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Tag: poll

  • Yiaga Africa validates poll

    Yiaga Africa validates poll

    An election observer group, Yiaga Africa, has authenticated the results of the Kogi governorship election declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    With 446,237, INEC had declared the All Progressives Congress candidate, Usman Ododo, winner of the election.

    Read Also:Governorship polls: PANDEF commends Tinubu’s non-interference in Bayelsa, Kogi, Imo

    The organisation said INEC’s official results for Kogi were consistent and within the range of its ‘Watching The Vote range’.

    Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo said this while presenting the report of the organisation on the conduct of the November 11 off – season elections.

  • Poll: Group alleges presence of killer squad in Southsouth, Bayelsa

    The Niger Delta Peace Movement (NDPM) has alleged suspicious presence of special gunmen in uniform with resemblance of special killer squad in the six states òf the South-South geopolitical zone including Bayelsa State ahead of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    The Secretary-General of the NDPM, Jephtah Akedi, said that the suspected killer squad could be working for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to intimidate the electorate and deliver the geopolitical zone to the party.

    Akedi alleged that the deadly squad comprising 130 men was in a mission to execute acts of repression against the citizens during the period.

    The NDPM Scribe stated further that his organisation got reports that some military officers had displayed unprofessional conducts and could be working with the suspected killer squad.

    Read also: Man accuses landlady’s son of causing wife’s miscarriage

    He said that the NDPM was worried that the some military officers were planning to execute a special election game plan in the South-South.

    Akedi added that since the deployment of a particular senior military officer in the region, he had issued unlawful orders to his subordinates to compromise the election in favour of the APC.

    He stressed that it was important to remind the Nigerian public that some military officers played illegal roles in Bayelsa killings.

    Akedi called on the Chief òf Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, to check the activities of his officers on election duties to avoid tainting the service with political bias during elections.

    He said that it would be wrong for the Army to be dragged into the political dispute through the collusion of men in the corridors of power and senior officials of the service.

  • Poll: Parties join forces in Oyo, Kwara, Benue, Lagos

    POLITICAL parties are joining forces for better performance in Saturday’s Governorship and States’ Assembly Elections.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is conducting governorship elections in 29 states. The assembly elections are holding in all the 36 states and the six council areas in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The candidates are outsmarting one another in last-minute moves to sway the electorate’s support ahead of the poll.

    Here is a report of events in the states:

    LAGOS

    In Lagos, 30 candidates are backing All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    TARABA

    In Taraba, the local chairman of the APC, Alhaji Ibrahim El-Sudi, insisted that Sani Abubakar remained its candidate for the governorship election.

    El-Sudi was reacting to a Federal High Court order earlier yesterday in Jalingo which disqualified Abubakar on the grounds of falsification of age. He said that the same case had been determined and dismissed by a superior court in 2007.

    The chairman noted that the party’s lawyers had swung into action to appeal the “mischievous judgement”.

    He urged the party’s supporters to continue with their campaign.

    A Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, the state capital,  presided over by Justice Stephen Pam, had issued an order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and APC not to recognise Abubakar as a governorship candidate.

    A copy of the judgment showed that Usman Udi, Joshua Paaku, George Geofrey and Muslim Munkaila, had on January 9, urged the court  to disqualify Abubakar for falsifying his date of birth.

    “It is hereby declared that the information contained in the affidavit Abubakar supporting his personal particulars that he was born on February 14, 1968 is in conflict with his date of birth contained in the West African Senior School Certificate he submitted to INEC,” the court noted.

    NIGER

    Governorship candidates were locked in series of meetings to seal the support of their supporters.

    Some of the candidates took their campaigns to churches, holding talks with religious leaders to solicit for votes.

    The Nation gathered that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate, Joshua Bawa, had visited three churches between Sunday and yesterday.

    The two main contenders – the APC and PDP – have been meeting with various religious leaders and youth groups to strengthen their support bases.

    APC candidate and incumbent Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has been meeting with labour, religious leaders, indigenous groups, women, pressure groups and directors in Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

    KWARA

    No fewer than 37 political parties in Kwara State pledged to support APC governorship candidate  Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

    The parties, under the umbrella of Kwara Like-Minds Political Parties (KLPP), backed all the APC House of Assembly candidates at the poll.

    Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, spokesperson of the parties, Prince Oladele Sunday, directed their members to vote en masse for the candidates all the APC on Saturday.

    Prince Sunday said: “We are at a critical stage in our country, but most especially our dear state is already in political labour room and KLPP has joined hands with APC and other stakeholders in taking a successful delivery of liberated Kwara.

    “Today is not meant for an unending discussion but to let the whole world know that when the people were dying slowly in the hands of political tyrants, the KLPP showed up. When the people were groaning and gnashing their teeth under bad governance in the state, posterity will be fair to us that KLPP showed up.

    “Finally, members of KLPP hereby instruct our numerous members and appeal to the teeming voters in the state to come out en masse on March 9th to vote for all APC candidates. Let us all ‘show up’ so that we can all move from ‘O to gee’ (It’s enough) to ‘O to pe’ (It’s worthy of praise)”.

    APC Chairman Bashir Bolarinwa said: “The forthcoming governorship and House of Assembly elections are equally important to the APC. It is important to us as a party and the people of Kwara State.

    “I want to say here that out of 55 political parties that are functional in the state, today are above 35 have openly declared to identify with us. What that simply means is that all of them as members of these political parties are directing their members and appealing to the people to vote on Saturday for the governorship candidate of our party.

    “Further to that, all the 24 House of Assembly candidates of APC will on Saturday be candidates of their parties as well.”

    Also yesterday, a former state lawmaker, Wole Oke, said the victory of the APC candidates “means total freedom for Kwarans”.

    ENUGU

    In Enugu State, 70 political parties were said to have adopted incumbent Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the sole candidate.

    The parties, under the auspices of the Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP), unanimously adopted Ugwuanyi of the PDP as their consensus candidate.

    The leaders of the political parties, who conveyed their position to the governor when they visited him at the Government House, Enugu, said: “Our mission here tonight is to reaffirm our total, unalloyed, unequivocal and unconditional support for your re-election as governor come March 9, 2019, which is barely five (four) days away.”

    OYO

    The Oyo State chapter of the APC berated the PDP candidate, Seyi Makinde, for “his double standards”.

    It urged the people not to trust an individual with such a major character flaw with their mandate.

    The APC lambasted Makinde on his coalition with the gubernatorial candidates of Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator Femi Lanlehin, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Sarafadeen Alli, the leader of ZLP, Rashidi Ladoja and others.

    According to the APC spokesman, Dr AbdulAzeez Olatunde,  Makinde should explain “to the electorate who Ladoja, Lanlehin and Sarafa are to him as the APC does not want to preempt him by calling them godsons”.

    Olatunde felicitated with some members of ADC, ZLP, SDP and others for jumping off the “sinking ships” of the parties to align with the ruling party, stressing that “the APC knows their worth and will accord them their due respect and regard”.

    RIVERS

    An APC chieftain in Rivers State, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, restated the people’s determination to sack Governor Nyesom Wike with their ballot on Saturday.

    He said the resolution was because of what he called the abysmal performance of the PDP-led administration in the Southsouth state in the past four years.

    In an online statement, Eze alleged that Wike was the initiator of the call for his sack by Rivers people.

    Eze said: “The failure of Wike’s administration is responsible for why most Rivers people want him to go on May 29 this year. Rivers State is losing out on development, since Wike forced his way into office through the bloody and massively-rigged 2015 elections.

    Wike is the arrowhead of the agitation to remove him (Wike) from the Brick House (Government House, Port Harcourt), a project he initiated immediately he assumed office on May 29, 2015, by scaring away investors from the state, through the promotion of insecurity.”

    Members of the Coalition of Like-minded Rivers People described March 9 as the state’s day of hope, when Wike will be voted out.

    The group, at a news conference in Port Harcourt, as part of the massive protests they started on Monday in the state capital, declared that there was no going back in ensuring that a focused and God-fearing person would be the occupant of the Government House from May 29.

    The coalition’s three-page address was read by Azubuike Wanjoku, the President-General of Ikwerre Youth Movement (IYM) International, who is also a member of the House of Assembly, representing Ikwerre constituency.

    But Wike, through his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, urged the people to ignore what he called “the propaganda of the APC”.

    He insisted that Wike’s impressive performance across the 23 local government areas would earn the PDP re-election on March 9.

    Also yesterday, the Police debunked the alleged plan to kidnap the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State. They urged the public to disregard it as fake news.

    Commissioner of Police Usman Belel, who debunked the rumour, described it as unfounded and unverifiable.

    The Special Assistant to the Governor on Electoronic Media, Simoen Nwakudu, had in a statment on Tuesday, raised the alarm on the alleged plan by APC members to kidnap the REC ahead of the polls to push for its postponement.

    But the Police Commissioner said that his men were on top of the security situation.

    The commissioner said there was no cause for alarm.

    DELTA

    The governorship candidate of the Allied congress party of Nigeria (ACPN) in Delta State, Chief Paul Isamade, urged Deltians to reject Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of the PDP, alleging that his four-year reign has brought nothing but backwardness to the state.

    Isamade, who is also the National Secretary of the party, said it was “unfortunate that 20 years into the current democratic dispensation, Delta State is still not working inspiite of the huge revenue that has accrued to it.”

    CROSS RIVER

    Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade has not been sacked by the Court of Appeal, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary Christian Ita, said yesterday.

    Ita described as fake news reports trending on social media claiming the governor has been sacked by the appellate court in Lagos as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday’s election.

    In a statement, the spokesman said there was no such pending matter in the Appeal Court.

    He maintained that the case instituted in a Federal High Court in Abuja by Mr. Emmanuel Ibeshi was discontinued when he filed a legitimate notice of discontinuance and as such never went on appeal.

    He blamed the report on political opponents who have been dazed by the reality that the governor’s re-election bid was a fait acompli.

    The statement, therefore, urged members of the public and the governor’s teeming supporters to disregard the fake report.

  • Poll: IG bans use of unmarked vehicles

    Acting Inspector-General Mohammed Adamu yesterday banned unauthorised use of unmarked vehicles and vehicles with covered number plates.

    The ban was issued in Abuja yesterday through a statement Force spokesman Frank Mba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

    IG Adamu gave the order following intelligence report that vehicles with covered number plates might be used to commit electoral-related offences before, during and after the rescheduled Governorship and House of Assembly polls on Saturday.

    According to the police boss, covering of vehicle number plates amounted to a breach of the Road Traffic Act and others laws.

    Read also: Ekiti govt, police battle robbers, kidnappers

    IG Adamu said such practices could also impact negatively on national security and heighten criminal activities.

    He, therefore, directed all Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) in the zonal and state commands to strictly enforce the order.

    The IG warned further that any security personnel found escorting their principals with an unmarked vehicle or covered vehicle number plates, would be arrested and dealt with accordingly.

    The statement reads: “The IGP gave this order on Tuesday, 5th March, 2019, following intelligence report that the unwholesome practice may be deployed by some unscrupulous persons to aid the commission of electoral related offences before, during and after the Saturday, 9th March, 2019 Gubernatorial/House of Assembly elections.

    “Apart from the above immediate possible threats to the polls, the IGP also noted that the covering of Vehicle Number Plate amounts to a clear breach of the Road Traffic Act and other relevant laws of the land.”

  • Poll: PDP urges security agencies to be neutral

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has admonished the nation’s security agencies to safeguard the unity of the country by being neutral in all their operations regarding the general elections.

    The party chair said the PDP was in possession of credible intelligence that some security operatives were being hired by the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) to connive with some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to manipulate the election in their favour.

    Secondus, who addressed a crowd of party supporters in Gusau, Zamfara State on Monday at the PDP presidential rally, said that there was still some good patriotic operatives who do their jobs professionally.

    The party chairman advised the security operatives to be guided by the country’s constitution, saying that any bias roles from them in the coming elections could plunge the country into major crisis.

    Prince Secondus said the endorsement of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar by the Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Northern Elders Forum, the Pan Niger Delta Forum and leaders of the Middle Belt Elders Forum, showed clearly where the country was heading to in the upcoming elections.

    “By that endorsement, which APC is refusing to accept as coming from the people, Nigerians of all divides have spoken that the APC administration can no longer continue”, the party chair added.

    Secondus assured that Atiku will not fail the nation, as, according to him, he has been tested and tried and found to be well equipped for the challenges of the country.

    He added that a PDP presidency will restore all the collapsed industries in Zamfara and other states, with a view to giving jobs to the people and ensuring adequate security.

    Also speaking at the rally, Atiku told the crowd that he would give them the airport they requested for, adding however that what they needed most was peace and security, which he promised to address with all seriousness.

    Atiku also assured the people that he would rebuild the Malori Dam and to also reactivate industrial and agricultural activities in the state.

    Prominent PDP chieftains at the rally included a former Governors of Kano, Niger and Kogi States, Rabiu Kwankwaso,  Babangida Aliyu and Idris Wada respectively.

    A former National Security Adviser (NSA), General Mohammad Aliyu Gusau (rtd) also attended the rally

  • Poll: Magu warns bankers on politicians repatriating stolen funds

    Banks got a stern warning yesterday not to collude with politicians who are repatriating stolen funds for the general elections.

    Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu said the Commission was aware that a top politician who sold a choice property abroad planned to repatriate the proceeds for electoral inducement.

    Magu gave the warning in Lagos at a session with the Association of Compliance Officers.

    In the text of his speech which was released to reporters in Abuja, he urged bankers to stop laundering funds for politicians.

    He said:  ”I deem this forum as very important to serve as a means to communicate to you the observations of the EFCC on the various activities of financial institutions and the deliberate connivance and collusion of most of the banks in laundering illicit funds for criminals as well as politicians.

    “We are not ignorant of the prevailing electioneering activities going on in the country today and the efforts being made by many politicians who had stolen our commonwealth to repatriate to Nigeria these stolen funds for the purpose of influencing the elections through vote buying and compromise of electoral officers to do their bidding, as well as engage in various other illicit activities calculated to undermine the integrity of the elections.

    “The impact of allowing these elements to compromise our elections will be grievous, and devastating, we must as such and as a matter of urgency team up together to ensure that these elections are not compromised in any form or manner.

    “We are all under a civic duty to comply with our various responsibilities and ensure that we do the needful to obey the laws and regulations governing the elections.”

    The EFCC chairman spoke on the “desperate” methods being employed by some politicians to repatriate illicit funds into the country.

    He said the anti-graft commission had received an intelligence report on how a top politician sold a property abroad to finance elections at home.

    He said: “Foreign properties bought with proceeds of crime are sold and the proceeds transferred to Nigeria through international banks as legitimate funds that can be used to finance several activities, including elections.

    ”Recently, we received intelligence report from a sister agency in another country informing us of a top Nigerian politician who has sold his property in that country and intends to repatriate the proceeds of the sale of the property to Nigeria. This same individual had earlier denied ownership of the said property.

    “Goods bought with proceeds of crime abroad are sent to Nigeria to support empowerment programmes during elections. The goods are mostly cleared with deficient trade documents processed through the international banks.

    “Moving proceeds of crime earlier taken across border to neighbouring countries back to Nigeria by depositing such funds in banks with corresponding banking relationship with local banks in Nigeria…These funds can be used to finance elections in the country by physical distribution of the funds for political inducement or financing empowerment schemes to solicit votes from citizens.

    “Private bankers for international banks facilitate the movement of proceeds of crime i.e. physical movements of cash to the country via chartered airlines in the guise of the bank.”

    Magu said that the inducement of voters attracts a 12-month imprisonment or a fine of N100, 000.

    He remind his audience of the provisions of the Nigerian Electoral Act, 2010, Article 130, provide that:

    ”A person who corruptly by himself or by any other person at any time after the date of an election has been announced, directly or indirectly gives or provides or pays money to or for any person for the purpose of corruptly influencing that person or any other person to vote or refrain from voting at such election, or on account of such person or any other person having voted or refrained from voting at such election; or

    “Being a voter, corruptly or takes money or any other inducement during any of the period stated in paragraphs (a) of this Section, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N 100,000.00 or 12 months imprisonment or both.”

    Read also: Why restructuring is key to unity, by Akinrinade

    The EFCC chairman pleaded with compliance officers to serve as responsible gatekeepers by reporting suspicious transactions.

    He said: “While vote buying is subject to punishment, the attainment of compliance to this legal obligation remains the challenge and it is our responsibility to prevent these crimes.

    “We have come to realise that political inducement has now taken other forms and tagged in different names, i.e. stomach infrastructure, empowerment schemes, non-interest yielding loans, outright cash handouts etc.

    “These inducements take place during or before the day of the elections, which makes it rather difficult for law enforcement agencies to track.

    “Because you are the gate keepers, you must keep your eyes open to these inducement schemes. Your obligations are not different from your usual filing of suspicious transactions reports to the relevant authorities, and the prompt filing of currency transaction reports as well as foreign transaction reports.

    “We have also observed the upsurge of illicit financial flows into the country through the borders and it is disheartening to see the role financial institutions play in either facilitating the flows of these funds into the country.”

  • Poll: PDP rejects INEC’s move to accommodate Rivers APC

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected alleged moves by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accommodate candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the general elections in Rivers State.

    INEC had, through its National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, hinted at the weekend that certain circumstances could lead to the postponement of elections in Rivers State, to accommodate the APC.

    The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt had, in two separate rulings, voided the processes through which candidates of the APC for the various elective offices emerged.

    A statement yesterday by the spokesman of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, described the suggestion by INEC to admit APC candidates to the election as distasteful.

    The main opposition party said the electoral body’s position only points to a collusion with the APC in a plot to stalemate electoral processes in some strategic states to pave the way for the postponement of elections in such states.

    According to the PDP, the motive is to use compromised security forces to effect massive rigging, “as was the case in the 2018 Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections”, a scheme, which the party said, would be resisted by Nigerians in the 2019 general elections.

    The statement said, “Currently, the APC is not on the ballot and has no candidates for the governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and State Assembly elections in Rivers and Zamfara states, following the voiding of the APC congresses in these states by the court.

    “In line with this reality, the ballot paper in all elections in Rivers and Zamfara states must, under no circumstance, bear the logo of the APC.

    “The PDP insists that INEC must base all its actions and contemplations for the elections on this reality and should under no circumstance predicate any action on a hypothetical condition.

    “It is also important for INEC to know that Okoye’s advocacy for the APC detracts from the commission’s neutrality and exposes it as a compromised umpire”.

    The PDP charged the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to be appropriately guided in the conduct of the general elections.

    “Unlike the APC, our party is fully prepared for the elections and will never allow the APC and some compromised INEC officials to manipulate the elections, just because the APC has seen that it has no chance of winning.

    “The PDP therefore calls on all Nigerians to unite in condemnation of this cowardly scheme by the APC in its bid to foist itself back to power against their collective will as a people”.

     

  • INEC to deploy one million personnel for poll

    THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will deploy one million electoral officers for the 2019 elections, its chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said yesterday.

    The  election will cost the commission N85 bilion  in providing logistics.

    At a meeting with representatives of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Yakubu represented by Okechukwu Ibeamu, said the election officers would comprise  some INEC workers and  security agents

    On logistics INEC’s Head of Health Infrastructure Dr Amina Zakari said its cost was  enormous in any election.

    According to her, it will cost the commission at least N10 billion in logistics to conduct a single election.

    She said its commission would use the  Miilitary and Air Force for  the election in difficult  terrains.

    Zakari said: “We have earmarked N85 billion for logistics for the 2019 general elections. For a two-day election, which is the least number of days to conduct election, it costs about N10 billion in logistics. You can imagine what will be involved if we have to take the elections in more than one day like the presidential separately, National Assembly and even the cost of conducting five elections separately.

    “These costs exclude leasing of boats in the riverrine areas, additional gunboats for security, hiring helicopter for other areas affected by insurgency and difficult terrain.

    “Moving of personnel and materials in those areas is very challenging and these must be done at the same time nationwide. It is worst because about two-third of the country’s territory is covered by difficult terrain.

    Read also: 2019: Abdulsalami Abubakar Committee drums support for INEC

    “The window for the deployment of electoral materials is too short especially as it must be delivered between 5.00am and 8.00am. You can imagine the enormity of the task, considering the size of the country, difficult terrain and poor road network where the elections have to be conducted.

    “We are not even considering the supplementary elections that may come up, the run-off elections and the possible suspension of areas where violence may disrupt the poll which we normally suspend and reschedule.

    “The logistic cost is really enormous and it will be good for the country to find a more cost efficient manner at which elections can be conducted,” she said.

    On the use of the military in difficult terrains, Zakari said: “Security is of paramount importance and if there is no violence, elections can be done seamlessly.

    “The commission has also enlisted the services of the Air Force and the Navy for deployment especially to these difficult terrains. Recently, a Logistics Advisory Committee was set up with membership drawn from the commission, security agencies and other partners that will help us achieve a seamless transportation of the materials from the sea or airport to the polling stations.

    “With over 120,000 Polling Units, the biggest challenge the commission will encounter is the Election Day logistics. Our problem will be transportation in terms of movement of electoral materials,” she noted.

  • Wike, Lamido flay poll

    RIVERS State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido have flayed the Ekiti State governorship election.

    Wike, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Electronic Media Simeon Nwakaudu, said the poll was the worst political robbery in the nation’s democratic history.

    The governor said the APC-led Federal Government would not be able to replicate the “Ekiti political robbery in Rivers  State because  Rivers people  are fully  prepared”.

    Wike, who spoke  yesterday at the Anglican  Cathedral Church of Saint Paul, Port Harcourt during the Thanksgiving Service to mark the end of Third Year Anniversary Celebration of his administration, said: “Don’t be worried about what happened in Ekiti State.  We are prepared. It will not happen  here in Rivers State.

    “I have never experienced that kind of robbery in politics.  I told my colleagues, do not give  them any chance. Most of them in APC are happy that they will repeat the same thing in Rivers State. We are waiting, come and repeat. Let your spirit not be down, work hard and victory  will be ours,” he said.

    Lamido, who is the presidential aspirant under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said: “The election process in Ekiti was heavily militarised; and I know it shouldn’t be a surprise because we are being led by a former military General ,who was also a former military Head of State, who was known for arresting political leaders.

    “Number two, you see, he (Buhari) only says politicians are this, politicians are that, which means he is not a politician.

    “So, I think the election in Ekiti, to me, if it is the wish of the people that is announced as the result, I have no quarrels with it. I hope, also, that this is not the kind of thing we are going to experience in 2019 elections because it will spell doom for democracy.

    “You see, even before the election, there was this acrimony; the atmosphere was very tensed. You see, sending 30,000 policemen to Ekiti for a governorship election is very worrisome.”

    He expressed confidence that PDP will reclaim power in 2019, adding that PDP has learnt from its past mistakes.

  • Poll: Rivers F-SARS chief not indicted

    •IG exonerates commander

    Rivers State Commander of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) Akin Fakorede has been exonerated of allegations of electoral impropriety against him.

    This seems to contradict Governor Nyesom Wike’s claims that Fakorede was indicted for the 2015 elections and rerun in Rivers.

    Inspector-General of Police (IG) Ibrahim Idris exonerated Fakorede in letter dated December 7, and signed by Deputy Force Secretary 2, DCP M. C. Mukaddas.

    The letter was addressed to Fakorede (then a chief superintendent of Police (CSP), through the commissioner of Police, Department of Finance and Administration, State Headquarters, Port Harcourt.

    It reads: “You will recall that you were queried for serious misconduct via a March 9, 2017 letter. The IGP has carefully considered your representation to the query and found that you are not blameable.

    “He has decided that you be exonerated, and you are hereby exonerated, with effect from December 5, 2017. You are to acknowledge receipt of this letter through the appropriate channel, please.”

    Wike, who spoke on radio yesterday, however, accused Fakorede of professional misconduct.

    He said the commander was working for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The governor claimed that page 66 of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) report on the Rivers rerun indicted Fakorede, alleging that he was accused of hostage-taking, hijack of electoral materials and attacks on INEC officials.

    Wike claimed that Fakorede was plotting, recruiting, training and arming a special squad to rig next year polls.

    He called on the people and lovers of democracy to stand up and say no to any policeman who steal votes and assault them.