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Tag: Inec

  • Updated: Court to INEC: show cause for continuation of Bauchi guber polls

    …Court fixes March 20 for hearing

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stay action in respect of its planned resumption collation of the suspended results for Tafawa Balewa Local Government in respect of the last governorship election in Bauchi State.

    Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo, in a bench ruling on Tuesday ordered parties in a suit by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the incumbent Governor, Muhammed Abubakar maintain the staus quo.

    The judge ordered “That parties shall maintain status quo ante pending this proceeding pending the determination of the substantive matter of this case.”

    The judge subsequently adjourned to March 20 for hearing.

    The judge made the order on Tuesday following INEC’s failure to comply with the earlier order he made on Monday (March 18) for it to appear on March 19 and show cause why the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs in their motion ex-parte should not be granted.

    APC and Abubakar had, in their motion ex-parte prayed the court for two main reliefs:

    *An order of interim injunction restraining the defendant/respondent whether by Itself or acting through its agents, privies or any person on its behalf, howsoever described, from resuming, concluding and/or announcing the collation of the results of the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchl State in respect of election to the office of the Governor of Bauchi State held on 9’” March, 2019, pending the hearing and determination of the plaintiff/applicant’s motion on notice.

    *An order of accelerated hearing and abridgement of time to two days within which the defendant/respondent is to enter appearance and file its response in defence of the suit.

    Rather than granting the reliefs ex-parte, the court, on Monday ordered INEC, listed as the sole defendant in the suit to show cause why the plaintiffs’ reliefs should not be granted.

    The judge said: “The defendant is hereby ordered to appear in court on 19th March 2019 to show cause why the orders prayed on the motion ex-parte ought not to be granted.”

    When parties got to court on Tuesday, INEC, represented by Tanimu Inuwa (SAN) told the court that the electoral body has filed a counter-affidavit to the plaintiffs’ originating summons.

    He also made an oral application, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the motion filed by APC and Abubakar, which he said could only be entertained by an election tribunal.

    Raji objected to Inuwa’s position, insisting that INEC was yet to comply with the court’s order for it to show cause why the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs should not be granted.

    The judge said while INEC could not challenge the court’s jurisdiction by oral application, the counter-affidavit did not qualify as an affidavit showing cause.

    He consequently ordered parties to maintain the status quo as things were before the court’s proceedings and adjourned to Wednesday, March 20 for hearing.

    INEC, in its counter-affidavit, deposed to by Hassan Adamu, an officer of INEC, queried the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case brought by APC and Abubakar.

    It stated that contrary to paragraph 22 of affidavit in support of originating summons, I state that the decision by the defendant to conclude collation for Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State was made based on the figures contained in the duplicates of results of the election.

    “Contrary to paragraph 29 of the affidavit in support of originating summons, I state that: Only Election Petition Tribunal has the jurisdiction to review the decision of the commission.

    “The decision of the Returning Officer referred to is in respect of declaration of scores and return of candidate which is the exclusive reserve of the Election Petition Tribunal.

    “The defendant having rescinded its earlier decision based on facts that emerged later and made a return, any grievance arising there from now rest with the Election Petition Tribunal.

    “The availability of polling units’ results made the defendant to rescind its decision to conduct supplementary election.

    “Contrary to paragraph 30 of affidavit in support of originating summons, I state that the plaintiffs’ right to fair election (if any) will not be affected in any way.

    “Contrary to paragraph 31 of affidavit in support of originating summons, I state that none of the voters voting populace of Bauchi State will be disenfranchised elections having been concluded.

    “Contrary to paragraph 32 of affidavit in support of originating summons, I state that the instant action is targeted at stopping the performance of a constitutional duty.

    “Contrary to paragraph 33 of affidavit in support of originating summons, I state that the plaintiffs do not have any threatened right capable of being protected.

    “Contrary to paragraph 34 of affidavit in support of originating summons, I state that the issues raised in this application are not triable by this Honourable Court same bordering on return at an election.

    “Contrary to paragraph 35 of affidavit in support of originating summons, I state that all eligible voters have cast their votes leading to a return and once that is the case, this honourable court is divested of the jurisdiction to entertain this case.”

  • Breaking: Court stops INEC from collating Bauchi guber results

    A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to discontinue collation and announcement of Bauchi governorship results.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the order following an ex parte application filed by the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar.

     

    Details shortly.

  • Nigerians blast Army over comments on Rivers election

    Nigerians on Tuesday expressed misgivings on the Facebook page of Nigerian Army over anti-Rivers Press Release.

    They  lambasted the army for allowing themselves to be degraded and reduced from the revered respect accorded by society.

    The Headquarters of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in a press release through the Deputy Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu had observed with dismay and sense of betrayal in the statement made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee Festus Okoye Esq on 15 March 2019, regarding the Commissions Fact-Finding Committee report that assessed the situation in Rivers State.

    Yartomizan Amades noted that the army have reduced themselves to Isakkaba Boys and have lost great confidence of the people following their activities in Akuku-Toru during the Presidential election and Governorship election in the state.

    “Following the true picture of what happened in Akuku-Toru during the Presidential election and also what happened in the past election, it is in regret that I will say our soldiers have been reduced to Isakkaba Boys and have lost great confidence of the people, ” he asserted.

    READ ALSO: Rann: Nigerian Army faults Amnesty International

    Chijioke Christian Woke lambasted the 6 Division for contradicting earlier claims that the injured soldiers are their officers when the Chief of Army Staff has publicly stated that the army that humiliated Rivers people are political thugs on military uniform.

    “By the way, how come the injured soldiers have now become your officers? You previously said the men on military uniform that humiliated and killed Rivers people were thugs,” he queried.

    Ebychukx Uche mocked the army for contradicting itself after denying involvement of its officers in the Rivers Governorship election and sort to know what the Army Captain claimed to have been shot by security aides was during at the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area collation centre.

    “The Nigerian Army is contradicting itself. Firstly, the army denied involvement in Rivers Governorship election and declared that politicians bought army uniform for thugs. Now you said that the Governor came to Obio/Akpor with thugs who shot an Army Captain.

    My question is simply, what was the Army Captain doing at Obio/Akpor before the Governor arrived? Have the Nigerian Army agreed that the soldiers where there officers” he questioned.

    Obioha Iyke Anyanwu described as shameful that the Nigerians Army have allowed themselves to be turned into local vigilantes by politicians. “The Nigerian Army has turned to local vigilantes because of politicians. So shameful,” he said.

    Amos Glad slammed the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army for deliberately covering its role in the election in the press release, describing it as unbalanced. “This is not a balanced press release. You failed to mention your role in the melee” he noted.

    Akanimo Sam also sorted to know the role of the military at collation centres as showed on video footages. “What role was the military to play at the collation centre? Video footage showed soldiers trying to invade the collation centre” he queried.

  • APC chieftain to INEC: explain your role in Bauchi

    APC chieftain Yekini Nabena said the electoral body has a lot of questions to answer on the conduct of the governorship election in Bauchi State and its decision to jettison the rerun it earlier ordered for Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area.

    Nabena told the opposition PDP to forget the dream of taking over the governorship seat in Bauchi, saying no magic can give the PDP the state having lost all other elections in the state.

    He faulted INEC’s declaration of People Redemption Party (PRP) House of Representatives candidate in Bauchi’s Katagum Federal Constituency as winner of the election, saying such “should have been declared inconclusive because the number of cancelled votes, (5, 211) was more than the margin of lead which was 4, 704.”

    Nabena, who doubles as APC’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, said: “If not that there was a grand plot to rig out Governor Mohammed Abubakar, how come the APC won 21 State House of Assembly seats compared to PDP’s  five seats in the state in the election conducted on the same day?

    Speaking with reporters in Abuja, Nabena said the reported non-usage of Card Readers in Bauchi Local Government Area “is a major issue that should not be disregarded by the electoral empire. The opposition PDP knew that that if rerun election is held it will loose the election to APC.

    “Maybe the opposition felt that if that position had not been taken by INEC, they would have won. But that is not the issue. The issue of election is not about winning or losing. It is about having a free and fair election. So, it is the free and fair conduct of the election that matters to all of us and to the whole world. I say so because if the election is not free and fair, there will be no issue of inconclusive; it must be concluded. So, we are challenging the INEC not give PDP undue advantage in Bauchi governorship election.”

    He insisted on the need to conduct a makeup poll in the Tafawa/Balewa council area.

    Nabena said the Returning Officer for the area, Mrs Dominion Anosike, had early told the world how she was intimidated and harassed while collating the results.

    He said: “She was even threatened. They threatened to rape her. She was a woman and she said it herself. The answer is there. There was tension everywhere in the place and she was forced to sign the document under that atmosphere.

    “I believe the APC will win because APC has won 80 per cent of the other elections except this election and this one has been declared inconclusive. Mark you, the results of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area has not been announced. But I tell you, you will be surprised if the result had been announced. We certainly would have won, that is why they are trying to deny us of the victory. If the hoodlums had not disrupted the process at the centre we would have won Tafawa Balewa. So, I believe we will win Tafawa Balewa again.”

    On the already declared Katagum Federal House of Reps result in favour of the PRP, Nabena described it as an error on the part of the INEC.

    “It is a clear case of inconclusive election because the margin between the PRP candidate and the APC candidate is less than the cancelled votes. So, we are demanding justice if INEC is not deliberately against the APC.”

  • APC chieftain to INEC: you’ve a lot to tell Nigerians on Bauchi election

    A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC ) Yekini Nabena has said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has a lot of questions to answer on the conduct of the governorship election in Bauchi state and it’s decision to jettison the rerun it earlier ordered for Tafawa Balewa local government area.

    Nabena asked the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to forget the dream of taking over the governorship seat in Bauchi state, saying no magic can give the PDP Bauchi state having lost all other elections in the state.

    He faulted the INEC’s declaration of People Redemption Party (PRP) House of Representatives candidate in Bauchi’s Katagum Federal Constituency as winner of the election, saying such “should have been declared inconclusive became the number of cancelled votes, 5, 211 is more than the margin of lead which is 4, 704.”

    Nabena who is also the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party said if not that there was a grand plot to rig out governor Mohammed Abubakar, how come APC won 21 State House of Assembly seats compared to PDP’s 5 seats in the state in the election conducted on the same day?

    Speaking with newsmen in Abuja Nabena said the reported nonusage of Card Readers in Bauch Local Government Area “is a major issue that should not be disregarded by the electoral empire. The opposition PDP knew that if rerun election is held it will lose the election to APC.

    “Maybe the opposition felt that if that position had not be taken by INEC, they would have won. But that is not the issue. The issue of election is not about winning or losing. It is about having a free and fair election. So it is the free and fair conduct of the election that matters to all of us and to the whole world. I say so because if the election is not free and fair there will be no issue of inconclusive; it must be concluded. So we are challenging the INEC not to give PDP undue advantage in Bauchi governorship election.”

    He insisted that there is need for rerun in election at the Tafawa/Balewa LGA, Nabena said the Returning Officer for the area, Mrs Dominion Anosike, told the world how she was intimidated and harassed while collating the results.

    “She was even threatened. They threatened to rape her. She was a woman and she said it herself. The answer is there. There was tension everywhere in the place and she was forced to sign the document under that atmosphere.

    “I believe APC will win because APC has won 80 percent of the other elections except this election and this one has been declared inconclusive. Mark you, the results of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area has not been announced. But I tell you, you will be surprised if the result had been announced. We certainly would have won, that is why they are trying to deny us of the victory. If the hoodlums had not disrupted the process at the centre we would have won Tafawa Balewa. So I believe we will win Tafawa Balewa again”.

    On the already declared Katagum Federal House of Reps result in favour of PRP, Nabena described it as an error on the part of the INEC.

    “It is a clear case of inconclusive election because the margin between the PRP candidate and the APC candidate is less than the cancelled votes. So, we are demanding justice if INEC is not deliberately against the APC. “

  • INEC to hold Ekiti Assembly supplementary poll March 23

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday said that it had fixed the only constituency poll for the Ekiti State House of Assembly that was not concluded on March 9 to March 23.

    The election in Ekiti East Constituency 1 had been declared inconclusive by the INEC, following reported cases of violence and other factors.

    INEC’s Administrative Secretary in the state, Dr Muslim Omoleke, who also doubles as the Commission’s Acting Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state announced the new date in Ado Ekiti.

    He asked those political parties that would be participating in the supplementary election to be getting ready.

    He assured the parties that the commission would not deviate from the tradition of neutrality and fairness in the forthcoming supplementary election.

    He said that the election would hold in five polling units in the constituency area, in line with the directive from the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

    NAN reports that the election of Ekiti East Constituency 1 was suspended by INEC on March 9, when the house of assembly and governorship elections were being held across the country.

    The INEC official had declared the results in the other 25 constituencies which were in favour of the ruling APC.

    Omoleke said that INEC would meet with the security agencies during the week and brief them on the need to be well prepared for the conduct of the supplementary election.

    He explained that the commission decided to suspend elections in the polling units, thereby making the outcome inconclusive, in line with its promise to be neutral and be fair to all contenders in any election.

    “We are prepared for the election and we will not deviate from the practice of fairness and neutrality to all political parties.

    “We will meet the security agencies this week and brief them on how the conduct will look like, so they can plan their own strategies on how to deliver a free, fair and credible election.

    “We have already received materials from the headquarters and they are being kept in the Central Bank of Nigeria, the materials are under safe custody.

    “We want to assure voters that we will not let them down. Let them come out massively and vote and we assure them that their votes will count.

    “INEC did not disappoint in the conduct of the presidential, the state and national assembly elections in Ekiti, this also will not be an exemption,” Omoleke said.

    NAN

  • Rivers: PDP tells INEC to declare its candidate winner

    Following the results of the fact finding committee set up by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate the manifest disruption of the collation of the results of the 9th March 2019 Governorship and House of Assembly general elections by the Army and the Federal-State Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS), the state PDP has called on INEC to announce its candidate as winner of the election.

    This is contained in the statement by the Rivers State PDP Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah, and made available to The Nation yesterday.

    The Rivers State PDP said it has accepted the pronouncements INEC made, after receiving the report of the fact finding committee, as substantial representation of the true state of the electoral process before the suspension.

    According to the statement, “After a thorough and holistic review of the report and findings of its Committee, INEC has in a release on the night of Friday 15th March 2019 made three fundamental verdicts on the elections in Rivers State, as follows:

    “It has the complete collated results of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections in 17 local Government Areas of the State in safe custody;

    “21 out of 32 State constituency results of the state had already been declared and returned as elected prior to when it suspended the electoral process in the state; and it would on 20th March 2019 issue detailed timelines and activities for the completion of the election in the state.”

    The Rivers State PDP, however, wished to draw the INEC’s attention to the fact that in addition to the 17 local government areas with fully collated results, the elections also successfully held and results declared at the unit and ward levels in five of the six other local government areas where full collation of results is still pending.

    The Rivers PDP therefore urged the INEC to follow its guidelines to fill the missing gap, if any, in the collation process “for the remaining five local government areas by generating the full results from the unit results already in its custody and declare our candidates the clear and unassailable winners of the 9th March 2019 Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State.

    “We commend the INEC for standing by the truth and for its courage and principled determination to ensure that the votes of the people of Rivers State as freely and overwhelmingly expressed on the 9th of March 2019 in favour of the PDP effectively count.

    “We also commend the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Yusuf Tukur Buratai, for inaugurating the Major-General TA Gagariga’s led Committee to probe the allegations of misconduct, including the assassination attempt on our Governor, His Excellency Nyesom Ezenwo Wike by soldiers during the 2019 general elections,” the statement added.

    The party also called on the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed Adamuto, to institute a similar panel to probe the brazen involvement of the Rivers State Commander of F-SARS, Mr. Akin Fakorode, and his gang of police operatives in the organised invasion of polling units, collation centres, abduction of electoral officers and the shooting and killing of innocent persons during the general elections at Khana, Gokana, Ikwerre, Eleme, Tai, Oyigbo and Ogu/Bolo local governments of the state.

    Nigerian wanted in Texas on child pornography charges still detained in Canada

    A Nigerian on the run from the law in the United States of America (USA) remains in detention in Canada six months after consenting to extradition.

    Adesanya Prince is wanted in Texas, USA, for alleged child pornography.

    He crossed the border to Canada on foot illegally and was consequently arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police which turned him over to Canada Border Services agents.

    His lawyer, Sabrina Lapolla, who represented him at his extradition hearing last year, abruptly left the case in November.

    He said he was “surprised to hear he’s still in Canada.”

    The 50-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of “promotion of child pornography” in Harris County, Texas, on Feb. 23, 2018. He was scheduled to be sentenced on May 10 but instead fled to Canada. He crossed at Roxham Road on March 9, 2018.

     

  • INEC has done justice to Tafawa Balewa result- Says PDP

    the Bauchi State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has hailed the decision of the independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to resume collation of result for Tafawa Balewa Local government. The state chairman of the party, Alhaji Hamza Koshe Akuyam, said INEC has been fair in its decision after a fact finding committee was set up to investigate the events that led to the cancellation.

    “INEC has done justice. We cried foul and they set up a committee to investigate and the committee has done justice. To us, we still have confidence in INEC. We have been waiting for justice to be done. Finally it has come. As we told you from the beginning, our party has already won this election. And God so kind, INEC has done what is right.

    “So, we are all prepared for whatever, and we know that victory is with us Insha Allah. We will now go back and see what will happen. But let’s assume that there is going to be a rerun, we are already in the lead with about 14,000 votes. So, we are prepared. We still have the upper hand in the contest even if there later happens to be a re-run,” he added further.

    The PDP, however, accused the Commissioner of Police and the Director State Security, SSS, of being partisan. “We don’t have confidence in the commissioner of police. We don’t have confidence in the Director of SSS. They have compromised in all these issues,” he added.

  •  INEC chairman denies Atiku access to election materials, PDP alleges

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday accused the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, of refusing the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar access to election materials.

    The Court of Appeal had ordered INEC to allow Atiku’s lawyers inspect ballot materials used in the February 23 presidential election, in furtherance of the petition filed by the PDP candidate against President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election.

    However, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said Yakubu and the leadership INEC have refused to obey the order of the appellate court, given on March 6, 2019.

    The PDP described INEC’s actions as deliberate and wicked ploy, accusing the electoral body of acting in cahoots with the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) to frustrate the case.

    The main opposition party further said INEC’s action was meant to ambush the case, adding it’s a deliberate plot to knock Atiku off the timeline prescribed by law for the PDP and its candidate to file the case at the Tribunal.

    The statement said: “It is imperative to inform Nigerians that upon obtaining the lawful order of the Court, directing INEC to forthwith, avail Atiku Abubakar and the PDP copies of all the documents and other materials used for the Presidential election, our legal team wrote to the INEC Chairman on the 11th and 12th of March 2019 respectively, causing the Order to be served on INEC and requesting access to the said documents and materials.

    READ ALSO: APC, PDP take INEC to task

    “Despite being served with the Order and several follow-ups, the leadership of INEC has refused to grant the PDP and Atiku Abubakar access to the materials and documents, notwithstanding the urgency of the matter.

    “This action by the leadership of INEC has further exposed that it has been heavily compromised by the Buhari Presidency to rig the February 23, 2019 Presidential election and to frustrate the quest by Nigerians to reclaim the mandate from President Muhammadu Buhari and save the nation from the crisis of an illegitimate government.

    “The leadership of INEC and the APC are seeking to frustrate our court option, seeing that the documents and materials will expressly show that Atiku Abubakar clearly won the election by the votes directly delivered at the polling units across the country as well as expose how the commission and the Buhari Presidency manipulated the results for President Buhari.

    “The PDP cautions the INEC to note that Nigerians are now aware of its manipulative tendencies and that any further delay in granting access to the materials might attract public odium.

     

    “INEC should therefore end its unpatriotic partisan shenanigans with the APC and immediately obey the Court of Appeal and grant the PDP and Atiku Abubakar access to the documents and materials and free itself from unholy entanglement with the APC against Nigerians”.

     

     

  • Rivers Guber: PDP urges INEC to declare Wike winner

    Following the results of the fact finding committee set up by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate the manifest disruption of the collation of the results of the 9th March 2019 Governorship and House of Assembly general elections, the state PDP has called on INEC to announce its candidate as winner of the election.

    This is contained in the statement by the Rivers State PDP Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah, and made available to the Nation on Saturday.

    The Rivers State PDP said it has accepted the pronouncements INEC made, after receiving the report of the fact finding committee, as substantial representation of the true state of the electoral process before the suspension.

    According to the statement, “After a thorough and holistic review of the report and findings of its Committee, INEC has in a release on the night of Friday 15th March 2019 made three fundamental verdictson the elections in Rivers State, as follows:

    “It has the complete collated results of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections in 17 local Government Areas of the State in safe custody;

    “21 out of 32 State constituency results of the State had already been declared and returned as elected prior to when it suspended the electoral process in the State; and it would on 20th March 2019 issue detailed timelines and activities for the completion of the election in the State.”

    The Rivers State PDP, however, wished to draw the INEC’s attention to the fact that in addition to the 17 Local Government Areas with fully collated results, the elections also successfully held and results declared at the unit and ward levels in five of the six other Local Government Areas where full collation of results is still pending.

    The Rivers PDP therefore urged the INEC to follow its guidelines to fill the missing gap, if any, in the collation process for the remaining five Local Government Areas by generating the full results from the unit results already in its custody and declare our candidates the clear and unassailable winners of the 9th March 2019 Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State.

    “We commend the INEC for standing by the truth and for its courage and principled determination to ensure that the votes of the people of Rivers State as freely and overwhelmingly expressed on the 9th of March 2019 in favour of the PDP effectively count.

    “We also commend the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Yusuf Tukur Buratai for inaugurating the Major-General TA Gagariga’s led Committee to probe the allegations of misconduct, including the assassination attempt on our Governor, His Excellency Nyesom Ezenwo Wike by soldiers during the 2019 general elections,” the statement added.

    The party also called on the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed Adamu to institute a similar panel to probe the brazen involvement of the Rivers State Commander of F-SARS, Mr. Akin Fakorode and his gang of police operatives in the organized invasion of polling units, collation centers, abduction of electoral officers and the shooting and killing of innocent persons during the general elections at Khana, Gokana, Ikwerre, Eleme, Tai, Oyigbo and Ogu/Bolo Local Governments of the State.