The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria Decides

  • Polls: Ballot Paper confusing – Sani Bello

    Niger state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has said that the ballot papers were a bit confusing as a result of the number of political parties on the ballot.

    Just as he said that uninformed voters may be confused in selecting the party of their choice.

    Speaking after casting his vote, Bello advised the people to take their time and be patient to identify the party of their choice.

    “One thing I noticed while casting my vote is that the ballot paper is a bit confusing with so many parties on the ballot papers. So if you are not careful you may vote the wrong party of your choice.

    “So my advice is for the electorate to take their time, do not rush, be patient, go through the ballot paper carefully and identify the party of their choice”.

    The Governor who voted alongside his wife, Dr. Amina Sani-Bello expressed satisfaction on the large turnout of voters commending the electorates for their level of maturity, organization and calmness displayed at the polling center.

  • Obasanjo casts vote in Abeokuta

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo finally voted at hid Ward 11 unit 22, within Olusomi compound, Abeokuta, in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State, three hours after voting had commenced in most polling units in Abeokuta, the state capital.

     

  • Ogun ADC raises alarm over missing ballot papers

    ….No cause for alarm – INEC

     

    The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Imeko – Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State has alleged that a total of 6,053 ballot papers for the rescheduled Saturday House of Representatives election in the area have not been delivered, less than 10 hours to the poll.

    The party claimed that the records from its agents at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Office showed that a total of 62,853 ballot papers were released from the state office for Imeko-Afon LG but lamented that at the Imeko-Afon INEC office, only 56,790 ballot papers were physically sighted and counted by its agent, agents of other political parties and security personnel.

    In a petition by the trio of Alhaji Jimoh Aremu Olaifa – ADC candidate Yewa North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency, Hon. Kayode Elegbede – ADC chairman, Imeko-Afon LGA and Mr. Ben Ibikunle – ADC agent – Imeko Afon LGA, they claimed there is a “shortage of 6,053 ballots papers” and demanded for the return of the ‘missing’ 6,053 ballot papers.

    The Petition was addressed to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), INEC, Ogun State and copied the National Chairman INEC, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, State Chairman of ADC and the National Chairman of ADC.

    The Petitioners urged the state REC to use his good office to ensure that the missing 6053 House of Representatives ballot papers for Imeko-Afon are produced immediately to safeguard the credibility of the election.

    The petition reads: “We the undersigned are writing to officially bring to your notice that a total of 6,053 ballot papers for the Saturday 23 House of Representatives election in Imeko Afon LG were not delivered to the Imeko-Afon INEC office and up till this time the said ballot papers are not accounted for.

    “Records from our agents at the Ogun State INEC office showed that a total of 62,853 ballot papers were released from the state office for Imeko-Afon LG.

    Read Also: Policeman, thugs arrested for branding private vehicles in police colours

    “However, at the Imeko-Afon INEC office, only 56,790 ballot papers was physically sighted and counted by our agent, agents of other political parties and security personnel leaving a shortage of 6053 ballots papers as above.

    “Interestingly the same number of 62,843 ballot papers released for the Presidential and senatorial elections was physically sighted and counted by all concerned at the INEC office, Imeko Afon.

    “We hereby strongly demand that you used your good office to ensure that the missing 6053 House of Representatives ballot papers for Imeko-Afon are produced immediately to safeguard the credibility of this election and nip in the bud ongoing speculation that can threatened law and order in the local government.”

    But reacting, the Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Adenike Tadese,

    said there is no cause for alarm as the box containing the ballot papers for Imeko Afon was sealed, untampered and opened in the presence of all stakeholders with all witnessing it that the shortfall was not the result of theft or missing, but a case of an error(of counting) from the manufacturer.

    Mrs. Tadese added that the petitioners were only trying to make mountain out of a mole hill as the number of registered voters in the area are not up to the number of available ballot papers for the House of Representatives election in Imeko Afon LGA.

  • Policeman, thugs arrested for branding private vehicles in police colours

    An unidentified police inspector was arrested on Thursday at a hotel in Ewet Housing Estate for aiding some people to brand two private vehicles in police colour.

    The vehicles made to look like patrol vehicles were ostensibly to be used during Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

    The two vehicles, Volvo V70, it was learnt, is similar to the one procured by the state government for the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.

    A local tabloid, quoting a source privy to the development, said the police intercepted the thugs and policeman at the hotel, while they were branding the vehicles.

    The source said: “There was information that some men suspected to be political thugs working for one of the political parties was branding the type of Volvo V70 vehicle which the state government donated to the police.

    “The branding was being done ahead of Saturday’s elections. The vehicles already had the siren installed and the police inscription also on it, as well as the identification numbers.

    “When the police got to the hotel, the suspects had already relocated one of the vehicles while the second one was being branded with the assistance of the police inspector.

    “He (the inspector) was taken to the police station and the vehicle was recovered.

    “The police inspector was taken to the police station for investigation and he made useful statements.

    “He mentioned some persons who engaged him in the services he was rendering.

    “Investigation is ongoing. The inspector is serving in one of the intelligence departments in the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.”

    The Nation contacted the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Odiko MacDon, to authenticate the report he cut off the line midway into the conversation.

    His line was called several times but he refused to pick his phone.

    He also didn’t respond to an SMS sent to him.

    After repeated attempts, he finally picked the phone but told our reporter that he was in a meeting.

  • Polls: Security operatives nab man with 2000 PVCs in Edo

    Barely few hours to the rescheduled general elections, security agencies in Edo State, have apprehended one Mr. Edwin Edosomwan in Iyekogba axis of Oredo Local Government Area for being in possession of 2000 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).

    The PVCs, it was learnt, was purchased from residents in Iyekogba, Oredo Ward 2, as the man, nabbed on Thursday evening, allegedly claimed he was a mobiliser for one of the candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) contesting in Saturday’s elections.

    The development is coming less than 24 hours after a Benin-based research group, Edo Socio-Political Research Group, released findings of a study on PVC collection in the state, which showed that some candidates of the PDP had engaged in ‘systemic rigging.’

    In the study, it was discovered that there was a dubious rate of PVC collection in Oredo and Ovia North East, areas where the PDP candidates in the state would vote. The research showed that the two local councils were outliers in the rate of PVC collection, while the trend seemed normal in the 16 other local councils.

    Mr. Edosomwan was caught in Oredo local council, one of the councils that the Edo Socio-Political Research Group had raised the alarm of a possible plot of ‘systemic rigging.’

    Speaking to reporters while being paraded by security operatives, Mr. Edosomwan allegedly claimed to be a member of the ‘Operation Show Your Result’ team, a support group for the candidate of the PDP for Oredo Federal Constituency, Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide Ihama.

    He said he was mandated to get as many PVCs of eligible voters as possible within Oredo Federal Constituency with the aim of buying over their votes.

    He added that he bought the PVCs for as low as 5000 naira per PVC, noting that he and members of his campaign group have been instructed to deliver their units at all costs.

    Mr. Edosomwan was later taken in by law enforcement agencies for further interrogation.

  • Breaking: We’re more than ready, INEC assures

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has assured it is more than ready for the rescheduled general election starting tomorrow.

    Its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said all arrangements have been put in place for commencement of the exercise.

    He also declared only those with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will be able to participate in the exercise.

    The Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu also assured eligible voters, observers and INEC officials of their security.

    Read Also: INEC moves sensitive materials to Bayelsa LGAs

    Adamu stressed that no armed security personnel will be allowed at the polling units.

    He doused the fears of voters, saying the force will be professional during the exercise.

    Details shortly…

  • ‘Why Akwa Ibom will not vote for PDP’

    Some stakeholders in Akwa Ibom politics have indicated that residents of the state will not vote for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

    A legal practitioner and an indigene of Ikono Local Government Area, Mr. Edo Ukpong-Udoh, said there are many factors that endear him to President Muhammadu Buhari, which he believes will sway the people of Akwa Ibom to vote for him and other APC candidates in Saturday’s elections.

    Ukpong-Udoh who described himself as a die-hard supporter of the President said: “I am one of those who believe that Nigeria is a blessed country, with all. Kinds of resources; be it material, human and natural endowments.

    “But, why is the country not where she ought to be? Why are we not developing? The answer is, whether people like it or not, our affairs have not been run properly as a nation and state. The reason is the main problem of Nigeria, which is corruption.”

    The legal practitioner said, from his antecedents in the last four years, President Buhari is somebody Nigerians can trust, in terms of integrity and honesty.

    In contrast, he said the PDP presidential flag bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, cannot be compared to his APC counterpart.

    He said: “In fact, Atiku is an epitome of corruption. For example, when he was the Vice President, he sold Nigeria’s assets to his cronies.

    “These are incontestable facts. We in Akwa Ibom State should not forget that we are victims. Look at the Aluminum Smelting Company (ALSCON) in Ikot Abasi, Atiku sold it to the detriment of Akwa Ibom people and Nigeria.

    “Consider how much was invested in it and look at how much Atiku sold it. As Vice President, he was the Head of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) that privatised national assets.

    “He betrayed the trust of Akwa Ibom people and Nigerians and sold ALSCON to his cronies and today we have seen the result. If the PDP government in their 16 years of reign had run the plant, Akwa Ibom won’t be crying today of unemployment?

    “So, Atiku, because of his selfishness and greed, kept us at where we are today. He is part of those that caused unemployment in the state, so I am sure Akwa Ibom people will not make the mistake of voting for him as president. ”

    Another stakeholder, Mr. Mfon Okon, believes that the PDP’s Governor Udom Emmanuel’s hyper politics will push the people of Akwa Ibom to vote for the APC candidate.

    He asked rhetorically: “What would this outgoing government be remembered for? In Akwa Ibom State today, it is not debatable, more than half of the population are wallowing in abject poverty and ravaging economic hardship, because the government in the state is so interested in politicising almost every activities of government.”

    Mfon said a careful look at the state today would reveal that there is so much decay and loaded in human development and above all total misplacement of priorities. He said: “It looks as if the present government was conditioned to misrecognise the truth; as it has consistently embarked on much lies in almost all facets of the economy.

    “What really beats my imagination is the fact that the present government has also failed to understand that in the 21st Century political settings, the aggregate economic system cannot be placed totally on the political narratives.

    “In fact, whenever I saw some of these jargons commonly called ‘industrialisation’ and many other political abracadabras in the state, it makes me to panic more about the future of this dear state. ”

    Mfon wondered how Akwa Ibom State would have looked today, if it had not been placed on the roadmap of infrastructural development by previous administrations.

  • Last-minute campaigns move to mosques in Kwara

    Barely 24 hours to the battleground for tomorrow’s Presidential and National Assembly elections, the last- minute campaigns have shifted to mosques in Kwara State.

    The Imam of a popular mosque in Muritala area of the state, Alhaji Muritala did not mince words when he declared in his sermon that enough was enough on Friday.

    He pointed out that a lot of people died along Monkwa-Jebba road for many years and a government came and rehabilitated the road, apparently referring to the All Progressives Congress(APC) administration and “some people said such good venture should not continue, please vote wisely.”

    Referring to the attack on the Vice President convoy by some thugs on Thursday at Aluko side of the metropolis, the lmam enjoined parents to warn their children as he who kill by the gun will be one day equally silenced by gun.

    Read Also: Police justify arrest of Kwara Senator

    According to him, it was no longer news that Kwara civil servants are the worst paid in terms of allowances and emoluments, adding that “we have pleaded and cried to Allah that they should go away because their holding to power is inimical to the people.

    “Are they not in government these years that they are now paying bursary to students few days ago?

    “We know the real candidates and the bastards that Allah will never allow them to rule us again.”

    Alhaji Muritala pointed out that anybody that collects the stipend they are doling out to vote for them “has missed the road because the hour has come when their fake government will be taking away from them and given to real candidates who will restore the lost glories of the old state.”

    He challenged all the worshipers to go all out to vote for credible candidates that will give peace to the state.

  • INEC moves sensitive materials to Bayelsa LGAs

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) in Bayelsa state has distributed all sensitive materials for the presidential and National Assembly elections to the Registration Area Centres (RACs) in the eight local government areas of the state.

    It was gathered that the materials were moved through the Ministry of Transport jetty in Yenagoa.

    The materials were escorted by heavily armed security operatives comprising the police, the military, Department of State Service (DSS) and other sister security agencies.

    Head, Department of INEC Voters Education and Publicity, Mr Wilfred Ifogah, said the commission was ready for the presidential and national assembly polls.

    Ifogah disclosed that all non-sensitive materials had been distributed to the different registration area centres in the state.

    He said: “Movement of non-sensitive materials and sensitive materials to area offices of INEC in the state has been done; we started with non sensitive ones on Wednesday and it continued until Thursday.

    “For the riverine areas it was on hold because of the terrain, so, today which is Friday, a day before elections, the distributions of sensitive materials to the coastal communities has been completed.

    “So, as you can see some of the buses moving the materials to the jetty and security operatives are on ground to ensure that all the materials are were secured.

    Read Also: INEC clears Zamfara APC to present candidates

    “INEC is good to go, the security men are ready and we have about 10, 482 adhoc staff to perform the national duty.”

    Alao, the Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) in the state, Mr. Ide Oduasekpor, urged politicians to steer clear of sponsoring thugs during the elections.

    He said: “Do not go to the polling units with gun but go with your PVCs; police will not disturb anyone unless you go with the intention to cause violence.

    “We want free, fair and credible polls for the citizens.”

  • Updated: INEC clears Zamfara APC to contest

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared the Zamfara state All Progressive Congress (APC) to present candidates for the general elections.

    This follows the Court of Appeal ruling on the matter.

    The state APC was barred from presenting candidates following an internal crisis, which prevented the party from conducting its primaries within the time frame set by INEC.

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday over ruled the lower court on technical ground.

    There were two conflicting rulings from two court of the same jurisdiction, one sitting in Zamfara and the other in Abuja.

    While the Zamfara Court ruled in favour of the ruling party, the Abuja High court ruled against the party, which therefore forced INEC to take a decision.

    However, the Appeal Court ruling on Thursday changed the narrative.

    INEC, in a statement by the National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said the commission has complied with the Court order.

    The statement reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has consistently maintained that it will always obey court judgments and orders.

    Read Also; INEC deploys sensitive materials in Akwa Ibom

    “In the case of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, the Federal High Court Abuja and the Zamfara State High Court issued conflicting orders relating to the participation of the APC in the two strands of elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th March 20l9.

    “While the former ruled that the APC, having failed to conduct party primaries cannot field candidates in the said election, the latter decided that it can field candidates having conducted valid party primaries.

    “However, the Court of Appeal Abuja Judicial Division on 21st February 2019 set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja for “lack or want of jurisdiction on the part on the lower court.

    “This in effect means the Zamfara State High Court‘s decision that the APC can field candidates for the National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly elections is the only valid and subsisting order.

    “Consequently, the Commission has today, in compliance with the said order, restored the APC to the ballot in the National Assembly. Governorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th March 2019.”