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  • PDP makes U-turn on boycott, ready for Bauchi gov supplementary poll

    The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) in Bauchi state has backed down on its decision to boycott Saturday’s supplementary election.

    The party declared it is more than ready to slug it out with the All Progressive Congress (APC) and its candidate, Governor Mohammed Abubakar at the poll tomorrow.

    The party said it is well prepared as it urged voters to come out en- masse to exercise their civic right.

    Addressing reporters at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat, Bauchi, chairman of the party, Alhaji Hamza Koshe Akuyam said: “We want to tell you of our preparedness to face the All Progressive Congress (APC) guber candidate.

    “We want our voters to come out en masse to exercise their civic right. You know we are leading as it is now, what we want to do now is to cap it up.

    “Insha Allah, by tomorrow, even if the inspector General of police comes to Bauchi, the people of Bauchi will still decide who they want.

    “We are good to go, PDP is not afraid of election and moreso, we have won this election and we will continue to win ”

    Akuyam said the party remained committed to the peaceful conduct of the re-run elections.

    He added the party has no reason to be afraid of the outcome as it is in a good position to win.

    He said further the supplementary election would be taking place in well- known areas where the party had strong showing in the previous exercise, which was declared inconclusive.

    “I want to assure the good people of Bauchi State that we are facing the polls with an open an peaceful mind and we call on all our citizens in the affected areas where re run will be conducted to remain and troop out en masse to exercise their civic responsibilities.”

    The PDP had threatened not to participate in the supplementary election after INEC released date for the rerun.

  • Legal battles, muscle flexing as APC, PDP get set for polls

    Lalong, Useni trade words in Plateau

    We’re ready, says Kano REC

    IG deploys 23 senior police officers

    Legal battles raged yesterday over supplementary elections in Bauchi and Adamawa states.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the March 9 polls inconclusive in six states.

    All three stakeholders in the elections – INEC, All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – were trading arguments in court over  Bauchi and Adamawa, two of the states expected to undergo tomorrow’s makeup polls.

    In other states – Sokoto, Benue, Kano and Plateau – the APC and the PDP were flexing muscles as the electoral umpire said it was ready for the elections.

    The Federal Government has ordered the closure of land borders around the affected states.

    Interior Minister Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau directed land borders in Adamawa, Benue, Bauchi, Sokoto, Plateau and Kano states to be closed from noon today. The borders are to reopen by noon on Sunday.

    Gen Dambazau, in a statement issued in Abuja by the Comptroller-General (CG), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, said the measure was taken to restrict movements across the states on Election Day.

     

    But the extension of an order by the High Court in Yola, barring the INEC from conducting the makeup poll, yesterday ruled out the possibility of conducting the election in Adamawa State.

    Justice Abdul-Azeez Waziri fixed March 26 for ruling on a motion challenging the jurisdiction of his court to entertain the case restraining INEC from conducting tomorrow’s supplementary governorship poll in Adamawa.

    Before the adjournment, the Judge had extended an interim injunction the court granted on March 14 restraining INEC from conducting the election pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice, which will also be ruled upon on March 26.

    The Adamawa chapter of the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD) and its governorship candidate, Rev. Eric Theman, had sued the electoral umpire over the absence of its logo on the ballot paper of the inconclusive election.

    At the resumed hearing yesterday, INEC counsel Mr Tanimu Inuwa (SAN) challenged the court’s jurisdiction, citing Section 285 (2) of the constitution and the electoral Act.

    Inuwa also argued that MRDD did not have a governorship candidate as Rev. Eric Theman was not validly nominated, adding that Form CF002 was the prescribed form for nomination, which was not filled by MRDD.

    “Mere submission of a letter does not transform to nomination,’’ Inuwa argued.

    He, therefore, urged the court strike out the case as the plaintiffs have “no locus standi’’ to file it, adding that there was need to avoid a constitutional crisis as the governorship election must take place not later than 30 days to the expiration of the incumbent governor’s tenure.

    Responding on point of law, counsel to the plaintiffs – MRDD and Theman, Mr. Yemi Pitan, argued that the court had jurisdiction on the matter, citing Section 251 of the constitution and Section 315 of the Electoral Act.

    Pitan urged the court to grant his clients’ prayers and among others, suspend the inconclusive governorship election in Adamawa to enable INEC do the needful by including the MRDD logo on the ballot paper.

    Adjourning the case for ruling on March 26, Justice Waziri assured all that it would be handled within the necessary period that would not give room for any constitutional problem.

    In Bauchi State, the PDP threatened to boycott the election as INEC said it would comply with an ex parte order not to collate results in the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, but conduct supplementary election in other areas not covered by the court order. The makeup poll will hold in 15 local government areas where 22,759 votes were cancelled, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ibrahim Abdullahi, confirmed yesterday at a news conference at the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu Conference Hall, INEC Headquarters in Bauchi.

    The APC said its members are ready for the exercise.

    According to the REC, the election will hold in 36 Polling Units (PUs) covering 29 Registration Areas (Wards) in the 15 affected local government areas.

    He said the election will not hold in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area until after the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

    The REC appealed to members of the public, especially, the people of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, to be calm and wait for the outcome of the court ruling.

    The Bauchi State chapter of the PDP, however, described the supplementary election as a sham, threatening not to participate in the exercise.

    Its Chairman Hamza Koshe Akuyam told reporters after the INEC news conference: “The supplementary election is a sham, INEC  wants to conduct rerun because 22, 759 people were disenfranchised in 15 local government area, meanwhile 139, 240 were disenfranchised in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area.”

    “I don’t know what INEC is up to; maybe they are reading somebody’s script. We are not going to participate in this election.

    “Our legal team will look at this matter. Though it is not just about going to court, but for INEC to do the right thing.”

    The PDP chair said that the party will go to court and seek a redress.

    But the APC said its members were set for the supplementary election.

    Chairman Ubah Nana, said the “party is readily prepared for the rerun”.

    He went on: “Fifteen will be having rerun this Saturday and we are participating. Though the proper thing to be done was for the rerun to be held in the 15 council areas and Tafawa Balewa, but, unfortunately, that is not the case.

    All the same, we are fully prepared. I don’t know why some people seem not to be fully prepared. I don’t know why they are afraid. Let the game be played according to the rules.”

    The Tafawa Balewa Local Government is excluded from tomorrow’s rerun in INEC’s compliance with a court order restraining it from resuming the collation and announcement of results in the area.

    SOKOTO

    All was set yesterday for the supplementary election scheduled for 136 PUs across 22 local government areas.

    Incumbent Governor and PDP candidate Aminu Tambuwal was at the Kebbe Local Government Area, believed to be a stronghold of the APC, with at least 35 PUs where the election will hold.

    Tambuwal’s visit was preceded by a similar visit by Wamakko, the APC candidate, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, his running mate, Faroyk Malami Yabo.

    Though the trio attended a wedding (fatiha), they took advantage of the event to reaffirm their dominance and to solicit for support.

    The INEC and and security agencies, particularly the police, promised a hitch-free exercise.

    A stakeholders’ Town Hall meeting for the peaceful conduct of the election was also staged by the Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee (NPC).

    Shortly after the traditional opening prayers, IRI State Coordinator, Hajiya Aisha, noted that the success of the 2015 Peace Accord led to the reactivation of the NPC ahead of this year’s general elections.

    “It’s a wake-up call the affected states to reinforce the message of peace and to implore residents to participate in the re-run elections by exercising their rights to vote.

    “These events were organised in anticipation of the 2019. Although relatively peaceful, these elections exposed some fault lines in Nigerian states as there were numerous reports of voter disenfranchisement, voter inducement, electoral violence, over a militarisation of the elections, among others.

    “In recognition of these incidences, and in acknowledgement of the potential for the escalation of violence in state gubernatorial and state house of Assembly Elections, the NPC developed a regional peace initiative you deliver the message of peace to flashpoint states.

    “This initiative included a visit to five states (Anambra, Imo, Kano, Adamawa and Gombe) ahead of the state elections to organise a high-level dialogue on the need to uphold peace during and after the elections.

    Key stakeholders, including INEC, security agencies, political parties, traditional and religious leaders, civil society groups, youth and women’s groups, as well as the general public attended the peace parley.”

    Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah said there should be no basis for disruption “as we are not having people from Niger, from Chad and from Cameroon or another country contesting elections”.

    The cleric said: “We are indigenes of Sokoto, who are struggling to find somebody who is going to be the governor. It is not people from another country.”

    BENUE

     

    Leader of the APC in Benue State Senator George Akume said the results of the previous elections did not reflect the strength of the party in the state, describing tomorrow’s supplementary poll as a great opportunity for the party to show its strength.

    In a statement in Abuja, Akume, who was the first two-time governor of Benue, emphasized that his party was convinced that a rigorous scrutiny at the election tribunals would soon set aside some of the victories ascribed to other parties in the state.

    The Benue North West senator appealed to APC supporters to come out en masse and vote for the party.

    The statement reads: “We remain the party to beat in Benue and the results as announced by INEC for the National/Presidential and Governor/ State Assembly elections do not reflect the reality on the ground in Benue State.”

    According to him, the judiciary, as the last hope of the common man, would address what he described as “the glaring cases of injustices” against the APC.

    He said: “President Buhari, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed , has assured all voters to come out freely and vote; our supporters should therefore take advantage of this assurance from our president and come out to exercise their civic responsibilities.”

    Governor Samuel Ortom, who is the PDP candidate, will be slugging it out with APC challenger Emmanuel JIme.

    Ortom polled 410,576 votes to beat Jime to the second position with 329,022 votes on the first ballot on March 9.

    The governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties, Kwaghngu Abraham, said the supplementary election would permanently put an end to distractions.

    The APC deputy governorship candidate, Sam Ode, told The Nation, said tomorrow “is a day of liberation for Benue people”.

     

    Lalong, Useni trade words

     

    Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong yesterday said tomorrow’s governorship rerun election in the state would be a ‘mere formality’.

    A statement by his Information Commissioner, Yakubu Dati, said the main election reflected the wishes of the electorate.

    The APC incumbent led his closest opposition rival, Jeremiah Useni, of the PDP by over 40,000 votes, according to the results announced.

    Useni told reporters that he was sure of victory in the rerun. His APC counterpart, Lalong, described the claim as ‘self –delusion’.

    Dati said: “No doubt the PDP tried by scoring a handful of votes in the elections by a margin thought to be impossible considering the manner it mismanaged the state in the past years, but to claim that it can defeat and APC administration that has cleared the mess it visited on the people of Plateau State is the worst form of self –delusion.”

    In Useni’s words, “The results released by INEC showed that PDP maintained very good scores across all the LGAs.

    “This is in spite of the widespread thumb-printing, vote-buying and outright intimidation by some Security men who had absolutely no business with the election.

    “In one instance, I personally went out to Tudun Wada Collation Centre and freed voters who were made to lie down on the ground by some security men.

    “Civil servants and our traditional rulers were threatened to either deliver to APC or lose their jobs or be dethroned.”

     

    INEC ready for Kano

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said it was set for the supplementary governorship election in Kano State.

    Addressing reporters at the Kano INEC headquarters, the Resident Electrical Commissioner (REC) in charge of the state, Prof. Riskuwa Shehu Arabi, said the election would take place in 75 registration areas, involving 207 polling units and 279 voting points.

    According to him, 128, 324 eligible voters would participate in the election. He added that INEC would deploy 207 card readers for the election, adding that enough man power have also been mobilised, with three RECs from Zamfara, Kebbi and Ogun states to assist so as to have a successful election.

     

    PDP alleges plot by

    military to hijack

    supplementary polls

     

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday raised the alarm over an alleged clandestine plot by the military  and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hijack the supplementary elections in six states.

    At a news conference in Abuja yesterday, the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the alleged plot was hatched at a meeting the Presidency held with security agencies and officials of INEC.

    Describing the alleged plot as obnoxious, the PDP said its candidates were already leading and coasting to inevitable victory in all the states where the supplementary elections are billed to hold, vowing that nothing can alter this reality.

    The PDP alleged that part of the plot was a directive by a top military chief to the INEC chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu not to declare the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike as winner of the March 9 election.

    The PDP said: “Our party is informed of how a top Army officer, at the meeting, directed the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, not to ever declare Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike as winner of the Rivers governorship election, even when it is clear to all that he won the election.

    ”We also have details how a top military officer, who is from Bauchi state, at the meeting, directed INEC Chairman not to declare our victorious Bauchi state governorship candidate, Sen. Bala Mohammed, as the winner of the Bauchi state governorship election.

    “The PDP is also privy to how a Director of one of our security agencies, who was at the meeting, undertook to use his agency to deliver Kano state to the APC.”

     

  • PDP alleges plot by military to hijack supplementary polls

    The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) has alerted of a clandestine plot by the military in cahoots with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hijack the March 23 governorship supplementary elections coming up in six states.

    At a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the alleged plot was hatched at a meeting the Presidency held with security agencies and officials of INEC.

    Describing the alleged plot as obnoxious, the PDP said its candidates were already leading and coasting to inevitable victory in all the states where the supplementary elections are billed to hold, vowing that nothing can alter this reality.

    INEC has listed Kano, Bauchi, Benue, Plateau and Sokoto states for the supplementary elections.

    The PDP cautioned the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) and “agents” of the Presidency to know that Nigerians will never be intimidated.

    Ologbondiyan vowed the electorate in the affected states will confront and crush any oppressive force that attempts to defy and subvert their will in the supplementary polls.

    The party spokesman said the PDP has full information on every move by the APC to manipulate the electoral process, stressing that not all Nigerians in the present government subscribe to their cruelty, resort to violence as well as suppression of votes.

    The PDP alleged that part of the plot was a directive by a top military chief to the INEC chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu not to declare the Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike as winner of the March 9 election, even though he won the poll.

    INEC had suspended the collation of results of the Rivers State governorship election but had announced on Thursday that the exercise will resume on April 2.

    The PDP continued: “Our party is informed of how a top Army officer, at the meeting, directed the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, not to ever declare Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike as winner of the Rivers governorship election, even when it is clear to all that he won the election.

    “We also have details how a top military officer, who is from Bauchi state, at the meeting, directed INEC Chairman not to declare our victorious Bauchi state governorship candidate, Sen. Bala Mohammed, as the winner of the Bauchi state governorship election.

    “The PDP is also privy to how a Director of one of our security agencies, who was at the meeting, undertook to use his agency to deliver Kano state to the APC.”

    The party further alleged it was also decided at the meeting that 30 Department of State Service (DSS) operatives and 300 mobile policemen be deployed to each of the states where the supplementary elections are billed to hold.

    According to the PDP, the security operatives to be so deployed have been given standing instruction to take over those states and make effort to ambush the process, seeing that the PDP is bound to win.

    “In spite of all, the PDP wants the Buhari Presidency and the APC to come to terms with the fact that their conspiracies will be of no avail as our candidates are marching to unassailable victory with the people.

    “The PDP reminds our military that Nigerians will not hesitate to treat individuals in military uniform, who illegally involved in the supplementary election, as fake soldiers. After all, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has declared that uniformed personnel, who helped APC to rig presidential election, were fake.

    “It is imperative to state that under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, elections have been turned into warfare against the people but Nigerians will never allow a situation where states are forcefully taken over like spoils of war.

    “It is also highly provocative that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu, is now taking orders from the military to cancel elections and alter results for the APC, instead of asserting the independence and impartiality of INEC under our laws.

    “Such annexation of the Prof. Yakubu-led INEC by the Buhari Presidency is the only reason the governorship elections in Bauchi, Plateau, Kano, Sokoto, Adamawa, Benue and Rivers states, which were won by the PDP are declared inconclusive.

    “It is obvious that the elections were stalled in these states just because the PDP was in the lead. If the APC had been in the lead as in Ogun, INEC would not have batted an eyelid before pronouncing the results in favor of APC.

    “In all, the PDP wants the APC, INEC and their compromised security officials to be informed that the states, where supplementary elections have been scheduled, are home to the PDP and that our votes can never be stolen.

    “The PDP cautions INEC to note that the people already know the number of voters with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in these states and will never accept any padding of the voter register to favour the APC.

    “The PDP therefore charges all our members, teeming supporters and all lovers of democracy in these states to remain steadfast in resisting the APC and marching out en-mass to their polling units this Saturday to consolidate their victory against oppressive forces in our land,” the party added.

  • PDP accuses soldiers of brutality, electoral violence in Benue

    Leaders of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ) in Apa Ward, Ado Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State have appealed to the State Police Commissioner over the alleged assault and intimidation of their members during the March 9 governorship election by soldiers on the orders of one Agbese Philip.

    It alleged that Nelson Ogbu, Comrade James Oche, Emmanuel Aboh, Ogbu Ogaba, Innocent Egegwu, Susan Onmonya, Kingsley Onmonya, Otse Unazi, Udah Okibe and the entire PDP Ward executives in the ward were harassed, intimidated by the soldiers led by one Corporal Echo Omerigwe alias Tension.

    According to the petition signed by their lawyer M.S. Agaku, the soldiers also intimidated innocent voters who were sympathetic to the PDP, adding that Agbese who brought them, bragged publicly that they were assigned to him by the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.

    “Agbese Philip also boasted that as a consultant to the Nigerian Army, he has the capacity and the authority to commit any crime,” it stated.

    Read Also: PDP threatens to boycott Bauchi gov rerun

    The petitioners alleged that Agbese led suspected thugs identified as Attah Adadu, Mike Omerigwe and a corps member serving in Bayelsa State Otse Unazi, among others to New Site Polling Unit where notable members of the PDP were beaten up including the Senior Special Assistant to Benue State Governor on Media Nelson Ogbu and Senior Special Assistant to the former President of the Senate James Oche.

    They said that those assaulted were forced to abandon their Polling Unit for their safety.

    “These assault, threats, intimidation continued in other Polling Units of Azegbilede, RCM Primary School, Austine Chemist, Apa Ugbozu, Methodist Primary school ll, Uwezekoka and many others wherein the Special Adviser to the Governor of Benue State Joseph Ogezi and his fellow voters were brutalized.

    “Ballot Boxes and other electoral materials were forcefully snatched, later thump printed and returned back to INEC office leading to the cancellation of election in 10 affected Polling Units.

    “Agbese Philip, the soldiers and thugs publicly embarked on more terrible acts including but not limited to burning of electoral materials in areas where the APC performed abysmally. These acts affected the outcome of the election in the ward where results of 10 polling units were cancelled,” the petition stated.

    According to the lawyer, the PDP was concerned that in the scheduled rerun, Agbese might exhibit similar attacks, alleging that he was already bragging about the assignment of more soldiers and thugs to him.

    He said if allowed unchecked, could cause grievous body harm to members of the Apa Ward; destroy electoral materials and other conducts capable of causing breach of public peace.
    Calling on the police to investigate those involved with a view to bringing them to justice, the lawyer said actions should also be taken to safeguard life and property in the scheduled rerun.

  • PDP threatens to boycott Bauchi gov rerun

    A rerun of the gubernatorial election in Bauchi will hold in 15 local government areas where 22,759 votes were cancelled, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner Ibrahim Abdullahi who disclosed this to reporters in Bauchi on Thursday said the supplementary election will hold on March 23.

    He stated the rerun election will be held in 36 Polling covering 29 registration areas (wards) in the 15 affected local government areas with 22,759 registered voters equally affected.

    He further said that rerun election will not hold in Tafawa Balewa local government area until after the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

    The REC appealed to the public, especially the people of Tafawa Balewa local government area, to be calm and wait for the outcome of the court ruling.

    But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi state has described the supplementary election as a sham threatening not to participate in it.

    Its chairman, Alhaji Hamza Koshe Akuyam told reporters: “The supplementary election is a sham, INEC wants to conduct rerun because 22, 759 people were disenfranchised in 15 LGA, meanwhile 139, 240 were disenfranchised in Tafawa Balewa local government area.

    “I don’t know what INEC is up to. Maybe they are reading somebody’s script. We are not going to participate in this election.

    “Our legal team will look at this matter though it is not just about going to court but for INEC to do the right thing.”

    The PDP Chairman stated that the party will go to court and seek a redress.

    But the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state says it is well prepared for the supplementary election.

    Its chairman Ubah Nana told reporters the party is readily prepared for the re-run.

    “15 LGAs will be having rerun this Saturday and we are participating .Though the proper thing to be done was for the rerun to be held in the 15 LGA and Tafawa Balewa but unfortunately it was not the case .

    “We are fully prepared. I don’t know why some people seem not to be fully prepared. I don’t know why they are afraid.

    “Let the game be played according to the rules,” he stated.

    Tafawa Balewa local government area was excluded from the rerun as INEC, in compliance with a court order restraining it from resuming with the collation and announcement of result for the LGA, discontinued with the process.

    A Federal High Court in Abuja had barred the Commission (INEC) from collation of result of the governorship election of March 9 in Bauchi State in an order given by Justice Inyang Ekwo on Tuesday following an ex parte application filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the incumbent governor of the state, Mohammed Abubakar.

  • Atiku, PDP hallucinating over 1.6m votes claim, says Obaseki

    Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki on Thursday faulted the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, who claimed that he defeated President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with about 1.6 million votes.

    According to him, it was mere hallucination.

    Obaseki spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Asked to respond to Atiku Abubakar’s claim that he won the elections with about 1.6 millions, Obaseki simply said, “You heard the word, they are hallucinating”

    According to him, he was at the State House to congratulate President Buhari and also to discuss some developmental issues that have to do with the South-South and South East being the only APC governor in the area.

    He said, “I came to congratulate the President on his victory in the pools. If you understand the Nigerian politics, I am the only APC governor in the South South and South East. So, it means I must keep a very close relationship with my President.”

    Read Also: APC hits Atiku, PDP over electoral victory claim

    On what he discussed with him, he said, “It is just issues pertaining to the region, economic development of the region, security and how to make progress in the next four years.

    He said that his discussion with the President had nothing to do with politics.

    “Well, I didn’t come to discuss politics. INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) will determine what it needs to do, and as a compliant party we will accept the decisions of INEC.”

    He also said that his party has nothing to worry about in the Saturday’s supplementary election in Rivers State as it has no candidates in the election.

    On what his administration was doing to curb insecurity in Northern part of Edo State where some police officers including a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), he said that those involved in the act had been rounded up.

    He said “Security in that part of the state has been a concern to us and fortunately the Police stepped up investigation of the killings in Afuze Police Station last week and I am happy to report that the culprits have been found.

    “They are hoodlums who wanted to release one of their colleagues in the police cell. They did it in such a gruesome manner by killing four police officers including the DPO who Watson duty at that time.

    “They have been arrested and they have made useful confession. We are still investigating to see how this activity is related to such similar activities that we witnessed in that part of the state over the past one year.”

  • APC hits Atiku, PDP over electoral victory claim

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) lashed out yesterday at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the February 23 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, over his claim that he won the poll by about 1.6 million votes.

    It said Atiku’s claim indicated that he may have slipped into “post-election depression and hallucination”.

    APC’s National Publicity Secretary Lanre Issa-Onilu said in a statement in Abuja that Atiku’s reference to INEC’s server raised several questions that tend to confirm reports before the election that the opposition party planned to hack into the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) database.

    According to Issa-Onilu, Nigerians decided to pitch their tent with President Muhammadu Buhari because they saw through the plot by the PDP and its candidate to discredit the electoral process.

    The statement reads: “Following the outcome of the presidential election, during which a vast majority of Nigerians reaffirmed their unshaken belief in President Muhammadu Buhari to continue to steer the affairs of the country for another four years, we have watched in disbelief and utter amusement how the opposition PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have engaged in series of circus shows to cheer up their crestfallen and disillusioned members.

    ”While the APC is not oblivious of the PDP’s antics to discredit the credible presidential electoral process, acknowledged by local and international observers, we sympathise with Atiku for the crushing defeat handed him by President Buhari through the votes of Nigerians.

    “Judging by Atiku and PDP’s recent utterances and actions, it is now clear that they have slipped into severe depression and post-defeat hallucination that have left many Nigerians questioning their current state of mind.

    “After weeks of dilly-dallying, the PDP has woken up to the stark reality of its electoral defeat and decided to follow the constitutional path of filing a petition at the election petitions tribunal.

    “However, of all the prayers of Atiku before the Election Tribunal, which are at best hollow, the most ridiculous is his claim that the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) indicated he ‘won’ the Presidential Election by 1.6 million votes.

    “A few questions would suffice: Is this phantom figure of 1.6 million votes Dubai-invented? Was the result sold to Atiku by his numerous marabouts, who we understand, had assured him that the last election was a done deal for him?

    “Most importantly, we note Atiku’s consistent reference to the ‘INEC server’ as if he is the custodian of that platform. Indeed, Atiku’s constant reference to the INEC server should raise concerns as it is becoming apparent that he and the PDP are up for some dastard activities that are targeted at jeopardising the INEC database and internal storage system.

    “We recall the widespread reported cases of several programmed card readers that were retrieved from some PDP agents and their failed attempt to hack the INEC database in the build-up to the then postponed presidential election.

    “We remind Atiku and PDP that Nigerians saw through the devious schemes aimed at thwarting their will. Consequently, majority of the voters handed them a harsh verdict — that verdict remains sacrosanct.

    “We call on the INEC and the security agencies to be on red alert to ensure that Atiku and the other desperate characters in the PDP are not able to execute their evil plans.”

  • I’m still in PDP, says Agbaje

    THE Lagos State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje, has said no one will force him to quit the party.

    He blamed mischief-makers for the insinuations that he had dumped the PDP, adding it was a move to soil his reputation, provoke crisis within the party and dampen the spirit of party members and his supporters.

    In a statement, his Director of Media and Publicity, Felix Oboagwina, quoted Agbaje as saying: “I have never discussed with anyone any plan to dump PDP, neither has such a prospect crossed my mind.

    “There is no reason for it. It is uncalled for.”

    He vowed to remain in the party, despite the campaign of calumny being waged against him in the media by a few leaders.

    The PDP flag-bearer said he only on Monday released a message encouraging members to rise above the questionable defeats suffered in the last election and maintain faith in the party, and that it would be contradictory for him to suddenly turn tail and flee the same party. According to him, recent vituperations in the media and social media against his person and his role in the last election were the machinations of political featherweights and did not warrant any response.

    He said: “Suffice to say that Chief Layi Ogunbambi’s claim of being denied funds as Director-General of Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council in Lagos State amounted to attempting to build something on nothing. For starters, the position he lays claim gives him no locus standi as no such formal position existed in the entire campaign structure of PDP in Lagos or any of the other 35 states.”

    Reacting to Ogunbanmbi’s angst, Agbaje noted that the man, who paraded himself as the DG of the Atiku/Obi Presidential Campaign Council, had his wife, Mrs.  Oluwatoyin  Ogunbambi, contesting as gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State against PDP on another party platform! Serious conflict of Interest!

    “I, as the gubernatorial candidate of the party in Lagos, was Chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign in Lagos. Mr. Leke Osikoya was the State Campaign Director. The national body recognised and related with us accordingly. The title of Director General was reserved for the national campaign council. If there was an Atiku/Obi Presidential Campaign, it would have, at best, been a support group.”

  • Worried by electoral hiccups, PDP set to review conduct of 2019 polls

    The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed concerns over hiccups in the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    The party, at an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, complained about the inability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conclude the elections in record time.

    The PDP chieftains were particularly miffed that almost two weeks after, INEC could not conclude the governorship and state assembly elections that were held on March 9.

    Winners of the governorship elections are yet to be declared in seven states where the polls were declared inconclusive. The affected states are Kano, Sokoto, Benue, Plateau and Bauchi states. The concluding part of the elections are billed to hold in the affected states on Saturday.

    The governorship election in Rivers state has become a subject of legal rigmarole by interested parties as a result of suspension of announcement of the results midway into the exercise.

    Also of grave concern to the main opposition party was the militarisation of the elections in many states in the South-South geopolitical zone.

    The party has resolved to do a post mortem of the general election after the supplementary elections.

    The PDP National Chairman, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus who presided over the meeting, called on the military not to allow themselves be called out again for what he described as illegal duties.

    He enjoined the military and other security agencies to resist any attempt to be dragged into paying manipulative roles in Saturday’s supplementary elections in the affected states.

    The party chair said that military institution in Nigeria is highly regarded and therefore has the responsibility to guard its reputation jealously.

    According to him, inconclusive terminology is a rigging strategy introduced by the INEC to aide the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He expressed optimism that PDP candidates will emerge victorious in the upcoming supplementary elections in five of the six states that the election will take place.

    Secondus said that property will hold the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu responsible for the consequences of all his actions.

    President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki said the result of the presidential and state elections reflected the strength and character of the PDP and urged members to build on the foundation.

    Saraki said the victory of the APC in the presidential and state elections will be short-lived, adding that, “We have a great future ahead and I believe we will start that on Saturday to make sure that we defend those five states that are declared inconclusive.

    “If anybody believes that it is a loss to PDP, it is a loss to the country that history will not forgive. We said it many times here, that the worst to do is to do an election that our country, Nigeria will not be proud of.

    “We have done an election that no doubt anybody and even those that think they have won are ashamed of the kind of election that we did.

    “I think it is a shame to the country and to those that were given that responsibility to do. They have Saturday as their last opportunity to try as much as possible to reclaim part of their embarrassment to the country.

    “How can a country like Nigeria have this type of election? Ghana has done it, Congo and Zimbabwe have done elections. And we say we do elections, with seven inconclusive. We did elections in 2015, we did it in 2011 and 1999 and after so many years, this is what we can produce.

    “It is not a loss to the PDP, it is to the country. It just showed the level of desperation. I have confidence that this will be shortlived and as such, let us ensure on Saturday, that these fives states that as ours remain within the PDP and INEC should for once do what is right”, Saraki said.

    Also speaking at the meeting, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, urged INEC to save the country the agony setting bad precedent for the country.

    Dogara said, “Elections are done all over the world, elections are conducted in Africa and at no time have we heard of these inconclusive elections in other jurisdictions. Ghana elections were held not long ago.

    “It will be very unfortunate if INEC, which is led by a first-class Professor set this very dangerous and unacceptable precedent in our political history. That I want them to take note of.

    “And also what has happened is pure evil, our consolation as members of this party is that evil does not last and no evil doer has ever escaped punishment.

    “If they do what others have done before, they will see what those who did evil saw. Definitely, they cannot escape from it. It’s a law of nature and in the scriptures of God, that whatever you sow so you shall reap.

    “This is also for those who believe in power for the sake of power, not because they want to empower people, not because they want to better the lives of our people.

    “There is also lessons they can learn from history. History is now replete with examples of all those who pursued power, for the sake of power. Their lives have always ended in semilar tragedy that awaits anyone who seeks power for the sake of power. We have seen that display in Nigeria.

    “For us as members of this party, I don’t want us to despair, even though we have inconclusive elections in some states. In five of those states, PDP clearly won the election in those states.

    “We will not despair, let us stand strong, let us face the rerun or supplementary elections as they called them. I sincerely believe that by the grace of God victory is ours and we will overcome.

    The PDP vice presidential candidate in the February 23 election, Mr Peter Obi, said besides blaming the INEC and the security agencies, the biggest shame goes to those who are directing them to do the wrong thing.

    Obi said, “If you choose to be a leader, especially with APC that claims integrity, the biggest corruption and the biggest show of a government that does not believe in integrity is to rig election. Because the process through which you come into office, is far more fundamental than what you do thereafter.

    “I think we should hold them responsible for what is happening in this country now. The examples we are setting for the young ones, I don’t know what they will tell a young man who is cheating in an examination in this country after seeing the ways our elections are conducted.

    “I don’t know what they will tell those who are robbing banks and kidnapping people, because we have seen the biggest of it by this election where people are happy after robbing the nation and their states.

    “The chairman said we will do a post mortem after the election. I thank the party, because it is the party that is going to court not just the presidential candidate going to court to challenge this rascality.

    “I as a person have always believed that the biggest enemy of freedom or progress are happy slaves. And thank God that this party has chosen this part, and we will all stand by it”.

  • PDP drags judge to NJC for halting Bauchi election collation

    The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) has petitioned the National judicial Council (NJC) over what it described as violation of the Constitution and Electoral Act by Justice Ekwo Inyang of the Federal High Court.

    The party accused the judge of sitting on a matter that ought to have been handled by an election petition tribunal, in line with the provisions of our laws.

    Justice Inyang had granted an Exparte Order stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from concluding the governorship election in Bauchi State.

    In a statement on Wednesday by spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said Justice Inyang violated Section 87(10) of the Electoral Act, which states that no court has the power or jurisdiction to stop any election pending the determination of a suit.

    In an affidavit sworn to by the PDP’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, in Abuja, the party noted that issues of collation of results and declaration of winner, are post-election events and, therefore, fall under the Electoral Act and constitutional provisions for the election petition tribunal.

    Secondus stated in the affidavit: “Despite this clear provision of the law, Justice Ekwo decided to hear the application of Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar and his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), within twenty four hours on 19th March, 2019 and issued an order on INEC not to continue with the election until the case before him is finally decided.

    “That the collation of results is a post-election event and under section 87(10) of the Electoral Act, no court has the power or jurisdiction to stop any election pending the determination of a suit.

    “That an election includes voting, collation of results and the declaration of results.

    “That as a result of the order on the Independent National Electoral Commission, the conclusion of the Bauchi State Governorship election which was to take place on 19th March 2019 was stalled.

    “That the order of Justice Ekwo was made contrary to the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 as amended dealing without fair hearing and also section 87(10) of the Electoral Act.

    “That the Chief Justice of Nigeria has constituted the various Election Petition Tribunals in Nigeria to handle such cases and the assumption of jurisdiction by Justice Inyang Ekwo is an affront to the constitution and electoral wishes of the people of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area and Bauchi State”.

    The main opposition party insisted not only did Justice Inyang violate the clear provisions of the Electoral Act, the motion granted was also an affront to the electoral wishes of the people of Bauchi State who have clearly chosen their next governor in voting for the PDP’s candidate, Senator Bala Mohammed.

    The PDP urged the NJC to save the country’s democracy by taking an urgent step against the alleged violations by Justice Inyang.