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Tag: Peoples Democratic Party

  • Anxiety in Benue, Kano, Bauchi ahead of elections

    THERE is anxiety in Kano, Benue and Bauchi states over the “inconclusive” governorship elections.

    Collation of results is to resume today in the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, seven days after the election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The electoral umpire has scheduled a supplementary poll for the Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State to decide who takes charge at the Government House from May 29.

    Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar was at the State House yesterday to brief President Muhammadu Buhari on the twist introduced into the electoral process by the INEC. He was encouraged by the President to seek legal redress.

    INEC’s decision to resume collation of the outstanding results today triggered criticisms among groups in Buachi State yesterday.

    In Kano, an elders’ forum said it will not fold its arms and watch desperate politicians plunge the state into a crisis.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were trading words in Benue State.

    After his private session with President Buhari, Abubakar accused the electoral umpire of introducing an “unknown procedure” to the laws of the land during the March 9 governorship and state Assembly elections.

    He told State House reporters: “I briefed him on the issues surrounding the inconclusive elections. The Returning Officer for Bauchi State, at the end of collation, rejected the result of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area and then 36 other units spread across 15 local government areas of the state and ordered a rerun.

    “Surprisingly, we woke up one morning and the independent electoral commission came up with a procedure that is not known to law.

    “Because, where a Returning Officer has declared the result, only an election petition tribunal can reverse the result. But INEC is attempting to reverse itself in the case of Bauchi. And when one juxtaposes that of Bauchi and other states with inconclusive elections, one wonders why that is happening only in Bauchi State.

    “So, for that reason, there is a need for me to come and brief Mr. President because that has the potential of touching on the security of the state and it is paramount we …”

    “Of course, it is definitely extra illegal. It is a straight forward matter. The returning officer is the final arbiter even with respect to scores and declaration of result.

    “And once he makes a declaration, no power can reverse that declaration, except duly constituted court of the land.”

    On what he expects the President to do over the matter knowing that INEC is independent, the governor said: “No, no, no… I said I came to brief Mr. President. I am not seeking any action of Mr. President. We all know Mr. President. He’s a stickler for procedure.

    “What I pointedly told him was that I am not here to seek for you to intervene on our behalf sir, but to brief you on what is happening and what actions I have taken.”

    On the actions so far taken, Abubakar said: “I am a lawyer and I am pursuing the legal angle. I briefed him and he emphasised on that legal angle – that it is the best way to go.”

    On security, Abubakar said: “We are on top of the situation, thank God. We have since ordered the ban on procession in the metropolis and things are very calm.”

    He said that his visit to President Buhari yesterday was not because a similar visit he made to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo last week was unfruitful.

    ”There are procedures in these matters and levels of authority. I am a stickler for procedure, I started at the right place and I have also ended up at the right place,” the governor said.

    The Kano Concerned Citizens Initiative (KCCI) yesterday said that the group of elders would not fold their arms and allow anybody to push the state into chaos in a bid to lead the people.

    The group’s Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, with other eminent members, bared their minds on the unfolding political developments in the state.

    They said that the elders will do everything possible to protect Kano and never allow the state to burn on account of “inordinate” ambition of an individual.

    Tofa, a former presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), said: “The KCCI is disturbed, anxious, concerned and troubled by the seeming discord and agitated impatience manifesting in Kano since the collation of the March 9 election results which culminated in INEC declaring the process inconclusive.”

    He called on political leaders to refrain from unguarded utterances capable of inflaming passion, which could trigger violence.

    Tofa said: “It is incumbent upon political leaders to strictly obey the rules of engagement and the law by admonishing their members, operatives and followers to be mindful of the full wrath of the law this time around.”

    Open monitory and other unlawful inducements must never be condoned during the rerun elections.”

    Tofa urged security operatives to be on the alert from now until the declaration of the results and after.

    He also advised that sufficient personnel be posted to each of the polling units scattered over the 88 registration areas (wards) in the 30 affected local government areas.

    He said: “Security operatives must be seen to be upright and above board and completely non-partisan. They have done well during the previous elections but the rerun exercise may yet prove to be more arduous and daunting.

    “It also becomes imperative to take such security measures as would prevent people from neighbouring states, who are non-residents of the state, from coming in to partake in the March 23re rerun elections to forestall unnecessary tension or violence.

    “The youths need to wake up to the reality that it is their future the KCCI and every well-meaning person in Kano is trying to nurture and secure. Thus, they should eschew and stay away from violence in cahoots with anybody as we cannot afford to let the polity overheat.

    “We call on every segment of Kano society to do everything in our power to avoid heating the polity. This is the time for us to turn to Allah in prayers, because we must realise that political chaos will lead to violence, thuggery, mayhem and unnecessary loss of lives and property. Peace is the only recipe to healthy and positive development.”

    INEC’s decision on Bauchi sparks row

    The Body of Bauchi Lawyers of Conscience (BOBOLAC) hailed the decision.

    It members said: “We consider INEC’s decision as the best and most proper thing to do under the prevailing circumstances.”

    The convener of the group, Shipi Rabo, said INEC acted in accordance with the dictates of the law and in the greater interest of all.

    Shipi called on all political actors to demonstrate the understanding necessary for INEC to successfully conclude the process and formally announce the winner so that the waiting game characterised by tension and rumours would be over.

    But the Concerned Citizens of Tafawa Balewa kicked against INEC’s decision, saying: “It is ultra vires and contrary to law and therefore illegal with no regards to the provision of Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and INEC guidelines for 2019 general elections.”

    According to the group, the INEC has no power to reverse any decision taken by a Returning Officer concerning election results from the collation centre.

    Its Caretaker Chairman, Salihu Barau, said the law provides that such a decision can only be reversed by a court of law or a tribunal and not the Commission for whatever reason.

    Barau said: “There is no certainty on the genuineness of the allegedly generated results. Thus, we have lost confidence in INEC as it is apparent there would be no justice in the whole exercise.”

    A fact-finding panel was raised by the INEC to investigate the circumstances that led to the cancellation of results for the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area and following the findings of the committee, INEC had approved the resumption and conclusion of the collation of results for Tafawa Balewa.

    The commission also directed that the error in total number of cancelled votes in four polling units in Ningi Local Government Area, which was recorded as 25,330, in form EC40G (i) be corrected to 2,533.

    INEC would not join issues over Bauchi

    INEC said that it would not join issues with Abubakar over the commission’s decision to resume collation of election results.

    The commission said it would rather wait for the judicial process to take its full course.

    INEC National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said it would be better not to comment on the issue.

    Okoye said: “Since the matter is already in court, it is better to allow the judicial process run it’s full course.”

    “I would not want to say anything that would amount to pre-empt the court,” he added.

    He also noted that it would not be the best to discuss the issue on the pages of newspapers.

    Benue APC, PDP clash

    In Makurdi, the PDP clashed with the rival APC over which party is best positioned to win Saturday’s supplementary poll.

    Reacting to a comment by the PDP that the rival party lacked what it takes to win the makeup election, the APC fired back that the PDP erred by assuming it can decide who will win.

    At a news conference yesterday, PDP chairman in Benue, Chief John Ngbede said that the results of the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly Elections showed the PDP as the leading party in the Northcentral state.

    According to Ngbede, the PDP won the Presidential vote by 10, 000 votes, won all the three Senatorial seats and six out of the nine House of Representatives seats so far declared out of the total of eleven federal constituencies, adding that the APC only won one.

    But the APC fired back through its Publicity Secretary James Ornguga. He said the PDP was not qualified to decide who will win the rescheduled election.

    Ornguga reminded that PDP to stop heating up the polity ahead of the poll.

    Ngbede also took exception to comments credited to APC leader in the state Senator George Akume, saying such remarks could undermine the process.

    The PDP chair alleged that Akume has assured APC leaders that the APC candidate, Emmanuel Jime would be declared winner.

    He said that Senator Akume told the APC leaders that he had the support of the Presidency and national leadership of the ruling party to influence Jime’s victory.

    Senator Akume, however, described the PDP claim as untrue.

    He accused the ruling party of preparing the ground to scuttle the rescheduled poll so that the INEC would be forced to fall back on the election earlier discussed as inconclusive.

    Akume said: “They (PDP) don’t want a rerun. They are doing everything to frustrate the process. They want to cause confusion, believing that in the event of confusion, the PDP will be declared winner.”

    According to the senator, the ruling party manipulated the February 23 and March 9 elections.

    “They (PDP) rigged the Presidential and governiorship elections in the state”, he said.

    Also reacting, APC Administrative Secretary Mark Hanmation described the PDP allegations as baseless, saying that the APC has its eye set on victory on Saturday.

    Hanmation said: “The APC will win the rescheduled election on Saturday and would not want to be drag into unnecessary media war.”

    Lalong at the Villa

    Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong was also at the Villa yesterday – to brief the President on the political developments in his state.

    Lalong is preparing for a supplementary election on Saturday, following the declaration of the February 9 poll as inconclusive.

    His Bauchi State counterpart is heading for the court to challenge INEC’s decision to resume collation of results from the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, after its initial decision to conduct a supplementary election.

    Lalong boasted that the supplementary election will be a walkover for him and the APC.

    Speaking with reporters after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Lalong said that the renewed insecurity in the state was politically motivated.

    He also said that workers were interested in his victory to guarantee the prompt payment of their salaries.

    On his mission to the Villa, Lalong said: “My meeting with the President is the usual briefing. I call it usual because of my passion for peace in the state. It is not about the election; it is about the peace, to ensure we have a very peaceful election.

    “So far so good; we have had very good and peaceful elections. We are coming back for a supplementary election. I will like INEC to conduct a peaceful election and so we will like the security apparatus to be on ground in the state. That was my briefing to Mr. President.”

    He said that he was not in panic ahead of the election on Saturday.

    “How can I be when all the votes that were cancelled were my votes?” he queried.

    The governor went on: “These were areas that I won. There was no need for cancellation but then, as a lawyer, I still want to comply with the rules. I don’t want to be talking about infringing on the rules when the election, result is very clear.

    “They said the registered voters were 49,000 but that the votes were not up to 20,000 but people were still saying we need 49,000 and I was already on top with 45,000 votes. So, we are going to get the 49,000. How can you imagine that a sitting governor cannot get 3,000 votes out of 39,000 in an area that I have well dominated for a very long time?

    “So, for me, election is as good as concluded in Plateau State. I see it as an opportunity for people whose votes were cancelled, for them to vote. People came and said their votes were cancelled; it is for them to go back and vote and ensure their vote counts this time around.

    “That is why I support that we go back and conduct the elections. If they (INEC) like, let them conduct the elections more than once, we will soon win.”

    The most recent attack on the Plateau, the said:  “That was why I said I was concerned about security. Usually, it starts like that, they start rustling and killing cattle and the next thing you will hear is that it is farmers/herders crisis. I know that I have addressed that issue for a very long time and the police is handling the security.

    “So, I informed Mr. President that we are on top of the situation because we wouldn’t want that to escalate into farmers, herdsmen crisis. It is not farmers, herdsmen crisis; it is criminals trying to foment trouble after losing elections.”

    Asked if he suspected any political undertone in the crisis, Lalong said: “Very well. I always say it has political undertone, why is it happening immediately after elections? It usually happens immediately before or after elections, why is it like that? It has some political connotation.”

    The governor said that people in the state were happy with his administration because there will be completion of projects and initiation of new projects.

    He said: “The civil servants have been crying that if I lose the election, that means they will be owed salaries again.

    “So, we want to continue with payment of salaries, gratuities, completion of projects that were started before I came and the ones I have initiated. That is the next level in Plateau State.”

    Dalok advises Plateau electorate

    The running mate to Plateau PDP Governorship candidate, Dr James Dalok,  yesterday advised the people of Plateau to come out en-masse to exercise their mandate.

    Dalok gave the advice in an interview with the the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos.

    “Next Saturday’s supplementary election by INEC is an ample opportunity for the indigenes of Plateau to reclaim their mandate from the APC government in the last Governorship Election.

    “We all know that there were some shenanigans that attributed to the APC taking the lead during the governorship polls, we all have to rise and resist it as electorate and stakeholders in the state.

    “PDP is known for its rescue mission on the Plateau but the enemies of the state seemed bent on pulling us down the more and that we must vehemently resist.

    “It’s left for all patriotic Plateau indigenes to come out and vote PDP in the various polling units where supplementary elections will hold across the state,’’ he said.

    Dalok, a former Assistant Director at the Industrial Training Fund, described the heavy presence of security operatives in some polling units across the state during the general elections as a “grand design’’  to rob PDP of victory.

    According to him, “this is the more reason why as Plateau people, we must make a statement that no one can force him or her-self on us.’’

    He specifically called on the people of Shendam, Langtang South, Mangu, Barkin Ladi and Jos North Local Government Areas to vote and protect their votes during Saturday’s supplementary elections.

  • ‘Embrace PDP defectors’

    Ekiti State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Chief Joseph Alake has urged members to embrace defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The party leader spoke at the APC victory party in Efon-Alaaye.

    He said: “I urge Efon APC members to embrace any PDP member that wishes to join APC. Alake admonished the youths to extend hands of fellowship to their PDP counterparts. He also prayed that members of APC will enjoy the dividends of democracy.

     

  • Wike: killers will be brought to justice

    RIVERS State Governor Nyesom Wike has vowed to probe the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad whose personnel allegedly killed a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agent, Dr. Ferry Gberegbe.

    Gberegbe was killed in Khana Local Government Area during the governorship election.

    The governor, who announced a N200 million scholarship for the deceased’s four children, told the widow to open bank accounts for each child.

    The governor led leaders in the state on a condolence visit to the family of the slain lecturer.

    He said: “We will set up a judicial commission of inquiry to ensure that the culprits are brought to justice. It is unfortunate that F-SARS killed the PDP collation agent.

    “The government will give the deceased’s children scholarships. Their mother should open dedicated accounts for each of them. The government will pay N50 million to each of the four children for their education.”

    Wike, who decried the shooting at the Khana collation centre, where Gberegbe was PDP collation agent, lamented that the shots caused his death.

    “Instead of allowing people to choose who will represent and govern them, the security agencies prefer to kill us.

    “He died in the course of defending the PDP. He died in the course of defending democracy. I assure the family that those who killed him will not go free”.

    The governor said the late Gberegbe remained committed to the PDP even on his sick-bed, maintaining that the deceased sent him a text message, saying he would be happy when Wike is declared winner of the election.

    The governor said the government would also build a house for the deceased’s family and participate in his burial.

    PDP National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus said the deceased was a victim of the calculated oppression of the oil rich states by the Army and the F-SARS.

  • Presidential election: PDP, Atiku file petition a day to deadline

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the February 23, 2019 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar on Monday said they have filed their petition at the tribunal, challenging the validity of the election in which President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was returned for a second term.

    PDP’s National Legal Adviser, Emmanuel Enoidem and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome said the party and Atiku filed a joint petition on Monday evening at the secretarial of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja.

    Enoidem and Ozekhome spoke while exiting the tribunal’s secretariat situated at the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal on Monday evening.

    Both lawyers gave hints about the content of the petition and their expectations at the tribunal.

    Enoidem said: “We are here to present our joint petition for our party, the PDP and candidate our candidate. The last day for the petition is actually tomorrow, but we decided to file today.

    “We asked that our candidate, who won the election massively across the country, be declared the winner of that election.

    “In the alternative, we also asked that the election be set aside on the grounds of irregularities, which were very apparent across the country.

    “We have a pool of 20 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), who are tested in election petition matters and other senior lawyers, who are also working with them.

    “So we are very ready for the petition. The petition is well packaged. The depositions are well put together.

    “More than 400 witnesses are going to testify in this petition. Nigerians are at home with what happened on February 23 in this country in relation to the sham they called election.

    “Of course, we are going to re-present the facts to Nigerians, as the facts are already in the domain of Nigerians. We are not going to manufacture facts.

    Ozekhome, who came out of the tribunal’s secretariat later, said he is a member of the petitioners’ legal team and that the petit on is “strong, solid and unassailable.”

    He noted that, with only one day to the deadline for filing of the petition, the late filing was because the Independent National Electoral Commission failed to cooperate in terms of providing easy access to the electoral materials.

    Ozekhome added: “We have up to tomorrow (Tuesday), to file but we have been having some challenges from the INEC itself in terms of assessing materials used during the elections. But I believe we will get there.

    “Our petition is quite solid, strong unassailable and we believe that by the grace of God, the true keeper and owner of the mandate will have his mandate given to him.”

  • We ‘ll defeat APC in all supplementary elections – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has boasted that it’s going to defeat the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship supplementary elections coming up in five states next Saturday.

    In a statement last night by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party said that violence and manipulations by planned by the APC ahead of the polls will be resisted by the people and summarily come to naught.

    The PDP said it’s ludicrous that the APC could seek to play the victim when all material facts have established that it militarized, perpetuated violence and unleashed mayhem on Nigerians  in the elections so far held.

    The main opposition party recalled that even the recent US States Department’s Bureau reports showed that state apparatus of power was used for intimidation and electoral violence to favour the government.

    It said it’s undeterred in its “imminent victory” in the March 23 supplementary elections.

    The statement said, “In Benue, it is clear that the people have rejected the APC as clearly demonstrated even in the Presidential election. Benue state has always been home to the PDP.

    “It is incontestable that our party has the largest genuine followership in all the units, wards and local government areas of the state and as such does not need any underhand measure to secure victory in any election in the state. Our winning lead of 81,000 votes were validly delivered at the polling units and that reality will humiliate the APC as it cannot be subverted.

    “Similarly, Rivers state is an impregnable home to the PDP since 1999. The results of all the elections held in Rivers, including the state House of Assembly, showed that the PDP is in control of the state.

    “Moreover, in Rivers, the APC is a vicious interloper, which has been perpetuating violence and killings as a means to subvert and  truncate the electoral process since it has no candidate in the election.

    “In Kano, the people of the state are known to be incorruptible and had always detested leaders who are corrupt and incompetent. They have always elected governors that are acceptable to the ordinary people.

    “The corruption and incompetence of the Ganduje administration is therefore distasteful to the people and that is why they have collectively rejected the APC and rally with the PDP. All the shenanigans by the APC and compromised INEC officials in Kano will therefore be unachievable.

    “In Bauchi, the PDP has already been elected and this reality cannot be altered by the APC. INEC had already established that the APC compromised its official to declare Tafawa Balewa LGA as inconclusive and had restored the votes that were stolen by the APC. It   is imperative for APC to accept the fact that its bunch of broom has become famished.

    “In Sokoto, the people have given us the mandate. The constitution provides for simple majority of votes. The declared results show that our candidate clearly won and that is why our candidate has been mandated to go to the court to seek interpretation of the section of the constitution that deals with the declaration of results.

    “In Adamawa state, the APC is merely hallucinating and seeking ways to subvert the process. Its despicable resort to using a person who did not participate in the election to seek to use the courts to ambush the election is disgraceful.
    However, INEC had since declared that it cannot be stopped from going ahead with the supplementary election where our party is already in good stead to coast to victory”.

  • INEC won’t favour any party in Ekiti Supplementary Poll, Says REC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said the commission won’t derail from its foundational tradition of neutrality and fairness in the conduct of the  supplementary  election for  Ekiti East constituency 1 of the state.

    INEC said the election will hold on Saturday, March 23 in five polling units in the constituency , in line with the directive of the Chairman of the electoral body, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu.

    The election was suspended by INEC  on March 9, when the House of Assembly and governorship elections were held across the country, with results in other 25 constituencies already declared .

    In the election, the battle will be between Mr. Juwa Adegbuyi of the All Progressives Congress and the occupant of the seat and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Hon. Ojo-Ade Fajana.

    Speaking in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, the Acting Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ekiti, Dr. Muslim Omoleke, revealed that INEC would by the week meet the security agencies and brief them on the need to be prepared for the conduct of the election.

    Omoleke said the commission decided to suspend elections in the polling units , thereby making the outcome inconclusive, in line with its commitment to be neutral and fair to all contenders in any election.

    “We are prepared for the election and we won’t deviate from the practice of fairness and neutrality to all political parties.

    Read Also: Supplementary Polls: INEC promises to be fair in Plateau

    ” We will meet the security agencies this week and brief them on how the conduct will look like, so they can plan their own strategies on how to deliver a free, fair and credible election on Saturday.

    “We have received materials from the headquarters and they are being kept in the Central Bank of Nigeria, the materials are under safe custody.

    “We want to assure our voters that we won’t let them down. Let them come out massively and vote and we assure that their votes will count.

    “INEC  did not disappoint in the conduct of the presidential and state and National assembly elections in Ekiti,  this also will not be an exemption”, Omoleke stated”, he said.

  • The southwest governors

    But for the timely intervention of leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the southwest before the last General Elections, the rampaging Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would have ‘captured’ at least three more states in the region, in the elections and the preceding election that ushered in the new government in one of the states, Osun, last year. Indeed, what happened in Osun State in the gubernatorial election last year was a narrow escape for the APC, and, as I have always said, needlessly so. Yet, it was not that the tell-tale signs had not been showing long before the election. I remember that, as far back as August, 2014 when the then incumbent governor, Rauf Aregbesola, was reelected for a second term, I had warned in an article on this page titled “Beyond Aregbe’s victory : For the progressives, it’s time for introspection” (August 17, 2014). The result of that year’s governorship election was more emphatic than the one that ushered in the Aregbesola government in its first term, but there were tell-tale signs that all was not well.

    Lest we forget, the Court of Appeal ruled that Aregbesola had 198,799 votes as against PDP Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s 172, 880 in the 2007 governorship election. The APC governor in 2014 had 394,684 votes as against that of the PDP’s aspirant, Iyiola Omisore’s 292,747 votes. I had argued, inter alia, in that piece that “…The political leaders in the region have to learn to sell their programmes to the electorate instead of putting up a ‘know-all ‘or being arrogant or messianic in doing things. And, when, like all mortals they find they are wrong, they should not hesitate to reverse themselves. That is one sure way to keep the predators at bay.”  Two weeks earlier, (i.e. on August 3, 2014), I had argued (in my article titled “Let Aregbe do it again”) for the reelection of the Aregbesola government. The truth was; long before then, I had, like many others, been seeing the warning signs of the danger that loomed in the state.

    I wish I could lay my hands on some other write-ups where I had warned of the looming take-over of some of these states, like Oyo and Ogun; I would also have loved to quote copiously from those articles.

    But that is not necessary, at least for now. The major elections have come and gone. We can heave a sigh of relief. The worst is probably over, at least for now. Oyo is already lost to the PDP as foretold by many. Ogun would have followed the same trajectory, again but for the APC leaders’ intervention. What some of these southwest governors do not realise is that they may be the direct losers of elections, but the consequence of the loss is felt by the generality of the people of the region. Sadly, the loser in the Ogun State governorship election would have been the party’s candidate and not the outgoing Governor Ibikunle Amosun who has had his two terms. Just the same way the incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola would have lost to the PDP if party leaders had not come to his rescue at the nick of time. Yet, both Aregbesola and Amosun somewhat managed things well when seeking second term for themselves. The good thing is that Amosun has been shown that the party is bigger than him or his desire. No one would try what he did in the military era.

    It is not by accident that Lagos State is the only state that has never fallen to any other political party since the return to civil rule in 1999, of the six states in the southwest, thanks to the indefatigability and political sagacity of the man, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Yet, it is this same man that some of those who had caused the fall of their states in the region to the ‘enemy’ despise and seek to diminish in stature, after in some instances cringing to him to get into political offices. As I have always argued, I have nothing against people who might have issues with Asiwaju Tinubu. That is only natural; especially in a politically active region like the southwest. Even the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo had people who were opposed to him and whatever he stood for. But when such people happen to be the very persons that climbed on Tinubu’s back to power, it is imprudent to want to stab him in the back for selfish political gains. That is why till this moment I admire Olusegun Mimiko. He proved he was the issue when he dumped the PDP to contest under the Labour Party, won the governorship election in Ondo State and was sworn in in 2009. The only thing is that that franchise has expired, as the same Mimiko could not muster enough votes to see his senatorial ambition through.

    So, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, special assistant to the president on political matters would appear wrong to have blamed the political apathy in the region on some ‘self-sufficient elite’. Ojudu had, while reminiscing on the outcome of the presidential election, promised that the (APC would address the question of voter apathy in the region. But, if Lagos, in INEC’s record, had 5.5 million registered voters, and only about 1.5million (less than 18 percent) voted in the presidential election, it was worrisome indeed. Ojudu said, inter alia: “our leaders must do more recruitment of people into the electoral process. We must tell the self-sufficient elite to take interest in voting; this is the best way to get it right.” This is where I have issues with Ojudu, The point is; it is the political leaders themselves that are largely responsible for the apathy. Unless the governors are not part of the political leaders; then I can agree with Ojudu. Some of us had been warning of the catastrophe looming in the southwest when we saw the way some of the governors were behaving like Lords of the Manor.

    The voter enlightenment that Ojudu spoke about is only a minute part of the problem. Even when we accuse the ‘self-sufficient elite’ of not voting, the attitude of some of the governors in the region is enough put-off, even to the ordinary folks; not to now talk of the elite. The point is; the Yoruba people would always want to assert their pride. They would never want to be seen in any position suggesting being condescending to people that they supposedly put in government. When a governor talks so rudely to people and they clap for him for having such a caustic tongue; he should watch it; he would get his result on Election Day. Some of these governors just have to learn how to bridle their tongues, especially when speaking in public. People who are too big to mind their language in public need not vie for such public offices, unless they were not the ones that offered themselves to serve. In this business of elections, the elector is king.

    One should not be tired of saying it; some of the APC governors messed up big time and this was evident in the result the party got even in the last governorship and state house of assembly elections. It was clear before the March 9, 2019 governorship election in Ogun State that the candidate of the incumbent Governor Ibikunle Amosun would be trounced at the poll.

    As I had said in some of my write-ups on this vexatious issue, what I hate about some of these governors is the way they humble themselves when looking for the positions only to get there and become too big for their boots. Many of them see good press as part of their birthright. If you write a whole page praising them for doing their job, they won’t see that. The only thing they see is the one or two sentences in the full page where you criticise them; whereas their counterparts from the other regions will call to engage and thank you even if you lampooned them.

    Let the APC leaders in the southwest beam their searchlight on Ondo State before the next governorship election there. Quote me, the state is likely to go the way of Oyo State if things continue the way they are. I guess what His Excellency’s reaction would be like after reading this piece. But, that is not important to me now. What is important is not to allow the people of Ondo to take the unusual decision of wearing their caps on their navels instead of their heads. That is what we have in the southwest when the people are provoked unnecessarily.

     

  • INEC has done justice to Tafawa Balewa result – PDP

    The Bauchi State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has hailed   the decision of  the independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to resume collation of result for Tafawa Balewa Local government , which hitherto was cancelled .

    The state chairman of the party, Alhaji Hamza Koshe Akuyam in an  interview with the Nation  said  INEC has been fair in it’s decision after a fact finding committee was set up to investigate the events that led to the cancellation.

    In his words ” INEC  have done justice. We cried foul and they set up a committee to investigate and the committee has done justice. To us,  we still have confidence in INEC.

    “We have been  waiting for justice to be done . finally it has come.
    As we told you from the beginning,  our party has already won this election. And God so kind, to us INEC and to me or to our party,  has done what is right”

    Akuyam also expressed optimism that  the People’s Democratic Party, PDP gubernatorial candidate will  win the election considering the latest development.

    “So, we are all prepared for whatever, and we know that victory is with us Insha Allah”

    “We will now go back to our arithmetic and see what will happen. But let’s assume that there is going to be a rerun, we are already in the lead with about 14,000 votes. So, we are prepared”

    ” We still have upper hand  in the contest even if there later happens to be a re-run,  because, before what the returning officer said was 45,000 votes, now it is coming down to 22,000 votes which is fair as 22,550 votes that were added on the initial figure” He added further

    The PDP ,  however, accused the  Commissioner  of Police and the Director state security, SSS, of being partisan during the entire process . “We don’t have confidence in the Commissioner of police, we done have confidence in the Director SSS.  who have compromised in all these issues” He added.

    In the same vein, a group known as Bauchi Forum of Lawyers with Conscience, BOBALAC, has also commended INEC decision. The convener of the group, Esq. Shipi Rabo Esq,  said  “It is a fair judgement, we can’t query INEC”

    It would be recall that INEC had announced the decision in a press statement on Friday night after resolving some issues around the result of Tafawa Balewa local government and some polling units in Ningi local government.

    The result for Tafawa Balewa LGA , a strong hold of the PDP was initially cancelled after the  Collation Officer,Mrs Dominion Anosike alleged she was  under pressure from Party Agents who could not wait for the arrival of a replacement result sheet, and decided to collate the result on an available RA result sheet instead of the replacement LGA result sheet.

    The Returning Officer, Mohammed Kyari, had  rejected the regenerated result because it was on a wrong result sheet during her presentation at the State Governorship Collation Centre which led to the declaration of the election as inconclusive.

  • Governorship poll: Our victory will be sweet, says Wike

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has called on the people of Rivers State to remain calm as the success of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) in the March 9 governorship election would be a sweet victory in the end.

    Wike made the statement when members of the National Assembly, elected on the platform of the PDP, presented their Certificates of Return to him at a ceremony in the Government House, Port Harcourt, the state capital, yesterday.

    He said that the will of the people of the state will prevail at the end, despite the conspiracy against the state.

    ”I know that PDP won the elections squarely. We believe in peace, therefore, Rivers people should remain calm. We believe in due process. I believe that INEC is doing their best to follow the due process.

    ”In the end, it will be a sweet victory. The will of Rivers people will prevail,” he said.

    The governor described the political stand-off in the state as a drama fated to end. He said “the people of Rivers people voted overwhelmingly for the PDP in all elections,  while the anti-democratic forces attempted to snatch results at the collation centres.

    ”Let me thank the people of Rivers State for the love they have shown for our great party. It is not in doubt that Rivers people have shown our party, love. What is happening is sad. It is a drama.

    ”We have 13 House of Representatives seats and the PDP clinched all of them. We have three Senate seats, one has been declared and PDP won. When the remaining  two seats are declared, PDP will win them. Eighty percent of the seats declared,  PDP took all.

    “You begin to wonder why any right thinking person would say, that, PDP lost the governorship election. Not that they say PDP lost to a party with a known logo, or even if you have seen the candidate one day in your life or seen his posters to make people vote for the candidate. For us, it is a drama. PDP won the election squarely,” he said.

    Speaking on behalf of the newly-elected legislators, Senator-elect Barry Mpigi, said there is no need for anyone to panic as Governor Wike will be declared winner in line with the votes cast on March 9.

    He said, Rivers people are with Governor Wike as shown by their votes in all the polling units.

    ”We have looked round the 23 Local Government Areas and we have seen that the people of Rivers State voted for you. Don’t panic, the vindication will come at the appropriate time,” Mpigi said.

  • APC, PDP take INEC to task

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday alleged moves to tamper with the results of last weekend’s governorship election in Bauchi State and warned of dire consequences if the ‘plan’ is not halted.

    The State Police imposed a ban on political rallies in the state as tension heightened over the outcome of the elections.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) plans to hold supplementary elections next Saturday in parts of Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Plateau and Sokoto States to complete the governorship election process in the states.

    Representatives of the two parties in some of the affected states are claiming victory and want INEC to declare their candidates as winners, immediately.

    The PDP in a statement in Abuja alleged that INEC officials were making attempts to tamper with and further cancel already tallied and declared results in 14 more local governments in the Bauchi Governorship election.

    It said the plan was to  “widen the scope of result cancellation beyond Tafawa Balewa to 14 more Local Government Areas and hike the number of canceled votes from 70,000 to 184, 555.” It added:”to achieve this, INEC has been instructed by the APC to cancel already declared results in 230 polling units in 15 LGAs in the state, cause confusion and pave the way for the APC to manipulate the March 23 Supplementary elections.

    “Seeing that our party, the PDP, and our candidate, Senator Bala Mohammed, are inevitably coasting to victory, being that Tafawa Balewa is home to the PDP, the APC is instructing INEC to cancel elections in more local governments where it plans to manipulate the processes and allocate fictitious results for the APC at the March 23 polls.

    “The PDP therefore urges the INEC fact-finding committee headed by a National Commissioner to be guided by the extant rules as established in court rulings that the polling units is a base of our elections and that once declaration has been made at the polling units and return of votes established, INEC no longer has powers to influence the results from such polling units.”

    Police ban rallies in Bauchi

    The Bauchi State Police command said yesterday that it decided to ban political rallies because of the violence that broke out in parts of the metropolis during a protest over the planned supplementary election.

    It said: “Sequel to the declaration of Bauchi State Gubernatorial Election held on 09/03/2019 as inconclusive by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and subsequent scheduling of rerun election on 23/03/2019 in some parts of the State,the Bauchi State Police Command calls on the good people of the State to remain calm and avoid any act capable of causing breakdown of law and order at this critical time.

    “With regards to some reported cases of attacks on innocent members of the public by suspected Sara-Suka thugs which most times emanated from political rallies in Bauchi metropolis, the Command wishes to assure the members of the public that, it is on top of the situation and is  taking necessary measures to deal with the menace once and for all”

    “Consequently, for the interest of peace and harmony, the Command has placed a total ban on all forms of rallies and procession in the State without its approval”

    “It is done in the best interest of peace loving people of the State and to ensure that, the relative peace and security in the State is sustained” it assures.

    The re-run will be held in 20 polling units spread across nine local government areas of Plateau State.

    But the state publicity secretary of PDP, Mr. John Akans said the party has already  “set up a committee to work out modalities for our victory. We have strong hope we will come up victorious no matter the desperation of the ruling APC and their federal might.”

    The state Commissioner for Information and Communication Yakubu Dati disputed Akans claim.

    He said: “Governor Simon Bako Lalong  (who is seeking re-election on the platform of the APC) should have been declared winner of the election having polled the highest number of votes in the elections and having met the constitutional requirement of scoring 2/3rd in 2/3rd of the 17  local government areas of the state. But the INEC had to play by the rules.

    “The March 23 supplementary election is needless because unlike other states where elections were declared inconclusive, in the case of Plateau, a winner had already emerged and he is no other person than the incumbent governor, Simon Bako Lalong. Governor Lalong, who is the APC candidate scored 583, 255 votes in the election while the PDP candidate, Jeremiah Useni polled 538, 326 votes. This places the margin of votes between the two leading candidates at 44, 929. The number of voters in the areas affected, however, stand at 49, 377.

    “INEC in its explanation said it acted on the basis that the total margin of votes between the APC and PDP candidates is lower than the 49,000 registered voters in the affected areas hence cannot make a conclusive pronouncement.

    But even a casual observer would see why conducting supplementary election is outrightly unnecessary.

    “As it is, Governor Lalong is in clear lead. He is leading unlike in other states with few number of votes,  he is leading with a clear 44, 929 votes.

    “In saner climes, the ability of the candidate to exert such a significant lead ahead of his opponent would be saluted and the opponent  would long have conceded victory, but even with the reality staring the populace in the face, a guise of a contest is being scheduled.”

    PDP, APC boast over Kano

    The PDP chairman in Kano State, Alhaji Rabi’u Suleiman Bichi said the party was ” always ever prepared to win “the election.

    “We are more than ready, especially as we have won the election conducted on the 9th of March. We are happy that the security agents have ensured security of lives and property of everybody by protecting the electorate,” he told The Nation.”

    “We have already won the election. The only thing left for us now is to consolidate on the areas where the rerun will be held. We have no fear as we are battle ready for the rerun.”

    The state Commissioner of Information, Youth and Culture, who doubles as the Chairman, Publicity Committee of the Kano APC Campaign Organization, Malam Muhammad Garba dismissed PDP’s position as wishful thinking.

    He said: “we are very confident of victory because the local government areas where the rerun will take place remains an APC stronghold and the electorate in these areas have made up their mind to vote massively for the Governor they trust.

    “I believe that from what is happening, we are very much prepared this time around; and as such, there is no cause for alarm because we have been able to identify some grey areas in the conduct of the inconclusive election, and we have taken cogent measures to ensure that by God’s grace, we will win the election.”

     

    Declare Jime winner now APC elders call on INEC

    The Elders Council of the APC in Benue state asked INEC  to declare the party’s governorship candidate,Mr. Emmanuel Jime as winner of last weekend’s election.

    The elders council said it had been informed of plans by anti APC elements   to disrupt  the supplementary election  in  the party’s  strongholds.

    Addressing reporters  in Makurdi, spokesman for the  APC Elders Council, Chief Terlumun Akputu, asked INEC  to cancel votes in  in Guma , Buruku and Logo areas of the state where,according to him,card readers were not used on March 9.

    He added: “There is nowhere in Nigeria where the APC recorded zero votes except in Guma Local Area Government area despite having candidates and agents who he said were chased out of the polling units.”

     

    Parties busy with strategy meetings

    Ranking members of the two parties in Sokoto State have been holding meetings upon meetings to emerge victorious  next Saturday.

    Stalwarts of the PDP were summoned for one of such  meetings  at the Government House, Sokoto yesterday.

    The State Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Ibrahim Milgoma, said: ” We are going by the electoral umpire’s arrangement to participate in the coming supplementary polls across 136 polling centres across 22 local governments.

    “Wwe have no fears whatsoever. Only that certain things are going wrong which is making the atmosphere a bit uncertain. We are hearing that the opposition is mobilising stalwarts from other states.

    “Our concern is that there should be transparency in the conduct of the rerun. I can assure you that the process is credible and transparent, PDP will win. Otherwise, we won’t accept it. Especially where we notice foul play”, Milgoma pointed out.

    His APC counterpart, Alhaji Sadiq Isah Achida, said  his party was equally set for the supplementary election.

    He said:”Those cancelled polling units are our strong holds. We want fresh sets of INEC officials for the rerun. We have the belief and conviction that those that conducted the last elections had been compromised.

    “Kebbe local government is our traditional strong hold where supplementary polls will be conducted in  35 polling units.”

    Achida ,after speaking to The Nation left for Sokoto east where the party expects huge votes from   Gada, Rabah and  Goronyo among others to woo the electorate.

     

    Court injunction threatens Adamawa supplementary election

    The situation in Adamawa State is not all that clear following a court injunction restraining INEC from conducting the supplementary election.

    An Adamawa State  High Court judge, Justice Abdul-Aziz Waziri, gave  the ruling in a suit filed by the governorship candidate of the Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), Rev Eric Theman.

    An Adamawa State  High Court judge, Justice Abdul-Aziz Waziri, gave  the ruling in a suit filed by the governorship candidate of the Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), Rev Eric Theman.

    The judge said, “The defendant herein, INEC, is restrained … from proceeding with the supplementary election in respect of Adamawa State governorship pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

    While the APC says the court action is in order the PDP is of the view that it is a non- issue.

    The state secretary of the APC, Mr. Wafarninyi Theman, said: “From what I have seen, the complainant has a genuine case, except INEC comes out to tell us that this party was not cleared for the election. But it’s a legitimate party and it had a legitimate candidate to contest in the election. And if they didn’t find the logo of their party on the ballot paper, it means they were deprived of the chance to be voted for. So, I think INEC should have admitted in the first place that they made a mistake. However, we are waiting for the response of INEC.”

    On his part, the state chairman of the PDP, Mr. Tahir Shehu said, “We do know that by the provisions of the Electoral Act, no court of law can stop the process of election. So the purported order is invalid. INEC is not bound to comply with it… The law says no court can stop either primary, general or supplementary election. Notwithstanding, we are taking steps to get that order set aside.”