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Tag: Inec

  • INEC has done justice to Tafawa Balewa result – 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 , which hitherto was cancelled .

    The state chairman of the party, Alhaji Hamza Koshe Akuyam in an  interview with the Nation  said  INEC has been fair in it’s decision after a fact finding committee was set up to investigate the events that led to the cancellation.

    In his words ” INEC  have 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, to us INEC and to me or to our party,  has done what is right”

    Akuyam also expressed optimism that  the People’s Democratic Party, PDP gubernatorial candidate will  win the election considering the latest development.

    “So, we are all prepared for whatever, and we know that victory is with us Insha Allah”

    “We will now go back to our arithmetic 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 upper hand  in the contest even if there later happens to be a re-run,  because, before what the returning officer said was 45,000 votes, now it is coming down to 22,000 votes which is fair as 22,550 votes that were added on the initial figure” He added further

    The PDP ,  however, accused the  Commissioner  of Police and the Director state security, SSS, of being partisan during the entire process . “We don’t have confidence in the Commissioner of police, we done have confidence in the Director SSS.  who have compromised in all these issues” He added.

    In the same vein, a group known as Bauchi Forum of Lawyers with Conscience, BOBALAC, has also commended INEC decision. The convener of the group, Esq. Shipi Rabo Esq,  said  “It is a fair judgement, we can’t query INEC”

    It would be recall that INEC had announced the decision in a press statement on Friday night after resolving some issues around the result of Tafawa Balewa local government and some polling units in Ningi local government.

    The result for Tafawa Balewa LGA , a strong hold of the PDP was initially cancelled after the  Collation Officer,Mrs Dominion Anosike alleged she was  under pressure from Party Agents who could not wait for the arrival of a replacement result sheet, and decided to collate the result on an available RA result sheet instead of the replacement LGA result sheet.

    The Returning Officer, Mohammed Kyari, had  rejected the regenerated result because it was on a wrong result sheet during her presentation at the State Governorship Collation Centre which led to the declaration of the election as inconclusive.

  • Supplementary Polls: INEC promises to be fair in Plateau

    Ahead of the governorship supplementary elections scheduled for March 23, INEC has assured critical stakeholders in Plateau that it would conduct a free, fair and credible election in the affected areas.

    Mallam Halilu Pai, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in the state, gave the assurance at a meeting with leaders of various political parties and other stakeholders on Saturday in Jos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the March 9 governorship election in the state was declared inconclusive because the margin in the votes polled by the two leading candidates was less than the votes cancelled in some polling units.

    A total of 48,828 votes were cancelled across 40 polling units in 19 wards of nine local government areas.

    According to Pai, the commission has put all modalities on ground to ensure that a successful and peaceful supplementary election is conducted in the affected areas.

    “As we all know, exactly one week from today, we shall be conducting a supplementary poll for the governorship seat in 40 polling units in 19 Registration Areas spread across nine local governments.

    “So, we have called for this meeting to enable us brief all critical stakeholders of our level of preparedness for the forthcoming supplementary elections.

    Read Also: Yoruba group hails INEC

    “As a commission, we want to assure you that we will conduct a free, fair and credible election. We shall be neutral and ensure that the process is transparent,” he said.

    Pai also commended the political gladiators and residents of the state for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner before, during and after the presidential and governorship elections, and called on them to do better during the forthcoming supplementary polls.

    “It is on record that Plateau is one of the states that elections were conducted in a peaceful manner and this is largely because of the support and cooperation of the critical stakeholders and citizens of the state.

    “So, it will be good that we maintain that status quo and ensure that next Saturday’s supplementary polls is also conducted in a peaceful manner,” he urged

    NAN reports that the supplementary elections will be conducted in Shendam, Kanam, Bokkos, Mangu and Bassa local governments.

    Others include Langtang South, Pankshin, Barkin Ladi and Jos North local governments.

    NAN

  • Polls: Agbonyinma files petition at Edo tribunal

    Candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Ikpoba-Okha/Egor Federal Constituency, Hon Ehiozuwa Agbonyinma, has filed a 142-page petition before the Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal over the outcome of the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly election.

    The People’s Democratic Party candidate, Jude Ise-Idehen, was declared winner of the election.

    In the petition, Hon Agbonyinma urged the tribunal to declare him winner of the election.

    Speaking to newsmen on Friday night after presenting his petition, Hon Agbonyinma said he wants to reclaim his mandate ‘that was stolen by some dubious  characters in INEC in collaboration with of some PDP leaders and security men and women.’

    Hon Agbonyinma who insisted that he won the election said some INEC officials collaborated with some PDP leaders to perpetuate fraud by manipulating the electoral process.

    According to him, “I have always said the APC won the Presidential election for Mr. President and I won the election for Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Constituency which I contested for.

    “I had valid ground to file this petition. Nobody can steal the mandate of the people that came out to vote for me and go free. Miracle happened during my time. For someone to call me thinking he is talking to PDP Chairman to redeem the balance after he has done everything fraudulently to derail the wheel of progress. I am happy that those who perpetrated this fraud have been arrested. They have confessed and the law will take its course.

    “I won the election and we are reclaiming our mandate back. We will go through the the legal process to get our mandate. I am the winner and my mandate will be given back to me.

  • INEC resumes collation of Bauchi guber election results

    The Independent National Electoral Commission has decided to resume from Tuesday, the collation of the governorship election result in Bauchi State and may declare the winner of the poll, hitherto ruled as inconclusive.

    The commission announced the decision in a press statement on Friday night after resolving some issues around the result of Tafawa Balewa local government and some polling units in Ningi local government.

    INEC did not state whether by the decision, the scheduled supplementary election on 23 March has been cancelled.

    According to INEC, the number of cancelled votes in four polling units in Ningi Local Government was 2,533 and not 25,330 as recorded.

    On Tafawa Balewa Local Government election result, where collation was disrupted by armed gangs, affecting 7 out of 11 registration areas for governorship and 6 out of 11 for state assembly elections, INEC said a committee set up, has found that the results in polling units and registration areas are “available and in safe custody”.

    INEC thus decided to resume the resumption and conclusion of the collation of results of the council area for both the governorship and state assembly elections

    A new collation and returning officer for Tafawa Balewa has been appointed “to continue and conclude the collation process in place of the original collation officer, who withdrew from the exercise citing threats to her life and those of her family members”. The threatened collation officer was Dominion Anosike.

    The governorship election in Bauchi state is a straight fight between incumbent Mohammed Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress and former minister, Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party.

    Bala was said to have won the Tafawa Balewa Local government election, putting him in an overall lead of his APC counterpart, but the INEC returning officer, Professor Mohammed Kyari, declared the election inconclusive.

    In declaring the election inconclusive, Kyari, gave the scores of incumbent governor as 465,453 votes and Bala Mohammed of PDP as 469,512 votes.

    “The margin between the winner and opponent is less than the total number of votes cancelled in some polling units.By law, since the margin of winner is less than the total number of votes cancelled and registered voters in the areas where the votes have been cancelled, this elections is hereby declared inconclusive,” he said.

    He said his decision was in line with section 26 part 53 of the Electoral Act.

    NAN

  • Rivers poll: results from 17 LGAs in our custody, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that results from 17 Local Government areas out of 23 in Rivers governorship election are available and in the commission’s custody.

    INEC disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday night by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye.

    Okoye said that the commission made the declaration after its meeting on Friday where it considered the report of the Fact-Finding Committee set up to assess the situation in Rivers where election process was suspended.

    The Commission had on March 10, suspended all electoral processes in Rivers having determined that there was widespread disruption of collation of results of the elections conducted in the state on March 9.

    Subsequently, the Commission set up a Fact-Finding Committee to assess the situation and report back within 48 hours.

    Okoye said that the Commission met on Friday and considered the report of the Committee and established that the Governorship and state House of Assembly elections took place in most of the polling units and results were announced.

    “That the results from 17 Local Governments out of 23 are available and are in the Commission’s custody.

    “That the Declaration and Returns for 21 State Constituencies out of 32 were made prior to the suspension.

    “That collation centres were invaded by some soldiers and armed gangs resulting in the intimidation and unlawful arrest of election officials thereby disrupting the collation process,” he said.

    Okoye said that consequently upon the foregoing, the Commission was committed to expeditious completion of the collation process where results of the elections had been announced.

    The national commissioner said that INEC would issue detailed timelines and activities for the completion of the election on Wednesday, March 20.

    He added that the commission expressed its displeasure with the role played by some soldiers and armed gangs in the state, disrupting the collation process and attempting to subvert the will of the people.

    Okoye said the commission also resolve that it “will engage the security agencies at national level and the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee at the state level to demand neutrality and professionalism of security personnel in order to secure a peaceful environment for the completion of the elections.

    “The commission will also engage with key stakeholders in Rivers State with a view to ensuring a smooth and peaceful completion of the process.”

  • Buhari poorer now than in 2015, says Osinbajo 

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says President Muhammadu Buhari is probably poorer now than when he assumed office in 2015.

    Osinbajo spoke during a dinner in Abuja in honour of volunteers who canvassed for votes for the All Progressives Congress  (APC) during the campaigns for this year’s general election.

    His words: “When I looked at his assets declaration form, I was checking it in 2015, I said to him, ‘Mr President, I am so much richer than you, it is an embarrassment.’

    “He said, ‘I am only a soldier, you are a big lawyer, so you should have more money than me.’

    “I can tell you that he is perhaps  even poorer than he was in 2015 when I saw his declaration of assets form.”

    Osinbajo urged Nigerians to vote for APC candidates in the March 23 supplementary elections.

    The supplementary elections will take place in six states of Nigeria where the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared last Saturday’s gubernatorial election inconclusive.

    He said “We are still not done with the elections.

    “On the 23rd of March, we still have some outstanding states and as you know we are re-running in about six states.

    “We can’t afford to slack off and say the job is done; we still have some things to do.”

    Recalling his personal experience during this year’s electioneering, Professor Osinbajo said his encounter with Nigerians as he crisscrossed the country, campaigning for votes, showed that Nigerians are so trusting and supportive of their leaders.

    “I think that one of the main characteristics of the Nigerian is how so supportive and trusting many of our people are and they don’t ask us for too much.

    “They never really ask for anything that is impossible to do.

    “And that’s why, for many of us that went around this country, we realized the tremendous amount of work that there is to do and our capacity to do so much work.

    “What our people need, as we discovered, isn’t that much.

    “As a matter of fact, I do not know any nation where the people are so generous, no matter how poor they are.

    Vice President Osinbajo said there was need for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to connect more with the people.

    “It just struck me that what we really need to do a lot more is to connect with the people.

    “All the people need is opportunity for us to interact with them.

    “We should have a way by which everybody is involved one way or the other.

    “One of the complaints that people made about our government is that we were not communicating enough.”

    The vice president acknowledged that the diligent communication carried out to put across the APC message in 2015 was not sustained, making the administration lose some ground to the opposition, especially in the social media.

    He said the new administration would ensure that it makes change in that regard.

    Osinbajo said that he would take up everyone who has challenged the administration on the issue with a view to getting its communication of programmes and policies better.

    Speaking at the event, the APC Woman Leader, Salamatu Eluma, commended the volunteers for believing in the vision of the President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo and working for their re-election.

    Earlier, the Deputy Chief of Staff in the State House, Ade Ipaye, said the volunteers worked during the campaigns to demonstrate the integrity and capability of the candidates of the APC.

  • PDP to INEC: declare Imo North senatorial result

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to direct the immediate announcement of the already collated results of the February 23, 2019 Imo North Senatorial election, as well as March 9 rerun poll, in which the PDP candidate, Hon. Ndubueze Patrick, is said to be in clear lead.

    The party cautions that the continuous delay in announcing the final result, after returns have been established at the polling units, wards and local government levels is already heightening tension in the state.

    A statement Friday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said its public knowledge that the results have been moved to INEC headquarters in Abuja following the alleged harassment of INEC officials in Imo state by agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Action Alliance (AA).

    The statement said, “From the collated results in the February 23 elections, the PDP won in all the local governments in Imo North before polls in two local governments; Isiala Mbano and Ehime Mbano were cancelled and scheduled for rerun.

    READ ALSO: Lagos PDP to INEC: Don’t involve NURTW members in elections logistics

    “Already, from the results declared, the PDP led in Okigwe, Onuimo, Obowo and Ihite/Uboma Local Government Areas with 21, 254, ahead of APC and AA, which scored 12,756 and 12,236 respectively.

    “At the March 9 rerun elections, when the AA and the APC realized that the PDP was winning, they resorted to mutilation and alteration of results, particularly with the collaboration of collation officers in Ehime Mbano, before the intervention of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), who called for proper scrutiny of documents following protests by the people.

    “The PDP believes that the INEC had completed its investigation on the documents and results of the rerun election, which established our victory in that election.

    “The party therefore urges Prof. Yakubu to douse the tension in Imo state by directing the declaration of the final results and return our candidate, Ndubueze Patrick, who has been legitimately elected by the people of Imo North to represent them at the Senate”.

  • Tafawa Balewa collation officer, writes INEC chair over inconclusive election

    The returning officer for Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area in the gubernatorial election, Mrs Dominion Anosike, has written to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, requesting to appear before the Committee set up to investigate controversies over the cancellation of the results of the election in Abuja and not Bauchi, due to what she described as threats to her life.

    The letter, dated 13th March, 2019, was addressed to the chairman of INEC and was received in the office of the National Chairman on March 14, 2019.

    The letter reads in part: “I superintended over the above election in Tafawa Balewa LGA as the Returning Officer and I believe that there will be need for your committee to find out from me what transpired at the collation centre that led to the cancellation of the result by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Bauchi State.

    The purpose of this letter to your good offices, is to indicate my desire to appear before the team in another location, preferably Abuja- as doing that in Bauchi State would constitute a threat to my life, as I have already been threatened with instant death, should I be found anywhere in or near Bauchi State.”

    It would be recalled that the Returning Officer for Bauchi state Governorship election Prof Mohammed Kyari had cancelled the election of Tafawa Balewa LGA on Sunday evening citing failure of Mrs Anosike to use the prescribed form to enter the result of the elections collated across the local government.

    This was despite the explanation given by her to the commission that the result sheets for the governorship election were carted away by thugs who invaded the collation centre in Zwall, Tafawa Balewa LGA, in the early hours of Sunday.

    She had also notified the commission via an explanatory memorandum signed by all stakeholders in the election at the collation centre who unanimously agreed to collate and record the result on another form, and addressed same to the Resident Electoral Commissioner and the State Returning Officer, which was submitted in Bauchi on Sunday.

  • 2019: Investigate all electoral infractions now – PANDEF tells FG

    The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) on Friday called on the Federal Government under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, to immediately investigate all electoral infractions that took place during the 2019 general elections held on February 23 and March 9, 2019.

    While stressing that there should be no sacred cows in the investigation, PANDEF also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to bring to conclusion the process of collation of the Rivers State Governorship Election Results and the winner declared, so as to douse the political tension in the State.

    In a statement by the National Secretary of PANDEF, Alfred Mulade and made available to the Nation, the group appealed to the Federal Government to de-militarize the Niger Delta, so as to enable every citizen go about his/her lawful endeavors.

    The statement reads: “The reported killings, militarization, intimidation, electoral gangsterism and the attendant security situation in some states in the Niger Delta, particularly, in Bayelsa and Rivers States, has become a source of worry.

    “The Abonnema killings in Rivers State, reportedly orchestrated and perpetrated by the military and political thugs, apparently working on the influence of certain politicians with nefarious tendencies, during the Presidential election held on February 23, 2019, is a classic example of how certain desperate politicians and soldiers could instigate mayhem on innocent and defenceless citizens.

    “It must be noted with  every sense of responsibility  the dastardly act of militarization, intimidation, killings, electoral gangsterism and brinkmanship, during this period, and particularly  heightened during the governorship and House of Assembly polls  on March 9, 2019, as was seen in the case of Rivers State,  is not one anybody should pride himself about.”

    READ ALSO: Hungry old men endorsed Atiku – PANDEF

    PANDEF stated that the show of brigandage allegedly demonstrated in Rivers State, by the Army, the Air Force, the Police and other paramilitary personnel by invading the Independent National Electoral Commision (INEC) Office in Port Harcourt, in a bid to arm-twist and intimidate the INEC Officials in a bid to swing the results of the election to a predetermined candidate, is very dangerous for democracy.

    The Forum noted that the action by the military, was condemnable, and should be condemned by every lover of the Nigeria project, adding that for the fact that the Army issued a denial of their involvement in the shameful act was not enough to completely exonerate them.

    It added that the more the denials from the Military, the more their professionalism, rules of engagement, efficiency and neutrality becomes foggy and doubtful.

    “Is the military ‘crying’ that bloody civilians’ have taken over their duties?

    “If the Theory of neutrality being canvassed by the military is anything to go by, how come the harassment of innocent Niger Deltans in the likes of  Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, HRM Ateke Tom, Traditional Ruler of Okochiri – Okrika and a host of others?.

    “Why has the Army been so involved and entangled with election matters that they are now being out-smarted by so-called civilians-in-uniform?” the statement querried.

    “It must be placed on record, and the Federal Government must be reminded that, the Army, statutorily, has NO business with election duties, and so should NOT have been so deployed, in the first place.

    This is a matter that has been conveniently laid to rest by the Court of Appeal, in 2015,” the statement read further.

  • INEC plans to cancel declared results in Bauchi, PDP alleges

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged moves by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel results already declared in the March 9 governorship and state assembly elections in Bauchi State.

    Bauchi is one of the six states where INEC declared the elections inconclusive, following the cancellation of results in the Tafawa Balewa local government area.

    Others states where the election was declared inconclusive are Benue, Kano, Adamawa, Sokoto and Plateau. INEC had fixed Mach 23 for supplementary election in the six states.

    At a media briefing in Abuja Friday, spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, cautioned the electoral body alleged attempts to tamper with the returned results or cancel already tallied results in 14 local governments, as declared by INEC.

    The main opposition party further warned the INEC to be mindful of the already charged atmosphere in Bauchi and the level of awareness among the electorate, stressing that any attempt to touch the already announced results will attract “serious consequences to the conspirators”.

    READ ALSO: PDP takes protest to INEC

    “Our party already have full information of plots by certain known top ranking officials of INEC, who have been bribed with huge sums of money by the All Progressives Congress (APC), to widen the scope of result cancellation beyond Tafawa Balewa to 14 more local government areas and hike the number of cancelled votes from 70,000 to 184, 555.

    “To achieve this, INEC has been instructed by the APC to cancel already declared results in 230 polling units in 15 LGAs, in the state, cause confusion and pave the way for the APC to manipulate the March 23 supplementary elections.

    “Seeing that our party, the PDP, and our candidate, Senator Bala Mohammed, are inevitably coasting to victory, being that Tafawa Balewa is home to the PDP, the APC is instructing INEC to cancel elections in more local governments where it plans to manipulate the processes and allocate fictitious results for the APC at the March 23 polls.

    “The PDP states that such a wicked plot cannot stand, as the people of Bauchi state have fully rallied themselves for a firm resistance”, Ologbondiyan said.

    The opposition spokesman said the PDP was already in possession of a leaked document from the Bauchi INEC office, which exposed details of the plot against the people of Bauchi state.

    Continuing, the PDP said, “This plot further justifies our stance that even the cancellation of Tafawa Balewa results was orchestrated by the APC and INEC in the ignoble bid to forcefully rob the people of Bauchi state of their choice of the PDP candidate, Senator Bala Mohammed, as their governor.

    “It is public knowledge that by the results delivered at the polling units, Sen. Bala Mohammed was already leading with over 4,000 votes after results of 19 LGAs were collated and announced.

    “With Tafawa Balewa LGA, where the PDP scored 40,000 valid votes against the APC’s 29,000, it is clear that our party won the election with about 15,000 votes, only for the results of the Tafawa Balewa LGA to be cancelled by INEC for no just cause.

    “The PDP invites Nigerians to note that Tafawa Balewa result was cancelled by the state Returning Officer, Prof. Mohammed Kyari, who unilaterally ruled that there was no result for the LGA even when the Collation Officer, Mrs. Dominion Anosike, had informed the commission that there was no any incident of cancellation, violence or electoral malpractices at both the polling unit and ward levels.

    “Though the PDP vehemently rejects the cancellation of Tafawa Balewa, we stand with the people of Bauchi state, in the determination to go to the supplementary election on March 23 and reinforce our candidate’s victory in Tafawa Balewa LGA. This is in addition to the resolve to vehemently resist any attempt by INEC to tamper with already declared results in the other 19 local governments of state.

    “The PDP therefore urges the INEC fact-finding committee headed by a National Commissioner to be guided by the extant rules as established in court rulings that the polling units is a base of our elections and that once declaration has been made at the polling units and return of votes established, INEC no longer has powers to influence the results from such polling units.

    “Finally, the PDP counsels the APC to accept its defeat not only in Bauchi state but also in Sokoto, Benue, Plateau, Kano as well as Adamawa states, and end its shenanigans, as such will amount to naught.”