The Nation Newspaper

Tag: peaceful conduct

  • Peaceful conduct, large turnout for assembly election in Adamawa

    The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Tili Abubakar, and Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State, Kassim Gaidam, have expressed satisfaction with the conduct of voters and officials as well as turnout for the supplementary House of Assembly election that took place in two state constituencies yesterday.

    The DIG said he was happy over the security arrangement for the conduct of the election in Nasarawo/Binyeri State Constituency in Mayo-Belwa LGA and Uba/Gaya State Constituency in Hong, the two constituencies where rerun election was conducted to pick two remaining House of Assembly members after 23 were elected in the main House of Assembly election on March 9.

    Election was earlier postponed in Nasarawo/Binyeri because a candidate for it died just before hand, while voting in some units in Uba/Gaya was cancelled over violence.

    DIG Abubakar who spoke to newsmen in Nasarawa Binyeri while monitoring the conduct of the election, said he could see that INEC was fully prepared, and that the security personnel put in palace managed the elections well.

    “Adequate security personnel were drafted across all the polling units where election is taking place, to provide cover to INEC officials, the electorate  as well as observers of the elections. So far, we have not received any report of breach of peace,” he said.

    On his own, the state resident electoral commissioner, Kassim Gaidam, said voting started at 8:00 am in almost all the units, and  there was no reported challenge in either state constituency where election was taking place.

    And turnout is impressive in all the units that I have visited, with everyone conducting themselves peacefully,” he said.

    As one of the states in which the supplementary governorship election was scheduled for the day, the day was without event in LGAs other than Mayo-Belwa and Hong where the state Assembly rerun was held, since the governorship rerun which would have held in 44 polling units across 14 LGAs did not hold owing to a court injunction against it.

     

  • LG polls: Ajimobi hails peaceful conduct

    Local government election yesterday held across the 33 local government areas and 35 local council development areas of Oyo State. The poll which is coming up eleven years after the last one held in the state, witnessed low turnout of voters. Twelve political parties participated in the  election which was monitored by two international observers including the European Union (EU) and International Foundation of Electoral System (IFES).

    In their separate remarks, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the State Commissioner of Police Abiodun Odude as well as observers who monitored the election applauded the peaceful conduct of the electorate and contestants during the election. Ajimobi who was in company of his wife spoke with journalists after casting their votes at about 12.07pm at ward 9 unit 20 situated inside Community High School, Oluyole, Ibadan.

    The governor commended the people for supporting the process, pointing out that the election was peaceful, free and fair. He said, “Everybody is well organised as you can see. I really commend our people for their peaceful conduct and for their support for a smooth electoral process. It is great that Oyo State has moved from the era of brigandage for which it was known before the inception of our administration.”

    In his remarks, Mr Odude, the State Commissioner of Police, said that he has moved round the metropolis and was satisfied with the peaceful conduct of the election and the electorate. Describing the election as peaceful, free and fair, the CP assured that a comprehensive report would be released after the election to access the whole process and its conduct. As at the time of filling this report, collation of results from all the polling units were ongoing. The final result of the election is being awaited at the headquarters of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC).

     

  • Ajimobi expresses satisfaction with peaceful conduct in Oyo

    •Party preaches sustained peace

    OYO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi is satisfied with the peaceful conduct of the rescheduled ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held across the state yesterday.

    A statement by the Special Adviser, Communication and Strategy to the Governor, Mr. Bolaji Tunji, quoted the governor as saying that feelers from the state’s five zones suggested that the exercise went without hitches.

    Ajimobi described Saturday’s disturbances at the APC state secretariat, which forced the postponement of the congress till yesterday, as one of those things expected in a political gathering of highly placed political leaders with vested interests.

    According to him, followers and supporters of such leaders have been known to instigate crisis in their bid to outdo one another and to impress their principals, who often time were never in support of such violent conducts.

    The governor said: “The reports I have heard so far across the state indicate that the congress went peacefully without any form of acrimony or rancour. That is what we have been preaching and I’m happy that the players have embraced peace.

    “As the leader of the APC in the state, I’m also father to all and that informed my conciliatory moves. No good father will stand aloof while his children are at loggerheads. Thank God all have been settled now and we have had a peaceful outing today (yesterday).”

    The governor debunked some newspapers report, which claimed that the incident at the APC secretariat was a ‘bloody violence,’ describing it as exaggeration.

    The state APC also hailed the Ward Congress Committee led by Alhaji Musa Halilu Ahmed for the professional way it conducted its task.

    In a statement issued by the party secretary, Mojeed Olaoya, members across the 351 wards of the state were also lauded for their orderliness in the discharge of their onerous responsibility to elect new executives that would pilot the affairs of the party for the next four years.

    “It gladdens our heart that the congress went smoothly and was very successful across all the 351 Wards without any skirmishes or violence against the wish of the so called Unity forum.

    Olaoya said the 351 Wards Congresses were monitored by INEC officials and the security agents to authenticate the exercise.

    The party secretary advised members of the Unity Forum to always embark on moves that would promote the party’s unity instead of being divisive.

    “The claim is spurious and unfounded. They are calling the integrity of top APC members deployed in Oyo for the exercise to question. This is not good for the image of our party in Oyo State.”

     

     

     

     

     

  • Elders counsel aspirants on peaceful conduct

    Elders counsel aspirants on peaceful conduct

    THE Elders’ Council of Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday urged the party’s governorship aspirants to be peaceful, ahead of Saturday’s primary election.

    Besides, the senior citizens pleaded with their supporters to allow peace to reign before, during and after the exercise.

    A statement by the council’s Chairman, Senator Olorunnimbe Farukanmi, after the council’s  meeting, said: “We cannot but comment the hard work of every aspirant in moving round the state to woo delegates through which the APC has become more popular.

    “However, in such contest with many qualified contestants, there can be only one winner, particularly if the election is fairly conducted.

    “Therefore, as the party’s elders, we appeal to all aspirants to rally round the winner, because if we win this election, various positions and opportunities would be available for active party supporters.”

     

    The statement added that members would benefit from the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, if Ondo State is controlled by the APC.

    It pleaded with other aspirants to work with the successful aspirant, assuring that the leadership of the party would not forsake them.

    The statement assured that the misunderstanding in the local governments and senatorial districts would be carefully resolved and feuding members reconciled.

    It added: “The evil of polarisation must be evicted within the Ondo APC and the leadership must be praised for allowing multiplicity of interest of aspirants to prevail. But in the final analysis, party supremacy must be allowed to prevail.

    “As the whole country is facing tremendous political challenges, we must ensure that the State APC governorship candidate evolves a development plan anchored on inclusive and sustainable growth.”

    They urged party stakeholders to work together to ensure that the economy is properly restructured from consumption-driven to production based and utilising the vast resources for industrial production targetted towards mass exportation.