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Tag: poll

  • APC faults Ondo SIEC on council poll

    APC faults Ondo SIEC on council poll

    he All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has described the just-concluded local government election as a fraud perpetrated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The Chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, said if forensic investigation is conducted on the ballot papers used, it will reveal they were thumbprinted by just a few people.

    Speaking during the reception for PDP members who joined the APC, Kekemeke said the figure of over 600,000 released by the State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) as the total number of voters in an election reported as having widespread voters apathy is far from being credible.

    He wondered why the PDP decided to rig an election in which it was the only contesting party.

    The chairman said in the last governorship election with large voters turnout, the total number of votes amassed by the then leading Labour Party(LP)under which Governor Olusegun Mimiko contested was a little above 200,000 votes.

    He said the combined votes of the LP, the PDP and that of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was just 400,000.

    Kekemeke wondered how the PDP-led government came about 600,000 in an election with very low turn-out of voters.

    The APC chairman said: “The polling unit where Mimiko was reported to have voted had only 21 voters, and this number of voters multiplied by the total polling units across the state would give you about 45,000 votes. How do you explain the difference?”

    “What we have now in Ondo State is a union of people who can no longer endure the pain and hardship caused by this PDP government.

    “Today is a manifestation of the willingness of Ondo  people to change the PDP.

    “I want to assure members that there shall be no imposition of candidate.”

    He cautioned some party members, who are abusing party aspirants on social media to desist.

  • NGO petitions NJC on Anambra Central senatorial poll

    •Judge’s verdict faulted 

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Campaign for Judicial Integrity (CJI), has petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) on a ruling by Justice Anwuli Chikere in a suit involving some chieftains of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

    A former APGA Chairman Victor Umeh and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi were locked in a legal battle over Anambra Central senatorial election.

    The judge allegedly ruled that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) be represented in the election.

    The NGO demanded the NJC to investigate Justice Chikere to restore public confidence in the Judiciary.

    In the petition, dated May 1, and addressed to the NJC Chairman, Mr Justice Mahmud Mohammed, who is Nigeria’s Chief Justice (CJN), CJI described as worrisome Justice Chikere’s order to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 1 that the PDP be included in the election, which was scheduled to hold on March 5, even after its candidate in the original election, Mrs Uche Ekwunife, “had been disqualified and she had left the party”.

    The ruling allegedly disrupted the election, which was meant to find a successor to Mrs Ekwunife who, last December 7, was ordered by the Court of Appeal to vacate her Senate seat as the representative of Anambra Central on the platform of the PDP.

    The court order was said to be based on the admission that she did not participate in the party’s primary leading to the emergence of its candidate in last year’s general election.

    Mrs Ekwunife was to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) last January 8 and unsuccessfully sought its ticket to enable her to return to the Senate.

    In the petition to the NJC by Uzor Isichei, a Lagos lawyer, CJI argued that it was wrong for the Justice to insist on PDP’s participation in the rerun because the law forbids any party from presenting a fresh candidate unless its candidate in the original election is dead.

    The NGO cited legal provisions as well as pronouncements by the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal over the years to buttress its argument.

    It regretted that Justice Chikere ignored Supreme Court’s decision in a 2009 case between the Labour Party (LP) and INEC and the Court of Appeal ruling in a matter between Tunde Isiaq and Okanlawon Soniyi, where the Appellate Court said: “Where there is a nullification of an election based on qualifications, all candidates who participated in the general election, excluding the candidate judged not qualified, can participate in the rerun.”

    CJI also wondered why Justice Chikere’s Federal High Court in Abuja entertained the case for the inclusion of the PDP in the rerun when the matter could have been handled by the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State or any other state in the Southeast, even though it said it recogniaed that all “Federal High Courts are treated as one in Nigeria”.

  • Poll orderliness excites minister

    The Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Minister, Malam Muahammad Bello has praised residents of the FCT for the peaceful manner they conducted themselves during the FCT Area Councils’ election.

    It was just as well that such warm words were coming from  the authorities, for observers believe they will go a long way in encouraging civility and good conduct in a country which often has violent polls.

    Casting ballots in the country has been anything but peaceful in several elections. Guns and other weapons have been deployed by people believed to be hired by desperate politicians.

    The minister monitored the election at the Gwarinpa I District (Life-Camp), Kubwa satellite town and Jiwa Polling Stations.

    He lauded the residents for the mature way they queued up to observe their civic responsibility.

    According to a statement issued by Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the minister urged them to keep the peace as they await the outcome of the exercise.

    The minister said that FCT residents have shown that they are responsible torch-bearers.

    The minister was not happy with the residents; he was excited by the way the security agents ensure peace during the exercise.

    Bello described their action as proactive and professional.

    It was noted that the security agents did not get in the way of the voters nor obstruct the candidates, neither were there any reports of their interference with INEC staff.

  • Poll orderliness excites minister

    The Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Minister, Malam Muahammad Bello has praised residents of the FCT for the peaceful manner they conducted themselves during the FCT Area Councils’ election.

    It was just as well that such warm words were coming from  the authorities, for observers believe they will go a long way in encouraging civility and good conduct in a country which often has violent polls.

    Casting ballots in the country has been anything but peaceful in several elections. Guns and other weapons have been deployed by people believed to be hired by desperate politicians.

    The minister monitored the election at the Gwarinpa I District (Life-Camp), Kubwa satellite town and Jiwa Polling Stations.

    He lauded the residents for the mature way they queued up to observe their civic responsibility.

    According to a statement issued by Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the minister urged them to keep the peace as they await the outcome of the exercise.

    The minister said that FCT residents have shown that they are responsible torch-bearers.

    The minister was not happy with the residents; he was excited by the way the security agents ensure peace during the exercise.

    Bello described their action as proactive and professional.

    It was noted that the security agents did not get in the way of the voters nor obstruct the candidates, neither were there any reports of their interference with INEC staff.

  • NASS Legislative Aides vow to disobey Clerk over poll 

    NASS Legislative Aides vow to disobey Clerk over poll 

    National Assembly Legislative Aides may clash with the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisi Maikasuwa over the move by the aides to elective new executive officers.

    The aides, under the aegis of National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum, Wednesday disowned a caretaker committee inaugurated by Maikashuwa, to midwife an electoral process for the election of new officers.

    The Clerk to the National Assembly, had in collaboration with some members of the National Assembly bureaucracy appointed a seven – member caretaker committee led by the younger brother of the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial zone, Mr. Samuel Melaye.

    Six other members each of the six geo – political zones in the country were picked by the Clerk to organise a credible poll within three months.

    However, some members of the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum at a press conference in Abuja Wednesday announced the inauguration of an electoral body to organise the election for the emergence of new officers of the group.

    Chairman of the NASSLAF Electoral Committee, Mr. Ishaya Nantur-Vangjen, told reporters that the caretaker committee set up by the Clerk was not known to the constitution of the group.

    He said that members of the forum were not aware of the members of the caretaker committee constituted by the Clerk.

    Nantur-Vengjen noted that each of the 12-member electoral committee selected by NASSLAF from the six geo – political zones, would organise a credible poll for the group.

    He noted the constitution of the group stipulates that the CNA shall direct the conduct of election of the central working committee and the executive within six months of the inauguration of a new legislature.

    According to him, where the clerk fails to call for election, 250 duly appointed members, stating their file numbers, shall summon a congress to initiate the process of election and communicate decision to the CNA.

    Nantur-Vangjen, who said the group had satisfied necessary constitution requirements to conduct the election, stated that the election process would start on 14th April (today) and terminate on Tuesday 3rd, May, 2016.

    Melaye had in a statement, told members of NASSLAF to await his caretaker committee’s election timetable.

    He also assured to conduct a credible poll to usher in new officers of the group.

    He said, “For the clearance of doubt, the Clerk of National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikashuwa, had on March 23 appointed my caretaker committee to run the affairs of the group for three months to create enabling environment to organise election for substantive executive.

    “This caretaker committee was set up to avoid any form of vacuum created by the inauguration of current National Assembly which marked the end of previous NASSLAF Executive led by now Honourable member of House of Representatives, Hon. Mahmud Abdulkadir.

    “The inauguration conducted by the Clerk of National Assembly took place within the National Assembly premises, in the presence of all the representatives of various security agencies in the National Assembly.

    “We wish to use this medium to urge bonafide members of NASSLAF and general public to ignore the fictitious story meant to cause friction amongst members and portray NASSLAF in bad light.

    “In the midst of expressing our electoral rights, we should not forget part of our vision in NASSLAF, which is to protect collective interest of National Assembly Legislative Aides and serve our bosses diligently.”

     

  • Kogi poll: Tribunal defers verdict in Faleke’s suit

    Kogi poll: Tribunal defers verdict in Faleke’s suit

    The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has reserved judgment in a suit by James Faleke, the petitioner in the disputed Kogi State governorship election, against the declaration of Yahaya Bello as governor.

    The tribunal Chairman, Justice Halima Muhammad, at a sitting in Abuja, over the weekend, said the date would be communicated to parties.

    Bello was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following last December 5 supplementary election.

    Counsel to Faleke at the sitting Wole Olanipekun (SAN) asserted that INEC plotted a coup against the constitution by declaring Bello governor.

    He told the tribunal that his client was the rightful person for the governorship seat.

    “What INEC did in Kogi State on November 22, 2015, by substituting a stranger (Bello) for a substantive candidate (Faleke) in an election already concluded is a coup against the Constitution.”

    The senior lawyer cited sections 179(2) and 181(1) of the constitution to buttress his submission that for INEC to declare the election inconclusive was a coup against the constitution.

    Olanipekun said: “Section179 ( 2a & b ) states that ‘a candidate for an election to the Office of Governor of a state shall be deemed to have been duly elected, where there being two or more candidates(a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and ( b ) he has not less than one quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two thirds of all the local government  areas of the states, while section 181(1) states that ‘if a person duly elected as governor dies before taking and subscribing to the oath of allegiance and oath of office, or is unable for any reason whatsoever to be sworn in, the person elected with him as deputy governor shall be sworn in as governor and he shall nominate a new deputy governor, who shall be appointed by the governor with the approval of a simple majority of the House of Assembly of the state”.

    Olanipekun emphasised the supremacy of the constitution, saying: “My Lord, the spirit and letters of the constitution is self executory and like the rock of Gibraltar that cannot be moved. Indeed no single word in the constitution is a waste. So, INEC has no discretion with regards to sections 179 and 181 at all”.

    On whether the petitioner, Faleke has a locus standi to approach the tribunal, he submitted that the petitioner indeed was a candidate who has the locus in view of Section 187 of the constitution.

    He referred to the case of CPC vs INEC where the then President Umaru Yar’Adua and his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, were sued, adding that if Jonathan as vice president was not a candidate, he would not have been joined in the suit.

    He urged the tribunal to discountenance the argument of the respondents that votes in an election belonged to political parties and not candidates.

    Citing a Supreme Court ruling, the senior lawyer said: “Parties only sponsor candidates but candidates stand for elections.  The law has moved from the era of Amaechi (former Rivers State governor). We are now in a new testament”, he stated.

    He said: “I urged this tribunal to forget about the grammar being spoken by these respondents and face the fact that this petition has not been resisted by the 1st and 2nd respondents, INEC and Bello.

    “The petitioner has a locus standi.

    “I agree that this kind of issue has never happened before, but this is a coup set up by the 1st respondent.

    “This is also the first time in the history of democracy where someone will contest without a running mate.”

    The petitioner’s counsel also told the tribunal that the 2nd respondent, Bello, was not a registered voter in the state, which he said was against the  constitution.

    Alex Izinyon (SAN), counsel to INEC, urged the tribunal to dismiss Faleke’s petition for lacking in merit.

    According to Izinyon, the case of INEC was straightforward and that Section 33 of the Electoral Act brought in the 2nd respondent as governor by circumstances.

    He said one of the substances of the petitioner, which bothers on qualification, “does not even have any meaning when you look at the merit of the matter.

    “The petitioner doesn’t have the right to hinge on qualification being a member of the same party with the 2nd respondent; if an outsider is not saying this, why should he who happened to be in the same party with the respondent say it?

    “The other side where the petitioner said the 2nd respondent does not have deputy does not also make meaning.”

    Joseph Daudu (SAN), Bello’s counsel, told the tribunal that he was surprised that the party was not joined as co-respondent in the suit by the petitioner.

    Daudu told the tribunal that the votes cast during the November 21 election did not belong to the candidate, but to the party.

    He added: “This case is not in any jurisprudence of the Electoral Act because it is happening for the first time where the first runner died before the conclusion of the election.

    “This tribunal will be making history in given direction to the lacuna that has never happened before.

    “Section 188 cited by the petitioner would have come in place if the election has been declared in the first instance. Therefore, we urged the lordship to dismiss this petition for lacking in merit.”

     

  • ‘Ekiti poll fraud must not stand’

    ‘Ekiti poll fraud must not stand’

    An interest group, Ekiti Redemption Group (ERG), has called on the judiciary to revisit the April 14, 2015 judgment, which validated the election of Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose.

    It called on the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police to arrest all those indicted in the manipulation of the election, which it described as “heinous crime against Ekiti people”.

    Speaking yesterday, ERG National Coordinator Morakinyo Ogele called on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to ensure the prosecution of the civilians named in what is now described as “Ekitigate”.

    He contended that the military has led the way in sanctioning its officers and men, who colluded with civilians to rig the election, saying the onus now lies with the aggrieved party (APC) to re-present its case in the nation’s highest court, the Supreme Court, in the light of new evidences.

    Ogele said the new facts of alleged fraud in the June 21, 2014 governorship poll had not come to light at the time the Supreme Court upheld Fayose’s return in the suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The ERG chief praised the former Commissioner for Works and Transportation, Kayode Oso, for resigning from the Fayose administration “instead of framing up the DSS and attacking the integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari”.

  • FCT polls: low turn out in Kubwa

    FCT polls: low turn out in Kubwa

    Kubwa, a suburb in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under the Bwari Area Council witnessed low turn out of voters for the Council election held on Saturday.m

    Most of the polling units, like the Kubwa village primary school that normally has crowd of voters recorded low turn out as only few people came to vote.

    Some of the old polling units around Kubwa had few voters, while newly setup units like the one at the Water Board junction in Byazhin had no voters.

    The Corps member who is also the presiding officer of the unit attributed the lack of voters to the fact that the unit is new.

    “People are probably not aware of this unit even though my supervisor said that he will direct voters to us, we are still waiting.”

    The polling unit at the Byazhin junction equally had very few voters, so were the different polling units inside the Byazhin primary school.

    A residents of Kubwa, Ola Adeniyi explained that most people are finding it difficult to go out and vote due to the fuel scarcity. “I have packed to Byazhin but I registered in Chikakuri which is after Byazhin across, nobody is giving me transport fare or fuel, so how do you expect me to vote.”

    When asked why he was not voting, another resident of Kubwa John David claimed not to know the aspirants. “I don’t know who the aspirants are, I voted during the Presidential election and I can’t imagine stressing myself this time around.”

    Even though the Police had warned residents of no movement and some major roads were blocked with tyre and planks, residents could still be seen moving around in numbers, with commercial motorcyclists going about their business freely security officials looked on quietly as a few petty traders displayed their wares, while some shops in the Kubwa village were opened discreetly to customers.

  • Why APC is boycotting poll, by Ilori

    Why APC is boycotting poll, by Ilori

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon Bola Ilori, has explained why the party will not participate in the council election.

    He said there is a case in the Supreme Court that has not been resolved.

    Besides, the APC chieftain noted that Governor Olusegun Mimiko set up a committee on the creation of new local governments, which has not submitted its report.

    Ilori said: “We are ready for the local government election with quality candidates. We however, are not ready to legitimise the planned local government selection by the Mimiko government when we know it’s an effort in futility with the pendency of Ondo State Local Government administration matters with the Supreme Court.”

    “Why all these waste in Ondo State that is owing the highest number of months in outstanding salaries in South West Nigeria?

    “How does a government that announced the commencement of the process of creating new Local Government Areas with fun-fair now suddenly go mute after dissipating millions of naira on the process only to turn round to be touting election into the existing councils, this is a fraud? One wonders if he plans to dissolve the elected Councils after creating his new local government within the few months left in his administration. We don’t suffer such amnesia, our party will stand up to him on this” Ilori said.

    The former Special Adviser to Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Enviroment and Sanitation Matters said government resources were being expended without any visible human development.

  • Governorship poll a priority, says ex-lawmaker

    Governorship poll a priority, says ex-lawmaker

    All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Princess Omowumi Olatunji has said the people of Ondo State are warming up for the governorship election, adding that the carrot of council poll dangled at them by Governor Olusegun Mimiko is a distraction.

    She faulted the decision to conduct the local government elections by the Mimiko administration, which she said, had rejected the agitation for the exercise in the last seven years.

    Olatunji, a former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, said that it is curious that the governor who had refused to conduct the elections has suddenly turned around to release its timetable at a time people are preparing for the governorship poll.

    Describing the council election as a trap and distraction, she said many stakeholders are of the view that the poll should be conducted by the next administration.

    Olatunji said: “The state is ready for the governorship election. It is going to be an election with a difference. The people of Ondo State are yearning for change. The APC is now their party of choice. We need to probe for the motivation for planning for the local government elections by the same government that has refused to hold it in the past seven years. The priority of the stakeholders now is the governorship election.”

    The politician, who spoke with reporters in Akure, the state capital, on her empowerment programme for women and youths, applauded the opposition political parties for their decision to boycott the council polls. She said the boycott will herald a credibility problem for the local electoral process.

    Olatunji, who chided the government for its inability to pay salaries of workers regularly, urged the people to endure the hardship, assuring that help is on the way.

    She added: “I think everything is set for the APC and we have to leverage on the inability of the current government to discharge its duties. I won’t lie to you. People are not happy with the Mimko administration. I think it has really lost its popularity. Many things have gone wrong. So, you cannot repair a broken wall overnight.

    “The Buhari administration just got into office less than a year. We are not going to expect so much. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. So, for any administration that is still flowing from the PDP, it will be rejected. They do not have the interest of people at heart.

    Olatunji reflected on the succession struggle in the Sunshine state, saying that the large number of aspirants on the platform of the APC will not constitute any problem for the main opposition party. She said: “ I believe the leadership is looking into that and at the end of the day, the number would be pruned down. So, I see that number reducing before the primary. We cannot have that large number; it doesn’t make sense, it does add up to have 25 people going for the shadow poll. I think the party is looking towards that direction to prune down the number of aspirants.”

    Exuding confidence over the proposed governorship poll, the former lawmaker said the gale of defections from the PDP to the APC have attested to the public disillusionment about the Mimiko’s government.

    She said if voted at the poll, the next APC governor will advance the cause of change and progress and restore the lost glory of Ondo State.

    Olatunji stressed: “The APC is a government that believes in accountability and that is what we are saying and in whatever we are doing, we are very consistent; we believe in continuity. Anything that we do, we sustain it and that is what we are selling-consistency in governance. We don’t believe in duplication and wasting money. Anything that we are doing and is affecting people positively, we sustain it. Also, in what we do, transparency is important. You must be seen not to only say you are transparent. You must be seen to be transparent.”

    On the empowerment programme set up in memory of her mother, she said:  With the empowerment that I have introduced, it is going to capture a large number of people. On individual basis, I have been doing that, paying school fees for people and all that. It is what I am used to. You get to hear this family has problem, that one is sick in the hospital. I do that periodically; sometimes on a weekly basis, on a daily basis. So, I touch their lives. But, I want to look at a larger percentage of the people of Ondo State. That is why I am sponsoring an empowerment programme that will cut across the entire state to touch a thousand people-youths, women, old people, widows, orphans.