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Tag: poll

  • Crisis over council poll in Ondo

    Crisis over council poll in Ondo

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are quarelling over the proposed local government elections in Ondo State. Correspondent DAMISI OJO examines the bone of contention and its implications for grassroots administration. 

    Eight years ago, the elected local government administration was dissolved in Ondo State by Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

    Since then, grassroots democracy has been stalled. The councils have been at the mercy of caretaker committees set up to run them.

    The Adedayo Omolafe-led Committee of Council Chairmen inaugurated by Agagu sued Mimiko for the dissolution of the democratic structures. The case is still in court.

    For seven years, Mimiko turned a deaf ear to the agitation for council polls. But, as the government is winding up, he suddenly changed his mind. The governor directed the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission(ODIEC) to conduct the poll, few months to the governorship election. On April 23, voters will choose new local government chairmen and councillors, who will run the councils for the next three years. This will be the first time in nine years that such election will be taking place.

    Mimiko has inaugurated members of the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission. It is headed by Prof. Olugbenga Ige.

    The last council poll was conducted in December 2008. But, the elected officers only spent few months in office because they were sacked by the governor. The embattled council chairmen and councillors, who were mainly members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenged their dismissal in the court. But, they lost out at the High Court and the Appeal Court. The matter is still pending at the Supreme court.

    Mimiko had hinged his refusal to hold another poll on the litigation. Thus, the sudden change of mind by the governor has raised suspicion, not only among party chieftains, but also among the generality of the people.

    The opposition parties are  worried. They believe that the governor is setting a trap for them, ahead of the governorship poll. They said one of the major claims of Mimiko was that the pending case on the local government election had rendered him incompetent to conduct the poll since he was sworn-in 2009. They became more cautious because the litigation is not yet over at the  Supreme Court.

    Already, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) have distanced themselves from the poll.

    The APC Chairman, Hon. Isaac Kekemeke, described the election as illegal and a sham, maintaining that it is a trap. He accused the members of ODIEC of partisanship, saying that they are PDP members.

    Kekemeke said: “Our participation or otherwise has been thoroughly discussed at the Central Working Committee, the state executive committee and the expanded executive.

    “The conclusion reached was that the election is a sham meant to trap our party. It is an illegal ‘election’ about to be conducted when there is a subsisting case on the matter at the Supreme Court.

    “Besides, Mimiko’s ODIEC is composed of LP/PDP card carrying members. Worse still, this LP/PDP government is highly deficient in character, integrity and fairness that it cannot be trusted to midwife any free and fair process”.

    A House of Representatives member from Akoko South West/Akoko South East, Hon. Kolawole Babatunde, said the poll will be a fruitless exercise. He said: “Governor Olusegun Mimiko has concluded plans to write the results from his Alagbaka home and if the APC participates or not, that does not change anything. So, I will advise the party leaders not to allow our members to participate in the election”.

    Also, the SDP, led by Chief Olu Falae and Dr. Olu Agunloye, who are allies of the governor, explained why it will not participate in the poll.

    The party said the preparation by the government indicated that the ODIEC was not independent and therefore, could not be fair in the conduct of the election.

    The Chairman of the SDP, Korede Duiyile, said  no credible opposition party will participate in the election.

    The SDP leaders alleged that the composition of the electoral body favoured the ruling PDP.

    Duyile added: “We believe that, as a principled political party, the SDP should not participate in the election because it would be more of an appointment exercise rather than an elective process.”

    Agunloye described the poll as a waste of resources and another way of compounding the hardship in the state.

    According to the former minister, conducting an election when workers have not been paid for over four months is not a wise decision.

    CNNP said its withdrawal became inevitable, owing to the abnormalities in the government’s decision to conduct the poll, seven years after Mimiko became governor.

    It said its decision was hinged on the prevailing poor state of the economy that has rendered government machinery incapable paying salaries of workers regularly.

    The CNPP advised the PDP-led government to use the money earmarked for the election to pay workers’ salaries  and retirees’ allowances.

    But, the PDP Chairman, Mr. Clement Faboyede, described the APC and others parties, who are boycotting the poll, as cowards.

    He said the PDP was already coasting to victory, judging by its popularity among the people.

    Faboyede said the opposition parties were only crying foul and afraid of participating in the elections because of losing out completely to the ruling party.

    He said the APC has no political relevance, adding that it caanot match the PDP at the polls.  He added: “There is no APC in Ondo state as far as I am concerned? and they are only clamouring on the case before the court which was not instituted by them.

    “The sacked local government chairmen had gone to the court demanding for reinstatement but now they are pleading for compensation since the matter had been taken to the Supreme court.”

    Faboyede said the PDP has started mobilising grassroots people for the election, urging other parties to take a cue. He said nothing would stop the ODIEC conducting the exercise.

    Mimiko is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that his right man emerges as the next governor. One of his strategies, according to sources, is the conduct of local government polls.

    The source said: “Since last year, he has been appointing so many people as political aides. As at now, he has over 120 Special Assistants.

    “Majority of them have no offices and they are not delegated for any special assignments, but they are just collecting salaries and they have been directed by the governor to start mobilizing for the party ahead of governorship poll.

    “He is also conducting the local council poll so that he would be able to plant is loyalists in the grassroots ahead of the gubernatorial poll”, the source disclosed.

    Opposition parities have been commended for boycotting the exercise. A stakeholder, Mr. Femi Obada, said: “There is no how APC and other parties participate in the poll and win a council or ward because the ruling party has power over members of the ODIEC”.

  • INEC suspends action on bloody Rivers rerun poll

    INEC suspends action on bloody Rivers rerun poll

    Wike’s chief of staff held over attack on Peterside, others

    Wike: my aide’s driver killed

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last night suspended further action on Rivers State rerun elections into the National Assembly and the House of Assembly.

    It said it decided to take the action because several permanent and ad hoc officials had been attacked. Some were abducted and taken to unknown destinations.

    The electoral agency said the tense atmosphere had only enabled it to collate and declare results in only one Federal and nine state constituencies.

    But the suspension does not affect the constituencies where the process has been completed and the results declared by the Returning Officers.

    A statement last night by INEC’s Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Oluwole Osaze- Uzzi, said: “Pursuant to the Orders of the Court of Appeal, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted elections into various seats in the National and the Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday, the 19th of March, 2016.

    “Rather unfortunately, some of these elections witnessed the disruption of the process, including the barricading of some of the INEC Local Government offices and Registration Area Centres (RACs) used for the distribution of Electoral materials which led to the late commencement of the exercise in some places and consequently, its smooth take off.

    “Of more serious concern was the level of threats, violence and intimidation of election officials and voters by well armed thugs and miscreants allegedly acting on behalf of some politicians, which marred the elections in some areas.

    “There were reports of numerous attacks resulting in fatalities, kidnappings, ballot snatching, diversion of officials and materials, amongst others, which necessitated its suspension in 8 Local Government Areas.

    “Regrettably, such deviant behaviour has continued today. Several permanent and ad hoc staff engaged have been attacked, again resulting in fatalities, while some have been forcibly abducted and taken to presently unknown destinations.

    “Under such difficult circumstance, the Returning Officers were only able to collate and declare results in 1 Federal and 9 State constituencies where the disruption and malpractices were not so widespread.

    “Having reviewed the situation, the Commission is compelled to suspend all further action concerning the exercise in all the other constituencies in the State pending the receipt of a comprehensive report from its Field Officials and Monitors.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, it should be noted that the suspension does not affect the constituencies where the exercise has been completed and the results declared by the Returning Officers.”

  • PDP sweeps Akwa Ibom legislative rerun poll

    PDP sweeps Akwa Ibom legislative rerun poll

    •Party wins rerun House of Assembly election in Cross River

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State has won Saturday’s rerun elections.

    In Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo Senatorial), Mr. Bassey Albert polled 256,110 votes to beat his closest rival Mr. Emmanuel Obot, of APC, who scored 36, 775, and Mr. Ubong Edet of Accord (6,368 votes).

    The PDP also won in five state constituencies: Etinan; Ibesikpo/Asutan; Oron/Udung Uko; Itu and Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara.

    In Etinan, PDP’s Aniefiok Dennis polled 10,977 votes to defeat his closest rival, Unyime Ekwere, of APC (1,780 votes); while Sunday Akpan of Accord and Nse Ubeh of Labour party scored 26 and 29 votes.

    PDP’s  Aniekan Uko won in Ibesikpo/Asutan  with 10, 288; his APC contender, Mr. Gabriel Akpan 1,955 votes, while Utibe John of Accord and Linda Sunday of PPA scored 13 and 12 votes.

    In Oron/Udung Uko, PDP candidate Effiong Bassey got 7,625 votes to beat the Labour Party candidate, Mr. Jerimah Okon, who scored 17 votes.

    PDP’s candidate Idongesit Ituan in Itu, polled 12, 043 votes to beat Idongesit Ekpaya of the APC, who scored 2, 938.

    In Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara; PDP continued in its winning streak, as Idongesit Ntekpere scored 23,900 votes to beat his closest rival,  APC’s Augustine Mbeh, who polled 2,428 votes.

    In a statement by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Gabriel Ada, the election was conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner.

    He said the commission was grateful to the people, adding that certificates shall be issued by the commission according to the law.

    The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Eteng Jonah Williams has emerged winner in the rerun election conducted on Saturday for the Yakurr II State Constituency of the Cross River House of Assembly.

    The declaration of result sheet signed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dame Ghesila Khan, made available to reporters yesterday, indicated that Williams scored 4, 380 votes to beat the candiates of the All Progressives Party and Labour Party, Bassey Utum Inah and Eno Utum Inam, who scored 3670 and 2180 votes.

  • Ex-Bayelsa Speaker wins rerun poll

    The former Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr. Kombowei Benson, who was sacked by the Court of Appeal, yesterday, retained his Southern Ijaw seat after winning a rerun poll.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the two assembly rerun elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Southern Ijaw 4 and Ekeremor 3 on Saturday.

    Benson won in Southern Ijaw; Mr. Michael Ogbere clinched the Ekeremor seat.

    Kombowei polled 10,033 votes to beat the candidates of  All Progressives Congress, (APC), who got 2, 595 votes and Alliance for Democracy (AD), with 2,467 votes.

    Declaring the Southern Ijaw 4 result, Returning Officer Dr. Bertola Perekeme said Benson satisfied the requirements to be declared winner.

    In Ekeremor 3, Returning Officer Dr. Johnson Dagana said Mr. Michael Ogbere of the PDP won with 4,246 votes to defeat the DPP candidate, who polled 74 votes.

    Ogbere also defeated the candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Victor Perezi, who went to court to annul the former election.

    Perezi, who won the election in 2011 scored 45 votes.

    Speaking on the election, Benson, said the nullification of his earlier election was regrettable and unnecessary.

    He said: “What really beat my imagination was the fact that the Court of Appeal could deliver different judgments; one nullifying my election and the other dismissing the petition leading to our going back for elections. By the grace of God, we have won as expected and am happy we are back on stage”.

    Benson insisted that he was a force to reckon with in the constituency, judging from the landslide victory recorded in the rerun.

    On whether he would go back to the House to assume his duty as the Speaker, Benson, said: “It is not in my place to decide which office I hold”.

  • Ondo council Poll: Crisis hits PDP over candidate’s lists

    Ondo council Poll: Crisis hits PDP over candidate’s lists

    Another political crisis may be looming in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo state over which of the candidate’s lists should be recognized by the Ondo Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) between Engr. Clement Faboyede and Dr. Olu Ogunye led executives for the April 23, local governments’ poll.

    At a press conference held in Akure, the state capital, Ogunye said following an Abuja court ruling in 2014, he was recognised as the authentic chairman of the party, warning the ODIEC would be committing illegality if he refused to recognised his candidates.

    His words, “while I and my executive committee are pleased to inform you that we have no issue with the date and the election, we wish to call the attention of the public to a cog that may stall the process of the election.

    “Upon the resignation of Hon. Ebenezer Alabi as the past state chairman and my subsequent election as his successor and an order of the federal high court in suit No. FHC/ABJ/1006/2014 made on the December 18, 2014 which recognised me as the authentic chairman of PDP.

    “In our capacity as the official agents of the party, we have organised and conduct primaries for the chairmanship and councillorship aspirants using statutory delegates recognised by law.

    “We have submitted the list of candidates who won the primary the primary election for the post of chairmanship and councillorship seats across the local government to ODIEC.”

    But, the State PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr, Banji Okuomo said the exercise of Ogunye’s faction is just an exercise in futility.

    Okuomo, particularly said majority of the factional executive include Ogunye have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He however said there is no contention for the chairmanship seat being occupied by Faboyede, adding that PDP in Ondo state is united.

     

  • Can Supreme court reverse itself on Ekiti poll?

    Can Supreme court reverse itself on Ekiti poll?

    The shocking revelation by the former Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary, Dr. Tope Aluko, that the June 21, 2014 governorship election was rigged in favour of Governor Ayo Fayose has dominated public discourse. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA examines some salient issues thrown up by the bombshell.

    Dr. Temitope Kolawole Aluko, the erstwhile Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary in Ekiti State, has dominated the airwaves and headlines of major newspapers since January 31 when he appeared on Channels Television to drop a bomb shell on the June 21, 2014 governorship election in the Fountain of Knowledge.

    He claimed that the election, which produced Governor Ayo Fayose of the PDP as winner, was rigged and never represented the wishes of Ekiti people across the 2,195 polling units in the 16 local government areas.

    The university lecturer-turned politician had alleged the use of the military to harass, intimidate and oppress the opposition, thereby giving undue electoral advantage to the PDP. According to him, federal might was deployed to snatch victory from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He also revealed that former President Goodluck Jonathan gave Fayose $2 million before the PDP primary and $35 million for the governorship election.

    According to him, the compromised military officers wore special armbands and were given specific areas of operations and targets to ensure that the opposition leaders and supporters were demobilised on election day.

    He said officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were bribed N1 billion to favour the PDP during the contest.

    Aluko’s claims are weighty. They have cast a thick pall of slur on the integrity of elections. Aluko backed his claims with several documents.

    Some watchers of the unfolding drama in Ekiti are of the view that, although Aluko fell out with Fayose over the latter’s refusal to compensate him after the victory, the message he (Aluko) has passed is important for the appropriate authorities to take action.

    A political analyst, Taiwo Olawuyi, said: “The message is very important and no attempt should be made to trivialise this matter. The revelation of TKO (Aluko) is more than enough for any country that is serious to save its democracy from being sabotaged because this is a felony against the State.

    Aluko should be commended for risking his life to come out with these very shocking  revelations and it is not too late to remedy the situation. Although the state government has secured a warrant of arrest against him, but the question remains, did all what he said not happen? The message should be separated from the messenger.

    “The Ekiti electorate have been shortchanged and this (June 21, 2014) governorship election could not pass for an election that pass the test of integrity. The same person (Fayose) could have emerged winner if this electoral coup was not committed against the people.

    “I expect some actions to follow because if this one is swept under the carpet, we should expect more egregious electoral perfidy in the years ahead and the perpetrators must be made to face the consequences of their actions.”

    Aluko was an insider and whatever he said should not be dismissed with a wave of the hand. He was an active participant in the process that started from the party’s congresses and culminated in the election.

    Apart from his vantage position as the PDP Secretary, Aluko was the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee of the Fayose Campaign Organisation. He also served as his party’s Returning Officer during the election, as he was the PDP signatory to the official result sheet at the Collation Centre.

    All these positions he held placed him at the ringside to know what really transpired as he kept custody of documents of the party and committees he was privileged to serve.

    The relationship between Aluko and Fayose predated the political bond between them as the duo grew up in the same neighbourhood in Ibadan, Oyo State in the 60s.

    They are from the same Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area. While Fayose is from Afao Ekiti, Aluko is from Iyin Ekiti. Aluko, although a teacher at the then Ekiti State University supported Fayose to emerge as the PDP candidate and eventually a governor.

    Aluko’s ex-wife, Tosin, was a key member of the Ayo Fayose Foundation and Movement (AFFM), in the run-up to the 2003 governorship election.

    Tosin was later elected as the Chairman of Ado Ekiti Local Government under the Segun Oni administration. She is at present a commissioner in the Local Government Service Commission under Fayose.

    Throughout Fayose’s first stint in power, which ended abruptly in October 2006 through an impeachment by 24 of 26 members of the House of Assembly, Aluko was one of the members of Fayose’s intellectual think-tank.

    As the 2011 general elections drew near, Aluko resigned from the Ekiti State University in March 2010 to contest for the House of Representatives in Ekiti Central 1 Constituency comprising Ado Ekiti and Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Areas.

    Fayose and many members of his political family had moved to the Labour Party (LP) where he (Fayose) ran as senatorial candidate for Ekiti Central, which he lost to the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Babafemi Ojudu.

    Aluko did not follow Fayose to the LP as he (Aluko) won the PDP House of Representatives ticket for Ekiti Central 1, but lost to the ACN candidate, Opeyemi Bamidele.

    Having tasted the bitter pill of defeat in his quest for a senatorial seat on the platform of LP, some PDP loyalists, including Aluko, convinced Fayose to return to the PDP in 2011 to take another shot at the governorship seat.

    But, for Fayose to realise the dream, he had many mountains to climb which include getting a waiver to return to the party and hijacking the party structure, which was then dominated by the Segun Oni Campaign Organization (SOCO) elements.

    Former Minister of Police Affairs Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd) teamed up with Fayose to upstage Oni at the PDP congress in March 2012 as their candidates won majority of the members of the State Working Committee (SWC).

    Some key members of the SWC that emerged from the state congress supervised by former Secretary to the Kwara State Government, Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Cook Olododo, included Makanjuola Ogundipe (Chairman), Olufemi Bamisile (Deputy Chairman), Aluko (Secretary), Mrs. Busola Oyebode (Women Leader) Kola Oluwawole (Publicity Secretary), just to mention a few.

    With these personalities, most of whom were loyal to Fayose, they had prepared the ground for the former governor’s comeback bid.

    Before the governorship primary election, Aluko spearheaded the agitation for waiver to Fayose which was granted by the National Working Committee (NWC) headed by the former PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu and this gave him the green light to run as a candidate.

    Controversies raged over the method to be adopted in selecting the party’s governorship candidate, with a section of the party led by former chairman Ogundipe rooting for consensus option while another section of the party with Aluko as the arrowhead championing the primary option.

    President Jonathan and the national leadership of the PDP were convinced to adopt the primary option. Aluko kept custody of the register of delegates, which was believed to have been tilted in favour of Fayose, hence, his victory at the shadow poll.

    The immediate cause of the feud between Fayose and Aluko was the governor’s alleged failure to honour “office sharing agreement” struck before the election. While Bamisile, the former PDP Deputy Chairman and a former Speaker of the House of Assembly, was pencilled for the deputy governorship slot, Aluko was to become the Chief of Staff.

    Shortly after Fayose secured the ticket, he appointed Dr. Kolapo Olusola as his running mate, a move which angered Bamisile and forced him to defect to the APC. but Aluko stayed in the party, hoping to get the Chief of Staff position. But, that was not to be, as the governor appointed Chief Dipo Anisulowo from Are Ekiti.

    Aluko’s name featured for appointment as Commissioner for Education and later as the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Chairman, given his academic background. But, Fayose gave these positions to Jide Egunjobi and Senator Bode Ola, a defector from the ACN.

    With Fayose consolidating his hold on power, the party structure was his next target and an opportunity came when the erstwhile chair, Ogundipe, was nominated for the chairmanship of the party in the Southwest with the governor nominating his ally, Chief Idowu Faleye, as the acting chairman.

    Aluko and other SWC members kicked against Faleye’s nomination on the grounds that it violated the PDP constitution which forbids two SWC members coming from the same ward. At the time of Faleye’s nomination, the Youth Leader was from the same Ido Ward 1 in Ido/Osi LGA with Faleye.

    Eleven SWC members led by Aluko nominated Vice Chairman (Ekiti North Senatorial District), Tunde Olatunde, as the state PDP Acting Chairman, which polarised the party. Aluko and his group accused Fayose of serial violation of the party constitution and the crisis raged until Fayose with the support of the national leadership expelled Aluko and three others from the party.

    Although the Ekiti governorship election has come and gone, some observers believe that the latest revelations from Aluko on what transpired at the last governorship election are issues that must not be swept under the carpet if Nigeria is to get it right in the sacred responsibility of electing leaders.

    According to Aluko, who said he was part of Fayose’s inner circle during the election, alleged that Jonathan initially gave the incumbent Ekiti governor a first tranche of $2 million in March 2014 for the primary election.

    He noted that this cash was collected at the NNPC headquarters in Abuja and was taken to Fayose’s private house, in Abuja before it was moved to Ekiti.

    “Immediately after the primary election, we collected another $35 million from Jonathan on June 17, 2014. The money was brought to us by the former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.

    “We all assembled at the front office of Spotless Hotel, Ado Ekiti, owned by Fayose. Thereafter, the cash was taken to a Bureau De Change in Onitsha where it was converted to N4.7 billion”, Aluko added.

    Aluko, further alleged that Fayose received about N3 billion cash from  Buruji Kashamu in 2013 to revive the PDP in Ekiti State.

    The Ekiti PDP scribe also gave account on how the military was used to win the election.

    Aluko said: “The former President agreed with Fayose and summoned a security meeting at the Presidential Villa for the purpose of the election.

    “Those at the meeting were the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh; former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Kenneth Minimmah; and former National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu.

    “Others included Fayose, Senator Iyiola Omisore, former Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan and Obanikoro.

    “At that meeting, the former President made it clear to the ex- Chief of Defence Staff that Fayose would stand for him (as Commander-In-Chief) in terms of providing security for the election”.

    Aluko alleged that Fayose, relying on Jonathan’s directive, approached the former Commander of the Army Brigade in Akure, Brig. Gen. Dikko to take charge of the election for the PDP, who refused to cooperate and was replaced after a petition was filed against him.

    “But, Gen. Dikko did not give us audience. He stated bluntly that he would not be available for such operation. So, Fayose filed a petition against him which led to his replacement with Brig. Gen. Aliyu Momoh who was amenable to our plans”.

    Aluko alleged that a total of 64 PDP stalwarts who had knowledge of their local government areas were picked to provide information on opposition members.

    “They gave detailed information regarding names and locations of opposition members in all the local governments, the various routes, areas of strength and weaknesses of the PDP in the 16 local governments.

    “Today, most of these 64 hatchet men are members of the Senate, House of Representatives, state House of Assembly, commissioners, local government chairmen, special advisers and the rest,” Aluko said.

    He continued: “We went into the election with 1040 recognised soldiers and another batch of 400 unrecognised soldiers brought from Enugu by Sen. Andy Uba.

    “In addition, we raised 44 special strike teams; brought in Toyota Hilux buses from Abuja and Onitsha. We made special stickers for the vehicles that conveyed members of the strike teams and black hand bands for each of them.

    “Each strike team was made up of 10 members headed by a soldier. The team was consisted of soldiers, policemen, DSS operatives and Civil Defence corps. They were detailed to attack and arrest prominent APC chieftains in all the local governments.

    “We set up anchorage, mainly residential houses, in every local government where the strike team members collected their welfare and other allowances.

    “To encourage the strike team members, we gave them orders to share money and other valuables they could lay their hands on in the houses of APC chieftains they raided.

    “Then we set up detention camps, mainly in primary schools where most of the APC chieftains were detained. Others were detained in police stations where the DPOs were friendly with us. We let them off after the election was over.

    “A day to the election, we used the military to block all routes in the local governments and prevented APC chieftains, including former Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi from coming into Ekiti.

    “So, we ensured that no APC chieftain was in sight on election day. We provided polling agents for the APC in most of the polling units so we had no problem getting them to sign election results in the units.

    “All these local and foreign observers that described the election free and fair only witnessed the voting exercise on election day without knowing what transpired before the voting”.

    The revelations by Aluko, although coming a bit late has provided a challenge to some institutions like the police, DSS, INEC and the Judiciary to institute a further inquest into the Ekiti governorship electoral scandal which has dented the image of Nigeria in the international community.

    The Army has has led the way by commissioning a probe into the involvement of some officers and men in the Ekiti rigging drama and came up with far-reaching decisions including compulsory retirement of two officers, loss of command by three officers and the prosecution of one for collecting financial gratification.

    Fifteen officers are to be placed on watch list, nine officers to be further investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), six officers to face an audit committee and 62 officers mostly of the rank of Major and below) to be given Letters of Displeasure and to appear before their General Officers Commanding (GOCs) for counseling.

    Human rights activist and lawyer Morakinyo Ogele, who hailed the military for taking the action, said the civilian collaborators like Obanikoro; Adesiyan; Omisore and Chris Uba must be prosecuted for their roles in the rigging scandal.

    Ogele has vowed to approach the Federal High Court to seek a relief that the election should be declared null and void. He urged other well-meaning Nigerians not to keep quiet on the scandal, but to ensure that the electorate who were defrauded get justice.

    He said the secret audio recording of the meeting of PDP chiefs and the military officers led by Gen. Aliyu Momoh is a fresh evidence, which was not looked into by the Election Tribunal, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

    Ogele said: “Criminal matters are not statute-barred, they can be revisited no matter how long they had happened in the past. It is the function of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to take up the matter because he is the chief law officer of the country.

    “Those who perpetrated these acts have committed heinous crimes against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act (as amended) and the full weight of the law must be brought on them.

    “It must be investigated whether the $37 million allegedly spent on the Ekiti election are part of the funds meant for the purchase of arms believed to have been diverted into elections.

    “It is in our electoral law that money should not be used unduly to influence election either to canvass for votes tor o subvert the electoral process. The criminal aspect of what happened at the Ekiti election should be looked into and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.”

  • Oyegun, Rivers poll and Supreme Court

    Oyegun, Rivers poll and Supreme Court

    Following hard on the heels of President Muhammadu Buhari’s complaint in Ethiopia about the headache he was having in aligning the judiciary with his anti-corruption war, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman, Odigie Oyegun, has given the Supreme Court his own spectacular broadside. The ruling party does not seem to mind that it’s rather trenchant views are beginning to look like a coordinated campaign against the judiciary. Speaking at a town hall meeting with Nigerians in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last Sunday, President Buhari noted the stultifying effect the judiciary was having on his anti-graft war. “On the fight against corruption vis-à-vis the judiciary, Nigerians will be right to say that is my main headache for now”, the president was quoted as saying.

    He is not the only one to yield to exasperation and irritation over what they describe as deliberate imposition of judicial bottlenecks. Party chairman, Mr. Oyegun, was even more direct and unambiguous. Addressing party leaders from Rivers State who visited him in Abuja to complain of political and judicial developments in Rivers State, he had said: “The APC national leadership has not neglected party leaders and supporters in Rivers State. The state has always been in the front-burner of discussion and decision in the party. There is obviously something fundamentally wrong in Rivers State which needs to be investigated and addressed. Your visit has had a sober effect on me. This meeting will kick-start urgent actions to address what went wrong. As of today, there is an attempt being made by INEC to bar us from elections in Anambra and other states. We must address these issues. I still find the judgement on the Rivers State governorship election totally astonishing. There is something fundamentally wrong in the judiciary.”

    Not satisfied to just note what seemed to him a juridical anomaly in the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Rivers State governorship election petition, Mr. Oyegun emphasised that the court judgement was astonishing. By suggesting in the same breath that the situation in Rivers State would be investigated and addressed, it was taken by some critics, especially in the PDP, that he was referring to the Supreme Court judgement. He has denied he had the apex court in mind when he talked of investigation or probe. Of course he could not have had the court in mind. For, assuming that were the case, it would not be immediately clear what unprecedented steps he and his party could take to probe the judgement. Even though his statement did not directly refer to the apex court, by suggesting that the Rivers judgement was astonishing, and that something fundamental was wrong with the judiciary, Mr Oyegun may have needlessly courted and stoked controversy. This is because in many ways, unfortunately, the APC government has appeared to orchestrate some kind of pressure on the judiciary, blaming that third arm of government for everything that is amiss with the anti-graft war. This sort of pressure has never before been applied by any elected government in the history of Nigeria, certainly not even under the worst of governments — military, conservative or progressive. Notwithstanding these facts, Mr. Oyegun has promised the Rivers State chapter of the APC that their matter — and it is not clear what matter — would be investigated and addressed.

    If anyone thought what was uppermost in the mind of the APC chairman was jurisprudential anomaly or even his commitment to his party’s ideological conviction, they were grossly mistaken. Something else bothered him; and that thing was materialism, not political or legal altruism. According to Mr. Oyegun, “We have lost very important resource-rich states to the PDP. No matter how crude oil prices have fallen, it is still the most important revenue earner for the country.” Both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to which the APC has eventually lost Rivers at the Supreme Court, and the ruling party, which had won the petition at the Tribunal and Appeal Court levels, do their calculations in terms of rich and poor states. Somehow, they give the impression that much more than what they could do for and with the 36 states in Nigeria, they are propelled more by something much baser, something distinctly unedifying, something quite ordinary in measure, something uninspiringly in naira and kobo.

    Given the orientation of the APC leadership in Abuja, the future of democracy and the judiciary, more than at any other time in the country’s history, will be sandwiched between the president’s headache and the party chairman’s pecuniary projections. It is a future fraught with danger for the third arm of government, a future far more dangerous than they encountered even under military rule. For the APC chairman to talk unprecedentedly of something fundamentally wrong with the judiciary, perhaps because a few judgements went in favour of the opposition, indicates very clearly that he does not fully appreciate the implication of his statement both politically and judicially. Politically, it demonstrates that the APC could be regarded as a bad loser and an increasingly hubristic and intolerant party. Judicially, it suggests the ruling party is not bothered that its attitude to the judiciary could be construed as an indirect attempt to put unhealthy and inimical pressure on the courts.

    Mr. Oyegun will be the third notable personality in the ruling party to openly speak unflatteringly of the judiciary. The unlikely first person to do so was the Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, who alluded to the need to purge the judiciary of bad eggs in order to align it with the government’s anti-graft war. He had said: “As we may be aware, this administration promised Nigerians that it will promptly address the challenges facing our nation in the three areas of corruption, economy and security. Let no one be in doubt, the legitimate expectation of Nigerians in this regard shall be met. In this regard therefore, I am reiterating that the fight against corruption shall be total and will not exclude judicial officers, who are found wanting. After all, it is beyond doubt that a corrupt judge cannot meaningfully contribute to the fight against corruption. In reality, it cannot be over-emphasised that systemic corruption and impunity are prevalent in Nigeria, and that they cut across all sectors of the society, unfortunately, including the judiciary  an institution that is universally believed to be the hope of the common man.” Mr. Malami was criticised for his harsh view of the judiciary.

    The president himself also indicated that there were “allegations of judicial corruption…dilatory tactics by lawyers sometimes with the apparent collusion of judges to stall trials indefinitely thereby denying the state and the accused persons of a judicial verdict…and negative perception arising from long delays in the trial process that have damaged the international reputation of the Nigerian judiciary, even among its international peers.” After referring to the judiciary’s pace and style as the headache he was suffering in his anti-corruption war, it is not surprising that the APC chairman felt confident to speak of something fundamentally wrong with the judiciary. Clearly, the judiciary is in trouble.

    It is curious of Mr. Oyegun and damaging to the APC’s credibility that though the Supreme Court was yet to give reasons for the judgement in the Rivers case, party leaders have come to a conclusion that astonishing or fundamentally wrong things were happening in the judiciary. A significant number of Nigerians, more out of ignorance than anything else, are also exasperated with the judiciary. They complain of curious judgements, slow delivery of justice, undue and unnecessary adjournments, etc. But neither the complainants nor the grumbling and intimidating federal government has carried out an in-depth study of why the judiciary appears unresponsive to the demands of the moment. The judiciary has suffered appalling and disgraceful declining budgetary allocations over the past five years, and it is understaffed, overworked and poorly equipped. In most of the states, there is no financial autonomy, and virtually everywhere, prosecuting agencies nurturing secretive interests bungle cases so horribly that justice could not be served. Yet, inexplicably, all the problems are heaped on judges.

    The ruling APC appears sadly bent on whipping up emotions against the judiciary. This is counterproductive and unwise. If, as Mr. Oyegun suggests, the decisions of the Supreme Court in the Rivers case and perhaps other cases are astonishing, who will make it less astonishing? Retired justices? And if hypothetically, a few things are found amiss in any of the judgements, could it be established they were procured by financial inducement, political bias or plain incompetence? And even if any of these is established, who would reverse the decisions? The APC must measure its responses before they provoke a judicial crisis. The judicial reforms they speak so fluently about, but which they have not presented any concrete plan nor voted substantial money for, should precede their lust for blood. They must not create conditions where one day mobs of dissatisfied and agitated litigants and party faithful would storm the courts, eject judges and create a judicial and even existential stalemate for Nigeria.

     

  • Ekiti: LG election records low turnout

    Ekiti: LG election records low turnout

    Low turnout of voters characterised the elections into chairmanship and councillorship seats in the 16 local government areas of Ekiti on Saturday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who monitored the election in Ikole Local Government Area reports that the poll was conducted under peaceful atmosphere.

    Accreditation of voters began as early as possible in some polling units visited at Oke-Ijebu, Ijesa-Isu road, Bolorunduro, Isaba, Otunja and Asin.

    Eligible voters were seen at various polling units waiting to be attended to by officials of state electoral body.

    It was observed in some of these polling units such as polling Unit 014 at Ward 05, Ijesa-Isu road, that majority of the voters were women and young ladies.

    Security operatives were present in all the election venues while streets and major roads in Ikole were deserted as vehicular movement was restricted.

    Elections have been concluded in almost all the polling units visited at exactly 1. 30 p.m. while few voters had yet to vote in other polling units.

    Mr Temitope Adeniyi, who claimed to be a chieftain of KOWA party in Ikole Ekiti, described the election as the most peaceful poll ever conducted in the area.

    Adeniyi commended all the people that participated in the election for their commitment and belief in democratic government at the local level.

    He also lauded effort of the present administration in the state for making the conduct of the election a reality in spite of paucity of funds.

    On the low turnout of voters, Adeniyi attributed it to non-participation of some political parties in the election that would usher in elected representatives at the local government level.

    He, however, said that a reasonable number of electorate took part in the election, saying the boycott by some parties would not affect the outcome or credibility of the poll.

  • What next after Kogi poll?

    What next after Kogi poll?

    The declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Yahaya Bello, as winner of Kogi State governorship election by the electoral commission is enmeshed in controversy. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines the crisis of succession in the Northcentral state.

    The sudden death of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, threw the state into a deep constitutional crisis. It has also raised fundamental questions on the inadequacies of the 1999 Constitution. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that a candidate in an inconclusive election would die. The drafters of the constitution did not envisage the scenario; hence, there was no provision for it. Analysts believe that the crisis can only be resolved by the apex court.

    The development in Kogi has thrown the ruling APC into a deeper mess. The party leadership had to grapple with three major problems:  the claim of Hon. James Falake, the deputy governorship candidate, that he was the right person to replace the late Audu; the refusal of the people of Kogi East Senatorial District to accept the choice of Bello and the refusal of the new candidate and the running mate to work together.

     

    Furore over substitute

     

    Initially, the APC had wanted to go for a fresh primary to pick a substitute for Audu. It was learnt that based on legal advice, the party decided to pick Bello, who was the runner-up at the primary. The party retained Falake as deputy governorship candidate. But, Falake insisted that he is the party’s candidate following the death of his principal, Audu.

    Falake, in a letter dated November 27, written by his lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, and addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, maintained that the nomination of any other candidate to serve as Faleke’s principal would be strange to law and the constitution, warning the party not to toe the path that would be full of legal landmines.

    He had, in a separate letter he personally signed, also rejected the party’s submission of his name as deputy governorship candidate to Bello, saying that he would remain committed to the ticket, which defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He maintained that, in the face of the law and the constitution, he is the candidate of the party. He said: “The issue involved is that of constitutional, formal and legal imperatives, rather than political expediency. In the eyes of the constitution and the law, our client is the governor-elect of Kogi State. There is no gainsaying this fact. It is a truism that cannot be discounted.”

    The letter stated that bringing another candidate to contest election in 91 polling units rather than the deputy governorship candidate is laden with legal land mines. “Falake could not be jettisoned by the party or have a fresh governorship candidate imposed on him as his principal because law does not recognise this type of supplementary election in 91 polling units with a total number of eligible voters with Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) not more than 25,ooo or thereabout. Put bluntly, there cannot be any legitimate governor of Kogi State, who would emerge from supplementary election outside Audu-Falake ticket with a maximum of 25,000 votes, assuming all the registered voters with PVCs cast their votes for the anticipatory supplementary candidate.

    Faleke cited the example of how the former President Goodluck Jonathan became acting President through the doctrine of necessity and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC to subject themselves to the doctrine of constitutional imperative or necessity by allowing him to become the governor-elect.

    However, sources in the APC disclosed that the party resolved that the best option was to pick a candidate from amongst those that participated in the primaries, ahead of the November 21, poll. A source said: “The need for religious balance and the quest to escape the hammer of the courts on the imperative of candidates emerging from primaries informed the decision of the APC to field Bello as the replacement for Audu in the supplementary election held on December 5. Thus, the party settled for Bello so as not to run- foul of the Electoral Act, which stipulates that a candidate for an election must have been properly nominated through primaries”.

    Besides, the party also considered the fact that the second runner-up in the primaries, Mr James Ocholi, who hails from Kogi East as the late Audu has already been sworn-in as a minister. The thinking of the party, according to the source, was that the PDP cannot overturn the lead already established by the APC , and that in any case, whoever replaces Audu would win and be sworn-in early next year.

    It was learnt that the leadership of the APC plans to placate Kogi East Senatorial District through juicy appointments at the federal level to reduce the tension in the area. A party chieftain said: “A number of strategic appointments have been lined up for the people of Kogi East for supporting Bello-Faleke ticket and bringing the APC back to Kogi Government House. The party recognised the fact that the Igala tribe, as the major ethnic group in the state, the East Senatorial District has held on to power for so long and its candidate was at the verge of another victory, but for the sudden death of Audu. The APC will surely do the needful to make the zone happy.”

     

    Can a party substitute its candidate?

     

    The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, said since INEC declared the election inconclusive, the exercise must be concluded and that the APC has the right to substitute its candidate for the purpose of the supplementary election. He said: “The issue is very straightforward. Fundamentally, Section 33 of the Electoral Act is very clear in case of death. The right for a substitution by a political party is sustained by the provisions of Section 33 of the Electoral Act.

    “The APC, as a party, is entitled to substitution by the clear provisions of Section 33 of the Electoral Act. Also, Section 221 of the Constitution is clear that the votes that were cast were cast in favour of APC. Arising from those deductions, it does not require any legal interpretation. The interpretation is clear: APC will substitute, which right has been sustained by Section 33 of the Electoral Act. So be it”, AGF stated.

    A lawyer, Mr Enitan Adegbola, aligned with the AGF’s position. According to him, the current position of the law on substitution or change of candidate is encapsulated in Section 33 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). It provides as follows: “A political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute its candidate whose name has been submitted pursuant to section 32 of this Act except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidate.

    “Also of relevance to the issue of substitution of candidate by the reason of death is Section 36 (1) of the Electoral Act. It states thus: “If after the time for delivery of nomination paper and before the commencement of the poll, a nominated candidate dies, the Chief National Electoral Commissioner or the Residential Electoral Commissioner shall, being satisfied of the fact of the death, countermand the poll in which the deceased candidate was to participate and the Commission shall appoint some other convenient date for the election within 14 days”.

    A lawyer, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), said the APC has the right to substitute its governorship candidate, following the death of Prince Audu or ask Faleke to take over.  The death of Audu cannot nullify the election. It was APC that contested the governorship election, not Audu as an individual.

    “The Supreme Court had settled in the Rotimi Amaechi’s case that votes cast at an election stand to the credit of political parties and not the candidates. Although a party cannot participate in an election without sponsoring a qualified and living candidate, the votes cast in favour of party cannot be invalidated merely because the candidate of the party has died as there is provision for substitution of the deceased candidate,” he stated.

     

    Supplementary poll

     

    Both Faleke and Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have tried to stop the supplementary election from holding, but a Federal High Court in Abuja struck out their suits, saying they lacked jurisdiction as the matter could only be resolved by the Election Petition Tribunal.

    The declaration of Bello as governor-elect by INEC after the supplementary poll has deepened the crisis within the APC. Falake has distanced himself from the APC ticket and refused to be part of the victory. He said he would not be available for swearing-in with Bello on January 27, 2016. “I will not disappoint Prince Abubakar Audu. Nobody consulted me before making me a deputy to Bello. He, too, did not consult me. I have made my position known to the party leadership. I am not ready to betray and disappoint Prince Audu,” he reiterated.

    On Faleke’s claim that he was not a running mate to Bello, the INEC Director of Publicity, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, said at no time did he (Faleke) withdraw from the race. Osaze-Uzzi said it would have amounted to a legal absurdity for the APC to have made Faleke its candidate and ask him nominate a new running mate. Such a development, he said, would have thrown up fresh legal challenges.

    “We got a letter from Faleke saying he is the governor-elect. At no time did he withdraw his name either. In any case, we never relate with individuals. We only deal with candidates through their parties. Even so, his withdrawal would have been correct if it was done within the time frame of 45 days before the election and if his party has forwarded his withdrawal letter to the Commission. When he was nominated as deputy governorship candidate, it was his party that forwarded his resume, affidavit and other details to INEC and not Faleke himself.”

     

    Court as final arbiter

     

    With the controversy trailing the declaration of Bello as governor-elect and considering the divergent positions canvassed by lawyers, it appears the Kogi imbroglio will be resolved by the court. Both Faleke and Wada are set for a legal battle with the governor-elect.

    The PDP has declared its candidate, Wada, as the winner of the election. The party argued that its standard bearer at the polls on November 21 and December 5 scored 201, 877 votes against the APC Bello’s 6’885 votes at the supplementary election. The PDP insists that Wada had more votes than Bello and therefore should be returned by INEC.

    A lawyer, Mr Wahab Shittu, said the death of Prince Audu had set in a constitutional crisis which can only be resolved by the Supreme Court.  According to him, the AGF ought to have sought the intervention of the Supreme Court to resolve the issue before the supplementary poll.

    According to Shittu, Section 295(3) of the Constitution provides: “Where any question as to the interpretation or application of this Constitution arises in any proceedings in the Court of Appeal and the Court is of the opinion that the question involves a substantial question of law, the court may, and shall, if any party to proceeding so requests, refer the question to the Supreme Court which shall give its decision upon the question and give such directions to the Court of Appeal as it deems appropriate”.

  • INEC: we’re confident of a fair poll

    INEC: we’re confident of a fair poll

    •’14,000 policemen  ‘ll be deployed’ 

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, said yesterday that they were ready for Saturday’s election.

    They were in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, to meet stakeholders and address issues concerning the poll.

    Yakubu and Arase stopped at the police command and later headed for a stakeholders’ meeting at Otiotio, involving parties vying for the election.

    Addressing reporters, the INEC boss said everything was set for the poll.

    He urged voters to perform their civic duties.

    Yakubu said INEC had released about 52,000 permanent voter cards (PVCs), generated from the last continuous voter registration, to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), for distribution to owners.

    He said he was in the state to address stakeholders and assure them of INEC’s readiness for a free, fair and credible election.

    Yakubu dismissed allegation of federal might, saying the electoral umpire would provide a level-playing field for parties.

    His words: “INEC is prepared. We have come to speak with stakeholders. On November 10, the parties and their candidates signed a peace accord. I’m happy that they are abiding by the terms.

    “We reassure Bayelsans that the election will be free and fair. They should come out on Saturday and vote. The poll will be free and fair.

    “The election is in two dimensions- the responsibilities INEC will discharge and the police responsibilities. This is why we have come with the chief security officer of the country, the IGP, to assure Bayelsans that we will create an enabling environment for a free, fair and credible election.

    “The 52,000 PVCs from the continuous voter registration have been transferred. They have arrived Bayelsa and we handed them over to the REC this morning. We will find the most effective means of distributing them.

    “No Bayelsan will be disenfranchised. The PVCS will be distributed before Saturday. No matter where the electorate live, whether they stay at the coastline or in inland areas, irrespective of their peculiarities, everybody will have equal access to the ballot box.”

    Yakubu said card readers would be used for the election, adding that they had been configured, tested and charged.

    Said he: “The card readers have passed the tests. They have been configured, tested and charged. We have backups. Accreditation of voters will be done on the basis of the card readers.

    “No card reader, no voting. Where the card reader fails to pick the biometrics, there will be the incident forms. But INEC officials must be satisfied that there is a facial identification. Then the incident forms will be filled. We are confident of a credible election on Saturday.”

    Arase said the police were ready to ensure a violent-free poll, noting that they remained apolitical.

    He said: “We are ready. We did a similar thing two weeks ago in Kogi State. We are prepared to replicate it in Bayelsa. We will deploy 14,000 officers and men in the eight local governments.

    “We will dominate the security space. There will be aerial surveillance. We will police the waterways. A deputy inspector-general is supposed to supervise the elections with three commissioners.

    “It will be impossible for politicians to bring in fake policemen because we have a unique identity for the policemen we will deploy. So, anybody who has invested in getting uniforms, has done a bad investment.”

    “The police are apolitical. We are not a political party. Our job is to guarantee security, to allow people vote.

    “I came with the INEC chairman to have a stakeholders’ interaction, to reassure them that we are prepared to conduct a free and fair election. I also want to address my men and tell them what I expect from them as law enforcement officers.”

    Addressing his men at the command, IGP advised them to be of good conduct and shun inducements.

    He said any policeman caught compromising standards would be punished.