The Nation Newspaper

Category: Verdict 2015

Election in Nigeria 2015

  • Results in Jonathan’s unit delayed

    Results are yet to be announced in the Unit 39, Ward 13, where President Goodluck Jonathan voted.

    Voting was still ongoing as at 8pm.

    When the last person on the queue voted, the electoral officer announced that counting would begin.

    But a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agent, who gave her name as S. Otazi, complained that several people were yet to vote.

    She said some went home when there were hitches and could return to vote.

    The electoral officer then stopped the counting and returned the ballot papers to the boxes. Only about three more people voted afterwards.

    At about 9pm, the electoral officer said the unit, in front of President Jonathan’s country home, was becoming unsafe and that they were relocating to a “safer place”.

    An Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ad-hoc staff told our correspondent that they were moving to the collation centre where the result would be announced.

    “It could be announced this night or tomorrow morning, but I’m not sure,” he said.

     

  • APC condemns election violence in Gombe, Rivers

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the violence perpetrated against its members in Gombe and Rivers State during Saturday’s elections, saying violence has no place in any democracy.

    In a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party in particular condemned the collusion between INEC and the PDP, aided by the security in Rivers, saying that what transpired in the state is nothing but a travesty of elections.

    ”INEC practically handed over the elections to the PDP in Rivers, depriving APC strongholds of men and material. In Okrika, materials arrived and were taken to the home of the State Secretary for PDP Ibibia Walter, while all units in Ahoada East and Omuma LGAs do not have result sheets. To worsen matters, PDP thugs unleashed mayhem on APC voters, killing one member in Tai Local Government and harassing a serving Commissioner.

    ”Simply put, there was an orchestrated, massive disenfranchisement in APC strongholds,” it said.

    APC also condemned the killing of eight of the party’s members, one of them a serving member of the House of Assembly, in Gombe State on Saturday, saying it was aimed at intimidating its members and preventing them from coming out to vote.

    The party also said there is a plan to rob former Governor Danjuma Gombe of victory in his senatorial district, as the military commander and the police commissioner in the state are trying to orchestrate a crisis so they can arrest the former Governor and put him away.

    It therefore called for an end to the violence, harassment and intimidation of its members in the state.

  • Gun wielding thugs snatch ballot boxes in Ebonyi

    Gun wielding thugs have evaded some polling booths at Nwakpu market square in Onunwakpu Ikwo LGA carting away electoral materials.

    The PDP Deputy guber candidate, Kelechi Igwe is from the ward.

    Our reporter who was in a convoy of journalists monitoring the election witnessed the incident.

    The hoodlums wielding AK 47 riffles emerged from the bush and shot into the air to scare voters and officials away before snatching the materials.

    No police patrol vans were seen in the area for long kilometres of the road fueling anxiety that the hoodlums may perpetrate same action at other polling units along the road.

    Similar incidents were witnessed at Nsokara in Ezza South LGA.

    An eyewitness told our reporter that hoodlums shot into the air scaring voters.

    Electoral officials were said not to be keen on continuing with the exercise because of the exercise.

    The member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Constituency, Tob Okwuru said the attacks were perpetrated by the PDP.

    Lt Col Felix O Alaita in charge of Nkwagu Military Containment of the Nigerian Army said he has mobilised to the area and normalcy has returned.
     

  • Igando: Police whisk INEC officials away as election fails to hold

    INEC adhoc officials assigned to Ward 17 in Igando area of Lagos State have been whisked away by the police.

    Elections did not hold in the area following the inability of the Supervising Polling Officer (SPO) to provide presidential ballot box and sufficient materials needed for the election.

    The SPO was alleged to have been involved in some malpractises using the materials.

    He was brought to the polling centre twice by the DPO who was accompanied by armed policemen.

    The DPO did not make official statement.

    She only assured the angry crowd that she would bring back the SPO with the said materials.

    Other remaining officials were taken away after the police returned the second time at about 6:30pm.

    The voters thereafter left one after the other hoping that the election would hold Sunday.

    Akinyemi, an APC agent at the unit described the development as worrisome.  ”The INEC officials came by 12 noon and started accreditation by 1pm. By 3pm they said they wanted to end accreditation. They said the card reader was programmed to terminate by that time.

    “As I am talking to you not more than 300 voters were accredited out of over 6,000. We are in the dark about what is really happening. Neither the police nor INEC officials addressed us, “he said.

    Darlighton Obi, the PDP agent, said:  We have 600 people accredited today out of over 6,000 registered voters. The problem we are having is INEC because the parties are working together to make sure there is peace.”

    The white bus containing electoral materials that conveyed the INEC officials and three ballot boxes were abandoned at the centre leaving the police officers around to stay back and watch over them.

  • Peaceful election in Nasarawa

    The Presidential and National Assembly general elections in Lafia, the Nasarawa State Capital and its environs was peaceful.

    Voters besieged polling units as early as 6am.

    Our Correspondent, who monitored the exercise, said the accreditation of voters, which ought to have commenced by 8: a.m, did not start until 11 a.m, due to late arrival of elections materials.

    In some of the polling units visited, which included Akuruba ward, unit 013; Shiroma ward, unit 31, as well as Gayam ward, unit 01 and Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura’s unit, Lungun Wambai, the voters abided by the rules and regulations guiding the electoral process.

    Some of the voters also said the exercise was peaceful and the card reader was working perfectly.

    The governor, Tanko Al – Makura was accredited at 11 :45am at his polling unit, Lungu Wambai.

    He voted at 6:14 pm.

    Voting was still ongoing, Gayam wards; KS Pada polling unit, Lungu – Wambai, Eke, Doma, Rukubi, and other parts of the state as at the time of filing this report.

    He said: “I am impressed with the calm, the orderliness and the commitment of the people to exercise their rights to vote.

    “It did not take me long to vote. The process is so seemless, the process is so simplified and I believe this is the best elections we have had in recent times.”

    In Keffi, the hometown of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, accreditation exercise commenced as early as 8:30am.

    In most of the polling units visited which include Kadarko, Kofar Hausa I and II, Kofar Sarki and Marmara, all the card readers were performing optimally.

    Sen. Adamu was accredited at GRA 009, keffi, in less than a minute due to the efficacy of the machine.

    At Marmara polling unit, Laming ward of Nasarawa local government, the Board of Trustees secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sen. Walid Jibrin and hundreds of voters were accredited at a reasonably fast past considering that one of the card readers had broken down after authenticating only three voters.

    However, in other parts of the state, like Nasarawa South,  accreditation process of eligible voters did not start on time due to either the malfunctioning of Card Reader Machines been used by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

    Some voters were stranded when our correspondent visited Angwan Mission, Agwan Moyi Buba, Gidan Fulani public square and, Galadima polling units of Agwatashi ward and Kofar Mukunguji polling unit of Obi 1 ward in Obi local government.

    The electoral officials of INEC worked for several minutes to accredit eligible voters.

    The situation was the same at Agwan Moyi Buba, in Obi local government when the senator representing Nasarawa South Senatorial Zone, Sulaiman Adokwe was yet to be registered alongside other eligible voters as at about 10:00 am which the presiding officer in-charge of the polling unit, Stella Eze, attributed the problem to total failure of the Card Reader Machine.

    Adokwe said: “As you can see I went there but the Card Readers is not working. Virtually every polling unit in Agwatashi ward is not working.”

    The North Central Zonal Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Yusuf Ayitogo, said INEC was not fully prepared with their Card Readers as it took five to ten minutes before a voter is cleared incidentally meaning that the accreditation exercise would not be completed before the election commences thereby disenfranchising many eligible voters.

    Also, the Nasarawa state commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Mohammed Dan’Azumi, said it appears it is a deliberate attempt by INEC officials to frustrate the election as voters from his RCM primary school polling unit, Dadare, are complaining bitterly over the inability of the Card Reader to accredit a single voter as of 10:55 am.

    Reacting to the various complaints, Nasarawa state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abdulahi Umar Danyaya, assured that the faulted Card Reader Machines would be rectified soonest as technicians of the commission have already been dispatched to that effect.

    The REC appealed to the eligible voters to remain calm as they will all be accredited to cast their votes even as he assured the electorates of enough incident forms to take care of those whose thumb print could not be authenticated for completion of their accreditation exercise.

  • Soldiers arrest APC leaders in Estako

    Chairman of Estako Central Local Government Area of Edo State, Emmanuel Momoh and six other APC leaders were yesterday arrested by soldiers allegedly led by one Brigadier-General Odidi.

    Sources at the locality told the Nation on phone that soldiers intimidated voters at polling units contrary to directives that the military would stay away from polling units.

    Majority Leader of Edo State House of Assembly and APC candidate for Estako Federal Constituency, Hon Philip Shaibu, told newsmen that Brigadier-General Odidi visited polling units and intimidated voters.

    Hon Shaibu who hailed security agencies for not heeding to the plan of their bosses said the Brigadier-General seized the keys of some vehicles belonging to voters driving to their polling units.

    Meanwhile, an election at Orhionmwon Local Government was postponed to Sunday over late arrival of materials and breakdown of card readers.

    Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu and Coordinator of President Goodluck Jonthan campaign in Edo, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu hail from the locality.

    In Ward 7 Oredo Local Government, voters were reportedly induced with money and food.

    Reports showed that elections have been concluded in several wards of Oredo, Ovia and Ikpoba-Okha.

    In Unit 12 Ward 9, soldiers who were present at the polling units flogged APC agent for resisting their presence at the polling unit.

    Candidate for APC in the locality, Pally Iriase, who confirmed the beating said three truck loads of soldiers were at his Otuo community but that the soldiers that mounted roadblocks refused to heed to the invading soldiers’ directive.

    Voting was still on-going in many parts of Owan East as at press time which made lightening to be provided at polling units.

    Hon Iriase said the Electoral Officer threatened to declare boycott of election which made voting to start late.

    Iriase voted at about 6pm.

  • Hiccups should not undermine poll outcome – Buhari

    Hiccups should not undermine poll outcome – Buhari

    The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha Buhari voted at their Sarkin Yara A, Kofa Barau 3 polling unit in Liman ward of Daura local government area of Katsina State at about 5.00pm on Saturday, saying the problems in few places should not be allowed to undermine the integrity of the election.

    The APC standard bearer, who was adorned in a white babanriga and a stipend cap and black shoes to match, arrived the polling unit at exactly 4:48pm to a rousing reception and shout of Sai Baba by the electorates who were practically falling over each other to catch a glimpse of him.

    Both foreign and local journalists who converged in Daura struggled to get pictures of the former Nigerian leader and his wife as he cast his vote.

    Accreditation of eligible voters which started at about 8:30am was concluded at about 4:22pm due to the large turnout of voters which dragged the process beyond the stipulated 1:00pm.

    Voting process was generally peaceful across Daura with a large turnout of eligible voters noticed in all the polling units visited, with a few incidences of the card reader failing to work.

    Speaking to reporters at his Daura residence after casting his votes, Buhari said he based his assessment of the election on the performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying “If I could recall, I even referred to the submission by the INEC chairman of their activities from the end of the last general election in 2011 till how. I said the document was very good and even INEC said they were ready to conduct this election.

    “So, whether I said that INEC is performing or not performing is based on the current issues. We see them documented on record. I just can’t work on rumour because if you work on rumours in Nigeria, you get missing in action.

    “The reception I received in my constituency has always been like that since April 2002. So, for you, if may be so etching spectacular, but it has always been a regular thing.”

    Speaking on the problems in Rivers State, Buhari said “I spoke with the governor of Rivers State and I think that what has been happening in Rivers State is a continuation of the hostility between the ruling party and the APC. It is so real and the governor has been fighting and today, it got out of hand.

    Buhari, who had earlier expressed confidence in the use of the card readers, said, “I like the integrity of the system. I am very pleased about it. That means that if people are allowed to vote, rigging will be virtually impossible. I think that INEC has done very well and I have said it to your colleagues elsewhere that from their presentations to the National Council of States which I happened to be a member, this time around, INEC has done extremely well.”

    He, however, admitted that the equipment failed to work in some areas, but expressed satisfaction with the decision of INEC to allow election to hold on Sunday in places where elections could not take place on Saturday.

    “I must admit that again, I am happy with the decision take by INEC that in places where election has not taken place, it will take place tomorrow. From the information we are getting which has not been confirmed, there is failure of some of the card readers.

    “For example, it took me less than five minutes for accreditation. When I came back home, I was watching on television and it took the President about 30 minutes to be accredited. But it took his wife and mother about two minutes each to do it. There is discrepancy in the performance of those gadgets. For INEC to give the notice that because of failure in some of the equipment, elections will continue tomorrow where elections did not happen today.”

    On whether he will accept the outcome of the election if the results did not go his own way, he said “My way is Nigeria way, I believe. Even before the first Abuja peace accord, have told my supporters not to be rude or take up weapon against any Nigeria.

    “After that, we signed the first Abuja accord presided over by Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations which we all signed as presidential candidates and the recent one signed three days ago between me and Jonathan presided over by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Bishop Kukah and Bishop Onaiyekan and two others.

    “We gave assurance that we will make sure that our supporters do not become violent during and after the elections. In constituency where there are violence, it is up to the parties to make sure they set up a process of disciplining those involved. We can’t sign an agreement as leaders of our parties and presidential candidates and somebody down there will be doing the opposite of what we pledged and signed. That is indiscipline.”

    The former head of state who expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election, however said that the hiccups in some places should not undermine the conduct of the election.

     

     

  • Malpractices mar presidential, NASS elections in Warri

    Irregularities marred Saturday’s presidential and National Assemblies elections in the Warri metropolis, Delta State, even as voting in three council areas of the state were suspended as a result of security concerns.

    The Nation observed voters were being constrained to vote for the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in most of the polling units around Warri South and Uvwie council areas of the state.

    In Warri South council area, the Nation observed that voters were being intimidated by PDP agents and suspected thugs to vote for the PDP. At ward 05, unit 12 on Okere Road, as well as at ward 12, unit 14, situated at 2 Emebiren Street, voters were pressured by PDP agents to vote for their party.

    Also at ward 12, units 1,2 and three, 3, situated in Olodi Primary School, Avenue Road, electoral irregularities were also rife as officials of the
    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allowed a free-for-all for prospective voters without checking their register.

    In Uvwie, intimidation of voters by those suspected to be enforcers of the PDP was observed in various units of ward 3, unit 1. The Nation observed that some of the enforcers at the unit brought some people suspected not to have been registered in the unit, the matter however broke down into an argument as some observers raised the alarm.

    In Warri South-West council area, at Madangho precisely, women who suspected a foul play after casting their votes went naked, resisting the movement of ballot boxes by soldiers from their polling booths.

  • Taraba: No election in Danjuma’s council, others

    The presidential and National Assembly elections did not hold in Takum local government council of Taraba -the country home of former Defense Minister, Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma.

    Also, elections did not hold in parts of Gembu, the headquarters of the Mambilla Plateau, Sardauna local government area of the state.

    In Takum, eligible voters were not even accredited. They waited in vain and reportedly left in anger and disappointment, abusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials. Others were still waiting at the affected polling units in groups, lamenting the situation.

    There were shortages of result sheets and other sensitive materials in many wards, INEC said.

    Electoral materials meant for some wards and councils were taken to other areas.

    The Nation gathered that some electoral materials for Rogo ward of Takum were taken to Chanchanji.

    While, materials for Kente Ward of Wukari were delivered in Takum township.

    Chanchanji Ward has 20 polling units, but it got presidential electoral materials for only 18 polling units, while only 14 poll units got electoral materials for the senatorial election.

    Some wards in Gembu, Sardauna did not get any electoral material.

    Electoral Officer of Takum, Umar Bukar Petro,l said the election will hold in Takum on Sunday.

  • I hope to win, says Jonathan after voting

    I hope to win, says Jonathan after voting

    President Goodluck Jonathan has said he was hopeful of winning the presidential election.

    He spoke in Otuoke after casting his vote. His wife Dame Patience Jonathan voted moments after he did.

    The president said he voted for himself and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates for the National Assembly.

    They voted in Unit 39, Ward 13 in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

    Ask whether he would win, Jonathan said: “I am very hopeful. Very, very hopeful.”

    President Jonathan expressed confidence that the elections would be free and fair despite the hitches.

    He dismissed rumours of violence and bomb explosion in Enugu.

    He said: “You can see that it’s peaceful everywhere. I believe and I’m convinced that the elections will be free and fair and extreme credible.”

    He said the gunfire in Gombe was not related to election, adding that the shooting was between soldiers and insurgents attempting to escape the Sambisa forest.

    The president refused to blame the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the hitches encountered in some areas, saying everyone could still vote with the alternative arrangements.

    “We appreciate the patience of those who are yet to vote. They should sympathise with INEC. It wants to use the card readers to make sure that our electoral process is credible and acceptable by international observers.

    “This is the first time we are voting with the card readers. There have been some issues in some units, but we should bear with them. I believe that at the end of the day we all will be happy,” Jonathan said.

    Asked about his assessment of the election based on information available to him, he said: “I have information but it is not everything that I can say. INEC has the responsibility to talk about their functions. There are complaints about PVCs and card readers not working.

    “At the same time INEC has directed that in polling units where the card readers are not working, they should take the manual option, so I believe all Nigerians who want to vote will definitely vote, and that is the good news.

    “The only thing is that some people probably must have stayed there longer than necessary. But I still plead with them that even if they spend 24 hours for the sake of this country, please they should bear with us, they should do it,” he said.

    On INEC, Jonathan said the government is one, and the commission cannot be held solely responsible for the hitches.

    He said: “I don’t blame anyone. But as a nation, we have different departments of government that handle responsibilities. The issue of election is INEC’s exclusive responsibility, and nobody will speak for them.

    “That’s what I’m saying, that even if I have some information, I cannot speak for INEC. Jega is the person that can speak for INEC. I speak for the Federal Government.”

    On whether the success of the use of the card reader issues were limited to some states, he said: “It may be a coincidence, but I don’t think it’s limited to PDP-controlled states. I think it’s a national issue.”

    Dismissing report of bombing in Enugu, the president said: “I’m not aware of violence in Enugu State. What we heard about Enugu is that there was a bomb blast, but when I called the governor, he said no, there was no bomb blast, but that there were some vehicles that came from the North and somebody suspected that something must be an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). The person raised an alarm and it was checked and it was not even an IED.

    “There was no blast in Enugu. I even heard there was a blast in Uyo. I called the governor; he said there was no blast.

    “What happened in northern part of Gombe was that – of course you know the war against terrorists is still going on, voting or no voting, because we must take over Sambisa forest.

    “Some of these insurgents are running away from that part, and they were intercepted by some soldiers and there was a kind of crossfire between soldiers and terrorists that had nothing to do with the elections.”

    Asked who he voted for, he said: “I voted for myself, and I voted for PDP in all the other elections.”