The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Inec

  • AD, LP petition INEC on Sanwo-Olu

    Lagos State Alliance for Democracy (AD) chairman Kola Ajayi has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the party’s candidate Chief Owolabi Salis winner of the March 9 election.

    At a joint conference in Lagos by the AD and Lagos State Labour Party (LP), Ajayi said the party petitioned the Lagos State Electoral Tribunal to invalidate the election of the governor-elect Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He added that the party was not calling for the cancellation of the results but to declare the AD candidate the winner of the polls.

    He said: “Though there were evidences that the March 9, governorship election was full of inconsistencies, vote buying and cloning of PVC, we are at the tribunal to demand for justice.

    Read also: Oba Hamzat: Sanwo-Olu should fix potholes, refuse disposal

    “The number of votes which was slightly over 3,000 ascribed to our candidate was a far cry from what the party polled during the election. The AD members alone in Lagos is over 13,000 members.

    “AD won the election in Lagos, we have gathered our material preparatory to make our defence at the tribunal. The international community, local observers and eminent Nigerians who monitor the governorship election made their submission that what INEC declared fall short of expectation.

    In the same vein, the LP governorship candidate Prof. Ifagbemi Awamaridi said the election should be cancelled, noting that his members and agents for the election were not allowed to participate in the election.

    He maintained that LP would exhaust every peaceful means to get justice, noting that the party had equally petition the electoral tribunal.

    According to him, March 9 election was the most inaccurate election conducted by INEC in Lagos.

    “It was very unfortunate that INEC went ahead with the election. When INEC ushered stakeholders to inspect voting materials prior the election, we noticed some deficit which INEC promised to addressed, but to our chagrin this was not considered.

    “Even when I protested during the counting of ballots, I was ordered to be bundled out of the premises but I resisted. The undemocratic tendencies displayed by INEC in collaboration with some security agencies indicated that the process was concocted to favour the ruling party.”

  • A destructive election

    After the mayhem, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the governorship election held on March 9. After the collation of results,  INEC’s returning officer, on April 3, said Wike polled 888, 264 votes to defeat  Biokpomabo Awara, the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate, who got 173, 859 votes.

    Wike is reported to have been close to tears after his re-election. He dedicated his victory to “God and those who were killed.” He was quoted as saying:  “Those who died not because they were criminals, but because they wanted to defend their votes…They protected our votes and they defended us. We pray God to grant their families the strength to bear the losses. We shall continue to support the families.”

    It is unclear how many people died as a result of the governorship election crisis in the state. It is unclear how many families were affected by the anarchy. But a March 10 statement by INEC, suspending “all electoral processes in the state until further notice,” indicated the degree of the chaos.

    INEC had said: “Based on reports from our officials in the field, the Independent National Electoral Commission has determined that there has been widespread disruption of elections conducted on March 9, 2019 in Rivers State. These initial reports suggest that violence occurred in a substantial number of polling units and collation centres, staff have been taken hostage and materials including result sheets have either been seized or destroyed by unauthorized persons. In addition, safety of our staff appears to be in jeopardy all over the state and the commission is concerned about the credibility of the process.”

    It is noteworthy that, ahead of the governorship election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State had entered the arena when it wasn’t a participant in the election. The APC had been legally barred from fielding a candidate in the state’s governorship election. The Supreme Court had upheld the order of a Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, nullifying the APC primaries in Rivers State.  With this judgment, Rivers State APC candidates were disqualified from the National Assembly election as well as the governorship and state House of Assembly elections.

    The situation favoured the incumbent governor, Wike, who was seeking re-election.  With the APC out of the race, the PDP was expected to win easily. Only the APC was strong enough to seriously challenge the ruling party in the state.

    However, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, an APC leader in the state and a former governor of the state, had told the party’s supporters: “The leadership of the party met and agreed that we would work with a party called the African Action Congress, while we are still in court to reclaim our mandate. So… we will vote for the AAC. You must go home and vote for the AAC. There should be no excuse not to vote because there will be security for everybody. You must prepare and make sure you win the governorship election.”

    But APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole had contradicted Amaechi. Oshiomhole was quoted as saying: “I have never spoken at any forum that we have aligned with any party. There is only one party I oversee and that is APC; if there is going to be alignment, I will know. I can’t choose to be in the know. That has never been discussed with me or with any of the members of the national working committee.”

    This contradiction suggested that Amaechi was fighting solo. Considering that there is no love lost between Amaechi and Wike, it looked like Amaechi was interested in a grudge fight.

    Then the AAC deputy governorship candidate, Akpo Bomba Yeeh, dropped a bomb. He not only left the party “with effect from… 25th March 2019,” he also defected to the PDP.

    Yeeh said in his resignation letter: “My decisions were informed by the complete hijack of the structure and administration of our Party by a faction of the APC in Rivers State led by the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for his personal political ambition. Furthermore, the Rotimi Amaechi led faction of the APC is not letting in its determination to subvert the will of Rivers people and cause crisis in the State using the platform of our promising Party. In the circumstance, I cannot in all conscience continue to lend support to the selfish political venture of the Minister of Transportation, which does not mean well for the progress and development of the people of Rivers State.”

    It is noteworthy that he added: “As a budding and promising politician, I also appeal to you to accept the reality of your crushing defeat and liberate yourself from being used by Rotimi Amaechi to cause unnecessary political crisis in our dear State.”

    It is interesting that at the time Yeeh left the AAC, INEC had suspended collation of results midway because of widespread violence and disruption of voting. But he probably knew enough about the party’s strengths and weaknesses, which is why he referred to a “crushing defeat.”

    When INEC finally announced the winner, the loser protested. The AAC governorship candidate, Biokpomabo Awara, claimed that INEC had turned the loser into the winner.  Awara said: “I have the unit by unit results of the March 9, 2019 elections in Rivers State. When they observed that I was leading and they saw the danger coming, they quickly moved on March 10 to save Wike, by suspending the collation of the results, which they resumed on April 1. As at the time the collation was suspended, I had 281,000 votes, as against Wike’s 79,000 votes. So, they (INEC officials) quickly came to his rescue.”

    The AAC’s loss deflated Amaechi, who had no business in the election since his party wasn’t a participant. His involvement was based on self- importance.  No doubt, his strange support for the AAC contributed to the sorrow, tears and blood that marked the governorship election in Rivers State.

  • Amaechi, Malami plotting to void Rivers elections, PDP alleges

    The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has fingered the Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami in an alleged plot to void the March 9 Rivers State governorship election.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Nyesom Wike of the PDP winner of the election, after weeks of suspending collation of the results of the governorship election.

    But at a media briefing in Abuja on Sunday, spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, raised the alarm, alerting of alleged plots by Amaechi and Malami to trigger constitutional crisis in the state.

    According to the PDP, the two Ministers have been allegedly mounting pressure on the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Mohammed to void the election.

    The main opposition party alleged the two Ministers are allegedly working on the CJN to reverse the February 12, 2019 final judgment of the Supreme Court upholding the exclusion of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Rivers election.

    The trial court had earlier ruled the Rivers APC out of participating in the 2019 National Assembly, governorship and state assembly elections following the nullification of the party’s flawed primaries in the three categories of election.

    By implication of the apex court’s ruling, the APC was barred from fielding candidates for the three categories of election in Rivers.

    Based on the ruling of the apex court, INEC had excluded the Rivers APC from the ballots in the 2019 federal legislative, governorship and state assembly polls.

    The PDP is worried by the prospects of Amaechi and Malami succeeding in having the entire elections in Rivers state voided by the Supreme Court and the possibility of the apex court reversing its earlier judgment and ordering the conduct of fresh elections in the state to accommodate the APC.

    It said:  “Nigerians can also recall how the APC, having been frustrated by its lawful exclusion, used compromised security agents to violently disrupt the smooth conduct of elections in Rivers State.

    “In the course of the elections, the APC however adopted the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), bankrolled his election and made compromised security agents and thugs available to him, with the view to using them to muscle votes.

    Read also: Court declines jurisdiction in Rivers SDP matter

    “In spite of these conspiracies by the APC, the will of the people of Rivers state prevailed, as they braved the odds, resisted all machinations and voted overwhelmingly for the PDP and all its candidates.

    “The spontaneous jubilation in Rivers State and across the country, in addition to the general outpouring of goodwill to Governor Wike and other candidates of the PDP on their victory, clearly demonstrates the PDP popularity and acceptance not only by the people of Rivers, but also by lovers of democracy all over world.

    “However, not done with the desperation to cause confusion and crisis in Rivers state, the leader of the APC in the state; Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, has engaged in fresh conspiracies to subvert the will of the people as expressed at the polls.

    “The PDP has information of how Rotimi Amaechi has been going around in Rivers State, giving assurances that he has the ears of the Supreme Court under the leadership of Acting CJN, Justice Tanko Mohammed, and that the Supreme Court will reverse its final judgment on APC primaries and create the way for fresh elections in Rivers State, in which the APC will be allowed to participate.

    “Rotimi Amaechi goes about boasting that the apex court in the land, the Supreme Court, will reverse itself and order for fresh conduct of all the elections in Rivers State”.

    The PDP described the alleged scheming by the two cabinet Ministers as completely reprehensible and unthinkable in a democratic process.

  • Court declines jurisdiction in Rivers SDP matter

    A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has declined jurisdiction on a suit filed by the governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP),  Precious Elekima, against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Elekima had earlier alleged that he was excluded from the pre-result collation meeting between INEC and other parties that participated in the March 9 elections.
    He further prayed the court to make an interlocutory order stopping INEC from all collation activities until the court says otherwise.
    Justice Henry Oshoma Friday dismissed all interveners application before him declaring that in so far that the facts pertains to an ongoing election, he declines jurisdiction and prefers to that the Plaintiff goes to the Elections  Petition Tribunal.

    Read also: SDP disowns Senatorial candidate in Anambra

    Reacting to the above, SDP maintained that INEC has done Rivers State and people wrong and did not conduct any elections in the state.
    They urged their supporters and Rivers people to remain calm because there will be victory at last.
    They promised to carefully study the judgement and seek advice from party heads before taking any actions

  • INEC issues Certificates of Return to 40 Lagos Assembly members-elect

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday presented Certificates of Return to the 40 members-elect of the Lagos State House of Assembly, who emerged victorious during the March house of assembly elections.

    Speaking at the event at the INEC office in Yaba, Lagos, Mr Sam Olumekun, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, reminded the members-elect that the principal task ahead of them was that of making the lives of the people better.

    “Distinguished members, we want to urge you that the principal task ahead of you is the improvement of the lives of Lagosians.

    “Please, endeavour to enact very vibrant laws that will improve the lives of Lagosians. Of course, your past record is here; you have the tradition and you have been doing very well in the past. Lagos has always been excellent,” he said.

    Olumekun said there was the need to celebrate 20 years of uninterrupted democracy, but bemoaned low voter turnout during the last election, which he described as ”very disturbing”.

    “I want to urge you to mobilise not only your members, but even the entire electorate to come out and participate during the conduct of elections,” the INEC boss added.

    He commended all stakeholders that contributed to the success of elections in the state, noting that the exercise that saw the lawmakers through were considered free, fair and credible.

    The REC, however, said there were about 16 petitions filed in the election tribunal and the commission was ready to defend its conduct during the poll wherever necessary.

    He said that the commission had cooperated with groups and individuals who requested for one thing or the other.

    Speaking after collecting his certificate, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, who will be returning for his fifth term, promised that the lawmakers would continue to do their best to ensure an orderly society and improve living conditions.

    He also commended INEC and other critical stakeholders for their performance during the elections.

    “This is my fifth time of coming to this place to collect certificate of return. We have listened to what you have said, we have heard that we should represent our constituency adequately, and show leadership.

    “We are going to serve our people and the interest of our people, and we are going to represent them adequately.

    Read Also: INEC sets up committee on Imo North senatorial poll

    “We are particularly concerned about the people, and we are not going to forget that in everything we do.

    “We have the interest of our people, and that is the purpose we are going to the parliament to represent their interest,” the speaker said.

    He said the assembly had done tremendously well, and the ninth assembly would not be different as the ear and mouth of the people.

    On the cost of executing elections, Obasa said that the nation had to be more prudent by looking for a more convenient and less expensive process that would be acceptable and credible.

    “I agree with you that we have done well in our last election; we must improve on what we have done.

    “Everyone is important, no matter what the status is. So, we must learn from this election to improve on incoming elections,” Obasa said.

    He said that Nigeria’s economic system demanded prudence,

  • INEC sets up committee on Imo North senatorial poll

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set up a committee on IMo North senatorial poll.

    INEC decision was announced in a press statement signed by Mr. Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education.

    He said ” Commission also deliberated on the conduct of lmo North Senatorial District election held on 23rd February and 9th March 2019. It noted a number of issues arising from the election and set up a Committee to look into them.

    “The Committee is to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of allegations of misconduct in the election. It is also to advise the Commission on whether its procedures were complied with by officials.

    “The Committee is to submit its report on Wednesday 10th April 2019. “
    On the just concluded polls in Rivers state, Okoye said a supplementary elections will hold on the 13th of this Months.

    A total of  261 .683 45 467 106 are at stake in the election.

    Read also: Okorocha knows fate on Wednesday as INEC sets up committee

    In its review of the just concluded Rivers polls, INEC expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the poll.

    He said, “The Commission expressed satisfaction with the outcome and commended the security agencies for their professionalism. which ensured the peaceful conduct of the exercise.

    “It also commended the political parties, domestic and international observers. other stakeholders and the people of Rivers State for their support and understanding which paved the way for the speedy and orderly conclusion of the exercise.

    “However. supplementary elections will be held in the following areas on Saturday 13‘ April 2019 in line with the timetable released by the Commission.

  • Rivers election: INEC declares Wike winner

    INCUMBENT Rivers State Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was yesterday declared winner of the March 9 governorship poll.

    The Returning Officer for the state, Prof Teddy Adias of the Niger Delta University, Otuoke,  Bayelsa State, declared Wike winner of the election after the collation of results from 21 of the states 23 local government areas.

    Prof. Adias said Wike polled 886, 264 votes to defeat the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate,   Biokpamabo Awara, who scored 173, 859.

    Declaring Wike winner, the returning officer said: “That I, this day confirm that I am the returning officer for this election and that Nyesom Wike of the PDP, having satisfied requirement of the law and scored the highest number of the votes, is hereby declared winner and stand elected.”

    According to the professor, 1, 130, 445 were accredited out of the 3, 048, 741 voters registered across the state for the elections. He gave the valid votes as 1, 123, 840 and 249, 324 votes either cancelled, or voided.

    Reacting to the development, AAC representative Nenye Okocha said: “As a party, we cannot begin to react at this time; we will have to look and study the result and then come up with our reactions.

    Read also: PDP, Secondus congratulate Wike, others on victory

    “In the face of what has happened in this venue in the last two days, it is transparent, but what happened here at INEC is different from what has happen on the field – most of the complaints that we heard, the protestations and the issues we raised had to do with what happened on the field. We have to marry the two together and that is why we will need time to study the two before we can come up with our reactions.”

    On his composure throughout the collation process, Okocha said: “Belligerence is not it, this is AAC, this is not PDP or APC; this is a new party with a  new vision that is trying to carry Nigerians along to a new way of thinking and reformation.

    “We don’t have to do things in the way it has been done in the past – thuggery, scandals and others – that is not the path the AAC is tolling, all the activities you’ve had in Rivers, the suspense, the protests, are the ways those that are supporting us in this state wish to express themselves, as a party, we are decent; we are bringing integrity into the electoral process and going foward, this is what you will continue to see.”

    The PDP agent and former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Austin Opara, congratulated Awara for his doggedness at the exercise and urged him to ignore any temptation for litigation.

    A former deputy governor of the state, Tele Ikuru, who sad the margin was wide, said it would have been wider but for the militarisation of the state.

  • My mandate was stolen, says Awara

    The Rivers State governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Biokpomabo Awara, yesterday claimed to know why top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are foisting Governor Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the people.

    Speaking on a local radio, Awara alleged that the INEC leadership returned Wike as the governor to prevent him from being probed for his actions when he held the forte in the Education Ministry as minister.

    He named INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu; the National Commissioner in charge of Rivers, Bayelsa and Edo states, May Agbamuche-Mbu; Rivers REC Obo Effanga and Administrative Secretary in the state Elder Etim Umoh as those offering Wike cover.

    According to him, his agent Dr. Lawrence Chuku was denied access into the collation centre AAC’s governorship candidate also accused INEC’s officials at the collation centre while Nenye Kocha, whom he accused of impersonating the AAC was allowed into the collation venue on Aba Road, Port Harcourt.

    Awara said: “I have the unit by unit results of the March 9, 2019 elections in Rivers State. When they observed that I was leading and they saw the danger coming, they quickly moved on March 10 to save Wike, by suspending the collation of the results, which they resumed on April 1. As at the time the collation was suspended, I had 281,000 votes, as against Wike’s 79,000 votes. So, they (INEC officials) quickly came to his rescue.

    Read also: Court dismisses AAC’s suit against Rivers election

    “We (AAC leaders) have written a petition on the electoral fraud in Rivers State to the INEC chairman, stating the actual results, but Prof. Yakubu will not take action.

    “Kocha is not the collation agent of AAC in INEC office, Port Harcourt. Dr. Chuku is the duly-nominated collation agent of AAC, but he was prevented by security personnel at the gate of INEC’s office in Port Harcourt from moving to the collation centre.

    “I want Rivers people to be calm. We are going to reclaim the stolen mandate. We should not be troubled and we should never opt for violence.

    “I want Rivers people, especially my teeming supporters, who are being pained by what they are seeing, to keep hope alive. Victory is certain. We are going to bring back the stolen mandate.”

    All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in the state, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, stated that the results would not stand the test of time.

    He urged Wike and his supporters not to rejoice yet.

  • Updated: INEC declares Wike re-elected in Rivers

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday declared Nyesome Wike of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the March 9th governorship election in Rivers state.

    The Returning Officer for River state, Professor Teddy Adias of the Niger Delta University Otuoke, Bayelsa state who declared Wike winner of the election said he polled a total of 886, 264 votes to defeat his closest opponent and candidate of the African Action congress(AAC), Biokpamabo Awara, who scored a total of 173, 859.

    Read Also: Rivers: Wike close to victory as collation continues

    According to Prof. Adias, “That I, this day confirm that I am the returning officer for this election and that Nyesom Wike of the PDP having satisfied requirement of the law and scored the highest number of the votes is hereby declared winner and stand elected.”

    Earlier, the returning officer had said that a total of 3, 048, 741 voters were registered across the state for the elections, and a total of 1, 130, 445 were accredited, while a total of 1, 123, 840 votes were validated as a total of 249, 324 votes were either cancelled or elections not held.

    Also a total of 1, 123, 840 votes were cast in the exercise.

     

    Details shortly...

  • Ganduje receives Certificate of Return, pledges better future for Kano

    The lndependent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) on Wednesday issued certificate of return to Kano state Governor-elect Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, his deputy Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna and 27 elected state Lawmakers of APC.

    To this end, 13 state lawmakers-elect of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP boycotted the presentation ceremony held at the indoor sports hall of Sani Abacha stadium.

    Presenting the certificate of returns to the elected officers, the INEC national commissioner supervising Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, Engr. Abubakar Nahuce urged political class in the country to always imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship and eschew a do-die politics.

    Nahuce, who congratulated the elected officers across the two political parties cautioned the winners to be magnanimous in their celebration.

    According to him, no human blood is worth shedding for the victory of any politician noting that INEC had conducted free and fair elections both at the presidential, national assembly and state levels.

    In his remarks, Governor of Kano, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said that his administration will remain focused on human development policies anchor on improved quality of education, socioeconomic growth, boost agricultural system and making Kano investment destination.

    Rolling out his agender for the next for years, Ganduje said “We must ensure that all our young people receive quality education. We must ensure all our girls are educated, so we can unlock the 50% of economic output currently not being accessed by our society due to the low participation of women”.

    According to him, “Our future does not lie on oil or any of the things we currently fight about. Our future cannot be built with handouts or dependency. Our future lies in the minds of our people.

    “Our heroes of the past have shown that it is possible to develop sustainably and self sufficiently. This is how we know that building a sustainable future is possible. In order to access that future, we must develop the minds of our people.

    “Our future lies in providing 21st-century knowledge and resources to our young people, so they can lead the development of a modern Kano State”.

    Ganduje added that “We must also make sure that our state becomes an attractive destination for investment and business, with a focus on the investments which improve our human capacity.

    “Agriculture is already the mainstay of our people – our plan is to attract investment which increases our outputs and unlock economic growth for all of us. We cannot wait until, May 29 to welcome this new future. The future begins now, today.”

    He revealed that, “Over the next few weeks, I will be unveiling a series of plans to ensure every child from Kano receives quality education, including computer and technology education, to ensure that in 15 years, Kano is the most educated state in sub-saharan Africa, and the most attractive destination for the world’s leading technology-driven businesses.

    Read Also: We’re ready for PDP in court , says Ganduje

    “Our government cannot do this alone. We will also unveil extensive plans and incentives for partners and private investors to come build businesses in Kano. If you want to set up innovative businesses or educational institutions, Kano is waiting to welcome you.

    “We will also unveil a plan to partner with our local communities to ensure even the poorest of our communities have access to schools to educate their children to make sure we all grow together.

    “Whether you are rich, middle class, or in our most local locations, Kano will welcome you and together build a collective wealth of the future. I call on every citizen of Kano State, every resident and supporter, the time to build the future is now. Let us do this together”. Ganduje concluded.