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Tag: governorship

  • Kadiri, Olumoroti join Kogi governorship race

    • Vow to transform state in four years

    The number of aspirants for the Kogi State governorship seat swelled by two yesterday.

    Senator Alex Kadiri and Engr. Olusola George Olumoroti both picked their nomination and intent forms from the national secreatariat of the All Progresives Congress, vowing to turn around the fortune of the state in four years if voted.

    Addressing newsmen at the APC National Secretariat after collecting his expression of interest and nomination form to contest the APC primaries, Kadiri said the bane of development in the State has been bad governance, adding that he needs only four years to correct the anomalies in the state.

    He said he would only be in office for a term of four years if elected governor of the state, saying “It is not my intention to hang on to the governorship of Kogi State more than four years.”

    Senator Kadiri decried the margilisation of certain parts of the state since its creation in 1991 saying it was part of the problem bedevilling Kogi state, noting that foremost businessmen like Jide Omokore and Tunde Ayeni have no investments in the state because of disconnection between the government and the people of the state.

    He vowed to address youth restiveness and all other anomalies in the state.

    On whether he will subscribe to having a consensus candidate for the election, he said the idea of consensus was good, but may not work out now after the aspirants have been made to part with a whopping N5.5 million each to obtain forms, adding that the timing is rather late.

    He argued that Kogi’s predicament has gone beyond mere electoral promises to addressing fundamental issues of unity among the populace and disconnection between the leaders and the led over time, and lamented a situation where the people of the state who have lived together for over 20 years don’t inter-marry.

    In a different interview with newsmen in Lokoja, Olumoroti said his desire to occupy the exalted office of Kogi State governor was borne out of the need to inject fresh ideas that can move the state forward.

    He said it was sad to see the state ranked  in a recent World Bank rating as the 34th poorest state in the country in spite of its enormous natural and human resources.

    He said the major problem confronting  the state was that greedy and corrupt men with little ideas have been steering its ship, saying it was time for total change.

    Describing himself as the only aspirant who can truly be called the bridge between the old and young, he said he has contributed immensely in the last 15 years to the eradication of poverty in the state through various empowerment schemes for youths and women, including widows.

    He said: “We are tired of the old order. Kogi must emulate Lagos State in the area of development, and I believe it is young, vibrant and energetic young men full of ideas like us that can bring the needed change.

    “By the grace of God, if given the chance , I promise within one year to jump-start the state from its current socio- economic doldrums to a virile and vibrant state which everybody will be proud of.”

    On the rumour that some aspirants are stooges of Prince Abubakar Audu, who intend to step down for him later,  Olumoroti said he would never be a stooge to anybody, adding that he was contesting the election on merit.

    “How can anybody insinuate that I will be a stooge to another aspirant? Never! I have all it takes to govern the state successfully and everybody knows I have been a consistent, focused aspirant since 2007,” he added

  • A’Ibom governorship tribunal: How Attah, Etiebet, INEC delivered the killer punch

    A’Ibom governorship tribunal: How Attah, Etiebet, INEC delivered the killer punch

    As the Akwa Ibom State governorship election petition tribunal adjourned till August 18 to allow the petitioner, Mr Umana Okon Umana, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), along with the other parties in the case the time to tender a mountain of INEC documents they all pleaded in their filings, it is an appropriate juncture to look at the milestones at the hearing of the petition so far.

    But before going further, let us put the adjournment into context in order to squelch the unfounded rumour that the break was asked for because the petitioner had run out of witnesses. That is far from the truth. The break was discussed and agreed on by all parties who need to sit together and sort the INEC documents, which they had all pleaded, into schedules for presentation to the tribunal at the resumed hearing.  The documents are of such volume that all parties, including the secretariat of the tribunal, have to work together to meet the deadline. Reacting to the motion for adjournment, which was made by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), counsel to the petitioner, counsel to all the other parties agreed that it should be allowed because the break was needed for a “joint venture.”

    For the milestones, rating easily as one of the critical junctures in the hearing of the governorship election petition were the decisions to relocate all the tribunals to Abuja, following security threats to members of the tribunal and witnesses to petitioners in matters before the tribunals. It is important to mention here that a witness from Onna, home local council to Udom Emmanuel, who was declared winner of the election, Hon. Etebom Christopher Itiat, a governorship candidate of the Democratic People Party in the election, was attacked and his house vandalised after going to Abuja to testify for Umana and the APC.

    Equally momentous also was the decision to move the electoral materials in INEC custody in Uyo to Abuja. In light of the discovery by the team of forensic experts working for the petitioners that INEC in Akwa Ibom was destroying electoral materials intended to be used as evidence in attempt to frustrate the petition, the movement was both significant and right in the interest of justice.

    Another milestone was the day hearing began into the substantive matter before the tribunal. What invested that day with so much significance was not just its rank as the first day in the epic legal battle whose outcome will serve as the reference point for dating history in Akwa Ibom State, but more so for the legal fireworks that fore grounded the lone testimony of the day. The lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), for the petitioner had opened the case by calling the first witness, Bishop Samuel Akpan, who was the governorship candidate for Accord Party in the would-be governorship election. Bishop Akpan in the witness box for Umana was an intrusive shock to the respondents, comprising Udom Emmanuel, the Peoples Democratic Party and INEC. They quickly showed it.

    Once they recovered from the shock, they went for the foundation of the case of the petitioner. Their game plan was to truncate the petition at that point with the argument—which could have easily fooled the unwary and the inexperienced—that Bishop Akpan and all the other witnesses that were to come could not testify before the tribunal because they were listed in their initials only by the petitioner in his filings before the tribunal. The trio of Paul Usoro (SAN) for Udom Emmanuel, first respondent; Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) for PDP, second respondent and Dr Onyiechi Ikpeazu (SAN) for INEC, third respondent, contended volubly and for about five hours that it was not allowed in law for witnesses to be identified by initials only, concluding therefore that all the witnesses listed by the petitioner stood disqualified. The petitioner, through his lead counsel, countered with the winning argument that such was allowed for security reasons, namely, possible attacks on witnesses—especially given the manifest truth that Akwa Ibom had been turned into a burning cauldron of violence in the last eight years, the calamity which climaxed in the build-up to and during the elections with some of the most gruesome murders and arsons imaginable. Thirty of the murders occurred on election day. Chief Olanipekun cited authority after authority on the use of initials by witnesses in court until he achieved enthymeme.

    The tribunal, headed by Justice Sadiq Umar, agreed with the petitioner and overruled the opposition. What would have been a fatal blow to the petitioner’s case was thus deftly defused.

    Of all the critical milestones in the hearing so far, Tuesday July 28 stands out as the most significant watershed yet at the tribunal sitting at the FCT High Court in Abuja. It was a day of great moment that lived up to its promise for the petitioner in the election dispute. The day also delivered on its full threat potential to the first, second and third respondents to the petition, namely, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel of the PDP, who was declared winner of the disputed election; the PDP and INEC. The promise and threat, depending on where you stand on the scale of justice, derived from the type of witnesses and kind of evidence that were to be led before the tribunal at the day’s session. They were easily the most ranking witnesses for the petitioner.

    The day’s session began with a back-breaking testimony by one of the high value witnesses, Atuekong Don Etiebet—former minister of petroleum resources, former presidential candidate and former life BOT member of the PDP—against Udom Emmanuel of the PDP, INEC and the PDP.

    Etiebet authoritatively told the tribunal that elections did not hold according to law on 11 April 2015 in Oruk Anam local council area where he comes from and where he was at home to vote on that Election Day. He testified to massive irregularities, including but not limited to ballot snatching, absence of ballot materials at polling units, and bloody violence instituted and directed by thugs and members of the PDP.

    He tendered four materials in evidence, namely, his voter’s card, his press statement condemning the sham elections, newspaper publication of the press statement and a video recording of his visit along with other leaders of the state and members of the APC to INEC head office in Uyo on the night of the election to see whether there was state collation of the ballot as should be the case at the INEC office which was the state collation centre. Etiebet said this was after they could not find INEC collating any results of the “elections” at any local government collation centre in most parts of the state. He said during the visit, they found the INEC head office in total darkness, with no work going on and the INEC REC Austin Okojie nowhere to be found on election night when the INEC head office ought to be a beehive of activities and Mr Okojie was duty bound to be at his post coordinating work. He also told the tribunal that the elders and others in the delegation to the INEC office delivered a written protest letter to the state REC, advising him not to dare call the elections which were irredeemably marred by wanton irregularities and violence. Yet the following Sunday morning, Etiebet told the tribunal, INEC announced the result of the “election” and declared Udom Emmanuel winner.

    Etiebet’s voter’s card, video recording of the visit to INEC head office on the night of the election, and press statement were accepted in evidence by the tribunal and marked as exhibits, but the newspaper reports of his press statement were rejected on the ground that the newspapers were not certified as true copies by the National Library of Nigeria as required by law. The legal team of Umana/APC at the tribunal said the rejection of the newspaper accounts of Etiebet’s press statement was of no legal significance since they were derivatives of the original press statement that had itself been accepted by the tribunal.

    The next witness for the day was HE Obong Victor Attah, former governor of Akwa Ibom State and leader of the Ibibio. Attah, who was magisterial in his deposition and statesman-like in deportment, tendered his PVC to prove that he was a registered voter but could not vote because elections did not hold in his town; he also tendered video recordings and testified orally to the effect that elections did not hold according to law in Ibesikpo Asutan local council area where he comes from. Both materials were accepted in evidence and marked as exhibits. Under cross examination intended to tar the former governor with the brush of partisanship, Attah left the following words on marble for the tribunal and those in and outside its precincts to ponder: “Excuse me my friend,” said Obong Attah to the opposition counsel cross examining him, with a hint of edge to his regal self disclosure, “I was a member of the National Conference and I personally coined the phrase ‘sanctity of the ballot.’ My concern does not lie with a party but with Nigeria. I want everything to be done right in my country. I am an elder statesman.” No one could fail to be struck by the poignancy of an eternal personal hurt in his voice.

    The super star witness for Umana/APC on the day in question was an NYSC INEC ad hoc staff member, an Ibo lady, who told the tribunal how PDP thugs invaded the unit where she served in Mbiabong, Uyo and carted away election materials allocated to the polling unit. She said the hoodlums arrived in vehicles with arms, shouting and hailing the PDP and grabbed the ballot materials under her watch. When she resisted them, she said, they beat her up, tore up her clothing and “threatened to send me to the wheel chair for life.” She said it was one of the good Nigerians who witnessed the attack that brought his jacket to cover her near nakedness. She added that she and her colleagues at the unit had to run for dear lives. She tendered the clothing as evidence, which was accepted and marked as exhibit.

    It was a bad day for the PDP and Udom Emmanuel at the tribunal. The INEC lady’s eye witness account of election violence and the violation of the sanctity of the ballot was so vivid and poignant that those who watched her could see the entire horror movie unfolding before their eyes. But it was also paradoxically so, so surreal.

    Before the adjournment to 18 August, the petitioner had presented his case before the tribunal for eight days out of the 14 days allotted to him to do so, and called 46 witnesses. He has six days left to complete the allotted time.

     

    • Otongaran is the director of media and publicity for the APC governorship campaign in Akwa Ibom State
  • Issues as governorship contest shifts to tribunals

    Issues as governorship contest shifts to tribunals

    As the 2015 electoral battles shift to the tribunals, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, in this report, identifies some of the major issues under contest in the governorship race

    In Nigeria, the contest at the tribunal is the last lap of the electoral battle. Unlike the other phases, like the election proper, where the contestants may win voters’ support by making mere promises, victory at the tribunals is determined primarily by logical presentation of facts or evidence as proof of being the preferred candidate. So, issues and facts, rather than mere display of real or artificial support at election rallies, are the central kernel that determines the final winner.

    For the 2015 governorship race, the tribunals have become the final battleground and the petitioners are understandably not taking the matter lightly. So, in the states where the governorship election is under contention, petitioners are making grave allegations of rigging, malpractice and other forms of manipulation that resulted in the announced results which they are contesting.

    As a result, one of the most recurring preliminary requests of petitioners is for leave to inspect the ballot papers and results sheets used in the elections. So far, the tribunal judges have granted such requests with ease, a development observers say may signal prompt dispensation of justice within the specified period of 180 days. Another major issue so far is the demand to compare the number of accredited voters with the aid of card reader with the number of votes cast. The contention is that in some of the states hotly contested, the petitioners are alleging that the accredited voters do not tally with votes cast. It remains to be seen how the tribunals will rule on this intriguing matter.

    Some of the states where the governorship contest is generating so much heat include:

    Rivers

    In Rivers State, where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate, Nyesom Wike, as the governor-elect, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside are contesting the result.

    The contest is so hot that Rivers Governorship Election Petition Tribunal is sitting in Abuja instead of in Port Harcourt.

    It would be recalled that Wike was declared winner of the election, having polled 1,029,102, which represents 87.77 percent of the votes while the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, came second with 124,896 votes (10.65 percent).

    APC has since condemned and rejected the result even as some international monitors insisted there was no election in the state. Also, APC in the state accused INEC of frustrating its petition before the tribunal. The first major controversy was on alleged refusal of INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner’s refusal to release relevant electoral documents to APC to enable it file its petition.

    Before finally filing the petition, the State Chairman of the APC, Davies Ikanya, had to call on the world to prevail on the REC, Dame Gesila Khan, to release the election documents to enable it meet up with the deadline in filing its petition at the election tribunal.

    He said the party had severally, officially written to INEC in the state and appealed to the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for the release of election documents, stressing that the REC had refused to provide the materials.

    Ikanya said the party resorted to calling for the world’s intervention because it had exhausted available means to get the election documents from the REC.

    According to him: “The difficulty in getting the documents has confirmed our fear that the result sheets never existed.” He also alleged that out of the 17 documents requested only one was released to his team.

    But the INEC denied the allegation as said it never denied APC access to documents to challenge election results at the tribunal.

    Mr. Roy Obijuru, the Administrative Secretary of INEC in the state, said the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Gesila Khan, had released documents to the APC on demand.

    He said INEC received an application from APC on April 12 to release Certified True Copy of forms EC8C, EC8C (1) and EC40 (G) for the Governorship and House of Assembly elections for the 23 local government areas.

    “Records show that representatives of APC in the state and other political parties that applied commenced the collection of the requested documents from April 16 to April 29.”

    The statement said a second application for Certified True of Forms and Electoral Documents for the Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the 23 local government areas of the state was received on April 28.

    Another controversy was on service of court summons. Peterside had to file a motion ex-parte which, amongst others prayed an Abuja court to grant a leave to the petitioner to bring his application outside or before the hearing session.

    Other prayers sought by the petitioner included an order for him to argue some issues outside or before the hearing session.

    He also sought for an order for the petitioner to deliver to the third respondent, the PDP, the court processes through the state chapter of the party.

    His counsel, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) told the court that the bailiff of the Court of Appeal in Rivers has tried twice to affect the service of court processes on the governor-elect but was not successful. According to Akeredolu, the motion ex-parte is supported with a 19 paragraph-affidavit of non-service and a written address to support the argument.

    Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Mu’azu Pindiga, granted the application after listening to a motion ex-parte brought by the petitioner’s counsel, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).

    The grand battle at the courts for the Rivers State’s governorship seat has just begun and may likely last beyond the May 29 swearing-in date.

    Cross River

    Another state where the battle at the tribunal is red hot is Cross River.  There, the tribunal, before commencing sitting, announced that it received 26 petitions from aggrieved politicians and political parties that contested the March 28, National Assembly and April 11 governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    The secretary of the tribunal, Mr. John Tsok, who made the announcement in Calabar also spoke with journalists, when he said, “As we speak, the tribunal has received four petitions for senatorial election, nine for House of Representatives, two governorship and eleven for the state House of Assembly.

    More than the other petitions, the governorship election petitions are generating ripples in the state. At its inaugural sitting at the Federal High Court complex, the Cross River State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which has members like Justice Muniya Olusegun Olagunji and Khadi Musa Babayo, the tribunal chairman, Justice Aliyu Mohammed Mayaki, recalled that the tribunal was constituted by the President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Z. Bulkachuwa, pursuant to section 285 of the Nigerian Constitution.

    He said the case before the tribunal is against the governor-elect, Ben Ayade of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) filed by the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in the just-concluded election, Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo and Sylvester Nsa, who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    Before the commencement of the tribunal sitting, there was tension in the state over the outcome of the governorship election. Both APC and Labour Party are not convinced that PDP candidate won the election.

    For example, there were reports of how the APC chieftains in the Akwa Ibom, painted the picture before the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, on how the PDP allegedly rigged the polls conducted in the state.

    According to Akwa Ibom State APC stakeholders, led by the APC governorship candidate, Umana Okon Umana, the results declared contradicted the number of voters accredited through the card reader machine used in verifying the Permanent Voters Cards at the polling units.

    Whereas the card reader captured 437,128 voters and transmitted same to INEC in Abuja, for the governorship and House of Assembly elections, the figure declared by the state INEC office was 1,122,836 – a difference of 685,708.

    As they put it before the president-elect, “Your Excellency, we are pleased to inform you that we have challenged the outcome of the purported elections at the Tribunals.

    “It may interest you, Sir, to know also that figures declared in the elections by the Akwa Ibom State INEC office were at variance significantly with figures captured by card readers and transmitted to INEC database in the Commission office in Abuja.

    “For instance, data obtained from INEC Head Office in Abuja show that the total number of accredited voters captured by card readers for the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom State was 437,128, but the figure declared by the state INEC office was 1,122,836.”

    This will form the primary issue before the tribunal.

    Lagos

    In Lagos, where PDP governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje, is challenging the victory of APC’s Akinwunmi Ambode, the Election Petitions Tribunal at its inaugural sitting at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja Division, Justice Sylvanus Oriji, Chairman, Lagos State National and State Houses of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal said election petitions are “delicate and sensitive to handle because they must be heard and determined within 180 days as specified by Section 285 (6) of the 1999 Constitution.”

    The judge said it was now established that any judgment delivered by an election tribunal in an election petition after 180 days from the date of filing is a nullity.

    He urged lawyers to give the tribunal the necessary support and co-operation both at the pre-hearing conferences and throughout the hearing of the petitions.

    “Without your co-operation, it will be difficult for the tribunal to succeed in its onerous task to conclude all the pending election petitions within 180 days as stipulated by the Constitution.

    “In this regard, the tribunal will not tolerate any action or omission (or strategy) aimed at delaying or frustrating the expeditious hearing and determination of the petitions.”

    On the governorship election petition, Oriji first granted leave to the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jimi Agbaje to inspect election materials used for the April 11, 2015 elections.

    The judge ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide Certified True Copies (CTC) of all polling documents, including printed data from card reader machines in every polling unit in the state.

    The orders were among the two prayers out of five prayers filed by the Agbaje before the tribunal through his counsel, Clement Onwuenmunor. The All Progressives Congress (APC) is represented in the matter by Ademola Sadiq.

    The petitioner had through his counsel, Onwuenmunor urged the tribunal to order INEC to provide CTC of all polling documents including printed data from card reader machines in each polling units in the state.

    Responding to the ruling, counsel to APC, Sadiq, did not object, saying the ruling was made on point of law.

    Sokoto

    In Sokoto State, the Chairman of the three-member tribunal, Justice Anselem Nwaigwe, in his inaugural speech also cautioned petitioners against any attempt to influence the members of the tribunal.

    According him, “any attempt to influence members of the tribunal would be resisted, while the full weight of the law would be visited on such persons.”

    Nwaigwe said the outcome of the just-concluded 2015 general elections gave rise to the four petition already received by the tribunal in the state.

    Yobe:

    Yobe is another state where the tribunal, which is sitting in Abuja commenced by granting the PDP candidate in the April 11, poll, Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri, permission to inspect the materials used by the INEC for the conduct of the poll.

    The tribunal headed by Justice Mojisola Dada, granted the order for inspection of the polling materials in her ruling on an ex parte application filed by Waziri, through his counsel, Folashade Aofolaju.

    Justice Dada was the only member of the panel in attendance during the proceedings, which were solely scheduled for hearing the petitioners’ ex parte application.

  • GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS

    GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS

    Eight-year struggle has paid off in
    Jigawa, says governor-elect

    Jigawa State Governor-elect Badaru Abubakar yesterday attributed his victory to an eight-year struggle by the people.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governor-elect described the dislodgement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through the ballot as the realisation of the dream and wish of the electorate.

    He hailed the people for being steadfast and resolute in the struggle to effect change in the Nortwest state.

    Pointing out that the time has come for the people to forge a common front devoid of acrimony for  development, Abubakar promised to run an all-inclusive administration, irrespective of political or religious affiliation.

    Speaking in Dutse, the state capital, after he was retuned as the governor-elect by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Retuning Officer, Prof. James Ayatse, Abubakar said: “The good people of Jigawa State have spoken and I have heard you loud and clear.”

    Describing his election as a call to service, Abubakar expressed gratitude to God for decreeing such a historic day in the political life of the state.

    His words: “To those who voted for us and to those who didn’t vote for us, and even to those who didn’t vote at all, we pledge to govern you fairly. The campaigns are over, the elections are over, so, let us unite and forge ahead.

    “As you are aware, the journey ahead is enormous and challenging, but not insurmountable. The path to change will not be easy but we will laugh and cry together. But overall, we will all succeed together by the grace of Allah and the support of the great people, young and old, male and female, urban and rural.

    “When we started this journey eight years ago, we moved from town to town, village to village, house to house and door to door, and we heard your cries, we saw the issues, and we felt your pains.

    “Yesterday is gone, today is here and tomorrow is the beginning of a brighter future. So, be rest assured that we’ll remain steadfast and committed to building the Jigawa State of our dream”.

  • How First Lady ‘influenced Rivers governorship poll for Wike’

    How First Lady ‘influenced Rivers governorship poll for Wike’

    •Wike, allies panic over likely cancellation of poll   •APC decries killing of 19 members,

    Fresh facts emerged yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital,on how  President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Dame Patience, influenced the April 11 governorship election for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)standard bearer, Nyesom Wike.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the poll’s results at about 4am yesterday. Wike polled 1,029,102 to beat the Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 124,896 votes.

    A source revealed that Mrs. Jonathan, an indigene of Okrika, the headquarters of Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, took undue advantage of her husband’s position to undermine the electoral process in Rivers State.

    President Jonathan voted in his Otuoke country home in Bayelsa State without the First Lady. He arrived at his polling unit where he voted at the State Assembly election in the company of his mother, Eunice.

    Mrs. Jonathan has relocated to Okrika in the evening of April 10 to ensure victory for her political godson and former education minister.

    According to the source, President Jonathan was opposed to proposals to manipulate the process to pave the way for Wike’s victory, a position the source alleged, never went well with the First Lady.

    An unconfirmed source said the First Lady was unhappy that the President conceded defeat after losing the March 28 election to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the APC without putting up a fight.

    It was learnt that the First Lady decided to sacrifice her vote in Otuoke for the trip to Okrika to see Wike to victory.

    Dame Jonathan allegedly summoned the leadership of the Rivers State Police obtained commitment from the police to support her in the manipulation of the electoral process in favour of the PDP.

    The officers and men of the Command assured the First Lady of their support, a source claimed.

    When the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Zone 6, Calabar, Tunde Ogunsakin, an ex-Rivers Commissioner of Police, who supervises Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Ebonyi States, arrested a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) with electoral materials in Rivers, the First Lady immediately intervened by calling his husband.

    The source disclosed that President Jonathan quickly got across to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba, and directed him to order Ogunsakin out of Rivers State. The AIG returned to his Calabar base at about 5am on April 11.

    Efforts to get the First Lady’s reaction proved abortive as calls made to her Glo line were unanswered as at press time.

    The Rivers PDP governorship candidate and his allies are also panicking over the likely cancellation of the polls in the state.

    One of Wike’s close associates sent a text message to a frontline journalist in Port Harcourt to know if there was a move by the INEC headquarters in Abuja to cancel the flawed elections and fix a new date for a rerun.

    The Rivers Chairman of the APC, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, also decried the senseless killing of 19 members of his party on Saturday. He pushed the polls cancellation.

    Ikanya, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, through his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Public Affairs, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, described the governorship and House of Assembly elections and the announcement of fake results as tragedy.

    The Rivers APC chairman said: “What took place was a macabre dance of intimidation and violence, perpetrated against the peace-loving APC members, after which results were written in favour of Chief Nyesom Wike of the PDP. It is evident that the announcement of winners for the polls is a travesty of justice and a rape of democracy.

    “We insist that the purported governorship and House of Assembly elections be cancelled in their totality and a new date set for proper polls, as prescribed by law. We hope that INEC will enforce the rights of Rivers people to free, fair and credible elections, by heeding the clarion call.”

    Ikanya also stated that many eligible voters were disenfranchised, as all hell was let loose throughout the state.

    He accused the state chapter of the PDP of mobilising militants, who went on rampage, shooting, bombing and killing, killing no fewer than 19 APC members.

    He noted that the victims were attempting to prevent the rigging plot of the PDP, in conjunction with INEC and some policemen, led by a deputy commissioner of police.

    Ikanya said: “Rivers APC declares unequivocally that the elections were fraught with violence, unbridled manipulation and intimidation, while no voting took place in most parts of Rivers State.

    “At Tai Local Government Area, Lekia Nkirine was shot dead, while Gbaraka Nna was shot on the neck. A PDP chieftain in the area, bought the guns, while another PDP chieftain fired the shot.

    (Nkenya listed the suspected killers.)

    “In Buguma, Asari-Toru Local Government Area, seven APC members were killed, with three killed and thrown into the rivers and one beheaded. Two buses and INEC office were burnt, while the house of the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Joeba West, was bombed. These exclude tens of buildings and cars that were destroyed.

    “Three persons were killed at Etche Local Government Area. One was killed in Ikwerre Local Government Area. Two APC members were murdered at Egbeda Ward I of Emouha Local Government Area, while Hon. Chidi Lloyd, the leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, was beaten to a pulp, while attempting to prevent the rigging of the elections in his constituency.

    “In Obga/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, there were at least five reported deaths, namely: Obinna Ndubuoke, Jeophat Kingdom, Ndidi Ebere, Sydney Wokocha and Hon. Clever Orukwowu (APC Youth Leader).”

    Ikanya stated that among the persons injured by the blood-thirsty PDP thugs was; Evangelist Faith, who was beaten to a pulp at Dere in Andoni Local Government Area, with her whereabouts remaining unknown and Alifor Onyeso, who was shot by armed thugs, led by a lawmaker from Omuma constituency in the Rivers House of Assembly.

    The APC chairman insisted that on April 11, in most parts of the state, voters were disenfranchised, intimidated and harassed, with outright manipulation of the already-announced results at the various units.

    He said: “There was no election in Rivers State on April 11 and anyone who says otherwise is an enemy of this state. We had vigorously campaigned for the redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in the state, Mrs. Gesila Khan, because of her well-known support for the PDP, but our cries were ignored.

    “Now, what we feared has happened – even worse than we feared. We cannot in all honesty accept the results announced, either for the governorship or state’s House of Assembly elections.”

    Ikanya pleaded with INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to save Rivers State from doom, by cancelling the purported elections and rescheduling them.

     

  • GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS

    GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS

    losers

    Obanikoro…Which way forward after three failed attempts 

    The Minister of State, Foreign Affairs II has taken shots at the Lagos State House thrice and failed three times.

    He got the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) run against incumbent Governor Babatunde Fashola in 2007 after protesting what he called the imposition of Mrs. Funsho Williams at the PDP shadow election. He lost the election with a wide margin but got compensated with an ambassadorial posting to Ghana.

    In 2011, he lost the bid to clinch the PDP ticket to Prince Ade Dosumu, who eventually lost Fashola.

    He again got a ministerial posting as compensation.

    His conduct in the Ministry of State for Defence where he held the forte before he resigned to pursue another failed ambition remained controversial. Whistleblower Captain Sagir Koli named him as one of the dramatis personae in the plot to rig the June 21, 2014 Ekit State governorship election.  Though his voice in the audio recording of the plot, Obanikoro has denied involvement and threatened court action.  After losing the PDP ticket to Mr Jimi Agbaje, Obanikoro was nominated by President Goodluck Jonathan a ministerial slot to pacify him. Before he was cleared in controversial circumstances by PDP senators, Obanikoro was turned back twice from the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

    He was named the Minsiter of State for Foreign Affairs II when he eventually got a portfolio in the Federal Executive Council (FEC). Between March 28 and April 11, Obanikoro suffered three defeats. He failed to win Lagos for the President his party lost the governorship election and his son, Babajide, lost his bid to represent one of the State Constituencies in Eti-Osa at the House of Assembly.

    Obanikoro ‘Jnr’….

    twice unlucky

     

    Like father, like son, Babajide is fast taking after Obanikoro. He has lost two elections in the past four years. His ambition to chair the Ikoyi/Obalende Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) ended at the Local Government Election Petition Tribunal about four years ago. In a desperate bid to win Saturday’s House of Assembly election, Babajide allegedly led some of his loyalists to harass and intimidate voters who were waiting to cast their votes. He was allegedly taken away from the scene by security operatives. Babajide lost the election.

    Ribadu: Between

    ambition and principle

    He returned from self-exile to the warm embrace of the progressives. His belief that the anti-corruption structure he left behind in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) – where he was pioneer chairman – had collapsed under the President Goodluck Jonathan administration led him to the progressives’ camp. He was the presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011. He lost the election to Dr. Jonathan. Before his shocking defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP, Ribadu enjoyed respect. An overture by the PDP leadership that he would become the governor of Adamawa without stress encouraged him to jump ship, a move many viewed as unprincipled. The PDP leadership got knocks from Chief Edwin Clark, who said Ribadu was imposed as the governorship candidate in the Northeastern state. Clark had warned that imposition and subversion of the people’s will, would adversely affect the electoral fortune of the ruling party. Ribadu’s PDP came a distant third in Saturday’s governorship election. The former anti-graft czar lost to the Sen Bindow Jibrilla of the APC.

    Maku:Racing to nowhere

     

    Labaran Maku resigned from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) as Information Minister to contest the governorship of Nasarawa State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but lost out at the primary. Embittered by the loss, he defected to the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), which offered him the governorship ticket on a platter of gold. Maku defection from the PDP he once defended, shocked many. But he lost the election as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday declared Governor Tanko Al-Makura of the All Progressive Congress (APC) winner of the poll. The incumbent governor, who polled 309, 749 votes, won in 12 out of the 13 local government areas, beating the former minister to a distant second with 178, 983 votes.  Maku, who won only in his Nasarawa Eggon local government area, rejected the results and described the election as a coup. He promised to take action after consulting with his supporters and critical stakeholders.

     Jang: Setback for

    governors’ chair

    He probably must have seen Saturday’s governorship election as a fait accompli, having won the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But Plateau Governor Jonah Jang got the shocker of his life yesterday as the results of Saturday’s elections proved bookmakers wrong. Against all predictions, Simon Lalong of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 564, 913 votes to defeat Jang’s anointed candidate Gyang Pwajok of the PDP, who polled 520, 627. The choice of Senator Pwajok pitted Jang, who is Chairman of the Federal Government-backed Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), against his deputy, who felt the governor should have backed him for the PDP ticket to reward his loyalty.

     

    Adams:The burden of  failed promises

    Despite failing in his promise to deliver six million Southwest votes to President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections, Gani Adams, National Coordinator of a faction of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has vowed to stay with his benefactor at all time. Adams with other PDP supporters staged a solidarity rally from the old Toll Gate at the Ojota end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway through the ever-busy Ikorodu Road to the stadium in Surulere to drum up support for PDP candidates. Adams said President Jonathan would win Lagos and parts of the Southwest zone in the general elections that ended on April 11. The President and the PDP lost in all the six states but Ekiti on March 28.

    Adams forgot his supremacy battle over who controls the OPC between him and founder of the group, Dr. Fredrick Faseun. The duo found a common benefactor in President Jonathan, whose government awarded multi-million naira oil pipeline protection contracts. The Chief Reuben Fasoranti-led Afenifere also teamed up with both factions of the OPC in the failed move to deliver the Southwest to the PDP.

    WINNER

    Al-Makura:
    Nasarawa’s man of destiny

    But for Providence, Tanko Al-Makura would not have participated in Saturday’s governorship election. The incumbent governor would have been impeached by the House of Assembly last year. Emboldened by the ouster of Governor Murtala Nyako in Adamawa by their counterparts, lawmakers in Nasarawa had served Al-Makura with an impeachment notice, and urged the State Chief Judge to constitute an investigative panel on the sundry allegations they raised against the governor.

    Declaring the results at the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the returning officer in the Northcentral state, Prof Abdulmuninu Ranfindadi, said the incumbent governor won the election having scored 309,746, to defeat his closet opponent, Labaran Maku of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who polled 178,983. He was trailed by Yusuf Agabi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 119,782 votes.

    Prof Ranfindadi explained that the APC candidate satisfied the requirements of the Electoral Law having won 25 percent in 12 out of the 13 local government areas of the state.

  • Oyo candidates flex muscle over governorship poll

    Major governorship candidates in Oyo State yesterday boasted about winning the election.

    Governor Abiola Ajimobi is flying the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC), his predecessor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, is the Labour Party (LP) candidate.

    Rashidi Ladoja is contesting on the platform of Accord and Teslim Folarin is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard bearer.

    Speaking in Ibadan, the state capital yesterday, the candidates expressed unusual confidence of coming tops in the election.

    Though the APC defeated other parties with a wide margin in the presidential and National Assembly elections on March 28, candidates of the defeated parties insisted that they were only beaten  not defeated.

    APC won the three senatorial seats and 12 of the 14 House of Representatives seats.

    The party also controls the House of Assembly with 18 out of 32 members.

    Opposition parties also believe that the governorship election would not go the way of the March 28 elections because, according to them, voters were carried away by the popularity of the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.

    In separate chats, Ajimobi, who spoke through the party’s State Chairman, Chief Akin Oke, said Oyo people have always chosen light by aligning with the progressives, adding that they also reconfirmed it by their massive votes for the APC in the March 28 elections.

    He said voters will, once again, show their preference for the transformation, reformation and the repositioning of the state being undertaken by his administration by voting for him and all APC candidates in the House of Assembly election.

    Ladoja, who spoke through the Director General of his campaign organisation, Adeolu Adeleke, said Accord remained undaunted, despite the result of the last election.

    He said: “We remain undaunted and psychologically stable with optimism to win the election.”

    Alao-Akala, who spoke through his spokesman, Oludare Ogunlana, said what the party suffered in the last election would be regained on Saturday.

    “Whatever we suffered, people are ready to respond with their votes on Saturday.

    “The way Gen. Buhari was voted for across the country is the way Alao-Akala would gain people’s votes across Oyo State on Saturday,” he said.

    The PDP State Publicity Secretary, Kehinde Salawu, was also optimistic that his party would win the elections.

    He said  the party had embarked on educating its  supporters on how to vote for only the PDP.

  • How Buhari’s victory will affect governorship, Assembly polls

    How Buhari’s victory will affect governorship, Assembly polls

    In nine days, Nigerians will return to their polling units to elect governors and  lawmakers. Expectedly, the April 11 governorship and Houses of Assembly elections will have more local appeal than last Saturday’s  presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Political parties have put the outcome of the March 28 behind them even as the winners bask in the euphoria of their victories and the bruised, lick their wounds. That notwithstanding, the parties and their candidates are back on the campaign fields, marketing their manifestoes ahead of the polls.

    One thing seems certain. It is the fact that the victory of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at last Saturday’s election will shape the elections on April 11 and effectively determine where the political pendulum swings.

    Historically, in Nigeria, where the central remains very strong than the federating units, once a president emerges, any election conducted afterwards is a fait accompli. The voters are often gripped by the fear of being in the opposition.

    The Buhari/Osinbajo ticket fetched the opposition APC 15,424,921 votes from 21 states, cutting across the Southwest, Northwest, Northcentral and Northeast to dislodge incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan and his duputy, Namadi Sambo, whose Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 12, 853,162 votes from 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The PDP won all the 11 states in the Southsouth and the Southeast, three in the Northcentral and one in the Southwest.

    Bandwagon effect

    Going by elections’ historical trends, a shift is expected in the voting pattern of states that were won by the ruling party on April 11 as the factors that accounted for the PDP victory will no longer be there.

    For instance, the five states in the Southeast – Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo and Enugu – gave block votes to the PDP and the six Southsouth states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Edo, Delta, Cross River and Rivers gave it to the ruling party, believing that President Jonathan would win the election and that the ruling party will form the next government.

    With the overall results in favour of the APC, the states may be in the opposition beginning from May, should they retain that voting pattern at the April 11 polls. Looking at the map of Nigeria, Ekiti is the only state in the Southwest geo-political zone that may be in the opposition in the next political dispensation.

    In 1983, the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN) re-ordered the election timetable. The Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) as the Independent National Electoral Commision (INEC) was then known, began with the Presidential election and it was a moon’s slide victory for the ruling (NPN). The National Assembly, governorship and House of Assembly elections that followed were mere walkover for the ruling party.

    The main opposition party – the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) lost its grip on the states that were under its control since 1979. The states were: the old Oyo and the old Bendel

    The Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) lost the old Anambra to the ruling party which also dislodged the Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP) from the old Borno and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) from Kaduna.

    But the moon’s slide victory of the NPN was short-circuited as the military struck on the eve of 1983 to abort the Second Republic. The military intervention was to prevent anarchy as the NPN victory sparked protests in some parts of the country, especially in the West, where the people believed the polls were skewed in favour of the ruling party.

    Twenty years after, the election timetable was again reordered and once the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the presidential and majority seats in the National Assembly elections, the governorship and House of Assembly elections were straight wins for the PDP. The ruling party defeated the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in its Southwest stronghold. All the six states in the zone, except Lagos, fell to the PDP. The All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) suffered similar fate in the North.

    History beckons

    Since Independence, the Southwest has been indifferent to the government at the central. The people in the zone have always pitched tent with the progressives, and ironically, the progressives never had the opportunity of winning the presidency until last Saturday. The primary concern of the Southwest has been to elect leaders who will develop the region.  The desire to belong to the party at the federal largely accounted for the victory of the PDP in Ekiti State. Now that the progressives have won the presidency, analysts believe the people will detest being the lone voice in the wilderness. They hope the outcome of the April 11 polls will be a departure from what they were on June 21, 2014 and March 28.

    In the Southsouth and the Southeast, where almost all the PDP governors will be completing their two-term tenure next month, the desire to guarantee soft-landing will shape the voting pattern. Besides, the fact that some of the governors are on their way out of power, the voters may decide to take their fate into their own hands to chose who they want as the governors and representatives in the Houses of Assembly.

    It is an indisputable fact that both the Southsouth and the Southeast have always showed their hatred for being in the opposition. They have, since 1960, forged alliances with the North, a region that has always maintained a hold on the central. The defeat of President Jonathan, their preferred candidate, and the need to avoid unnecessary friction with the Federal Government will shape the voting pattern in the zones on April 11.

    Federal might

    Despite the deployment of federal might in the states, especially those under the PDP control, the results of last Saturday’s elections clearly showed that the wish of Nigerians for change was not subverted.  So, it is unlikely that a ruling party that has lost steam and its bearing will wield still enormous influence on the people.

    Militarisation of election

    If the complaints of Governors Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), are anything to go by, the security operatives deployed in those two Southsouth states compromised their oath of office by being partial to one of the parties. The military is yet to learn from the mistakes of Brig-Gen Aliyu Momoh, who allegedly took orders from PDP chieftains to compromise the integrity of the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State. The soldiers and senior police officers who were on election duty allegedly colluded with the ruling party to ensure that the political climate was inclement for the opposition to participate.

    In Edo State for instance, a senior military personnel was allegedly detained for refusing to do the biddings of a PDP chieftain. Governor Oshomhole expressed frustrations after his attempts to get across to the police commissioner for intervention failed. He claimed that a promoter of a private television station stormed the state with full military protection and allowed to move about during the elections.

    The reasonable thing for any officer deployed in those states is to maintain neutrality and create a level playing ground for all parties on April 11. Any officer on duty will henceforth be cautious in their conduct and they will not hesitate to rein in any overzealous subordinate.

    Resident Electoral Commissioners.

    Despite the unbiased position of Prof Attahiru Jega, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), some high-ranking officials of the body are yet to shed the toga of partisanship. They still compromise their positions. But with change of baton, such officers will be more careful and carry out their duties without partiality.

    In Akwa Ibom, the INEC officials took orders from Governor Godswill Akpabio on how to conduct the elections. After accreditation of voters, the expectation was that voting would commence, but there was nothing like that. Rather, the INEC officials relocated from the polling stations and thumb printed the ballot at an undisclosed location believed to have been provided by the state government. They filled the result sheets only to return to the units to read the results.

    After meeting with the President yesterday, Akpabio told State House reporters that the PDP will maintain its lead and retain the states under its control after the April 11 polls.

    But APC leaders accused him of relying on rigging. They said Akpabio was banking on manipulation and wondered how a governor, who failed to win a senatorial district will deliver a whole state.

    As it was in Akwa Ibom, so also was it in Rivers State where the residents are insisting that voting never took place in the state. The governorship candidate of the APC, Dr. Peterside Dakuku and Senator Magnus Abe echoed the peoples complaints in their protest at the INEC office, where the police gave protection for the collation of results of elections that never took place. Governor Rotimi Amaechi was told he had no right to demand for the result sheets. The INEC officer said it was wrong of any voter to ask for such document, especially when he was not a party agent and when balloting had not even started.

    The question to ask is: Will the electoral officers and the police chiefs be so brazen on April 11, when Nigerians return to choose governors and assemblymen?

  • Ogboru ‘ll win governorship poll, says aide

    Ogboru ‘ll win governorship poll, says aide

    The Director-General (DG) of the Campaign Organisation of the Delta State governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Omaruaya has said the party will win convincingly in next month’s elections.

    He told reporters in Lagos that the LP governorship candidate Chief Great Ogboru will emerge  in a free, fair and transparent election, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to live up to its responsibilities.

    He said:  “Ogboru is an iconic brand in politics trusted by majority of our people for his excellent track record in global business and sound political convictions”.

    He added that the LP candidate is a grassroots politicians whose records could not be rivaled by those contesting for governorship  of  Delta State.  “Ogboru’s grassroots political machine is equal to none and even his opponents know it.”

    He urged the people to collect their  Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), according to him, “if INEC gets the e-card reading system right, then that is the game changer and those who have rigged in the past will be history.”

    Omaruaye who declined to comment on the chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship election,  said  his “duty is to run Chief Ogboru’s grassroots campaign efficiently for victory and not to be distracted by the antics of traditional election riggers.”

    He noted that Ogboru is determined to bring value to public leadership in Delta State and lift  the standard of living of the people. “We will create employment through massive industrialisation. We will bring back companies to this state. We will ensure that our seaports come back to life and drive this state’s economy.

    “We will build modern schools, health facilities and sports facilities. We will establish the first social security system for the elderly in our state. Religious leaders will have a place of pride in governance. Ogboru’s Equal Opportunities Development Initiative has been refined to develop the entire state on an equitable basis.

    “We will create corporate development vehicles to be manned by the best and finest amongst us. Let me tell you with all sense of responsibility, a massive developmental revolution is coming to Delta with Chief Great Ogboru as our next Governor.

    “ I am just privileged to be saddled with the responsibility to lead the crusade of telling our people about the revolutionary transformation that is coming and the need for everyone to be part of it.”

    Omaruaye further explained the the Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan led administration has done its best but the people needed something better than what the have got.

    “Our principal has no personal quarrel with him. They may disagree or may have disagreed on the best way to ensuring good governance, but modern people do not live in the past. We must move on. The common good of the greater majority of our people remains our primary concern.”

  • ‘APC didn’t offer governorship ticket to Ladoja’

    ‘APC didn’t offer governorship ticket to Ladoja’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday refuted claims by the Oyo State Accord Party (AP) governorship candidate Senator Rashidi Ladoja that the party offered him its governorship slot.

    The National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Chief Pius Akinyelure, said the party never considered Ladoja, stressing that the thought was a figment of his “hyper-active imagination”.

    He said Ladoja may have confused an invitation to him to join the party as an elder with an imaginary offer aptly nurtured by his pre-conceived preference for the governorship ticket, which he may have coveted during preliminary interaction between him and the Southwest APC leadership.

    Akinyelure said there was no way the APC would have by-passed the performing Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, who had  indicated his interest in a second term, and offered the ticket to Ladoja.

    He added: “It is politically normal for a party like the APC, which is always interested in enlarging its coast, to invite more people to join its fold. Ladoja, being a former governor and senator, was invited to join the APC so that he can become one of the elders of the APC. There was never a time the governorship ticket was offered to him.

    “Governor Ajimobi has performed excellently. The party and the people  are proud of his achievements. There was no way the party would have given the ticket to Ladoja when the governor, who has performed creditably in his first term, had indicated interest in re-election. Therefore, it is not true that Ladoja was offered the ticket as claimed by him.”