The Nation Newspaper

Category: Election 2019

  • EFCC operatives at INEC collation centre in Lagos

    Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have surfaced at the Lagos State Collation Centre for the Presidential Election, situated at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters office, Yaba.

    The 10 officials entered INEC premises before 10:00pm on Saturday night and sat under the canopy erected for the collation of Presidential results across the 20 local government areas of the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the operatives, who were wearing their aprons with EFCC inscriptions sat quietly awaiting the commencement of the final collation exercise in the state.

    The operatives were seated and fully at alert at the collation centre. Their mission was not clear.

    Speaking to NAN, a staff of the commission, who preferred anonymity, said that in his many years of service in the commission, the operatives of EFCC had never participated in elections’ result collation.

    Another official of the commission, who would not want his name mentioned in print suggested that the operatives were on ground to tackle the menace of vote selling and buying.

    Meanwhile, collations of the Presidential and National Assembly elections are ongoing in many centres and no results from any local government areas of the state has reached the final state collation centre in INEC office.

    However, the venue was scanty as at 12:00 midnight with some journalists and many security agents going in and out of the premises.

    The final collation for the Presidential elections in the state may be delayed till Sunday morning.

    NAN reports that many Registration Area Collation Officers in the Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency collation centre situated at St. Agnes Primary School, Birrel in Yaba, next fence to INEC office, were still busy with the exercise.

  • Buhari’s camp upbeat over Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Ekiti, Adamawa, Ogun

    CONFIDENCE. That was the general feeling in the All Progressives Congress (APC) last night as results of the Presidential and National Assembly elections began trickling in from across the nation.

    Leaders of the party  were particularly upbeat  at the strong showing of President Muhammadu Buhari  and the party’s national assembly candidates in Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Ekiti, Kano, Borno and Adamawa among others.

    But the party warned its supporters to be vigilant, saying the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had hatched a plan to unleash violence during collation of results of the elections.

    The PDP said it was the APC that masterminded the killings in some states.

    Early returns from the Southeast and much of Southsouth looked good for the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    Buhari and Atiku said, moment after casting their votes yesterday, that they were optimistic of winning.

    Buhari, asked by reporters in his home town, Daura, whether he would congratulate the winner in the event that he (President) lost, he said:  “I’m going to congratulate myself, because am going to win.”

    Responding to a question on his expectation in Yola, Atiku said: “I look forward to a successful transition.”

    But it was Buhari who appeared to be coasting home to victory last night on account of yet to be confirmed results.

    Some of the key backers of Atiku who were expected to deliver  votes for him failed in show of their  electoral worth.

    They include former President Olusegun Obasanjo who could only muster 18 votes for Atiku in his Abeokuta polling unit against the 87 for Buhari.

    Buhari himself floored Atiku at the former vice president’s polling unit in Yola with 186 votes to 157.

    Former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba delivered 147 votes for Buhari at his Abeokuta polling Unit while Atiku received 81.

    Another former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel who is the Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council, Southwest, delivered 137 votes for Atiku while Buhari got 88 votes.

    The governorship candidate of the party in the State and Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial district, Senator Buruji Kashamu also delivered his Sopen unit 26 in Ijebu Igbo to the PDP Presidential candidate.

    While Atiku polled 138 votes, Buhari polled 110 votes

    As we projected in our assessment of the chances of the two candidates a few weeks back, Buhari is doing very well in Akwa Ibom State where the former  Governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio delivered 1,553 votes for him  in his Ukana West 2, unit 9, Essien Udim Local Government Area. Atiku got only 11 votes there.

    Buhari also defeated Atiku 84 -80 votes in the Apapa, Lagos polling unit of the PDP governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje while it was the other way round in the Ikoyi polling unit of the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    Atiku attracted 52 votes in the unit while Buhari got 48.

    Atiku got 219 votes as against Buhari’s 68 at   the Agbaji polling unit, Ilorin of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

    In another unit at Agbaji, Ilorin, Saraki’s younger sister, Gbemi got 275 votes for Buhari while Atiku received 71.

    It was also Buhari all the way in most of the units in Ekiti, Kano, Borno, Adamawa States.

    But it seemed to be a close race in Edo State although APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole  made it 770  0  in favour of Buhari while Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu gave it all to Buhari in his Mpu units in Enugu State.

    Atiku also got 84 votes, nine more than Buhari at one of the polling units at Aso Rock Villa, and 207 votes at the Kaduna polling unit of former Vice President Namadi Sambo.

    Buhari got only  34 votes there but made up for it at Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State’s  polling unit with 453 votes to Atiku’s 80.

    Other results that came in last night are as follows:

    Owan West Unit six Ward one (Edo State)

    APC  — 124

    PDP — 90

    Kabiyesi: Ona-Ara unit (Essa B ward) (Kwara)

    APC – 290

    PDP – 64

    Kabiyesi: PU Ilesha Primary School, Ilesha Baruba  (Kwara)

    PDP=39, APC=190

    Idi Agba Polling unit 004  Ilorin (Kwara)

    APC 397

    PDP  57.

    0de imam 005 (Kwara)

    APC=195

    PDP=231

    Ward 06 (Orokere), Unit 001 (Kogi)

    APC   90

    PDP 100

    Ward 06, Unit 002 (Orokere, Kogi).

    APC 54   PDP 112

    Ward 04 (Ileteju Mopa), Unit 004 (Kogi)

    APC   43

    PDP 138

    Yagba Ward 04, Unit 003 (Kogi)

    APC  46

    PDP 131

    Yagba House of Representative:

    APC=30, PDP=76, ADC=69.

    Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School, Kubwa, Abuja, unit 006

    PDP: 953

    APC: 182

     

    APC to supporters: Be vigilant

    The All Progressives Congress Campaign Council last night issued  a security alert that about an alleged plot by the PDP to unleash violence during the collation of the  results of the elections.

    Spokesman for the campaign council, Mr. Festus Keyamo said:

    “It has come to our knowledge from insiders within the PDP Campaign Council who are making last-minute efforts to switch allegiance to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress that the PDP is currently recruiting armed thugs and miscreants nationwide to attack ward and local government collation centres this evening till the wee hours of tomorrow morning.

    “The purpose is to disrupt the collation process of the elections nationwide in order to cause crises and make this election inconclusive. As we know, most of these collation centres are usually in schools or other places that are poorly protected.

    “This is, therefore, a clarion call to all law enforcement agencies to mobilise extra armed security to protect all collation centres nationwide. We also appeal to Nigerians of goodwill and our supporters to provide standby electricity this night at these collation centres.

    Read Also: EFCC operatives at INEC collation centre in Lagos

    “We also call on all our party agents, supporters and patriotic Nigerians to stick with these election results from the various units up to the State Collation Centres. There is no cause for any political party at this stage to jubilate or be dejected. Nothing has been won and nothing has been lost. Official results have not been declared. Hence we call for eternal vigilance on the part of our agents and supporters.

    “We repeat: NOBODY SHOULD JUBILATE NOW AND ABANDON HIS/HER DUTIES. LET US KEEP OUR FEET FIRMLY ON THE GROUND AND STICK WITH OUR ASSIGNED ROLE(S) UNTIL FINAL RESULTS ARE DECLARED BY INEC.”

     

    APC killing Nigerians, burning ballot boxes, PDP alleges

    The PDP in its reaction to the conduct of the elections accused the APC of killing innocent Nigerians, and snatching and burning ballot boxes during the polls.

    The PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the unleashing of violence was the major part of the script by the APC to intimidate Nigerians and disrupt the election, in a bid to enforce President Buhari’s self-succession plot.

    His words: “President Buhari and the APC leadership must know that they are directly responsible for the killings in Rivers state, the violent snatching of ballot box and burning of electoral materials in Lagos and various other states where compromised security agents were used to directly interfere in the electoral process. “In Lagos State, the world watched in amazement as security agents aided APC thugs to invade polling centres, disrupt electoral process, manhandle voters, destroy and burnt electoral materials, including ballot papers and boxes.

    “In Rivers State, voters were shot and killed by agents of the APC in their desperation to manipulate the elections.

    “Our party is compiling a list of all infractions and the killings as well as securing the identities of all individuals who played roles in these the atrocities.

    “The PDP deeply salutes the resilience, courage and sacrifices by Nigerians, across the board, in resisting the Buhari’s anti-democratic forces and insisting that their votes must count, against all odds.

    “Nigerians, across the country are exceptionally upbeat in their resolution to vote out this incompetent, divisive, vengeful, violent prone and corrupt APC administration, despite the machinations of the Buhari Presidency.

    “This election has shown President Buhari and in particular, certain individuals in Lagos state, who thought that they were emperors, that the will of the people is bigger than them. The APC turned the election into a war but Nigerians have shown that nobody can suppress their resilient spirit.

    “The PDP therefore calls on INEC to ensure that all votes count as Nigerians are following all the figures from the polling units.  Having come thus far and after making huge sacrifices, Nigerians will never accept any result that does not reflect the reality of their already expressed wishes and aspiration at the polls.”

    House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara   won his polling unit at Gwarangah in Bogoro, Dass, Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State for Atiku with 285 votes as against 15 for Buhari.

  • 20 killed as violence rocks polls

    No  fewer than 17 people were killed across the country yesterday as violence erupted during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    The army confirmed six in Rivers State alone.

    Three of the victims died at different polling units at Okota, a suburb of Lagos, and three in Sapele, Delta State, two each in Bayelsa and Kogi States while one each was killed in Oyo and Zamfara States.

    The remaining two died on Friday during a clash between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State.

    Sequel to the violence, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has decided to hold   fresh elections in some parts of  Lagos, Rivers and Anambra States.

    INEC Commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, announced the development said the move was on account of disruption.

    He said: “The commission has received reports of violence and ballot box snatching in some areas leading to the disruption of the process. We have asked the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs and the Electoral Officials on ground to submit their firsthand reports in relation to some of these incidents. We are still receiving reports relating to incidences in some states of the federation but we have received reports relating to incidences in Akuku Toru and Bonny local government areas of Rivers state.

    “So long as the commission could not deploy in these areas, the implication is that voting did not take place in those areas and the commission will hold consultations with the relevant authorities and the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in relation to these areas and will announce the date when polls will take place in some of these areas, especially in relation to the areas as they affect the House of Representatives and Senatorial elections.

    “It is not only in Rivers that we had reports of burning of electoral materials. We have such reports from Anambra and Lagos States as well as some other places.”

    The victims in Rivers State included two brothers and a soldier.

    Sources identified one of the victims in Lagos simply as Peter. He was said to be a barber and was allegedly   shot and stabbed to death at Powerline, Canal Estate in Okota  by thugs who stormed the polling station in an attempt to disrupt the electoral process.

    Another was identified as Demola, a leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in the area who was lynched by a mob for allegedly denying them a right to vote.

    The identity of the third man could not be immediately established, but he was stabbed to death at Last Bus Stop, Ago Okota.

    Residents alleged that the thugs first showed their intent as early as 8am when they stormed the area threatening prospective voters.

    They blamed the police and soldiers for not acting on reports about the activities of the alleged hoodlums.

    An eye witness said: “Those guys were armed with guns and cutlass. We had policemen and soldiers here and I personally told them that those guys seated under the umbrella there were thugs and not voters in this area.

    “We told them to do their job by chasing them away or arresting them but surprisingly, the security people left. They only left one police van here and the policemen inside had just stick.

    “As soon as those policemen and soldiers left, these boys started scattering everywhere. They destroyed the ballot boxes but we were able to secure the presidential ballot box because we had voted.

    “They killed one barber and injured many people here. We called the police and soldiers for reinforcement. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials ran away for their lives. Soldiers later came to rescue them.

    “But why we are angry now is that the INEC doesn’t want to continue our election. They said they will not count our votes here and we have refused. There are police and soldiers here, so, let them count the votes of our presidential election. At least, they could not scatter that.”

    Some of the hoodlums also stormed polling unit 023, Ago Palace Way, and set fire to   thumb printed ballot papers.

    However, the voters fought back and the thugs fled on a motorcycle.

    One of them was however unlucky and was subsequently seized with his motorcycle which was immediately set ablaze.

    The suspect was beaten and later handed over to the police.

    Ten others were arrested also at Okota.

    The police arrested nine other suspected thugs at Somolu, Lagos for allegedly molesting voters with charms, six in Epe, three at Ajao Estate, Lagos.

    Soldiers arrested two persons at Aguda, Surulere, Lagos.

    One of the suspects Yusuf, said a politician asked him to come to a polling unit for an unknown reason.

    Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) David Folawiyo and Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu went round the city to monitor the security situation.

    Leader of OPC in Okota, Prince Osipote, denied the thugs who disrupted elections in the area. He said they were not members of the OPC.

    Addressing reporters after a meeting with his men, Muazu said a total of 23 persons were arrested in the state for attempts to disrupt the elections which he described as generally peaceful in the state.

    He said: “We went round several polling units and it was generally peaceful. We had a few cases of disruption of election process. The most important was the one at Okota where few polling units were attacked.

    “Some hoodlums went there when election was ongoing and disrupted the process. We heard the rumour that people were killed but we went there and we did not see any corpse. The DPO did not see anyone that was killed.

    “In Okota, nine suspects were arrested. They came on motorcycles and 10 of these were recovered. Okota is a very large area and we cannot deploy armed policemen to polling units. The armed policemen were far off. That was why the hoodlums were able to strike and fled before armed policemen could get there.

    “It is indeed a breach of the restriction order. I wonder where they came from but the case is under investigation and we will find out where they came from.

    Three killed, two injured in Sapele shooting

    Unknown gunmen were blamed for the killings in Sapele.

    Sources said the hoodlums swooped on voters as they queued to exercise their franchise at Amukpe area of Sapele and unexpectedly opened fire.

    Two persons died on the spot while another died in the hospital.

    Two other persons hit by bullets are now receiving treatment in the hospital.

    The motive of the gunmen could not be immediately established.

    A resident of the area said: “I’m not sure they carted election materials away, but I saw that the ground of the place was littered with electoral  materials, giving me the impression that they only scattered the materials.”

    Police Commissioner Adeleke Adeyinka said he was yet to be briefed on the incident.

    But a security source said: “immediately we heard of the situation, we moved in to take over the area so as to stabilize it and prevent a further escalation of the situation.”

    APC chieftain, brother soldier killed in Rivers

    Unknown gunmen also shot to death, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chief Mowan Owo-Ete, and his brother.

    They were killed in the politician’s residence at Asarama, Andoni Local Government Area at about 9am.

    Owo-Ete, a former Vice-Chairman of PDP and ex-Special Adviser to Governor Nyesom Wike on Political Matters, defected to the APC last October.

    The gunmen were said to have scaled the fence of the house and rained bullets on them at close range.

    It was learnt that Owo-Ete had narrowly escaped assassination shortly before the February 16 elections were postponed.

    It was also gathered that a soldier was killed in Abonema

    Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed through the telephone, the death of the top politician and his elder brother, stressing that personnel of the command were on the trail of the killers, while expressing optimism that they would soon be arrested and prosecuted, to serve as a deterrent to other criminals.

    There  were also sporadic gunshots in  Ubima, Ikwerre LGA of Rivers, hometown Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi; Okrika, hometown of former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan; and Bonny Island making it impossible for the Electoral Officer of INEC in LGA, Eze Ukachukwu, to distribute voting materials.

    Abonnema, hometown of governorship candidate of APC, Pastor Tonye Cole, and his counterpart of Accord Party, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs also had its own share of violence.

    It was gathered that the heavy shootings in Abonnema started on Friday night and continued till yesterday morning, with the intention of scaring INEC officials.

    Information Commissioner Emma Okah, claimed that 15 PDP members were shot dead by soldiers in Abonnema.

    But the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division of Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Maj.-Gen. Jamil Sarham, dismissed Okah’s claim as a lie.

    Maj.-Gen. Sarham, speaking through the division’s Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, said: “Policemen were unable to contain the situation in Abonnema, leading to the deployment of soldiers. Voting could also not start at 2 p.m. in Bonny LGA. The elections in Akuku-Toru and Bonny LGAs will be rescheduled for a later date.”

    Wike hailed INEC for the prompt distribution of electoral materials across Rivers State in yesterday’s elections.

    Rivers governor, who was accompanied to the voting unit by his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette, spoke with reporters shortly after voting at his Ward 9, Unit 7, Obio/Akpor LGA of the state at 12 noon, however, blamed the military for the challenges experienced in some parts of the state.

    The Nigerian Army last night confirmed that six people were killed by troops in Abonnema, Akuku Toru local government area of Rivers State.

    Read also: EFCC operatives at INEC collation centre in Lagos

    It also added the Army lost a lieutenant in the encounter when suspected attackers laid ambush for troops at a compound in Abonnema town.

    The spokesman of the Army, Colonel Sagir Musa said in a statement that the attackers barricaded a major road in the town and when troops attempted to clear the debris the attackers opened fire on them.

    Colonel Musa said:”Information reaching Headquarters of Nigerian Army (NA) revealed that troops of 6 Division on a legitimate duty of protecting lives and properties of law abiding citizens and ensuring a conducive environment for peaceful conduct of 2019 General Elections in Abonnema, Akuku Toru Local Government Area (LGA) Rivers State were attacked by some hoodlums.

    “The pre-planned attack occurred in between Charles and Bob-Manuel’s compounds in Abonnema Town at about 1:00pm on the 23rd February 2019.

    “The attackers barricaded a major road into the town and laid an ambush in the adjoining built-up areas from where they opened fire on our unsuspecting troops when they attempted to remove the barricade.

    “The gallant troops fought their way through the siege and in the process killed six of the assailants.  However, we lost a lieutenant in the encounter.

    ” Preliminary investigation indicated that one Roland  Sekibo, – the Chairman Akuku Toru LGA, Omodo – the CSO Akuku Toru LGA and  Kenneth of Kula currently at large were the masterminds of the unexpected/ unprovoked attack.

    “To this end, the NA strongly hereby state that perpetrators of this ambush will be made to face the full wrath of the law.”

    Armed men kill Govt House photographer, PDP chairman in Bayelsa

    A Yenagoa Government House photographer, Mr. Reginald Dei, and a ward chairman of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) Seidougha Taribi were the victims in Bayelsa State.

    They were allegedly killed by armed men in military uniform  at Oweikorogha, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area òf the  State.

    Sources said they were killed in their houses at the close of voting yesterday

    The State Chairman of PDP, Chief Moses Cleopas blamed the APC for the killings.

    Moses had said that thugs identified to be working for the APC with the support of some soldiers had besieged the Bassambiri and Oluasiri axis of Nembe Local Government Area, where they engaged operatives in a shootout all night on Friday.

    According to him, the attackers lost a member in the attack while several others were injured and taken to the Hospital in Ogbolomabiri and Yenagoa.

    He stated further that the rampaging APC thugs hijacked the electoral materials for the seven wards of Bassambiri and Oluasiri to a building for thumb-printing.

    Two killed in Kogi East

    Thugs killed two persons in Anyigba, Dekina local government of  Kogi State while attempting to disrupt voting in the area.

    The victims lost their lives  at the Ajetachi polling unit when thugs stormed the area.

    They were said to have been shooting indiscriminately, killing the victims one of whom was a nineteen year old boy, simply identified as Usman.

    A woman who was on the queue to cast her ballot was seriously injured.

    At Agbeji, thugs who invaded two polling unit tried to force the Presiding Officers (PO) to sign completed result sheets.

    The POs however refused, and took to their heels, resulting in the disruption of the exercise.

  • Three killed, two injured in Sapele

    No fewer than three persons were feared dead at a polling unit in Amukpe area of Sapele, Delta State during yesterday’s elections. Two others were badly injured.

    Eye witnesses described the assailants as political thugs.

    They said the suspected thugs unexpected swooped on the voters who were queuing to vote and opened fire.

    Two died on the spot while three others who were hit were rushed to the hospital. One of them however died.

    A resident said: “I’m not sure if they carted election materials away, but I saw that the ground of the place was littered with election materials, giving me the impression that they only scattered the materials.”

    Read Also; 20 killed as violence rocks polls

    The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeleke Adeyinka, could not confirm the incident, saying he wanted to get across to the people on the ground in Amukpe to ascertain the truth.

    But a reliable security source said: “immediately we heard of the situation, we moved in to take over the area so as to stabilize it and prevent a further escalation of the situation.”

    Meanwhile, voting was relatively peaceful in most other polling units as voters were seen casting their votes. For instance, Sapele ward 7, units 7 and 8, along Ugberikoko Road, voters were still casting their votes at 2:09pm.

  • Ndoma-Egba wins polling unit, Buhari also

    The senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, won his polling unit Akparabong in Ikom Local Government Area.

    The former Senate Leader polled 295 to beat Dr. Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 35 votes. The results were a combination of two voting points at the Playground Mkpanjem polling unit with code 003.

    Read also: Ogboru votes, says Buhari’ll be president till 2023

    In the same polling unit in the Presidential polls, President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC scored 171 votes, while Atiku Abubakar of the PDP got 146.

    For the Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency, House of Representatives polls in the polling unit, Victor Abang, of the APC scored 125, while the PDP candidate and incumbent, Chris Agibe, got 29 votes.

  • APC, PDP in tight race in Edo

    The All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party are neck to neck in the Presidential and national assembly Elections in Edo State.

    No official results have been announced as collation of results was still going on at each Ward.

    Former Governor Adams Oshiomhole and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress thrashed  the PDP at his polling unit at Iyamho and Governor Godwin Obaseki won at his polling unit at Emokpae primary school.

    Elections were generally peaceful across Edo State except in some polling units at Egor where ballot boxes were set ablaze.

    Those that spoke hailed the conduct of the elections.

    In some areas, there were initial malfunction of the card readers but they were later rectified.

    In Edo South where Senator Matthew Urhoghide and Patrick Obahiagbon are in the race, unofficial results showed there were no clear winner yet.

    For the House of Representatives seat on Ovia Constituency, Dennis Idahosa of the All Progressives Congress maintained a lead in his stronghold while Barr. Omosede Igbinedion held on to Okada, her hometown.

    Hon Ehiozuwa Agbonnayima took the lead in Ikpoba-Okha while his opponent, Jude Ise-Idehen, is said to win in some wards in Egor.

    Edo State Commissioner of Police, in charge of elections, Dan-Malam Mohammed, who visited several polling units in company of the lnter-Agencies Consultative Committee on Elections warned policemen not to allow anybody enter INEC office.

    Read Also: Ogboru votes, says Buhari’ll be president till 2023

    His words: “Make sure you work with the names on your list. You know lNEC office is very vital during collation of results, make sure it is properly secure.”

    A visit to the Edo College, in Ward 8, in Oredo Local Government in units 27 to 30,  the security agencies made up of Army, DSS, Custom, NCSDC, lmmigration and others to verify the situation on ground, the PDP and APC agents complain about shortage of sensitive materials like ballot papers and other logistic plights to the police.

    ln Udo, Ovia South West, ballot boxes were snatched and a suspect was arrested with arms and ammunition.

    Police spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor confirmed the arrest.

  • Large crowds, peaceful elections in Cross River

    In Cross River State the presidential and national assembly elections witnessed an unprecedented turnout of voters.

    In spite of the crowds that came out to exercise their votes, the elections were relatively peaceful.

    A voter at polling unit 15 along Etagbo Street in Calabar in the southern district of the state, Mr. Joe Ogar, commended the exercise.

    He said he did not expect the polls to go as smoothly as it had.

    “We voted freely and even finished in time and the votes are comfortably being counted as we speak. The method of accreditation and voting at once is excellent as it made the process much faster. It is a good exercise,” he said.

    Even in the central district of the state always notorious for election violence the polls went smoothly.

    In Ikom Local Government Area, where our reporter monitored the exercise, crowds had started gathering at the various polling units in preparation for the exercise.

    Even the northern part of the state, where, Governor Ben Ayade comes from had a calm election.

    Ayade expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the elections, describing the exercise and turnout as both peaceful and massive.

    Read Also: I’ll accept result if poll is credible -Atiku

    Accompanied by his wife, Linda, he arrived Kakum Town Hall, Ipong polling unit, Obudu, with registration area code CR/09 at about 11:05 where they voted.

    However, there were pockets of incidents of issues as late arrival of materials, card reader issues, mix up of election materials and violence.

    For instance in Ikom, vehicles to transport materials to 25 polling units and 64 voting points under Ikom Urban area were not available until around 12pm. In the confusion a couple of result sheets were mixed up. The problem was however sorted out but a lot of time was wasted.

    In some polling units in Calabar like Ward 12 Unit 44 voting did not commence till about 1pm.

    In Imabana in Abi Local Government Area of the state, there were reports of an APC agent being stabbed.

    However, generally, the elections in the state seemed a success, especially against the background of the experience of previous elections.

  • Smartcard reader rejects Dogara’s finger-print

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, was on Saturday rejected by the Smart Card Reader at his Gwaranga primary school polling unit of Gwaranga town in Bogoro Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

    A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent reports that Dogara arrived the polling unit at about 9:44 a.m., but the Card Reader failed to authenticate his finger-print, as a result of which he had to use the authentication form to vote.

    His wife, Mrs Gimbiya Dogara, however voted smoothly without any hitch.

    Read Also: Dogara is a sinking man, says Bauchi gov

    Speaking after casting his vote, the Speaker commended the orderly conduct of the elections at his polling unit.

    He said that he was not aware of how the exercise was going on in other places, but added that if the situation were the same in other units, then INEC had done a good job.

    Dogara expressed optimism about his chances of winning a re-election to the House of Reps.

  • Elections: We are tired of violence – FCT community

    Gishiri residents in the FCT at Unit 024B, Estate 11 Gishiri village, who voted peacefully at the Presidential and National Assembly elections, said they heeded advice to vote in spite of challenges because they were tired of violence.

    The challenges range from absence of INEC staff to some people with voter cards not finding their names on the register.

    Mr Umaru Ibrahim, a voter, said he was told to go to Gwarimpa or Jabi, few kilometres, to check his name.

    “There’s no movement so how can I go to Gwarimpa or Jabi? I voted here in 2015 how come the name disappeared today,” he queried?

    Elizabeth Joseph had the same story to tell.

    “How can they say my name is not on their register when I voted in this same place in 2015?

    “No INEC staff is here to talk to but only NYSC ad-hoc staff who can not help us. If they say we should not vote we will peacefully go home and rest.”

    When NAN spoke with the ad-hoc staff, they said that they did not receive any response from all their calls to INEC.

    They said that they were instructed not to allow anyone whose name was not found on the register to vote.

    The residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that they endured the long queue and the scorching sun, simply to vote for candidates of their choice.

    Two party agents from the PDP and APC who pleaded anonymity, said they encouraged their party faithful to remain calm even in the face of the challenges.

    NAN reports that the turn out of voters was massive, with heavily armed police presence.

    The INEC ad hoc staff arrived at 8.02am and accreditation and voting started 9 at a.m. for the 1698 accredited voters with PDP winning at the two units.

    At unit 024B for the Presidential result, PDP had 217 while APC got 42.
    For Senate:
    PDP 228
    APC 43 while for the House of Representatives, PDP got 219 against APC’s 47 at Unit 024D
    For President, PDP got 392 while APC had 51

  • We‘ll cancel polls where ballot boxes were snatched – REC

    Mr Mike Igini, the Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), says the commission will cancel polls in units where ballot boxes are snatched in the state.

    Igini said this while addressing newsmen on the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom on Saturday.

    “We are able to deliver ballot papers and result sheets in various polling units apart from few that have one challenge or the other.

    “What I can tell you emphatically is that there is no election, where there is snatching of ballot papers or result sheets are taken to private homes or somewhere to thumb print.

    “We will not accept it, those things are not going to work here and we are not going to accept it. Those areas will stand as cancelled and we will take them as non events,” igini said

    He however, said that the conduct of the elections was not completely 100 per cent, adding that elections did not start accordingly in few centres in the state due to some challenges.

    Igini said the commission had learned lessons and promised to improve on the governorship elections.

    He added that the commission was able to deliver election materials to all polling units across the state.

    Igini said the elections were paradigm shift, saying that Akwa Ibom had not been conducting elections in the past.

    He expressed displeasure over irregularities in some local government areas in the state.

    The REC said that there were little skirmishes in some local government areas, including Ukanafun, Ikono and Oron.

    “It is for us to study what has happened and I am also waiting to see the number of arrests that has been made by now.

    “This thing that happened is deliberately done by politicians, thugs and conspiracy, we want to see if security personnel will be able to arrest culprits in connection to the disruption we saw,” igini said.

    Read Also; PDP leads Gwarimpa, Life camp polling units

    He said that some politicians massively resisted the enthronement of free, fair and credible elections that the commission tried to ensure, hence the issues.

    Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Odiko MacDon said that no casualties had been reported.

    He however, said that the command was waiting for the announcement of the election results, adding that there and then, there may be some skirmishes.

    MacDon described the election as peaceful and that Akwa Ibom people came out en mass to cast their votes.