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Tag: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate

  • Nwosu vows to reclaim mandate in Imo

    The Imo State governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Uche Nwosu, has said the declaration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Emeka Ihedioha, as the governor-elect, did not meet constitutional requirements and therefore unacceptable.

    He vowed to challenge the results in court, saying the declaration violated provisions of the Constitution.

    According to him, INEC did not comply with the guidelines when it announced Ihedioha winner of the election. He reiterated that Ihedioha didn’t meet the constitutional requirement of 25 per cent spread in at least two-third of the number of local government areas where the election held.

    He said: “The law is clear on the requirements for declaring somebody winner in an election. The law requires that to be declared a winner, you must have the mandatory spread of 25 per cent win in at least two-thirds majority. In this case, two-thirds of the 27 local government areas of the state is 18, and Ihedioha had 25 per cent spread in only 12 council whereas I have in 15. So it’s clear that INEC has compromised.”

    Nwosu added that INEC disregarded its guidelines by recognising the non-use of Card Readers in Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu and Ezinihitte councils, the stronghold of Ihedioha.

    “It is a clear INEC guideline that where a card reader was not used, and accreditation done manually, such results should not be recognised. But in this case INEC violated its own guideline by accepting the results from the three councils,” he added.

    Nwosu hoped to get victory at the court.

  • Akwa Ibom APC claims victory in 26 councils

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has rejected the results of Saturday’s elections.

    The party contended the declaration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Governor Udom Emmanuel, as winner of the governorship election.

    The Collation Officer, Prof. Faraday Osasere Orumwense, said Emmanuel polled 519,712 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Nsima Ekere, who scored 171,978 votes.

    APC chairman Ini Okopido, at a news conference yesterday, rejected the results as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    According to him, APC won the election in 26 councils.

    He said: “The results, as obtained from our agents, shows that APC won in 26 of the 31 councils. The result showed a remarkable closeness in the number of votes polled by each of the two major parties; that closeness was even possible because of the amount of underhand tactics of the PDP.”

    Okopido accused the PDP of engaging in multiple voting, vote buying, arson, killings, ballot box snatching, manipulation and non-use of the card readers to achieve their predetermined result.

    “Therefore, our party rejects the sham and fictitious result as announced by INEC in Akwa Ibom State, as it was contrived, manipulated and concocted to suit the unholy alliances between the commission and the PDP.”

    But the Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Mike Igini, denied conniving with the PDP or any other party to rig the elections.

    He said the elections were credible and fair, adding that the results announced reflected the true wishes of Akwa Ibom electorate.

  • PDP candidate wins Orlu/Orsu/Oru East

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday reversed its earlier decision on Orlu-Orsu-Oru East Federal Constituency election, and declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Jerry Alagbaso, winner.

    The Returning Officer, Prof. Innocent Madufor, has declared the election inconclusive.

    But Prof. Madufor, who announced the results yesterday, said the PDP candidate polled 21,273 votes to defeat Edwin Iheanacho of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who got 20,061 votes.

    Read also: Teenager remanded for alleged cultism

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Francis Ezeonu, said INEC decided to announce the result because the circumstances which prompted it to declare the elections inconclusive earlier had been resolved.

    He said: “We won’t go back to conduct fresh elections in those areas where Card Readers were not deployed because it is stipulated in the INEC guideline that in those areas where Card Readers were not deployed, either because of violence or compromise, the result should be returned as zero.”

  • ‘Fayose’s alleged arrogance caused Olusola’s defeat’

    Lagos cleric Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele, has revealed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, lost the Ekiti State governorship election due to alleged arrogance and over-confidence of his godfather, Governor Ayo Fayose.

    Ayodele, who is the founder and head of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church with headquarters in Oke-Afa, Isolo, Lagos, said he warned Fayose about a year ago of an impending defeat but the governor rebuffed his warning.

    The cleric, who hails from Ikere-Ekiti as Olusola revealed that he warned Fayose to change some of his alleged negative attributes which include ingratitude, arrogance and self-deception if he hopes to succeed in installing a successor.

    He spoke during a visit to a branch of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church in Ikere-Ekiti where a special service and prayer programme was held.

    According to him, it was wrong for Fayose to be claiming to be a prophet by releasing predictions believed to be politically motivated.

    He attributed the loss of Olusola to the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, as “nemesis catching up with Fayose.”

    He said: “We foresaw what eventually happened in Ekiti State more than a year ago. Ekiti is also my state. I am from this town, Ikere-Ekiti.

    “God had asked me to warn Governor Fayose that he has a great deal of work to do to endear the hearts of Ekiti people to himself and also take care of certain human traits of his that could bring about his anointed candidate, Olusola’s defeat.

    “Olusola is just a victim of the nemesis that eventually caught up with Fayose because instead of the governor to listen to voice of reason and prophetic utterances we provided for him, he branded us fake prophets but now he has seen it.”

    Recall that Ayodele had predicted that Olusola of the PDP, though deserves to be the next governor of Ekiti State may not have it because of certain things Fayose needed to do which would only warm the hearts of Ekiti people towards him but also make his enemies not to triumph over him.

    The prophet specifically revealed that the choice of Fayemi and some other contenders in the May 12 primary of the APC would enable the party to clinch victory.

    Ayodele had predicted: “On the forthcoming election in Ekiti, PDP will lose. Kayode Fayemi will win if he listens to instructions, one of which is for him to concentrate on winning the hearts of the grassroots, and also watch his utterances that may offend much of Ekiti electorate.

    “For Fayose and his party’s candidate, Olusola, Fayose must humble himself and work very hard to please Ekiti people, otherwise he would make his candidate lose.

    “The forthcoming election in Ekiti State will be tough. It is only God that can make Fayose and his candidate to win that election. So, Fayemi should work hard, especially more with the grassroots and he will win if he does what I told him. But if he’s doing elitist politics, he will not win.”

     

  • NBC closure of radio station saved Ekiti from chaos, says CNPP

    …. Says Fayose’s action ‘treasonable’

    The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Ekiti State Chapter, has berated Governor Ayo Fayose for alleged breach of Electoral Act during the collation of results of Saturday’s governorship poll.

    The group condemned Fayose for using the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES) to declare the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola as ‘winner’ of the election while the coalition was ongoing.

    In a statement by its Director of Publicity and Strategy, Olu Akomolafe, the CNPP praised the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for saving Ekiti from being thrown into chaos and anarchy.

    Read Also:APC elders to Fayemi: give Ekiti people good governance

    Rising from a meeting on Friday where the governorship election was reviewed, the CNPP also praised President Muhammadu Buhari for allowing the conduct of free, fair and credible poll.

    “The NBC saved Ekiti State from being thrown into chaos and anarchy by shutting down the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State where the governor had gone on air to illegally declare the PDP candidate as winner of the poll.

    “This noble act of NBC stopped the incitement of the members of the public by the governor. Only God knows what would have happened thereafter but the NBC intervention saved the day,” Akomolafe said.

    The CNPP congratulated the governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on his victory in the July 14 governorship election.

    Describing Fayemi’s victory as well deserved, the body commended him for extending a hand of fellowship to other candidates with whom he contested the governorship seat.

    The, CNPP appealed to candidates who lost to Fayemi to give peace a chance and allow peace to reign in Ekiti.

    The group appealed to the Federal Government to come to the aid of the incoming government to defray the backlog of workers’ salaries and pensioners’ benefits.

    It said the appeal became necessary owing to what it called “the huge debt of N117 million” incurred by the outgoing administration as recently released by the Debt Management office (DMO).

    The CNPP hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for prompt deployment of personnel and electoral materials to all the 2,195 polling units.

    The CNPP said INEC’s impartiality was largely responsible for the peaceful conduct of the election.

    In a related development, an interest group, the Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM) has described Fayose’s action of pronouncing his deputy winner on air while collation was going on as “treasonable.”

    The CPPM Coordinator, Mr. Nelson Ekujumi, expressed dismay that “Fayose has repeatedly denigrated and brought public opprobrium upon the exalted office of the governor by his conduct and utterances.”

    Ekujumi said Fayose’s outburst on the radio on the night of the Election Day was full of malicious and unsubstantiated allegations against all institutions of state with the intent to provoke election violence.

    He said: “According to the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the only body charged with the responsibility for the conduct and announcement of the results of elections in Nigeria is the electoral umpire, INEC or the states independent electoral commissions.

    “In tandem with his character of utter disdain and disrespect for the responsibility, decorum of office of the governor and violations of his oath of allegiance to the constitution of Nigeria, Mr. Ayodele Fayose usurped the constitutional powers of INEC by declaring the results of the 2018 Ekiti state gubernatorial election on the Ekiti state television and radio stations and has thus committed an act of treason by attempting to overthrow a legitimately elected government
    at the polls by his action.

    “We must however commend the National Broadcasting Commission (NBS) for acting swiftly and responsibly in shutting down the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti state (BSES) and its sister radio station which has become an instrument for disseminating malicious allegations and
    incitement to violence by outgoing governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state.

    “Thus, we are demanding the prosecution for treason of Fayose at the expiration of his tenure in office for attempting to unconstitutionally overthrow a legitimately elected government derived
    from the polls on Saturday 14th July, 2018, through his announcement of election result on the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES).”

  • I’m sure of victory, says Obaze

    I’m sure of victory, says Obaze

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Oseloka Henry Obaze has cast his vote.

    He arrived at his poling unit in Ochuche Umuodi in Ogbaru Local Government Area (LGA) at 1.32pm.

    He was immediately accredited without hitches and cast his vote at about 1.40pm.

    He said he was confident of winning the election after casting his ballot at Unit 001, Central School, Ochuche Omuodo in Ogbaru.

    “I ran hard for this campaign. I ran hard to win. I’m confident that if our people have voted and there are no tampering with the process and there are no illegalities in the balloting and coalition, at the end of the day we’re confident of winning this election,” he said after voting.

    Shouts of “OHO!!!”  “OHO!!!”, the initials of his name, rent the air as his supporters welcomed him to the unit.

    Some called him “our governor” as accompanied by wife, he smiled and waved to the villagers, observers and journalists.

    Before his arrival, there were doubts as to whether he would not vote as information filtered in that other candidates had voted.

    Journalists had been waiting for his arrival since 10am.

    He said: “I chose to vote towards the end rather voting early. I’ve been busy monitoring the situation in the state. There seems to be a low voter turnout. I don’t know why.

    “You can explain low voter turnout in the city because people might have travelled to their villages to vote. But in the villages I can’t explain the low turnout.

    “I heard that in Okpoko and Umudim in Nnewi there were no voting going on. By and large the feedback I get is that everything has been peaceful which is very gratifying.”

    Obaze said he heard about allegations of multiple thumb printing Okacha and Amaobia, but that reports were being compiled.

    He said he would come to a conclusion about the election’s credibility when he gets reports of both local and international observers and party agents.

    “I have always said federal agencies have a responsibility to meet their obligation. I’m not questioning anybody yet. I know the ruling party will be inclined to see that their candidate wins, but I cannot derogate the Federal Government to say they are biased,” he said.