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Tag: 2019 polls

  • Buhari will accept polls outcome, says Osinbajo

    The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will accept the outcome a free and fair presidential election.

    He said this after casting his vote at polling unit 033 in Victoria Garden City (VGC), his country home in Lagos. “This administration will do everything it said. We are going to accept the outcome of a free, fair and credible poll.

    That is democracy. Let the voting process be peaceful. Cast your vote and encourage others to do the same. Let it remain as peaceful as it can. If the election is free and fair and everybody says it is free and fair, then we must accept the result,” he said.

    The Vice President, who said his vote is not different from the vote of every other Nigerian, said he and President Buhari are very confident of winning reelection.

    “We have gone round the nation and we have spoken to the nation about the need for us to continue on the path that we have set; the path of growth and development for the nation. We deserve a second term in order for us to complete all that we have started. We have also said that this country, in the next four years, by the grace of God and the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, will be a completely changed nation,” he said.

    Osinbajo, who also commended the turnout of voters and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the peaceful poll, said the turnout was impressive, expressing confidence in the elections.

  • INEC clears Zamfara APC for 2019 polls

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress in Zamfara State eligible to present candidates for the general elections, following a ruling by the Court of Appeal.

    The APC in the state had previously been barred from presenting candidates for the elections following the internal crisis in the party on account of which it could not carry out its primaries wihin the time span set by INEC.

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday overruled the lower court on technical ground.

    There had been two conflicting rulings from two courts of the same jurisdiction, one sitting in Zamfara and the other in Abuja.

    While the Zamfara court ruled in favour of the ruling party, the Abuja high court ruled against the party, which therefore forced INEC to take a decision.

    However, the Appeal Court ruling on Thursday has changed the narrative as INEC, in a statement signed by the National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said that the commiasion has complied with the court order.

    The statement reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has consistently maintained that it will always obey court judgments and orders.

    “ln the case of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State. the Federal High Court Abuja and the Zamfara State High Court issued conflicting orders relating to the participation of the APC in the two strands of elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th March, 20l9.

    “While the former ruled that the APC, having failed to conduct party primaries, could not field candidates in the said election, the latter decided that it could field candidates, having conducted valid party primaries.

    “However, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division on 21st February 2019 set aside thejudgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja for “lack or want of jurisdiction on the part on the lower court.”

    “This, in effect, means that the Zamfam State High Court’s decision that the APC can field candidates for the National Assembly, governorship and State Assembly elections is the only valid and subsisting order.

    “Consequently, the Commission has today, in compliance with the said order, restored the APC to the ballot in the National Assembly, govemorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th March, 2019. “

  • 2019 polls: Security operatives nab man with 2000 PVCs in Oredo

    Barely few hours to the rescheduled general elections, security agencies in Edo State, have apprehended one Edwin Edosomwan, in Iyekogba axis of Oredo Local Government Area, for being in possession of 2,000 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).

    The PVCs, it was learnt, were purchased from residents in Iyekogba, Oredo Ward 2, but Edosomwan, who was nabbed on Thursday evening, claimed he was a mobiliser for one of the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) contesting in today’s election.

    The development is coming less than 24 hours after a Benin-based research group, Edo Socio-Political Research Group, released findings of a study on PVC collection in the state, which showed that some candidates of the PDP had engaged in ‘systemic rigging.’

    In the study, it was discovered that there was a dubious rate of PVC collection in Oredo and Ovia North East, areas where the PDP candidates in the state would vote. The research showed that the two local councils were outliers in the rate of PVC collection, while the trend seemed normal in the 16 other local councils.

    Edosomwan was caught in Oredo local council, one of the councils that the Edo Socio-Political Research Group had raised the alarm of a possible case of ‘systemic rigging.’

    Speaking to reporters while being paraded by security operatives, Edosomwan  claimed to be a member of the ‘Operation Show Your Result’ team, a support group for a PDP legislative candidate.

    He said he was mandated to get as many PVCs of eligible voters as possible with the aim of buying over their votes.

    Edosomwan added that he bought the PVCs for as low as N5,000 per PVC, noting that he and members of his campaign group have been instructed to deliver their units at all costs.

    The suspect was later taken in by law enforcement agencies for further interrogation.

  • 10 key facts, statistics of 2019 polls

    A record of 84,004,084 people Nigerians have registered to vote — an increase of 18 percent from the 2015 election, and as they prepare to cast their votes in the presidential elections, we present the key facts worth noting :

    1. The number of candidates is the highest ever in Nigeria’s history of presidential election.

    2. The 2019 elections would be the country’s sixth since May 1999 – when the military government handed power over to the democratic government.

    3. 73 candidates will be on the ballot in the race to become Nigeria’s president in the February 16 presidential election.

    4. There are six female candidates contesting in the election, the highest ever in Nigeria’s history.

    5. President Muhammadu Buhari is the oldest candidate at the age of 76 while Chike Ukaegbu of the Advanced Allied Party (AAP) is the youngest at 35.

    6. Buhari’s main rival and former vice president under Olusegun Obasanjo, Atiku Abubakar, has made a bid for the presidency five times for four different parties. His last shot at office was in 2015 when he was defeated by then-opposition leader Buhari.

    7. President Muhammadu Buhari and his main rival, Atiku Abubakar, are both senior members of the political establishment and come from largely Muslim northern Nigeria.

    8. This year, 10 candidates under the age of 40 have out their names forward following the approved bill, #NotTooYoungToRule campaign.

    9. This election is considered as the next most democratic election exercise carried out in Nigeria after the country’s first democratic transfer of power in 2007.

    10. The election would hold exactly two decades after the end of the military rule.

    Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is a trendsetter for the continent and her elections are widely watched by the continent and international community. The elections would hold on Saturday, February 23, 2019 nationwide.

  • Ogun ADC raises alarm over missing ballot papers

    ….No cause for alarm – INEC

     

    The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Imeko – Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State has alleged that a total of 6,053 ballot papers for the rescheduled Saturday House of Representatives election in the area have not been delivered, less than 10 hours to the poll.

    The party claimed that the records from its agents at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Office showed that a total of 62,853 ballot papers were released from the state office for Imeko-Afon LG but lamented that at the Imeko-Afon INEC office, only 56,790 ballot papers were physically sighted and counted by its agent, agents of other political parties and security personnel.

    In a petition by the trio of Alhaji Jimoh Aremu Olaifa – ADC candidate Yewa North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency, Hon. Kayode Elegbede – ADC chairman, Imeko-Afon LGA and Mr. Ben Ibikunle – ADC agent – Imeko Afon LGA, they claimed there is a “shortage of 6,053 ballots papers” and demanded for the return of the ‘missing’ 6,053 ballot papers.

    The Petition was addressed to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), INEC, Ogun State and copied the National Chairman INEC, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, State Chairman of ADC and the National Chairman of ADC.

    The Petitioners urged the state REC to use his good office to ensure that the missing 6053 House of Representatives ballot papers for Imeko-Afon are produced immediately to safeguard the credibility of the election.

    The petition reads: “We the undersigned are writing to officially bring to your notice that a total of 6,053 ballot papers for the Saturday 23 House of Representatives election in Imeko Afon LG were not delivered to the Imeko-Afon INEC office and up till this time the said ballot papers are not accounted for.

    “Records from our agents at the Ogun State INEC office showed that a total of 62,853 ballot papers were released from the state office for Imeko-Afon LG.

    Read Also: Policeman, thugs arrested for branding private vehicles in police colours

    “However, at the Imeko-Afon INEC office, only 56,790 ballot papers was physically sighted and counted by our agent, agents of other political parties and security personnel leaving a shortage of 6053 ballots papers as above.

    “Interestingly the same number of 62,843 ballot papers released for the Presidential and senatorial elections was physically sighted and counted by all concerned at the INEC office, Imeko Afon.

    “We hereby strongly demand that you used your good office to ensure that the missing 6053 House of Representatives ballot papers for Imeko-Afon are produced immediately to safeguard the credibility of this election and nip in the bud ongoing speculation that can threatened law and order in the local government.”

    But reacting, the Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Adenike Tadese,

    said there is no cause for alarm as the box containing the ballot papers for Imeko Afon was sealed, untampered and opened in the presence of all stakeholders with all witnessing it that the shortfall was not the result of theft or missing, but a case of an error(of counting) from the manufacturer.

    Mrs. Tadese added that the petitioners were only trying to make mountain out of a mole hill as the number of registered voters in the area are not up to the number of available ballot papers for the House of Representatives election in Imeko Afon LGA.

  • ‘Why Akwa Ibom will not vote for PDP’

    Some stakeholders in Akwa Ibom politics have indicated that residents of the state will not vote for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

    A legal practitioner and an indigene of Ikono Local Government Area, Mr. Edo Ukpong-Udoh, said there are many factors that endear him to President Muhammadu Buhari, which he believes will sway the people of Akwa Ibom to vote for him and other APC candidates in Saturday’s elections.

    Ukpong-Udoh who described himself as a die-hard supporter of the President said: “I am one of those who believe that Nigeria is a blessed country, with all. Kinds of resources; be it material, human and natural endowments.

    “But, why is the country not where she ought to be? Why are we not developing? The answer is, whether people like it or not, our affairs have not been run properly as a nation and state. The reason is the main problem of Nigeria, which is corruption.”

    The legal practitioner said, from his antecedents in the last four years, President Buhari is somebody Nigerians can trust, in terms of integrity and honesty.

    In contrast, he said the PDP presidential flag bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, cannot be compared to his APC counterpart.

    He said: “In fact, Atiku is an epitome of corruption. For example, when he was the Vice President, he sold Nigeria’s assets to his cronies.

    “These are incontestable facts. We in Akwa Ibom State should not forget that we are victims. Look at the Aluminum Smelting Company (ALSCON) in Ikot Abasi, Atiku sold it to the detriment of Akwa Ibom people and Nigeria.

    “Consider how much was invested in it and look at how much Atiku sold it. As Vice President, he was the Head of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) that privatised national assets.

    “He betrayed the trust of Akwa Ibom people and Nigerians and sold ALSCON to his cronies and today we have seen the result. If the PDP government in their 16 years of reign had run the plant, Akwa Ibom won’t be crying today of unemployment?

    “So, Atiku, because of his selfishness and greed, kept us at where we are today. He is part of those that caused unemployment in the state, so I am sure Akwa Ibom people will not make the mistake of voting for him as president. ”

    Another stakeholder, Mr. Mfon Okon, believes that the PDP’s Governor Udom Emmanuel’s hyper politics will push the people of Akwa Ibom to vote for the APC candidate.

    He asked rhetorically: “What would this outgoing government be remembered for? In Akwa Ibom State today, it is not debatable, more than half of the population are wallowing in abject poverty and ravaging economic hardship, because the government in the state is so interested in politicising almost every activities of government.”

    Mfon said a careful look at the state today would reveal that there is so much decay and loaded in human development and above all total misplacement of priorities. He said: “It looks as if the present government was conditioned to misrecognise the truth; as it has consistently embarked on much lies in almost all facets of the economy.

    “What really beats my imagination is the fact that the present government has also failed to understand that in the 21st Century political settings, the aggregate economic system cannot be placed totally on the political narratives.

    “In fact, whenever I saw some of these jargons commonly called ‘industrialisation’ and many other political abracadabras in the state, it makes me to panic more about the future of this dear state. ”

    Mfon wondered how Akwa Ibom State would have looked today, if it had not been placed on the roadmap of infrastructural development by previous administrations.

  • Last-minute campaigns move to mosques in Kwara

    Barely 24 hours to the battleground for tomorrow’s Presidential and National Assembly elections, the last- minute campaigns have shifted to mosques in Kwara State.

    The Imam of a popular mosque in Muritala area of the state, Alhaji Muritala did not mince words when he declared in his sermon that enough was enough on Friday.

    He pointed out that a lot of people died along Monkwa-Jebba road for many years and a government came and rehabilitated the road, apparently referring to the All Progressives Congress(APC) administration and “some people said such good venture should not continue, please vote wisely.”

    Referring to the attack on the Vice President convoy by some thugs on Thursday at Aluko side of the metropolis, the lmam enjoined parents to warn their children as he who kill by the gun will be one day equally silenced by gun.

    Read Also: Police justify arrest of Kwara Senator

    According to him, it was no longer news that Kwara civil servants are the worst paid in terms of allowances and emoluments, adding that “we have pleaded and cried to Allah that they should go away because their holding to power is inimical to the people.

    “Are they not in government these years that they are now paying bursary to students few days ago?

    “We know the real candidates and the bastards that Allah will never allow them to rule us again.”

    Alhaji Muritala pointed out that anybody that collects the stipend they are doling out to vote for them “has missed the road because the hour has come when their fake government will be taking away from them and given to real candidates who will restore the lost glories of the old state.”

    He challenged all the worshipers to go all out to vote for credible candidates that will give peace to the state.

  • Polls: IGP orders tight security nationwide

    The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu has ordered nationwide tight security ahead of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly election.

    The IG also directed the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGs) deployed to the geo-political zones to ensure adequate coordination and supervision of security personnel deployed for the elections.

    Adamu also charged the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police to beef up security in their Area of Responsibilities.

    He also warned officers deployed nationwide to remain apolitical and non-partisan adding that he will not tolerate any form of impunity or unethical conduct on the part of any personnel.

    This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Friday by the Force Spokesman, ACP Frank Mba.

    The statement reads: “In view of the Presidential/National Assembly Elections scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, 23rd February, 2019, the Inspector General of Police, Ag. IGP Mohammed Adamu has ordered a water-tight and robust security arrangement in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    “In this vein, the IGP has directed the Deputy Inspector Generals of Police already deployed to the six geo-political zones of the Country to ensure adequate security presence, coordination, supervision and implementation of security strategies for the election in all Polling Units, Registration Area Centres (RACs), Super RACs, Collation Centres, INEC offices, Government and critical National Infrastructures, flash and vulnerable points across the States of the federation.

    “Similarly, the Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) in the 12 Zonal Commands and the Commissioners of Police (CPs) in the 36 State Commands and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been directed by the IGP to beef-up security in their respective areas and to work closely with the Senior Police Officers deployed on election duties to the three senatorial districts and form part of security management base for each State.”

  • Lagos CP assures residents of peaceful polls

    Lagos Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu has again appealed to residents to come out on Saturday and exercise their franchise, assuring that nothing would disrupt the peace, security in the state.

    Muazu gave the assurance after a meeting with all heads of security agencies in the state held at the command headquarters in Ikeja.

    According to the police chief, security had been adequately deployed across the state to ensure peaceful conduct of the exercise, security of lives and properties.

    A statement released by the spokesman for the command Chike Oti, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) appealed to residents to contact emergency numbers- Control 1: 08127155132 and 07035068242; Control 2: 08127155150 and 08065154338 Control 3: 08127155071 and 08063299264- in case of any distress.

    Oti said: “The CP restates that the command, as part of its commitment to a peaceful conduct of the polls, has adequately deployed men and officers to different parts of the state.

    “He assures Lagosians that the command in collaboration with other sister agencies has put in place all the necessary security measures to ensure that the exercise is free, fair and credible.

    “The CP says eligible voters have no cause to entertain fear or feel intimidated in performing their civic duty, urging them to conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner.

    “He warns violence-minded people to steer clear from engaging in acts capable of truncating the election, noting that whoever is caught will face the full weight of the law.“

  • Seven arrested for alleged PVCs racketeering in Ekiti

    Seven members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State have been arrested for illegal collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from eligible voters in Ikere Ekiti.

    The House of Assembly member representing Ikere Constituency 1, Mr. Wale Ayeni, who allegedly masterminded the voter cards racketeering was said to be on the run.

    Ayeni escaped being arrested by the whiskers when the policemen swooped on his situation office in Oke’kere area of the town where the alleged PVCs racketeering was going on.

    The armed policemen believed to be acting on tip-off stormed the area few minutes before 1pm and recovered unspecified number of PVCs from the suspects.

    Ayeni was said to have blocked the federal highway that passes through the area gathering eligible voters to collect their cards.

    The operation caused confusion as the seven other PDP members allegedly assisting Ayeni to collect the PVCs were apprehended by the policemen.

    Party members arrested are said to be cooling their heels in the custody of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) where they are stating all they know about the incident.

    The lawmaker is the Deputy Director General of PDP Presidential Campaign Council in charge of Ekiti South senatorial district of which Ikere is part.

    Ayeni could not be reached on his mobile phone at the time of filing this report.

    When contacted, Police spokesman Caleb Ikechukwu said the report of the incident was yet to be brought to his office.