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  • NLC to Atiku: accept defeat in good faith

    The Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ) has asked all those who lost in the just- concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections, especially Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to accept defeat in good faith.

    President of Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in a statement in Abuja told the losers to bear in mind that no candidate’s victory or loss is worth the blood of any Nigerian or their property.

    He told President Muhammadu Buhari his re-election should enable him re-assess his vision, strategy and implementation as well complete pending projects while initiating new ones where feasible.

    The statement reads: “The Nigeria Labour Congress wishes to congratulate Muhammadu Buhari on his re-election as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, being the second person to get re-elected since the return to civilian rule twenty years ago.

    “We also wish to congratulate other candidates for their participation and urge them to accept the outcome of the election, and adherence to the peace accord they had signed before the election.

    “The electioneering campaign although bitterly fought and the election itself keenly contested, we urge the President-elect and any aggrieved party to put first the interest of the nation. We reiterate that no candidate’s victory or loss is worth the life or property of anyone.

    “Mr. President won in 2015 on his campaign promise to fight corruption, restore security and grow the economy. From his re-election, this may have boded well with the greater majority of the people who voted for him.

    “Nonetheless, his re-election avails him a great opportunity to reflect on and re-assess his vision, strategy and implementation as well as enables him to complete pending projects and initiate new ones where feasible.”

    The Labour body added: “The Nigeria Labour Congress on its part will work with the social partners, government and organised private sector to ensure Nigerians, especially, workers to get dividends of democracy as and when due.

    Read Also: Congratulate Buhari, Tony Momoh tells Atiku

    “Worker-pensioner-issues, especially salaries, pensions and welfare will continue to dominate our engagement with government.

    “We commend INEC for organising the elections in spite of the initial glitches. It should speedily correct the lapses identified so far in order for it to conduct more credible elections in the future.

    “Our most profound commendation goes to the millions of Nigerians who defied all odds to perform their civic duty. Similarly, our deep condolences go to the families of those who lost their lives.

    “We demand that the culprits be brought to book in accordance with our laws.”

  • Congratulate Buhari, Tony Momoh tells Atiku

    Former Minister of Information Prince Tony Momoh on Wednesday advised the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Feb. 23 election, Atiku Abubakar to concede defeat and congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Momoh gave the advice in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos while reacting to the declaration of Buhari as winner of the polls by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu while announcing the results of the polls on Wednesday in Abuja, said the APC candidate, Muhammadu Buhari polled 15,191,847 votes to the defeat his PDP counterpart, Atiku, who polled 11,255,978 votes.

    Atiku had in a statement described the results as questionable, saying he would challenge it in court.

    Momoh said Atiku would earn respect, nationally and international, if he accepts the outcome of the results as the wish of the people.

    The former minister also advised Atiku not to go to court but call to congratulate Buhari like former President Goodluck Jonathan did in 2015.

    He said the singular act made Jonathan an instant hero, adding that Atiku could earn the same status if he allows national interest to rise above his personal ambition.

    “A beautiful thing happened shortly after the results were announced in the 2015 general elections; Jonathan called the winner (Buhari) and congratulated him.

    “That singular act not only made Jonathan a respected national figure, but also an international figure.

    “Therefore, as a national leader, I will call on our friend, Atiku to call Buhari and congratulate him.

    “That will make him not just a national figure like Jonathan, but also an international figure.

    “Though court is an option, I advise him not to go to court because time will tell if he will get any reckoning after doing so.

    “He should not allow anybody to deceive him, instead, he should immediately call Buhari to congratulate him,“ Momoh said.

    Read Also: Buhari’s address after receiving his Certificate of Return

    Momoh said he believed the outcome of the election reflected the wishes of the people, adding that it was the aggregate of the results from polling units across the country.

    He said that INEC had done what was expected of it as an impartial electoral umpire.

    Momoh said that he advised Atiku not because he did not believe in the court to seek redress as he went to court with Buhari in 2003, 2007 and 2011 to challenge election results.

    The former Minister said he only gave the advice because Atiku would earn respect by conceding defeat, rather than challenging what he called the will of the people.

  • Accept defeat in good faith, Agbakoba tells Atiku

    Popular lawyer Olisa Agbakoba has urged presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in last Saturday’s election, Atiku Abubakar to accept his defeat in good faith.

    He told him not to contest the results in the court but cement his place as a statesman by working to galvanise the PDP and third forces for the political struggles ahead.

    In a paper titled ‘2019 Presidential Election: Ethnic Consideration vs Governance Consideration’ on Wednesday, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said: “I understand the PDP is aggrieved at the outcome of the election and alleged massive irregularities.

    “I urge former Vice President Atiku Abubakar not to approach the Election Petition Tribunal.

    “He might have (been) moved backwards by his loss but he should not lose sight of the legacy and greatness that lie in front of him.”

    Read Also: ACF to Atiku: concede defeat, congratulate Buhari

    Urging Atiku to work with others to build a stronger political structure that can win in the next dispensation, Agbakoba said: “There is also a lot of work to be done in both political and electoral reforms. I request former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to step into the shoes.”

    He pointed out the presidential election was marred irregularities but argued it was better not to approach the election tribunal.

    He said: “I can see how tempting it is to take the option of the Election Petition Tribunal. But that, in my view, is not the right decision.

    “We look forward to a new Nigeria, strong and united; a new Nigeria that will not vote on the basis of ethnic and primordial sentiments.”

    He lamented ethnicity played major role in the voting pattern, pointing out the APC and the PDP benefited from “primordial voting.”

    “The excepted zone is the South-West, where voting occurred on the basis of issues.

    “The significance and consequence of the 2019 presidential election are huge unless we are able to reverse it.

    “2023 will follow the pattern of 2019 unless we do something about it,” Agbakoba said.

  • Atiku wins Taraba with 374,743 votes

    In a closely fought poll, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has won Taraba state.

    He polled 374, 743 votes to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari, the flag bearer of the All progressives Congress (APC) who trailed him closely with 324, 906 votes.

    INEC returning officer for Taraba state, Prof. Shehu Adamu who announced the result, said 1,777, 105 persons registered for the election, of which 756, 111 voters were accredited.

    There were 712, 877 valid votes out of the 741, 564 number of votes cast.

    28, 687 votes were rejected.

  • Atiku wins in Cross River

    The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has won the presidential elections in Cross River State.

    Atiku scored 295, 737 votes to beat Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who came second with 117, 302.

    The results were confirmed at the State Collation Center for the presidential election by the Returning Officer, Prof. Ibhadode Akin.

    The results collated were however from 17 out of 18 local government areas in the state as elections in Etung local government area was cancelled due to violence.

    A statement on the Etung situation is yet to be made by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

  • Atiku wins Anambra with 524,738 votes

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the presidential election results in the 21 Local Government Areas of Anambra with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar polling 524, 738 votes.

    Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), won in all the 21 council areas, while President Muhammadu Buhari’s APC emerged second with 33, 298 votes.

    Prof. Francis Otunta, Vice Chancellor of the Michael Okpara University, Umudike, who served as INEC Collation Officer for the 2019 Presidential Election in Anambra released the results in the early hours of Tuesday in Awka.

    Otunta stated that Mr John Gbor, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), scored 30, 034 votes to emerge third, with Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, the candidate of the Young Progressives Party polling only 4, 091 votes.

    He stated that Anambra had a total of 2.389, 332 million registered voters, out of which 675, 273 were accredited for the Feb. 23 Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

    Read Also: Atiku beats Buhari in Imo

    Otunta stated that 605, 734 were the total number of votes cast at the poll, while 19, 301 votes were rejected.

    According to Otunta; “the Anambra presidential election results, as collated, will be handed over to the INEC National Chairman in Abuja who will add it to others across the 36 states and the FCT, before the final announcement of the winner’’.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Dr Chris Ngige, APC presidential election agent in Anambra, staged a walkout before Otunta, flanked by INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra, Dr Nkwachukwu Orji and others announced the result.

    Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, protested the inclusion of results from some parts of Idemili North area in the Anambra presidential election results.

    He insisted that there were reported cases of violence and disruption of the process which adversely affected the outcome of the exercise.

    APC state chairman, Chief Basil Ejidike, added that apart from Idemili North, four other council areas recorded problems which affected the exercise.

    Dr. Obi Ogbolu, the state agent of the PDP in the Presidential election, said the party accepted the results tendered by the Police since the original copy was damaged by hoodlums.

    NAN reports that Mr Rabiu Ladodo, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, had earlier tendered duplicate copies of the Idemili North results given to the police by INEC.

    Ladodo said the tendering of the duplicate copy of the results followed a request by INEC that its original copy was damaged by hoodlums during violence after the collation.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state had stated that the commission approached the police for their copy based on a relevant section of the Electoral Act.

  • Atiku beats Buhari in Imo

    The Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has defeated the All Progressives Congress ( APC) candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari in Imo State.

    Atiku pulled, a total of 334,923 to defeat President Buhari who scored 140,463 votes.

    The statistics of the results as announced by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, showed that PDP won in 24 out of the 27 Local Government Areas.

    Meanwhile, APC won in Ideato South, Nkwere and Oru East Council Areas where the state governor, Rochas Okorocha, the Action Alliance (AA) governorship candidate, Uche Nwosu and the All Progressives Congress ( APC) governorship candidate, Hope Uzodinma hail from.

    Oguta LGA

    PDP -2996

    APC-2296

    Isu LGA

    APC- 6487

    PDP-8673

    Oru East LGA

    APC- 10383

    PDP- 6407

    Nwangele LGA

    APC- 4233

    PDP- 7803

    Nkwere LGA

    APC- 6161

    PDP- 5819

    Oru East LGA

    APC-10383

    PDP- 6407

    Oru West LGA

    APC- 4831

    PDP- 9293

    Ideato South LGA (Okorocha’s LGA)

    APC- 20663

    PDP- 8844

    Njaba LGA

    APC- 6610

    PDP- 8721

    Owerri North LGA

    APC- 1739

    PDP- 17136

    Ezinnihitte LGA

    APC- 3185
    PDP- 21606

    Onuimo LGA

    APC- 2431

    PDP- 5716

    Ohaji-Egbema LGA

    APC- 7449
    PDP- 9397

    Owerri Municipal LGA

    APC- 1397

    PDP- 12528

    Ahiazu Mbaise LGA

    APC- 2727
    PDP- 18866

    OWERRI WEST LGA

    APC – 3173
    PDP – 16002

    NGOR OKPALA

    APC – 4,058
    PDP – 13,412

    ORLU LGA

    APC – 5875
    PDP – 11,292

    ABOH MBAISE LGA

    APC – 5789
    PDP – 33476

    EHIME MBANO LGA

    APC – 7784
    PDP – 14669

    IHITTE/UBOMA LGA

    APC – 3,805
    PDP – 9,671

    IDEATO NORTH LGA

    APC – 3,765
    PDP – 13249

    OKIGWE LGA

    APC – 3,851
    PDP – 11,567

    IKEDURU LGA

    APC – 4,708
    PDP – 20,302

    OBOWO LGA

    APC – 4,573
    PDP – 11,660

    MBAITOLI LGA

    APC – 5,382
    PDP – 18,344

    ORSU LGA

    APC – 1,143
    PDP – 8,913

  • Buhari, Atiku show strength as results trickle in from states

    Going by the results so far released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 73 registered political parties fielded candidates in Saturday’s Presidential Election for the fun of it.

    Only President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his challenger Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were showing strength as the results of the poll trickled in yesterday.

    The Returning Officers from the states were at the International Conference Centre (ICC) venue of the National Collation Centre of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja to announce the results.

    Some of the early results announced by the electoral umpire were those of Ekiti, Osun, Ondo, Kwara, Nasarawa, Abia and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    But the results from other states had been announced at the state level by the presidential collation officers appointed by the INEC.

    They include: Oyo, Niger, Kano, Kogi, Adamawa and Kaduna, among others.

    Prof. Idowu Olayinka, Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan (UI), who is the Collation Officer for the election in the Ekiti, announced President Buhari of the APC as winner.

    According to Prof Olayinka, Buhari polled 219, 231 votes to defeat PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, who scored 154,032 votes.

    He said that of the 899,919 registered voters in the state, 395,741 were accredited; 393,709 votes were cast and 12, 577 were rejected.

    Olayinka noted that the number of political parties on the ballot was responsible for the high number of voided votes.

    The INEC had earlier declared APC winner of all the senatorial and House of Representatives seats in the state.

    In Kogi, the APC candidate, who won in 14 of the 21 local governments in the Confluence State, was declared winner of the presidential election.

    Buhari polled 285, 894 votes to defeat Atiku, who garnered 218,207 votes.

    The results as declared by the Kogi State Collation Officer, Prof. Michael Adikwu of the University of Abuja, showed that the PDP flag bearer won in seven local government areas.

    In a result that proved bookmakers wrong, Buhari won convincingly in Kwara State, the state of Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is the Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council. He beat his closest opponent in the presidential poll Atiku.

    Prof. Abdulsalam Bala, Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna, who announced the result, said that APC scored 308, 984 votes as against PDP’s 138,184.

    Read also: Tinubu to constituents: thank you

    He said the total registered vote is 1,491 895; 459, 676 votes were cast.

    In Nasarawa, Buhari won, according to the Returning Officer, Prof. Azubuike Nwankwo, who said that the APC candidate polled 289, 903 votes to defeat the PDP candidate, who scored 283, 847 votes.

    Buhari won eight of the 13 local government areas. Atiku won five.

    Nwankwo said 613,720 voters were accredited. The total votes cast stood at 599,399.

    Of the votes, 580,778 were valid; 18,621 were rejected.

    In Ondo, intra-party squabbles in the ruling APC gave the Sunshine State to the PDP, whose candidate beat Buhari in 11 of the 18 local government areas.

    Returning Officer Prof. Kayode Soremekun of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti said Atiku polled 275,901 votes in 11 local governments to beat Buhari, who scored 241,769 votes in the remaining seven local government areas.

    The number of registered voters is 1,312,567, accredited voters, 598,586, total valid votes, 555,984, rejected votes, 3,833 and votes cast  586,827.

    The PDP won in Akure North, Ifedore, Idanre, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo, Irele, Ondo East, Ose, Akure South, Ondo West, Ese-odo and Okitipupa local government areas.

    The APC won in Odigbo, Owo, Akoko North East, Akoko North West, Akoko South East, Akoko South West and Ilaje.

    In Yobe, Buhari’s APC polled 497,914 to beat PDP, which scored 50,763.

    Prof. Abubakar  Gunduri, the collation officer, who announced the result after collation from the 17 local government areas, said that the state had 1,365,913 registered voters, out of which, 601,059 were accredited.

    According to Gunduri, the exercise recorded 559,365 valid votes and 26,772 invalid votes.

    The agents of the two major parties – Dr. Zaji Bunu (APC) and Dr. Abdu Bulama (PDP) – accepted the results and signed the documents on behalf of their parties.

    The collation officer for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Prof. Muhammed Liman of the Nasarawa State University, announced Atiku as the winner of the presidential poll in the nation’s capital.

    He said the PDP candidate won in five of the six council areas; Buhari won in one.

    Atiku won in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali. Buhari won in Abaji Local Government Area.

    Prof Liman said: “APC won in Abaji with 12,847 while PDP got 9,369; in Gwagwalada, PDP won with 25,175 votes while APC got 24,363 votes.

    “In Kwali, PDP won with 16,455 votes while APC got 15,505 votes. In Bwari, PDP won with 52,015 and APC got 22,115.

    “PDP won in Kuje with 23,805 votes while APC got 16, 743. Likewise, in AMAC, PDP won with 133,178 while APC got 60,647 votes.”

    The PDP candidate scored 259,997 votes. Buhari garnered 152,224 votes.

    The APC agent declined to sign the result sheet, which his PDP counterpart signed.

    The presidential collation officer in the FCT said the agent’s refusal was based on his claim that some of his party’s supporters were disenfranchised and not based on manipulation of the votes.

    The PDP won the presidential poll with a wide margin in the 17 council areas of Enugu State.

    Announcing the result, the Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka who is the state’s Collation Officer Prof. Joseph Ahaneku, said the PDP scored 355,553 votes and APC got 54,423 votes.

    He said the results were carefully collated and observers at the collation hall were.

    Ahaneku said the state had 1,944, 016 registered voters; 452,765  were accredited.

    He said 421,014 were valid and 30,049 invalid.

  • Atiku wins in A’Ibom

    …as Akpabio loses bid to return to Senate

     

    Presidential candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP, Atiku Abubabr has won 28 of the 30 local government areas in Akwa Ibom state.

    Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took two councils namely Mbo and Essien Udim, where Senator Godswill Akpabio hails from.

    Elections in Udung Uko were canceled due to alleged violence and irregularities arising from snatching of ballot boxes, result sheets and card readers.

    This is as a strong indication emerged Monday night that Senator Godswill Akpabio had finally lost his reelection bid to the senate to the PDP candidate, Engineer Chris Ekpenyong of the PDP.

    Results from 8 out of the 10 local government areas that make up Ikot Ekpene senatorial district favoured the PDP senatorial candidate.

    Akpabio won in Ikot Ekpene with a slight margin.

    The INEC finally rejected the result from Essien Udim, Akpabio’s local government after it confirmed through the card reader that votes earlier allocated to Senator Akpabio was much more than the total number of accredited voters in the council area.

    Speaking the resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini said elections in the state was generally peaceful despite pockets of violence evidenced in the destruction of INEC materials and attacks on the staff of the Commission by thugs working for the politicians.

    ‘’Those who are threatening our staff should stop it. The intimidation is getting too much. I am here to preside over the affairs of elections in this state. For the first time to ensure credibility of the elections, materials were deployed and there were destroyed and at a great loss to our country. The time to snatch ballot boxes and write results is over. If you can win, you will win’’, he said.

    All Progressives Congress (APC) kicked against the result of the presidential election, calling for its cancellation over alleged electoral fraud.

    Addressing the press after the collation of the results, Presidential Agent for APC, Bishop Samuel Akpan, alleged that the polls was fraught with irregularities and completely short of democratic norms.

    State Party Agent, Umana Umana said, ‘’the position of our party is well documented. The whole process of collation is not satisfactory to our party. Votes buying were experienced all over the state. We hope that the umpire will take note of the grievances in our petition. We are talking about the integrity of the process. We are saying that the umpire to be seen to be fair to all concerns.

    Similarly, Presidential Agent of APC, Arc Bishop Samuel Akpan also alleged votes buying and manipulation by PDP in connivance with INEC.

    ‘’Long before now, our party has been agitating that we do not have confident in the process. In addition, the outcome has proved now that there has been compromise arising from money that has changed hands. Akwa Ibom is an APC State and the people that made the PDP are now in the APC.

    The results we are getting do not reflect the votes that we have. This is not the type of democracy that we want. We urge the federal government to rise and protect our democracy,’’ he said.

  • Atiku wins Enugu by landslide

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar on Monday won in Enugu State by landslide in all the 17 local government areas.

    He scored a total of 355,553 votes with President Muhammadu Buhari in far distance with 54,423 votes.

    The State Collation officer, Prof. Joseph Ahaneku, said that the results were carefully collated and observers at the collation hall were satisfied with the job done.

    Ahaneku, who is also the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Awka, said the state had 1,944, 016 registered voters with total accredited voters of 452,765 for the polls proper.

    He said the total number of valid votes is 421,014 while invalid votes remained 30,049 in the exercise in the state.

    “I will now take the result obtain here to INEC national headquarters to present to the national presiding officer.

    “I thank everybody for being patient and sacrificing to see that we are diligent and meticulous in the entire exercise,’’ Ahaneku said.

    The results of the election as it at the various 17 council areas as follows:

    · In Enugu South council area, PDP got 25, 631 votes, APC gathered 2,350 votes, YPP 245, APGA 84 AND PPA 25.

    · Aninri council area, PDP got 19,062 votes; APC gathered 1,462 votes, APGA 251 and PPA 30.

    · In Ezeagu council area, said that PDP got 15,526 votes, APC gathered 3,103 votes; APGA 166 and APDA 21.

    · In Enugu North council area, PDP got 24, 921 votes; APC gathered 1825 votes; YPP 284, APGA 33 and APDA 32.

    · Isi-Uzo council area, PDP garnered 15,224, while APC got 2336 votes.

    · In Awgu council area, PDP got 16,581 votes and APC gathered 5,857.

    · Oji River council area, PDP gathered 14,893 and APC got 1487.

    · Igbo-Etiti council area, PDP obtained 20,946 and APC got 3045.

    · Igbo-Eze North council area, PDP gathered 16,228 and APC 4,931.

    · In Nkanu East council area, PDP got 12,098 and APC gathered 4,824.

    · Udi council area, PDP gathered 24,544 and APC obtained 2871.

    · Nkanu West council area, PDP got 16982 and APC obtained 5500.

    · In Igbo-Eze South council area, PDP obtained 21693 and APC 1983.

    · Nsukka council area, PDP got 46,265 and APC gathered 2922.

    · Udenu council area, PDP gathered 27928 and APC got 1601.

    · Uzo Uwani council area, PDP got 13,850 and APC obtained 4868

    · Enugu East council area, PDP obtained 22,946 and APC obtained 3291 while YPP secured 191. The council elections had issues in three units with two registration wards.

    The issues included misplacement of result sheets as well as accreditation not taking place.