The Nation Newspaper

Category: Election 2019

  • Re-run elections: Exercise hitch-free in Bauchi

    Reports across the 15 Local Government Areas of Bauchi where supplementary elections are being conducted indicate hitch-free exercise, with impressive turnout of voters, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    Checks across some of the polling units in Bogoro, Alkaleri, Darazo, Toro, Dass and Ningi indicated that turnout of females was more than that of males.

    At Mallargiji polling unit in Bogoro, a Presiding Officer, Mr Dapirep Panmunjom, told NAN that proceedings were smooth and that the conduct of voters was impressive.

    An election observer, Mr Umar Babaji, commended voters and party agents for their orderly conduct.

    He said that in spite of the massive turn out, the exercise was being conducted peacefully without hitches.

    The same atmosphere prevailed in polling units visited by NAN, which witnessed high security presence.

    The re-run is taking place in 36 polling units spread across 15 Local Government Areas in the state.

    The local government areas are Alkaleri, Bogoro, Darazo, Dass, Gamawa, Ganjuwa, Itas-Gadau, Jama’are, Katagum, Kirfi, Misau,Ningi, Shira, Toro and Giade.

    The outcome of the supplementary election and that of Tafawa Balewa Local Government, which collation had to be suspended on the orders of a Federal High Court, are required to determine the winner of the governorship election in the state.

  • Delta monarchs hail Okowa’s reelection

    The traditional institution in Delta State has congratulated Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on his re-election.

    The monarchs, led by the Chairman, Delta State Traditional Rulers Council and also the Obi of Owa, HRM Emmanuel Efeizomor II at Asaba at the weekend paid a congratulatory visit to the governor on his reelection at the polls.

    But Okowa maintained that the peace in the various communities provided the enabling environment for his administration to deliver democratic dividends which translated to his electoral victory.

    The governor while thanking the traditional rulers attributed his victory at the polls to the traditional rulers who created the enabling environment in their kingdoms for his administration to execute projects that endeared him to the hearts of Deltans.

    He said, “I appreciate you, our traditional rulers for this visit, I thank you for your support for my administration; you have given us peace and the enabling environment which made us to work; your positive message to your people, our people over the years made victory at the elections easy and made the elections peaceful as the people came out with the sole purpose of voting for us.”

    Continuing, “the support you have given us these past years was the push that made a lot of Deltans to come out and vote; I appreciate you, I appreciate our people, Deltans; it is a thing of joy that the state was peaceful before the elections and when the results were announced, they took to the streets to celebrate their victory, our victory; some are still organising thanksgiving and it gladdens my heart more that the state is very peaceful after the elections; I want to assure you and all Deltans that as a government, we will remain focused to deliver more dividends of democracy in the next four years starting from May 29.”

    The governor also addressed some of the issues raised by the traditional rulers, stating, “Nobody has the right to appoint himself as a traditional ruler; you cannot be a traditional ruler over a kingdom that does not exist; I will not support illegality, there is a process of creating kingdoms and emergence of traditional rulers.”

    He called for the support of the traditional rulers as his administration moves to make the state stronger and exemplary within the next four years.

  • PDP wants Kano governorship re-run election cancelled

    …says thugs have taken over process

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the re-run governorship election ongoing across the 28 local government areas of the state, alleging that thugs have taken over the process.

    The Acting Chairman of the party, Rabiu Sulaiman-Bichi, made the call while addressing a news conference in Kano on Saturday.

    Bichi said there was need for the commission to cancel the election as the process had completely been taken over by armed political thugs.

    “Today this charade called re-run election was slated to hold in Kano and other states but unfortunately, what we have in Kano is nothing but a sham.

    “Reports reaching us since yesterday indicated that thugs have allegedly been mobilised to take over all the 208 polling units,”he said.

    According to him, the thugs were allegedly brought from Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau and other neighbouring states and were “armed to the teeth” posing as voters in the polling units in the localities.

    The chairman alleged that the thugs freely voted with the PVCs that did not belong to them, while some posed as INEC staff.

    He said as a peace-loving party, the PDP had alerted security agencies in addition to writing a Letter of Caution to the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state on the situation. (NAN)

  • APC candidate optimistic of winning Keffi East constituency re-run

    Mohammed Wada, the APC candidate for Keffi East constituency seat in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, says he is optimistic of clinching the seat after the ongoing supplementary poll.

    Wada stated this on Saturday, while speaking in an interview with newsmen in Keffi.

    He also commended the electorate for their peaceful conduct during the exercise.

    “I want to call on my supporters to remain calm and be law abiding because

    I am sure of victory,” he said.

    Also speaking, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim, APC member-elect for Keffi West constituency, expressed optimism that Wada would win the seat.

    Makera polling unit at Angwan Rimi ward of Keffi, is the only voting point where the rerun was being held.

    On March 10, INEC declared the result of Keffi east state constituency inconclusive.

    The Social Democratic Party (SDP), candidate, Abdullazi Sule, is leading APC’s Wada with 97 votes, while 1052 votes were canceled and are being contested in the ongoing rerun.

    Sule scored 7234 votes, while Wada had 7137 in the result earlier collated by INEC.

  • Impressive turnout at Lokoja 1 supplementary poll

    The supplementary House of Assembly election is going on peacefully in the four polling units in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.

    As at 7:30am, voters were observed at the polling units watching with keen interest as Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) officials prepared the exercise.

    Our correspondent reports that the turnout was impressive at the three polling units where the house of assembly rerun election is being conducted in Ward D.

    Member representing Lokoja 1 state constituency, Alfa Imam, at the Cantonment Polling unit in Ward B, expressed satisfaction with the turnout of voters.

    He lauded the people of Lokoja for their orderly conduct.

  • Kano re-run: Turn out impressive

    Voting commenced early in,Kwanar Tan Darius,Gama Tudu and Gama Sabuwa in Gama B ward at around 8.30am.

    A visit to some of the wards in Nassarawa and Dala local government areas by our reporter, indicated that security was beefed up in all the area that was tagged as a political war zone for the re-run poll.

    The turnout of the poll was generally impressive as voters especially women came out enmess to exercise their civic right.

    Hajiya Hauwa Abubakar and Ali Sani of Gama Suntulma Primary School polling unit said they cast their votes successfully.

    Read Also: Kano re-run: Agents clash over vote-buying

    INEC officials were seen busy accrediting voters and party agents were seen present at the places of the supplementary elections.

    The general mood of the Kano metropolis was peaceful and calm as the public had complied with the directives given by the Nigeria Police in Kano restricting movement from 6am to 6Pm.

    However, party agents clashed at Gama. Wards,with 83 polling units , they were busy soliciting for votes to smart each other.

  • Nasarawa rerun:Keffi East constituency witnesses mass turnout of voters

    A large turnout of voters has been witnessed in the ongoing rerun election to determine who will represent Keffi East in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly.

    A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), who visited Makera polling unit at Angwan Rimi ward, the only voting point where the rerun was being held, found many voters waiting on the queue to vote.

    NAN recalls that on March 10, INEC declared the result of Keffi East Constituency inclusive. The SDP candidate, Abdullazi Sule, was leading his APC counterpart, Mohammed Wada, with 97 votes, while 1052 votes were cancelled.

    Sule scored 7234 votes, while Wada had 7137.

    Mr Bala Kabiru, a voter, who spoke with NAN, expressed happiness with the orderliness of the process.

    “I am happy that I have just voted. I have voted the candidate of my choice,” he said.

    Musa Salisu, another voter, said that the conduct of the election was satisfactory.

    “I voted around 8: 40am and I am happy that I did that on time and can go home to do other things.”

    Miss Aisha Aliyu, another voter, also expressed happiness with the conduct of the exercise so far.
    She expressed optimism that the exercise would be peaceful

  • Supplementary election going on peacefully in Plateau – CP

    Plateau Commissioner of Police, Isaac Akinmoyode has said that supplementary election in the state was so far going on peacefully.

    Akinmoyode said this on Saturday in Jos in an interview with newsmen when led top security personnel to monitor the election.

    According to him, so far the election is going on peaceful in all parts of the state.

    “We hope that it will be peaceful till the results are collated and the winner is declared.

    “We have adequate security personnel at every polling unit where election is ongoing.

    “People should not be afraid of the security, they are there to give them confidence to come and vote.

    “The security are here to protect the people, they are here to secure INEC staff and materials,” he siad.

    On shutting down of the entire state for just 40 polling units where elections are taking place, Akinmoyode said that measure was to ensure peaceful and successful election.

    He said that the command had credible information that some people were planning to interfere with the process.

    The CP said that it was better to sacrifice a day to get what we want than to fail.

    Akinmoyode said that there was likelihood that people may move from areas where elections are not taking place to cause trouble where elections are holding.

    “We have security report and it behoves of us to take the right decision or allow the thing to happen before we start running helter shelter,” he said.

  • Re-run election: Journalists escape lynching in Kano

    Some journalists covering the Supplementary Governorship election in Kano State on Saturday escaped lynching by some suspected thugs at Suntulma Primary School in Gama ward of Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state.

    NAN reports that the journalists who were in the area to monitor the poll, were chased out of the place by the hoodlums.

    Trouble began when some of the newsmen tried to interview some voters who were denied access into the classrooms where some of the polling units were stationed.

    While trying to flee the troubled area, some of the journalists fell on ground and one of them (Name withheld), had to take refuge in a nearby Mosque in order to save his life.

    NAN also reports that some of the reporters had their clothes torn by the thugs.

    Speaking to newsmen, some voters alleged that they were not allowed to exercise their franchise as they were chased out of the area.

    One of them, Comrade Aminu Tijjani, said he went to the primary school to cast his vote at his polling unit but had to return to escape the hoodlums’ attack.

    “The situation is very bad and this is not how to conduct an election where people or voters are denied the opportunity to vote,” Tijjani said.

    Read Also: Sokoto rerun: Party agents, supporters exchange blows

    Another voter, Sani Abdullahi, said he came to vote as early as 8 a.m. but was scared away by the suspected thugs numbering about 10.

    Meanwhile, voting has commenced in other affected polling units across the 28 local government areas of the state.

    NAN reports that the re-run election is being conducted to decide the winner between two candidates – Abba Kabir-Yusuf of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 1,014,477 votes, and incumbent Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who got 987,810 votes in the first poll conducted on March 9.

    The margin between the candidates stood at 26,655 votes in favour of Kabir-Yusuf.

  • Sokoto rerun: Party agents, supporters exchange blows

    The supplementary elections at Rijiya “A” 004 polling unit in Sokoto South local government was almost marred by chaotic atmosphere with attendant rowdiness, tension and anxiety resulting to exchange of blows between supporters and agents of the two major political parties.

    It took the presence of the Commissioner of police, Mr Garba D. Muhammad and his men to control the situation.

    A source told The Nation that the situation was sparked by attempt from an agent of one of the major contenders to engage in alleged vote buying.

    ” The agent was negotiating at N10,000 per vote,”c he said.

    Inspite of the tight security, the exercise at the polling unit with no fewer than 405 registered, created a chaotic atmosphere which almost overwhelmed security agents deployed to the unit.

    However, the polling unit was already speculated to be a tough spot where the contest was kin during the general elections.

    Besides, materials and INEC officials were prompt with smart card readers functioning smoothly in most polling units visited.

    It was gathered that voters had filed out since 6am at the polling units with large turnout of women to exercise their franchise.

    The state Commissioner of Finance, Saidu Umar who spoke at the scene of the exercise urged security agents to remain vigilant to ensure the smooth conduct of polls.

    Similarly, Professor Aisha Isah Madawaki said the process commenced orderly and peaceful but at a point, the scenario became tensed and the exercise almost got disrupted.

    However, larger attention by the two contending political parties, security and other stakeholders is shifted to Kebbe and Gada respectively due to the high number of polling units.

    The two local governments have the largest concentration of registered voters unit 35 and 29 polling units respectively totaling 64.