The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

  • Ekiti speaker faces contempt charge

    Ekiti speaker faces contempt charge

    The Ekiti State House of Assembly member-elect for Ado Constituency 1, Toyin Obayemi, has gone back to the court to press a contempt charge against Speaker Kola Oluwawole for disobeying a court order to swear in the former.

    Obayemi’s lawyer, Olayinka Sokoya, said Oluwawole is running a risk of being committed to prison for holding the court of law in contempt for declining to admit his client as an Assembly member.

    The lawmaker-elect, who came to the Assembly complex on Tuesday to present himself for swearing-in having been given the Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was blocked from entering the hallowed chamber.

    Oluwawole ordered the Assembly security personnel ordered Obayemi to leave the premises after which to two main gates of the complex was shut.

    An Ado Ekiti Federal High Court in a judgment delivered on July 4 by Justice Taiwo Taiwo sacked Musa Arogundade as the lawmaker representing the constituency ordered that Obayemi be sworn in immediately having been found to be the lawful candidate for the April 11 House of Assembly election.

    Speaking with reporters on the development on Friday, Sokoya claimed that barely a month after being sacked from the state parliament by the court, Arogundade is still performing legislative functions including sitting in the hallowed chambers.

    The lawyer explained that the court verdict which nullified Arogundade’s election was a declaratory order which cannot be stayed and must be complied adding that if he (Arogundade) had filed an appeal, the order must be carried out.

    Sokoya alleged that he and his client (Obayemi) has been receiving threats through anonymous phone calls to drop their clamour for the legislator-elect to be sworn in saying they have nothing against anybody but the law must be obeyed.

    He said: “The action of the House of Assembly and the Speaker is a flagrant disobedience to the valid order of a court of competent jurisdiction and if a court gives a declaratory order, you must comply with the order even if you are not satisfied with it.

    “The Speaker will explain to the court and show cause why he should be be committed to prison for contempt of court and willful disobedience of an order of the court. We are not in a state of nature, we are being governed by the rule of law.

    “What happened at the House on Tuesday was a show of shame and nobody can be above the law. We are not folding our arms and we have proceeded to the court to file contempt proceedings against the Speaker.

    “If Arogundade wants to go on appeal, he has the legal right to do so but the (July 4) order was a declaratory order, it cannot be stayed; it must be complied with immediately and this man is still sitting in the House contrary to the court order that he must vacate the seat immediately for Obayemi.

    “Obayemi is still a card-carrying member of the PDP and Governor Ayo Fayose should lead by example by prevailing on the Speaker and other members to obey the court order. The court had declared Obayemi winner of that seat, the governor should not exercise any fear about the development.

    “The court has pronounced him (Obayemi) winner the governor should welcome him and congratulate him. This is not the time for the governor to be saying ‘this one will be loyal to me and that one will not be loyal me.’

    “I also want to place it on record that my life and that of my client are being threatened. Some people are issuing threats to us through anonymous phone calls. We are calling on security agencies to come to our aid and save our lives.”

  • Abia crisis: state will emerge better under Ogah – group

    Abia crisis: state will emerge better under Ogah – group

    A group that calls itself Isi-Ogoasaa Consultative Forum, from Acha in Isuikwuato local government of Abia state has expressed optimism that state would be a better and economically viable one when Dr Uche Ogah assumed the leadership of the state.

    Speaking with newsmen in Umuahia, the leader of the forum , Chief Chikwendu Ibebuike Onwuegbu, said that since the electoral body had obey the directive of the Abuja Federal High Court presided over by Justice Okon Abang that the next thing to be done is to swear in Ogah without any further delay.

    Onwuegbu said that the delay in the swearing in of Ogah as the authentic governor of Abia state amounts to flouting the directive of a court of competent jurisdiction, which is not in line with the change mantra of the present administration.

    He said, “Since Dr. Ogah has been issued with certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral commission [INEC] the next action will be to swear him in as the Abia governor as declared by the Federal High Court which sat in Abuja in its ruling of 27th June 2016, presided over by Justice Okon Abang”.

    The leader of the forum said that despite the fact that, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has exercised his legal right of appeal, “That appeal ought not to substitute the swearing in of Dr Ogah as the legitimate governor of Abia state as declared by Justice Abang”.

    Onwuegbu explained that, “Abia Charter of Equity as stipulated and enunciated by the founding fathers of Abia, has a pact that the various districts which were joined to create Abia in 1991 will take turns to govern the state which has been followed to the letter until now”.

    “The name Abia was derived from the four [4] letter acronym A-B-I-A representing the four [4] districts that were joined to create Abia, Afikpo District which stands for letter ‘A’  has taken their turn by Dr Ogbonnaya  Onu [1992-1993].

    “Bende District which stands for letter ‘B’  has also taken its turn by Dr Orji Uzor Kalu [1999-2007] and Chief T.A Orji [2007-2015] respectively, it is now the turn of the third letter ‘I’ which represents Isuikwuato District where Dr Ogah comes from  to produce the next governor”.

    “It is a simple logic that after Isuikwuato must have governed the next letter which is ‘A’ which represents Aba District, where Governor Okezie Ikpeazu comes from will produce after Isuikwuato district, so that the ethos of the charter of equity will be achieved to the letter”.

    He continued by saying, “That going by the pact of the  founding fathers of Abia as enshrined in the Abia Charter of Equity , Dr. Ogah is still on the right course which is the reason we are supporting him to be sworn-in as the authentic governor of the state“.

    On the issue of allegation that the certificate of returns given to Dr Uchechukwu Ogah by INEC is not valid, Onwuegbu said that, “Those dwelling on such fantasy should rather purse the substance than the shadow which they are doing to their own detriment”.

    He said, “The media team of Ikpeazu should allow the legal team to do their work and stop trying to deceive the people, as INEC remains the competent authority to issue certificate of return and the commission is always conscious of its statutory obligations”.

    “Since this political imbroglio broke out and they [Ikpeazu’s media team] came out that the certificate of return issued to Ogah is fake the big question is, has INEC come out to say that the certificate they issued to Ogah is fake, let’s face facts please”.

  • PDP crisis: Makarfi faults Sheriff’s position on convention

    PDP crisis: Makarfi faults Sheriff’s position on convention

    The chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi has faulted the position of the party’s ousted national chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff on the party’s proposed national convention.

    Sheriff had on Wednesday, written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seeking to stop the convention, billed to hold in Port Harcourt on August 17.

    Sheriff had cited restraining a court order stating that the Makarfi committee cannot take actions on behalf of the PDP and that going ahead with the convention would amount to contempt of the said court order.

    But in swift reaction Wednesday, the Makarfi committee accused Sheriff and his group of attempts to scuttle the planned convention and also to destroy the party as well.

    The reaction, contained in a statement by the spokesperson of the caretaker committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, stated that the ruling by Justice Okon Abang which Sheriff relied upon was a mere narrative of the case pending before the Federal High Courts in the Lagos and Port Harcourt Divisions.

    Adeyeye said, “It (ruling) did not set aside or nullify the judgment of Justice Liman which has authenticated the May 21 National Convention and the resolutions emanating therefrom.

    “The said ruling did not anywhere direct INEC to do anything or not to do anything, to discharge or not to discharge any obligation; to perform any function or not to perform any function.

    “In essence, it is a mere legal tale and the Order having been made without any application before him by either of the parties has no foundation in law”.

    Justice Valerie Arshi had in another judgment, nullified the appointment of Sheriff as National Chairman of the parry.

    “That judgment has not been set aside. It is still valid and subsisting. And no court of coordinate jurisdiction, including the Federal High Court, can make any other order with the intention of rendering that judgment ineffective,” Adeyeye added.

    According to the Makarfi committee, the resolutions of the national convention which held in Port Harcourt on May 21, were confirmed by Justice Liman of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on July 4, 2016.

    Part of the resolutions was the dissolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the Sheriff led National Working Committee (NWC).

    The resolution also affirmed the Makarfi led Caretaker Committee as the supreme body to run the affairs of the party until another pending the conduct of another convention within 90 days.

    “That being the case, it was therefore the last convention that in fact convened the forthcoming one slated for August 17, 2016, and not the National Caretaker Committee parse. The National Convention is superior to all other organs of the party.

    “We call on INEC to disregard the letter from the former National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and his cohorts. It belongs to the garbage bin. He is merely acting the script of his paymasters.

    “The Caretaker Committee will continue with its dogged determination to organize the best National Convention in the history of our great party,” the Makarfi committee said.

  • Collect your PVCs from INEC – Ambode

    Collect your PVCs from INEC – Ambode

    …Urges APC members to remain loyal to party ideals

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday urged residents to approach the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) across the State for their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to enable them participate in future elections.

    Ambode, who spoke at the All Progressives Congress (APC) party secretariat in Lagos during a meeting with Local Government and Ward Chairmen of the party, said it was important for residents of the State who are yet to collect their PVCs to approach the electoral body, as the process of distribution of the cards has begun in earnest.

    The Governor said available information at his disposal was to the effect that a lot of people were not aware of the ongoing exercise by INEC, and as such, people must be made to be aware and take the distribution seriously.

    It would be recalled that the electoral commission, few days ago, began distribution of PVCs in Lagos with a call on registered voters to come with their temporary cards for the collection of the PVCs between 8am and 4pm from Monday to Friday.

    The Governor said: “There is an INEC exercise going on now in which they are distributing voters’ card to those who are yet to collect. Many people are not even aware of the development and I like to use this medium to appeal to our party members to go and collect their PVCs.

    “I want to encourage all of us that we should now take the exercise seriously because that is the beginning of the framework of the elections yet to come. This is an appeal both to our members who are here and those who are not here.

    “The APC, as from Monday, will also start massive mobilization and sensitization of the public towards the exercise,” Ambode said.

    The Governor equally thanked members of the party for supporting his administration so far, adding that the support had contributed to the huge successes recorded in the last fourteen months since he assumed office.

    Ambode, who specifically appreciated the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all the party leaders for their support, however urged party faithful to remain committed and loyal to the ideals of the party, as well as the leadership of the party.

    “Once again, I want to thank all party leaders and members. I have said it before that we must follow our leaders and I am saying it again. We need to support and abide by whatever directive or direction our National Leader is asking us to go,” the Governor said.

    On his part, Tinubu corroborated the plea of the Governor asking members to collect their PVCs, saying that the people must indeed give the ongoing exercise by INEC the necessary seriousness it deserves.

    Besides, Tinubu commended Governor Ambode for his laudable achievements in office just within fourteen months, adding that the Governor has made him very proud.

    He also commended the Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule and the entire team of the State Government for supporting the Governor to achieve so much within a little time.

    He added: “I was with Mr President, President Muhammadu Buhari for about two hours yesterday and Governor Ambode was not there when we were discussing generally about the problem of Nigeria. The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo got up and spoke glowingly of the Governor and my head was swelling. I became even more proud of him.”

    Among those present at the meeting include Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule; Chairman, APC Lagos State, Otunba Henry Ajomale; former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye; Party Chieftain, Prince Tajudeen Olusi; Senator representing Lagos East at the Upper Legislative Chamber, Gbenga Ashafa; Southwest APC Women Leader, Chief Mrs Kemi Nelson; Deputy Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun, among others.

     

  • APC wins Imo North re-run election

    The All progressives Congress  (APC) candidate in the Imo North senatorial re-run election Rt. Hon Ben Uwajimogu has been declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) having scored 56,076 votes to beat his closest rival the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Chief Athan Achonu, who pulled 43,815 votes.

     

    Announcing the result of the election at the central collation centre in Okigwe Local Government Headquarters, the Returning Officer Professor Arinze Agbaogu, said the APC candidate having scored the majority and lawful votes in the election is hereby declared winner of the election.

     

    Similarly, the APC candidate in Oru east Nkenna Nzeruo and his counterpart in Isiala Mbano Chiji Collins were also declared winner of the state assembly rerun elections in their area.

  • ‘INEC chair should resign over Abia tax judgment’

    ‘INEC chair should resign over Abia tax judgment’

    Former special adviser to Second Republic Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, Mr Ben Onyechere, has said Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu should resign for his silence on the Commission’s role in the Abia State governorship stalemate.

    Last month, INEC issued a certificate of return to Dr. Uche Ogah as Governor of Abia State following a June 27 judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which ousted Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.

    Justice Okon Abang held in that judgment that Ikpeazu submitted false information about his tax records to his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the party’s governorship primaries in December 2014.

    Ogah polled the second highest number of votes in that primaries of the PDP.

    But Onyechere argued that the Commission’s ‘activities’ following the judgment had portrayed it in bad light.

    He said: “The chairman of INEC has through the activity of his subordinates in the Abia tax issue cast aspersions on the integrity of his commission as much as on himself.

    “The silence of the chairman in this matter is not golden because he cannot be exonerated from the actions of the commissioner who must have sought his consent before embarking on such a controversial mission which can be regarded as a time bomb in the state.”

    Onyechere said INEC Commissioner in charge of the South-East, Ambassador Lawrence Nwuruku carried out Justice Abang’s order with “rocket speed haste,” despite “that it was served a notice of appeal prior to the issuance of a certificate to Ogah.”

    He continued: “It is not enough to gloss over the issue as the chairman seems to be doing in a matter that is adjudged to be suspicious by the public .

    “The confirmation or admittance by the commission that it was served a notice of appeal prior to the issuance of a certificate to Ogah is more than enough reason to retract it’s action and apologise to the people of Abia and their governor.”

    He urged INEC not to “hide behind the smoke screen of an order of a lower court against the superiority of appellate courts of this country.”

    Onyechere added that Prof Yakubu’s ‘action or inaction’ was suspicious.

    “There is more to the way and manner they executed Justice Abang’s order than meets the eyes of curious observers and as such he should tow the part of honour and resign,” he said.

  • NBA election: E-voting will curb rigging – Alegeh

    NBA election: E-voting will curb rigging – Alegeh

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president Augustine Alegeh (SAN) has said the body introduced electronic voting and universal suffrage to end rigging and inducement of voters.

    He said e-voting, to be used in NBA’s election next week, would check the practice of branch chairmen selecting lawyers and inducing them to vote for a particular candidate.

    With the new system, Alegeh said, all lawyers could conveniently vote over the internet from anywhere in the world rather than gathering at a single location.

    “It is instructive to note that other professional associations have been using e-voting for years. We are the last who want to take advantage of what is available to us technologically. We cannot tie ourselves in the past when we have technological developments,” he said.

    On complaints that some names could not be found on the voters’ register, Alegeh explained that some branches did not follow the association’s constitutional provisions on payment of dues and practicing fees which qualifies a lawyer to vote.

    “We asked the bank to give us the list of those who have paid practicing fees by March 31. The constitution says lawyers must pay bar practicing fees and branch dues before they can vote. Branch chairmen were asked to send list of those who have paid practicing fees along with statements of account, but some resisted it.

    “The constitution provides that all monies due to the branches must be paid into the branch account. A lot of branches do not have bank statements to back up the list they sent.

    “Some branches said sometimes lawyers paid during meetings, or that they used some of the money for entertainment. But we have said that this system must work,” Alegeh said.

    The NBA president, at a briefing in Lagos, urged lawyers to update their records on the website to be able to vote, adding that close to 15,000 people had updated their records, while close to 40,000 lawyers had paid their fees.

    Alegeh denied that he was working to impose a candidate as NBA president, saying although he was entitled to vote, he did not anoint one nor can he compel all lawyers to vote for a particular candidate.

    He said his role was only to set up an electoral committee and provide it with support services.

    Alegeh said the crisis in some branches, such as Ikeja, was caused by the refusal to comply with a constitutional provision that where a candidate has held two NBA offices in the past five years, they must wait for five years before contesting for another office at the branch level, or 10 years at the national level.

    The senior advocate vowed to ensure a credible poll, adding that NBA has invited the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Democratic Institute of America and Microsoft to verify the system and result.

    “Our hope is that when we finish this election, Nigeria will use this method for the next general elections. I have a pact with the association to deliver a good election. No threats will make us do what is wrong. The only time I am worried is when I am wrong, so I won’t be intimidated by threats that NBA will disintegrate,” he said.

    On lawsuits against NBA, Alegeh said dissatisfied candidates ought to appeal to the NBA Dispute Resolution Committee first, in line with Section 16 of the NBA Constitution before going to court.

  • Abia crisis : S/East elders charge CJN, AGF, DSS  

    Abia crisis : S/East elders charge CJN, AGF, DSS  

    A group of elders in the Southeast zone has called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Department of State Security to compel the Chief Judge of Abia state to swear-in Dr. Uche Ogah as governor.

    The group, under the aegis of Ndigbo Bu-Otu Union, said allowing Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to continue in office as governor could trigger a major constitutional crisis in the state.

    In a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday, the group said the decision to involve the highest judicial and security institutions in the Abia crisis was part of the resolutions taken at an emergency meeting in Aba, Abia state.

    The statement, signed by the National President of the Union, Igwekala Ugomaduefule said it’s illegal for Ikpeazu to remain in office as governor after his certificate of return had been withdrawn by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Ugomaduefule observed that it’s the first time in the nation’s political history that anyone would be occupying an elective office without a certificate of return issued by the electoral body.

    The union argued that Ikpeazu should be made to quit his seat while pursuing his appeal against he judgment of a Federal High Court that sacked him and ordered that Ogah be sworn-in.

    “If he eventually succeeds in the appeal, he will return to office after the INEC must have issued him another certificate of return”, the union said.

    Citing Section 71 of the Electoral Act, the union noted that INEC is mandated to issue a certificate of return within seven days to a candidate that won an election as proof of his/her win.

    It noted that in a case where a court declares another person the successful candidate in an election, the certificate of return should be issued to the successful candidate within 48 hours.

    The statement said, “The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as the chief law officer of the federation, must rise to the occasion and forestall political crisis in Abia state by directing the state’s Chief Judge to immediately swear-in Dr. Uche Ogah, who in the eye of the law is today the only legitimate governor of Abia state.

    “The Chief Justice of Nigeria should equally cooperate with the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure the Abia Chief Judge performs his constitutional responsibility unhindered by swearing-in Dr. Uche Ogah immediately.

    “We concede that the outgoing governor Okezie Ikpeazu has the right to appeal the judgement that removed him from office, but since the instrument that made him the governor has been withdrawn by INEC he should do the honourable thing by handing over to the new legitimate governor of Abia state, Dr. Uche Ogah.

    “Section 71 of the Electoral Act and the INEC Guidelines on the conduct of the election was very explicit that only someone with a Certificate of Return duly issued by INEC can occupy every elective office”.

    “The Section states that the Commission is to issue a certificate of return within seven days to a candidate who won an election as proof of his/her win.

    “But, in a case where a court declares another candidate the successful candidate in an election, the certificate of return should be issued to the successful candidate within 48 hours”.

    “We are equally calling on the Director General of the Department of State Services and the Inspector General of Police to immediately withdraw all security details attached to Okezie Ikpeazu, since in the eye of the law he is no longer the legitimate governor of Abia state”.

    The union commended Dr. Ogah for his maturity in restraining his supporters from taking the law into their hands, owing to the refusal of Governor Ikpeazu to quit.

  • Edo 2016: INEC releases list of parties, candidates

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday in Benin, released a list of 19 political parties that would participate in the Sept. 10 governorship election in Edo.

    The list signed by INEC’s Head of Legal Services, Mr Mathew Ugwuocha, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also contained the names of candidates being fielded by the parties.

    The list contains 19 male governorship candidates, 15 male running mates and four female running mates.

    The governorship candidates with female running mates are Mr Thompson Osadolor, KOWA; Adviser Nowamagbe, UPP; Ishaka Ofemile, AA and Ukonga Frank, NNPP.

    The running mates are Nancy Ewemade, AA; Florence Okundaye, KOWA; Okosun Davis, UPP and Emodogo Eweha, NNPP.

    Others governorship candidates include Osagie Ize-Iyamu, PDP, with John Yakubu as running mate and Godwin Obaseki, APC, with Philip Shaibu, member of House of Representatives, as running mate.

  • Sylva to Dickson: Leave tribunal to do its work

    Sylva to Dickson: Leave tribunal to do its work

    Former Governor and Bayelsa State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva, Friday, asked the incumbent governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, to halt his dangerous campaign against the state’s election petition tribunal.

    Sylva said Dickson and his co-travelers were patronizing a few online media to cast aspersions on tribunal members and browbeat the court as it prepared to deliver its judgement.

    The former governor is challenging the outcome of the 2015 governorship election in which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Dickson, a candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the winner.

    Sylva in the statement signed by his Media Adviser, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, reacted to series of verbal attacks launched by pro-Dickson’s groups ahead of the judgement.

    He said that Dickson was frequently using bully-boy tactics involving a series of lies deliberately told to impugn the integrity of the tribunal in obvious fear of an unfavourable ruling.

    Sylva said: “In one of the canards about a week ago, vended through a strange group, Good Governance Initiative (GGI), the Dickson group claimed that Sylva was lobbying the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachir David Lawal, and other officials of the Federal Government to put pressure on the election tribunal to declare him governor via a “black market judgement”.’

    “Another false report, an apparent follow-up to the intimidation campaign run, appeared on Thursday, 14 July. It claimed the existence of an imaginary tension in Yenagoa following alleged “confirmation” by APC leaders, including the national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that the tribunal would rule in Sylva’s favour.

    “According to the report, “Some key supporters of the Dickson-led PDP” have met to plan how to react in the event of an unfavourable judgement.

    “Chief Sylva, who is the petitioner in the case sees this attempt by Dickson to second-guess the decision of the tribunal and, perhaps, try to intimidate it, as immoral and despicable. Sylva appeals to Dickson and his men to allow the tribunal to do its job”.

    He said that Dickson successfully applied his familiar intimidation strategies in the past, before, during, and after the governorship election in the state last December and this January.

    But Sylva said such tactics would not succeed with the judiciary adding that as a democrat, he took his case against the last election to the tribunal.

    He said: “As a democrat and firm believer in the rule of law, Sylva had taken his misgivings about the outcome of the election to the election tribunal to see if the victory awarded to Dickson by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could stand up to judicial scrutiny.

    “He, thus, urges that Dickson should for once control his predilections for falsehood and violent incitement and wait for the judicial process as it unfolds.

    “Sylva’s expectation of justice from the election tribunal is hinged on his belief that the honourable judges would be guided by the letter and spirit of the law.

    “Neither Bola Tinubu, nor Abubakar Malami, Babachir Lawal or Aisha Buhari is a member of the election tribunal. Therefore, it is unfair for Dickson and his group to insinuate that the respected tribunal judges are poodles of any political party or individual.

    “It is also unjust for Dickson to be spending the resources of the people of Bayelsa State on a desperate media campaign purposed to call into question the reputation of the country’s judiciary.

    “It is even wicked, ungodly and uncaring that this wastage is happening at a time when workers in the state are being owed several months’ salaries.

    “We are aware that huge amounts of money have been disbursed by Dickson to individuals and groups to do a hatchet job on the Bayelsa election tribunal as it prepares to deliver its judgement.

    “We are also aware that certain groups have been procured by Dickson and his men to cause violence if the ruling does not go in his favour.

    “This manifestation of politics of anxiety on the part of Dickson is despicable. It is uncalled for, especially, as he is well aware that whatever judgement the election tribunal would give is not final”.

    Sylva added: “Finally, no date has been fixed for judgement by the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal Holden at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with Petition Number: EPT/BY/GOV/002/2016, involving:  Sylva and the APC Versus INEC, Dickson and PDP. Yet, one report was very categorical on “the date” for verdict. This is worrisome.

    According to one online medium on Thursday: “Although the tribunal will deliver its judgement on his petition on July 29, sources told journalists that the ‘positive mood’ in the Sylva’s camp was sequel to alleged ‘confirmation’ received from some influential citizens within the APC that judgement will likely go the way of their candidate at the tribunal.

    “Irrefutable evidence linking key media aides of Dickson to these irresponsible reports makes this even more worrisome.”