The Nation Newspaper

Category: Verdict 2015

Election in Nigeria 2015

  • ‘Card readers working across Lagos’

    A fortnight after the presidential election, Nigerians went to the polls again to vote for governors and state lawmakers.

    However, unlike the last election, the electronic card readers functioned effectively and the accreditation went on smoothly in many polling units visited across Agege, Ogba, Egbeda, Idimu and environs.

    By 11: 00am many voters had been accredited at most polling stations visited.

    However, there was confusion at Ward 041 on Ailegun Road, Ile Epo Bus Stop, on Ejigbo Road.

    The voter list from the Independent National Electoral Commission omitted some names and the presiding officer said his deputy had gone to collect the missing list.

    This made some voters stop the exercise.

    They claimed the move was a ploy to disenfranchise them.

    A voter, Patsy Usman, said, “over 400 names are missing on the list. We cannot vote like that.”

  • Large turnout of female voters in Yobe, Borno

    Large turnout of female voters in Yobe, Borno

    There has been high turnout of female voters across Yobe State for the governorship and house of assembly polls.

    Though the general turnout is averagely low, our correspondent observed that most of the voters seen on queue were females.

    Some of the INEC officials explained that the turnout will improved as the accreditation progresses, attributing the turnout to bad weather.

    “You can see, it’s too early to say there is low turn because the people are yet to come out. The weather is also bad today,”  the official said.

    Voters accreditation however  started early in most of the polling stations visited at the IDPs voting camps in Damaturu, Tarmuwa and Dapchi local government areas.

    Accreditation began at about 8.00am in some of the polling station.

    In maiduguri, the Borno State capital, accreditation is going on peacefully with voters queuing up for accreditation.

    Many people were pleased with the efficacy of the card reader as against the last election.

  • Lagos restriction may extend to 8pm – Mbu

    Lagos restriction may extend to 8pm – Mbu

    The restriction on human and vehicular movement may be extended from 5pm to 8pm on Saturday.

    The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Mbu Joseph Mbu, gave this indication during a visit to the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, Mr. Akin Orebiyi, in his office.

    The police chief said the peculiarity of the state makes it imperative to take this preemptive action in order to ensure that there is no breach of security in the state during and after the polls.

    As part of security measures put in place by police authorities, Mbu disclosed that three commissioners of police would be in charge of security in the state’s three senatorial zones.

    He added that the commissioners would be held accountable if anything goes wrong within their areas of jurisdiction.

    The AIG appealed to residents of the state to maintain peace, warning that he would not tolerate any attack on his men.

  • Militants abduct APC chieftain’s mother in Warri

    Militants abduct APC chieftain’s mother in Warri

    The mother of Chief Ayirimi Emami, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, was abducted and beaten to pulp on Friday evening by armed thugs, allegedly working for a former militant leader and Peoples Democratic Party enforcer in Warri South West local government area of Delta State.

    Mrs. Elizabeth Emami, was on her way to Ugborodo, an Itsekiri riverside community, when she was snatched by the gang. She was only released after the intervention of a Brigade Commander of the Nigerian Army and an officer of the Nigerian Navy in the area, who moved in to restore sanity in the area.

    Emami, a former Chairman of the PDP in Warri South West local government area, who moved to the APC with scores of his followers, told our reporter that the attack was aimed at stopping him from going to his Ajudaibo, Ugborodo community to mobilise and vote for the APC.

    “My stepmother was attacked at Kurutie community by three speedboats in a manner similar to the attack on 14 journalists last November. She was abducted and taken to a location and was only released after the intervention of some security operatives.

    “Several persons identified as my supporters and members of the APC going to cast their votes in Ugborodo were severely beaten and tortured by the gang and their sponsors who are afraid of losing the election.

    “The driver of one of the boats is battling for his life due to the torture he suffered. This is a desperate ploy by our opponents within and outside my area to intimidate me and my supporters,” Emami told our reporter in a telephone interview.

    Our checks revealed that the votes from Ugborodo and other Itsekiri communities in the area are considered very strategic to the emergence of all winners of the last four governorship contests in the state.

  • Voter apathy mars elections in Cross River

    The huge voter turnout which characterized the Presidential and National Assembly elections two weeks ago was absent in the Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Cross River State on Saturday.

    In several polling units visited across the state, the electoral officers were just idle as voters were not coming out to get accredited and vote.

    In other units there were just scanty voters.

    A voter who chose to stay back said he did so because he did not believe the election would be free and fair.

    “Just like me, other voters don’t have any faith in this election. They don’t believe it would be free and fair.

    “Why would people come out to waste their time when they know very well the election would be rigged?

    “People came out en masse in the last election because there was some faith that the election would be free and fair and that their votes would count. But after seeing the results of that election, they just lost faith in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who they believe is just working in favour of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

    “So they just feel they should not waste their time and rather stay home and rest,” the voter told our correspondent.

  • Polls: Series of complaints in Akwa Ibom, Delta

    The Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom on Saturday experienced series of complaints ranging from insufficient ballot papers to failure of Card Readers to recognise finger prints.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), however, reports that there was large turnout of voters in most of the polling units for accreditation.

    Electoral officials, materials and security agents were all available and accreditation of voters started in most polling centres as early as 8.45 a.m.

    In Etinan Local Government area, at Urban Ward 1, Unit 006, the INEC officials complained of inadequate ballot papers, claiming they got 650 papers as against 750 needed.

    An APC party agent at the unit, Mr. Iniobong Jackson, said that the party faithful would not allow voting in the unit until all materials were provided.

    Another complaint of non provision of result sheets was made at Northen Iman Ward 2 in the local government area.

    At 9 a.m., the NYSC members conducting elections at QIC Primary School in Awa Ward 1, Onna Local Government Area, had yet to begin accreditation, complaining of non-payment of their allowance.

    In Uyo Local Government Area, Ward 2, Unit 9 on Ikot Ekpene road, the polling officials complained of slow speed of card readers and non-recognition of finger prints.

    Card readers in Ekong Street, Ward 2, Unit 25, were, however, not configured for the day’s activities.

    Therefore all accredited voters in March 28 elections were rejected by the machine for having been accredited earlier.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Austin Okojie, told NAN that all INEC officials had been instructed on measures to take to curb any challenge encountered in the elections.

    “They are to use incident forms and resort to manual accreditation, where the card readers fail,” Okojie said.

    In Delta, NAN reports that accreditation of voters began at 8 a.m. in Asaba, with voters turning up at various polling stations for the exercise.

    At Uzoigwe Primary School, Ward 9, Oshimili South Local Government Area, accreditation started on schedule in the 14 polling units.

    The Presiding Officer in Ward 9, Unit 1, Miss Uzamere Odion, said that the exercise started as planned and was going on smoothly.

    NAN reports that the card reader in unit 11 of the ward malfunctioned and the voters agitated over the situation.

    One of the voters, Mrs. Ngozi Agada, said that she had been in the polling station since 7 a.m. and would not leave until she got accredited.

    The Presiding Officer, Mr Chijioke Eze, said the device malfunctioned and that he had informed INEC headquarters, Asaba, about it.

    At St. John Bosco’s Catholic Church (Ward 8) and Umudaike (Ward 8) both in Asaba, accreditation started at 8.05 a.m. and the card readers were used.

    At Abuato Primary School Asaba, (Ward 5) the exercise commenced on schedule in the five units at the polling station.

    It was the same situation in Ward 6, units 3 and 4 at Ibusa in Oshimili North Local Government Area.

    However, electoral officials turned up late with voting materials in Yuwuren College (Ward 5) in Warri South Local Government Area.

    The Electoral Officer in the local government area, Mrs. Fidelia Omoile, said the materials were distributed on Friday.

     

  • Ballot box snatching in Epe, Etiosa, Yaba

    … Shooting in Ogudu

    The Executive Chairman of Epe local government area of Lagos State, Hon. Ahmed Seriki, has alleged that there were reported cases of ballot boxes snatching at Ibeju Lekki area of the state.

    “We received a report from Ibeju Lekki that ballot boxes were snatched from INEC officials. I’m trying to get in touch with the Area Commander, to ensure that police gets there to keep peace, because we learnt that PDP thugs snatched ballot boxes from INEC officials, to prevent them from going to their polling units. This can lead to chaos in that area; that’s why I’m alerting the police,” he told The Nation.

    Also, shooting and snatching of ballot boxes had also been reported in some parts of Ogudu, Yaba and Etiosa areas of the state.

  • Low voters’ turnout in Ikorodu

    Low voters’ turnout in Ikorodu

    Voters turnout at most poling units in Ikorodu and its environ is very low. In most of the polling units visited by The Nation at Ikorodu, specifically in Owutu, Agric, Igbogbo, Ibese and other areas, party agents complained of low voters’ turnout.

    The security situation is very relaxed as private vehicles, okada and Keke NAPEP operators move freely and convey voters to polling stations without any security agent asking them question.

    Party supporters were seen giving money to voters in some of these areas.

    A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (name withheld) was seen inside police vehicle moving from one polling unit to another to give money to voters.

     

  • INEC accredits Tambuwal

    INEC accredits Tambuwal

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at polling unit 011 Shiya Jna of Tambuwal in Sokoto State accredited Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal.

    He was accompanied by a retinue of aides and a surging crowd of supporters to the polling unit.

    The speaker had on Friday urged eligible Nigerian voters to turn out enmass to vote for candidates of their choice in a peaceful manner.

    He appealed to voters to consolidate the peace that was recorded in the presidential election of March 28.

    He said: “I am appealing to Nigerians this time around (Saturday 11th of April) for eligible voters to come out enmass and peacefully to cast their votes and elect candidates of their choice. I believe we should be able to build on what we started last week of having a very peaceful election in Nigeria.”

    Tambuwal spoke with journalists in his Sokoto residence.

    As 21 candidates jostle for the Sokoto State governorship seat, Tambuwal, candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), said he was “very ready, good to go. By the grace of God victory is assured.”

    He commended the former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar for championing the signing of peace pacts among candidates of different political parties.

    The speaker, who noted that he was very impressed about the way the committee conducted its affairs, stressed that the former head of state has immotalized his name.

    His words: “I commend members of that committee, especially Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar for writing their names in gold for calming frayed nerves of stakeholders that were kind of interfaced. And we have seen the results and I commend them for that.”

  • NSCDC deploys sniffer dogs for election in Osun

    The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Osun on Saturday deployed sniffer dogs in polling units across the state to detect Improvised Explosive Devices (IDEs).

    Alhaji Tajudeen Balogun, the NSCDC Commandant in the state, told newsmen that the dogs would not disrupt the electoral process but would only detect explosive devices.

    He said they were well trained and had been part of the corps team for sometimes, adding that they were being deployed for the elections due to security situation in the country.

    The commandant said the dogs were trained to detect what the ordinary eyes could not see, saying that they were being deployed by all state commands.