The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kano

  • Our Girls; Success – a girl failed by governors

    Our Chibok girls were kidnapped on April 15, 2014. Leah Sharibu and others are not yet released.

    Study the total votes in Kano, Plateau, Benue and Rivers; where are the voters? They do not exist. Our population is probably around 130-150m as we had under 30million voters. INEC is blameless, not responsible for violence during elections – political parties are. Face the parties, not INEC!

    The Success Adegor story is about a delightful Delta State articulate girl-child sent home for not paying what government quickly labelled an ‘illegal exam levy’.  Her parents, out of penury or protest or pride or ignorance or arrogance or anti-corruption, did not pay.

    Do your research before apportioning blame. Is the acting headteacher an honest soul struggling to educate children with no government grants for running costs? Governments rarely give running cost grants beyond salaries. Parents and governments always misinterpret the slogan ‘free education’ for ‘total free education’. Unfortunately they then refuse to substitute for a negligent government which under-provides equipment and learning environment and is also guilty of lying about its policy desire or ability to provide total education.  This leaves the pupil at an educational disadvantage when compared to pupils in liberal schools and private schools. In the latter, parents are encouraged to add value through donations of funds, magazines, books, sports and other needed equipment, buildings and payment for excursions.

    No school or university anywhere in the world has enough despite fees and good education budgets. It a painful paradox that only Nigerian ‘free education’ schools are not allowed to admit that they need help. Nonsense! Not allowing teachers to request, under supervision, for support is stifling initiative and the quality of education delivery. Allowing them to ask is not an admission of failure of free education policy but a reality check and a required supplement. No budget is ever enough, especially in education. Do not deny parents and PTA their primary responsibility for their children’s education. And stop deceiving teachers. Rather give awards to the best-supporting parents and PTAs and Old Students Associations and corporate bodies. Is the corrupt teacher extorting?

    While we castigate our teachers as the education funds are repeatedly stolen, one Kenyan maths and science teacher Peter Tabichi in a religious brother’s habit has won the Global Teacher Prize of $1m by the Varkey Foundation in Dubai for turning around the fortunes of a similarly neglected school as the one that Success goes to. We saw on TV the accursed pigsty quality of the school facilities making it more dangerous than the private Lagos collapsed school building because it is a government entity, protected from inspection and closure.

    No government has closed its own schools, yet across the country, there are thousands of government schools like the Success school- pigsties. The Delta State school is not ‘Child and Teacher Friendly Learning Environment’. It is a shameful pigsty in a state which is has the 4th highest per capita income in the country and receives 13% derivation and exposes a flaw in governance, repeated nationwide. Shamefully, every state has 500-1000+ such neglected schools. The teacher said the levy was for photocopying etc. The travail of the girl Success is a failure of political and education services.  Free education is often ‘Rubbish Under-funded Education’ with little help beyond delayed salaries provided by government especially at the primary level where there are not even Old Students Associations to help out.

    We all conduct or have participated in exams and know what they take in terms of material and logistics from time-table to question papers. If government does not give exam grant, do we expect no exam or the teachers to take funds from their tiny salaries for the purpose? I can bet you there is no grant from the Ministry of Education for anything including examinations and sports and co-curricular activities. The abysmal and selfishly myopic or ignorant or misguided refusal of Nigerian parents to provide the missing support to the abysmal free education efforts of governments coupled with the rejection of support from willing parents and the absence of primary school  Old Students Associations and the non-accessing the UBEC counterpart funding and of course the refusal of states to give needed grants to schools for running costs culminate in killing the potential of millions of children like Success and the denting and dampening the dedication of any wonderful Nigerian teacher/education leader.

    Saraki’s and senate’s N30,000 minimum wage is a Greek Gift -the Trojan Horse- and a poisoned chalice and is classic Saraki like the forced 1+ year calamitous delay forced on Nigerians by the slashing and diversion of a budgeted N15b Lagos-Ibadan expressway budget to untraceable corruption-driven National Assembly (NASS) constituency projects. It is a parting present which is a financial burden to his enemies currently in power. Who will face dwindling capital budgets from this rising recurrent wage bill above the N27,000 recommended by the federal government. Governors always manage, like Saraki, to forget that their own huge salaries overburden the budget. The extra money will come from huge funds of governance that would otherwise have been stolen. It is a desired parting gift dangled before workers but undeliverable. Now Saraki is in a win-win situation. He will retire laughing as Buhari may not sign it into law. Saraki will be long gone by the 30 days senate needs to override the president as senate seeks to keep their own fat-fat salaries and constituency projects.

  • Ganduje: my victory down to hard work, not violence

    Kano State Governor Umar Ganduje of has reaffirmed his victory at the Kano supplementary elections was as a result of hard work by his team as against violence cited in many quarters.

    Ganduje, who contested under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), spoke when chairmen of the 44 local government areas of the state paid him a congratulatory and solidarity at the Government House, Kano

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Ganduje winner of the rerun polls against his opponent Abba K. Yusuf of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “It was not breach of peace that gave (me) the victory but hard work and prayers. We prayed and we worked hard. Peace is paramount,” he said.

    Ganduje urged supporters of the APC not to engage in any form of violence or intimidation of the opposition in the course of their jubilation, saying his government and party are not in conflict with the opposition.

    “We want peace and peace must be given a chance to thrive. We will come up with new strategy in governance. All as an effort to consolidate this victory and continue with the good things we started.

    “We will continue to do what our people voted us for. That is to further develop all structures of the society.

    “This victory shows that Kano people repose confidence in us since from day one. We will, therefore, not let them down,” Ganduje added.

    He also said he would work with other opposition groups that supported him before the elections.

    “We have other opposition parties that came and worked with us before this election. For the development of our state, we are planning to work with them,” he stated.

  • Violence, intimidation, thuggery mar Kano rerun election, says group

    A foreign observer based in South Africa,  Pan African Women Projects has said the supplementary election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Kano was marred by violence, Intimidation and partisanship on the part of the security operatives as well as voters disenfranchisement.

    publicity secretary of the group, Madam Mphoentle Keitseng at a press conference Tuesday in Kano, revealed that the supplementary election was also characterized by thuggery, abuse of electoral process, chased away of foreign observers and media personnel from gaining access to the polling units.
    According to her, thuggery and voter intimidation were reported in almost all the polling units where the rerun was conducted with cases of loss of lives and other malpractices, under the watch of INEC officials and security agencies pointing that “it is evidence that INEC and security agencies were compromised”.
    ” The observed regulated violence and sponsored thuggery in Nassarawa, Madobi, Dala, Kura, Rimin-Gado and Kibiya local government areas. Women were not found queuing in most polling units we visited. We also observed that the two major political parties APC and PDP tried to undo each other for swift electoral victory, hence the palpable eruption of spontaneous crisis with some loss of human lives.
    The group also observed ” Visible lacuna in our electoral act with regards to the role and responsibilities of the INEC. We call for immediate review of the said act of strengthen the functionalities of the INEC for  effective, responsive and coordinating activities in any type of subsequent election”.
    The group however hailed the umpire for conducting the supplementary election across the nation despite numerous challenges.

  • Kano rerun: Remain calm, PDP urges supporters

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday in Kano called on its supporters to remain calm and law-abiding as they await the outcome of the election petition tribunal.

    The party through a statement by Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, the spokesman of its governorship candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf, vehemently rejected the result of the election.

    It said: “The PDP in Kano is proud to be distinctly civil and uniquely peace-loving. We condemn this fraud in its entirety.

    “We have decided to take legal action through the Election Petition Tribunal with overwhelming evidences that has been gathered, and Insha Allah, soonest the mandate of the good people of Kano state shall be reclaimed.

    “However, we urge the good people of Kano state and particularly our teaming supporters to be patient and remain calm. Kano state is our only home.

    “We have no other place better than this noble state and no blood of any citizen is worth shedding.”

    PDP accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies of joining forces to rig the election in favour of the APC.

    “In the political history of Kano, we have undergone the most horrific elections ever where the ruling APC and Kano State Government deployed all mechanisms to orchestrate violence against the citizens.

    “Indeed, the good people of Kano state have witnessed a broad daylight robbery of their mandate by the enemies of democracy. It is with tremendous zeal and courage that we joined the 2019 Kano gubernatorial contest, believing in the impartiality of the umpire – the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies, being on a mission to restore the lost glory of our dear state from the hand of political predators who destroy every meaningful programme and policies set by the previous administration of Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.

    “The deliberate disruption of results collation process in Nasarawa Local Government, which led to the cancellation of Gama Ward, alongside numerous other Polling Units across the 28 Local Government Areas and the appalling conduct of the players in the sham called inconclusive Election, has raised huge doubts about the professionalism of the security agencies and the effectiveness, credibility and fairness of INEC as an organization as well as professionalism and neutrality of the security agencies.”

  • Kano supplementary poll license to violence – Obi

    The vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 23 election, Mr Peter Obi, has described last Saturday’s governorship supplementary election in Kano as scandalous and the height of brigandage.

    The conduct of the election, Obi said, was akin to giving official license that could motivate Nigerians into violent acts and thereby destroying the country’s youths.

    In a statement Monday by his media office, Obi said what all democratic watchers saw in Kano state rerun election, amounted to licensing our youths for violence, and setting a very dangerous precedent.

    He said, “We are now institutionalizing thuggery and rigging as process of coming into power, which is very dangerous precedent for our country”.

    The main opposition chieftain added that, “proceeds in the name of results from what happened in Kano make the entire electoral process ridiculous and shameful”.

    Mr Obi wondered how the Nigeria Police, which mobilised its top officers and men to Kano, to secure the state during the election, could watch while political thugs took over control of the process.

    “They owe Nigerians and election observers a lot of explanations on what happened”, Obi said.

    Mr Obi also called to question the integrity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for hurriedly recognising and acknowledging election results from a process “where machetes carrying miscreants took charge of the process”.

    He warned that with the Kano incident, the country is dangerously bequeathing to the society a trend that is bound to consume not only the youths, but also, the entire country.

    The former Anambra state governor declared that country further ridiculed itself and made itself a laughing stock, wondering how would anyone think that the process witnessed in Kano during the said election, could produce leadership that can grow the state.

    Obi, whose party lost the election to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC), described as regrettable the unnecessary loss of quality hands and minds heads to the exercise.

    He cited the case of another election in the same category, where a Professor was shot in Benue State, in the course of performing electoral duties. “It’s most painful”, he said.

    Making reference to India, Obi said if India, with over 800 million voters, can conduct election without losing such “caliber of people”.

    Obi wondered if President Buhari and the APC could come into power in 2015 without such “senseless” loss of lives, then why should it be the case now?

    He prayed God for repose of the souls of the victims and fortitude for the families and relatives.

  • Losers kick as polls winners unfold plans

    IT was different strokes yesterday for winners and losers of the supplementary governorship polls in Benue, Kano, Sokoto, Plateau and Bauchi states.

    As the winners showed appreciation to voters for support, those who suffered defeats said they were heading to the tribunal.

    It’s God at work, says Ortom

    Governor Samuel Ortom, who was reelected in Benue, described his victory  as the work of God.

    He led his supporters to the Redeemed Christian Church of God Mega Parish on Gboko Road, shortly after he was declared winner of the governorship election in Benue by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He dedicated the victory to God, praying Him to take control of the affairs of the state in the next four years of his administration.

    Ortom, accompanied by his wife, Dr. Eunice, and the his deputy, Benson Abounu, said he was handing over himself and the administration to God, bearing in mind his shortcomings to humanly pilot affairs of the state.

    Pastor Folashade Folasayo, who received Ortom and his entourage, prayed God to grant the governor his heart’s desires.

    Lalong: My victory an affirmation of Next Level philosophy.

    Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong described his re-election victory as the people’s affirmation of the Next Level philosophy and a show of the people’s desire to move to the next level of good governance.

    He said: “The outcome of the exercise in the state was clearly an amazing show of confidence and trust. It was also referendum on our most cherished principles of unity and peace as well as affirmation of the desire to move to the Next Level in the light of equality and inclusiveness, which are core values fundamentally located in the heart of the Plateau spirit that speak to our sense of communality, diverse ethnicity, mutual respect, tolerance, peace, hospitality, humility and diligence.”

    Lalong was delivering his acceptance speech immediately he was declared winner by the Returning Officer, Prof Richard Anande Kimbir of the University of Agriculture Markurdi.

    He said: “On 11th April, 2015 during the gubernatorial election, you came out enthusiastically and voted me as Executive Governor of Plateau State under the platform of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “Taking on this mantle of leadership marked a significant milestone in our political and democratic journey as a people. It was also with a clarion call on us to deliver dividends of democracy along the five-point policy thrusts that we had presented.

    “Fellow citizens, four years down the lane, without prejudice to the just concluded re-run elections of 23rd March 2019, and the results declared by the INEC, you once again came outen masse and voted us to serve a second and final term as Executive Governor of the State, together with my Deputy, Professor Sonni G. Tyoden.

    “With gratitude to God Almighty, on behalf of myself and the Deputy Governor, I sincerely thank you all. We whole-heartedly accept this mandate to serve for a second and final term with all the humility it deserves. Above all, we accept this mandate by equally soliciting your usual cooperation and partnership as we strive to sustain the execution of our mandate.

    “The unquantifiable sacrifices and support of the platform on which we stood and won, namely, the Executive Council and state working committee of the APC, the director-general and members of the gubernatorial campaign council, volunteers, canvassers, agents, religious leaders, election observers, family members, women, youth and the less privileged are highly commendable and appreciated.

    “We see our task as a call to greater service and accountability to you as a people, who rightly represent the voice of God.

    “To our electoral umpire, security agencies, civil society organisations, stakeholders, and gentlemen of the press, we salute your courage and dexterity in upholding the tenets of your vocation, which contributed immensely to the success and peaceful conduct of this election. May God reward all of you with special graces and blessings.

    “Let me use this opportunity to urge my fellow citizens to regard this victory at the polls as victory for the whole of Plateau, with no victor, no vanquished. We had a dream, which we collectively and tirelessly worked towards achieving it and succeeded.

    “To me, this victory is a mark of honour and clarion call for consolidation of our gains and the sustainable peaceful coexistence for the good of the state.

    “Together, we will do more. I urge all citizens to celebrate in harmony with even the opposition without harassment, intimidation and provocative statements against any person or group.

    “To my fellow contestants, who not only participated in the historic gubernatorial debate, prior to the elections and also contested with me, I wish to congratulate you for your mature conduct during and after our electioneering campaigns.

    “I also extend my hands of friendship and urge you to share in the patriotic zeal of building a virile Plateau so that we can bequeath a positive and lasting legacy for the younger generations.

    “I equally extend my congratulations and hands of friendship to the newly elected and returned members of the Plateau State House of Assembly and indeed the National Assembly.

    “I look forward to a mutually beneficial and more robust working relationship with all of you. I pledge that government will continue to cooperate with the honourable members-elect at all times.”

     PDP insists: our candidate won in Kano

    The PDP yesterday insisted that its candidate, Abba K. Yusuf, won the Kano State governorship election, saying any declaration that does not reflect such cannot stand.

    According to the party, “the whole world knows that the PDP and its candidate, Abba Yusuf, won the Kano state governorship election since March 9, 2019, having fulfilled the constitutional requirement of securing the highest number of votes and the statutory 25 per cent in two-thirds of the state.”

    A statement last night by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the governorship supplementary election in Kano was a national disgrace and a mere figure allocating exercise by compromised INEC officials.

    The statement said: “INEC collaborated with power drunk politicians in the APC to award results to the APC candidate.”

    The party cautioned INEC against any attempt to import contrived figures from the ‘illegitimate’ March 23 ‘charade’, saying doing so would be a clear recipe for anarchy and serious crisis in the state.

    “The people of Kano state have a long history of firm resistance against corrupt and oppressive forces. Their will must therefore not be stretched in this election.”

    The Sokoto State chapter of the APC also rejected the declaration by INEC of Tambuwal as winner of the election.

    Addressing reporters after the declaration, APC Publicity Secretary Sambo Bello Danchadi said the position of the party was informed by obvious but fundamental reasons deemed contrary to the electoral laws.

    Danchadi pointed out that the winning margin of 342 was far less than the registered voters in polling units where elections were not held, a contravention of the electoral law.

    He said: “The APC has since tabled its complains before the Sokoto office of INEC for the breach of the electoral law and outright rigging perpetrated by our opponent during the elections.”

    The party noted with concern that despite steps taken, the electoral umpire went ahead to declare a winner without considering the earlier complaint lodged.

    “Our complaints also include the denial of potential voters the opportunity to cast their votes in some polling units within a number of local governments during the rerun.”

  • Police debunk reports of killings in Gama ward in Kano

    Anthony Ogbizi Michael, a Deputy Inspector-general of Police has debunked social media reports of killings in Gama ward in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano during the supplementary election on Saturday.

    DIG Michael blamed the social media for spreading the fake news. According to him, the story was the fabrication of the social media.

    “There was no such incident or arrest of some people in the any part of the state because the security arrangement was in order”, he said at a press briefing.

    “We have not witnessed any incident because voting went on in almost all the polling units smoothly.

    READ ALSO: Kano rerun: PDP, APC bicker over violence

    “There has not been report of any incident of thugs taking over polling unit. If thugs occupy any polling unit definitely INEC officials will not be there to conduct election,” he said.

    Michael said the Police Command arrested 10 suspected thugs for allegedly carrying weapons in the metropolis.

    “Some human beings were arrested in the early hours of Saturday by our men and they were found in group with some weapons like sticks and other things,” he said.

    He said investigation into the matter was ongoing as soon investigation was concluded they would be charged to court.

  • Kano re-run: Turn out impressive

    Voting commenced early in,Kwanar Tan Darius,Gama Tudu and Gama Sabuwa in Gama B ward at around 8.30am.

    A visit to some of the wards in Nassarawa and Dala local government areas by our reporter, indicated that security was beefed up in all the area that was tagged as a political war zone for the re-run poll.

    The turnout of the poll was generally impressive as voters especially women came out enmess to exercise their civic right.

    Hajiya Hauwa Abubakar and Ali Sani of Gama Suntulma Primary School polling unit said they cast their votes successfully.

    Read Also: Kano re-run: Agents clash over vote-buying

    INEC officials were seen busy accrediting voters and party agents were seen present at the places of the supplementary elections.

    The general mood of the Kano metropolis was peaceful and calm as the public had complied with the directives given by the Nigeria Police in Kano restricting movement from 6am to 6Pm.

    However, party agents clashed at Gama. Wards,with 83 polling units , they were busy soliciting for votes to smart each other.

  • Re-run election: Journalists escape lynching in Kano

    Some journalists covering the Supplementary Governorship election in Kano State on Saturday escaped lynching by some suspected thugs at Suntulma Primary School in Gama ward of Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state.

    NAN reports that the journalists who were in the area to monitor the poll, were chased out of the place by the hoodlums.

    Trouble began when some of the newsmen tried to interview some voters who were denied access into the classrooms where some of the polling units were stationed.

    While trying to flee the troubled area, some of the journalists fell on ground and one of them (Name withheld), had to take refuge in a nearby Mosque in order to save his life.

    NAN also reports that some of the reporters had their clothes torn by the thugs.

    Speaking to newsmen, some voters alleged that they were not allowed to exercise their franchise as they were chased out of the area.

    One of them, Comrade Aminu Tijjani, said he went to the primary school to cast his vote at his polling unit but had to return to escape the hoodlums’ attack.

    “The situation is very bad and this is not how to conduct an election where people or voters are denied the opportunity to vote,” Tijjani said.

    Read Also: Sokoto rerun: Party agents, supporters exchange blows

    Another voter, Sani Abdullahi, said he came to vote as early as 8 a.m. but was scared away by the suspected thugs numbering about 10.

    Meanwhile, voting has commenced in other affected polling units across the 28 local government areas of the state.

    NAN reports that the re-run election is being conducted to decide the winner between two candidates – Abba Kabir-Yusuf of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 1,014,477 votes, and incumbent Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who got 987,810 votes in the first poll conducted on March 9.

    The margin between the candidates stood at 26,655 votes in favour of Kabir-Yusuf.

  • Rerun polls: Tambuwal, Aliyu, Ganduje,Yusuf, others locked in fierce battle

    After the March 9 governorship elections across the country, the polls in six states – Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Plateau and Sokoto – were declared inconclusive. In this analysis, Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI who has been monitoring the situation writes on how the elections in five states will be fought and won. In Adamawa, the governorship rerun is on hold following a court order; the supplementary poll holds today only in two constituencies for state assembly.

    THE two major parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) resorted to a war of words when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the recent governorship elections in six states inconclusive and announced later that it would conduct supplementary polls in five of the affected states today. The governorship rerun will not hold today in Adamawa because of a court order barring INEC. It will, however, hold in two constituencies for the state assembly.

    Both conventional and social media are awash with last ditch efforts by the affected parties to get an upper hand in today’s supplementary elections. The two parties have been busy with fresh campaigns, establishing alliances and heading to the courts, to secure injunctions to stop the election.

    Curiously, it is first-term governors from either the APC or the PDP that are facing serious challenge in the states where elections are scheduled to hold. The following is how the supplementary election battle in each of the states would be fought and won.

    BAUCHI

    The back and forth movement over today’s supplementary election in some polling units Bauchi State was eventually settled on Thursday, with INEC saying it will go ahead with the exercise.

    The Bauchi State governorship election was declared inconclusive, follow ing irregularities in some polling units across 15 local government areas.

    The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Bauchi, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said today’s supplementary elections are due to be held in 36 polling units in 15 local government areas. There are 22,759 registered voters in the affected 36 polling units where the supplementary elections will be taking place today.

    In the results released so far, the PDP candidate, Bala Mohammed, is leading with 4,059 votes; having scored 469,512 votes, against 465,453 votes polled by the incumbent Governor Mohammed Abubakar of the APC.

    Results from Tafawa Balewa local government are also in dispute, after thugs attacked the local government collation centre and disrupted the collation of results.

    INEC had decided to resume the collation of results in the council, but a court ruling has  suspended the exercise in the local government, which is regarded as a stronghold of the PDP. So, the local government is not part of today’s supplementary elections.

    INEC had indicated that it would resume the collation of results of the disputed Tafawa Balewa Local Government after considering a report submitted by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Bauchi. But it had to stay action on the matter, following the court injunction. The PDP insists that the initial cancellation of the result from the local government was illegal because the returning officer did not have the power to cancel the results already collated. The party said since there were no reports of violent clashes and disruptions of voting at the polling units,  which was the only ground for the cancellation of results, the returning officer acted outside his power by rejecting the result from the council. The PDP on Thursday threatened to boycott today’s supplementary elections on the grounds that INEC has allegedly compromised the process by acceding to the demands of the ruling APC.

    It had also appointed a new collation/returning officer to conclude the collation process, after Mrs Dominion Anosike withdrew over alleged threats to her life and her family. But the decision of the electoral body was rejected by the APC.

    PDP chairman, Hamza Akuyam, said no supplementary elections should take place until the full governorship election results collation, which ended with Tafawa Balewa local government, are announced.

    He said: “Doing otherwise will be synonymous with writing a reseat examination while the main examination has not been marked.” He accused the REC in Bauchi of deliberately keeping everybody waiting at the collation centre until around 2pm when he abruptly surfaced with a court injunction halting the collation exercise.

    With the current state of affairs, the PDP is in pole position to win the election. Apart from the fact that it is leading with 4,059 votes, the results from Tafawa Balewa Local Government, which is a stronghold of the party is still outstanding. At the end of the day, the opposition party is likely to carry the day.

    BENUE

    In Benue State, with the margin between Governor Samuel Ortom of the PDP and his APC counterpart, Emmanuel Jime, INEC is conducting today’s election to fulfill all righteousness, because it is obvious that PDP has an unassailable lead.

    The supplementary election will be conducted in almost all the 23 local government areas with about 121,091 votes at stake. After the March 9 election, the PDP was leading 81,554 votes. The party polled 420,576 votes, while its closest challenger, the APC, scored 329,022. INEC had to declare the election inconclusive, because cancelled votes -121,091 — were higher than the margin between the two top candidates.

    Governor Ortom is likely to emerge victorious at the end of today’s exercise, because it will be difficult to have a 100 per cent turnout and the APC getting enough votes to cancel the PDP’s lead. The two leading political parties have been wooing voters ahead of today’s election.

    The PDP had insisted that Ortom won the election and that he should be declared winner of the election.

    KANO

    Today’s supplementary election in Kano State is a battle between former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and incumbent Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. The election is likely to determine the political future of the two gladiators. The two politicians were allies from 1999 when they were elected as governor and deputy governor respectively, up to 2015 when the former nominated the latter to succeed him as the state governor.

    But, less than two years after the election that brought Ganduje to power, his relationship with his former boss became sour and this finally led to the defection of Kwankwaso to the PDP.

    Ganduje is seeking re-election to complete a second tenure as governor, while the ‘PDP candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf, is contesting governorship for the first time.

    This is where the real contest is. Although the PDP occupies the high ground in this contest, its lead is not enough to guarantee that it would triumph at the end of the day. The final outcome would be determined by the electors who will come out to cast their ballot today.  In the results declared so far, the PDP flag bearer leads the incumbent governor with 26,000 votes, while the votes at stake in the 172 polling units where the supplementary election is taking place are 128,572.

    The March 9 governorship election was cancelled in the affected units due to disturbances over voting and nonusage of the Card Reader machines.

    The declaration of the election as inconclusive is in accordance with section 26 of the INEC Act, because the number of cancelled votes is beyond the margin between the candidate with the highest votes and the one that came second.

    In the results released so far, the PDP candidate scored 1,014,474, while the APC had 987,819 votes.

    There is no telling who will emerge victorious at the end of the day, given the number of registered voters in the area where results were cancelled.

    Nevertheless, the PDP candidate appears to have an upper hand, with the 26,000 votes advantage he enjoys going into today’s supplementary election.

    PLATEAU

    In the case of Plateau State, today’s supplementary election may turn out to be a mere formality. Incumbent Governor Simon Lalong, who is the APC candidate, is in pole position to secure his re-election.

    While the supplementary elections in Adamawa, Bauchi and Benue seem set to go PDP way, the APC has similarly secured acomfortable lead in Plateau State.

    Other things being equal, the incumbent, Simon Lalong, seems ready to clinch a second term in office.

    So far, in the declared election result, Lalong polled 583,255 votes, while Jeremiah Useni of the PDP secured 538,326 votes. With a margin 44,929 between the two contestants and 49,377 cancelled votes, today’s election is a mere formality.

    Observers say the supplementary election is needless and a mere waste of time and resources because it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for Useni to come from far behind to level up the margin and beat Lalong. They say the odds weigh heavily to the point of impossibility against the PDP candidate, for him to defeat the APC candidate.

     

    SOKOTO

    In Sokoto, the PDP candidate, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, is clinging to a narrow lead ahead of his APC counterpart, Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto. Tambuwal leads with 3,413 votes, having scored 489,558 votes, against his APC counterparts 486,090 votes.

    A winner could not be declared since the cancelled votes were more than the margin between the winner and the runner off. The number of registered voters in the area where results were cancelled are 75, 403, whereas Tambuwal is leading his APC counterpart with 3, 413 votes.

    Sokoto is another electoral contest that is too close to call. After defecting to the PDP to pursue his presidential ambition, Tambuwal lost some of his local support, especially that of the defacto godfather of Sokoto politics and a former governor of the state, Aliyu Wamakko.

    The APC draws most of its support from the influential Wamakko and many analysts did not give the PDP a chance until it managed to secure a respectable portion of the votes during the presidential election.

    The supplementary election may, however, offer the APC an opportunity to rouse itself from slumber and restrategise for a better outing.