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Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • Buhari beats Atiku in Lagos State

    President Muhammadu Buhari and Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has polled 580,825 votes to defeat his closest rival, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of PDP in Lagos State.

    Buhari’s closest challenger, Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 448,015 to come second at the end of the state final collation of the Presidential election results from the 20 local government areas of the state.

    Prof. Felix Salako, the Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun was the INEC state collation officer who collated results of the 20 LGAs.

    LGA collation officers properly presented the results one after the other as they arrived at the collation centre before they were accepted by Salako.

    At the end of the collation, Salako said the state had registered voters of 6,313,507, with accredited voters at 1, 196, 490.

    Read Also: Buhari defeats Atiku in Ogun

    According to him, the valid votes are 1,089,567, total rejected votes at 67,023 while votes cast stand at 1,157, 590 in the presidential election.

    Reeling out the results of each political parties, he said Accord polled 5, 948 votes, AAC, 8, 910; ADC, 2915; ADP, 1,262 and ANN polled 6,946.

    The professor added that APA had 1495 votes, DPP polled 1,372 votes, PCP got 8,458, and SNC scored 1766.

    The other political parties that participated in the poll had less than 1,000 votes each.

    According to him, Form 6OE will be pasted at the collation center after duly signed by the party agents.

  • Atiku wins Plateau with 548, 665 votes

    Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has won Saturday’s presidential election in Plateau after scoring 548,665 votes.

    Atiku defeated his closest opponent, Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 468, 555 votes.

    Prof. Richard Kimbir, the Collation Officer for the election in the state, declared the results on Monday in Jos.

    Kambir, who is the Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, said Atiku won in 11 local government areas to defeat Buhari who won in six LGAs of the state.

    Kambir announced the results scored by the two candidates in each local government area of the state as follows:

     

    Kanam

    APC: 51, 017

    PDP: 18, 331

     

    Wase

    APC : 35, 931

    PDP : 22, 809

     

    Jos North

    APC :93, 800

    PDP : 53, 277

     

    Mangu

    APC : 42, 947

    PDP: 48, 923

     

    Shendam

    APC : 38, 196

    PDP :24, 162

     

    Barkin Ladi

    APC : 15, 390

    PDP : 42, 138

     

    Bassa

    APC : 27, 632

    PDP : 34, 822

     

    Langtang North

    APC: 16, 665

    PDP: 34, 105

     

    Riyom

    APC : 8, 710

    PDP : 21, 892

     

    Bokkos

    APC 18, 328

    PDP : 32, 246

     

    Jos South

    APC : 25, 574

    PDP: 106, 526

     

    Qua’anpan

    APC : 20, 872

    PDP : 17, 479

     

    Lantang South

    APC 11, 224

    PDP : 18, 470

     

    Pankshin

    APC : 21, 609

    PDP: 30, 509

     

    Kanke

    APC 17, 946

    PDP : 22, 875

     

    Mikang

    APC: 10, 869

    PDP : 11, 262

     

    Jos East

    APC : 11, 847

    PDP: 8, 853.

     

    NAN

  • Finance Commissioner defeats incumbent senator of Kaduna North

    Alhaji Suleiman Abdu-Kwari of All Progressive Congress (APC) was on Monday declared winner of Kaduna North Senatorial District election held on Saturday, Feb. 23.

    Abdu-Kwari, the Commissioner of Finance in the State defeated the incumbent senator representing the area, Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi who defected to PDP just last year.

    Announcing the result at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Zonal Office in Zaria, Kaduna State, the Returning Officer, Prof. Muhammad Magaji-Garba of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria said the APC candidate polled 411,498 votes to defeat other contestants.

    He said People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Suleiman Hunkuyi scored 181,955 votes to emerge second in the contest.

    Read Also: Buhari leads comfortably in Kaduna

    The Returning Officer said all together 20 candidates contested for the senatorial election.

    Magaji-Garba said: “Kwari Suleiman Abdu of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law and scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected today, 25th February 2019.”

    Speaking in an interview shortly after the announcement, Abdu-Kwari attributed his victory to manifestation of the proven leadership exhibited by President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov. Nasiru el-Rufa’i of Kaduna State.

    He promised to do everything possible to improve on the lives of the people under his senatorial district, while also appreciating the electorate for coming out en-mass to exercise their franchise.

    “We are very much proud of our President as well as our amiable governor, Malam Nasiru Ahmad el-Rufa’i, we are all proud to be associated with wonderful jobs they have been doing to our nation.

    “I think is a vindication of how hard the governor has been working to supplement the efforts of Mr President and the people have spoken loudly that APC in this zone is entrenched.

    “We hope this will be replicated in the next two weeks with a shouting yes in favour of our governor and we hope this will go down well in history that we have supported Mr. President in this election,” he said.

    NAN

  • LG Funds: Group charges Buhari to probe Governors over misuse of allocation since 1999

    A civil society group, National Democratic Front (NDF), has called on President Muhammdu Buhari to probe governors over embezzlement of local government allocations since 1999.
    Nigeria’s lowest tier of government had suffered neglect prior to President Buhari’s administration.
    Funds meant for the grassroots were squandered by fascist governors without fear and conscience.
    However, Mr Buhari recently put an end to this can of worms, obliging to directly pay their revenue into their accounts.
    While hailing the president’s bold move, the NDF has urged him to go a step further by probing how previous funds were expended.
    The National Democratic Front made this known in a press statement by Secretary-General Dr. Bolaji Abdulkadir on Monday.
    ” For us at the National Democratic Front (NDF), the development is a positive one that we find highly commendable. It is a step in the right direction and fits into the restructuring that citizens have been clamouring for as it restored the desired financial autonomy back to the third tier of government.
    “In the immediate ugly past when state governors held onto the financial resources of local government councils, their autonomy became non-existent and the people at the grassroots were consistently denied access to service delivery.
    “This control of the finances of the local governments by state governors had implications for democracy itself. For the state governors to continue controlling the finances of third tier of government they perfect an aberration whereby elections rarely take place at this tier of government that is supposed to be the closest to the people.
    “The councils became a place filled by lackeys and minions of state governors while some turned it into the social benefit offices for their extended family members and in-laws.
    ” We are therefore alarmed that state governors under the aegis of Nigeria Governors’ Forum are warming up to violate this financial regulation under the pretext that there is no constitutional provision for it.
    “We learnt that they have perfected series of illegal ploys to torpedo the regulation while putting up a civil front through the petition they sent to President Muhammadu Buhari. Sadly, the many false claims they put up in that ill-advised petition are not enough reason for them to continue feasting on local government allocation.
    “This desire to continue stealing funds meant for developing the grassroots is evil, wicked and callous.
    ” In view of the security challenges that had arisen out of their decimation of the local government system, our expectation is that state governors would have accepted the new financial regulation as a face-saving grace to end their perfidy. But it is now clear that they desire to keep feasting on the resources of the local governments, under-develop the grassroots and then cash in on the insecurity occasioned by the resulting poverty so that they can claim more security vote while pocketing other state resources with the claim that the security situation is not allowing them to develop their areas.
    ” There is a limit to which Nigerians can continue to tolerate a band of very few citizens, less than 200 in all, which have continued to rape the system and criminally enrich themselves. The demand they are making on President Buhari will rubbish his anti-corruption efforts if he allows them to have their way, which must never be allowed.
    ” Rather than allowing these criminal minded people hold Nigeria back in the Stone Age while other jurisdictions are developing their communities through the local government, we ask that President Buhari respond to their petition in a manner that will further liberate local governments from the clutches of thieves.
    “Mr. President should therefore order for a probe of local government allocations from 1999 till date. He should further direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to expedite investigation into all petitions related to local government funds, anyone named in such petitions should be interrogated and promptly arraigned before a competent court.
    “On this matter, NDF and Nigerians stand with President Buhari and will stop at nothing to ensure that the resources meant for the local governments truly go towards developing the grassroots. We must decisively make this the end of using money meant for development to buy cars for mistresses and concubines as birthday gift.”

  • Don’t drag DSS into your assault on democracy- Group warns Wike

     

    The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has been warned against rubbishing the image and efforts of the Department of Security Service, DSS, to score cheap political points.

    National Democratic Front, which gave the warning, said Wike developed the habit of trying to compromise security agencies ahead of the Rivers State governorship election collation.

    NDF in a statement hailed DSS and Army personnel as professionals who can never be compromised and no amount of intimidation will force them to abandon the duty of safeguarding the country

    Comrade Jasper Ojua, the Publicity Secretary of the group said it was appalled that Wike has continued with his perverted mission of destroying the credibility of critical national institutions in his bid to make the state a breakaway region of Nigeria, with the Department of State Services (DSS) being his latest target.

    The statement warned that the attitude of undermining Nigeria for the interest of one individual is unacceptable in its totality.

    The statement reads below.

    The DSS was compelled to defend itself against Wike’s allegation that it was acting under instructions to undermine the electoral process in River state, which was suspended following elements of uncertainty, industrial scale violence and compromise of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the Rivers State Governor.

    Read Also: Buhari leads in Alagomeji, Lagos

     

    The DSS is the most recent in the long list of Federal Agencies that Wike has falsely accused of interfering with the elections. The Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigeria Police Force, upstanding INEC officials that resisted being compromised amongst others have been accused by the governor at one time or the other of working on instruction from Abuja.

     

    Wike might think he would be able to stave off judgement day indefinitely but lying that the DSS is working against the completion of the electoral process is disingenuous and will not avail him much especially when the world knows that he alone has to put an end to the orgy of violence he has mobilized against his own people for the process to resume and be concluded. The shock of being rejected by Rivers people, who have become wiser to his antics, is certainly what is making him hallucinate to the point of placing the blame on the doorsteps of agencies that have done much to prevent Rivers state from descending into chaotic hell.

     

    This behaviour of the part of the governor is not surprising since it is typical of a drowning of person to clutch at the air, but Wike should know that he must not drag the name of the DSS in the mud having failed in its attempt to blackmail the Nigerian Army, Police and INEC. Like the Nigerian Army that displayed utmost professionalism in line with grand norm, the DSS has professionally proven its mettle in the course of providing cover during the elections and should not be added to Wike’s shopping list of agencies to discredit because they did not compromise to avoid rigging.

     

    Perhaps Wike’s actual grouse with the DSS has more to do with his thug’s inability to impersonate the operatives of the service as they did with the military. He is also upset with the Service for blocking his attempts to promote separatist sentiments in River state. But same as Wike’s ‘boys’ were unable to impersonate the DSS, he should note that the service, like the Nigerian Army, will not compromise to partially take sides with him against the wishes of the electorates.

     

    Instead of throwing tantrums and hallucinating a non-existent gang-up of federal agencies against him, Wike should rather focus on articulating his defence at the expiration of his immunity when the people of Rivers state drag him before various judicial institutions over the theft of their resources, attempt to pervert their votes, murder of their loved ones, attempting to declare a Rivers state secession from Nigeria and radicalization of their youths into terrorists. By the time the consequences of these sins against his own people start coming home to roost he would definitely be blaming the Nigerian Prison Service for accepting to making him serve the resulting multiple jail terms.

     

    The National Democratic Front there advises Wike to desist from the already flopping strategy of discrediting security and military agencies in the hope that they will abandon Rivers state to allow him have the chance at successfully manipulating the elections. Even if he were to succeed in sending this agencies out of the state, which he is not constitutionally empowered to do, the rejection that he has suffered at the polls still stands and will not be reversed when the electoral process resumes and is completed with Rivers state remaining an integral part of Nigeria contrary to Wike’s wish to declare it a breakaway region.

     

  • Those against Buhari’s victory are challenging God’s authority — Bishop Ediwe

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory at the presidential election is divine, hence those opposed to it are challenging “God’s authority” according to foremost Christian preacher Arch Bishop (Dr) Julius Ediwe.

    Dr Julius spoke at the second day of the ongoing Inter-Faith Clerics for the celebration of President Buhari’s victory held at the Unity Fountain, Abuja.
    Despite massive propaganda by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate Atiku Abubakar, Mr Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC) was re-elected in fascinating fashion.
    Bishop Ediwe isn’t surprised by the president’s overwhelming triumph, especially after it was revealed when some Christian and Islamic clerics met in a 40-day prayer and fast prior to the polls.
    The cleric, Provost of the South-South College of Bishops, was particularly critical of some naysayers in disguise as prophets who forecasted defeat for the incumbent.
    He, however, urged these critics not to oppose God’s choice and instead pray for the president.
    “ I won’t say I am surprised at the composition of the audience here. I would instead say I am moved to tears so much that I asked myself, could this be happening in Nigeria? Could a gathering a people from different faiths praying for a common goal happen here in Nigeria?
    “ God is indeed faithful to his word and his people. When it was declared here some months ago that the Lord revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari would emerge victorious at the polls, many doubted us and called us all sort of names. But we preserved.
    “ I, therefore, ask today been the 2nd day of the Thanksgiving and Salat Al-Shakur service that are we not sharing in the kingdom of light? In the same vein, in Surah Al-Baqara, 153, it is stated that “O ye who believe! seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for Allah is with those who patiently persevere.”
    “ What does this tell us? It merely tells us on the oneness of God, and that was why we have been able to assemble here together and united in one voice, spirit, body and soul.
    “ Brothers and Sisters, let me make it clear here about statements coming from some supposed men of God describing the elections as rigged and not in the interest of the people. I am taken aback with such a statement, and in my capacity as the Provost of the South-South College of Bishops, I abhor such statement because God is not a man that he should lie.
    “ When it was revealed during the 40 days’ prayers and fasting that President Muhammadu Buhari would win the elections, where were they? Or are they insinuating that they have a monopoly of the Kingdom heritage?
    “ My brothers and sisters, I stand before you as a servant of God to say that God is indeed on the throne and for those that think otherwise should have a rethink. I say this with all authority that President Muhammadu Buhari was indeed Gods choice for Nigeria because I prayed and heard him clearly when he stated that Buhari is the chosen one to take Nigeria to greatness.
    “ I want to assume here today that one of the reasons for the display of anger because President Muhammadu Buhari won the elections might be as a result of the victory rally that was aired on the television stations across the country.
    “ They are also angry for lack of knowledge of the Buhari phenomenon. They also need to understand that just like God singled out Job as a man of integrity, he also singled out President Muhammadu Buhari as a man of integrity. And God always identifies with the pure in spirit.
    “ Is it not funny on how some men of God prophesied that President Muhammadu Buhari was going to lose the elections? December 2018, an Anglican church prophet, Udoka Okechukwu, prophesied that Atiku Abubakar of the PDP would defeat President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 election.
    “ On February 12, 2019, few days to the presidential election, the general overseer of Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministries Int’l (EBOMI), Prophet El-Buba, said President Buhari would lose the election.
    “ The presiding Bishop of Divine Seed of God Chapel Ministries, Ibadan, Prophet Wale Olagunju, in October 2019, claimed that Buhari would lose to Atiku Abubakar.
    “ My brothers and sisters, we can find the answers to the false prophesies in the book of Romans 8:31, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
    “ Let me once again thank you all for your constant prayers towards the success of President Muhammadu Buhari at the elections. And I am not sure anyone of us here regardless of our ethnicity or religion would ever doubt the oneness of God.”

     

  • Nobody really loses, be proud of your role – Nuhu Ribadu tells candidates

    Former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, has appealed to candidates in Saturday’s elections to accept the outcomes in high spirits whether they are announced winners or not as winners and losers alike played significant roles by their participation.

    Ribadu who addressed newsmen in his Yola home on Sunday, said all participants in Saturday’s elections played significant roles in the electoral process and that they should take solace in the fact that they must have learnt lessons for their good in the future even if they lose the their elections this time.

    Read Also: Ribadu donates campaign structure to Buhari

    Ribadu who worked as the director in charge of field operations in President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election campaign, said, “This is election. It’s democracy. There will be winners and there will be losers, but the true winner is Nigeria, our country, because we are better off as a result of this. Those who win should react with humility.

    “Those who have not made it should understand that, yes, they have played their own role in democracy. They should be proud of their part in democracy. They have played their significant part to where we are today.

    “They should accept what they get, more so because life does not end with one election. A lot of lessons are learnt even in defeat and can easily be a step forward.”

     

  • Emefiele: Scholars hail Buhari, task FG against replacing security chiefs

    President Muhammadu Buhari has again received a pat on the back over the reappointment of Godwin Emefiele as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for a final five-year term.
    The Association of Nigerian Scholars in Diaspora, an umbrella organization of Nigerian scholars in the Diaspora, which gave the commendation, noted that reappointment of Godwin Emefiele as the apex bank governor’s boss was indeed a welcome development that depicts a strong political will by the government of Nigeria towards repositioning Nigeria to take its pride of place in the comity of Nations.
    The Association of Nigerian Scholars as a prelude delegated its committee on Economic Development that consists scholars versed in Economic Development to assess the tenure of Godwin Emefeile as the CBN governor in Nigeria and discovered that the Nigeria economy indeed gained substantial traction in the last four years and also commended the dexterity with which the governor of the CBN handled our economic crisis.
    Prof Bitrus Gwamna, President of the group in a statement on Sunday averred that it would have been counter-productive if President Muhammadu Buhari had effected a change in the leadership of the CBN, especially in this critical stage of our existence because the country just exited recession.
    The group also cautioned the presidency against replacing the current security chiefs the country.
    The statement reads.
    The Association of Nigerian Scholars in Diaspora consequently wishes to charge President Muhammadu Buhari to continue to bring on board more seasoned individuals to assist in Nation building regardless of their ethnic or religious affiliations.
    The reappointment of Godwin Emefiele as the governor of the CBN is indeed a step in the right direction, which should be replicated in other critical sectors such as security.
    The Association of Nigerian Scholars in Diaspora also notes the invaluable efforts of the security agencies in curtailing the activities of criminal elements that have attempted to hold the country to ransom through their nefarious actions and inactions.
    Worthy of mention is the role of the Nigerian Army in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria. The position of the Association of Nigerian Scholars in Diaspora is that the military hierarchy indeed displayed capacity and competence in arresting the various security challenges that almost brought the country to its knees.
    Consequently, the position of the Association of Nigerian Scholars in Diaspora is that the various heads of the security agencies in Nigeria should be supported and not replaced in the critical point of our existence.
    This is in our opinion is so, upon a careful assessment of how the Nigerian military has carried on with the fight against terrorism in North East Nigeria, as well as other militant groups in other parts of Nigeria.
    The Association of Nigerian Scholars in Diaspora having assessed the performances of the Service Chiefs in Nigeria, unanimously agreed that President Muhammadu Buhari would indeed write his name in gold if he extended same gesture in the economy by the reappointment of Godwin Emefiele as CBN governor to the current set of Service Chiefs who by all parameters have performed creditably well in onerous task of keeping the country safe and secured.
    It is necessary so due to the volatile nature of the security situation in Nigeria. And an attempt to tinker with the current security architecture might have some consequences, which in our opinion might rubbish all the gains that have been made in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria.
    It is, therefore, the position of the Association of Nigerian Scholars in Diaspora that the Service Chiefs should be retained so that can consolidate in the gains made in the security sector in Nigeria.
    The Association of Nigerian Scholars in Diaspora is in tandem with the position of the Senate of the National Assembly of Nigeria on the reappointment of Godwin Emefiele as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
    The Association of Nigerian Scholars in Diaspora wishes to state that President Muhammadu Buhari deserved commendation in the areas of the economy and security with the quality of appointments made so far, and having the will to resist political pressure to effect a change in the leadership of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
    The Association of Nigerian Scholars in Diaspora sees the current Service Chiefs as the best in the annals of the country and highly recommends that just like in the case of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the status quo should remain for consolidation of the gains already made in the past four years in the sensitive security sector in Nigeria by the present administration.

  • Buhari wins in Kwankwaso’s constituency

    The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Muhammadu Buhari has defeated that of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State, as Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso failed to deliver his Madobi constituency to Atiku.

    The returning officer for the Local Government, Dr. Mohammed Murtala announced this on Sunday during the collation of result from across all the words in the area.

    According to Murtala, the APC Presidential candidate has scored 19,984 while that of the PDP scored 7,732 votes.

    Also, the returning officer announced that the APC candidate for the Kano North Senatorial Zone, has scored 16,794, while that of the PDP scored 10,746 and that of PRP got 397 votes.

    Read Also: Kwankwaso, Ganduje in fierce political battle

    Similarly, the returning officer for the Presidential election from Garun Malam Local Government Area, Prof. Dahiru Sani-Shuaibu said the APC candidate had scored 23,810 while the PDP scored 4,861 votes.

    Also, the returning officer for the Senate and House of Representatives from the Local Government, Dr. Umar Abbas said the APC Senatorial candidate for Kano South Senatorial Zone scored 18,412 while that of PDP scored 8,548 votes.

    Abbas further announced that the APC candidate for the House of Representatives scored 18,029 while the PDP candidate scored 8,262 votes.

    Also,the returning officer, for the Presidential election from Madobi local Government Area,Dr Sani Umar,where senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso hailed fromsaid the APC candidate scored 26,110,while PDP got 13,113 votes.

    Umar, announced that the APC candidate for the senate,scored 22,331,while PDP got 15,913.

    He also announced that APC candidate for the House of Representatives scored 22,100,while PDP got 15,925,as PRP secured 982.

  • Nwosu, AA candidate delivers Buhari

    The governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in Imo State, Uche Nwosu, has made good his promise to deliver President Muhammadu Buhari.

    President Buhari scored 711 at his Eziama Obire Unit 4 to defeat his closest rival and Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) Atiku Abubakar.

    Read Also: Nwosu, Uzodinma, others sign peace pact

    It will be recalled that the Imo State chapter of the Action Alliance had promised to vote for Buhari against the decision of the National leadership of the party, which adopted Atiku instead.

    Meanwhile Collation is yet to begin at the Local Government Areas as a result of yesterday’s rain that wreaked havoc in polling centres across the state.