use it.I am hopeful that Great Ogboru will win and some APC candidates in the state House of Assembly,” he said.

    The senator commended security agencies for doing a good job noting that the election was purely a grassroots thing.

    Meanwhile, collation of results are still ongoing in most polling units in Warri South and some other parts of the state.(NAN)

  • Polls: Army arrests four in Lagos

    Operatives of the Nigerian Army on Saturday arrested four persons for electoral offences in Lagos.

    The suspects who were arrested at different locations within Ikeja, Mushin and Oshodi, were said to have conducted themselves in ways capable of disrupting the electoral process.

    It was gathered that one of the suspect was held at Onigbongbo while fighting at a polling unit by operatives of the 9 Brigade, while a soldier and one civilian were arrested at Mushin for breaching movement restriction order.

    Confirming the arrests, the Commander 9 Brigade Gen. Lagbaja Abiodun told our Correspondent that another suspect was apprehended with charms at a polling unit in Oshodi while trying to cause a fight.

    He said: “We made three arrests. One was at Onigbongbo involving a young man who was causing trouble. We arrested a soldier and a civilian around Mushin. The soldier was not on election duty and he was breaching the movement restriction order. Because he was with a civilian, it was believed they had intent to cause trouble.

    “Another man was arrested at Oshodi with charms and he was causing a fight. All the suspects are currently in out barrack and would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu on Saturday evening ordered the arrest of party officials and candidates found at ward or local government collation centres in the state.

    Muazu who described the election as peaceful, noted that the officials and candidates were violating the Electoral Act by being present at collation centres and their presence could spring violence.

    He gave the order while on tour of Ward collation centres in Ikeja Local Government Area (LGA) after observing the presence of some party officials.

    The commissioner ordered them out of the centres, directing the Police officers leading security teams to arrest anyone found in 15 minutes.

    “Each party is supposed to send a representative to the collation centres. Only the party agents are to be at the collation centres. No candidates who have contested election should be here and no party chieftain.

    “Only electoral officers bringing in results and party agents are wanted here. Any candidate or party official found here has contravened the Electoral Act and would be arrested. Arrest them and bring them to my cell. I have food to give them.

    “I do not anticipate any post-election violence. The whole exercise has been good thus far. We have seen from the polling units and now visited all collation centres in Ikeja Local Government Area and the process is moving smoothly. No problems anywhere.

    “Collation has started in the four wards we have visited in Ikeja. We have seen adequate security in those areas and we have not received complaints from any of the officers over the collation exercises.

    “I have reports of few arrests made within Lagos but I cannot give you details because I am yet to receive full reports from the Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs).”

  • Voter apathy characterises Saturday’s polls in Edo

    The Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Edo on Saturday recorded low voter turnout, in spite of the early distribution of election materials across the state.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondents, who monitored the exercise reports that there was widespread voter apathy in the areas visited.

    Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and election materials were conveyed to the polling units early in the morning.

    Some of the residents, who spoke on the low turnout of voters, attributed it to the outcome of the Feb. 23 polls in the area.

    Mr Ehi Peters, a political analyst, told NAN that the apathy in most of the polling centres might not be unconnected with the results of the Presidential and National assembly elections.

    Peters said: “Our people were disappointed with the outcome of the polls, coupled with the disappointing comments by some chieftains of the major political parties in the area.

    “Many of them had boasted that the people’s votes in the field will not decide the final result.

    “In such a situation, the people woukd become disillusioned and uninterested in the entire process, like what is happening right now.”

    NAN reports that newspaper and food vendors were seen in strategic areas of Benin city, displaying their wares and soliciting patronage.

    A food vendor, Mrs Margret Yakubu, said that voter turnout was not encouraging, compared to the last elections.

    “I am just scared because I prepared a lot of food for prospective voters, who might be hungry, while waiting to cast their vote.

    Read also: PDP will record landslide victory in A’Ibom – Senator elect

    “But if the low turnout doesn’t change, I’m going to end up incurring a huge loss.

    “My prayer is that voters would come out en masse before the end of voting today, if not, today’s sales will not be anything to write home about.

    A drink seller, Mrs Agnes Ogedegbe, described the low turnout of voters as a big disappointement “because I had envisaged I would make good profit.”

    Frank Okechukwu, who sells egg roll, however, said that some of the voters might have gone to their farms because of the previous day’s rain.

    “You know our people are predominantly farmers. They may have gone to their farms to take advantage of yesterday’s rain to cultivate crops,’’ Okechukwu said.

    NAN reports that 176 candidates from 23 political parties participated in the House of Assembly election in Edo.

    It was learnt that 1.7 million voters collected their Permanent Voter Cards.

    The major political parties jostling for the 24 constituency seats, incuded the All Progressives Party, Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, Action Democratic Party and Advance Congress of Democrats.

    Others were Alliance for Democracy, Alliance for New Nigeria and All Democratic Peoples Movement, among others. (NAN)

  • PDP will record landslide victory in A’Ibom – Senator elect

    The Senator-elect for Eket senatorial district in Akwa Ibom, Mrs Akon Eyakenyi, , has expressed hope that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will win the Governorship/Assembly elections in the state.

    Eyankenyi stated this during the counting of the votes of Oron ward 9 unit 01 in Oron  Local Government Area of the state.

    She said PDP was like a religion in the state and the massive response of people had spoken volumes.

    “Considering the level of turn out of PDP voters in the state, victory of all the PDP candidates is sacrosanct.

    “Without mincing words, Oron is PDP and by the time the collation is done, PDP will win.

    Read also: Kaduna PDP guber candidate wins polling unit

    “PDP is on ground here and today’s elections will prove to people that Oron is PDP. We are confident of victory for all our candidates especially Gov. Udom Emmanuel,” she said.

    She decried the cases of violence recorded around the area as some suspected thugs attempted to cart away electoral materials in the area.

    She commended the security operatives on ground who apprehended them and restored normalcy.

    She also lauded INEC for the massive logistics improvement in today’s Governorship and State Assembly elections compared to the Presidential and National Assembly elections conducted on Feb. 23, in the state. (NAN)