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  • PDP set for supplementary polls in Kano, Bauchi, Benue, others

    The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed the readiness of the party for the supplementary governorship and state assembly elections scheduled to hold in six states on Mach 23.

    The affected states are Kano, Bauchi, Benue, Adamawa, Plateau and Sokoto where the Independent National Electoral Commission declared the March 9 elections inconclusive.

    Rising from an emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja Thursday, the party nevertheless demanded that INEC release the results of the election in the affected states and make returns as appropriate.

    In a statement released after the emergency meeting, the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan insisted that the party was in clear lead in the states where the poll was declared inconclusive.

    Slamming the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu of for alleged partiality, the PDP cited the results of the governorship election in Ogun State where the APC candidate was declared winner even when the margin of lead between him and the runner up was lower than the number of cancelled votes.

    The main opposition party regretted that the same INEC denied victory for PDP governorship candidates who found themselves in similar circumstances in the affected states.

    The statement said, “The hierarchy of the party condemns, in very strong terms, the manner in which the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, declared states where PDP had popular support and defeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) as inconclusive, whereas in a state like Ogun state, where APC failed to achieve a higher margin of lead over cancelled votes, was declared the winner.

    “The PDP found it strange that INEC can have two sets of rules in the same election for the various political parties.

    “More worrisome is the resolution which arose from a meeting between some governors of the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari, where the PDP has been informed that a decision was taken to seize Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Plateau, Sokoto and Kano states in the March 23, scheduled supplementary election.

    “It is instructive to state that the Buhari Presidency has not denied this strong allegation of rigging plans, thus strengthening the reality that the APC is always prepared to benefit from electoral fraud”.

    The PDP further stated that the party had deliberated and interfaced with stakeholders from the various states where governorship supplementary elections have been scheduled to hold.

    It added that following the deliberations, the party had mandated all its members to resist any attempt by anybody to tamper with the will of the people in their states.

    “In Sokoto state, a stronghold of our party and where the PDP is already in a clear lead, our victory at the March 23 supplementary election is guaranteed.

    “In Benue, the people have expressed their readiness to go into the supplementary election and they are prepared to vote for the PDP candidate, Governor Samuel Ortom.

    “They are also aware that by PDP’s current leading margin of over 81,000 votes, it is manifestly clear that there is no way APC, with all its manipulations, militarization, arm-twisting, intimidation and harassment, will defeat the PDP in Benue.

    “In Adamawa, the PDP observed the mischievous calculation of the APC in sponsoring someone, who did not participate in the election, to go to court and claim that the logo of his party was omitted in the ballot.

    “This is a their desperate bid to get the election already won by the PDP cancelled. The PDP however notes the failure of the APC to achieve its mischief in Adamawa state.

    “In Bauchi state, it is known to all, including the APC and its governorship candidate, that Tafawa Balewa Local Government has always been a home to the PDP since 1999. We therefore counsel the APC rigging machine to avert engaging the people of that constituency, as it will be of no avail.

    “In Kano state, the APC will be confronting the strong will of the people to do away with a corrupt and incompetent government, which Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has come to represent. The atmosphere of Kano state is ominous and any responsible government will take note and align in the interest of the people.

    “Already, the people of Kano state are standing shoulder to shoulder with the PDP in their pursuit of bringing a government that will be representative and purposeful.

    “On no account must Nigerians allow a culture of impunity, where those who failed in any elections will compromise our electoral arbiter and force themselves on the people.

    “In Rivers state, the PDP restates our demand that INEC should release the results already collated on the governorship election in which PDP clearly won and declare Governor Nyesom Wike as winner.

    “Furthermore, the PDP expresses worry over the damage done to the image of the military by its hierarchy by allowing itself to be used by the APC.

    “It is despicable that our military has been dragged into politics to an extent where soldiers now join issues with politicians in the media and conduct its affairs as if it has become a political party. This partisan involvement of our armed forces, to say the least, has impaired the confidence Nigerians have on the institution of the military”, the PDP said.

     

  • 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.”

     

  • Police arrest nine suspected political thugs in Bauchi

    The Police Command in Bauchi has arrested nine suspected political thugs terrorising the state capital.

    The Police Public Relations’ Officer (PPRO) DSP Kamal Datti disclosed this while parading the suspects in Bauchi on Tuesday.

    “Yesterday at 9 p.m., the police was informed that some suspected thugs were terrorising the people of Bakaro area of the metropolis then we swung into action.

    “They were arrested to curtailed further escalation of their dreaded acts in the state,” he said.

    READ ALSO: One arrested over Rep Olatoye’s murder in Oyo

    Datti said items recovered from the suspects include cutlasses, axe and knife.

    According to him, the suspects are under interrogation which would provide clue and information for further arrest.

    The PPRO assured that the command is always ready to provide security for protection of lives and property in the state.

    “We are committed to sustaining the tempo in the fight against thuggery and other violent crimes in the state,” he said.

    NAN

  • Bauchi gov loses polling unit to PDP

    Counting of votes has commenced in polling units in Bauchi, producing its first shocker as incumbent governor, Muhammed Abubakar of APC, lost his polling unit to Bala Mohammed of PDP.

    Announcing the outcome of the election in the governor’ s Gindin Durumi polling unit of Bauchi metropolis, Presiding Officer, Mr Chinedu Onora, said the governor polled 288 votes while the PDP candidate garnered 358 votes, a difference of 70 votes.

    Onuora put the total number of invalid votes at 59. There was wild jubilation by voters at the unit after the announcement.

  • Voter apathy in Bauchi

    Low turnout of voters was recorded in Bauchi yesterday at the gubernatorial and state house of assembly elections in Bauchi State.

    Only a few people were seen at some polling units, unlike in the presidential and national assembly elections, where the large turnout of voters was unprecedented.

    At a polling unit in Shehu mai geran, Ward 018, the voters present were not up to 200. Similar number of voters was also recorded in Makama Seriki Baki Ward 022.

    In Makama polling unit, Ward 012, the voters present were also not up to 200. Most voters, however, said the process was rancour-free and peaceful.

    Umar Ibrahim, a resident of Bauchi, said there was no trouble at all, and neither were there card reader failure.

    But Nasiru Bala and Kamaru Abdullahi said the whole process was slow.

    Yusuf Shuaibi who cast his ballot at Jubrinjiya polling unit added that there was no case of card reader failure at his unit.

    The Resident Electoral Officer, REC, Ibrahim Abdullahi, when asked by reporters why the turnout was low, said “I think part of the reasons was that we started very early. As at 8am, a lot of people had begun casting their votes. I even did a routine inspection to all polling units as early as 7:00am; most of them had left their units.”

    Abdullahi commended the general conduct of both INEC ad-hoc staff and the electorate, saying the whole process was highly commendable.

    “There were no issues of smart card reader in all the polling units I have visited so far. We have learnt from previous exercise and we have improved on it,” he said.

    However, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, who cast his votes at Gwarangah Primary School in Bogoro local government area of the state, blamed the cause of low voter turnout on fear of the people that their votes will not count.

    The Speaker, who arrived his polling unit at exactly 11.38am, amidst party supporters, had his accreditation without the card reader rejecting his fingerprint this time, unlike during the presidential and national assembly election. He was accompanied by his wife.

  • In Bauchi, it’s Buhari mystique vs Buhari’s men

    Some political fortunes have hangovers. While the bad ones depress, the good ones can both oppress and elevate. When it is victory like what Muhammadu Buhari handed some states in the last presidential elections, some politicians tend to forage for advantage.

    In some states of the federation, some persons have started to work the victory to advantage. But what we all know is the dictum of a former speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Tip O’neil. He proclaimed that all politics is local. Indeed. There is therefore a limit to the Buhari momentum, but it can be converted to local moorings.

    So, PMB’s bandwagon is roaring for some who seek governorship seats this weekend. In others, though, it will chug and stumble to an abject stop. Bauchi State, however, provides a peculiar scenario. In the presidential polls,Buhari pulled a commanding lead over his nearest rivalAtikuAbukabar. And if the victory lacked the one million differentials that crippled Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid, he left no doubt who owned the narrative in the north-eastern state. He remains the first name, for now, in the politics of the north, including in the states. Bauchi State is no different.

    In the sweepstakes, a few factors have come into reckoning in the fight for Bauchi State governor now occupied by AbdullahiAbubakar. It is a battle of the Buharis. The first Buhari can be described as the Buhari mystique. This refers to the force of charisma that draws a sense of awe among the mass of the people. This phenomenon favours the APC and the governor. So, anyone who wants to fight against the incumbent must be seen not only to be at war against the governor and the APC but also also the personage that embodies the party.

    The first person to pull the trigger was speaker YakubuDogara. It ignited a cold war, in which the Governor Abubakar held the turf at home, and Dogara had to unleash long-range missiles from his comfy outpost in Abuja. Evidently, the missiles missed and Dogara lost the battle not only to fight the Buhari mystique in Abuja but also in Bauchi. He moved to the PDP to continue his fight. While he was in APC, he was in bed of spikes with other personages known as the Abuja crowd, and that included the education minister and the comptroller General of Customs, who would not stand the “guts” of the sitting governor. They even fantasised about what they saw as the “Ambode treatment” for the governor.

    But Abubakar’s foes are like soldiers who cannot shoot a loaded gun. They want the governor out but the man is also wrapped in the Buhari mystique, especially since his programmes have conformed interms of treatment of the poverty related policies in education and  social welfare. It seems so far the Buhari mystique is having a and over Buhari’s men in Abuja, including Dogara.

  • APC defeats PDP in Bauchi with 798, 428 votes

    The All Progressives Congress ( APC ) polled 798,428 votes to beat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which scored 209,313 votes in Bauchi State in last Saturday’s presidential election.

    Prof. Alhassan Ghani, the State Collation officer, announced the result after collation from the 20 local government areas of the state on Tuesday in Bauchi.

    He said that the state had 2,453,512 registered voters, out of which, 1,075,330 were accredited for the election.

    Ghani added that a total of 1,061,955 votes were cast, out of which APC scored 798,428 votes and PDP scored 209,313 votes.

    According to the collation officer, the exercise records a total of 1,024,307 valid votes and 37,648 invalid votes.

    Read Also: Anambra APC Reps candidate congratulates winner

    He commended the electorate, stakeholders and party agents for the peaceful elections, commitment and cooperation throughout the exercise.

    Meanwhile, Col. Umaru Tilde (rtd) and Alhaji Salihu Yau, agents of the APC and PDP accepted the result and signed the documents on behalf of their parties.

  • PDP insists on results from polling units

    …alleges plots to alter election results

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted on the official release of results already delivered at the various polling units for its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    A statement last night by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, cautioned that Nigerians will not accept any figures except what was declared and collated from the polling units.

    The PDP further alleged that the Buhari Presidency has been mounting pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and dispatching officials to change results in Rivers, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kogi, Bauchi, Cross River, Borno, Yobe and Edo states among others, in a frenzy to allocate fictitious figures for President Buhari.

    “Pathetically, the Buhari Presidency is also threatening the South-East state governors to change results and carve a 25% for Mr. President, a scheme that has already failed.

    “In Bauchi state, we are aware of the plots to move thump-printed ballot papers and fabricated results from Bauchi to Dass Local Government Area to upturn PDP’s victory in the results already delivered and announced at the polling units in the area.

    “This is why the electoral officials have been delaying moving the results for final collation and announcement. If this plot fails, the APC plans to void the results for Dass.

    “In spite of all these, our party assures Nigerians that the hope for a new government led by Atiku Abubakar, is already manifest.

    “Our agents and indeed, Nigerians, already have the results as delivered at the polling units and are not ready to accept anything to the contrary. President Buhari and the APC should therefore quietly come to terms with the fact that they have been defeated.

    “The PDP therefore cautions INEC to respect the laws and electoral guidelines by upholding and declaring results from the polling units as expressed by Nigerians on Saturday”.

  • Dogara is a sinking man, says Bauchi gov

    Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar on Tuesday dismissed Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara as a sinking man desperate to hold on to any straw for survival.

    The governor, who spoke to newsmen at the APC National secretariat in Abuja, also cautioned as the nation’s number four citizen, the Speaker cannot afford to be careless in his utterances.

    He said: “Dogara is from a tiny community in Bauchi state and is contesting for one of the 12 House of Representatives seats in Bauchi state and I am contesting for Governor. Even if we will meet, we are going g to meet in that tiny area.

    “I understand where he is coming from. He is a sinking man and so, he is grabbing everything he can hold on to. I am not his opponent in the election.

    Read Also: Dogara, two others formally defect to PDP as House adjourns

    “What people failed to understand is that in 2015, the President did not win election in Dogara’s local government and I did not win election in his local government.

    “But today, Buhari is President of Nigeria and I am governor of Bauchi state. Secondly, people should understand that Dogara represents a total of 80,000 registered voters and I won elections in 2015 with over 300,000 differences. Please do your arithmetic and place it very well.”

    He went on: “Go to the website of the Federal Ministry of Finance, download the total allocation to Bauchi state from June 2015 till date and do a calculation.

    “You will have a total allocation for the entire Bauchi state. It is not up to N400 billion.

    “So, Dogara, as the number four citizen of Nigeria should be careful with his utterances because there is no way the number four citizen can afford to be reckless in whatever he says.

    “I have consulted with my lawyers and I intend to sue Dogara and so, I will not comment much on his claims.

    “I have said that Dogara should be careful in his utterances because he speaks without considering what comes out of his mouth.”

    On the marching order to security agencies to arrest electoral offenders, especially ballot box snatchers by President Muhammadu Buhari, Abubakar said: “Mr. President is the chief security officer of Nigeria. Anybody who snatches a ballot box is a common criminal under the law.

    “Therefore, stopping a criminal is not an act that should be politicized because we keep complaining of lack of free, fair and transparent elections in Nigeria and Mr. President is bent on ensuring that the 2019 elections are free, fair and transparent.

    “So, if it takes stopping criminals to ensure credible elections, so be it. There is nothing wrong about stopping criminal, even you as a citizen as the right under the constitution t9 stop criminals in the act of committing an offense.”

  • Buhari, Osinbajo, Tinubu, others meet in Abuja

    President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday met in Abuja in the party’s caucus meeting.

    The meeting started at the APC National Secretariat around 11.30am when the President arrived.

    Those in attendance included the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

    State governors at the meeting included that of Zamfara, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Jigawa, Borno, Bauchi, Kebbi, Niger, Lagos and Kaduna state.

    Read Also: Buhari: no plan to remove INEC Chairman Yakubu

    Also in attendance were the Senate leader, Ahmad Lawan, senators, Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF), Boss Mustapha, ministers, among others.

    Discussions at the meeting will not be unconnected with the issues affecting the party, including the postponement of the general elections by a week.