The Nation Newspaper

Category: Election 2019

  • No card reader, no vote, says Kaduna INEC, Police

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the State Police Command have the read riot act to the voters in Kaduna State.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Alhaji Kaugama Abdullahi has warned that there will be no voting without card readers.

    The Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Abdulrahman also warned those who have no business to move around on Election Day to stay off the streets.

    The INEC boss and the Police Commissioner addressed a joint press briefing at the INEC headquarters in Kaduna on Friday.

    Abdullahi said all INEC ad-hoc staff are drawn from higher institutions and that they are men of integrity who are equally capable of handling the election processes.

    He assured the issue of late arrival of election materials to some polling units and wards have been taken care of, adding that 8,012 card readers have been dispatched for the elections.

    The REC said: “The card reader is election itself, no card reader, no voting.

    “This is just to let you know that card reader operators were given refresher training.

    “We have 34, 000 Ad-hoc staff to conduct the elections and out of this figure, 10,000 staff are members of the NYSC, while the rest number are from other higher institutions.

    “Our staff are people of high integrity who capable to conduct the election process.

    “We sourced them from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, so they are capable for the election jobs.”

    According to the police commissioner: “We have finished our deployment, we have banned food vendor from poll unit areas in order to stop them from the likelihood of accommodating vote-buyers.

    “We have ordered for good number of helicopters to hover around the State during the election.

    “We will pick anybody wandering about without PVC and keep him or her where necessary until the election is over.

    “We have equally banned members of the vigilante from coming out with dangerous weapons during the election.

    “In fact, we have arrested 34 of them so far, they look deadly”.

  • Aworis urged to vote Sanwo-Olu

    Awori Concerned Elders (ACE) in conjunction with Awori Welfare Association of Nigeria has urged all its adults to vote the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Saturday.

    At a conference in Lagos, the spokesperson of the group, Prince Adeniyi Jafojo said Sanwo- Olu was the best of all the candidates, noting that it would mobilize the indigenes to vote the candidate.

    He added that Awori people have been supporting APC right from inception.

    According to him, voting the APC was not only politically wise but would give room for the entrenchment of the party’s progressive policies.

    Read Also: Group backs Sanwo-Olu

    “The Awori concerned elders have reviewed the political situation in Lagos State since inception, therefore it has been considered expedient that a directive to all Aworis to vote the APC is very appropriate.

    “The continuation will facilitate a smooth take off of the new government and sustain the existing political landscapes,” he stated.

  • Prophet predicts victory for Ekere

    An elder in The Apostolic Church and a newspaper distributor, Mr. Effiong Etukudoh, has predicted the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer governorship election, Obong Nsima Ekere, will win Saturday’s governorship election in Akwa Ibom State “based on the word of God”.

    Etukudoh said in an interview with The Nation in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the Lord revealed to him as far back as 2017 that Ekere will emerge as the governor of the state in 2019, a time the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was not even in contention for the position.

    He said: “What I want to tell you is that when God says this is what is going to happen, nobody can stop it.

    “The PDP in Akwa Ibom plays politics of blindness, because they close their eyes to the realities of the day.

    “I got this revelation in 2017 and I told people here that Nsima Ekere would become governor of Akwa Ibom State on 2019.

    Read Also: Ekere loses council to Atiku, PDP

    “By that time, he had not even mentioned that he was going to contest in 2019.

    “So, when the primary came last year, everybody expected Senator John Udoedehe to win the ticket, because he is somebody that is well known.

    “But, I told them that the person that would emerge as the APC flag bearer is Nsima Ekere.”

    The prophet said the APC candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will carry the day just as his Sokoto State counterpart, Ahmed Aliyu, will triumph in the Northwest state.

    His words: “In Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu will win. This is because Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is the godfather of Lagos politics.

    “Tinubu is the only man that has played politics according to the rules of the game, hence he has succeeded so far.

    “In Sokoto, APC will win, but Delta State is a battleground. In Imo State, Governor Rochas Okorocha is insisting that his son in law, Uche Nwosu, will win, but I don’t know about that, because it is not even certain that elections will hold in Imo tomorrow.

    “The problem that will rear its head will be like that of Akwa Ibom State: the election will not be hitch-free like the presidential and National Assembly elections.”

    Etukudoh said when he predicted in 2018 that former President Olusegun Obasanjo would be retired from politics in 2019, because his candidate will not win, people did not believe him, because he is a commoner.

    “Nobody believed me, but it has come to pass,” he added.

  • Polls: Military won’t engage in reprisal attack, says DHQ

    The Defence Headquarters ( DHQ ) on Friday assured Nigerians that no reprisal attack would be carried out by the military following the attack on its personnel in Rivers State during the Presidential and National Assembly elections two weeks ago.

    The Acting Director of Defence Information, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu said at a media briefing in Abuja that politicians should, however, ensure that there is absolute peace in their domains in Saturday’s elections.

    An officer and three soldiers were killed during the last elections.

    He said the briefing was necessitated by the need to re-emphasise the directive of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Abayomi Olonisakin that military personnel should carry out their right of voting the candidates of their choices within the ambit of the law.

    Colonel Nwachukwu said: “I wish to welcome members of the Press to this media briefing on the forthcoming Gubernatorial, State House of Assembly and the FCT Area Councils elections.

    “The Defence Headquarters wishes to use the opportunity provided by this press briefing to reiterate that the role of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) in the on-going elections is to support the Nigeria Police in ensuring that Nigerians are able to perform their civic obligations in a peaceful and secured environment.

    “Let me also add that this role is enshrined in Section 217 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, which stipulates that the AFN could be deployed to assist the Nigeria Police in maintenance of law and order during elections.

    “In carrying out this onerous task, the AFN is guided by the Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement (ROE) that have been provided for military personnel deployed to maintain security during elections.

    “It is crucial to re-emphasize the directive of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, that while military personnel have the right to perform their civic duty of voting as provided in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, they must approach their polling units in civilian clothings, devoid of any military accoutrements.

    “Additionally, any military personnel who is not on election security duty found in military uniform on Election Day will be arrested and sanctioned in accordance with the military justice system.

    “Likewise, all military Commanders have been tasked to ensure that sanity prevails in their respective Areas of Responsibility.

    “These assigned tasks include arrest of anyone in military uniform who is not on election security duty on the Election Day. Likewise, any civilian caught in military uniform will be treated as an impostor.

    “At this juncture, let me commiserate with the families of those who lost their lives during the last Presidential and National Assembly elections. It is imperative to state that no one deserves to lose his or her life during elections, be it personnel of security agencies, civilians, electoral officials or observers, both local and international.

    “The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) therefore urges all politicians and their supporters to embrace peace and conduct themselves within the ambit of the law.

    “Despite the unfortunate attacks on our personnel by political hoodlums during the last election, the AFN, as a professional and reputable institution, wishes to reassure the public that no reprisal attack will be carried out by any military personnel, Unit or Formation.

    “We assure all Nigerians that in tandem with our mandate, we will continue to compliment and support the efforts of the Nigerian Police in ensuring that all law abiding citizens of this nation and members of the international community go about their legitimate duties and obligations in an environment devoid of violence and insecurity.

    “The DHQ once again solicits the support and cooperation of all Nigerians and the media toward the sustenance of peace and security before, during and after the elections.

    “We also enjoin members of the public to report any suspicious person or activities likely to undermine the security of our nation to security agencies for prompt action.”

  • We’ll win all 24 seats in Edo Assembly – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State said it hoped to won all the 24 available seats in the Edo State House of Assembly.

    It said it was well prepared for the House of Assembly elections.

    State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lawrence Okah, who spoke with our reporter, said the party was satisfied with the preparation of INEC.

    In Edo Central which is the bastion of the PDP, a chieftain of the APC from the zone, Mr. Victor Eboigbe, told the Nation that the APC would crush the PDP in today’s polls.

    Eboigbe said the APC has campaigned and sensitised the people of Edo Central on the need to have 24 APC lawmakers in the assembly.

    In the 2015 election, the APC won three out of the five six Assembly seats in Edo Central.

    Read Also: ‘APC has sacrificed enough for Lagos’

    According to Eboigbe, “We will do very well in Edo Central. We will win all the six seats this time around.”

    Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, decried the PDP for expressing fears over voters’ apathy.

    Osagie said the PDP was fond of making excuses and spreading lies when electoral defeat awaits it.

    According to him, “The state is prepared. Edo people are well energised to perform their civic duties.

    “Edo people will come out in their large numbers to vote. Security agencies are there to protect lives and the ballot boxes.”

     

  • Updated: Polls: A’Ibom INEC office sets ablaze

    …as Police beef-up security

    Barely 24-hours to the governorship and House of Assembly elections, hoodlums have set ablaze the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) office at Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

    The incident, according to the Akwa Ibom state’s INEC Director in-charge of Public Affairs, Mr. Don Etukudoh, occurred during the dawn hour of Friday at about 3:00 am.

    According to him, an explosive device was thrown into the building which ripped the roof open and substantial damage done to the walls with several card readers burnt.

    “From our findings, the place was attacked with explosives because we noticed huge damage done to the walls and the roof completely shattered.

    “We have been able to order several cards readers from the neighbouring states and we are presently configuring them in readiness for the elctions”, he said.

    In the same vein, Electoral Officer (EO) for Ibesikpo Asutan, Mr. Victor Inyang, said the polls would go on as planned as no ballot papers were destroyed by the fire.

    “They thought the election materials were kept in the store”, he added.

    The incident, he added, would not deter the conduct of the polls in all the 177 polling units in Ibesikpo Asutan on Saturday as other sensitive and non sensitive materials other than the card readers were not affected by the inferno which was timely put off by quick intervention by men of the state fire service.

    Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Oficer (PPRO), DSP Odiko Macdon, said “the Commissioner of Police, Sani Kaoje, is aware of the incident and has detailed senior Police operatives to investigate the incident”.

    He added that the incident has forced the Police to beef-up security around all INEC offices and centres across the state.

    “We are investigating to ascertain whether it was a clear case of arson, and when the investigations are completed, we will let the world know our findings and those found culpable will be made to face the law no matter how highly placed”, he assured.

  • Oyo: 42 candidates jostle for governorship seat

    659 for House of Assembly seats

    A total of 42 candidates are in the race for Saturday’s governorship election in Oyo State while 659 others are jostling for the 32 seats in the House of Assembly.

    Though some parties have adopted the governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Adebayo Adelabu and His Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival SETI Makinde, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) told The Nation that such adoptions are party affairs which have nothing to do with its arrangements for the election.

    INEC’s Head of Voter Education and Publicity in the state, Mr Ayodele Folami, said the logos of all the parties which fielded candidates were already printed on the ballot papers, stressing that votes cast for such parties would still be recorded accordingly.

    READ ALSO: PDP cautions INEC against declaring Oyo South Senatorial election inconclusive

    He said as far as the commission was concerned, 42 parties fielded governorship candidates for the election.

    The INEC spokesman also disclosed that all sensitive materials had been successfully distributed to all the wards, adding that they would get to polling units before 8:00 am tomorrow. He disclosed that distribution started early Thursday morning to councils in far distances after which the materials for closer ones followed.

    With the early and smooth distribution of the materials, Folami said voting is expected to start 8:00 am across the state tomorrow as scheduled.

    He said: “From all signals, election will start 8:00 am tomorrow. No delay is anticipated. All is set for the election with regard to both men and materials.”

     

  • We won’t tolerate abduction of electoral officials- Security Chiefs

    Heads of  security agencies in Imo state, including the Army, Police, Navy, Immigration, Air Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, Department of Security Services and the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NDCDC), has warned that it will not tolerate  abduction of electoral officers by any person or group of persons during  the governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    They advised anyone planning to compromise the election in any form to have a rethink or face the wrath of the law.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Dasuki Galadanchi, who spoke on behalf of other security Chiefs, said that “nobody would manipulate the electoral process”.

    He noted that the security operatives were committed to seeing the electorate vote for candidates of their choices without any form of molestation from any person or group of persons.

    According to him the joint operation by the security Agencies with strategic meetings by the INEC REC would ensure that the elections are violent free.

    Read Also: How Adhoc staff sabotaged election in Imo -REC

    According to him,  “in conjunction with head of security Agencies, we have finished our strategic meetings with INEC. I can assure that the election would violent free. We want Imo people to vote without molestation.”

    The CP said that issues of kidnapping of electoral officials which characterized the last Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state would not be tolerated on Saturday.

    He said that those who were seeking to undermine the electoral processes would be dealt with according to law, even as he opined that the joint patrol teams of all the security Agencies would on duty on the election day.

  • PDP targets 15 seats in Edo Assembly

    The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) said it is targeting to win 15 seats out of the 24 available seats in the Edo State House of Assembly.

    It said it hoped to take control of the assembly with a view to entrenching good governance.

    Spokesman for the PDP in Edo State, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, who spoke in a chat with our reporter said the party was worried about the turnout for the polls on Saturday.

    Nehikhare said the party was worried over voters apathy in the polls.

    He said the voters turnout might be low because the people were not happy about the results of the February 23 general elections.

    His words, “We are worried about the turnout becae the people believed the result of the last election was not a true reflection of their votes.

  • Election: Police bar hunters, vigilantes, from Polling units

    … deploys over 5000 personnel for Bauchi poll

     

    The Bauchi State Police Command has barred all quasi security agencies, including vigillantes and hunters from polling units , saying only statutory security agencies recognised by law will be allowed to provide security at Saturday 9th gubernatorial and House of Assembly election in the state.

    Important personalities and politicians were also barred from going to any polling unit with security details as well as moving from one polling unit to another on the day of the election.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ali Aji Janga made this known on Friday while briefing Journalists of the Command’s preparedness , at his office, ahead of the election.

    CP Ali Janga assured members of the public that the Police has put in place adequate security measures and will provide a level playing ground for all political parties for the smooth conduct of the exercise.

    He further urged parents, traditional rulers, Religious leaders, opinion leaders and guardians to prevail on their children and subjects not to allow themselves to be used to cause disturbance of public peace before, during and after the elections as anybody arrested in the act will face the full wrath of the law.