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Tag: 2019 governorship election

  • Ayade woos opposition governorship candidates in Cross River

    Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade has called on other candidates who contested the 2019 governorship election in the state to align with his administration for the progress of the state.

    Ayade who made the call yesterday in Calabar after a meeting with some stakeholders said that the candidates’ ideas would be critical in making the state better.

    “Cross River is refocused on creating a prosperity agenda to take her from third world to first world under my administration.

    “I want every single Cross Riverian, particularly those who ran the election against me to recognise the fact that, I’m ready to provide a platform for us to work together.

    “Some of them have great ideas; some of them are very intellectually brilliant and I have respect for all those who ran against me.

    “I’m in a haste to have them all come together so that we can work and build the Cross River of our great dream and expectation,” Ayade said.

    He expressed delight over the credibility of the election across the state, describing the process as peaceful.

    The governor reiterated his desire to take the state to greater heights in the next four years.

    “The election was adjudged to be the most peaceful election so far across the country, particularly in Cross River.

    “This is creditably so because we focused on politics with ethics. Cross River was at peace because of the consistency in salary, commitment and industrialisation.

    The governor added that he was committed to delivering on his signature projects for the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that 26 candidate’s parties contested the governorship election under different parties and was won by Ayade under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the second time.

  • Sanwo-Olu is candidate to beat in Lagos

    AFTER several weeks of intense campaigns and alliances laced with some drama by the various political parties, Nigerians will be trooping to the polling booths once again today to elect governors for 29 of the 36 states. Also to be elected today are legislators for all the state houses of assembly. Although 1, 066 candidates were cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest the governorship polls, and 14, 583 for the state assembly elections, some have since been declared ineligible by the courts while some others have stepped down following alliance talks among the parties.

    One of the state assembly candidates died on Wednesday. He is Adamu Kwanate, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Nasarawo/Binyeri (Mayo Belwa 1) in Adamawa State. He was said to have collapsed during a campaign in Kwanate and rushed to a hospital in Yola, the state capital where he died.

    The INEC which is still fresh with its experience from the February 23 presidential and national assembly elections,says it is ready for the latest round of polls. The police and the army say they are equally ready although the army has warned that its men will be ‘tough’ this time around.

    As it was during the presidential/national assembly elections,today’s polls will be a straight fight between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But more attention will be on Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Benue, Imo, Plateau, Adamawa, Zamfara and Akwa Ibom States largely on account of the outcome of the last presidential election, and in some cases the events leading to the emergence of the governorship candidates ,and the personalities involved in shaping the results of the polls.

    There will be no governorship election in Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Osun and Ondo states.

    LAGOS:

    In Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC is the candidate to beat. He is the most visible of the candidates and has done more campaigns than everybody else in the race, including PDP’s Jimi Agbaje . Sanwo-Olu has also been endorsed by a former governor of the state and the current minister of Power,Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, and the incumbent governor of the state, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.

    The APC beat the main opposition party, the ‘PDP, in the presidential election, even if it was with a narrow margin of130,000. The ruling party also showed it’s supremacy by winning all the Senatorial seats and most of the House of Representatives seats. The outcome of the election spurred Sanwo-Olu and his party on to embark on an aggressive campaign drive across the state, wooing more interest groups.

    Sanwo-Olu’s candidacy received a great boost during the week,Tuesday precisely, When the Ifeanyi Ubah-led Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) announced its endorsement of the APC candidate for today’s election. Ubah, who emerged as the only senator from the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the February 26 election, said he was taking it upon himself to mobilise Igbo residing in Lagos State to vote for the APC candidate with a view to “putting in a round peg in a round hole.”

    He said: ”TAN is a national platform but also we have our ethnic structure. For the Igbo in Lagos, we are speaking for them, we have consulted with them widely. ”We have told them why it is important to support APC structure and to vote in Sanwo-Olu on Saturday. ”Visible work starts tomorrow but we have done some underground work prior to this news briefing. ”The most important thing is that we will not want to have friction with the Yoruba or any other ethnic group in Lagos. ”I think we are coming in at this time to swiftly get involved by putting in a round peg in a round hole.” Sections of the Igbo community had earlier endorsed SanwoOlu’s candidacy. The APC candidate is thus tipped to win the poll.

    OGUN:

    The APC also went  on a fresh offensive in Ogun State with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo  personally leading the party’s ward-to-ward campaign.With him on  the Abeokuta, the state capital  campaign on Wednesday were  Chief  Olusegun Osoba who is a former governor of the state and the party’s governorship candidate, Prince Dapo Abiodun.

    Abiodun has a battle to fight with Adekunle Akinlade of the  Allied Peoples Movement (APM), PDP’s Buruji Kashamu and Gboyega Isiaka of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). But following the re-alignment of political forces in the state within the last 48 hours,the race   seems to be have been reduced to a two-way battle between Abiodun and Akinlade.

    The Director General of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation,Chief Gbenga Daniel, went beyond political differences by directing his supporters to vote for APC’s Abiodun, while another PDP chieftain in the state, Ladi Adebutu, asked his own supporters to back  Akinlade after the two sides had reached an agreement on the sharing of appointments  and contracts in the event  of Akinlade winning.

    Adebutu had been parading himself as the party’s governorship candidate until the courts affirmed Kashamu as PDP’s duly elected candidate.

    OYO:

    Observers brand the race for the Oyo State Government House too close to call between Mr. Adebayo Adelabu of the APC and Mr. Seyi Makinde of PDP after the two men succeeded in getting some governorship candidates to step down for them earlier in the week.

    The strongman of Ogbomoso politics and former governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) threw in his lot with Adelabu while Olufemi Lanlehin of the ADC and Sharafadeen Alli of  Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) made way for Makinde.

    KWARA:

    Senate President Bukola Saraki returned to Ilorin during the week to personally take charge of the PDP campaign and see what he can salvage of his political empire after the February routing he and the party suffered in the hands of the APC and the O to ge movement.

    Notwithstanding, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of the APC looks set to beat Alhaji Razaq Atunwa of the PDP.

    The APC says its performance today will remove once and for all whatever is left of the Saraki political dynasty in the state.

    SOKOTO:

    Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State will square up with his former deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu who is flying the APC flag. It  will be a make or mar contest for Tambuwal who joined the governorship race only after defecting to the PDP and losing out in the party’s presidential primaries.

    It will also show who, between him and his erstwhile political godfather, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, holds the ace in Sokoto politics.

    KADUNA:

    It is no less a make or mar contest for Governor Nasir El-Rufai in Kaduna State. He will be facing a revved up PDP machinery manned by former Vice  President Namadi Sambo, former governor of the State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and the party’s governorship candidate, Isa Ashiru. There is also the massive opposition from the Christian- dominated southern part of the state.

    BENUE:

    The contest in Benue State will determine the strength of  Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and the man who made him governor, Senator George Akume. The PDP proved the stronger of the two sides in the presidential and National Assembly elections, but Ortom and Akume, who is now supporting Emmanuel Jime of  the  APC, are now poised for a rematch.

    IMO:

    In Imo State, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP is favoured ahead of Senator Hope Uzodinma of the APC and Uche Nwosu of Action Alliance (AA) who is enjoying immense support from his father in law and incumbent governor Rochas Okorocha. Okorocha is currently under suspension by his party, APC, for campaigning for Nwosu at the expense  of the party’s candidate, Uzodinma.

    PLATEAU:

    The PDP is encouraged by the outcome of the last presidential election in Plateau State  to go all out to claim the State from the APC, whose candidate, Simeon Lalong is seeking a second term. Flying the PDP flag is 76 year old Jerry Useni, a retired general and former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    ADAMAWA:

    Adamawa is another battleground for the two parties. It is currently governed by APC’s Bindo Umaru Jibrilla who wants a second term on the platform  of the party. His main challenger is PDP’s Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri. Not only did the PDP win the state during the last presidential election, it is also the home state of the  party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    ZAMFARA:

    The governorship race in Zamfara State is a special case.

    It was heading in one direction – PDP’s- until two weeks ago when the Court of Appeal allowed the APC to join the race. The primaries had split the party into two, resulting in litigations. At a point, the courts ruled that the party did not hold proper primaries and was not qualified to present candidates for all elections save presidential. Now,the party is presenting Moukhtar Idris Shehu who will square up with PDP’s Bello Mohammed Matawalle.

    DELTA: 

    Following its improved performance in the South-south during the last elections, the APC is looking charged to do even better in Delta and State today. Its governorship candidate in Delta, Great Ogboru, is banking on his popularity to wrest power from Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

    AKWA IBOM: 

    While Nsima Ekere who is heavily  backed by Senator Godswill Akpabio,  is confident of turning the table against  the incumbent  Udom Emmanuel.

    Army, Police: We’re set to protect Nigeria’s democracy

    The army and the police have spoken of their determination to ensure that the democratic process  is not harmed in any way during and after  today’s elections.

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, warned that soldiers are now ready more than ever before to deal with “those who are determined to undermine   our   electoral   process.”

    He said the army was in possession of intelligence showing that some people want to upset the process. “There are indications of their intent to take advantage of and to use the farmers/herders crisis, armed political thugs and ethnic militias to perpetrate acts of violence including bombings,’ he said.

    He added:” Some of them also intend to infiltrate domestic staff of political opponents, employ mercenaries to carry out acts of assassinations, use the social media for smear campaigns, hate speeches and spread fake news in a bid to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the elections. We must not allow them to succeed. “We shall not allow those who are determined to undermine our   electoral process   to succeed.”

    Read also: PDP to Buhari: Atiku ‘ll soon reclaim his mandate

    These forthcoming gubernatorial and state assembly elections are very crucial. These are elections that touch on the interest of the people at the grassroots and could likely be volatile in nature. “I want to state, and categorically warn that the Nigerian Army will not tolerate any acts that will undermine national security. This time around we shall be tough on those who plan to rig or disrupt the electoral process.”

    Yobe State Police Commissioner  Sunmuno Abdulmailiki and his Borno State counterpart   Damiam Chukwu have pledged maximum security of lives and property during and after the elections. “We have enough men on ground to police the election and ensure that voters are not intimidated in carrying out their civic duties. I am confident that the elections will be peaceful,” Abdulmaliki said in Maiduguri while Chukwu said deployments are strategically done in collaboration with other sister security agencies to ensure safety of voters across Borno State. Residents of both states want security to be beefed  around voting areas.

    Many residents  have travelled to their local government areas of origin to exercise their franchise. A security source in Maiduguri said: “The last elections were relatively safe  for those that travelled out and that serves as a morale booster for them towards the coming Saturday’s elections. “Though, there might be a little apprehension, note that  security operatives have also upped  their game in order to ensure safety of lives and property during this elections.”

    The Abia State Police are equally ready for the elections, according to Police Commissioner Ene Okon. “We are fully prepared. We have done the deployment of the command’s personnel,” he said on phone.

    He added: “INEC offices across the state are fully fortified with security. In each of the INEC local government offices, I have 12 Mobile Policemen to take care of security there. We have finished operation order for the exercise which was released since Monday and the relevant bodies have gotten theirs as well.

    “We have done deployment of policemen, Civil Defence, Immigration, Customs, Road Safety etc to all the 2, 750 polling units in the state. We have done deployment of four Mobile Policemen to each of the RAC centers.

    “We have deployed 10 armed Mobile Policemen to all the local government areas. We have equally covered all the wards and collation center with three Mobile Policemen respectively.”

    The Anambra State Police Command said it  has mapped out strategies to address major threats such as thuggery and cultism during the election.

    Briefing reporters in Awka, Police  Commissioner Mustapha Ladodo warned ballot box snatchers, their masters, agents and mischief makers to desist from such plans or have themselves to blame.

    He implored the electorate to come out enmasse to exercise their franchise as security would be around before, during and after the elections to protect them.  •

  • Nigerians return to polls to elect 29 governors, 991 state legislators

    Nigerians today return to the polls to elect their state governors and legislators as well councilors for the six Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils.

    The electorate will vote for 1,082 candidates for the various positions, two weeks after the Feb. 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    The positions include Governors in 29 States and 991 members of state Houses of Assembly as well as the six Chairmen and 62 Councilors for the Area Councils in the FCT.

    The governorship election is taking place in 29 states as the elections in remaining seven other states of Edo, Kogi, Ondo, Ekiti, Anambra, Osun and Bayelsa were staggered and already conducted off season by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    For the governorship election, no fewer than 1,063 candidates are contesting for the available 29 governorship seats.

    FINAL-LIST-OF-GOVERNORSHIP-CANDIDATES-1-1

    These include 64 governorship candidates in Rivers, 44 in Plateau, Kaduna 38, Adamawa 29, Jigawa 18, Delta 50, Cross Rivers 26, Kebbi 31 and Ogun 41 candidates.

    For instance, in Lagos State 45 governorship candidates are vying for the governorship seat, while 640 candidates of various parties are eying the 40 seats in the state House of Assembly in the election, also in Sokoto State 51 political parties are contesting for governorship and 462 state House of Assembly candidates are participating in the state election.

    The electorate in Adamawa will be voting for 313 candidates for governorship and state House of Assembly from the 29 political parties participating in the exercise.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa, Mr Kashim Gaidam, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that 29 candidates would be contesting for governorship, while 284 candidates from various political parties are vying for the 25 state House of Assembly seats.

    Among the 29 contestants for governorship seat are four women; Lami Musa of People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN), Na’ama Bulama of Progressive People Alliance (PPA), Rukayya Audu of Action People’s Party (APP) and Elizabeth Isa of Change Advocacy Party (CAP).

    Also 25 women are among the 284 candidates for the legislative poll.

    In Katsina State 334 candidates, comprising 18 for governorship and 316 candidates contesting for the 34 state House of Assembly seats, while in Abia 32 candidates are contesting the governorship and 353 candidates vying for the state 24-member legislature.

    In Yobe, 163 candidates from different political parties made up of 13 participating in governorship while the rest 157 would feature in the state House of Assembly poll.

    Also in Anambra, 23 political parties are contesting for the governorship seat and 518 candidates battling for the 30 assembly positions in the state.

    In Kano State, 52 candidates are gunning for governorship and 769 candidates for the state assembly election; and in Enugu State 42 candidates are in the governorship race, while 310 candidates would be vying for the 24 legislature.

    Also in Niger State, 31 candidates are battling for the governorship poll and 395 for the state House of Assembly election, while in Imo 67 candidates are jostling for the governorship slot and 981 are slugging for the 27 seats in the state House of Assembly.

    Also in Ogun, 41 candidates are contesting for the seat of governor while, 582 candidates are jostling for the 26 state constituencies.

    For the FCT Area Council election, a total of 105 candidates are contesting for the six chairmanship positions while 701 candidates seek to occupy the 62 councillorship seats.

    Similarly, 40 females are in the race for the chairmanship positions, while 88 females are seeking to be elected as councilors.

    FINAL-LIST-OF-STATE-HOUSE-OF-ASSEMBLY-CANDIDATES-1 (1)

    In addition to the state elections into 1,082 constituencies nationwide, INEC is also conducting supplementary elections in 14 States covering seven Senatorial Districts and 24 Federal Constituencies, alongside the Governorship and State Assembly elections.

    NAN recalls that the elections in the affected areas were disrupted mainly by acts of violence including ballot box snatching, abduction of INEC officials, over voting and failure to adhere to regulations and guidelines in the national elections conducted on Feb. 23.

    While cancelling the affected polls, the electoral ombudsman noted that number of registered voters in some polling units involved in each constituency was more than the votes received by some candidates with the highest number of votes, hence the need for supplementary elections to determine the actual winners.

    The election will hold at 119,973 polling units across the country, while collation of results will take place in 8,809 Registration Areas or Wards, 774 Local Government Areas, 36 States and the FCT.

    The polling units are expected to open by 8 a.m. and close by 2 p.m. with the last person on the line allowed to vote.

    INEC maintains that the use of Smart Card Readers and Permanent Voter Cards were compulsory for the elections.

    The commission says the total number of registered voters in the country is 84,004,084, with 44,405,439 (52.86 per cent) as male and 39,598,645 (47.14 per cent) as female.

    It also said that 72,775,502 or 86.63 per cent of registered voters have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has expressed confidence that all polling units would open at 8 a.m. nationwide.

    Yakubu said that the commission had effectively tackled the challenge of logistics as materials for the election have been earlier delivered to all States and the FCT.

    Meanwhile, INEC has postponed the House of Assembly Election for the Nasarawa/Binyeri State Constituency of Mayo Belwa Local Government Area in Adamawa following the death of a member of the assembly, Mr Adamu Kwanate, who was candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election.

    Until his death on Wednesday, Kwanate was the member representing the affected state constituency. (NAN)

  • Kachikwu denies campaign posters

    Kachikwu denies campaign posters

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu Monday dissociated himself from his 2019 governorship election campaign posters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    He denied halving any knowledge of the poster, stressing that he has not indicated interest in running for any elective position in Delta State.

    The Director Press, Mr. Idang Alibi, in a rejoinder noted that “our attention has been drawn to fake campaign posters of the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu for the 2019 governorship elections in Delta State pasted by unknown persons across the Federal Capital Territory.”

    Kachikwu, according to the rejoinder, is focused on delivering on the reforms currently being implemented in the petroleum sector under the leadership of President Buhari and Ag President Osinbajo in line with his duties as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Chair of the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    It added that the minister is committed to effectively representing his state of origin, Delta State in the federal cabinet to institutionalise transparency, accountability and productivity in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

    It is gratifying that, despite challenges, measurable progress has been made in achieving important milestones under Kachikwu‘s watch and today, the petroleum sector is more transparent and contributes more to the national coffers. Consolidating on this progress remains the priority of Dr.Kachikwu and he refuses to be distracted from this focus.

    Kachikwu urged stakeholders in both the Oil and Gas sector and indeed the general public to discountenance these unfounded speculations.

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources assured all Nigerians of his and Government’s continued commitment to the welfare and well-being of the citizenry, while thanking them for usual cooperation and collaboration towards achieving the lofty dreams of a thriving Oil and Gas sector for Nigeria.

  • 2019: Okorocha warns against inciting statements 

    2019: Okorocha warns against inciting statements 

    …says no group can threaten the security of the State

     

    The recent threat by political leaders from Owerri zone in Imo State to kill and burn down the property of anyone from the zone who supports any other politician from another zone for the 2019 governorship election has drawn the ire of the State Governor, Rochas Okorocha who warned against further inflammatory utterances that could undermine the peace and security of the State.

    The Imo Governor cautioned proponents of zoning, especially those from Owerri zone to desist from acts that could jeopardize the safety of lives and property of Imo citizens, asserting that the government will not fold it’s hands and watch “few overzealous politicians threaten the lives and property of the citizens for political reasons “.

    A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo,  read in part, “the attention of the Governor and Chief Security Officer of the state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has been drawn to the recent threat by a group of politicians from a particular political zone in the state to kill and burn the properties of people from their zone who would support candidates from the other zones of the state for the governorship of the state in 2019.

    “This uncivilized and undemocratic threat bothers on the lives and properties of Imo citizens, and no responsible government would fold its hands and watch few overzealous politicians threatening the lives and properties of the citizens for political reasons”.

    The statement continued that,  “the Governor is worried that such threat could also elicit similar threats from the other zones of the state and a situation like that could lead to undue bickering, especially when it is recalled that there is no zone that has not governed state and those concerned were elected by the people on merit and not on zonal sentiment.

    “It is the popular wish of Imo people that anybody who has what it takes to offer the state and her people purposeful leadership should come out when the time comes not minding which political zone of the state the person might come from. And that has been the stock in the politics of the state since 1979.

    “It is also important to remind these elements fanning this ember of division among Imo people out of zonal bias that Imo people have never left political contest in the state for the governorship to one particular zone for any reason”.

    It also clarified that,  “for instance, in 1979 Chief Sam Mbakwe of NPP from Okigwe zone, Dr. Nwakanma Okoro of NPN from Umuahia zone, Dr. Nnanna Ukaegbu of GNPP from Owerri zone, Mr. Steve Evuleocha of PRP from Owerri zone, and Mr. Zacheaus Nwosu of UPN from Okigwe zone ran for the governorship of the state and at the end of the day, Imo people settled for Sam Mbakwe from Okigwe zone.

    “In the 1983 election, Sam Mbakwe of NPP from Okigwe zone, Chief Collins Obih of NPN from Orlu zone, Mr. Sylvanus Ekeanyawu of UPN from Owerri zone and so on, contested the election which Mbakwe also won.

    “In the 1991 governorship poll, Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu from Orlu zone, Prof. Fabian Osuji and Dr. Alex Obi from Owerri zone ran for the ticket of SDP, while Chief Evan Enwerem from Owerri zone and Dr. Douglas Acholonu from Orlu zone ran for the ticket of NRC in the primaries. At the end of the day, Chief Enwerem from Owerri zone won the election proper.

    “In the 1999 election, Chief Achike Udenwa, Rochas Okorocha, Greg Mbadiwe, Ezekiel Izuogu from Orlu zone and Humphrey Anumudo and Desmond Iwuagwu (Barnax) of AD from Owerri zone all took part in the gubernatorial election.

    “In 2007, Hope Uzodinma, Tony Ezenna, Festus Odimegwu, ThankGod Ezeani from Orlu zone with Kema Chikwe, Bright Nwanne, Emma Ojinere from Owerri zone and Ifeanyi Araraume from Okigwe zone slugged it out in PDP. At the end of the day, the contest was narrowed down to Ifeanyi Araraume for PDP and Ikedi Ohakim for PPA all from Okigwe zone and Martin Agbaso of APGA and Ugo Opara of ANPP all from Owerri zone.

    “While in 2011, it was between Ifeanyi Araraume of ACN, and Ikedi Ohakim of PDP from Okigwe zone, and Rochas Okorocha of APGA from Orlu zone and Chief Vitalis Ajumbe of ANPP from Owerri zone. At the end, Rochas Okorocha won.

    “And in 2015, it was between Ikedi Ohakim, Ifeany Araraume from Okigwe zone and Emeka Ihedioha, Chris Anyanwu from Owerri zone in PDP, vis-a-vis Owelle Rochas Okorocha of APC from Orlu zone and Captain Emma Iheanacho of APGA from Owerri zone, which Rochas Okorocha also won.

    “From the foregoing, it is clear that Imo governorship has never been left for any particular zone. Imo people have always elected their governor on the basis of merit. And the trend won’t change in 2019 no matter the level of threat from some self-centered politicians in the state. Imo people do not succumb to any political colouration that will deny them the freedom to elect someone who will take the state to the next level of development and growth”.