The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Adamawa

  • APC, PDP boast ahead of March 23 extra elections

    Ganduje: PDP’ll be shocked

    PDP ‘sure of victory’

    Tambuwal, Sokoto APC: we’re ready for exercise

    Plateau APC: we’re set

    Date okay, says PDP

    Adamawa APC: INEC must respond to our concern

    A war of words broke out yesterday between the two major political parties ahead of the March 23 supplementary elections to decide who will control power in six states.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were bragging about their capacity to carry the day.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission  (INEC) has fixed 23rd March for supplementary elections in Sokoto, Benue, Adamawa, Plateau, Kano and Bauchi states.

    INEC announced the date in a press statement signed by the National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye.

    INEC noted that it acted in compliance within the ambit of the Electoral Act.

    Okoye also noted that in the case of Bauchi State, an investigation team had been set up to look into the matter.

    The statement reads: “The Commission met today, l2” March 2019 and reviewed the conduct of the 29 Governorship and 991 State constituency elections held on 9th March 2019. In all, the Commission declared winners in the Governorship elections in 22 states.

    “However, the Returning Officers in Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue. Kano, Plateau and Sokoto states declared the governorship elections inconclusive. Consequently. the Commission will conduct supplementary elections on Saturday 23rd  March 2019 to conclude the process. Supplementary elections will also hold in polling units in all states where state Assembly elections were declared inconclusive and winners could not be declared. Details of the constituencies, including number of polling units and registered voters, will be published on our website (tomorrow) Wednesday 13th March, 2019.

    “The elections were declared inconclusive for a combination of reasons, mainly the discontinuation of use of the Smart Card Readers midway into the elections or the failure to deploy them, over-voting and widespread disruption in many polling units.

    “In compliance with the Margin of Lead Principle derived from Sections 26 and 53 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amcndcd) and paragraph 41(e) and 43(b) of the [NEC Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of elections, the outcome of these elections could not be determined without conducting polls in the affected polling units. Hence, the Commission’s decision to conduct supplementary elections in line with this principle.

    “Furthermore, the Commission has considered a Report submitted by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Bauchi State on the disruption of the collation at the Tafawa Balewa LGA collation centre. which led to the cancellation of results for the entire local government. The Commission found that there are issues that need further investigation and has set up a team led by a National Commissioner to resolve them.”

    Here is a report of what the parties are saying:

    SOKOTO

    The APC candidate in Sokoto State, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, had on Monday accepted in good faith the declaration of the election as inconclusive.

    “I, and my party, have accepted the outcome in good faith. If you recall on the day of election, I made it clear after casting my vote that, I will accept any outcome in good faith,” he said.

    Addressing reporters at the Gawon Nama home of the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum and Coodinator, Northwest APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, the APC candidate said: “The party, its leaders and supporters are law abiding citizens and, as such, we have accepted the decision by INEC, in good faith.

    “The action of the Chief Reurning Officer, who declared the election as inconclusive was in line with the nation’s constitution, as well as the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended.

    “The declaration of the elections as inconclusive came at a time when the party was leading and we have won more than the two-thirds majority of the votes, as required by the law.

    “Apt and accurate figures in our possession have shown that, I was already coasting to victory, yet, we directed our peaceful and lawful supporters to halt their celebrations.

    “We have since directed them to embark on immediate and massive mobilisation of our supporters and the patriotic electorate, in readiness for the forthcoming rerun elections in 136 polling units across 22 local government areas to be conducted by INEC later”,  Sokoto  added.

    “There is no cause for alarm, victory is ours, Insha Sha Allah,” he said.

    Governor Waziri Tambuwal and PDP governorship candidate in Sokoto state had on Monday INEC to as a matter of fairness and justice declare him winner of the poll.

    According to him the decision by the Returning Officer of INEC, Prof Fatima Mukhtar to declare the exercise inconclusive was unconstitutional.

    He cited Section 179(2) of the constitution of the Federal Republic stated that the provision clearly explained how to conduct governorship polls.

    “Our party, the PDP has returned the highest number of votes and we have won 2/3 of the local governments in the state and therefore, the decision of INEC is not founded in law. We wonder why INEC is coming with this technical reason to declare the exercise inconclusive.” Tambuwal said.

    He told reporters in Government House, Sokoto, that the INEC decision would be put to test in the court, saying: “We have not been given substantial reasons for such decision. INEC should note that it has an image and integrity to protect as an agency and for its officials. It should not put its integrity to public questioning.

    “Up till now (Monday), we have not been told why the cancellations of the exercise in 136 polling units across 22 local government areas. We know there are adverse factors that should be considered to warrant such decisions and not in all cases rerun should be conducted.”

    On whether he and his party would participate in the supplementary election, the governor said: “Our court action will not stop us from participating. We want to make sure the right thing is done based on constitutional provisions.”

    PLATEAU

    The Chairman of Governor Simon Lalong’s Second Term Campaign Council (Media), Jonathan Ishaku, yesterday said the party and its candidate were ready for the poll.

    Ishaku, who spoke on phone with our Jos correspondent, said: “The party had resolved from the moment they declared the election inconclusive that we were going to cooperate with INEC for the re-run.

    “Obviously, the re-run is an exercise we need to use to justify the victory of our party at the poll. The people of the state have voted massively for the APC, the results are there.

    “So, the re-run is in our interest and we welcome the new date with both arms.”

    Also yesterday, the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, John Akans, said the date fixed by INEC is convenient for the party and its candidate.

    Akans said: “The re-run itself is a constitutional provision and, as a law abiding party, we will prepare and mobilise our supporters to come out and vote for our party.”

    ADAMAWA

    The APC said the electoral umpire acted within the law in fixing a date for the rerun within 21 days after the main election.

    It, however urged INEC to respond to the issues it raised concerning the March 9 election.

    The Secretary of the APC in the state, Wafarniyi Theman, who spoke with our reporter on the telephone, stressed that what the party would eventually decide concerning the date for the rerun would be determined by INEC’s response to its petition.

    Theman did not specify the issues in APC’s petition. The party addressed the press on Monday evening, rejecting the outcome of the governorship election and demanding a repeat election in places where it said there were over-voting and use of security personnel to intimidate APC agents, among other things.

    The PDP also said it had issues with INEC, such as the decision to declare the election inconclusive based on slimness of margin of lead vis-à-vis the number of registered voters in polling units where voting was cancelled rather number of people who collected PVCs.

    The party, however, said it was ready for the rerun, irrespective of INEC’s response or lack of it to its objection.

    Theman said: “We are ready for the rerun because we have nothing to fear, we are set for victory; this is why we wonder why they should declare the election inconclusive because all the collected PVCs in the units where the rerun has been scheduled cannot upturn the lead we already have.”

    BENUE

    Benue APC Administrative Secretary Mark Hanmation said the party was ready for the supplementary poll.

    According to Hamation, “the APC is going for nothing short of victory.”

    In a related development, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, Bemgba Iortyom, said the ruling party has perfected its strategy ahead of the March 23 poll.

    In a press statement, Iortyom said:  “The PDP is going into the supplementary election with 81,000 votes advantage and hope to win the election which was delayed.”

     

  • 284 candidates contest House of Assembly election in Adamawa

    ..29 for gov’ship poll
    A total of 313 candidates under 29 political parties in Adamawa State will be contesting for Governorship and House of Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday.

    Twenty nine candidates have been entered for the governorship election, while 284 will be vying for the 25 seats in the state House of Assembly, according to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) the state, Kassim Gaidam.

    Four of the 29 governorship candidates are women, while 25 among the 284 candidates for the legislative poll are also women.

    The foregoing are however mostly figures on paper, as among the lot entered for the governorship race, for example, only four or five are known to Adamawa people to be in serious contention.

    They are incumbent Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon Umaru Fintiri of main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen Abdulaziz Nyako of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Emmanuel Bello of Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Rev Abel Behora of Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN).

    Bindow who was representing Adamawa North District in the Senate when he contested election and won to become the state governor in 2015, will be going into the election with power of incumbency boosted by performance anchored on good roads and regular payment of workers’ salaries, but he will have intraparty opposition from a few powerful individuals to contend with.

    Fintiri is a former acting governor whose short reign, 15 July to 1 October, 2014; earned for him a reputation for action and love for workers’ welfare and the popular nickname ATM to go with it, but he is said to have issues with an elite group.

    Abdulaziz Nyako is the serving senator for Adamawa North whose father, Murtala Nyako, a former governor of the state, will be a strong deciding factor when Adamawa people go to the polls on Saturday, as Murtala Nyako’s reign (2007-2014) was popular among the people.

    Emmanuel Bello of the SDP is a former House of Representatives member who has carried out easily the most comprehensive governorship campaign in the state. He started early and was up to this week still strong on activities that should help his candidacy.

    Rev Abel Behora of the ANN has created some form of visibility for himself but he is the least likely to go far among the five who have shown some fighting spirit.

    The remaining 24 governorship candidates have not made any known move towards actualizing their supposed dream. Some have given up entirely, with ten earlier in the week announcing that they were stepping down their candidacies to support Umaru Fintiri of the PDP after they failed to sustain a deal with Bindow.

  • Updated: Court rejects suit seeking to disqualify Bindow

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Apo has dismissed a suit that sought to disqualify Adamawa Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow from contesting Saturday’s governorship election.

    The Incorporated Trustees of Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International had, in the suit, marked FCT/CV/518/2018, alleged that Bindow supplied false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in his INEC Form CF001 by purporting to have sat for the West African Examination Council (WAEC), in June, 1983 and possess General Certificate of Education (GCE) issued by the examination body.

    The group, while urging the court disqualify Bindow, accused him of falsely declaring his educational qualification and date of birth for the purpose of nomination/election into the office of Governor of Adamawa State for the 2019 general elections.

    In a judgment on Monday, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, partially upheld the preliminary objection raised against the suit by the Governor and declined jurisdiction.

    Justice Adeniyi held that the High Court of the FCT lacked the territorial jurisdiction to inquire into whether or not the information submitted by somebody who seeks to contest election in Adamawa State was false or not.

    Justice Adeniyi said since the information Bindow supplied to INEC were published in Adamawa State, as required under Section 31(3), the cause of action could be said to have accrued in Adamawa, where the plaintiff game about the published information.

    He said it was an abuse of court process and an act of forum shopping for the plaintiff to have travelled all the way to the FCT to challenge an alleged infraction that took place in Adamawa State, where available courts could have safely dealt with issues raised.

    The judge agreed with the plaintiff that it possessed the necessary legal right to institute the suit, although it is a corporate personality.

    He added: “It is therefore my potion that the capacity of the claimant to pursue this case is provided in Section 31(5) of the Electoral Act, which says ‘any person,’but did not define the word ‘any person.’

    Relying on Section18(1) of the Interpretation Act, the judge said: “this court is not in doubt that the claimant (plaintiff) qualifies as a corporate personality,” and proceeded to “hold that the claimant is vested with the legal capacity to institute this suit.”

    He however noted that there was a lacuna in the provision of Section 285(14) of the 4th Alteration to the Constitution, which limits the class of people, who can file pre-election cases to an aspirant and a political party.

    The judge noted that, since Section 31(5) allows any person to sue where it is discovered that a candidate provide false information to INEC, Section 285(14) of the Constitution should be made to include other classes of people or institutions.

    He said the legislature should consider another amendment to Section 285(14) of to extend the category of people to commence pre-election matters to accommodate the right granted any person under section 31(5) of the Electoral Act

    The judge also held that the plaintiff made out a reasonable cause of action to entitle it to be heard by the court.

    Justice Adeniyi however held that the suit was statute barred because it was filed outside the 14 days provided under Section 285(9) of the Constitution.

    The judge noted that, while INEC acknowledged the receipt of Bindow’s Form CF001 on October 25, 2018, the plaintiff filed the suit on December 12, 2018, a length of time which exceeded the 14 days provided under 285(9).

    Justice Adeniyi, having partially upheld the notice of objection and held that the his court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the suit, proceeded to dismiss it.

    He however took time to consider the substantive suit. And after analysing all the evidence provided by the plaintiff, held that it failed to prove it’s allegation of certificate forgery and age falsification made against Bindow.

    The judge said the plaintiff claimed Bindow forged his academic certificate, but failed to lead evidence to support same.

    He also was of the view that the plaintiff failed to show that the alleged age falsification has disqualified Bindow from attaining the 35 years minimum age allowed in the Constitution for a candidate to be qualified to contest the governorship post.

  • On APC’s impressive showing in Adamawa 

    The result of the Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections is coming with surprises from all over. The opposition which gloated and roared in the past months is in shock. Their large ego is cut to size and, for them, the reality is now different from the illusion they lived in months and weeks to the election. The will of the people has manifested to clear the fog that for a long time blurred the clear scenario that the opposition couldn’t see.

    Adamawa State was a particularly interesting state for this election season. It was one state that all pundits, the media and politicians were particularly interested about. It is the home state of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is also a state President Muhammadu Buhari could claim, his wife, Aisha Buhari being from there. Beyond personal ties, President Buhari, has a strong official ties with Adamawa State. The secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha, is from the state, aside a horde of other government appointees.

    The president has also etched the memory of his administration across the width and breadth of the state. A number of federal government projects are either completed or ongoing, including interstate roads that have been abandoned for a long time.

    And even before his ascension to power, President Buhari has amassed loyal support base in Adamawa State who have always made him proud. This electrifying support at the grassroots is what keeps the Buhari phenomenon alive through the years.

    However, PDP and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, were no small challenge to whatever pedigree President Buhari has in Adamawa. Atiku was vice president for eight years and his party, the PDP, has ruled Adamawa for most of the last 20 years, making it a strong grassroots platform. It was therefore a tough scenario at the polls.

    On top of these, as a son of the soil, Atiku had set his eyes into winning the state with landslide, to make a political statement. He showed strong determination to achieve that by ensuring both regular visits and huge logistical support prior and during the elections.

    But as the results from polling units began trickling in on Saturday, the fog began to clear. It emerged that Adamawa people are ready to go the next level and back President Muhammadu Buhari in spite of their son on the ballot. First, the result for Atiku’s polling unit in Ajiya ward was announced, Buhari won it with 186 votes against Atiku’s 167.

    The final result showed a rather dismal performance for PDP, considering the expectations, and the gloating. Though PDP managed a victory with a 30,000 votes’ margin in the state’s final tally, its candidate lost from the polling unit to the ward, local government and even the senatorial zone, Adamawa Central.  The result from Yola North, which is where Atiku resides and votes, showed a difference of over 16,000 votes, with Buhari polling 34,534 ahead of Atiku’s 20,414. It was a rejection from home.

    On a comparative scale, Atiku performed rather dismally from the results in Buhari’s home-state of Katsina, where there is a clear margin of almost a million votes. Atiku garnered less than 20 percent of the total votes with his 308,056 votes, a far cry from Buhari’s 1,232,133 votes.

    The performance of Buhari in Adamawa, against all odds, is thanks to a number of factors, chief among which is the people who opted to go with credibility ahead of blood ties. It is also a demonstration of the assiduous work of a number of close associates and admirers from across the state, including the SGF, Boss Mustapha, director field operations in the APC campaign directorate, NuhuRibadu, among others, who not only delivered their immediate domains, but worked hard to turn in the state for the president.

    The SGF is grassroots politician with political records dating back to 1988. He rose to political reckoning from his Karewa ward in Jimeta, Yola, from where he was elected into the Constituent Assembly which produced the 1989 constitution. He came back to rise, from the same Karewa ward, to head the (then) Gongola State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). By 1991, he emerged as the party’s candidate for the newly created Adamawa state.

    It was therefore no surprise that a politician with such pedigree would deliver his polling unit, his ward, and his local government with a significant margin, for the president. At Boss Mustapha’s polling unit 009 Government House Gate, Buhari scored 216 votes to edge Atiku 196. At the ward and local government’s level it was equally a clean sweep, with Yola North giving Buhari 43,865 ahead of Atiku’s 27,789.

    The results from different parts of the state represented shades of opinions and choices with the president getting big in some areas and less in others. It was therefore commendable that APC gave Atiku a good run for his money in his own state. Overall, the result from Adamawa showed that the people appreciate President Buhari’s good standing; they also appreciate his work in infrastructure and honour to their sons for various appointments.

    Seen from the perspective of the freely and peacefully conducted elections in Adamawa, like in most parts of the country, the re-election of President Buhari is a renewal of a covenant. Nigerians have renewed their faith in a man they trust, one that is upright, honest and sincere as a leader.

    The renewed mandate is also indicative of our maturing democratic culture with power now in the hands of the people, not moneybags or godfathers. The Adamawa result particularly points to the impressive reality that people are ready to go for quality over affinity. It is a victory for democracy.

     

    • Mustapha writes from Barracks Road, Jimeta.

  • Binta loses return bid to Senate

    Senator Binta Garba who has represented Adamawa North in the Senate since 2015, has lost her bid to return to the Senate.

    Conversely, another Adamawa female politician, Hon Aisha Dahiru (Binani), has won the Adamawa Central Senatorial District election.

    Sen Binta of the APC polled 63,219 votes against the 78,337 votes scored by the PDP candidate for the Adamawa North senatorial election, Mr Ishaku Cliff, who accordingly became the senator-elect for the district.

    To win her own election, Aisha Dahiru Binani, the All Progressive Congress (APC) Senator-elect for Adamawa Central Senatorial District, polled 188,526 votes to rise above Murtala Chubado Modibbo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 96,530 votes

    Read Also: I’ll wait for INEC’s final results, Says Buhari

    This was according to results announced in Yola by Prof. Baba Bukar Jakusko who is the returning officer.

    The southern zone senatorial district result is yet to be collated

    Meanwhile, Prof Mamman Ardo of the MAUTECH Yola, who is the Returning Officer for the House of Representatives election, has also announced Ja’afar Abubakar Magaji as winner for Mubi-North, Mubi -South and Maiha federal constituency.

    Magaji polled 73,117 votes to defeat Umar Babangida Maina of PDP who scored 31,677 votes during the polls.

  • Atiku maintains lead in 18 Adamawa LGAs

    The results of the presidential election in three more LGAs in Adamawa State have been announced with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar maintaining the lead.

    Atiku had been in the lead since about 9am on Monday when results of 15 LGAs were released.

    But more results have since been announced from three more LGAs namely Song, Fufore and Gombi, bringing to 18 the total number of LGAs where results have been announced since the collation exercise started Sunday evening.

    Read Also: Atiku leads Adamawa’s 15th LGA result

    Atiku has a total of 349,690 votes from the 18 LGAs while Buhari has 338,926 votes.

    In the latest results Atiku polled 22,648 votes in Song, 16,430 in Fufore and 18,172 in Gombi while Buhari polled 17,350 votes in Song, 29,507 in Fufore and 12,805 in Gombi.

    The Presidential Collation Centre in Yola adjourned sitting to 2pm after announcing the Gombi LGA result with pending results from the remaining Michika, Jada and Toungo LGAs.

  • Atiku leads Adamawa’s 15th LGA result

    Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP has taken a slight lead over President Muhammad Buhari of the APC as the 15th LGA result of the presidential poll in Adamawa State was announced about 9.20am on Monday.

    The results from six other LGAs were still being worked on as this story was filed.

    Atiku polled a total of 292,440 votes, as against Buhari’s 279,264 votes in the 15 LGAs that had been announced.

    Read Also: Atiku wins seven Rivers LGs

    The LGAs from which the results summed up to the foregoing figures were Girei, Shelleng, Mubi North, Yola North, Numan, Demsa, Hong, Ganye, Guyuk, Lamurde, Yola South, Mubi South, Mayo Belwa, Madagali and Maiha.

    While Atiku won by wide margins in Numan, Demsa, Hong, Guyuk, Lamurde, Madagali and Mayo Belwa, Buhari took the lead in Mubi North, Shelleng, Girei, Yola North, Ganye, Yola South, Mubi South and Maiha.

  • Buhari’s camp upbeat over Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Ekiti, Adamawa, Ogun

    CONFIDENCE. That was the general feeling in the All Progressives Congress (APC) last night as results of the Presidential and National Assembly elections began trickling in from across the nation.

    Leaders of the party  were particularly upbeat  at the strong showing of President Muhammadu Buhari  and the party’s national assembly candidates in Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Ekiti, Kano, Borno and Adamawa among others.

    But the party warned its supporters to be vigilant, saying the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had hatched a plan to unleash violence during collation of results of the elections.

    The PDP said it was the APC that masterminded the killings in some states.

    Early returns from the Southeast and much of Southsouth looked good for the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    Buhari and Atiku said, moment after casting their votes yesterday, that they were optimistic of winning.

    Buhari, asked by reporters in his home town, Daura, whether he would congratulate the winner in the event that he (President) lost, he said:  “I’m going to congratulate myself, because am going to win.”

    Responding to a question on his expectation in Yola, Atiku said: “I look forward to a successful transition.”

    But it was Buhari who appeared to be coasting home to victory last night on account of yet to be confirmed results.

    Some of the key backers of Atiku who were expected to deliver  votes for him failed in show of their  electoral worth.

    They include former President Olusegun Obasanjo who could only muster 18 votes for Atiku in his Abeokuta polling unit against the 87 for Buhari.

    Buhari himself floored Atiku at the former vice president’s polling unit in Yola with 186 votes to 157.

    Former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba delivered 147 votes for Buhari at his Abeokuta polling Unit while Atiku received 81.

    Another former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel who is the Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council, Southwest, delivered 137 votes for Atiku while Buhari got 88 votes.

    The governorship candidate of the party in the State and Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial district, Senator Buruji Kashamu also delivered his Sopen unit 26 in Ijebu Igbo to the PDP Presidential candidate.

    While Atiku polled 138 votes, Buhari polled 110 votes

    As we projected in our assessment of the chances of the two candidates a few weeks back, Buhari is doing very well in Akwa Ibom State where the former  Governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio delivered 1,553 votes for him  in his Ukana West 2, unit 9, Essien Udim Local Government Area. Atiku got only 11 votes there.

    Buhari also defeated Atiku 84 -80 votes in the Apapa, Lagos polling unit of the PDP governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje while it was the other way round in the Ikoyi polling unit of the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    Atiku attracted 52 votes in the unit while Buhari got 48.

    Atiku got 219 votes as against Buhari’s 68 at   the Agbaji polling unit, Ilorin of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

    In another unit at Agbaji, Ilorin, Saraki’s younger sister, Gbemi got 275 votes for Buhari while Atiku received 71.

    It was also Buhari all the way in most of the units in Ekiti, Kano, Borno, Adamawa States.

    But it seemed to be a close race in Edo State although APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole  made it 770  0  in favour of Buhari while Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu gave it all to Buhari in his Mpu units in Enugu State.

    Atiku also got 84 votes, nine more than Buhari at one of the polling units at Aso Rock Villa, and 207 votes at the Kaduna polling unit of former Vice President Namadi Sambo.

    Buhari got only  34 votes there but made up for it at Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State’s  polling unit with 453 votes to Atiku’s 80.

    Other results that came in last night are as follows:

    Owan West Unit six Ward one (Edo State)

    APC  — 124

    PDP — 90

    Kabiyesi: Ona-Ara unit (Essa B ward) (Kwara)

    APC – 290

    PDP – 64

    Kabiyesi: PU Ilesha Primary School, Ilesha Baruba  (Kwara)

    PDP=39, APC=190

    Idi Agba Polling unit 004  Ilorin (Kwara)

    APC 397

    PDP  57.

    0de imam 005 (Kwara)

    APC=195

    PDP=231

    Ward 06 (Orokere), Unit 001 (Kogi)

    APC   90

    PDP 100

    Ward 06, Unit 002 (Orokere, Kogi).

    APC 54   PDP 112

    Ward 04 (Ileteju Mopa), Unit 004 (Kogi)

    APC   43

    PDP 138

    Yagba Ward 04, Unit 003 (Kogi)

    APC  46

    PDP 131

    Yagba House of Representative:

    APC=30, PDP=76, ADC=69.

    Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School, Kubwa, Abuja, unit 006

    PDP: 953

    APC: 182

     

    APC to supporters: Be vigilant

    The All Progressives Congress Campaign Council last night issued  a security alert that about an alleged plot by the PDP to unleash violence during the collation of the  results of the elections.

    Spokesman for the campaign council, Mr. Festus Keyamo said:

    “It has come to our knowledge from insiders within the PDP Campaign Council who are making last-minute efforts to switch allegiance to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress that the PDP is currently recruiting armed thugs and miscreants nationwide to attack ward and local government collation centres this evening till the wee hours of tomorrow morning.

    “The purpose is to disrupt the collation process of the elections nationwide in order to cause crises and make this election inconclusive. As we know, most of these collation centres are usually in schools or other places that are poorly protected.

    “This is, therefore, a clarion call to all law enforcement agencies to mobilise extra armed security to protect all collation centres nationwide. We also appeal to Nigerians of goodwill and our supporters to provide standby electricity this night at these collation centres.

    Read Also: EFCC operatives at INEC collation centre in Lagos

    “We also call on all our party agents, supporters and patriotic Nigerians to stick with these election results from the various units up to the State Collation Centres. There is no cause for any political party at this stage to jubilate or be dejected. Nothing has been won and nothing has been lost. Official results have not been declared. Hence we call for eternal vigilance on the part of our agents and supporters.

    “We repeat: NOBODY SHOULD JUBILATE NOW AND ABANDON HIS/HER DUTIES. LET US KEEP OUR FEET FIRMLY ON THE GROUND AND STICK WITH OUR ASSIGNED ROLE(S) UNTIL FINAL RESULTS ARE DECLARED BY INEC.”

     

    APC killing Nigerians, burning ballot boxes, PDP alleges

    The PDP in its reaction to the conduct of the elections accused the APC of killing innocent Nigerians, and snatching and burning ballot boxes during the polls.

    The PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the unleashing of violence was the major part of the script by the APC to intimidate Nigerians and disrupt the election, in a bid to enforce President Buhari’s self-succession plot.

    His words: “President Buhari and the APC leadership must know that they are directly responsible for the killings in Rivers state, the violent snatching of ballot box and burning of electoral materials in Lagos and various other states where compromised security agents were used to directly interfere in the electoral process. “In Lagos State, the world watched in amazement as security agents aided APC thugs to invade polling centres, disrupt electoral process, manhandle voters, destroy and burnt electoral materials, including ballot papers and boxes.

    “In Rivers State, voters were shot and killed by agents of the APC in their desperation to manipulate the elections.

    “Our party is compiling a list of all infractions and the killings as well as securing the identities of all individuals who played roles in these the atrocities.

    “The PDP deeply salutes the resilience, courage and sacrifices by Nigerians, across the board, in resisting the Buhari’s anti-democratic forces and insisting that their votes must count, against all odds.

    “Nigerians, across the country are exceptionally upbeat in their resolution to vote out this incompetent, divisive, vengeful, violent prone and corrupt APC administration, despite the machinations of the Buhari Presidency.

    “This election has shown President Buhari and in particular, certain individuals in Lagos state, who thought that they were emperors, that the will of the people is bigger than them. The APC turned the election into a war but Nigerians have shown that nobody can suppress their resilient spirit.

    “The PDP therefore calls on INEC to ensure that all votes count as Nigerians are following all the figures from the polling units.  Having come thus far and after making huge sacrifices, Nigerians will never accept any result that does not reflect the reality of their already expressed wishes and aspiration at the polls.”

    House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara   won his polling unit at Gwarangah in Bogoro, Dass, Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State for Atiku with 285 votes as against 15 for Buhari.

  • Military beef up security as election progresses in Adamawa

    Men and officers of the Nigerian Army went in a long convoy of military vehicles along major streets in Yola as election progressed yesterday in what the authorities said was a move to assure citizens of adequate safety and protection.

    The military men went on the road show in the early hours of the morning as they moved around, crisscrossing the streets as voters lined up at different polling centres casting their votes and watching as the military men passed by.

    The Commander of the 23 Brigade, Yola, Brig Gen Bello Muhammad, said in a brief interaction with newsmen that although the military is not involved in the electoral process, the citizens need the military to assure them that they are safe.

    Everywhere was calm at the state capital, Yola, up to the early afternoon Saturday as election progressed, and there was no report of violence elsewhere across the state.

  • No threat to dethrone Emir of Mubi – Bindow

    Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa State has said there is no threat to dethrone the Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Isa Ahmadu, over the Emir’s perceived preference for a political party other than the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2019 polls, or lack of open support for the APC.

    The governor said a story alleging such threat is a fiction meant to mislead the peace loving citizens of the state, as he (Bindow) was came in through a popular vote in 2015 to lead the state irrespective of the preferences of the people in the different communities.

    A story by an online medium had quoted the governor as ordering the emir to be partisan and campaign to the people to vote for all candidates of the APC or he might be dethroned.

    But the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the governor, Macaulay Hunohashi, said in a statement Friday that the governor, who is a title holder of Sardauna Mubi, made the palace of the Emir first point of call any time he visits his community because of his respect for the emir as a traditional and community leader.

    “It is preposterous to issue any kind of threat to such a highly revered monarch,” the statement said, and urged the authors of the allegation to desist from rumour peddling.