The Nation Newspaper

Tag: 2019 ELECTIONS

  • Breaking: INEC to conduct rerun in 36 polling units

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

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ibrahim Abdullahi , disclosed this at a press conference at the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu Conference Hall, INEC Headquarters in Bauchi on Thursday.

    Read Also: Bauchi: INEC to proceed with supplementary elections

    According to him, the rerun election will be held in 36 polling units covering 29 registration areas (wards) in the 15 affected local government areas with 22,759 registered voters.

    Details later…

  • Breaking: INEC to resume collation of Rivers results

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has fixed 13th April 2019 for supplementary election in Rivers state.

    Besides, the commission is to resume collation of results of the last Governorship and State Assembly elections on 2nd to 5th of April.

    Read Also: ‘INEC should withhold Ihedioha’s Certificate of Return’

    INEC however noted election had been concluded in 21 state constituencies.

    The commission is to meet with all critical stakeholders in the state on March 30.

    INEC has also fixed 28th March for the inter-agency (security) meeting.

    Full story coming…

  • Breaking: I’ll reclaim my mandate, Atiku vows

    The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar has vowed to reclaim his stolen mandate.

    Atiku had approached the Electoral Tribunal, claiming he won the Presidential Election.

    The PDP Presidential candidate, who spoke in Abuja during a visit to the leaders of the Southern and Middle Belt regions, said the struggle to reclaim the mandate would be achievable with support of the elders.

    Read Also: Presidential election: PDP, Atiku file petition a day to deadline

    He was optimistic that justice will be done eventually.

    He thanked the various leaders for their support before, during and after the election.

    Meanwhile, the South-Sourh leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has assured Atiku of the support of the group in the struggle to reclaim his mandate.

    Details shortly…

  • Benue will resist manipulation of supplementary poll, Ortom vows

    Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has vowed the people will resist attempts from any person or group targeted to manipulate Saturday’s supplementary elections.

    He spoke at Government House Makurdi when he received Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives Members-elect from the state, who showed their Certificates of Return to him.

    The governor charged security agents and staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be professional during the supplementary election.

    He said conducive atmosphere must be provided for free and credible exercise.

    He stated he took the decision of the electoral body to declare the March 9th Governorship election inconclusive in good faith with the conviction that nothing was going to affect the victory of the PDP at the polls, which people of the state gave the party.

    While congratulating the members-elect on their victories, Ortom stated that having produced three senators, six House of Representatives members and 17 Assembly members and still expecting more at the rerun coupled with wide margin between the PDP and APC at the governorship election, his victory was guaranteed.

    Rt. Hon Mark Gbillah, reelected House of Representatives member representing Gwer-East and Gwer-West, on behalf of his colleagues, stated they paid the visit to thank the governor for his support for them at the polls.

    He said they returned home to mobilise support for his reelection and formally present their Certificates of Return to him as a mark of gratitude and appreciation.

    Other House of Representatives Members-elect present during the visit were Messrs. Bob Tyough for Kwande/Ushongo; Richard Gbande Logo/Ukum/Katsina-Ala; Kpamor Jimin Sokpo for Buruku; Benjamin Mzondu, Makurdi/Guma and Dr. Francis Ottah Agbo for Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituencies.

  • UPDATED: Senate in rowdy session over alleged militarisation of elections

    Senators on Wednesday came short of exchanging blows in the chamber over alleged militarization of the just concluded 2019 general elections.

    Another bone of contention that pitched the lawmakers against themselves was alleged inconsistent application of electoral laws by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Tempers rose. Discordant and acrimonious voices became the order in the hallowed chamber. The chamber was sharply divided along party lines.

    All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators and their People’s Democratic Party (PDP) counterparts, squared up for a possible offensive.

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, came to the rescue to no avail. The chamber boiled as the lawmakers shouted and threw punches into the air.

    A motion on “The militarization of the Nigerian electoral process and the inconsistent application of electoral laws by the INEC” sparked the row in the chamber.

    It was sponsored by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) with Senators Mao Ohuabunwa (Abia North), Matthew Urhoghide (Edo South), Samuel Anyanwu (Imo East), Clifford Ordia (Edo Central), Ahmed Ogembe (Kogi Central), Biodum Olujimi (Ekiti South) and Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi Central), as co-sponsors.

    Melaye in his lead debate said: “Conscious of the need to grow our nascent democracy through the institutionalization of procedures, application of civil laws and the restriction of excessive use of military force in the civil affairs of the state;

    “Aware of the growing militarization of our nations electoral process, and the inconsistent application of electoral laws by the institutional umpire the IN EC, especially as witnessed in the recent national election 2019, where the presence of the use of extreme military force akin to a war campaign was applied in electoral polling stations, and the declaration of ’inconclusive elections,’ as a term being used inconsistently, and partially at the whims of electoral officers in occasions that appear solidly as similar cases;

    “Concerned that this extreme militarization of a democratic electoral process and the inconsistent application of electoral laws by INEC in matters of national elections pose serious threats to our democracy, and has security implications that must be nipped in the bud.”

    Melaye said that he is persuaded that the country is on the edge of a precipice, “and our democracy can be saved for future posterity, if only we can build strong institutions that can operate within established laws, and with our military forces restricted to their traditional roles of defending the nation.”

    The Kogi West Senator claimed that on the eve of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, the ADC to the Governor of Kogi State, allegedly “mounted a roadblock with over 200 security agents, some of who were fake.”

    Many politicians of the PDP extraction, he said, were denied access to Kogi State.

    According to him, a former governor of the State, Idris Wada, was forced to return to Abuja when his security aides were seized.

    He added, “Some Senators here and members of the House of Representatives were stopped from coming into Lokoja. I had to consult some celestial powers and that was how I got into Kogi State and my village through celestial powers.”

    Melaye insisted that “this is not about PDP or APC. This is about Nigeria. Where is NPN, where is UPN. All these things will come and go. The Senate cannot look the other way, while these things are ongoing. Lecturers and youth corps members were killed during the elections. We can’t keep quiet in the face of obscurity.”

    “It is pathetic that there is no national broadcast from the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. We must not have this kind of elections again in this country,” Melaye concluded.

    Melaye prayed the Senate to accordingly resolve to: “Condemn the massive use of military forces in the national electoral process of the nation;

    ii. Urge the INEC to ensure the unrestricted and consistent application of all electoral laws without bias to a candidate or a party in all elections;

    iii. Direct the Senate Committee on INEC to investigate all perceived inconsistent application of electoral laws by INEC in the 2019 Elections; and

    iv. Urge the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to give assent to the recent amendment to the Electoral Act to ensure a level playing field and adoption of equal standards in our national elections for a strong and peaceful democracy in Nigeria.”

    Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan who seconded the motion said the essence of the Senate is to ensure the provision of necessary legislative intervention whenever the need arises.

    Lawan said, “We are here to smoothen processes in all affairs of governance. The challenges of elections in Nigeria have been here with us.

    “We should consider those things we feel need the intervention of the Senate.

    “I believe that our process remains a journey. Our electoral process in Nigeria needs a lot of refine and fine tuning.

    “The Executive is also concerned. Here, we have an opportunity to discuss with INEC what the challenges have been so that we can have an evaluation of the entire situation.

    “The ball is in our court. We should review what happened and see where legislative intervention is required. Then we will put it up before the Executive.

    “When INEC postponed the election, we were concerned because it was becoming a trend that must be stopped.”

    Trouble started when Minority Leader, Senator Biodun Olujimi went into specifics and spoke about election rigging.

    Olujimi said: “What happened on the 23rd of February have been captured by Melaye. We are Nigerians and we are in Nigeria. For this country to favour us, we must speak truth to power. Whoever is siding what happened during the elections because of partisanship, he or she is unfair to Nigeria.

  • We’ll abide by court ruling on Adamawa guber rerun – INEC

    The supplementary governorship election scheduled for March 23 in states where the March 9 governorship election was declared inclusive may not hold in Adamawa.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) gave this indication in Yola Wednesday when it said it would abide by a ruling of the Adamawa State high court expected on Thursday, March 21.

    The Court had last week granted an injunction stopping the supplementary election but fixed March 21 for hearing of motion for the interlocutory injunction.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State, Kassim Gaidam, said at a press briefing Thursday afternoon that although INEC had made preparation for the supplementary governorship election, the conduct of it would depend on the outcome of the court process on Thursday.

    “As a law abiding institution, we will respect the ruling of the court on the supplementary election,” he said, adding however that the commission had assembled a body of lawyers headed by a senior advocate of Nigeria to push the position of the commission on the subject of the case.

    INEC had earlier said it would not be subjected to a court process over the scheduled supplementary governorship election, which made Gaidam’s articulation of INEC’s new position surprising to many.

    A Yola High Court on March 14 restrained INEC from conducting the March 23 supplementary governorship election in Adamawa.

    The ruling by Justice Abdul-Aziz Waziri followed a request to that effect filed by counsel to the Adamawa Chapter of the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), Mustafa Shaba, over absence of the party logo on the ballot paper of the inconclusive election.

    Delivering the rulinG, Justice Waziri, held that the request had merit. “The defendant herein, INEC, is restrained … from proceeding with the supplementary election in respect of Adamawa State Governorship pending the hearing and determination, which now comes up Thursday, March 21

  • Senate boils over alleged militarisation of 2019 general elections

    Senate on Wednesday boils over alleged militarisation of the just concluded 2019 general elections.

    This followed the consideration of a motion on militarisation of Nigeria electoral process sponsored by Senator Dino Melaye and seven others.

     

    Details shortly…

  • Rivers: the smelly sore of a nation

    Rivers lives also matter”, an advert by some prominent Rivers indigenes, should pass for the appeal of the moment: given the Armageddon the 2019 elections have turned in that troubled state.

    The Rivers sons that signed that advert are Atedo N. A. Peterside, George Etomi, Tein George, Emmanuel T. Georgewill, John Azuta Mbata, O.C.J. Okocha, SAN, and Herbert Wigwe.

    The advert touched the core of the Rivers crisis in the arch undemocratic, win-by-all-means-necessary culture, so entrenched in Rivers politics.

    “We are deeply troubled,” the advert lamented, “by the inability of the political leaders in our state to manage their rivalries and differences within acceptable norms of a civilized society as has been done in several other states in Nigeria.”

    The clincher “as has been done in several other states in Nigeria” really underscores the crisis.  While, even within the imperfections of Nigeria’s evolving democracy, the elite in most other states have at least agreed to some facsimile of elections, the Rivers political elite appear sold on election as nothing but bloody vote muscling.

    But even as this advertisement points one finger at the real problems, its four other fingers point to another source too sweet to resist — the Army in the Rivers election.  Yet, the Army as scapegoat won’t take the stain away.

    Now, whoever, among the military personnel involved in the crisis, that betrayed his service code, should be punished.  If it takes a judicial commission of inquiry to determine and punish all of the guilty parties, as the advert suggested, so be it.

    But the question still remains: was it only in Rivers the military were involved in the elections?  And wasn’t the military involved, in the first place, to secure the ballot, since there were serious threats of armed ballot-box snatching?

    So, why was it that it was only in Rivers that killings, maiming and destruction hit such a nadir, during an exercise that should ordinarily be a free carnival to re-elect performing leaders or sack fumbling ones, as the people do in a democracy?

    The bitter truth is that mostly in the past elections, qua elections, never took place in Rivers.  The introduction of the card reader, in 2015, brought fresh panic.  That year, much of that machine was subverted, to make way for the usual phantom returns in the name of “elections”.

    That year, 2015, too saw a split among the mainstream political elite: with Rotimi Amaechi going the new All Progressives Congress (APC) and Nyesom Wike, primed by “Okrika girl” and then sitting First Lady, Patience Jonathan, flying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag.

    In fact, in 2015, the violence that greeted the Rivers election — pre, during and post — was more far spread and much more hideous, than this year’s.  Then, there were reports of near free-wheeling beheading, and the complete massacres of some families, just because they differ in political opinions.

    The only difference between then and now, it would appear, was because a home boy, Goodluck Jonathan, was the outgoing president; and playing down the massacre was quite expedient.

    If the Rivers people really want to be sincere, they should do a thorough soul-searching.  If they did, they would find out the military involvement was to checkmate the usual practice of muscling the vote, beam their torch on the local political warlords and put the blame squarely where it should be.

    Rivers lives do matter, yes.  But it’s Rivers local political potentates — not INEC, not the police and definitely not the military, which motives were to secure the vote — that endanger those lives.

    So, until the Rivers people tell themselves some home truth, that four-yearly slaughter may well continue.   Too sad and too bad!

  • Senate leadership: Minority leader slot tears PDP senators apart

    All appears not to be settled in the camp of Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) sitting Senators and Senators-elect.

    Feelers indicate as All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators are plotting for position of the Senate President, PDP Senators have launched intense scheming for the slot of Senate minority leader.

    It is gathered the intrigue and scheming for leadership positions in the Senate clearly manifested during the issuance of certificate of returns to Senator and members of the House of Representatives on Thursday.

    The PDP is expected to produce the minority leader in the ninth Senate with its 42 senators. APC boasts of 65 and YPP has one.

    A competent source in the National Assembly told our reporter on Monday the calculation is the South East geo-political zone with its 13 senators, still counting, would produce the Senate minority leader.

    He noted the South South geo-political zone is already out of the race for Senate minority leader because the zone occupies the exalted position of PDP Chairman in the person of Prince Uche Secondus.

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and South East caucus leader in the upper chamber, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, are said to be highly favoured to clinch the Senate minority leader.

    The source, who said he is aware the PDP leadership would soon come out to declare its position, said: “On who gets what in the Senate and House of Representatives” noted that “the position of Senate minority leader is not elective position.”

    He said: “Senate minority leader position is a party affair. The PDP leadership will soon declare its stand about who should occupy the position.

    “PDP wants to get it right in order not to make the mistake of Senator Godswill Akpabio who abandoned the position to defect to APC in the build up to the general elections.

    “It is incumbent on the party to decide. The position is purely a party affair. It is not elective. Especially now that the momentum seems to be on the side of the PDP with expected more states to its fold, it is for the party to sustain the tempo by installing effective opposition leader.

    “The Senator Godswill Akpabio scenario must not be allowed to play out again.”

    The source also said that the PDP planned to install “a cohesive opposition leader that would articulate the position of the party in the Senate.”

    Asked who is likely to get the slot between Ekweremadu and Abaribe, he hesitated and said: “PDP leaders are weighing options but what I can deduct from the body language of some party leaders is that perhaps they would want Ekweremadu to now play a father-figure role in the Senate which former Senate President, Senator David Mark, effectively played in the Eight Senate.

    ‘It is on record that Ekweremadu, having served as Deputy Senate President for three consecutive times with active support of the PDP and its Senators, nobody challenged him, it is widely expected that he should now play a father-figure role in the Senate. Senator David Mark, a former Senate President, did it to the admiration of party members. Nobody should be desperate about anything.”

    He assured that “PDP will put its house in order and come up with a suitable name.”

  • Niger Delta Minister worked against us, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Niger Delta Affairs Minister Usani Usani of working with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rob the party of victory in the just- concluded elections in Cross River state.

    The party also rejected outcome of the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly election, saying its candidates were denied participation by INEC, which allegedly delisted their names on the eve of the election despite an order of stay of execution by the Court of Appeal.

    APC National Vice Chairman south south , Ntufam Hilliard Eta, its governorship candidate , Senator John Owa-Enoh and Cross River chairman Sir John Ochala, said their agents were sent away from the polling units on the excuse that the party was not part of the election.

    They explained party supporters were left confused as to the participation of the party in the election, only for the Resident Electoral Commission to call the party governorship candidate at about 2.00pm on Election Day on the restoration of his name to the ballot box.

    Eta explained the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs did not hide the fact that he was in support of the party candidate, stressing that he has always worked hand in hand with the PDP led government in the state.

    He said: “The National Assembly and Governorship/State Assembly elections organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Cross River State on Saturday February 23 and Saturday March 9, 2019, respectively, were, at its best, a sham that cannot stand the test of time.

    “The contest was not just between the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates on one hand and the candidates of other parties that participated in the exercise on the other hand but between the APC candidates on one hand and the ruling party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party, the INEC, the Security forces and Gov Ben Ayade’s organized thugs on the other.

    “The Etim John-led faction of the party was the one INEC collected list of party agents from instead of collecting from the authentic party exco led by Sir John Ochala.

    “These anti-party agents (Etim John and co) colluded with PDP to subvert the will of the people.

    “There is nothing more devastating and compromising than the attitude of the state INEC REC Dr. Frankland Briyai who on the eve of the Presidential/National Assembly elections on February 22, addressed the press and unilaterally announced the delisting of our candidates purportedly on the orders of a High Court whereas the matter was already in the domain of the Appeal Court from where a stay of execution order was secured. INEC indeed, did the bidding of Gov. Ben Ayade.

    “For instance, at the just concluded Governorship/State Assembly Elections, about (12) twelve out of the eighteen (18) Local Government Returning Officers were from Obudu, the home Local Government Area of Governor Ben Ayade.

    “This is outside the fact that all the Returning Officers are and were card carrying members of the PDP. Party agents who complained about this were rebuffed and this accounted for why the state Collation agent of the party walked out of the collation Centre.

    “At first, INEC Headquarters delayed taking the decision about getting our candidates’ names back on the candidates’ list and even when it finally did, the decision only got communicated to Calabar in the afternoon of the Election Day.

    “The State INEC REC called our governorship candidate Sen. John Owan Enoh at about 12.30pm on Saturday, the Election Day to ‘congratulate’ him that he had just received the list containing his name.

    “The implication of the above was huge. Majority of voters who even turned out to vote were unsure of his candidacy. Several lost interest. Party Agents were sent home on the false premise that Sen. Owan Enoh was not on the ballot.