Kogi East Senate poll inconclusive, as APC wins Central
Kogi East result
APC – 113,772
PDP – 69,131
ADC – 30,696
Election declared inconclusive. Voting didn’t hold in 129 polling units.
Kogi Central
APC – 76,183
PDP – 18_349
SDP – 48,326
Yakubu Oseni (APC) declared winner
President Muhammadu Buhari has won Nasarawa state for the first time since 2003 defeating Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by 37,896 votes.
Results collated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lafia shows that President Buhari polled 279,315 votes to defeat Atiku who polled 241,419 votes.
Buhari won in eight local governments while Atiku won in five local governments marking the first time the Peoples Democratic Party has lost Nasarawa state in a presidential election since then return to democracy in 1999.
The president got his highest number of votes in Lafia, the state capital, where he polled 55,254, while Atiku got his highest votes in Karu local government after polling 49,292.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday in Okitipupa, Ondo State, declared Ondo South Senatorial election inconclusive.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Otunba Nicholas Tofowomo of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 79,029 votes, while his closest rival, the current Senator, Mr Yele Omogunwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 51,993 votes at the Saturday’s National Assembly elections.
Prof. Kayode Onifade, the INEC Returning Officer for Ondo South, also of Department of Micro-Biology, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), who declared the election inconclusive sighted various irregularities.
He pointed out that the number of cancelled votes of 28,047 was higher than 27,036 which the margin between the two leading parties, PDP and APC.
He said registered voters were 576,733, while accredited voters for the election were 196,282 in the six Local Government Areas (LGAs): Okitipupa, Irele, Odigbo, Ilaje, Ese-Odo and Ile Oluji/Oke-Igbo.
He added that elections were cancelled in 56 Polling Units in five LGA’s: Ilaje: 42, Irele: 4, Okitipupa: 6, Odigbo:1 and Ese-Odo: 3.
He also pointed out various irregularities ranging from voters refusal to use card readers, over voting of accredited voters, snatching of ballot boxes and violence among others which marred the credibility of the polls.
“About 56 polling units were cancelled in five LGAs and several electoral irregularities marred the conduct of the polls.
“As the numbers of cancelled votes of 28,047 was more than the margin of the leading votes of 27,036, I hereby declare the election inconclusive,” Onifade said.
NAN also reports that Odigbo and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo LGAs turned in their results very late in the night, which delayed collation of results at the Stellamaris College Collation Centre in Okitipupa.
THE All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday described the call by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare its presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar as winner of Saturday’s presidential election as an unwarranted attack on democracy and Nigerians.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC said the call was shameful.
He said: “The PDP in that statement, recklessly calls on the INEC to arbitrarily declare its candidate, Atiku Abubakar the winner of the presidential election.
“This call is shameful and alarming; unwilling to wait for INEC, the constituted legal authority to complete its task, the PDP seeks a short cut by false and premature claims of victory, this cannot stand.
“Our nation is trying to perfect its democracy, not turn it into a mockery, sadly, this objective is lost to the PDP.”
The ruling party accused the PDP of trying to intimidate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare its candidate even before the collation of the result begins.
Issa-Onilu said the APC believed in the sanctity of the ballot box and the rule of law, stressing that what the PDP was trying to do was throw the nation into a state of confusion.
He accused the PDP of being desperate to take over power, noting that it was not patient enough to allow the INEC carry out its constitutional responsibility of collating the results as expressed by the people before declaring the winner of the election.
He said the statement by the PDP was not helpful to the electoral system, adding that seeking a short cut to power will be counter-productive.
Issa-Onilu said: “Sadly, this objective is lost to the PDP. The PDP’s guiding principle is distilled to the following: because they want something, then they should get it. What they use to guide themselves actually blinds them instead.
“They want the presidency so badly that they have engaged in all manner of misconduct and spared little cost to achieve their aim, they now believe that they are entitled to claim victory, notwithstanding the vote and will of the people. But this is not the way of democracy. Democracy means the people choose for themselves not that the PDP chooses for them.
“That may have been the way in the past when they engineered and kidnapped elections to achieve their desired end, notwithstanding the true will of the people. Thankfully, those days are gone and gone forever.
“These elections are supposed to be democratic exercises, not a platform for the PDP to impose their selfish designs on a hopeful nation. The PDP should honour and follow the sovereign will and sober dignity of the Nigerian people.
“The people patiently waited the additional week for Election Day to come. The vast majority of people again exercised patience as they peacefully voted on Election Day.
“Unfortunately, isolated incidents of violence took place. We are deeply saddened by the violence and disruption that did occur. Nigerians died yesterday (on Saturday) and that should never have happened and should never happen again during an election of any kind in our land. Their deaths are needless tragedies that marred what was otherwise a celebration of our maturing democracy.
“Instead of the discordant and provocative statement it released, the PDP should be appealing for peace and for INEC to diligently and thoroughly perform the vital task assigned it.
“Curiously, the majority of violent incidents and reports of electoral malpractice emanate from states which the PDP controls. It appears the PDP just cannot break from their old ways.
“The PDP press statement is but a continuation of the sordid games that party has mastered. While all evidence points to the misconduct of their people, they make outlandish and false claims against the APC.
“This is but the typical modus operandi of a master swindler. They seek to distract the public eye from their own wrongs, by falsely accusing the APC of the very things they had conspired to set in motion months before this election even took place.
“From trying to falsify results on the ground to attempts at hacking the INEC software, they are willing to say and do anything to obtain victory, no matter how tainted by the wrongs they commit.
“On our part, the APC has governed and campaigned as we believed was right. Because of this, we are content to await the verdict of the people. We also believe that only INEC has the authority to announce election results.
“What the PDP is trying to do, by claiming without any factual basis that Atiku has won, is usurp INEC’s constitutional authority. Moreover, PDP’s words are rash eruptions that may incite needless violence and unrest.
“Thus, we ask the PDP to live up to the status it claims for itself as a large political party. The PDP should behave more responsibly instead of acting the role of spoiled children who threaten to upset the dinner table if not fed their preferred meal. The APC asks and encourages INEC to do its job as mandated by law and by good conscience and not by the screams of those who do not fully believe in these ideals. We hope INEC can begin to release results soon and do so in a way that protects and honours the vote of every Nigerian who cast a ballot.
“We also ask our members and supporters to exercise patience and conduct themselves peacefully. Democracy is a contest of issues and visions. Not one of muscle and fighting. Let there be no more violence among us. Remember that we are all Nigerians and belong to the same national family despite our political differences.
“On this day, may democracy and sovereign will of the electorate reign. There is no worthy substitute for this despite the malign protestations of the PDP. If Nigeria is to stand for something, let it be democracy and let it be today, so that we assure for ourselves fruits of a brighter future.”
People’s Alternative Front (PAF) National Chairman Femi Falana (SAN) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take over the prosecution of the electoral offenders arising from the 2019 elections.
Falana, in a letter dated February 22 and addresses to INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, said this has become necessary to prevent official impunity.
He noted that members of the political class have rejected the popular call for the establishment of Electoral Offences Commission/Tribunal in an attempt to shield electoral offenders from prosecution.
The Lagos lawyer said the request was sequel to confirmation that “hundreds of criminal elements were arrested by the police and other security agencies while attempting to disrupt the presidential/National Assembly elections held throughout the country on Saturday”.
He also noted that prior to last Saturday’s elections, “scores of other criminal suspects had been arrested during the political campaigns of the political parties for breaching the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended”.
“Going by past experience, the prosecution of the electoral offenders will be taken over by state attorneys-general, who will turn round to file nolle prosequi for the termination of the cases due to political pressure from the ruling party in each of the affected states,” he noted.
Falana argued that the suggestion by PAF to INEC to take over the prosecution of electoral offender is backed by Section 150 of the Electoral Act, 2010, which vested the commission with the powers to prosecute any person, who violates the provisions of the Electoral Act.
“Like other prosecutorial agencies of the Federal Government, the INEC should request the Inspector-General of Police to deploy some trained police investigators to the Legal Department for the purpose of coordinating the investigation of the cases.
“Upon the conclusion of the investigation of the cases, INEC will proceed to file charges against the indicted electoral offenders in the appropriate courts,” he stated.
He reminded the commission that a number of young lawyers were mobilised to assist the INEC in the prosecution of the electoral offenders, who were arrested during the 2011 general election.
Although majority of the electoral offenders were successfully prosecuted, the policy did not continue due to the change in INEC leadership.
Falana, therefore, suggested that the policy be revived by the INEC without any delay.
“Otherwise, the detained armed thugs, who engaged in the cold murder of unarmed voters, ballot snatching, burning of ballot papers etc during the election will soon be freed and allowed to continue to sabotage the inchoate democratic process in the country,” he warned.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately announce results as delivered from the polling units and declare its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, the winner of Saturday’s presidential election.
The party said its position is predicated on clear and verifiable results across the nation, showing that Atiku Abubakar is in clear lead both in spread and total number of votes cast.
In a statement yesterday by its spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said intelligence available to it showed that INEC was delaying the announcement of results following directives by the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to the main opposition party, the delay was a ploy to alter the figures from the polling centres and allocate fictitious figures for President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly in the northern states.
The statement reads: “Curiously, INEC server is now shut down, results are no more being transmitted and the reason is to enable the APC to inflate figures from six designated states.
“We call on international observers and election monitors to insist on a transparent process of transmission of results and the monitoring thereof.
“We already have reports of how APC governors in the northern states have been making desperate effort to tamper with the results of the elections in their respective states with the view to awarding conjured votes to President Buhari.
“In Kogi State, Governor Yahaya Bello has been making frantic moves to change results to suit APC’s intent and purposes as against the wishes of the people, expressly delivered at the polls.
“Nigerians already know how the Minister of Transportation and the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign, Rotimi Amaechi, used the military to hold an INEC official in River State, Mrs. Mary Efeturi, hostage and insisted that she will not be released until she alters the results in favour of President Buhari.
“The PDP calls on INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to note that in this age of Information Communication Technology, Nigerians already have the results as delivered at the polling centres and any attempt to alter any figure will be faced with vehement resistance.
“In delaying the announcement of the results, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is allowing the APC to turn him into a villain and directly pitching him against the people.”
The PDP urged the INEC chair to extricate himself from the grip of the APC and be on the side of the people, by immediately announcing the results as already delivered at the polling units and declare Atiku Abubakar winner.
It insisted that “anything short of this will not be acceptable to Nigerians, who had already expressed their wishes and aspiration at the polls”.
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed Prof. Musa Izam, the Collation Officer it assigned to Bokkos Local Government of Plateau, it was learnt last night.
Izam, a physics lecturer at the University of Jos, had earlier attempted to abscond without declaring the results of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections, but was apprehended by youths in the area, who forced him back to the collation centre.
“We had to remove him because he was drunk and could not perform the assignment,” Mr. Osaretin Imahiyereobo, Head, Voter Education, of INEC in Plateau, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview yesterday in Jos, the state capital.
He said that INEC had to act fast to avoid delay in the collation of results.
“We are waiting for him to come to Jos and explain why he behaved the way he did,” the INEC official told NAN.
NAN reports that Izam, who started the collation of the results brought from the local government’s wards, told party agents, INEC officials and observers that he needed a little time to ease himself.
The official, however, disappeared from the centre, and took off to Jos.
According to Mr Michael Abi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman in Bokkos Local Government, some youths, who saw Izam leaving the centre, quickly mobilised themselves and chased him.
“The youths chased him and caught up with him at Maikatako near Kuba, about 40 kilometres away from Bokkos.
“When he was brought back to the collation centre, he quickly apologised and promised to continue with his work.
“His attitude is shocking, considering the crucial nature of this assignment. He has refused to work and this has delayed the collation and declaration of the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections in the local government, ’’ he said.
There was pandemonium on Sunday at the Ogbomoso North Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office when officials and agents of political parties hurriedly fled and relocated following reports that armed hoodlums were planning to invade the collation center.
Ogbomoso North, one of the five local government areas in Ogbomoso zone, has 10 wards and 183 polling units, the largest in the zone.
The tensed atmosphere, which later forced others outside the INEC office to seek protection elsewhere, halted the collation exercise.
Top officials of the independent National Electoral Commission ordered that collation process should be stopped immediately.
The Returning Officer, Professor Rasheed Okunola and other collation officers were forced to leave the INEC office at Ogbomoso North Local Government.
Okunola was reconciling the results of the 10 wards in the local government when the report of security threat was received.
Officials of INEC accompanied by security agents on receiving reports that hoodlums were set to cause violence, moved all the results to the town hall, at the palace of Soun in Ogbomoso popularly known as Ojude Oba.
A senior police officer arrived the INEC office earlier in a Police van to inquire from the presiding officer the situation of things.
Okunola had told the senior police officer that he was rounding off and announcement would be made shortly.
The results will be announced at the town hall, which has now been heavily guarded by soldiers.
The police and other security agencies have been called in to protect the senatorial collation centre in kogi West, as tension mount in Kogi East as suspected thugs are reportedly preventing the movement of election results to the INEC state headquarters, to Lokoja, the capital.
The development has resulted in the delay of results from the senatorial collation centres across the state.
Senator Dino Melaye confirmed the development in the in his (Kogi West) Senatorial district.
The Kogi State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. James Apam said that no single result from the 21 local government areas have been received by the commission.
Collation of results in the Kogi is characterized by suspense, raising fears of possible eruption of violence across the state.
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for the prompt distribution of electoral materials across the state in the yesterday’s Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
Wike, who spoke shortly after casting his votes at his ward 9, unit 7 Obio/Akpor Local Governmnet Area of the state, however blamed the military for the challenges recorded in parts of the state.
Wike was accompanied to the voting ground by his wife, Eberechi Suzzette Wike, a judge of the State High Court, to cast his votes at about few minutes to 12 noon yesterday.
He expressed satisfaction in the large turnout of voters. He stated that Nigerians are ready to exercise their franchise.
Speaking to newsmen he said, “From what I have seen here, it is a large turnout and Nigerians are ready to express their franchise. Apart from the military intervention, things are moving on smoothly.
“There is a clear improvement by INEC in the conduct of this year’s election. They have shown preparedness in the discharge of their electoral duties during the voting process, and I sincerely commend them for that.”
He, however, regretted the activities of the Nigerian Military in the exercise, accusing them of deliberate efforts to frustrate the success of democratic process across the state.
“It is unfortunate that our military can descend so low. We use to complain about the Police, but now it is the military.
“What Nigerians have wished to be will be, it doesn’t matter the manipulation anybody would want to carry out, I am very hopeful that Nigerians will decide today and a new President will emerge”, he said.
Generally, the elections were peaceful in parts of the state, especially, Port-Harcourt the state capital and its environs, though there were some skirmishes in some LGAs, of Bonny, Okrika, Abonnema in Akukutoru, and Andoni and arrests have been made in these places, the state police command told newsmen.
Speaking through its spokesman, Nnamdi Omoni, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), noted that the police was very prepared for the exercise, with over 15,000 officers and men deployed to the 4,442 polling unites across the state.
Electoral materials arrived most of the polling centres early enough, resulting in accreditation and voting in most areas as early as 9 am.
At Saint Andrew Anglican Church, Mile one Diobu, RACK centre for the entire Diobu axis, electoral materials began to leave the centre as early as 7:30 am, by 9: 30, all materials had completely been moved from the place with voting already commenced in some places.
There was large turnout of voters in the state with good number of them seen trekking several miles away to get to their voting centres.
A voter simply identified as Ayozie, aged about 60, and was seen at second artillery along Aba/Port-Harcourt expressway going from Obigbo to Diobu to ensure he cast his vote.
Interacting with him, he said, “I am coming from Obigbo in Obigbo LGA and I am going to Diobi to cast my vote to my preferred candidate.”
Also at one of the polling units visited in Wimpey area, an average age woman told the story of how she trekked from Rukpokwu axis to her polling unit at the Wimpy area.