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Tag: 2019 ELECTIONS

  • National Assembly election tribunal gets three petitions in FCT

    The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in the FCT has received three petitions from aggrieved candidates who were not satisfied with the conduct of the Feb. 23 National Assembly election in the territory.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the petitioners, are candidates from National Conscience party (NCP), Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) and the All Progressives Congress, are challenging the results of two senatorial and one House of Representatives seats as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).

    Read Also: Prosecution closes case in Onnoghen’s trial after three witnesses

    NAN reports that out of the three petitions, one was filed by the NCP candidate, Mr Fisayo Makanjuola against Sen. Philip Aduda, Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and INEC as respondents.
    The second petition was filed by a candidate of the PDM, Ekechi Chinyere against INEC, Sen. Aduda and the PDP.

    Mr Amanda Pam and APC filed a petition against Hon. Micah Giba, PDP, INEC and REC.

    NAN reports that the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, constituted the FCT National Assembly election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja.

    The constitution was pursuant to paragraph 133(3) a and b of the Electoral Act as amended.

    The tribunal is located at the FCT High Court, Apo, Abuja

  • Lessons of 2019 elections

    The recent general elections underscored a collective progression to political stability and democratic consolidation. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on the importance of the exercise and implications for the polity.

    Public consciousness is growing. The electorate is waxing stronger in their capacity for wise choices during elections. Many observers contend that future polls may get better since blind voting may continue to give way.

    The recent general elections were an eye opener. The presidential election lacked a predictive value in some states. While voters endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari in some states, they turned their back on the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors.

    The candidates were on the weighing scale on poll day. Many of them lost at their polling booths, units,wards and local governments.

    A veteran journalist, Bayo Onanuga, pointed out that the power of social media was over-exergerated during the electioneering. Those who dominated the social media campaigns got fewer votes.

    Also, the endorsement of candidates by ethnic organisations paled into futility. Many big wigs fell as they were rejected by local voters during the parliamentary and governorship elections.

    The poll revealed that President Buhari’s strength lay in the power and influence of local voters from his native North.

    For the first time in Nigeria’s electioneering history, 73 individuals vied for the country’s presidency. For the first time also, Nigerians had to vote not with their thumbs but with any finger; to prevent “ink spilling into the box meant for another party”, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    At the end of the day, just one winner was expected – even if the contest went into a run-off.

    On Wednesday, February 27, Chairman of INEC, Prof Yakubu Mahmood, declared President and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, winner of the election, having fulfilled the legal requirement of winning not only the highest number of votes (15,191,847), but also at least 25 per cent of the votes in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states. Indeed, he scaled this hurdle in 34 states. The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007, Atiku Abubakar, came second with 11,262,978 votes.

    Atiku has vowed to legally challenge the results because of alleged irregularities; even as local and international observers have affirmed the overall credibility of the elections despite pockets of violence in a few states and, in the words of the European Union Elections Observation Mission (EU EOM), some “operational shortcomings”.

    Without any iota of doubt, this is his right. There is, however, a growing consensus that he should rather concede defeat, for the common good.

    What Nigeria needs now is an intensification of its economic diversification, scaling of its infrastructural drive and fortification of its territories against insurgency.

    Even as several Western media may have concluded that President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election is as a result of his honesty, integrity, there are evidences that Nigerians believe that there is need for at least four more years for the administration to finish the projects being undertaken across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. As experience has shown, a new government often means abandonment of projects. To the credit of the Buhari Administration, it has been completing many projects abandoned for many years by previous successive governments. And, even so, with much less resources.

    Prior to the elections, while urging Nigerians to make a “sensible choice” of retaining President Buhari, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, had said: “Fundamentals of the economy are heading in the right direction. What we need to do is to consolidate on that.”

    Indeed, according to the latest report of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), issued a few days to the presidential election, before it was postponed for a week, many of the economic indices showed positive performances. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at about 2.38 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2018. The growth in real terms (year-on-year) rose from about 1.81 per cent in the previous quarter of the year. Good performance, though, economists warned that more needed to be done to stem unemployment. One good reason why there must be consolidation.

    In sectors such as agriculture, which recorded annual GDP growth of about 14.27 per cent, higher than 11.29 per cent recorded in 2017.

    The sector contributed about 23.08 per cent to nominal GDP in Q4 of 2018, as against 21.93 per cent in the corresponding period in 2017.

    Nigeria’s drive to be self-sufficient in the production of rice is being relentlessly pursued. Indeed, according to the Africa Rice Center, Africa’s foremost research organisation on rice, with its production of 4 million tonnes a year, Nigeria now ranks the highest producer of rice in Africa.

    Manufacturing recorded 10.11 per cent in the last quarter of 2018, as against 8.53 in the corresponding period in 2017 and third quarter performance of 2018.

    Manufacturing PMI, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which had, for many months, recorded expansions rose, to an all-time high of 61.10 in December 2018, although it fell to 57.1 in February 2019.

    In his 2019 State of the Union address President of the United States of America, Mr Donald Trump admonished opposing parties to  rejection “the politics of revenge, resistance, and retribution” and embrace “the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise, and the common good.”

    For all contestants to various elective offices in Nigeria’s political season, this should be the mantra.

    The last words should go to President Muhammadu Buhari: “The new Administration will intensify its efforts in Security, Restructuring the Economy and Fighting Corruption. We have laid down the foundation and we are committed to seeing matters to the end. We will strive to strengthen our unity and in-clusiveness so that no section or group will feel left behind or left out.”

     

  • Shehu Sani gets Tribunal’s nod to inspect election materials

    National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna has granted Senator Shehu Sani’s request to inspect the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s collation result sheets for Kaduna Central Senatorial zone.

    The Nation recalled that, the sitting Senator Shehu Sani who contested the February 23 Senate election under the platform of People’s Redemption Party (PRP), lost to Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The Senator and his party thereafter rejected the result and resolved to challenge it in the court.

    The tribunal Chairman, Justice A. H Suleiman granted Senator Sani’s request contained in an ex parte motion he filed alongside PRP.

    In their petition No. EPT/KD/SN/M/02/19, the applications asked INEC, to make results sheets and incident forms available to them for inspection.

    Ruling of an ex-parte motion, Justice Suleiman said: “An order is hereby made compelling the 3rd Respondent (INEC) to allow the petitioners/applicants or their agents or assigns access to inspect documents (Form EC8A, Eze INEC incident forms) and result sheets of all polling units in the seven Local government Areas that make up Kaduna Central Senatorial district.”

    “An order is hereby also made on the 3rd Respondent to make available to the petitioners/Applicants certified True Copy of all the documents,” he ruled.

  • PDP alleges plot by military to hijack supplementary polls

    The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) has alerted of a clandestine plot by the military in cahoots with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hijack the March 23 governorship supplementary elections coming up in six states.

    At a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the alleged plot was hatched at a meeting the Presidency held with security agencies and officials of INEC.

    Describing the alleged plot as obnoxious, the PDP said its candidates were already leading and coasting to inevitable victory in all the states where the supplementary elections are billed to hold, vowing that nothing can alter this reality.

    INEC has listed Kano, Bauchi, Benue, Plateau and Sokoto states for the supplementary elections.

    The PDP cautioned the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) and “agents” of the Presidency to know that Nigerians will never be intimidated.

    Ologbondiyan vowed the electorate in the affected states will confront and crush any oppressive force that attempts to defy and subvert their will in the supplementary polls.

    The party spokesman said the PDP has full information on every move by the APC to manipulate the electoral process, stressing that not all Nigerians in the present government subscribe to their cruelty, resort to violence as well as suppression of votes.

    The PDP alleged that part of the plot was a directive by a top military chief to the INEC chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu not to declare the Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike as winner of the March 9 election, even though he won the poll.

    INEC had suspended the collation of results of the Rivers State governorship election but had announced on Thursday that the exercise will resume on April 2.

    The PDP continued: “Our party is informed of how a top Army officer, at the meeting, directed the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, not to ever declare Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike as winner of the Rivers governorship election, even when it is clear to all that he won the election.

    “We also have details how a top military officer, who is from Bauchi state, at the meeting, directed INEC Chairman not to declare our victorious Bauchi state governorship candidate, Sen. Bala Mohammed, as the winner of the Bauchi state governorship election.

    “The PDP is also privy to how a Director of one of our security agencies, who was at the meeting, undertook to use his agency to deliver Kano state to the APC.”

    The party further alleged it was also decided at the meeting that 30 Department of State Service (DSS) operatives and 300 mobile policemen be deployed to each of the states where the supplementary elections are billed to hold.

    According to the PDP, the security operatives to be so deployed have been given standing instruction to take over those states and make effort to ambush the process, seeing that the PDP is bound to win.

    “In spite of all, the PDP wants the Buhari Presidency and the APC to come to terms with the fact that their conspiracies will be of no avail as our candidates are marching to unassailable victory with the people.

    “The PDP reminds our military that Nigerians will not hesitate to treat individuals in military uniform, who illegally involved in the supplementary election, as fake soldiers. After all, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has declared that uniformed personnel, who helped APC to rig presidential election, were fake.

    “It is imperative to state that under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, elections have been turned into warfare against the people but Nigerians will never allow a situation where states are forcefully taken over like spoils of war.

    “It is also highly provocative that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu, is now taking orders from the military to cancel elections and alter results for the APC, instead of asserting the independence and impartiality of INEC under our laws.

    “Such annexation of the Prof. Yakubu-led INEC by the Buhari Presidency is the only reason the governorship elections in Bauchi, Plateau, Kano, Sokoto, Adamawa, Benue and Rivers states, which were won by the PDP are declared inconclusive.

    “It is obvious that the elections were stalled in these states just because the PDP was in the lead. If the APC had been in the lead as in Ogun, INEC would not have batted an eyelid before pronouncing the results in favor of APC.

    “In all, the PDP wants the APC, INEC and their compromised security officials to be informed that the states, where supplementary elections have been scheduled, are home to the PDP and that our votes can never be stolen.

    “The PDP cautions INEC to note that the people already know the number of voters with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in these states and will never accept any padding of the voter register to favour the APC.

    “The PDP therefore charges all our members, teeming supporters and all lovers of democracy in these states to remain steadfast in resisting the APC and marching out en-mass to their polling units this Saturday to consolidate their victory against oppressive forces in our land,” the party added.

  • 2019 election materials safe, open for inspection, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom State Thursday said all materials used for the general elections were safe and ready for inspection by any party who followed laid down procedure for inspection.

    The state INEC gave the assurance while refuting allegations by some persons who claimed the commission colluded with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Essien Udium Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State to rig election by destroying ballot papers thumb printed in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Reacting to an advertorial titled “Political Jobbers on the prowl,” published in this newspaper on March 16, spokesman for INEC in Akwa Ibom Don Etukudo described the allegation as deliberate falsehood, misinformation and the attempt to malign the commission and the person of the Resident Electoral Commissioner.

    Etukudo said INEC’s bus was involved in an accident in which the driver and three others became unconscious while on reverse logistics duty, adding that it was a directive from the commission’s headquarters in order to safeguard electoral materials.

    He said: “While the commission does not intend to join issues with anyone or group of persons on the conduct of the just concluded elections as it believes that the nation’s electoral laws have adequately provided due process for complaints, it is however pertinent to address the deliberate falsehood, misinformation and the attempt to malign the commission and the person of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), as contained in the said advertorial.

    Read Also: INEC to conduct Bauchi supplementary polls in 15 LGAs – REC

    “The commission refers here to the claim in paragraph 6 of the advert to the effect that its truck which was involved in an accident at Abak on March 12, 2019, was conveying “ballot papers earlier voted in favour of the APC and that they “were being transported to a location near INEC office in Uyo for destruction and subsequent replacement with ballot papers fraudulently thumb printed…”

    “This is not true. It is a clear mischief and a lame attempt to hoodwink the reading public and blackmail the commission for insisting on upholding the integrity of the electoral process in Akwa Ibom State.

    “On March 12, at about 4pm, the commission’s vehicle which was undertaking reverse logistics from INEC office Eastern Obolo, to the state office got involved in an accident at Oku Abak, a few meters away from the Abak Police Station.

    The accident was duly incidented in the Abak Police Station.

    “The driver of the vehicle and the other three occupants became unconscious owing to the accident and could not have responded to questions as alleged by the advertorial. The claim that “the driver of the truck on interrogation confessed that was the sixth trip that day shuttling to different PDP stalwart houses…” is therefore unfounded, spurious and mischievous.

    “Reverse logistics from LGA offices to state offices was a national directive from the commission’s headquarters to all RECs. It was not peculiar to Akwa lbom State. The exercise is ongoing nationwide. This fact is verifiable.

    “In the light of the failed attempts in some LGAs to disrupt elections in Akwa Ibom State by bombing and setting INEC offices and vehicles ablaze (as in Ibesikpo, Obot Akara and Mkpat Enin LGAs, for instance) before, during and after the elections, the directive of the National Headquarters is amply justified.

    “In implementing this directive, the commission in Akwa lbom State was careful to rigorously follow the laid down procedure. It duly informed the Commissioner of Police in the state who is also the Chairman of the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), a body made up of all security agencies in the state. It was therefore no secret that the commission was retrieving materials used for the elections from the field for safe custody in the state headquarters.

    “The commission hereby assures the public that materials used for the 2019 General Elections are safe and open for inspection by any party on application or as may be directed by an appropriate authority,” he said.

  • Breakdown of Bauchi voided votes up for grabs

    Come Saturday, March 23, 22, 759 voided votes in 15 LGAs will be up for grabs by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Party (APC) in the Bauchi governorship rerun.

    Find below breakdown of the affected polling units:

    Alkaleri LG: – 1,190 votes cancelled in two polling units in two wards

    Bogoro LG; 1,130 votes cancelled in one PU

    Darazo LG: 2,864 votes cancelled in four polling units in four wards

    Dass LG: 872 votes cancelled in one polling unit

    Gamawa LG: 405 votes cancelled in one polling unit

    Ganjuwa LG; 1,306 votes cancelled in two polling units across two wards

    Giade LG: 1,899 votes cancelled in four polling units across four wards

    Read Also: PDP threatens to boycott Bauchi gov rerun

    Itas/ Gadau LG: 2,252 votes cancelled in three polling units across three wards.

    Jama’are LG; 829 votes cancelled in two polling units across two wards

    Katagum LG: 2,055 votes cancelled in three polling units across three wards

    Kirfi LG: 1,111 votes cancelled in two polling units across two wards

    Misau LG; 1,007 votes cancelled in one polling unit

    Ningi LG: 2,533 votes cancelled in five polling units across five wards

    Shira LG: 438 votes cancelled in one polling unit

    Toro LG: 2, 878 cancelled in four polling units across four wards

  • PDP threatens to boycott Bauchi gov rerun

    A rerun of the gubernatorial election in Bauchi will hold in 15 local government areas where 22,759 votes were cancelled, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner Ibrahim Abdullahi who disclosed this to reporters in Bauchi on Thursday said the supplementary election will hold on March 23.

    He stated the rerun election will be held in 36 Polling covering 29 registration areas (wards) in the 15 affected local government areas with 22,759 registered voters equally affected.

    He further said that rerun election will not hold in Tafawa Balewa local government area until after the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

    The REC appealed to the public, especially the people of Tafawa Balewa local government area, to be calm and wait for the outcome of the court ruling.

    But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi state has described the supplementary election as a sham threatening not to participate in it.

    Its chairman, Alhaji Hamza Koshe Akuyam told reporters: “The supplementary election is a sham, INEC wants to conduct rerun because 22, 759 people were disenfranchised in 15 LGA, meanwhile 139, 240 were disenfranchised in Tafawa Balewa local government area.

    “I don’t know what INEC is up to. Maybe they are reading somebody’s script. We are not going to participate in this election.

    “Our legal team will look at this matter though it is not just about going to court but for INEC to do the right thing.”

    The PDP Chairman stated that the party will go to court and seek a redress.

    But the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state says it is well prepared for the supplementary election.

    Its chairman Ubah Nana told reporters the party is readily prepared for the re-run.

    “15 LGAs will be having rerun this Saturday and we are participating .Though the proper thing to be done was for the rerun to be held in the 15 LGA and Tafawa Balewa but unfortunately it was not the case .

    “We are fully prepared. I don’t know why some people seem not to be fully prepared. I don’t know why they are afraid.

    “Let the game be played according to the rules,” he stated.

    Tafawa Balewa local government area was excluded from the rerun as INEC, in compliance with a court order restraining it from resuming with the collation and announcement of result for the LGA, discontinued with the process.

    A Federal High Court in Abuja had barred the Commission (INEC) from collation of result of the governorship election of March 9 in Bauchi State in an order given by Justice Inyang Ekwo on Tuesday following an ex parte application filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the incumbent governor of the state, Mohammed Abubakar.

  • UPDATED: Adamawa supplementary gov election remains on hold, court rules

    The Adamawa State High Court, which last week granted an injunction against the supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State, has extended the order, effectively foreclosing the election initially scheduled for Saturday, March 23.

    The court, presided over by Justice Abdul-Aziz Waziri, adjourned the case to March 26 for ruling after taking arguments from the contending parties at the Thursday sitting.

    Justice Waziri said the earlier order restraining INEC from the conduct of the poll in the 44 polling units in the state is pending the determination of the suit.

    The suit in contention had been instituted by the governorship candidate of the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), Rev Eric Theman, who said he was deprived of his right to be voted for in the March 9 governorship election because INEC omitted the logo of his party from the ballot paper.

    Arguing the case for INEC at the Thursday court session, INEC’s counsel, Tanimu Inuwa (SAN) said the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy had not been duly nominated as the party governorship candidate in the state.

    He said INEC form CF002 does not contain the name of the MRDD candidate, for which reason the candidate was not validly nominated.

    He said that, in any case, Election Petition Tribunal would be the proper court to entertain the case, as election had commenced before the suit was brought to the court.

    “When election processes starts, even with casting of one vote, the matter arising from the election should be referred to Election Petition Tribunal,” he said.

    He added INEC is a federal agency and if the case were to go to court, it ought to have been filed at the federal high court.

    “We would abide by court order pending the determination of the suit,” he concluded.

    Arguing against the INEC’s counsel on jurisdiction, the counsel to the MRDD, Bar Yemi Pitan, said state and federal high courts have concurrent jurisdiction to entertain the case.

    He prayed the court to order INEC to conduct fresh polls as INEC has no power to disqualify Theman from the governorship elections.

    The court is expected to rule on the arguments at its adjourned sitting of Tuesday, March 26.

    Read Also: Adamawa supplementary gov poll remains suspended, says court

    Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has once again dismissed insinuation that it is sponsoring the MRDD candidate to get the court to annul the March 9 governorship election in the state.

    The Organising Secretary of the party, Ahmad Lawal, told newsmen after the Thursday court session the MRDD candidate is an independent individual seeking the fulfilment of his right and the APC had nothing to do with it.

    On his part, the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bar Tahir Shehu, who fielded questions from newsmen, said the party was patiently following the case because victory would still be for the PDP candidate in the March 9 election, Rt Hon Umaru Fintiri.

    “They are just delaying the inevitable. Victory will be ours,” the PDP chairman said.

    PDP’s Umaru Fintiri had polled 367,471 votes against the 334,995 votes by APC’s Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow when the election was declared inconclusive and supplementary election announced for 44 polling units.

  • FG closes borders Friday over supplementary polls

    The Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) has ordered the closure of the land borders of Adamawa, Benue and Sokoto States with effect from 12 noon on Friday March 22 to 12: 00 noon of Sunday, March 24, 2019.

    Dambazau said the development is to restrict movements across the borders of the affected states during the election days.

    A statement in Abuja by the Comptroller General (CG), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, explained: “Further to the re-run of the Governorship Elections taking place on Saturday 22, March 2019, the Honourable Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen (rtd) Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, has directed the closure of Land Borders of Adamawa, Benue and Sokoto states with effect from 12.00 noon of Friday 22, March to 12:00 noon of Sunday 24th March, 2019.

    “This is to restrict movements across the borders of the affected states during the election days. The public is to take note and ensure compliance.”

  • Atiku, PDP hallucinating over 1.6m votes claim, says Obaseki

    Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki on Thursday faulted the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, who claimed that he defeated President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with about 1.6 million votes.

    According to him, it was mere hallucination.

    Obaseki spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Asked to respond to Atiku Abubakar’s claim that he won the elections with about 1.6 millions, Obaseki simply said, “You heard the word, they are hallucinating”

    According to him, he was at the State House to congratulate President Buhari and also to discuss some developmental issues that have to do with the South-South and South East being the only APC governor in the area.

    He said, “I came to congratulate the President on his victory in the pools. If you understand the Nigerian politics, I am the only APC governor in the South South and South East. So, it means I must keep a very close relationship with my President.”

    Read Also: APC hits Atiku, PDP over electoral victory claim

    On what he discussed with him, he said, “It is just issues pertaining to the region, economic development of the region, security and how to make progress in the next four years.

    He said that his discussion with the President had nothing to do with politics.

    “Well, I didn’t come to discuss politics. INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) will determine what it needs to do, and as a compliant party we will accept the decisions of INEC.”

    He also said that his party has nothing to worry about in the Saturday’s supplementary election in Rivers State as it has no candidates in the election.

    On what his administration was doing to curb insecurity in Northern part of Edo State where some police officers including a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), he said that those involved in the act had been rounded up.

    He said “Security in that part of the state has been a concern to us and fortunately the Police stepped up investigation of the killings in Afuze Police Station last week and I am happy to report that the culprits have been found.

    “They are hoodlums who wanted to release one of their colleagues in the police cell. They did it in such a gruesome manner by killing four police officers including the DPO who Watson duty at that time.

    “They have been arrested and they have made useful confession. We are still investigating to see how this activity is related to such similar activities that we witnessed in that part of the state over the past one year.”