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  • APC, PDP set for legal battle

    Atiku, PDP seek access to election materials

    We’ll prove our candidate won, says APC

    Secondus, others march on INEC to reverse verdict

    A legal battle is set to begin between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the February 23 presidential election won by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The PDP and its candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday approached the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) for permission to inspect the materials used for the poll.

    They are seeking the tribunal’s order to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to grant them and their agents access to the materials.

    Also yesterday, the leadership of the PDP took its protest over the poll to INEC’s doorstep in Abuja.

    They were led by the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

    But the APC said its legal team would defend the ruling party’s victory at the tribunal with facts and figures.

    According to it, the PDP has taken the only democratic route to register its grievances by approaching the tribunal.

    The Director of Strategic Communication of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, (SAN, said the ruling party is prepared to prove that the election, won by its candidate President Buhari, was conducted in a free and fair atmosphere, deviod of rigging as being claimed by the opposition.

    In a statement in Abuja yesterday, Keyamo noted that resorting to court was the only democratic way for Atiku to ventilate his perceived grievances about the election, stressing that the council was not in any way prevailing on the former vice president not to seek judicial redress.

    Keyamo denied reports that the council had written to some international organisations and development partners to prevail on Atiku not to challenge the outcome of the election in court, adding that the body that wrote the letter was not known to the council and does not speak for it and the President.

    The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to some news item and posts on social media reporting that we wrote a letter to some international bodies to prevail on Alhaji Atiku Abubakar not to proceed to court to challenge the result of the 2019 Presidential Election.

    “Our investigation reveals that a letter to that effect was purportedly written by a certain ‘Buhari Campaign Organisation’. This is the second time we will be informing the public that the said ‘Buhari Campaign Organisation’ does not act at the behest of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, nor does it represent the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation in any way.

    “As a result, whatever it has released does not represent the position of the APC Presidential Campaign Council or President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “Our official position is that we believe that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has a constitutional right to seek redress in court and we do not seek in any way to curtail that right. In fact, it is the resort to court that is the only democratic way to ventilate his perceived grievance and any attempt to restrict or discourage the exercise of such right would be an invitation to anarchy.

    “In addition, we are very anxious to meet Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in court in order to show the world in a conclusive manner the free and fair nature of the comprehensive defeat of Atiku at the polls. An election is not termed ‘rigged’ only by the mere claim of it by the loser.

    “That is what Atiku and the PDP want to ram down our throats. Unfortunately for them, international, continental and sub-regional observers (who can be seen as neutral by all standards) ALL declared the election to be free, fair and credible. No ego-massaging narrative can change that.

    “We therefore totally disassociate ourselves from the letter purportedly written by one of, perhaps, many support groups of President Buhari. They may have a right to their opinion, but it does not represent our official position.”

    In their application to the PEPT, Atiku and the PDP prayed that they be allowed to examine election materials

    Their prayers are contained in a motion ex-parte they filed before the tribunal in Abuja, in which they are seeking leave to inspect the voters register, the Smart Card Reader (SCR), ballot papers and other vital documents used in the conduct of the presidential election.

    They also want the tribunal to order INEC to allow their agents to scan and make photocopies of vital documents used for the election to enable them establish what they  alleged were irregularities in the exercise.

    In the motion filed by their lawyer, Chris Uche, (SAN), Atiku and the PDP said that the reliefs being sought against INEC were for the purpose of filing and maintaining an election petition, which they are preparing to file against the outcome of this year’s presidential election.

    The Director, Contact and Mobilisation of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd), deposed to a 12-paragraph supporting affidavit filed with the motion.

    INEC, President Muhammadu Buhari and his APC have been listed as respondents to the motion.

    No date has been fixed for the hearing of the motion.

    The Nation learnt yesterday that the motion, being one of the preliminary steps towards initiating an election petition, may not necessarily be heard in the open, but in the chambers of the tribunal.

    A member of the Atiku/PDP legal team confirmed to our reporter that the motion was filed to enable the team gather sufficient materials to prepare their petition.

    The member said that such a motion was one of the preliminary steps in filing election petitions.

    He said: “Since the petition was intended to challenge the outcome of the election, it was necessary to inspect vital materials used for the election to enable the intending petitioner source sufficient materials to prepare his/her petition.”

    He was optimistic that his team would file the petition before the end of this week.

  • PDP suffers set back in Kaduna as LG exco defects to APC

    …Pastors pass confidence vote on El-Rufai

     

    The membership of Kaduna State chapter of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has further depleted as execute members of Kudan local government area have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with thousands of supporters Tuesday.

    This was as Pastors under the auspices of Amalgamated Kaduna Pastors passed vote of confidence and endorsed Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai for second term in office.

    The former exco members who are from the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Hon. Isa Ashiru’s local government, were received by the Secretary to Kaduna State Government, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal on behalf of Governor Nasir El Rufai.

    Speaking on behalf of the decampees, a former Commissioner of Local Government Affairs, Alhaji Magaji Sadiq Hunkuyi said that they dumped PDP because it has neglected the people of Kudan area council and the internal crisis ravaging the state chapter of the party.

    Hunkuyi who also hails from Kudan local government, promised to deliver the area council to APC in the next Saturday governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    The 28-member former exco include; Malam Tsoho Mohammed, the former Chairman of Hunkuyi Ward, ex-Chairman of Sokoto Ward, Alhaji Salisu Yaro and Alhaji Tafida Karfinka, former Chairman of Kauran Walk Ward.

    Others are; Amba Aliyu, Bilkisu Uba and Dangude Yelwa, former Women Leaders of Hunkuyi, Doka and Taban wards respectively.

    Ex Youth Leader Musa Shittu of Likoro ward, his counterpart in Garu ward Ali Gadanga and Musa Magaji, former Youth Leader of Hunkuyi ward were also amongst those who crossed over to APC.

    It will be recalled that a PDP governorship aspirant, Sani Sidi and his associates across 23 local government of Kaduna state, had earlier defected to APC on Monday, citing lack of consultations and reconciliation by PDP and its gubernatorial candidate since Ashiru emerged the party’s flagbearer.

    Meanwhile, the amalgamated Kaduna Pastors, while endorsing El-Rufai also condemned the statement credited to the chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) disparaging the person of Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai and his administration.

    The Pastors said, the statement credited to the CAN Chairman, Rev. Joseph Hayab was done in bad faith and should be regarded as his personal opinion and should be treated as such.

    In a statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of the group, Rev. Nath Omale said the group of Pastors under the umbrella which spread across the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State have passed a vote of confidence on the administration of Governor El-Rufai and will work for his re-election on Saturday.

    They said, “there are many achievements of the present administration in the state which have touched the lives of people positively and therefore we will work for his re-election.”

    The group noted that their endorsement came after a careful and honest assessment of the administration recognition of people from different tribes and religion currently serving in his government.

    According to them, “Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has freed the state from the shackles of godfatherism and enslavement and do not allow religion and tribalism to determine his focus in areas of development across the state.”

    “These among many other achievements in the almost four years of the Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai administration has made us to resolve to support the current administration in the state to continue till 2023,” the Pastors said.

  • Why we lost to PDP in Edo Central, by ex-Deputy Speaker

    A former Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Frank Okiye, has said that the All Progressives Congress lost the Presidential and National Assembly election in Edo Central Senatorial district because of the campaign of calumny against President Muhammadu Buhari by some religious groups.

    Edo Central comprising of five local government areas is a stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party. It was only in Igueben that the APC has been able to overrun the PDP in the February 23 general election.

    Hon Okiye who is the APC House of Assembly candidate for Esan North East constituency 1 said the influence of late Chief Tony Anenih also played a role.

    Okiye noted that the people late Anenih made were still influential and they understand the management of election in a political system.

    He, however, insisted that results declared from the district were manipulated in favour of the PDP as records showed there were compromises in some areas.

    The former Deputy Speaker said many APC leaders in the zone were not committed and argued that the results were not true reflections of what happened in the field.

    On the chances of the APC in Saturday’s election, Okiye said the APC candidates have bright chances of winning the elections.

    His words, “Our chances are very bright. We have a number of things going for us. We have captured the national and our people are conscious of joining mainstream politics.

    “We have the candidates that are credible and have the capacity to win elections. Our candidates have good public relations with people across political divide. Our people have a bigger picture of what we can get in the likely hood of winning the election. Oipnion moulders are involved and the narration has started changing.

    “We have overcome the initial challenges. This election is local. We are facing it ourselves.

    “Our people should understand we are one common people. We mean well for them. They should give us opportunity to demonstrate that we can do better.”

  • Why we’ll contest presidential results, by Obi

    The Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded presidential elections, Mr. Peter Obi on Monday asked those discouraging the party from heading to court to perish the idea.

    He said the party was not going to court to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) but the process that brought them to power.

    Obi, who spoke with newsmen in Onitsha, said dissuading the party from contesting the outcome of the poll was allowing impunity to go unchallenged.

    He accused the APC of gross manipulation of the electoral process, describing the act as worse than corruption.

    Obi said he aligned fully with PDP as a party, the Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and well-meaning Nigerians in condemning the exercise.

    He expressed confidence that the party would reclaim its mandate at the court.

    He said: “There is nothing to reconcile because we are not quarreling with them.

    “We are quarrelling with the process that declared them winners.

    “Every competition has its own rules. You can’t go into a football competition and score from the offside and said it should be accepted.

    “This is even worse than scoring from offside. They went and threw in the ball into the goal post when nobody was there.

    “We can’t continue with election rigging, incompetence and nepotism which are worse than corruption in any society.”

    Obi thanked Nigerians for their support for the party, especially the youth and women, some of who he said were exercising their voting rights for the first time.

    “I was touched by the eagerness with which Nigerians came out to fulfill their civic duties of voting in the over 119,000 polling booths scattered all over Nigeria.

    “I also condole the families of those that lost their lives and those that sustained various degrees of injuries during the election,” he added.

    He appealed to them not to allow their spirit become dampened towards the performance of their civic duties in future.

    According to Obi: “The election was anything but a transparent, free and fair election, which certainly fell far below the standard established by the 2015 presidential election.

    He claimed it was characterised by deliberate voters’ suppression and intimidation throughout the South-East and South-South, actions he described as the highest form of corruption.

    Read Also: Abdusalami peace committee meet Atiku, Obi

    Obi lamented that the two zones under reference witnessed different sets of rule.

    He continued: “While some zones voted strictly using the card readers, other zones, as part of the manipulation orchestrated by the ruling party, APC were allowed to vote without card readers contrary to the guidelines INEC issued before the election.

    “As law abiding citizens, the PDP as a party, its Presidential candidate and himself, had decided to go to court because of their belief in the rule of law.

    “Though elections give citizens a means to hold their leaders accountable by voting incumbents out of office or promising to hold to account those leaders successfully elected, the process is more important than the outcome as the rule of law must always prevail.

    “Thus, the consequences of Nigeria without rule of law will be unimaginable chaos and tyranny.”

  • Kaduna: PRP, PDP senatorial candidates, call for poll cancellation

    .. I’m going to court – PDP Candidate

     

    People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ) Senatorial Candidate in Kaduna Central, Lawal Adamu Usman (MR LA) and People’s Redemption Party (PRP) have described the February 23rd Presidential and National Assembly (NASS) election in Kaduna central senatorial district as a sham and call for its cancellation.

    PDP Senatorial Candidate and PRP in their separate press conference in Kaduna, commended the people of all the seven local government areas that make up his designated constituency for their support and the roles played by community leaders, the youth, women and multitude of independent voters to ensure their ‘victory’ at the polls.

    Usman however said that, he would be challenging the outcome of the election, which favours the APC candidate, Malam Uba Sani in the court of law.

    According to him, “we however find it saddening, embarrassing and ridiculous that the state government and the ruling party in the state went as low as to temper with the mandate voluntarily and collectively given by the people; a mandate freely given and universally acknowledged.

    “Consequent upon this, and for the avoidance of doubt, we state here that we are committed to exploring all available lawful, constitutional and democratic windows to ensure that the people’s stolen mandate is reclaimed and restored.

    There is no doubt the election was rigged and manipulated by the ruling party in the state and it must not be allowed to stand because it is not the will of the people.

    “Accordingly, we hereby announce in categorical terms that we reject the process that led to the announcement of that manipulated, fabricated and concocted results, and call for their immediate cancellation.

    “We wish to reiterate the call for all the people of Kaduna State, and in particular the good people of Kaduna Central District not to relent in their democratic struggle for a meaningful in the state – a change we can see, feel and use – by coming out en masse once again to assert their right to select leaders that would responsibly shape their future.

    “Notwithstanding the ugly and shameful act of desperation shown by the state government and the ruling party, we remain committed to the overall peace of the state and communal harmony based on our abiding faith that only God gives power to whomever He wills,” he said.

    At its own press conference addressed by the state chairman, Abdulrahman Haruna Danbirni, PRP said, “we condemn the last Presidential and National Assembly elections, as it ridiculed our Democratic participation of one-man one-vote in which each vote must count.

    “It is sad that the election that has costs Nigerian a colossal sum of money and a great deal of time to prepare ended as a charade and a rape to our democratic process.

    “Inundated with electoral irregularities, we are left with no option than to throw away the baby with the bathwater. Our agents from across the state have flooded us with reports of electoral irregularities, most prominent and widespread are: Alteration of results, vote-buying and non-accreditation of voters before casting their votes, non-application or deliberate bye-passing of card readers and the use of financial inducements and vote buying was business of the day on date of the election.

    “The ruling party was seen openly engaged in buying votes from the electorate using cash and other valuables. APC Local Government Chairmen in the state were seen sharing money and materials openly to voters in election centres in order to win their votes.

    “This open show of partisanship by public office holders is an indictment on their presumed non-artisanship and a testimony of the misuse of public funds for political gains.” He said.

    Other irregularities alleged by the PRP include, over-voting in most polling units, cancellation of results in almost all the polling units that did not favour the ruling party, non-availability of result sheets in most of the polling units and intimidation and open partisanship of security personnel.

    “For instance, in Birnin-Gwari and Giwa, Kajuru, Igabi, Birnin-Gwari and other local governments, security personnel were used to intimidate and scare away voters perceived to be in opposition to the ruling party.

    “Another particular point of note is over-voting where the total number of ballots cast exceeds the number of accredited voters, which have been reported in most local governments and our agents have protested to no avail.

    “INEC presiding officers have been fingered for numerous electoral malfeasances, where officials connived with the ruling party to manipulate results in its favour.

    “It is also an established fact that the ruling party has replaced trained polling personnel with its cronies to aid in the manipulation of results to its favour.

    “We therefore reject the complicity of INEC and the role of the security and the APC-led government in deploying state resources to aid the party in its mission to rig elections in its favour.

    “We therefore call for the cancellation, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections in Zone II by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” said PRP.

  • Breaking: Lanlehin, others step down for PDP’s Makinde candidate in Oyo

    The governorship candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) Olufemi Lanlehin and Sharafadeen Alli respectively on Monday ended days of anxiety and procrastination by stepping down for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oluseyi Makinde.

    The candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Bolaji Ayorinde also joined the alliance with the PDP.

    The alliance narrowed down the major candidates in the Saturday election to only All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Adebayo Adelabu and PDP’s Makinde.

    The third major candidate, Adebayo Alao-Akala of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) is currently in an alliance with the APC.

    The directors-general of the campaign organizations of the parties involved in the coalition confirmed the decision on Monday, saying that details would be provided later.

    The Nation learnt that a formal announcement and unveiling of the coalition will be made in a press conference on Tuesday.

    The agreement was expected to have been reached on Saturday but the ADC and ZLP were said to be in consultation with their stakeholders.

    Only the SDP confirmed its status in the coalition being built with the aim of dislodging the APC which has been governing the state since 2011.

  • Breaking:court nullifies Kano PDP guber primaries

    A Federal High Court presided over by Justice Lawis Alagoa on Monday nullified the primary election that produced Abba K. Yusuf as the gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Saturday’s gubernatorial election in the state.

    The Judge ruled that Abba K. Yususf’s candidature is not recognized by law because no primary election was held to produce him.

    The Judge, however, ruled that the PDP should conduct a fresh primary to produce a candidate that can be recognized by law before Saturday’s election.

    Read Also: Imo: PDP wins Orlu-Orsu-Oru East federal constituency

    However, Ibrahim El-Amin Little, a PDP gubernatorial aspirant had approached the Court, challenging the process that led to his emergence of Abba Yusuf as PDP gubernatorial candidate in Kano.

    His grouse was that the party denied him the right to contest the primary election, even as he brought his expression and nomination form.

    Llittle had prayed the court for the interpretation of whether the party could go ahead to field a candidate for the election in Kano state, without conducting primary election or not.

     

  • Why I met with National Peace Committee, by Atiku

    Presidential Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar has offered insights into why he met with members of the National Peace Committee on Thursday in Abuja.

    He said he met with the committee to demand unconditional release of party members illegally arrested and detained for political reasons in the just-concluded presidential election.

    Abubakar made the call ahead of the March 9 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections on Thursday night when he and PDP leaders met with the National Peace Committee, in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Mr. Paul Ibe, on Friday in Abuja,

    He also called for the non- deployment of the military in compliance with constitutional provisions and the subsisting judgment of the court.

    Abubakar and his team claimed that the Feb. 23 presidential election was the worst in the history of the country since the return to democracy in 1999.

    The former vice president, who described the election as sham said it was marked by militarisation, vote suppression, intimidation in collaboration with security agencies, INEC and the ruling party to subvert the will of Nigerians.

    He said that the issue of his party’s recourse to legitimate actions to reclaim the “stolen’’ mandate was not discussed at the meeting.

    Atiku restated that as a democrat, he would follow laid down constitutional and democratic procedures to challenge the “electoral malfeasance”.

    He urged Nigerians to come out en masse and vote during the March 9, Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections for PDP candidates and called on the electorate to stay and defend their votes up to the collation point.

    The National Peace Committee was represented at the meeting which took place in Atiku’s residence in Abuja by former military Head of State, Gen. Abdulasalami Abubakar, the Chairman of the committee, John Cardinal Onaiyekan and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.

    Others are PDP presidential candidate, his vice presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Senate President and D-G of PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Sen. Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus.(NAN)

  • PDP calls for cancellation election in Kwara

    THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State yesterday called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the results of the last Saturday presidential and National Assembly election in the state.

    Its chairman, Kola Shittu said this in Ilorin, the state capital, while addressing reporters on the outcome of the election.

    He  said the party was ready to employ legal means to redress what he descibe as manifest irregularities that characterised the elections across the three senatorial districts.

    Shittu  who was flanked by other executive members of the party,  said the elections were marred by electoral malpractices, malfunctioning of 90 percent of card readers, multiple voting as well as over- voting.

    He said: “We call on INEC to cancel the election because its outcome does not reflect the wishes of the people”, he said, adding : “We also received report of how APC agents made use of unclaimed PVCs to vote at some polling units across the State particularity within Kwara Central. Also, many of the local observers accredited by INEC to monitor the election were APC members.

    “Additionally, prior to the day of the election, the Federal Government backed APC made some retrogressive and undemocratic moves, using state apparatus to intimidate and arrest some of our members and supporters in some parts of the state.”

    Asked if the party was ready to approach  the tribunal for redress, the PDP chairman said once a political party announces its dissociation from an election result,  there are procedures for it to follow.

     

  • APC chair can’t tell Nigerians who is electable, says PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the claim by All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Adams Oshiomhole that its candidate Atiku Abubakar lost last Saturday’s election because he was not electable.

    Its spokesman Kola Ologbodiyan  advised Oshiomhole to first address what he called the many problems he has brought upon his party before dabbling into the affairs of Atiku and the PDP.

    Ologbondiyan said:  “It is not for the National chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole to tell Nigerians who is electable or not.

    “He told the whole world that he will deliver 100 per cent vote for president Muhammad Buhari in his ward. What did that tell you? That is pure rigging because there is nowhere in the whole world that everybody will be in one political party. It showed manifestly how much rigging Oshiomhole is capable of.

    “Is it not strange that a sitting national chairman cannot deliver his state for his party, in spite of the fact that he has a sitting governor. Will it not bother him? That is a question that should bother his mind.

    “If truly the APC is a political party, that should bother them that they have a national chairman who woefully failed to deliver his state to his party.

    “I don’t think anybody takes Adams Oshiomhole serious in this country going by the manner he conducted primaries in his party.

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