The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kogi State

  • Akpoti rejects Kogi central results, heads for tribunal

    Senatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi Central Barrister Natasha Hadiza Akpoti on Thursday alleged Saturday’s National Assembly election in the district was compromised.

    She claimed she has evidence to this effect, saying she was compiling more to contest the results in a court of law.

    Barrister Akpoti, who came second to candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) alleged that ballot papers used in the election were already in the public domain days before the exercise.

    She also accused Governor Yahaya Bello of using security agents to intimidate her supporters, adding she was optimistic of recovering her mandate at the tribunal.

    Akpoti said: “What started as a peaceful election ended up being one of the most horrible daylight rapes of our democracy.

    “Ballot boxes were snatched and destroyed some by fire. Card readers were stolen and many tampered with to accept without verification and in many places card readers were not used at all.

    “Pre-thumb printed ballot papers were stuffed into the ballot box. Breach of the INEC security measure was evident with the use of 2015 stamps.

    “Multiple voting by illegally acquired PVCs was used in their thousands by APC Kogi State.”

    Natasha said her agents were harassed and chased out of many polling units in Okene, Ogori-Magongo, Ajaokuta and Adavi LGAs.

    Read Also: Police confirm three dead in Kogi

    According to her: “The aforementioned and more are provable by hard concrete evidence. We believe the judiciary is the last hope of the common man and trust that the rule of law shall be applied in defending the people’s mandate at the Tribunal.

    “The violence leading to intimidation and harassment of me and my supporters before, during and post elections.

    “On the eve of the elections, I was denied entrance into the state by 100+ Gov. Yahaya Bello’s Government house police led by his ADC. I had to take a detour from Abaji via Nassarawa, Keffi and Benue.

    “On arriving Okene at 9am, I met the same men who disarmed my security, send away my security personnel and blocked my vehicle from movements using tires and bricks.

    It took the efforts of the Force Headquarters instructing the Okene Area Commander to free me and my personnel.”

     

  • We’ll bring perpetrators of killings to book – Bello

    The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has vowed to bring those behind the killings and pockets of violence recorded in the last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly, in some parts of the state to justice.

    He said that such acts were inimical to the zero tolerance stance of his administration, and as such will be investigated and those behind it made to face justice.

    The governor Wednesday in a radio broadcast to the people of the state thanked them for their massive turnout and voting to return President Muhammadu Buhari into office.

    He described Buhari’s second term victory at the poll as a watershed moment.

    He said: “The reelection of Mr. President along with his able running mate, His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, marks the watershed moment of the 2019 general elections, and in particular, the presidential and National Assembly Elections.

    “I thank the great people of Kogi State for their massive turnout and peaceful conduct. This amply demonstrates your commitment to the democratic process characterised by free and fair elections.

    “We have done our best to complement your aspirations by placing the credibility and integrity of the electoral system above any desires to win every contested seat, and by all available means.

    “Despite initial teething pains and some malignancy in the campaigns, we did our best to provide the secure and conducive atmosphere needed by our people to exercise their franchise freely. In the end, the good people of Kogi State spoke loud and clear that despite any shortcomings, government at state and federal levels have acted substantially in line with their mandate.

    “The voice of the people is the voice of God. Our people have resoundingly insisted that while change must now make way for progress, the All Progressives Congress still remains their preferred driver for the journey ahead.

    “As a government, we have been forced to function with only one federal legislator in the entire state, so the outcome of these elections is a great victory and a precious gift to us by you. By your votes, you have improved our abilities to function well as a government by giving us a majority of the elected federal legislators. It will now be easier for what belongs to us to be harnessed in Abuja and brought home for the benefit of our communities.

    “I am saddened by the pockets of violence which marred the elections in some constituencies and led to loss of lives and properties. I am particularly pained by the death of Mr. Daniel Usman who came out to exercise his civic duty to vote only to have his life cut short by a stray bullet at Anyigba. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and to all those who may have suffered unjustly in any other manner.

    Read Also: Buhari’s victory a watershed, says Bello

    “Most significantly, I also give them my word that we will ensure they get justice by getting to the roots of the problems and bringing all perpetrators to book. We will ensure that legal action is taken against individuals and institutions which prevented or disrupted the conduct of elections in some polling units across the state.

    “Our stated objective of zero tolerance for crimes and insecurity remain intact, thus we cannot condone such recklessness or neglect to punish them.

    “As we prepare for the state Assembly Elections on March 9, we again urge our people to troop out enmasse and cast their votes. It will help the conduct of government business greatly if our people can also help us again by voting people at all state constituencies who will not delay or totally derail the business of government with unnecessary party politics. Nevertheless, we reiterate that our primary commitment is for everyone to come out and vote their choice without any form of duress.“

  • Video: Senator Dino Melaye in jubilant mood after re-election

    Following his victory at the just concluded 2019 polls, Senator Dino Melaye has taken to social media to express joy in praises to God.

    Melaye took to his Instagram page to share a video of himself singing in appreciation of winning his Kogi west re-election bid.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BuSuLGkHNrr/

  • Thugs obstruct movement of results to state INEC office

    The police and other security agencies have been called in to protect the senatorial collation centre in kogi West, as tension mount in Kogi East as suspected thugs are reportedly preventing the movement of election results to the INEC state headquarters, to Lokoja, the capital.

    The development has resulted in the delay of results from the senatorial collation centres across the state.

    Senator Dino Melaye confirmed the development in the in his (Kogi West) Senatorial district.

    Read Also: Breaking: Thugs set INEC office on fire

    The Kogi State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. James Apam said that no single result from the 21 local government areas have been received by the commission.

    Collation of results in the Kogi is characterized by suspense, raising fears of possible eruption of violence across the state.

  • Gunmen kill police officer attached to Bello’s aide

    Unidentified gunmen suspected to be political thugs have shot dead a police officer attached to the Personal Assistant to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Kabir Aliu.

    Aliu sustained gunshot wounds when the suspected thugs opened fire on their vehicle while on their way to the governor’s residence in Okene.

    Governor Bello disclosed this on Saturday shortly after casting his vote at his Agassa Uvete ward 011 polling unit in Okene Local Government Area.

    He expressed sadness over the killing, saying that the police were already investigating the matter.

    Read Also: Niger: Sani Bello wins polling unit

    The governor waited for close to two hours before accreditation, owing to card reader malfunction.

    He expressed disappointment with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the shoddy arrangement, saying that it did not augur well for a transparent and credible election.

    According to him, “For an election where card readers are expected to shut down at 2 o clock, and in a polling unit such as this, with 844 registered voters, many people will be disenfranchised.”

    He, however, expressed satisfaction with the relatively peaceful conduct while the exercise lasted in the area.

  • Two feared dead in Kogi East, as violence erupts

    There were conflicting reports over the number of persons that died yon Saturday in Anyigba, Dekina local government, Kogi State, as suspected thugs made to disrupt voting in the area.

    Two persons reportedly lost their lives at the Ajetachi polling unit, opposite OLS, Anyigba, in the Kogi East Senatorial district, when political thugs stormed the area.

    They shot sporadically in all directions, leading to the death of a nineteen-year-old boy, simply identified as Usman, while a woman who was on the queue to cast her ballot was seriously injured.

    At Agbeji, thugs who invaded two polling unit tried to force the Presiding Officers (PO) to sign completed result sheets.

    Read Also: Controversy over mass arrests in Kogi

    The Pos, however, refused, and took to their heels, resulting in the disruption of the exercise.

    Meanwhile, in Igalamela-Odolu, Kogi East Senatorial district, the embattled state house of assembly member, Friday Makama, was reportedly abducted by persons disguised in police uniform.

    He was, however, rescued by some of his loyalists, who blocked the vehicle with which his abductors whisked him away.

    He was said to have been handcuffed by the said abductors.

    A man was reportedly shot during the ensuing rescue operation.

    Igalamela-Odolu is a PDP stronghold.

  • Elections: Two feared killed in Kogi East

    There were conflicting reports over the number of persons that died Saturday in Anyigba, Dekina local government, Kogi State, as suspected thugs made to disrupt voting in the area.

    Two persons reportedly lost their lives at the Ajetachi polling unit, opposite OLS, Anyigba, in the Kogi East Senatorial district, when political thugs stormed the area.

    They shot sporadically in all directions, leading to the death of a nineteen year old boy, simply identified as Usman, while a woman who was on the queue to cast her ballot was seriously injured.

    At Agbeji, thugs who invaded two polling unit tried to force the Presiding Officers (PO) to sign completed result sheets.

    The POs however refused, and took to their heels, resulting in the disruption of the exercise.

  • Kogi: Faulty card readers stall Gov. Bello’s accreditation

    Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State was unable to get accredited at his Agassa Uvete Unit 11 polling Unit, Okene LG, due to faulty Card Reader Machine.

    Bello who along with his wives, Hajia Rasheeda and Hajia Amina, stood on line for over an hour, while INEC officials went in frantic search for replacement, expressed  his disappointment at the development.

    Read Also: Why we dumped Atiku, PDP – Bello

    He however expressed the hope that his was an isolated case.

    “I am disappointed at INEC, and I hope my own is an isolated case,” he said.

    INEC as at the time of filing this story had secured a replacement, and the governor was able to cast his vote.

  • Controversy over mass arrests in Kogi

    Less than twenty four hours to the commencement of the presidential and National Assembly elections, scores of people have been reportedly arrested from across Kogi State, by operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Lokoja.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeem Busari, has however debunked the allegations of indiscriminate arrest of persons.

    He said that those spreading the falsehood were doing so in bad faith.

    The police, he said, will always do its routine work, irrespective of the season.

    Speaking with The Nation on the telephone, the CP said that those peddling the ‘falsehood’ were doing so, for ulterior motives.

    He said that six persons were arrested about two weeks back, based on petitions against them, adding that four were released after investigation, while two others who were later arrested, also based on petitions, are being investigated, and will be released, if cleared.

    According to him: “It  is falsehood; these people are doing it for ulterior motives.

    “One politician and former governor for three months alleged that people were arrested; petitions were written and after investigations, we invited six persons. Four were released, while two others are still being investigated.

    “If they are cleared, they will be released. This is election period and anything that happens, they will ascribe ethnic, political or religious colouration to it. There is nothing as such; police will always carry out its routine duty, whether it is election or not. We are doing our work.”

    The said arrests, according to sources, who did not want their names in print, began as early as 3AM, in Mopa, Mopa-Moro Local Government Area (LGA), Kogi West, where former Acting Governor, Clarence Olafemi hails from, and where no less than fifteen persons, including a septuagenarian Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Women Leader, were said to have been ‘rounded up’.

    Those arrested were said to have been moved to the SARS operational base located at the ‘A’ Division, Lokoja.

    ”At 3AM this morning, men of SARS Lokoja, came to Mopa, broke down doors of people’s homes and commenced indiscriminate arrests; beating up pregnant women and damaging properties.

    ”They alleged they came on the order of the CP and local government administrator. They were accused of gun running. Among those picked up are the PDP Women Leader, Marion Alege- 74yrs, Emma Amufasaiye, PDP exco member, Abayomi Akeju, PDP ward chairman, Little (44), PDP LG secretary and ten others,” said a source.

    While the CP debunked the allegation, others yet alleged that close to a hundred people have so far been arrested, on the eve of elections.

  • PDP demands release of Kogi campaign spokesman, others

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the immediate release of its presidential campaign spokesperson in Kogi State, Mr. Austin Okai, who was allegedly abducted Friday evening by armed thugs allegedly unleashed by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The party also said the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, should immediately disband the checking point in Banda, Lokoja-Abuja highway where members of opposition are allegedly being harassed and intimidated.

    In a statement on Friday night by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said its members, as well as the people of Kogi state cannot stomach the abduction of Mr. Austin Okai as well as the arrest of its members for flimsy reasons by the APC.

    Read also: PDP accuses INEC of hoarding result sheets

    The statement said: “PDP cautions that the continued stay in captivity of Kogi state party leaders can spark off crisis in the state.

    “We urge the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, to immediately step into the matter to forestall a breakdown of law and order. This is because, if Mr. Austin Okai and others are not immediately released by the APC, it would send a very wrong signal to the already agitated youth and lead to a resort to self-help.

    “The PDP also alerts of the arrest of its ward chairmen in Rivers state by soldiers, particularly in Abua-Odual Local Government Area, ostensibly in compliance with the orders of the Buhari Presidency.

    “The mass arrest in Rivers is coming on the heels of the clampdown of PDP members in Kano state with the arrest of our party leaders and campaign officials including our Senatorial candidate Ahmed Haruna Bichi and a serving member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Garba Bichi.

    “The PDP notes that these are two very volatile states and any act that suggests a clampdown by the authorities might lead to vehement resistance by the people and trigger crisis in the state.

    “We call on Nigerians to note how the Buhari Presidency and the APC are pushing Nigerians to the wall and invite the international community to hold President Buhari directly responsible for these infractions against innocent Nigerians”.