The Nation Newspaper

Tag: All Progressives Congress

  • C/River: Appeal Court order upholds Owan-Enoh, others as APC candidates

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar on Wednesday granted a Stay of Execution Order which reaffirmed Senator John Owan-Enoh, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and others published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State.

    The panel of three Judges headed by Justice A. M Uwade frowned at INEC’s misinterpretation of her earlier order of February 20 which directed that parties in the matter maintain Status Quo Ante pending determination of the substantive case.

    The three judges in the panel unanimously agreed that the Stay of Execution Order earlier granted subsist in the interest of justice as evident in the affidavit and counter affidavit as contained in the subject matter of the appeal, suit No CA/C/62/2019.

    A Federal High Court Judgement delivered by Justice Simon A Amobeda in Calabar on February 11 in the case filed by Etim John and two others challenging the legitimacy of the current State Executive Committee of the APC in Cross River State, led by the late Sir Mathew Achigbe who is now being represented in acting capacity by Sir John Ochala, had declared that the Etim John faction be taken as the legitimate state executive council of the party.

    The judge also went further to pronounce that candidates from the list submitted by Etim John should be recognized by INEC.

    This Federal High Court Judgement prompted the appeal for which the stay of execution has been granted.

    Responding to the Stay of Execution Order the Counsel to Etim John and others, Ayei Okpa said “I am satisfied with the order of court because it is in the interest of justice and all parties have agreed to expeditiously handle the matter and bring the substantive matter to an end.”

    Also responding, Counsel to the APC, Awa Kalu SAN said, “the import of the Stay of the Execution granted and reinforced simply reverses all that INEC may have done in error or compromise of any sort”.

    According to him, Senator Owan-Enoh, Senator Ndoma-Egba and other candidates of APC whose names were published by INEC as submitted to them by the National Working Committee of the APC, remains as the status quo and that the court has given the respondents’ counsel up to Friday March 1, 2019 to file their brief on the substantive case and the matter adjourned to Monday 4thMarch, 2019 for hearing.

  • Akume loses senate seat to Orker Jev

    After four days of suspense, excitement and anxiety, Senator George Akume of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has finally lost his re-election bid.

    The incumbent Benue North West Senatorial District (Zone B) Senator lost to Barrister Oker Jev of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Read Also: Akume: keep faith with Buhari

    The Returning Officer for the senatorial election, Prof Nichodemus Oburu declared JEV winner with 157,726 votes.

    Akume scored 115, 422 votes.

    Oburu said the registered voters were 867,302 while accredited voters stood at 293,399.

     

  • Polls: We did well, says Obaseki

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that the All Progressives Congress did well in the state when compared to results of the 2015 general elections.

    In last Saturday’s general elections, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party won two seats in the Senate and four House of Representatives seats while the APC won a seat in the Senate and five seats in the House of Representatives.

    Governor Obaseki who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr.

    said he appreciated Edo people for the growing acceptance of the APC in Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Obaseki however assured that the APC  would record better results in the March 9 gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections.

    According to him, “With the results out, it is obvious that there is a growing acceptance of the APC in the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state. The margins show that we have considerably closed the gap here. The outcome of the polls turned out to be better than the previous one held in the state in 2015.

    Read Also: Obaseki votes, hails peaceful polls

    “A comparison of the results shows that in 2019, PDP polled 275,691, and the APC got 267,842; while in 2015, the PDP scored 286,869 against APC’s 208,469 in the presidential election.

    “In 2015, the margin of defeat was 78400 votes, but in 2019, it dropped by 90 per cent to 7849 votes. This is a considerable improvement on the party’s performance.

    “We appreciate the people of Edo for coming out en masse to cast their votes and for aligning with the vision of returning President Muhammadu Buhari, and we wish to congratulate them for the party’s strong showing.”

  • Saraki denies congratulating Oloriegbe

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has denied congratulating Dr Ibrahim Oloriegbe of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who defeated him in the Kwara central senatorial contest.

    His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Yusuph Olaniyonu, on Monday said that contrary to reports, Saraki did not congratulate Oloriegbe

    Olaniyonu, in a statement, dissociated the Saraki camp from a message being shared on WhatsApp which states that the PDP and Saraki have congratulated the APC and its candidates.

    Read Also: Saraki wins polling unit

    He further stated that the position of the Saraki camp will be communicated to the public later on Monday.

    “The public should disregard any fictitious statements being issued and shared on WhatsApp by the PDP in Kwara. Our position on the election will be communicated later today.

    “In the interim, the APC should stop issuing statements congratulating itself and ascribing it to our camp”, Olaniyonu said.

  • Akinremi wins APC sole Rep ticket in Ibadan

    The Liberia-based millionaire businessman and candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Ibadan North Federal Constituency, Musiliudeen Olaide Akinremi, has been declared winner of the Saturday’s House of Representatives election in the area.

    With his victory, Akinremi emerged as the only candidate of the APC to win in Ibadan metropolis where the opposition Peoples Democratic Party triumphed ,  consumed the aspiration of other party’s candidates, including Governor Abiola Ajimobi, seeking senatorial bid in Oyo south.

    Akinremi polled 17,048 votes to narrowly defeat his closest rival, Ademola Omotosho of PDP who garnered 16,237 votes.

    Read Also: Cancer biggest killer in Ibadan, says UCH CMD

    Save for Ibadan North constituency, other APC candidates lost to the PDP in all other metropolitan federal constituencies in the city like Ibadan Northwest/southwest and Ibadan Southeast/Northeast.

    Akinremi was declared elected and returned by the Returning Officer, Prof. Mukaila Olujide.

    However, the PDP collation agent, Mr. Olumuyiwa Makinde and that of Accord, Mr. Adeoye Omobolade, rejected the results on the grounds that the result sheets of three polling units in the local government area are still shrouded in mystery.

     

  • Amosun wins Ogun Central

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Ibikunle Amosun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the Ogun Central senatorial contest.

    He polled 88,110 votes to defeat Hon. Kayode Amusan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 33,276 while his main challenger, Titi Oseni – Gomez of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) polled 37,101 votes.

    INEC Returning Officer for Ogun Central, Prof. Idris Akanbi, declared Amosun winner, having scored the highest valid votes cast.

    Read also: PDP to INEC: don’t declare Oyo South Senatorial election Inconclusive

    A breakdown of the votes scored across the six Local Government Areas of the Ogun Central, revealed the performance of candidates and their parties:

    1) ABEOKUTA SOUTH LG

    APC – 20,663

    PDP – 8,264

    APM – 584

    ADC – 10,592

    ADP – 24

    2) ABEOKUTA NORTH LG

     APC- 18,385,

    PDP- 4, 118,

    APM- 2,496,

    ADC – 7544,

    ADP – 923.

    3) EWEKORO LG

     APC – 8,133,

    PDP, 3,671,

    APM – 1,325,

    ADC – 3,106

     4) ODEDA LG

    APC -8, 217,

    PDP – 3,563,

    APM – 1,365,

     ADC – 3,726

    5) OBAFEMI OWODE LG

    APC – 13,712

    PDP – 6,691

    APM – 1,392

    ADC – 4,242

    ADP – 923

    6) IFO LG

    APC – 19,000

     PDP – 6,929

    APM – 2,974

    ADC – 5,986

    ADP – 980

    TOTAL SCORES:

    APC – 88,110

    PDP – 33, 276

    APM – 10,039

    ADC – 37,101

    ADP – 6,510

  • PDP cautions INEC against declaring Oyo South Senatorial election inconclusive

    Following what it described as unexpected delay in collating results, the Oyo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against bowing to “pressure of the powers that be and allay fears that the election results of Oyo South senatorial district may be manipulated.

    As at the time of filing this report, the PDP candidate in Oyo South Senatorial District, Dr. Kola Balogun is leading in the district, though results are yet to be officially declared by INEC.

    The chairman of PDP in Oyo State, Mr Kunmi Mustapha in his statement said that PDP recorded great success going by the results sent into its situation rooms by its agents and supervisors deployed for the election.

    He said “This is just as the party said it is aware of plans to influence results from Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s Ibadan South West local government to augment their deficit. The ruling party has also arm twisted INEC to declare Ibarapa North/ Ibarapa Central inconclusive which is strange to democratic ideals and processes.

    “We are calling on INEC to be steadfast and not allow its men to be compromised by Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the All Progressives Congress led federal government especially in Oyo South senatorial district”.

    “With the results at our disposal and verifiable by all INEC standards, our party is comfortably leading the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in Oyo South. This is apart from the fact that we have recorded victories in four out of the five federal constituencies in Oyo South- Ibarapa East/Ido; Ibadan North East/ South East; Ibarapa Central/North and Ibadan North West federal constituencies. We are only waiting for the official declaration by INEC.

    “Since morning, we wouldn’t know why the results declarations have been delayed when they are ready. We have it on good authority that Governor Abiola Ajimobi is mounting pressure on some Abuja forces to save him from defeat. But any attempt to subvert the wish of the majority of the people of Oyo South will be anti-democratic.

    Read also: Buhari leads in Kaduna, wins 8 of 13 LGAs

    “We will like to, at this juncture, encourage the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barr Mutiu Agboke, not to be intimidated by the pressure.”

    The PDP chairman said that the INEC boss should call his officials especially the Returning Officers to declare the original results from each of the local government.

    “As we write, security agents have sent away supporters of our party from the collation centre while known members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, are allowed access within the premises. This is after declaration of results from each of the remaining 7 local government areas have been stopped, without any tangible reasons.

    “While we are confident of victory, we wish to appeal to our teeming members and thousands of people who defied all odds, and rejected the APC’s vote-buying techniques to be calm. We believe that our candidate has won and nothing can change it.”

  • APC crushes Igbinedion in Ovia

    The political empire of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom, in Ovia Federal Constituency  was on Sunday crushed by the ruling All Progressives Congress as his daughter, Omosede, failed to secure victory to return to the House of Representatives.

    Omosede lost to Dennis Idahosa, a former Commissioner for Investment.

    Idahosa polled 28,509 to defeat Omosede who got 23,345 votes.

    The result was announced by Prof. Victor Igbinedion, who served as the Returning Officer.

    Idahosa, who spoke to newsmen, said it was the “voice of the people against bad representation.”

    He said the people have clearly shown through their votes that the mandate to liberate the federal constituency is sacrosanct.

    Idahosa promised to entrenched good representation.

    “It is in this light that I enjoins all the good people of Ovia, both those who supported me and those who worked against me, my opponents and the APC aspirants, who I contested the party’s ticket with, to work with me for the betterment of the constituency.

    “This election was not all about Dennis Idahosa, but the people, who have yearned for a better and effective representation these past years,” he stated.

    A breakdown of the vote showed that Idahosa won in 18 of the 23 wards in the constituency while the PDP candidate won five.

  • Ndoma-Egba wins polling unit, Buhari also

    The senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, won his polling unit Akparabong in Ikom Local Government Area.

    The former Senate Leader polled 295 to beat Dr. Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 35 votes. The results were a combination of two voting points at the Playground Mkpanjem polling unit with code 003.

    Read also: Ogboru votes, says Buhari’ll be president till 2023

    In the same polling unit in the Presidential polls, President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC scored 171 votes, while Atiku Abubakar of the PDP got 146.

    For the Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency, House of Representatives polls in the polling unit, Victor Abang, of the APC scored 125, while the PDP candidate and incumbent, Chris Agibe, got 29 votes.

  • Ekiti APC senatorial candidate decries faulty card readers

    The All Progressives Congress senatorial candidate in Ekiti North district of Ekiti State, Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi, yesterday, said the flaws of the smart card readers have been slowing down voting in some units in his ward.

    Adetumbi spoke after voting in his unit, saying the mammoth crowd being witnessed in his ward 2, Unit 003 at Ifaki Ekiti in Ido/Osi local government area of the state, was causing serious alarm.

    The former national assembly member added that most of the voters had waited for over two hours and still expecting to vote as a result of the situation.

    Read also: Akala wins unit for Atiku, also senatorial, House of Rep.

    “Though INEC had brought another smart card reader which has started working but we pray it doesn’t malfunction again like we have been witnessing. You can see large crowd of voters still expecting to be accredited after waiting here since 8am.