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Tag: Inec

  • Kalu: We’ve no issues with Abia North result, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has said that the commission has no issues with the result of Saturday’s National Assembly polls in Abia North Senatorial District.

    Mr Bamidele Oyetunji, the Public Relations Officer of the commission in Umuahia, the Abia capital, said this in an interview with newsmen on Friday.

    Bamidele said that the commission only had problem with the results of the National Assembly polls in Abia South Senatorial District, which were still awaiting declaration.

    The clarification was coming on the heels of the agitation by Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the declaration of Chief Orji Kalu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, as the winner of the election in Abia north.

    Kalu, who polled 31,201 votes was declared the winner ahead of the two other frontline contenders, including Ohuabunwa and Chief David Onuoha, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, who scored 20,801 votes and 11,410 votes, respectively.

    Read Also: Injured Lagos INEC official undergoes surgery

    Ohuabunwa had alleged in a statement issued in Umuahia that the Returning Officer for the election, Dr. Charles Anumudu, did not declare anybody winner of the poll.

    He claimed that the number of canceled votes, totalling 76,889, was higher than the margin of lead, put at 10,402 votes.

    He said that the difference between the margin of victory and canceled votes was 66,487.

    He therefore urged INEC to order for a rerun in the areas, where the election was cancelled.

    But according to Oyetunji, “the commission has no problem with the result of the polls in Abia north.”

    Also, the Head, Voter Education and Publicity Unit of the commission, Mr Achibie Chigozie, said that Ohuabunwa knew where to direct his grievances.

  • Observers adjudge polls in Kano free and fair

    The Coalition of INEC Accredited Domestic Election Observers in Kano state has described the presidential and National Assembly election in Kano as free, fair, calm and peaceful, urging the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other losers on the exercise to accept defeat and join hands with the winners to build the nation.

    Addressing journalists at the Kano Press Center, the Team Leader of the Group, Comrade Friday Maduka, commended INEC for providing electoral materials in due time, just as he hailed the massive turnout of voters during the elections across the state.

    “Our team commends the electoral umpire, INEC, for its wonderful preparations in providing all the needed logistics and materials for the election.

    Read Also: Observers hail INEC, security agencies in Kano

    “The security agents are hereby applauded for providing a secured and peaceful environment for the election. We appreciate the people of Kano state for their proper conduct during and after the election, especially, for showing maturity and putting away the stings of violence,” he added.

    Maduka further stated that, “While advising the winners should be magnanimous in victory by running an all-inclusive government for the rapid development of the state in particular and the nation at large, we urge the losers to accept it in good faith.”

     

  • Observer: INEC ensured the will of Nigerians prevailed

    One of the accredited observers by the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) in the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections, Connected Development (CODE), on Thursday, commended the commission for ensuring that the will of Nigerians prevailed.

    CODE, a civil society organisation, hailed the commission for remaining firm despite pressures from political actors to truncate the electoral process.

    Head of Mission, CODE Election Observation Team, Hamzat Lawal, stated these in Abuja on Thursday, during the presentation of findings by Uzabe, a real-time web based map situation technology used by CODE to gather real time security intelligence and observed the electoral process during the elections.

    Lawal appealed to opposition political parties and other stakeholders to act responsibly and pursue peaceful and legal resolution of their grievances.

    He said: “We commend INEC for allowing the will of the people to be heard and for remaining firm on her duty regardless of pressure from political actors that want to truncate the electoral process.

    “We urge citizens to support INEC, particularly the Resident Electoral Commissioners and they should come out enmasse to vote their candidate of choice for the gubernatorial elections.

    “CODE hereby calls on opposition parties and other stakeholders to act responsibly, to pursue peaceful and legal resolution of their grievances and to uphold the integrity of the political and electoral process.”

    Lawal said there was need to reform the electoral process in order to allow for diaspora voting.

    He also called for the strengthening of the autonomy of the commission in order for INEC to provide more effective and objective electoral process.

    “CODE suggest that in order to enhance confidence in the electoral process, INEC’s complete autonomy must be strengthened to ensure it provides more effective and objective electoral process.

    “INEC must develop result-management process using competent and secure technology and must provide a more conducive environment for collating results in regions.

    “INEC must introduce reforms that allow for Nigerians in the diaspora to vote the candidate of their choice.

    “Under-age voting is a violation of the Nigerian constitution and it is prevalent in some regions of the country. INEC must work to curb this issue as it serves as an indictment on the credibility of election process and ultimately a threat to our democracy,” he said.

    Lawal condemned election-based violence during the process.

    “Security remain a prevalent challenge confronting the nation’s growth and electorates should not have to die or lose loved ones at the cost of participating in the electoral process.

    “As an accredited observer, we are disheartened at the poor level of preparedness shown by the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a violence-free election, despite the week-long postponement of the election to allow for adequate logistics and security readiness,” he added.

  • Jibrin of APC wins Kiru Bebeji Fed Constituency, INEC insists

    ….As PDP Kicks

     

    Honourable Abdulmumuni Jibrin Kofa of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has been declared the winner of Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency having polled 41, 070 votes to beat Ali Datti Yako of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 40, 385 in the last Saturday’s election.

    Declaring the result at the Kano Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters, the Returning Officer for Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency, Prof. Bello Idris Tijjani of the Department of Physics, Bayero University Kano (BUK), said the announcement of the result was delayed due to political crisis within the constituency.

    Also speaking, the INEC Administrative Officer for Bebeji, Alhaji Jubril A. Musa, who stood in for the Kano INEC Resident Electrical Commissioner (REC), Prof. Riskuwa Arabic Shehu, who was in Abuja for official engagement, said the result was announced at Kano INEC headquarters, following security threat in Kiru/Bebeji area.

    However, there was a mild drama as the PDP agent, Bashir Illyasu, vehemently rejected the result, on the premise that there were six polling units won by PDP which results were cancelled.

    He attempted to destroy the result sheets and claimed that there are over 700 registered voters in the cancelled polling units.

    He added that the party consider seeking redress in the court.

  • INEC meets to review presidential poll

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is locked in a meeting to review last Saturday presidential and National Assembly polls.

    The meeting which is coming hours after the elections is between the INEC management team and the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs)

    In his opening remarks, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said that the processes and procedures deployed will be reviewed in a bit to make amends where necessary.

    He also noted that the meeting will help to finalise arrangements for the forthcoming governorship elections in 29 states of the federation and the council election in FCT.

    Details shortly….

  • APC reps candidate rejects result in Cross River

    The candidate of the All Progressive Congress for Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency of Cross River, Mr Victor Abang, has rejected the announcement of the result by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in which the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Chris Agibe, was declared winner.

    INEC had declared Agibe of the PDP winner of the election with 38,456 votes as against Abang who got APC 29,977 votes.

    In a statement issued on Wednesday in Calabar by the Director General of Abang’s Reality Campaign Network, Prince Eka Williams, the group alleged the result was false, based on what was gotten from the polling units.

    “The attention of the Reality Campaign Network of Sir Victor Abang has been drawn to a purported announcement of the winner for the Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency election by INEC.

    “This is inspite of mass irregularities and sharp practices which characterized the election. The announcement was done in contravention of the electoral act and guidelines for the election.

    “INEC admitted while presenting the Presidential result that 26,000 votes in Boki Local government area were affected by either cancellation or non-voting.

    “While we were expecting announcement for a rerun election, the contrary was done. In view of the above and several other evidences at our disposal, we reject the said announcement.

    Read Also: APC’s Odebiyi wins Ogun West

    “We call on our supporters to remain calm as appropriate steps will be taken to ensure that we are not cheated.

    “We wish to also thank all the good people of Ikom/Boki for the support they gave to us through their prayers and actual voting,” he said.

    He thanked his supporters and urged them not to despair, but to keep hope alive and come out en masse to support the APC in the governorship and state house of assembly elections on March 9.

    The DG congratulated all APC members in Ikom/Boki for the overwhelming victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential election.

     

  • Ogun East senatorial candidate petitions INEC

    The Ogun East Senatorial Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Engr. Adeola Sosanwo has written a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) alleging attempts “by some unscrupulous elements within the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abeokuta, Ogun State, to subvert the will of the people” warning of the consequences on law and public order.

    Sosanwo contested the election with Senator Lekan Mustapha of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    While Mustapha garnered 84, 924 votes to be in the lead, Sosanwo got 82,457 votes, trailing with 2,472 votes.

    In a letter dated 25th February, 2019, and addressed to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ogun State and copied to the Commission’s Chairman, the Commissioner of Police and Director of the State Security Service (SSS), Sosanwo said since the Returning Officer for the Senatorial election held on the 23rd of February, 2019 had declared the election inconclusive, the proper thing to do is to hold election in the disputed polling booths and ward.

    The petition reads in part, “As you are well aware, on Saturday, the 23rd of February, 2019, the Presidential and National Assembly elections were held across the country. I contested in the election as the PDP candidate for Ogun East Senatorial District. The senatorial district is made up of nine (9) local government areas, among which is Ijebu East Local Government Area.

    “As the election got underway, issues arose in one out of the eleven (11) wards that make up Ijebu East Local Government Area. The ward is known as Ajebandele Ward. The said ward has ten (10) polling booths; out of which seven (7) polling booths returned over-voting. This eventually led to altering and mutilation of the result sheets.

    “Following the protestations of the agents and representatives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the results of seven (7) out of ten (10) polling booths in the ward had been mutilated, upon getting to the Local Government Collation Centre in Ogbere, the Electoral Officer (EO) in the local government, one Mrs Osifeso announced that the results of the entire ward would be cancelled and consequently declared them cancelled.

    “At the Federal Constituency Collation Centre, St. Mary Primary School, Ijebu-Mushin, Dr. Dairo of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) said since the PDP House of Representatives candidate led the first runner up who is APC’s candidate with 6,994 votes as opposed to the 13,000 registered voters in the Ajebandele ward where the election results were cancelled, the PDP candidate could not be declared the winner of the election.

    “From there, Dr. Dairo took his report and the results to the Ogun East Senatorial District Collation Centre at Itoro, Ijebu-Ode and submitted them to the Returning Officer for the Senatorial District, Prof. Chris Nwoka, who, also publicly declared the election in Ogun East Senatorial District inconclusive because of the same reason before the media and the whole world.

    “In the extant case of Ogun East Senatorial District, the margin between me and the candidate of the APC is 2,472 votes whereas the number of registered voters in the cancelled Ajebandele ward is in excess of 13,000!

    Since the Electoral Officer and Returning Officers at the Federal Constituency Collation and Senatorial District Collation Centres have declared the election inconclusive, the only option left for the Commission is to fix a date for a rerun in the affected ward and hold same.

    “Neither the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) nor any other official of INEC has the powers to declare the results of cancelled or inconclusive elections and return a candidate as winner.

    “ I say this without any equivocation because in the build-up to the 2019 General Elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) issued regulations and guidelines set to guide the conduct of elections into the various elective offices pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999(as amended)and the Electoral Act 2010(as amended).”

    The candidate contended that the Returning Officer for the Senatorial District was the only one vested with the powers to declare return of an election or declare same inconclusive.

    “In the instant scenario, the INEC guidelines make clear provisions in respect of the collation and declaration of Senatorial District Election Result at State Level and also on when such an Election will be declared inconclusive.

    “The guideline clearly vests the power to return a candidate as the winner of a Senatorial District Election Result in the Senatorial District Collation/Returning Officer for the Senatorial District Election.

    “In the case of the Ogun East Senatorial District, the margin of lead between the two leading candidate is under 2,500 while elections were cancelled in Ajebandele ward with over 13,000 registered voters!”

    Sosanwo urged the Commission to follow its own guidelines and the law in its handling of the situation, “no matter the pressure or whose ox is gored.”

    “It is in the light of the foregoing that I wish to respectfully urge you to use your good offices to ensure that nothing untoward and illegal is done by the Commission or any of its officials .”

  • PDP demands stoppage of collation of presidential election results by INEC

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday made some tough demands from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    It demanded an immediate halt to the ongoing collation of results of Saturday’s presidential election and the restoration of voided votes in some states by the commission.

    It said the collation of results must be stopped until data from the Smart Card Reader (SCRs) accreditation at the polling units have been made available to all the parties in the election.

    At a media briefing in Abuja Tuesday, the Deputy Director-General (Admin) of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr. Tanimu Turaki, the party cited manipulations, rigging and over-voting in some states by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He said: “The PDP predicates its demand on available evidence to the effect that data from the card readers are being reconfigured to suit the manipulations, rigging and over-voting already carried out during the election in some states by the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

    Turaki added that the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, had already communicated the party’s position to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

    “We have evidence from the smart card reader accreditation data that what is being announced by INEC has been seriously tampered with and manipulated”, Turaki said.

    The party also demanded an immediate cancellation of results of the presidential election in Borno, Yobe, Zamafara and Nasarawa States, as submitted by INEC’s presiding officers.

    It called for the conduct of fresh elections in the affected states.

    Continuing, the PDP chieftain said: “In Yobe, the total number of votes submitted as cast was more than the number of accredited voters.

    “This is a clear case of over-voting which, by the provisions of the Electoral Act, renders the election null and void. In such instance, the law provides for another election on a day to be fixed by INEC.

    “In Zamfara state, no actual voting took place and there was no single result sheet in any polling unit in the entire state. There was an arrest in Shinkafi Local Government, where an APC member was caught thump-printing ballot papers inside his house.

    “Results from the presiding officer from Zamfara were concocted and allocated according to the wishes of the leadership of the APC and INEC.

    “The PDP therefore demands the outright deletion of the results from Zamfara from INEC records and a conduct of free, fair and credible presidential election in Zamfara State.

    “Also in Borno state, there was no election but a figure writing exercise and allocation of results according to the whims and caprices of the APC leaders. We also demand the outright deletion of the results from Borno from INEC records and a conduct of free, fair and credible presidential election in Borno State.

    “In Nasarawa, the PDP demands the immediate restoration of our over 157, 000 lawful and valid votes which were unlawfully and arbitrarily cancelled by INEC and the announcement of the actual results from the field.

    “Similarly, the PDP demands an immediate restoration of our over 79, 000 valid votes which were unlawfully cancelled by INEC in Kogi state and the announcement of the authentic results inclusive of the restored 79,000 votes.

    “In the FCT, the PDP demands the restoration of 27,000 valid votes unlawfully and arbitrarily cancelled by INEC and a declaration of the authentic result, inclusive of our restored 27,000 votes.

    “In Plateau, the PDP demands the immediate restoration of our over 30,000 lawful and valid votes, which were unlawfully cancelled particularly in Jos North and the declaration of the genuine results as delivered at the polling units inclusive of our 30,000 restored votes.”

  • Presidential poll: INEC cancels 146,355 votes in Plateau

    INEC said on Tuesday it canceled a total of 146,555 votes from Plateau in the Saturday Presidential election over failure to adhere to electoral guidelines.

    Prof. Richard Anande, the state’s Collation Officer, made the disclosure while giving a breakdown of election results from the state’s 17 local governments, at the INEC National Collation Centre in Abuja.

    Anande, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Markudi, said that of the figure, 92,000 were from Tudun-Wada/Kabong Federal Ward, in Jos North Local Government Area of the state.

    He said that the North-Central state had a registered voting population of 2,423,381, with 1,074,042 voters accredited for the Presidential poll.

    According to him, 1,062,862 votes were cast, with a total of 1,034,853 recorded as valid votes, while, 28,009 votes were rejected across the 17 local govermments. 

    On the scores, he said that the PDP garnered 548,665 votes, while the APC and ADC got 468,555 and 590 votes respectively. (NAN) 

     

  • PDP demands stoppage of collation of presidential election results by INEC

    . . .Seeks cancellation of results in Borno, Yobe, Zamfara

     

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded immediate halt to the ongoing collation of results of Saturday’s presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The main opposition party said collation of results must be stopped until data from the smart card reader accreditation at the polling units are made available to all the parties in the election.

    At a media briefing in Abuja Tuesday, the Deputy Director General (Admin) of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr Tanimu Turaki SAN, the party cited manipulations, rigging and over-voting in some states by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “The PDP predicates its demand on available evidence to the effect that data from the card readers are being reconfigured to suit the manipulations, rigging and over-voting already carried out during the election in some states by the All Progressives Congress (APC)”, Turaki said.

    Turaki added that the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus had already communicated the party’s position to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

    “We have evidence from the smart card reader accreditation data that what is being announced by INEC has been seriously tampered with and manipulated”, Turaki said.

    The main opposition party also demanded the immediate and outright cancellation of results of the presidential election in Borno, Yobe, Zamafara and Nasarawa States, as submitted by INEC’s presiding officers. The PDP called for the conduct of fresh elections in the affected states.

    Continuing, the PDP chieftain said, “In Yobe, the total number of votes submitted as cast was more than the number of accredited voters. Whereas the number of accredited voters was 601, 056, the total votes cast was 775, 449.

    “This is a clear case of over-voting which, by the provisions of the Electoral Act, renders the election null and void. In such instance, the law provides for another election on a day to be fixed by INEC.

    Read Also: PDP rejects results in Kano

    “In Zamfara state, no actual voting took place and there was no single result sheet in any polling unit in the entire state. There was an arrest in Shinkafi Local Government, where an APC member was caught thump-printing ballot papers inside his house.

    “Results from the presiding officer from Zamfara were concocted and allocated according to the wishes of the leadership of the APC and INEC.

    “The PDP therefore demands the outright deletion of the results from Zamfara from INEC records and a conduct of free, fair and credible presidential election in Zamfara state.

    “Also in Borno state, there was no election but a figure writing exercise and allocation of results according to the whims and caprices of the APC leaders. We also demand the outright deletion of the results from Borno from INEC records and a conduct of free, fair and credible presidential election in Borno state.

    “In Nasarawa, the PDP demands the immediate restoration of our over 157, 000 lawful and valid votes which were unlawfully and arbitrarily cancelled by INEC and the announcement of the actual results from the field.

    “Similarly, the PDP demands an immediate restoration of our over 79, 000 valid votes which were unlawfully cancelled by INEC in Kogi state and the announcement of the authentic results inclusive of the restored 79,000 votes

    “In the FCT, the PDP demands the restoration of 27,000 valid votes unlawfully and arbitrarily cancelled by INEC and a declaration of the authentic result, inclusive of our restored 27,000 votes.

    “In Plateau, the PDP demands the immediate restoration of our over 30,000 lawful and valid votes, which were unlawfully cancelled particularly in Jos North and the declaration of the genuine results as delivered at the polling units inclusive of our 30,000 restored votes”.

    The PDP called on Nigerians to disregard the results until INEC provides the data from the smart card reader accreditation at the polling units, conducts fresh election in Borno, Yobe and Zamfara states as well as restore its votes in Plateau, FCT, Kogi and Nasarawa states.

    “The PDP maintains that from the actual votes delivered at the polling units, which we all have, Nigerians clearly and unequivocally gave their mandate to Atiku Abubakar”, Turaki declared.