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Tag: Kola Ologbondiyan

  • 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”.

  • 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.”

  • PDP hails court judgment on its Kano governorship candidate

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the order of the Court of Appeal on Thursday restraining INEC from de-listing its governorship candidate in Kano State.

    The Court restrained INEC from removing the name of Mr Abba Yusuf, the party’s governorship candidate, from the list of the state governorship candidates.

    The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said that the judgment had completely put to rest all controversies regarding the PDP candidate for the election.

    He said that Yusuf remained the bona-fide candidate of the PDP for the Saturday’s election.

    Read also: 32 political parties set for polls in Benue, says REC

    “The Court of Appeal is commended for delivering justice by upholding the lawful nomination of Yusuf as the PDP candidate for the Kano state governorship election.

    “All stakeholders are advised to note the order of the Court of Appeal and be guided accordingly.”(NAN)

  • EFCC arrests Atiku’s campaign chief

    The Deputy Director General (Admin) the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization, Tanimu Turaki SAN, has been reportedly arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    A statement last night by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Turaki’s arrest and detention was part of the grand plot by the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to use state apparatus of power to intimidate PDP leaders and scuttle the party’s determination to reclaim its February 23 presidential election victory in court.

    Demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Turaki, who was said to have been arrested Monday, the party said the campaign chief was arrested and detained for no reason.

    The statement said, “Since the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the PDP expressed our unwavering determination to reclaim our victory at the tribunal, being armed with overwhelming evidence, our leaders have been subjected to escalated harassments, constant threats, blackmails, cajoling and contrivances by the APC to drop our legal option.

    Read also: Buhari hosts Presidential Campaign Council to dinner

    “It is instructive to state that Tanimu Turaki was arrested and detained upon invitation by the EFCC to endorse a bail document for the Finance Director of Atiku Abubakar’s company, Babalele Abdullahi, who was arrested earlier by the commission over flimsy allegations.

    “The PDP, however, states in clear terms that the APC and the Buhari Presidency are fighting a lost battle as no amount of harassment and threats will ever make the party to buckle in its determination to take back the mandate, in line with the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians.

    “Nigerians are resolute on this struggle to reclaim the mandate freely given to Atiku Abubakar at the polls and the PDP will pursue this decision to its logical end and secure justice for the Nigerian people”.

  • PDP: Atiku made no demand on Buhari

    …vows to reclaim ‘stolen mandate’ at Tribunal

     

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed media reports indicating that its candidate in the February 23 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar has been making some demands on President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Describing the reports as fabrication being peddled by the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC), the PDP urged the public to disregard such reports, describing them as absolute falsehood and outright lies.

    A statement Saturday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said Atiku Abubakar had not, and will never make or accept any condition from President Buhari regarding the February 23 presidential election, which the PDP insisted Atiku won.

    The statement said, “The Buhari Presidency and the APC know that their electoral robbery cannot stand before any noble justices and are now attempting to use all sorts of blackmail and shenanigans to derail the quest by Nigerians to reclaim the stolen mandate at the tribunal.

    “However, let it be known to President Buhari and the APC that Atiku Abubakar and the PDP are standing shoulder to shoulder with Nigerians in this collective determination to take back the stolen mandate and we are not ready for any form of negotiation with anybody on this matter.

    Read Also: Respect Nigerians’ verdict, group tells Atiku

    “Our party and candidate remain committed to the huge sacrifices made by Nigerians in ensuring our collective victory as delivered at the polling units across the country; we are mindful of the pains that Nigerians are passing through since the subversion of their will at the polls; we are sensitive to the expectations that millions of compatriots place on our shoulders in this struggle and we will never let Nigerians down.

    “We have all the authentic results from all the polling units as well as forensic evidence of manipulations by the APC and INEC. We will bare them all at the tribunal and the court will give justice to Nigerians.

    “On that note, the PDP states unequivocally that nothing will change its resolve to pursue this despicable electoral fraud, unknown in our political history, to its end.

    “We shall devote every energy necessary to reclaim our mandate and have Atiku Abubakar declared President, in line with the will of the people as delivered at the polling units on February 23, 2019.

    “Anything short of this is not acceptable and no amount of false reports, connivance, contrivance, intimidation, harassment and fresh attacks on our leaders, including the Director General of our Presidential Campaign, Senate President Bukola Saraki, whose residence was besieged by security agents last night, can alter this resolve”.

     

  • Oshiomhole should be concerned about APC’s lost in Edo, says PDP

    n a swift reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, advised Oshiomhole to first address the many problems he has brought upon his party before dabbling in the affairs of Atiku and the PDP

    Ologbondiyan said, “Oshiomhole should be concerned about how he lost his Edo state to the PDP in the February 23 presidential election. What should be agitating their mind is how a national chairman of a ruling party who also has a sitting governor in place lost election in his state to the opposition.

    Read Also; God never destined Atiku to be President, says Oshiomhole

    “Here is a party national chairman that cannot even manage internal democracy within his party. He created problems for his candidates and his own party members were pelting him with water sachets and stones at campaign allies.

    “Oshiomhole should also tell the world on the platform of how many parties President Muhammadu Buhari contested the presidential election for 12 years before he finally won on the platform of the APC in 2015″.

  • PDP to Buhari: Stop whining, accept the people’s will

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop whining over their “rejection” in the presidential election and quietly accept the will of the people.

    The party said the APC and agents of the Buhari Presidency, were bewildered by defeat and thus plotting to discredit the votes which the opposition party sad Nigerians freely delivered to its candidate, Atiku Abubakar at their polling units.

    A statement last night by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said part of alleged plot is to trigger mayhem and burn down Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices in order to destroy all evidence of poll results.

    The statement said, “The PDP reminds President Buhari and the APC that the polling unit is the foundation of the election and all our agents and supporters already have the results in all the polling centers and voting points across the country.

    “As such, our party is holding strongly to our results as already delivered by the people at the polling units and such cannot be altered.

    “The PDP, therefore, counsels President Buhari and his APC to respect the will of the people and accept the verdict of the election. It is not for President Buhari to direct his campaign spokesperson to tell Nigerians that no party should rejoice.

    “For us in the PDP, we already have the figures and we are aware that Nigerians in their resolve and consensus have settled their votes in favour of the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as the next President of our country.

    “President Buhari should be prepared to take his defeat in good faith. After all, he will not be the first sitting President to lose in an election”.

  • PDP demands release of detained Senator Ibrahim

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Senator Rufai Ibrahim (Kwara South) and other members of the party said to have been framed-up, arrested and detained by the Police in Kwara state.

    A statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan said the continued detention of Senator Ibrahim on the eve of a crucial election, in which he is a lead contender, is completely provocative.

    The party also cautioned the police to stop harassing, arresting and detaining its members on flimsy charges, as such will directly pitch security agents against the people in a manner that might spark off violent resistance with regrettable consequences.

    It said: “This resort to police brutality by the APC is a script by a losing team which seeks to introduce violence and use the police to execute their rigging plots.

    “However, PDP, in clear terms cautions the APC and their compromised security agents that nobody has the monopoly of show of strength.

    “Our members in Kwara or any other state, for that matter, are law-abiding but will never allow themselves to be subjugated by anybody, particularly in this critical electoral process.

    Read Also: Edo PDP vows to secure votes

    “In this regard, our members should immediately activate their individual and collective defence mechanisms by using every legitimate means available, to resist the aggression of the APC and their compromised security agents as well as dismantle their rigging machineries.

    “We know the plan of the APC is to stop our members from accessing their polling centers. Our members should deploy all legitimate means, including lawful self-preservation strategies and tactical maneuvers to beat the aggressions, arrive at their respective polling centers and exercise their voting rights accordingly.

    “The PDP therefore calls on the Inspector General of Police to immediately call CP Kayode Egbetokun to order.

    “We also call on lovers of democracy all over the world to rise in condemnation of this wicked harassment and arrest of our members ahead of a crucial election”

  • PDP alleges plots by Buhari, APC to truncate democracy

    The People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ) has alleged plots by President Muhammadu Buhari and the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) to trigger widespread political crisis, aimed at derailing the democratic process and plunge the nation into anarchy.

    The opposition party particularly faulted the President’s directive to the security agencies to deal ruthlessly with any ballot box snatchers and others that may act in ways that could threaten the electoral process.

    A statement Monday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP viewed President Buhari’s directive as “threat to the lives of Nigerians”.

    The President had, during the APC caucus meeting held in Abuja Monday, said anyone caught snatching ballot boxes should consider the offence the very last they would ever commit.

    But the PDP said President Buhari’s statement was a direct call for jungle justice and attempt to divert public attention from details of APC’s caucus meeting where the President issued the warning.

    The statement said, “We do hope that this call by President Buhari is not a camouflage for the fake soldiers mobilized by the APC to shoot at innocent Nigerians, snatch ballot boxes and execute their rigging plans on the election day. It is indeed a license to kill, which should not come from any leader of any civilized nation.

    “The underlining fact to the above is that President Buhari and APC leaders, upon getting to their voting constituencies last Saturday, realized that there is a nationwide rejection of Buhari’s re-election bid, and this has thrown them into a panic mode.

    “President Buhari must however bear in mind that his resort to threats and scaremongering will not deter Nigerians from coming out en-masse to vote him out of office on February 23.

    “We are aware that President Buhari, who had earlier boasted that nobody can ‘unseat’ him, is bent on using every dictatorial and tyrannical act to truncate the process of a free, fair and credible election”.

    The party also said intelligence available to it showed that the Buhari Presidency has directed the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reshuffle the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).

    According to the PDP, the alleged deployment was to eagle INEC deploy “compromised” officials to manipulate the electoral process in President favour, adding, as they did with the police shortly before February 16.

    The said it’s also aware of the pressure allegedly being mounted by the Buhari Presidency on INEC to cancel elections in some states and make others inconclusive so as to achieve the President’s objectives of a staggered election not minding the crisis such will trigger across the federation.

    “We want Nigerians and the international community to hold President Buhari personally responsible for any electoral crisis, otherwise he will as usual, claim that he was not aware of the plots and transfer the blame to Adams Oshiomhole and Rotimi Amaechi.

    “It is already known that President Buhari has been unrelenting in his attempts to subdue our democracy by trying to subjugate the legislature, emasculate the judiciary and seize control of the electoral umpire.

    “Nevertheless, the PDP wants to assure President Buhari that our nation is bigger than him and that Nigerians will never allow him and the APC to rig this election.

    “Nigerians have reach an irreversible democratic consensus to vote Buhari out and elect the Peoples Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who is ready to rescue our nation from the hardship, anguish, agony and bloodletting which the Buhari administration has plunged us,” the statement added

  • Postponement: PDP urges Nigerians to remain firm

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has urged Nigerians to remain firm and not to buckle before anti-democratic forces as a result of the postponement of the presidential and National Assembly elections nationwide.

    At a media briefing in Abuja Saturday, the main opposition party expressed shock at the last minute decision to postpone the polls.

    Spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, who address newsmen, said the vehemently rejected the sudden postponement of the February 16 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a few hours before the commencement of polls.

    According to the PDP, the decision taken by INEC was a grand plot to give the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Buhari Presidency the space to perfect their rigging plans, which have been resisted by Nigerians to this point.

    The party spokesman said the PDP was fully prepared for the polls, with its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, having worked very hard in readiness for the election.

    Ologbondiyan said, “Our members and supporters, in their millions and generality of Nigerians that are eager to participate in the democratic process had already moved close to their polling units in readiness to vote and to defend their votes.

    “In some cases, Nigerians were already at their polling units in orderly queue in the hope to vote out the incompetent administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “Countless of patriotic Nigerians and families had spent huge resources and made exhaustive sacrifices in travelling to their various polling areas to vote for their consensus candidate, Atiku Abubakar, only for INEC to announce this devastating postponement.

    “The public space is replete with how the Buhari Presidency mounted pressure on INEC leadership to postpone the election at the dying minute, so as to place more burdens on voters and frustrate their enthusiasm for the election”.

    The PDP regretted that Nigerians were made to lose trillions of naira, risked their lives on the road and in the air as well as faced other huge loses just because some politicians want to perpetuate themselves in office.

    The spokesman continued, “President Buhari in his desperation for power has again exhibited his insensitivity to the sensibilities of Nigerians, particularly in his deceitful attempt to heap blames on INEC for a plot that was hatched and executed by his Presidency.

    “It is instructive to state that the reasons given for the postponement, including the logistic challenges in the distribution of sensitive election materials, as well as security concerns, were all the machinations of the APC and the Buhari Presidency to create confusion and arrive at a predetermined end, which is to rig the election.

    Read Also: PDP rejects postponement

    “The APC and the Buhari Presidency, having realised that they have no chance of winning, had continued to prepare the ground by inciting acts of violence in various parts of the country, issuing threats to election observers, using the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to escalate a sense of insecurity, burning INEC offices to paralyze its operations as well as using government officials to openly mount pressure on the commission to shift the elections.

    “This is in addition to the compromising of government facilities and agencies to frustrate the distribution of sensitive election materials including results sheets in various states; the provocative substitution of already trained INEC polling officials with APC members as well as the deployment of security forces to simultaneously arrest PDP leaders and supporters, particularly in Kwara, Akwa-Ibom, Imo, Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, Kogi, Bayelsa among other states in order to create a sense of national insecurity and trigger violent resistance by the people.

    “APC’s new plot is to escalate series of challenges that will eventually paralyze INEC’s operation in some states so as to stagger the election and pave way to isolate certain critical states, after which it will use compromised security agents to muzzle the polls in those states in favour of President Buhari.

    “Our response to INEC and the Buhari Presidency is that they have only succeeded in postponing the evil day for their candidate, President Buhari”

    The party further said Nigerians will never adjust in their resolve to resist the APC rigging plans and serve President Buhari his defeat certificate at the polls any day, any time.

    “The PDP therefore stands with Nigerians at this critical moment and urge them to stand together in the overall interest of our nation. Our party appreciates the sacrifices and commitment made by Nigerians in the pursuit of a new leadership in our country; we understand the pains and distress they are passing through at this moment due to this postponement.

    “Nevertheless, the PDP urges Nigerians not to despair or allow our resilient spirit for which we are known all over the world to be subjugated at this crucial time. We must pick up ourselves against all odds and stand firm for the future of our dear nation.

    “In that regard, the PDP directs all our members and supporters to remain calm and encourage one another at this critical time. We all must stand together in preparation for the final push next Saturday. We must never give up until victory is assured.

    “Nigerians will never surrender to President Buhari’s anti-democratic forces that want to subjugate our people and derail our hard-earned democracy. President Buhari should therefore perish the thought of rigging this election or achieving a self-succession bid

    “The PDP calls on the international community to note what is happening in Nigeria and hold President Buhari as well as the APC responsible should there be any breakdown of law and order in our country”.