The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PDP

  • Parties kick as PDP wins Bayelsa Assembly seats

    Major parties in Bayelsa State yesterday rejected the results of last Saturday’s House of Assembly elections in which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates won in most of the constituencies.

    The Labour Party (LP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) called for the cancellation of the elections in some constituencies.

    But the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the PDP candidates winners in most of the constituencies where elections were conducted.

    The results signed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Baritor Koagih, showed that PDP candidates – Abraham Ingobere, (Brass Constituency III); Ololo Ben (Nembe I);Ingo Iwowari (Nembe II) and Obiene Iniyobiyo (Nembe III) won.

    Other PDP candidates declared victorious are: Mitema Obodor (Ogbia I); Naomi Ogoli (Ogbia II); Salo Adikumo (Sagbama III); Monday Obolo (Southern Ijaw II); Daniel Igali (Southern Ijaw III) and Speaker Konbowei Benson (Southern Ijaw IV).

    Others declared winners are: Parkinson Markmanuel (Yenagoa I); Mrs. Ebiuwou Obiyai (Yenagoa II) and Gentle Emelah (Yenagoa III).

    There was no election in Brass Constituency II, following the insistence of some youths to see the ward collation results sheets before accreditation.

    The election in Ogbia Constituency Two was declared inconclusive.

    It was gathered that in Yenagoa I, the election was characterised by alleged intimidation and arrest of APGA’s candidate.

    LP’s candidate Joseph Ogbe urged INEC to cancel the Assembly elections.

    Ogbe said the election was marred by violence, intimidation, harassment and threats to voters, especially in Nembe I.

    He said: “I can authoritatively tell you that elections did not take place due to the activities of uniformed men and thugs.

    Ogbe said accreditation started peacefully until about 2pm when soldiers, mobile policemen and thugs invaded the area and beat up LP agents and some voters who insisted on staying and casting their votes.

    He said: “In the creeks of Nembe, which has 61 polling units out of 98 units, soldiers, policemen and thugs carried away electoral materials, including ballot boxes, after accreditation had taken place.

    “They went from one community to another, carrying away electoral materials. Nobody was allowed to vote…”

     

  • Imo boils as PDP thugs go on rampage

    Imo boils as PDP thugs go on rampage

    Hundreds of hoodlums suspected to be hired by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Monday went on rampage in Owerri, the Imo State capital, attacking supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and damaging vehicles and other property.

    The thugs who took over major streets in the capital city, forced passersby and commuters to chant anti-Okorocha slogan and those who failed to comply or found with Okorocha’s campaign insignia were severely beaten up.

    At the headquaters of the Rochas Campaign Organization, the rampaging hoodlums attacked everyone at sight and destroyed APC campaign buses and billboards after they failed to gain entrance into the premises.

    They also demanded the cancellation of the governorship election over alleged irregularities while displaying placards with various inscriptions such as ‘Ihedioha is our man’, ‘Rochas must go’, ‘we don’t want APC in Imo’, ‘say no to Moslem party’, among others.

    However when contacted, the Director of Media of the Ihedioha Campaign Organisation, Barr. Enyinna Onuegbu, said the youths were sympathisers of the PDP who were protesting the electoral fraud committed by the Governor and not sponsored by the PDP as alleged.

    According to him, “the youths were protesting the massive rigging of the governorship election and they were not sponsored by the PDP. They want INEC to declare Ihedioha the winner of the election

    The State  Police Public Relations Officer, Andrew Enwerem, said that the Police has advised the youths across all the political parties to remain calm until INEC declares the final result of the election.

    When contacted over the development, the Director General of the Rochas Campaign Organisation, Barr. Iheukwumere Alaribe, said the PDP sponsored youths were protesting the failure of INEC to comply with their agreement to rig the election in their favour.

  • May 29: Transition committee begins work

    May 29: Transition committee begins work

    To facilitate smooth handing over of government on May 29th from the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan (Peoples Democratic Party) to the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (All Progressives Congress), the Transition Committee on Monday started its assignment.

    Jonathan had conceded defeat to Buhari in the March 28th Presidential election.

    The maiden meeting of the committee chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo started few minutes past 12noon on Monday at the Vice President’s conference room.

    Among those at the meeting are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, Head of Service of the Federation, Daniel Kifasi.

    Others include the Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda and the Minister of Police Affairs, Jelil Adesinyan, NAFDAC DG, Paul Orhii.

  • PDP lawmakers lose re-election bid

    PDP lawmakers lose re-election bid

    The hopes of incumbent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers representing Aba North, South and Central state constituencies to be re-elected were dashed, as they lost their seats to the candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

    Announcing the results, Dr. Comos Chikezie Ogbu and Ngongeh Lucas, the returning officers for Aba South and Aba Central constituencies said Emmanuel Clinton (APGA) polled 2959 votes to defeat incumbent Blessing Iheasimuo (PDP), who had 2613 votes, while Sir Abraham Oba (APGA) of Aba Central State Constituency got 16, 734 votes to defeat his closest rival, Kate Ijeoma Maduako of the PDP, who polled 3123 votes.

    It was learnt that Blessing Nwagba, the legislator representing Aba North State Constituency, lost out like her counterparts, as she was defeated by Emeka Nnamani of APGA.

    Addressing reporters after the results were announced, George Ezikpe Okeiyi, the coordinating director of APGA campaigns in Aba, described the election as credible.

    He said the results showed the love the indigenes had for APGA.

    According to him, the victory was not only for APGA, but for democracy, promising the voters that the party would not disappoint them.

    He said: “It is going to be a new beginning and a fresh start. Things are going to be done differently. We have been part of the system here. We have been part of the pains, we have been part of the struggles and for this moment, we are desirous of the change that we have got and we will make good of it.”

    The governorship results collated at wards in Aba Federal Constituency, Aba North and South local governments showed that the governorship candidate of APGA, Dr. Alex Otti, was leading his PDP counterpart, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.

  • Fashola, Agbaje, Tinubu speak on Lagos guber

    Fashola, Agbaje, Tinubu speak on Lagos guber

  • Bayelsa Dep Speaker loses seat to APC

    Deputy Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Victor Ateki, has lost his Brass Constituency 1 seat to the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Sunny Igoli.

    Igoli, erstwhile aide to former Governor Timipre Sylva, won the House of Assembly election by landslide.

    He was said to have scored 4,328 votes to defeat Ateki, a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 2766.

  • PDP wins in Ebonyi

    1. OHOAZARA LGA

    APC.    – 364
    APGA.  – 92
    LP.       – 2307
    PDP.     – 32,402

    2.  EZZA SOUTH

    APC.   – 2135
    APGA. – 186
    LP.      – 8,457
    PDP.    – 18,095

    3.  IVO LGA

    APC.  –  346
    APGA –  229
    LP.     –  6497
    PDP.   –  11,729

    4.  EBONYI LGA

    APC.  – 1249
    APGA – 621
    LP.     – 12431
    PDP.  –  14,229

    5.  AFIKPO NORTH

    APC. –  446
    APGA – 289
    LP.     – 9406
    PDP.   – 15,519

    6.   AFiKPO SOUTH

    APC.  –  307
    APGA – 267
    LP.     – 3456
    PDP.   – 28,380

    7.    ABAKALIKI

    APC.  –  1255
    APGA –  804
    LP.     –  16,670
    PDP.  –   18,779.

    8.   ONICHA

    APC.  –   620
    APGA –   143
    LP.     –   4229
    PDP.   –  41,428

    9.   IZZI

    APC.   –  214
    APGA. –  355
    LP.      –   25,218
    PDP.    –   26,399

    10.  ISHIELU

    APC.  – 11348
    APGA. -1139
    LP.      – 7958
    PDP.   – 19,177

    11.   IKWO

    APC.    –  864
    APGA.  –  354
    LP.       –  19649
    PDP.     –  38,168

    12.   EZZA NORTH

    APC.    –  5731
    APGA.  –  493
    LP.      –   2643
    PDP.    –   10,337

    13.   OHAUKWU

    APC.   –  2704
    APGA. –  12,999
    LP.      –  5896
    PDP.   –   15,285

  • A gale of bewildering, unprincipled defections

    A gale of bewildering, unprincipled defections

    Given the current rate of defections from the PDP to the APC, it will be a miracle if at the inauguration of the Muhammadu Buhari APC government on May 29 anyone of ‘timbre and calibre’ is left with President Jonathan. The defections began shortly before the presidential poll, with some politicians crossing over to the APC hours before the ballots were cast. Some of the defections, such as the ones that convulsed Ondo State and unnerved Governor Olusegun Mimiko, were so comprehensive and debilitating that they left the victims dazed and disconcerted.

    The defections have gone essentially in one direction, where they used to be multidirectional many months back. The only beneficiary now, of course, is the APC. This has left the PDP haemorrhaging very badly. In fact, some politicians now actively fear that if the defections go on at this frenetic pace, the country could transform into a one-party state, especially because there is no law regulating or barring defections. Politicians no one ever expected could defect have done so unashamedly and cavalierly.

    If anyone thought the defections were limited to specific geopolitical zones, he would be wrong. No zone is left out in the scramble. The defectors come from the North and South, East and West. They are young and old, rich and poor. What binds most of them together is their common opportunism.

    One reason for the gale is the well-known reluctance by Nigerian politicians to roost in the opposition, a camp described and derided as a punishing wilderness of lack and want and humiliation. Since their businesses depend on government patronage, staying in the opposition is sheer ostracism and death. The second reason is that both the APC and PDP are widely believed to lack ideological differentiation. Even if this is not wholly true, the defectors themselves do not think they are discomfited by ideology, nor do they attach any ideological coloration to the two main parties.

    There will, therefore, be more defections in the days ahead, some significant, some unremarkable. No one will stop them; and no one can stop them. Indeed, it will take a few more years for the peregrinations to end and the evolution of the parties to be completed. Meanwhile, roll out the drums and welcome into the new ruling party the pilgrim fathers and the prodigal sons.

  • APC cries out over PDP-instigated violence, voting disruptions in Lagos, Rivers, Ondo

    APC cries out over PDP-instigated violence, voting disruptions in Lagos, Rivers, Ondo

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday protested violence and disruption of voting in Lagos, Rivers and Ondo states.

    In a statement by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, he said in many parts of Lagos, thugs armed by the PDP went on the rampage, shooting sporadically to scare away voters and carting away voting materials.

    It said the development confirmed earlier statements by the APC that the PDP has been engaging in gun running in Lagos, with a view to arming thugs to disrupt the polls.

    The APC said that in Lagos alone, PDP thugs were let loose on Abule Okuta area of Bariga, shooting and disrupting the accreditation of voters.

    They also proceeded to harass and intimidate APC agents.

    Officials of INEC allegedly refused to show result sheets to APC agents who demanded for it and the party said it feared “those results sheets may have been handed over to PDP.”

    It listed other breaches as follows: – PDP agents storm Polling Units in Apapa Ward A Unit 009 with persons who do not belong to the Polling Units and they were accredited

    – OPC thugs under police protection attacking voters and INEC officials all over Lagos.

    – No Electoral Officers in PUs in Ogudu, a known APC stronghold.

    – PDP Secretariat in Apapa (Lander Close) off Liverpool Road filled with OPC men from Ajegunle

    – Police in Iyana Ipaja arresting intending voters holding PVCs and locking them up in police stations, thus preventing their accreditation

    – Electoral materials hijacked in many Polling Units in Ibeju Lekki. PDP thugs waylay INEC officials, vowed to kill them if they come to the PUs.

    – Ballot boxes snatched in three Polling Units in Eti-Osa LG

    – Shortage of Card Readers in many Polling Units in Ikorodu.

    In the case of Rivers State, the APC said “over 50 soldiers have been posted to (PDP governorship candidate)  Nyesom Wike’s residence in Old GRA area of Port Harcourt. The troops have been harassing people in the area; Home of Commissioner for Women Affairs in Rivers State, Joeba West, set ablaze in Buguma; INEC registration area centre in Kalabari National College in Buguma also set ablaze; Police patrol vehicle also burnt in Buguma by suspected PDP thugs.

    The party also alleged that a traditional ruler in Ondo State hijacked election materials in Ilaje Local Government Area in collusion with the PDP.

  • APC, PDP in close race in Imo

    APC, PDP in close race in Imo

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are in close race in Imo state. Some of the results from the Polling Units indicate that the APC governorship candidate, Rochas Okorocha is leading in Njaba, Nkwerre, Onuimo, Okigwe, Owerri North, Owerri Municipal, Owerri West,  Ideato South and Ideato North Local Government Areas.

    While the PDP governorship candidate, Emeka Ihedioha, is leading in Aboh-Mbaise, Ahiazu-Mbaise, Ezinihitte, Oguta, Ohaji-Egbema.

    The early results show that both candidates are wining in their party’s strongholds.