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Tag: 2015 polls

  • APC put Nigerians on manipulation plans

    APC put Nigerians on manipulation plans

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alerted Nigerians and the international community to ongoing plans by the PDP-led Jonathan Administration to tamper with the results of Saturday’s elections and circumvent the people’s will.

    ”The information that we have received since we issued our last statement is to the effect that the Administration is holding clandestine meetings with security chiefs and others with the sole aim
    of altering or scuttling the results, which they consider to be highly embarrassing and unpalatable, using malleable RECs,” the party said in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    It warned that nothing but the authentic results held by the party agents and all other stakeholders will be acceptable to the party, and that whoever is planning to do otherwise should weigh its implication on the survival of the nation’s democracy.

    APC said the moves to manipulate the results are also being replicated in some of the states, including Bauchi where everything is being done to reverse the outcome, and Imo, where many aides of the Governor are being brutalized and arrested in hordes.

    ”We know they are stunned dizzy by the crushing defeat which has been inflicted on them across the nation, going by the results in the hands of our agents. We know they have activated their paid media channels to seek to confuse Nigerians by making outlandish claims that their presidential candidate is leading in the elections. We know they are counting on malleable RECs to thwart the will of the people, and we know they have no qualms about plunging the nation into crisis just because of narrow interests.

    ”This is why we are putting on red alert all the good people of Nigeria who trooped out in large numbers, defying the sun and the rain and against all odds, to vote for change. We are also by this statement calling on the international community to urgently prevail on the Nigerian authorities not to tamper with the results of the elections as expressed by Nigerians.

    ”As we have said many times, we will accept the outcome of the elections if they are free and fair. What we will not accept is the manipulated outcome of the polls,” the party said.

  • APC will not accept falsified results – Ewang

    The Akwa Ibom State chairman, Buhari Campaign Organisation, Group Captain Samuel Ewang (rtd), has warned that the All Progressives Congress will not accept any falsified results in the 2015 general election.

    Ewang said some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been bribed by the Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio to falsify election results.

    He spoke to reporters in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Sunday.

    The former military administrator said INEC officials were in the Government House, writing different figures which they intend to present for announcement as authentic results.

    He stated that with the cooperation of the people of Akwa Ibom State, the APC swept the polls in over 90 per cent of the units.

    His words: “I want to use this opportunity to thank the good people of Akwa Ibom State for their understanding and faith in the change Akwa Ibom and indeed Nigeria need.

    “With the cooperation of the people of Akwa Ibom State, the All Progressives Congress swept the polls in over 90 per cent of the units – that for the first time signified a free and fair election held throughout yesterday, the 28th March 2015, in Akwa Ibom State since 2007.

    “We have been receiving intelligence information, currently the intelligence reports reaching me confirm that the Akpabio administration, Akpabio himself and his teams are presently writing falsified results in collaboration with some INEC officials, whom they have bribed with over N2.5billion, after which they will release the falsified results instead of the actual results that were obtained from the fields on Saturday and today.

    “We had followed the activities of PDP in Akwa Ibom since the elections preparation started. We realized among other things that after training all the returning officers, the state government in collaboration with INEC cancelled the names of many of those they suspected were not going to cooperate with them in their evil designs even after wasting money to train them for three days.”

  • 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.

     

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • APC seeks more time for accreditation, voting

    APC seeks more time for accreditation, voting

    The All Progressives Congress on Saturday asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to extend the time for accreditation and voting to make up for the delay caused by the use of card readers.

    The party in a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said extending the time for accreditation and voting will ensure that Nigerians who have queued up patiently at their polling units as early as 8:00am will not be disenfranchised.

    It also urged INEC to recognize the letters from the various political party agents, since the commission was not able to fulfill its promise to accredit party agents, which used to be done by the parties themselves.

    APC commended Nigerians for their patience in getting accredited, saying by waiting patiently to get accredited, they have shown an unprecedented commitment to the growth of democracy in the country.

    The party said from the reports it has received from its field agents, it is clear that the card reader, as a tool to enhance the credibility of elections in the country, has so far proved effective, despite the delays.

    ”The card reader is a novel tool in our elections and naturally there will be some initial hiccups. We understand that the delays were due to the failure to remove the protective films on the lenses of many card readers, the poor network of some of the sim cards in the machines and the effect of jamming devices on the card readers, “it stated.

    APC warned against the resort to manual accreditation in some parts of the country, where the card readers are being bypassed, saying it is against the electoral guidelines.

    ”People must continue to be patient until the card reader works,” the party said.

  • 2015 polls: Large voters’ turnout, peaceful conduct in Sokoto

    As early as 7am, combined security check points were mounted by the Nigerian  Army, Civil Defence Corps,  Nigeria Air Force, the Federal Road Safety Commission officials and the police at strategic locations within the state capital and roads leading outside the state.

    The peaceful conduct of the election has laid to rest the fear of violence in the most contentious poll ever conducted in the country.

    At Takatuku/Madorawa ward, in Bodinga local government area of the state, voters had already filed out peacefully and in orderly manner for accreditation at Model primary school, Takatuku polling unit 003 under the watchful eyes of security agents.

    However, by 8:10am, some ad hoc staff were yet to collect election materials at the Takatuku ward distribution centre just as a some staff and security agents deployed could not locate their location.

    The Supervising Polling Officer, Malam Hassan, who spoke to a group of journalists monitoring the exercise, said that the reason for the delay was absence of transportation to convey them to their respective polling units.

    “But we are sorting things out. I have just finished with some teams now and they have confirmed reaching their polling units,” he told journalists.

     

  • Expect results of Polls In 48 hours – Jega

    Expect results of Polls In 48 hours – Jega

    Going by the assurance from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, results of the presidential and National assembly elections will be declared within 48 hours.

    Jega who disclosed this Friday in Abuja during a joint press conference alongside the Director General of the National Youth Service Commission (NYSC), Brig-Gen. Johnson Olawumi noted that the commission has put a lot in place to ensure the 48hours target was met.

    He said the commission is making all efforts to ensure that results are disclosed much earlier than in 2011.

    Jega also denied the report making the rounds that the Commission’s database has been compromised.

    INEC Boss in an apparent reaction to an allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council that the master key was in possession of the APC, said only the producers of the data base infrastructure of INEC have the source code.

    He further said that the company, Act Technologies Limited, was approved by Federal Executive Committee and was never blacklisted.

    While also describing the allegations as baseless, Jega however regretted that it has the propensity to threaten the credibility of the election.

    Defending the choice of the firm, Jega said it went through all the expected checks before it was awarded the contract to develop the database.

    He said “it is regrettable that it is a pity that people can say all sorts of things and get away freely with it.  “it is a last minute attempt to undermine the credibility of the elections.”

    Jega also cleared the air on his disagreement on the issue of voters having to wait after casting their ballot or go home as advised by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba.

    Jega noted that his stand was not a sign of disagreement with the police but that voters should have the choice of waiting or staying after casting their votes.

    Explaining further that the presence of voters during the counting of votes would enhance the credibility of the polls.

    INEC Chairman also urged corp members drafted for the elections to take the assignment with all seriousness it deserves, noting that their security and welfare has been taken care of.

    He hailed the role of Corps members in enhancing the electoral process.

    On his part, the DG of the NYSC, urged the corp members to handle the assignment with high integrity.

    He urged them to stay away from any temptation that may tarnish the image of the scheme, families and nation.

    The DG also assured Corp members of their welfare and security, noting that while INEC has disbursed 100 percent for the corp members, the NYSC has disbursed 50 percent of that amount pending the completion of their assignment.

    He underscored that the decision to give them some part of the money was to enable them resist temptations from politicians to compromise.

    He said the nonpayment of corp members allowance is now a thing of the past.

  • Ekiti residents besiege banks, fuel station

    Barely 24 hours to Nigeria’s Presidential and National Assembly elections, residents of Ado Ekiti have besieged banks in the capital in last minutes withdrawal.

    The Nation’s correspondent who went round the capital reports that many of the banks witnessed unusual surge of customers to beat the 12pm deadline for banks to close.

    At Wema bank Okesa, the queue on the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) was several meters long while banks on old garrage road also witnessed long queue with some customers hanging by the fence.

    On Bank road, all the banks witnessed a large surge of people with many customers running from one bank to the other. A customer, Adewale Joju, said he has been to three banks trying to withdraw “emergency cash” without success.

    At other banks, frustrated customers who could not withdraw cash due to poor network signals on the ATMs were left fumming. An official of First Bank, who declined to mention his name, said the network is congested.

    “People are rushing to make witdrawals both on the ATM and in the hall, our network is congested, we are working hard to restore service because of the deadline,” he said.

    Meanwhile, long queue surfaced at some fuel stations in Ado Ekiti.

    Most of the stations began selling at N100 per litre.

    At the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Bank road, customers waited in line for a long time to buy fuel at regulated price.

    Residents are also in last minute shopping of foodstuff and other essential needs. One of the shoppers told The Nation: “We just need to prepare, we are not praying for trouble, but we need to prepare.”

  • IGP redeploys 17 DIGs, AIGs, CPs for election

    IGP redeploys 17 DIGs, AIGs, CPs for election

    The Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba has redeployed 17 Senior officers of the Force to different parts of the country as a way to ensure a successful election.

    The redeployment affects 6 Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs), 5 Assistant Inspector Generals (AIGs) and 6 Commissioners of Police (CPs).

    Consequently, the CPs posted are expected to cover their new Commands only for the period of election.

    This is contained in a statement yesterday by the Force Spokesman, Emmanuel Ojukwu.

    According to the statement, the DIGs and places they are expected to cover are: “Dan’Azumi Doma, Coordinator South East Zone; DIG Mamman Tsafe, Coordinator South-South Zone; DIG Hashimu Argungu, Coordinator  South West Zone;  DIG Christopher Katso, –  Coordinator North West Zone; DIG Hilary Opara,  – Coordinator North East Zone; and DIG Adeola Adeniji – Coordinator North Central Zone.

    The AIGs affected by the redeployment are: “Kalafite Adeyemi,  – Asst Coordinator  South West Zone;  AIG Bala Magaji Nasarawa – Asst Coordinator North Central Zone; AIG Adisa Bolanta, Asst Coordinator North West Zone; AIG Usman Gwary,  – AIG Federal Operations (FEDOPS) Abuja; and AIG Mark Idakwo, – AIG Zone 9 Umuahia”.

    Also, the CPS and their new Commands are:  “CP Hosea Karma – CP Rivers State Command; CP Adamu Mohammed – CP Anambra State Command; CP Dan Bature – CP Enugu State Command; CP Usman Abdullahi – CP Katsina State Command;  CP Jimoh Ozi-Obeh – CP Benue State Command;  and CP Hyacinth Dagala – CP Department of Operations (DOPs) FHQ Abuja”.

    The IGP urged the officers to exhibit the highest level of personal and professional conduct in the discharge of their duties.