The Nation Newspaper

Tag: 2015 polls

  • IGP kick against voters waiting to protect ballot

    IGP kick against voters waiting to protect ballot

    The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba has kicked against the idea of voters waiting to protect ballots in the forthcoming general elections.

    Abba advised that electorates should vote and go back home to relax while they wait for INEC to announce the result of the elections.

    The Inspector General of Police who spoke in Abuja at a briefing organised for accredited observers for the 2015 general elections, warned that it is only INEC that has the power to announce results of elections in the country and anything contrary is a call to chaos.

    According to him; “It is advisable cast your vote, go and cool down.

    “The reason is that if you look at the provision of section 129 of the electoral act, if you remain at the polling centre, there is the likelihood that you will commit an offence.

    “While waiting, one can get involved with another voter which can constitute electoral offence. So the law says if you remain you have to be orderly,” the IGP stressed.

    Abba also advised on the need to exercise patient after casting their votes, saying that the talk by some people to also announce their result is an invitation to chaos.

    “Already, we are getting information, which we hope it is not true. Some people are planning to declare results themselves certainly this is an invitation to chaos. Because the law says that only INEC that can declare election results,” he added.

    He assured that there should be no need for apprehension as the police and other security agencies have concluded arrangements to provide adequate security for electoral materials and personnel: adding that political thugs will not be able to disrupt the elections.

    He said: “We have trained our personnel enough to appreciate the situations.”

    He advised stakeholders to be mindful of their actions so as not to set the nation ablaze, stressing that what the law provided for is that any aggrieved person should approach the law court rather than take the law into their own hands and go against the democratic process.

    He also urged the media to report these issues that will foster the unity of the country.

    The Inspector General of Police also assured the observers and the electorates of their safety during and after the elections.

    He said, “We will provide security for all stakeholders in the forthcoming general elections, enough personnel will be provided for election management teams at all levels right from the polling units to the collation centres.

    “We will also provide security for both materials and lives.

    “The electorate must be secured enough to be bold to go and cast their votes.

    “We will be there to prevent anyone from disrupting the elections. Specific laws are provided to take care of anyone who tries to disrupt this process. That is why apart from those ones we have mapped out; we have also put many on standby. ”

    He also noted that the police has trained and retrain its personnel and also reminded them on the need to be non-partisan and also protect the rights of the electorates.

  • Buhari: I won’t tamper with press freedom

    Buhari: I won’t tamper with press freedom

     
    The Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday said he will not tamper with press freedom if elected as a President on March 28.

    He also said a change revolution is imminent in the country without firing a shot.

    Buhari, who gave the assurance at an interactive session with members of the Newspaper  Proprietors Association of Nigeria( NPAN) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors ( NGE) in Abuja restated that he will not engage in a debate with President Goodluck Jonathan.

    He said: “I want to give you my full assurances that in this democratic dispensation, I will ensure that the Nigerian constitution is upheld. This includes respect for the media, respect for the right to free expression and freedom of speech. Page 1 of 2 any of you are aware of Decree 4 of 1984, which was heavily criticised.

    “I have said elsewhere that I cannot change the past. But I can change the present and the future. Dictatorship goes with military rule as do edicts such as Decree 4.

    “However, I am a former–former, note the emphasis on the word ‘former’–military ruler and now a converted democrat, who is ready to operate under democratic norms.

    “I am not only subjecting myself to the rigours of democratic elections for the fourth time, but even after being elected, I will continue to promote the consolidation of democracy in our great country, Nigeria, by guaranteeing that the media’s freedom is not compromised in any way.

    “I give you my full assurances that the Nigerian media will be free under our APC government.”

    He urged media owners and Editors to shun hate reports and slanderous political rhetorics.

    He said: “I also want to use this opportunity to appeal to you to use your media outlets in shaping positive public discourse and eschew hate speech mongering and slanderous political rhetorics which heat up the polity for the sake of peace and stability of our dear nation.

    “There are two specific reasons why I have invited you here today. The first is to use the opportunity to say a special thank you to the Nigerian media for the role you have played in advancing our country’s democracy thus far, and especially for being a platform through which Nigerians’ cry for change was articulated all around the world.

    “On newspaper pages, TV screens and radio waves, the alarming depth of corruption and impunity in our country, the terrifying level of insecurity, and the grim state of our economy were kept constantly before the world’s eyes, making it impossible for the current government to doctor the truth, despite their meanest efforts.

    “I urge you not to relent in your role as watchdogs, to continue to be the voice of the people. The health of Nigeria’s democracy rests partly on you. Without a robust and thriving media, the masses would have no voice.

    “The electorate would also not have sufficient information to make sound decisions, such as deciding to vote out a clueless government and vote in CHANGE.”

    Buhari restated that change revolution is imminent in the country without firing a shot.

    He added: “Our country is on the verge of something new. The tide has turned and the world can sense the wave of change that is about to flood this nation. In less than two weeks, the Nigerian electorate will head to the polls to make their voices heard. “Through the ballot, without a single shot fired, a change revolution will likely take place.”

    After his speech, Buhari responded to questions from some publishers and editors at the session.
    But it was not without drama when the President of NPAN, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, asked Buhari if he was ready to apologize to two journalists who were jailed in 1984 under Decree 4.

    Immediately after Obaigbena asked the question, the Director-General of APC Presidential Campaign Organization, Governor Rotimi Amaechi said: “Gen. Buhari had already answered that question by saying he cannot change the past but he can change present and the future.”

    Those at the session were the President of NPAN, Prince Nduka Obaigbena; Deputy President of NPAN, Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, the Publisher of Vanguard Press Limited, Sir, Sam Amuka Pemu, a former President of NPAN, Ray Ekpu; the Publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Sam Nda Isaiah, the representative of THE Guardian Publisher, Toke Ibru, the Managing Director/ Editor-In-Chief of Champion Newspaper, Mrs. Nwadiuto Iheakanwa;  the Publisher of Peoples Daily, Mallam Wada Maida; the Publisher of Blueprint Newspaper, Alh. Idris Mohammed; a former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Gbenga Adefaye; the Managing Director/ Editor-In- Chief of New Telegraph, Mr. Eric Osagie; the Chairman of Liberty Radio, Tijjani Ramalan; the Chairman of Silverbird  Television, Ben Murray Bruce; and the representative of the publisher of THE NATION, Yusuf Alli among others.

  • Jonathan meets security chiefs, Jega in Aso Rock

    Jonathan meets security chiefs, Jega in Aso Rock

    President Goodluck Jonathan is meeting  with security chiefs and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    In attendance at the meeting which started few minutes after 11a.m. are the Vice President, Namadi Sambo; National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim.

    Others are Chief of Staff to the President, Gen. Jones Arogbofa (retd.), Attorney-General of the Federation, Muhammed Adoke, Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan; Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali.

    The service chiefs in the meetinng are Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu; Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba; and the heads of the Department of State Security and the National Intelligence Agency.

    While the Security chiefs are expected to brief the meeting on the updates of the anti-terror war, Jega is also expected to brief the meeting on the commission’s preparedness for the March 28 and April 11 elections.

    Following his insistence on use of the card reader for the general election, there have been calls for Jega’s resignation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) and some other groups.

    MOSSAB members protested against Jega in Enugu, Owerri and Abakaliki last weekend while the OPC went on rampage in Lagos on Monday.

    The INEC Chairman on Monday however said he will not proceed on terminal leave before the expiration of his tenure in June.

    He said his resignation will be tantamount to dis-service of the country, especially now with the election so close.

     

     

     

  • 2015 Polls: Allow use of card reader, group urges stakeholders

    Anarchy looms in the country if the card readers meant to accredit voters in the forthcoming general elections are jettisoned.

    A pressure group in Ondo State, Akoko Elite Forum (AEF), issued this warning even as it described those opposed to the card readers as “those only fighting for their selfish interests.”

    The group in a communiqué issued after its three-day meeting in Lagos and Abuja insisted that the card readers must be used for the 2015 polls.

    The communiqué was signed by its Vice-President, Prince Boye Ologbese and Secretary, Richard Daodu respectively.

    The Forum criticised leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for kicking against the use of the device and allegedly working behind the scene to frustrate Prof. Attaihiru Jega, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    While describing those opposed to the use of the card readers as “enemies of democracy”, the group also lampooned the PDP for allegedly forming alliance with some smaller political parties to truncate democracy in the country by calling for a further postponement of the elections.

    The group said, “The idea of the card readers by INEC is to ensure absolute transparency in the electoral process. This would prevent anybody from using another person card or fake PVC cards to vote during the election.”

    It noted that since the acquisition of the card readers was budgeted for and approved by the National Assembly, it would be a waste of billions of naira of tax payers’ money if the devise is abandoned at this stage.

  • 2015 polls: Jonathan, PDP governors meet

    2015 polls: Jonathan, PDP governors meet

    President Goodluck Jonathan, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state governors and governorship candidates on Monday night brainstormed on how to ensure victory for the party in March 28 and April 11 polls.

    The Chairman of PDP Governors Forum and Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.

    He said: “The party is strategising on how to not just win election, but ensure that we win peace. It is very clear now that the opposition is in disarray. I am sure you have all seen that.

    “Propaganda can only take you up to a limit after which the reality becomes the norm. Today, Nigerians are much more aware of what the PDP administration under President Jonathan has been doing.

    “I want to commend not only the President, but also members of the Federal Executive Council, who have opened the eyes of Nigerians to know that so many things have been done in the different sectors of the economy.

    “It was as if people did not know these things because the opposition took over and they kept saying PDP was doing nothing. Yet, in four years of the President’s tenure, he has achieved far more than any President had ever done in the history of our country.”

    He noted that the next election, particularly the presidential elections of March 28, will be about performance and issues.

    “Nigerians have since gone above the level of tribalism and ethnic or religion differences. God put us together in this country and He knew that we are a multiplicity of religions and tribes.

    “God brought us together. So, we believe in the unity and oneness of this country. The same way we came together in 2011 and voted for President Jonathan, that is the same way we are returning him based on the fact that he has performed creditably and that the PDP has discharged its responsibilities to Nigerians to the best of its ability based on available resources,” Akpabio said.

    He said the party also met with its governorship candidates to explain to them the essence of mobilising their subjects to ensure that they collect their PVCs.

    The governor added that the meeting also dwell on internal reconciliation in the party.

    “After the major primaries that we had, we need to reconcile people so that everybody can move in accord. I can tell Nigerians today that the party is poised for victory. The PDP is very ready to win. I am happy that the people are listening because in those days, I kept telling them that their propaganda cannot win a war. The propaganda has reached a point.”

  • Jonathan, PDP governors meet on 2015 polls

    Jonathan, PDP governors meet on 2015 polls

    … We’ll win elections – Akpabio

    President Goodluck Jonathan, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state governors and its governorship candidates in the forthcoming elections on Monday night brainstormed on how to ensure victory for the party in the general election.

    The Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum and Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.

    He said: “The party is strategizing on how to not just win election but ensure that we win peace. It is very clear now that the opposition is in disarray. I am sure you have all seen that.”

    “Propaganda can only take you up to a limit after which the reality becomes the norm. Today, Nigerians are much more aware of what the PDP administration under President Goodluck Jonathan has been doing.

    “I want to commend not only the President but also members of the Federal Executive Council who have opened the eyes of Nigerians to know that so many things have been done in the different sectors of the economy.

    “It was as if people did not know these things because the opposition took over and they kept saying PDP was doing nothing. Yet, in four years of the President’s tenure, he has achieved far more than any President had ever done in the history of our country.

    “We are very proud of the achievements of the PDP, not just at the federal level but also at the different states. If you want to assess state-by-state, pick the opposition’s best state in Nigeria and compare it with the best state of the PDP, you will see that we tower above the opposition in all ramifications.”

    He noted that the next elections, particularly the presidential elections of March 28 will be about performance and issues.

    “Nigerians have since gone above the level of tribalism and ethnic or religion differences. God put us together in this country and He knew that we are a multiplicity of religions and tribes.

    “God brought us together, so we believe in the unity and oneness of this country. The same way we came together in 2011 and voted for President Jonathan, that is the same way we are returning him based on the fact that he has performed creditably and that the PDP has discharged its responsibilities to Nigerians to the best of its ability based on available resources.”

    He said they also met with incoming governors to explain to them the essence of mobilising their subjects to ensure that they collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    “Because every vote must count and it is important that we don’t get short-changed by the fact that we do not mobilise our people to go and pick their voters cards.”

    The governor also said the meeting also dwelt on internal reconciliation in the party.

    “After the major primaries that we had, we need to reconcile people so that everybody can move in our accord. I can tell Nigerians today that the party is poised for victory. The PDP is very ready to win. I am happy that the people are listening because in those days, I kept telling them that their propaganda cannot win a war. The propaganda has reached a point.”

     

  • INEC tasks religious leaders on political violence

    The Independent National Electoral Commission in Oyo State, on Wednesday, pleaded with religious leaders to start preaching against political violence in their various local assemblies.

    The commission sensitized religious leaders on the need to educate their followers on what is expected of them during the forthcoming elections.
    ‎
    The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Amb. Rufus Akeju, took the anti-violence campaign to the religious leaders at a sensitization programme in Ibadan, the state capital.

    He also emphasized the need for them to educate their followers on their obligations and others expected of them during elections.

    Akeju, who addressed both Christian and Muslim clerics, said they can have high level effect on the activities of their followers, hence the timing of the meeting.

     

  • 2015 polls: Soldiers’ deployment, mockery of democracy – APC

    The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organization (APCPCO) has faulted the proposed deployment of soldiers for the 2015 elections, describing it as a mockery of democracy.

    The organization said the act is alien to the nation’s constitution.

    The APCPCO said in a statement signed by its spokesman, Garba Shehu, that while it appreciates the readiness of the military to deploy troops for the elections, democracy and the military are not complementary as subjecting the fate of a democracy to the military is a coup against the people.

    Shehu said services of the military would be better utilised in other pressing areas, especially in the combat of insurgency and protection of the country’s territory integrity.

    He said the position of the campaign organization has become necessary following the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega’s assertion that the service chiefs will have to ratify the March 28 date for the presidential election in the country and the military’s expression of readiness to deploy troops for the polls.

    While calling on INEC to take cognizance of the courts’ ruling on the role of the military in elections and the military’s own commitment to deployment of troops for the elections, Shehu said “the idea of placing the fate of democracy in the hands of the military is not only alien to the Nigerian constitution, extant judicial pronouncements have clearly stipulated that the military has no duty to play in the conduct of elections.

    “We are not comfortable with any attempt to draft the military into election functions and are reassured by the declaration by President Goodluck Jonathan that the elections would hold as scheduled by INEC on March 28 and April 11.

    “We have carefully studied positions made by the INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday and we want to put it on record that we are not in any way comfortable with the idea that the military service chiefs will determine whether the March 28 date of the presidential election is feasible or not.

    “The concepts of democracy and the military are never complementary, and to say that the military will determine when an election will hold is antithetical to the very idea of democracy. It is akin to a coup against the people of Nigeria to subject the fate of our democracy in the hands of a few military service chiefs.

    “For the avoidance of any doubts, the APC presidential campaign organisation will not accept any attempt to subvert the electoral processes of democracy in the country,” the organization said.

  • Buhari jets out to UK, to address CHATAM House

    Buhari jets out to UK, to address CHATAM House

    The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, is to address the Royal Institute of International Affair, Chatham House, in London during his short visit to the United Kingdom.

    A statement issued by the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation said that Buhari who left Abuja for UK on Thursday on a short working visit is expected to hold meetings with key members of the British political establishment and interact with some global institutions with stakeholder interest in the affairs of Nigeria.

    The organisation also said in a statement signed by its spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu that it has evidence that a top management staff of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is behind the hate campaigns against its presidential candidate and his family aired in the recent documentary by African Independent Television and Nigeria Television Authority.

    Shehu said the campaign office has confirmed that the agency was the sponsor of all the dirty campaigns against the APC presidential candidate on AIT, NTA and several other media platforms.

    While saying that the action contravenes the NIMASA Act, the Public Service Regulations, and the Independent National Electoral Commission Act 2010 as amended, among others, the APC decried the situation where a government agency uses public funds to sponsor a campaign of calumny against its candidate, which it said is not only illegal, but should also be condemned.

    He said that the action should be investigated by the Joint Committees of the National Assembly on Marine Transportation, stressing that if these claims were found to be true, disciplinary action should be taken against the agency and its leadership.

    The statement said: “It is a well known fact that the Director General of the Agency, Mr. Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi was President Goodluck Jonathan’s and a well-known ex-militant’s errand boy.

    “He was appointed there for the sole aim of satisfying an ex-militant’s camp, an assignment he has carried out well to the satisfaction of those who put him there through the award of a concessionaire phantom PPP project.

    “Under this contract, a certain company, (Global West Vessels Specialists Ltd) was handed the legal responsibility of the Nigerian Navy of protecting the Nation’s Waterway and NIMASA’s Maritime Security function to the surprise of all industry observers and yet fail woefully in offering the necessary protection for the theft of Nigerian Crude Oil, which has only increased since then among other sea related crimes.”

     

  • Jonathan rules out another poll shift

    Jonathan rules out another poll shift

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday doused fears of another postponement of the general election, saying the polls date would not be changed.

    He stated this at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos, during the commissioning of four new vessels to boost the capacity of the Nigerian Navy.

    The President, who expressed satisfaction at the ongoing war against the Boko Haram sect, emphatically said the military will rout the terrorists, thereby providing conducive atmosphere for elections to be conducted in the northeast part of the country.

    Jonathan assured Nigerians that the areas currently dominated by the terrorists will be liberated before the elections, just as he reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving the capacity of the Armed Forces.

    He restated his commitment to the unity of the nation, adding that the federal government has placed premium on national security, including food security and employment generation.

    According to the President, government was working in harmony with the military to ensure the nation stability.

    He said: “We will rout Boko Haram. Our capacity has increased sufficiently and officers and men are doing wonderfully well. The ongoing activities to contain the sect will also provide conducive atmosphere for elections to hold in the region.

    “We will return the region to a level where activities of terrorists cannot be carried out.”