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Tag: Fani-Kayode

  • Court fails to give judgement in Fani-Kayode’s case

    Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on Thursday failed to give judgment in the money laundering trial involving a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, due to the absence of the prosecution counsel, Mr. Festus Keyamo.

    The judge chose not to deliver the verdict in Keyamo’s absence, although the lawyer was represented in court.

    Fani-Kayode’s lawyer, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), urged the judge to go on and deliver the judgment since it was ready.

    He said the law did not make it mandatory that a prosecuting counsel must be present before a judgment is delivered in a criminal case.

    The senior advocate said even if someone is holding a watching brief for the prosecuting counsel, the judgment could still be delivered.

    But Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia insisted that she was more comfortable reading the judgment in Keyamo’s presence.

    She stood the case down for 10 minutes to enable the lawyer from Keyamo’s chambers, Mr. Festus Afeiyodion, to confirm from his principal the day he would be available.

    About an hour later, Afeiyodion told the judge that Keyamo requested for a short stand-down‎ to enable him come, as he was handling another matter elsewhere.

    “Mr. Keyamo asked that the matter be stood down till 1.30pm. By then, he would be through and be here personally. In the alternative, he suggested that any other day could be chosen and he will be here,” Afeiyodion said.

    Adedipe, after briefly conferring with Fani-Kayode, said they would not mind waiting till 1.30pm.

    However, the judge said she would prefer not to deliver the judgment under pressure as the day would have been far gone by that time.

    Apparently to prove that the judgment was indeed ready, she displayed a typewritten material on her tablet, saying she prefers to read it out at a convenient time.

    Fani-Kayode was accused of making a transaction exceeding N500, 000 on September 20, 2006, which was not done through a financial institution.

    He was alleged to have accepted N2.1 million in cash, which was paid into his personal bank account by his aide, Supo Agbaje, while he served as Minister of Culture and Tourism.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty to the alleged offence which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said contravenes the Money Laundering Act.

     

  • How Mu’azu, others ruined Jonathan’s chance, by Fani-Kayode

    How Mu’azu, others ruined Jonathan’s chance, by Fani-Kayode

    The Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has taken a swipe at the Adamu Mu’azu- led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

    According to him, Mu’azu and his NWC members are a disaster and that they must be sacked for the PDP to survive.

    Speaking with reporters in Abuja yesterday, Fani-Kayode said: “The present leadership of the party, particularly its information organs, have no chance of standing against an APC Federal Government because they are weak and they lack understanding and courage.

    “They will be savaged beyond belief and torn apart if they try it because they do not have the stomach, the grit, the appetite or the wherewithal for a long drawn fight.

    “They are simply incapable of defending the President and his legacies after he has left office and neither are the majority of them even ready to do so. Instead of focusing on their numerous inadequacies and trying to fix them, these very same people are hurling brick bats at others.

    “Instead of preparing to defend the party and enhancing the fortunes of the party members over the next four years, they are making childish and nonsensical allegations and alienating and upsetting many party leaders.”

    The NWC had blamed President Goodluck Jonathan’s defeat at the last election on the hate campaign initiated by the campaign organisation, saying the President’s campaign team ruined the President’s chances.

    Reacting to the crushing defeat the PDP recorded at the last election, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, complained that the NWC was sidelined in the campaign and that the entire campaign funds were placed under the control of the President’s campaign organisation.

    But Fani-Kayode described the claim as nonsensical and unadulterated rubbish, adding that their actions were fueled by hate and envy.

    He retorted: “What the NWC said about us is undoubtedly the unkindest cut of all. It is like Brutus’ betrayal of Julius Caesar. It is wicked, uncharitable and unacceptable and some of us will not take it.

    “What they need to understand and appreciate is that we will not sit by idly and allow them re-write history or make us the fall guys. The only reason we have not opened up on them is out of respect for President Jonathan and because we want to ensure that our party remains united.

    “They are indeed the enemy within. The truth is that their allegation is not only baseless but it is also unadulterated rubbish and those who made them are nothing but ingrates, cowards and traitors who know nothing about politics, political campaigns, intellectual discourse or political engagement.

    “They are simply trying to revise and re-write history in order to cover up their treachery, weaknesses and inadequacies. They are fueled by hate and envy and worse of all, right from the start, they had no interest in fighting for our leader and presidential candidate President Goodluck Jonathan or in ensuring that he won the election.

    “From day one, all they did was sulk about the fact that a Presidential Campaign Organisation had been set up and that they would not be able to have control of the campaign themselves or have access to the resources that we were given.

    “At every point, they tried to undermine our efforts and sabotage us but we ignored them and remained focused on doing our job despite their provocations.

    “From day one, all they were interested in was in controlling others and telling them what to do. They were not in the fray, they refused to enter the heat of battle and all they did was moan and bicker from the side walk like little children.

    “What we were doing and attempting to do was lost on them because they had never taken anything seriously and they found it hard to comprehend the logic and style of those of us that did.

    “Their arrogance was insufferable, they were an unmitigated disaster and their leadership style was abysmal. It still is. If any group of people were responsible for our loss, it was them.

    “They were envious of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation and its high profile and they are nothing but a bunch of bitter and treacherous ingrates who have no business leading a political party.

    “The lies, falsehood, innuendos and terrible stories that they are bandying around about us are just despicable and if they do not stop, they will divide the party and utterly destroy it.

    “That is the sad and bitter truth. In playing this game blame and pointing fingers at others, they are biting off far more than they can chew.

    “The fact is that the Presidential Campaign Organisation not only did an excellent job but we also fought a damn good fight. We fought a better fight than any other organ of the party had fought over the last two or three years against a relentless, well-funded, well-motivated and well-organised opposition.

    “Before the Presidential Campaign Orgaisation came into being, the PDP had virtually lost its voice and those that do not recognise this have obviously lost touch with reality.

    “Those that attack and cast aspersion on our character and blame us for the failure of our party and our president to win the election are not seeing things clearly.

    “They are hopelessly confused and they have no idea how political campaigns are conducted in the civilised world. Their accusations are not only baseless, but they are also self-serving”.

    Fani-Kayode maintained that retaining the present crop of the party’s elected officials would spell doom for the PDP and insisted that the honourable thing for them to do is to resign en mass.

    He went on: “We need a new leadership that is open, kind, fair-minded and accommodating. In order to achieve that, I must add my voice to that of a number of governors and other key stakeholders and leaders in our party who have said that the party’s National Working Committee must go. Sadly the NWC has become a clog in the wheel of progress.

    “They have much to learn from what the leadership of the Labour Party and the Liberal Democratic Party did in the U.K. just a couple of weeks ago when they resigned a few hours after losing the election to the Conservatives.

    “They resigned with honor and no-one had to ask them to go or call for their resignation. They did the right and proper thing because they are well educated people who have honor.

    “Sadly, the NWC members lack both education and honor otherwise they would have resigned by now. They are ignorant of the fact that when people lead a party into defeat they must resign to make way for others.

    “And when people tell them to resign they threaten them with suspension or expulsion from the party forgetting that there is life outside politics.

    “Not only have they refused to take the path of honor by resigning but they are also throwing bricks at those of us who raised the PDP flag and fought a good fight. Honestly it is sad and unbelievable.

    “In any other country these people would have been lambasted morning, day and night for their sheer effontry and ingratitude and for their inability to provide strong and decisive leadership. Yet here we just pamper and manage them and shy away from telling them the bitter truth.

    “The truth is that the NWC has to go and I add my voice to that of Governors Aliyu Babaginda, Sule Lamido, Ayodele Fayose and that of so many other people including the overwhelming majority of governors, party leaders and elders.

    “I am saying that there are needs to be a change at the top if the PDP is serious about forging party unity, restoring its fortunes, redeeming itself and winning any election in 2019.

    “I do not want to rock the boat out of respect for our President and our party elders. Otherwise, I would say a lot more that will shock the nation and the party faithful about the atrocities that these people have committed over the last few years”.

     

  • Polls: Mu’azu, others ruined Jonathan’s chances – Fani Kayode

    Polls: Mu’azu, others ruined Jonathan’s chances – Fani Kayode

    The Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has taken a swipe at the Adamu Mu’azu- led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

    According to him, Mu’azu and his NWC members are a disaster and that they must be sacked for the party to survive.

    Speaking with reporters in Abuja on Tuesday, Fani-Kayode said: “The present leadership of the party, particularly its information organs, stand no chance against an APC Federal Government because they are weak and they lack understanding and courage.

    “They will be savaged beyond belief and torn apart if they try it because they do not have the stomach, the grit, the appetite or the wherewithal for a long drawn fight.

    “They are simply incapable of defending the President and his legacies after he has left office and neither are the majority of them even ready to do so. Instead of focusing on their numerous inadequacies and trying to fix them, these very same people are hurling brick bats at others.

    “Instead of preparing to defend the party and enhancing the fortunes of the party members over the next four years, they are making childish and nonsensical allegations and alienating and upsetting many party leaders.”

    The NWC had blamed President Goodluck Jonathan’s defeat at the last election on the hate campaign initiated by the campaign organisation, saying the President’s campaign team ruined the President’s chances.

    Reacting to the crushing defeat the PDP suffered at the last election, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, complained that the NWC was sidelined in the campaign and that the entire campaign funds were placed under the control of the President’s campaign organisation.

    But Fani-Kayode described the claim as nonsensical and unadulterated rubbish, adding that their actions were fueled by hate and envy.

    He retorted: “What the NWC said about us is undoubtedly the unkindest cut of all. It is like Brutus’ betrayal of Julius Caesar. It is wicked, uncharitable and unacceptable and some of us will not take it.

    “What they need to understand and appreciate is that we will not sit by idly and allow them re-write history or make us the fall guys. The only reason we have not opened up on them is out of respect for President Jonathan and because we want to ensure that our party remains united.

    “They are indeed the enemy within. The truth is that their allegation is not only baseless but it is also unadulterated rubbish and those who made them are nothing but ingrates, cowards and traitors who know nothing about politics, political campaigns, intellectual discourse or political engagement.

    “They are simply trying to revise and re-write history in order to cover up their treachery, weaknesses and inadequacies. They are fueled by hate and envy and worse of all, right from the start, they had no interest in fighting for our leader and presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan or in ensuring that he won the election.

    “From day one, all they did was sulk about the fact that a Presidential Campaign Organisation had been set up and that they would not be able to have control of the campaign themselves or have access to the resources that we were given.

    “At every point, they tried to undermine our efforts and sabotage us but we ignored them and remained focused on doing our job despite their provocations.

    “From day one, all they were interested in was in controlling others and telling them what to do. They were not in the fray, they refused to enter the heat of battle and all they did was moan and bicker from the side walk like little children.”

     

     

  • Alleged money laundering: Fani-Kayode knows fate June 18

    Alleged money laundering: Fani-Kayode knows fate June 18

    A Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday fixed June 18 for judgment in the alleged money laundering case filed against former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Justice Rita Ofile-Ajumogobia adjourned for judgment after parties in the suit adopted their final written addresses.

    She also granted Fani-Kayode’s prayer to substitute one of his sureties, Wale Ajisebutu, with one Ogbor Elliot, following Ajisebutu’s request to withdraw his suretiship.

    At the resumed hearing yesterday, counsel to Fani-Kayode, led by Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the two-count charge against the accused as well as discharge and acquit him.

    Adedipe told the court that the defence relied and adopted its final written address filed on April 7, and its reply on point of law to the prosecution’s written address, dated April 27.

    He argued that the prosecution’s submission in the case were misplaced and misguided, accusing the EFCC of wanting to show to the world that they have a “big fish”. But Adedipe insisted that “there’s no fish here”.

    According to Fani-Kayode’s lawyers, the prosecution failed woefully to prove that the accused received the alleged N1 million, adding that no witness was brought by the EFCC to substantiate its claim.

    He said: “It is now an accepted principle of law that the prosecution in all criminal cases must prove its case.

    “Nobody gave evidence that he gave or saw the accused collecting money (N1 million). The only evidence was that of prosecution witness Supo Agbaje, whom the prosecution had declared wanted.

    “In his statement, the witness said he deposited N1 million in the accused’s account, but never said he saw the accused collecting money.

    “What happened after the receipt of money is not the case, but receiving the money. The accused never confessed to receiving money from anybody and there is no such evidence before the court.”

    Adedipe described as unreliable, the evidence by Prosecution Witness (PW4), noting that it never stated the date, place as well as denominations of the money given to him by the accused to lodge in his account.

    “It is difficult to know where the lies began and truth resurfaces. Reasonable doubt exists in the case of the prosecution, and under such circumstances, the matter should be resolved in favour of the accused.

    “This is a case that cries out to high heavens for lack of evidence. I pray this court to hold that the prosecution has failed to prove its case and to discharge and acquit the accused,” said Adedipe.

    But EFCC’s lawyer, Festus Keyamo countered the defence submission and prayed the court to find Fani-Kayode guilty as charged.

    Drawing the court’s attention to Exhibit PW4G, Keyamo held that Fani-Kayode admitted in his ‘confessional statement’ that he made cash transactions above N500 thousand without using a financial institution.

    He argued that there was actual receipt of the cash, urging the court to look at the purpose for the enactment of the Money Laundering Act.

    “If the law insists that the prosecution must prove the source of fund, it will defeat the essence of the law.

    “As Minister for Tourism, the accused was found with large sums of money, which he couldn’t explain.

    “It is not in every case that the burden of prove lies with the prosecution. In the case at hand, the prosecution has discharged its burden by showing that huge sums of money above the limit were found on him and he couldn’t explain where the money came from,” he said.

    Keyamo said the burden shifted to the defence to provide documents to disprove the prosecution’s case.

    He said: “The only way to have gotten the document to collapse the prosecution’s case was to bring bank statement of that transaction. The court wants to see that the transaction was done through a financial institution.

    “It will make mincemeat of the Money Laundering Law and render it ineffective should the court rule that the prosecution must at all time, prove where the money is coming from.

    “Even if the transaction is legitimate, the volume of money and its source will be the crime.

    “It is irrelevant to try to prove that the money was transaction from his father’s estate because the crime is the volume of money.”

    Keyamo added that Fani-Kayode had in his confessional statement dated December 22, 2008, admitted to have made transactions above N500,000 in his account arising from his father’s estate.

    He argued that the accused also admitted having knowledge of certain cash and cheque transactions in and out of his account that exceeded the limit.

    Keyamo drew the court’s attention to the investigation report written by the Investigating Police Officer ( IPO), who said his team did not know where the money came from, praying that Fani-Kayode be convicted for the alleged offence.

    The former minster was accused of making a transaction exceeding N500,000 on September 20, 2006, which was not done through a financial institution, by accepting N2.1 million in cash.

    The money was allegedly paid into his personal bank account by his aide, Supo Agbaje, while he served as Minister of Culture and Tourism.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty to the alleged offence, which EFCC said contravenes the Money Laundering Act.

     

     

  • Money laundering: Fani-Kayode knows fate June 18

    Money laundering: Fani-Kayode knows fate June 18

    A Federal High Court, Lagos, on Monday fixed June 18 for judgment in the alleged money laundering case filed against a former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Justice Rita Ofile-Ajumogobia adjourned for judgment after parties in the suit adopted their final written addresses.

    She also granted Fani-Kayode’s prayer to substitute one of his sureties, Wale Ajisebutu with one Ogbor Elliot, following Ajisebutu’s request to withdraw his suretiship for the accused.

    At the resumed hearing on Monday, counsel to Fani-Kayode led by Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) urged the court to dismiss the two- count charge against the accused as well as discharge and acquit him.

    Adedipe told the court that the defense relied and adopted its final written address filed April 7, and its reply on point of law to the prosecution’s written address, dated April 27.

    He argued that the prosecution’s submission in the case were misplaced and misguided, accusing the EFCC of trying to show to the world that they have a “big fish” but “there’s no fish here.”

    According to Fani-Kayode’s lawyers, the prosecution has failed woefully to prove that the accused received the alleged N1 million, adding that no witness was brought by the EFCC to substantiate its claim.

    He said: “It is now an accepted principle of law that the prosecution in all criminal cases must prove its case.

    “Nobody gave evidence that he gave or saw the accused collecting money (N1 millon). The only evidence was that of prosecution witness Supo Agbaje, whom the prosecution had declared wanted.

    “In his statement, the witness said he deposited N1 million in the accussed’s account but never said he saw the accused collecting money.

    “What happened after the receipt of money is not the case but receiving the money. The accused never confessed to receiving money from anybody and there is no such evidence before the court.”

     

  • Fani-Kayode, PDP’s BOT secretary hail presidential candidates

    Fani-Kayode, PDP’s BOT secretary hail presidential candidates

    THE Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Board of Trustees (BOT) Senator Walid Jibril and former PDP governorship aspirant in Kaduna State Alhaji Shuaibu Idris Mikati have congratulated Gen. Muhammadu Buhari for his victory in the presidential election.

    At a media briefing in Abuja yesterday, Fani-Kayode said: “We start by saying that we commend and we congratulate Gen. Buhari for winning this election”.

    On the hate campaign he championed against Buhari and other leaders of the opposition, Fani-Kayode said: “There was absolutely nothing personal as regards this directorate or myself. I had nothing personal against anybody. I was simply doing my job for which I have no regrets and I wish them well and I sincerely hope that they will take Nigeria to a level that we can all be proud of.”

    He also praised President Goodluck Jonathan for having the courage to accept defeat at the earliest moment, for being able to stand up and rise above party politics and to speak like a statesman.

    According to him, the PDP fought a virile, strong, aggressive and very effective campaign, trying to justify why Jonathan deserved a second term.

    He continued: “It has, however, come to a point that we must tell the world and the Nigerian people about how we feel about the outcome of the election. What we will say here today is basically to reiterate and to reflect the words of our leader and President, President Goodluck Jonathan.

    “We, therefore, urge the Nigerian people and our teeming supporters to stand firm and continue to support the democratic process and continue to agitate for a better Nigeria.

    “We urge them to continue to support our party, the PDP, as best as they can, even though we lost this election. We ask them to co-operate with the incoming government and to remember that we are first and foremost Nigerians before anything else.

    “On the day of the election when I went to vote at Ile-Ife, I held a press conference in which I told the people that more than anything else, that we should try our very best to keep the peace in this country and to keep the country moving forward.

    “I also reminded them that in every election, there will always be a winner and a loser. It is a mark of our humanity and it is also symptomatic of the type of people that we are and who we are that when the time comes, we can say we fought a good fight but we lost.

    “And having lost, it does not mean that it is the end to the world, it just means that we need to re-group, re-organise ourselves and begin the process all over again because another elections will come in a few years time.

    “And that is where we are today. We have conceded that we have lost. We acknowledge the fact that we fought a good fight. We do not have any fears about the future.

    “We did the right thing during the campaign. We have no regrets about our candidate or the way in which we conducted our campaign and we will live to fight another day.

    “May God grant each and every one of us peace. May He watch over our nation. May He guide our President for the next two months whilst he is still in power and thereafter and may He guide and lead the President-elect, Gen. Buhari, in the herculean task that lies ahead of him.

    Mikati congratulated the president-elect and Jonathan, describing both of them as patriots and statesmen.

    Mikati and Senator Jibril spoke with The Nation in separate interviews in Abuja.

  • Fani-Kayode congratulates Buhari, says no regrets

    Fani-Kayode congratulates Buhari, says no regrets

    The Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has congratulated Gen. Muhammadu Buhari for his victory in the presidential election.
    At a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Fani-Kayode said: “we start by saying that we commend and we congratulate General Muammadu Buhari for winning this election”.
    On the hate campaign he championed against Buhari and other leaders of the opposition, Fani-Kayode said: “There was absolutely nothing personal as regards this Directorate or myself. I had nothing personal against anybody. I was simply doing my job for which I have no regrets and I wish them well and I sincerely hope that they will take Nigeria to a level that we can all be proud of.”

    He also commended President Goodluck Jonathan for having the courage to accept defeat at the earliest moment and also for being able to stand up and rise above party politics and being able to speak like a statesman.

    According to him, the PDP fought a virile, strong, aggressive and very effective campaign, trying to justify why Jonathan deserved a second term.

    He continued: “It has however come to a point that we must tell the world and the Nigerian people about how we feel about the outcome of the election. What we will say here today is basically to reiterate and to reflect the words of our leader and President, President Goodluck Jonathan.
    “We therefore urge the Nigerian people and our teeming supporters to stand firm and continue to support the democratic process and continue to agitate for a better Nigeria.
    “We urge them to continue to support our party the PDP as best as they can, even though we lost this election. We ask them to co-operate with the incoming government and to remember that we are first and foremost Nigerians before anything else.
    “On the day of the election when I went to vote at Ile-Ife, I held a press conference in which I told the people that more than anything else, that we should try our very best to keep the peace in this country and to keep the country moving forward.
    “I also reminded them that in every election there will always be a winner and a loser. It is a mark of our humanity and it is also symptomatic of the type of people that we are and who we are that when the time comes we can say we fought a good fight but we lost.

    “And having lost, it does not mean that it is the end to the world, it just means that we need to re-group, re-organise ourselves and begin the process all over again because another election will come in a few years time.
    “And that is where we are today. We have conceded that we have lost. We acknowledge the fact that we fought a good fight. We do not have any fears about the future.
    “We did the right thing during the campaign. We have no regrets about our candidate or the way in which we conducted our campaign and we will live to fight another day

    “May God grant each and everyone of us peace. May He watch over our nation. May He guide our President for the next two months whilst he is still in power and thereafter and may He guide and lead the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, in the herculean task that lies ahead of him.
    “My prayer is that he brings our nation together, heals the wounds and that he builds the bridges in terms of religion, ethnicity and region that he needs to build in order for us to make Nigeria a better place and to ensure that Nigeria becomes a great country that she is destined to be”

  • Election: PDP gives condition to accept results

    Election: PDP gives condition to accept results

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation said it would accept the announcement of only results of Saturday’s elections which reflected the will of Nigerians.

    Director of Media and Publicity of the organisation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, stated this at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.

    He said that any attempt to manipulate figures or to rig the PDP out, from any quarter, would be ‘firmly resisted’.

    He claimed that President Goodluck Jonathan, the PDP`s presidential candidate in the election was ahead in available results of the polls with at least two million votes.

    This, he said was according to the figures made available to the party by its polling agents across the country.

    “We have our own situation room and we have collated all our figures from the various polling booths, wards, local government areas and states in the Federation.

    “In spite of the propaganda of the opposition, we are confident of victory,” Fani-Kayode said.

  • Jega, APC fault Fani-Kayode’s 23 states claim

    The All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega  have faulted the claim claim by the Spokesman of the Jonathan Campaign Organization, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, that the PDP is winning the presidential election in 23 states and has scored 64 per cent.

    The APC in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed referred to the statement by Jega on Fani-Kayode’s claim.
    Shortly after Fani-Kayode made his claim, Jega, at a media briefing said he was not aware that results have been collated in 23 states.
    ”I don’t know the sources of such information (that the PDP is leading in 23 states). The results have not been collated in 23 states. Fairly very few states have actually collated. In fact, only two states have been collated…. There is the need to be careful about the information being put there by people who are clearly partisan,” Jega stated.

    “The reports that we are getting from the field is that our candidate is doing very well in the south and north central and that we are making very strong inroads into various states in the core north,” Fani-Kayode said.

  • Jonathan loses at Aso Villa units

    Jonathan loses at Aso Villa units

    •Sambo, Agbaje, Ribadu, Bode George, Obanikoro, Fani-Kayode, others lose at units

    Some heavyweight politicians lost their polling units in yesterday’s elections.

    A major loss by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the one at the two polling units in front of Aso Villa – the Presidential abode.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari won in the two units.

    Buhari got a total of 613 votes, while Jonathan polled a total of 595 votes.

    Vice President Namadi Sambo got the same treatment in the former polling unit (Kabala 005) in Kaduna where the APC received overwhelming majority of votes.

    The APC scored 386 votes to beat the PDP that scored 53 votes in the presidential election. APC got 385 and 369 votes in the senate and house of assembly elections respectively while the PDP got 59 and 62 respectively.

    The results were announced by the presiding officer Abdulfatah Ali.

    In Lagos State Governorship candidate Jimi Agbaje’s Apapa polling unit the APC won 126 votes while PDP won 60.

    In the senate contest, APC polled 129 while PDP won 61.

    In the House of Representatives race, APC won 126 while the PDP won 62.

    PDP governorship candidate in Adamawa State Nuhu Ribadu failed to deliver his Yola polling unit to Jonathan.

    In the presidential contest APC won 320 votes to PDP’s 124   while in the senatorial race, Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate won 271 votes to PDP’s 73.

    PDP Southwest leader Chief Olabode George’s Evans Street polling unit on Lagos Island also fell to the APC candidate who took it narrowly with 109 votes to PDP’s 108.

    Minister of State Foreign Affairs 2 Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro lost in his bid to deliver his unit to Jonathan.

    Minister of National Planning, Dr. Sulaiman Abubakar, failed in his polling unit 006, Ode-Opobiyi Agbaji area (Ilorin West Local Government Area) in the presidential election with 146 votes to 39.

    PDP Presidential campaign council spokesman Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode also could not deliver his unit. He voted in Ile Ife, Osun State.

    At PG Hall Ife Centre 013/11, the APC candidate scored 127 to PDP’s 45 votes.

    But Vice President Namadi Sambo won his polling unit at Police College unit with 105 votes to the APC’s 20.

    But Kaduna State APC Governorship candidate Nasir El Rufai got 430 votes in his Urgwan Sarki’s unit for the APC candidate to PDP’s 11.

    Ex-Borno Governor Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna) also failed to deliver.

    Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar won his Ajiya polling unit in Adamawa State for Gen. Buhari with 280 votes to Jonathan’s 60 votes.

    At APC Presidential running mate Prof. Yemi Osinbajo’s VGC unit in Lekki, Lagos, the APC won 718 votes to PDP’s 138.

    Some other unit results are:

    APC wins in Obasanjo’s unit

    At Obasanjo’s polling unit ward, APC polled 98 against PDP’s 8 and SDP 12 for the House of Representatives seat. For Senate, APC got 93, PDP 8 and SDP 15.

    Results at ex-Governor Bola Tinubu’s voting unit 047 in Alausa Ikeja.

    Presidential APC 180, PDP 55, Senate APC 181 and PDP 53, Reps: APC 61

    Senator Tinubu’s unit 034 Ikoyi, Lagos

    Presidential: APC 106, PDP 25

    Senate: APC 103, PDP 16

    Reps: APC 103, PDP 16

    Governor Fashola’s State Grammar School, Surulere 002

    President 318, PDP 135

    Senate APC318, PDP 129

    Rep APC 326, PDP 114

    House minority leader Femi Gbajabiamila Elizabeth Fowler PU 014

    President APC 123, PDP 81, Senate APC 118, PDP 64

    Rep: APC 124, PDP 46

    Ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi’s polling unit 09 Ward 11 Isan Ekiti

    President APC 140, PDP 24

    Senate APC 135, PDP 21

    Rep APC 142, PDP 22

    Senator Gbenga Ashafa’s Bogije polling unit in Ibeju Lekki

    President APC 385, PDP 250, Senate APC 406, PDP 236 and Rep APC 386.

    The APC candidate has also won the election in the two polling units 021 and 022 inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The total votes scored in the two units showed that APC got 597 votes while PDP garnered 567 votes.

    Sorting and counting for the presidential election in the two units are still ongoing.