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Category: Nigeria Decides 2023

Nigeria Decides 2023

  • NSCDC confirms one personnel dead in crash

    NSCDC confirms one personnel dead in crash

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has confirmed the death of one of its operatives Corps Assistant II Abdusalam Roqeeb from Lagos State Command in a road accident.

    It said the accident occurred on Friday 24, February at a sharp bend at Giri junction, Abuja while five other personnel who sustained injuries are presently receiving treatment in a hospital.

    The accident involved an NSCDC-branded vehicle conveying authorised identification tags meant for personnel on election duty in Lagos, the Spokesman of the Corps, Olusola Odumosu said in a statement.

    Odumosu said: “Following the unfortunate incident, the Commandant General (CG) of the Corps, Dr Abubakar Audi, commiserated with families of the deceased, Lagos State Command and the entire Corps.

    “He assured that, in line with his commitment to staff welfare, the Corps’ management will take very good care of the injured and bear full responsibility for their treatment to ensure their full recovery and safe return to their families.

    “However, it is expedient to correct the erroneous impression created by some online reporters, blogs and media outlets that the personnel involved in the accident was conveying election materials.

    “The Corps is a non-partisan and apolitical organisation, hence, has no business conveying election materials as speculated in some quarters.

    Read also ; Election: NSCDC deploys 2,350 personnel in Jigawa

    “The items that were scattered on the road at the scene of the accident in the video shared online were election identification tags meant for Lagos Command personnel on election duty before the unfortunate incident and not ballot papers or PVCs.

    “The CG prayed for the repose of the soul of the gallant officer who died and soonest recovery of others in the hospital.

    “The officer has been buried according to Islamic rites. “

  • One feared dead as crisis erupts in Kogi

    One feared dead as crisis erupts in Kogi

    One person has allegedly died following a crisis that led to the disruption of elections in Dekina Local Government Area in Kogi State.

    Some parts of the council like Anyigba, Dekina town and Abocho were said to have also witnessed the destruction of election materials deployed to the area by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    According to an eyewitness report, one Akaihaba was said to have been shot dead while attempting to snatch ballot boxes at Agwudoko area in Anyigba in Dekina Local Government.

    Read Also ; Kogi Gov Bello votes in Okene

    At Udaba-Dekina, ballot boxes were said to have been destroyed by unknown gunmen who were allegedly sponsored by a woman who retired from one of the local government councils in Kogi state

    The Tudunwada polling unit in Dekina town was said to have been destroyed by Ann allegedly sponsored group.

    It was however learnt that voters in other parts the local government like Egume, Ojikpadala, Abejulo-Egume, Acharu were voting peacefully.

    The Police Public Relations Officer of the Kogi State Comman, William Aya was yet to pick calls to either deny or confirm the report.

  • Ayade laments late arrival of materials

    Ayade laments late arrival of materials

    Cross River Governor Ben Ayade has expressed sadness over the late arrival of voting materials in some areas of the State for Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Ayade, who voted by 14.08.pm, at Polling Unit 033, Ipong Ward lamented his people were at risk of being disenfranchised owing to the delayed arrival of materials.

    The late arrival of materials was also reported in some polling units in Calabar South and Calabar Municipal. In Ward 9 unit eleven, the BVAS malfunctioned and was not replaced until 3.10 pm.

    Speaking at his polling unit, Ayade said: “Well I am surprised that I have just cast my vote at about 2:08.pm. We didn’t have materials until 1:pm and when the materials did arrive, there were no INEC staff available to attend to voters.”

    Read Also ; Cross River chairman dies, Ayade mourns

    To ensure no one is disenfranchised, the Governor appealed: “I hope INEC will allow every single person who has come here to vote to do so without being institutionally disenfranchised.”

    The situation was different in Abi’s local government area, the hometown of Dr. Betta Edu, the National Women Leader of the APC.

    Edu, who voted before noon expressed delight at the peaceful conduct of the exercise, stating the turnout also had been huge.

  • Tinubu’s wife wins polling unit

    Tinubu’s wife wins polling unit

    Senator Oluremi, the wife of the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has won her Polling Unit 034  at  Falomo, Lagos.

    In the poll results announced at the polling unit, APC polled 60 votes as against 3 by the PDP and 42 by the Labour Party (LP).

    Read Also: BREAKING: APC’s Tinubu wins polling unit

    In the Senatorial election, APC scored 68 votes to defeat PDP,  which polled  26 votes. The Labour scored zero.

    In the House Representatives election, APC got 62 votes while PDP scored 14 votes and LP scored 29 votes.

  • Tinubu wins at Gov. Makinde’s polling unit

    Tinubu wins at Gov. Makinde’s polling unit

    The presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has won at Unit 1, Ward 11, Abayomi, Iwo Road, Ibadan North East LG, where Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde voted. 

    Tinubu polled 104 votes to beat his closest rival Peter Obi of LP who polled 82 votes. The PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar polled 27 votes.

  • Tinubu will win, unite Nigeria – Shettima

    Tinubu will win, unite Nigeria – Shettima

    Vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Kashim Shettima has expressed optimism his party will emerge victorious in the presidential election.

    He spoke after voting at his polling unit, Shettima Kukawa, polling unit 023, Lawan Bukar, Lamisula Ward, Maiduguri Borno State on Saturday. 

    The former Borno Governor said Nigerians needed to unite for the greater good of the country. 

    He said: “I believe by the Grace of God, the candidate that will emerge as president is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu but winning is one part of the job, the long journey is formational unity and progress for our country.

    “God will grant him the wisdom and the courage to unite this nation. This is our wish. These are our prayers.”

    There was a delay in the voting process at the polling unit caused by the absence of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission. 

    Read Also: BREAKING: APC’s Tinubu wins polling unit

    Around 10 am, the vice presidential candidate of the APC visited his polling unit but there were no officials of INEC on the ground. 

    Shettima, who was welcomed by a crowd of supporters at the polling unit close to his family home, drove away after interacting with the people.

    He was accompanied by Borno Governor, Babagna Zulum to the polling unit. 

    Speaking after casting his vote, the vice presidential candidate noted that there was a need to give INEC the benefit of doubt, saying it was too early to start saying things that would create panic.

    He said: “I do not want to pass judgment because it is too early and as a political leader I must have the patience….

    “I do not believe in such, to administer 176,000 polling units is not an easy task, we have to give INEC a benefit of doubt, we believe it is too early to start saying things that would create panic.

    “I believed INEC is pragmatic enough to extend the voting time up to six pm

    or to even 10 pm, right now there are some communities that are struggling to cast their votes but we are optimistic that they exercise their franchise at the end.

    “Nigerians are essentially one people with a commanding destiny, they need a leader like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed who has generosity of spirit, maturity, exposure and experience to lead the country. 

    “We are democrats, we believe in democracy and we are going to win this election.”

    The vice presidential candidate urged the opposition to accept the outcome of the election results, which he noted would promote peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.

    Voting was still going on in most polling units as of the time of filing this report at 4 pm.

  • BVAS malfunctions in Amosun, Osoba’s polling units

    BVAS malfunctions in Amosun, Osoba’s polling units

    Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) malfunctioned during the ongoing presidential and National Assembly elections at the polling units of former Ogun Governors Chief Olusegun Osoba and Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

    But, while Amosun eventually scaled through after several trials at his Ward 6, Unit 8, Itoko, Abeokuta South Local Government, Osoba was not that lucky as the machine neither recognised his face nor his fingers. 

    The development delayed the voting process at the units.

    Osoba, who hailed the voters for their peaceful comportment and large turn out, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),  to see to improving on the technology.

    According to him, it was unfortunate that he couldn’t cast his vote after several trials, adding such occurrence could instigate disaffection and violence.

    But, he said, as an elderstateman, he had accepted the situation.

    “Notwithstanding my inability to vote due to the technical issue relating to the BVAS, I am, however, happy that the turn was impressive.  

    “I am equally happy for the peaceful comportment of the voters despite the slight challenges here and there.

    Read Also: BVAS fails to accredit Dogara

    “And I am hopeful that at the end of the day, our party and presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will win the contest at first ballot.

    “I voted with this same card and the same voting booth in 2019, and there wasn’t any issue. I wonder, why this issue now that we claimed to have advanced in technology,” the APC chieftain lamented.

    But, a very large crowd, welcomed Amosun to his polling unit in ward 6, unit 8, Itoko, in Abeokuta South Local Government.

    The BVAS machine in the unit malfunctioned for several hours.

    As of 11.30am, the electoral officers at the unit had only succeeded in accrediting only 8 voters.

    The former Governor who queued for accreditation alongside several others who had thronged the center to exercise their franchise.

    The Abeokuta South Federal Constituency candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Afolabi Afuape, also voted at the same unit. 

    Afuape had to waits for a while before he could be accredited and eventually cast his vote.

    Officials of INEC said the commission has to replace the BVAS due to malfunctioning. 

  • Minister Adegoroye wins polling unit

    Minister Adegoroye wins polling unit

    Minister of State for Transport, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, has won his polling unit in the presidential and National Assembly for the APC.

    In the presidential election, APC scored 144, the PDP had nine votes while LP got 17 votes.

    Read Also ; BREAKING: APC’s Tinubu wins polling unit

    For the Senate, the APC scored 119, PDP got 52 and LP had one vote.

    In the House of Representatives, APC got 109 votes, PDP garnered 56 votes and LP got one.

  • Results may be announced today- Oyo REC

    Results may be announced today- Oyo REC

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo State Dr Adeniran Tella has assured the result of Saturday’s election would be ready earlier than the previous exercises.

    Tella said this while addressing some reporters in his office after monitoring the exercise.

    He said BVAS has changed the game and reduced processing time which will make the result ready earlier than in previous elections.

    Read Also : Ortom kicks as EFCC arrests campaign director with N100,000

    He said: “Part of the election procedure that the BVAS comes with is the uploading of the election result on the INEC server. That means that we have got the result.”
    He said what is left is for the result to be easily collated and announced which should not take an unnecessarily long time to complete.

    “This implies that we are going to declare the winner as soon as possible. I can assure you that we are likely to announce the result later today if there are no unforeseen hitches.”

  • Gov Sanwo-Olu wins polling unit

    Gov Sanwo-Olu wins polling unit

    Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has won his polling unit (Unit 006, Ward E3, Lagos Island) for the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) in the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    PRESIDENTIAL:

    APC – 86

    PDP – 03

    LP – 05

    SENATE:

    APC – 90

    PDP – 11

    YPP – 02

    REPS:

    APC – 90

    PDP – 11

    ADC – 03