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Tag: polls

  • Polls: Beware of unofficial results

    Lawyers have called for caution, following the demand by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should declare results obtained from polling units and return its presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar as winner. They said INEC should be allowed to do its job, adding that those not pleased with the outcome should approach the tribunals rather than overheat the polity, JOSEPH JIBUEZE and ROBERT EGBE report.

    Lawyers have urged politicians not to heat up the polity and stoke violence by announcing unofficial parallel results.

    According to them, rather than discredit the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is empowered to collate and announce election results, dissatisfied losers should approach tribunals for redress.

    Before the Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Federal Government had accused the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) of setting the stage for a dispute following the party’s plan to collate results of the presidential election.

    The opposition party said it put in place a Parallel Voting Tabulation (PVT) system to collate results, and that it was deploying 40 million of its members for the job.

    The PDP’s campaign spokesman and chairman of its Strategy Committee, Osita Chidoka, described  PVT as a “scientifically proven and best-practice technique” designed to keep umpires on their toes.

    But, Information, Culture & Tourism Minister Lai Mohammed said the PDP was planning to create chaos by creating a parallel electoral umpire.

    The PDP’s plan was described as a flashback to the June 14, last year governorship election in Ekiti State.

    Former Governor Ayodele Fayose was announcing results from the Government House on the state-owned television and radio stations. He claimed to be relying on results collated by PDP agents from the polling units.

    The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) shut down the stations and penalised them. They were re-opened after paying fines.

    Mohammed said: “The PDP said clearly that PVT is a tool that will determine whether or not it accepts the results of the elections. Now, this is anarchy.

    “What is not standard is to set up a pseudo electoral commission and imbue it with the power to collate and announce results. That’s precisely what the PDP is doing under the guise of PVT. And this is totally unacceptable,” Mohammed said.

    On Sunday, the PDP urged INEC to declare its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, winner of the presidential election.

    The party expressed the view that its candidate has won the election, and that INEC was only delaying the announcement to enable it falsify figures in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “The PDP charges INEC to immediately announce results as delivered from the polling units and declare the people’s candidate, Atiku, the winner of the February 23 presidential election,” the party said.

    PDP said intelligence available to it was that INEC was delaying the announcement of results following directives by the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency and the APC, which PDP said were bent on altering the figures from the polling centres and allocate fictitious figures for President Buhari.

    Warning the INEC chairman not to change the results of the presidential elections, PDP said: “The PDP calls on INEC Chairman, Prof. (Mahmood) Yakubu to note that in this age of Information Communication Technology, Nigerians already have the results as delivered at the polling centers and any attempt to alter any figure will be faced with vehement resistance.”

    But, the APC said PDP’s call on INEC was an unwarranted attack on democracy and Nigerians.

    Its National Publicity Secretary Lanre Issa-Onilu said: “This call is shameful and alarming; unwilling to wait for INEC, the constituted legal authority to complete its task, the PDP seeks a short cut by false and premature claims of victory. This cannot stand. Our nation is trying to perfect its democracy, not turn it into a mockery; sadly, this objective is lost to the PDP.”

    The APC Presidential Campaign Council called for the immediate arrest of a PDP chief, Alhaji Buba Galadima, over alleged plan to release fake presidential results.

    Its spokesperson Festus Keyamo, (SAN) said the PDP had become devastated by the authentic results filtering out of polling units nationwide and plans to release fake results.

    “Our information is that they aim to create confusion that will lead to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar claiming victory in a day or two from today ahead of the official announcement of the results by INEC.

    “Then, what would follow will be some carefully choreographed protests by pockets of hoodlums in some parts of the country. The ultimate aim is to curry the sympathy of our foreign friends and push us to the Venezuela situation.”

    Beware of fake results, warns INEC

    INEC has warned the public against results not announced by the commission. It tweeted through its handle @inecnigeria: “Kindly disregard any ‘result’ you see on social media platforms. INEC is the only constitutional body empowered to declare the outcome of the #NigeriaDecides2019 election results. Please be guided.”

    As acknowledged by INEC, collation and declaration of results are critical stages in the election process. Failure to complete the collation and transmission of results in a quick, transparent and accurate manner can jeopardise public confidence and the credibility of the elections and will most likely affect whether candidates and political parties accept the final results.

    There are situations when the integrity of a well-run electoral process is severely compromised because of problems experienced during collation and declaration of results. Collation and declaration of results, according to INEC, are therefore, critical moments that require proper care and attention.

    Collation is the tabulation or summation of votes cast at an election, while declaration is the final step in the elections – the official announcement of election results by the electoral administrators and is a mandatory legal requirement of the electoral process.

    To safeguard integrity, the results must accurately reflect the total votes, taking into account decisions on disputed ballots.

    Levels of collation

    There are various levels of collation. Results are collated at the following levels depending on the type of election.

    For the presidential election, the Presiding Officers send results of poll to the Registration Area (RA)/Ward Collation Officer. RA/Ward CO collates results and sends to Local Government Area Collation Officer. The LGA Collation Officer collates results and sends to state Collation Officer.

    The state Collation Officer collates results and sends to the Chief Electoral Commissioner (Chairman INEC). The Chief Electoral Commissioner (Chief Returning Officer) collates results from the state Collation  Officers, declares the result and returns the winner as President-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    The Presiding Officers/Collation Officers at the various levels complete the result sheet and request the party agents available to countersign. Duplicate copy of the result is made available to each one while the original is taken to the next level of collation.

    The Presiding Officers/Collation Officers at each level completes the notice of results of poll and pastes at the Polling Unit or Collation Centre.

    Where the margin of win between the two leading candidates is not in excess of the total number of registered voters of the Polling Unit(s) where the election was cancelled or not held, the Returning Officer shall decline to make a return until another poll has taken place in the affected Polling Unit(s) and the results incorporated into the existing one.

    Legal issues in declaration of election result

    Candidates for elections into State Houses of Assembly and National Assembly emerge winners by simple majority votes.

    A candidate for a contested election to the office of Governor shall be declared winner if he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the LGAs in the state.

    A candidate for election into the office of President shall be declared winner if he or she has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and not less than one-quarter of votes cast at the election in each of, at least, two-thirds of all states and the FCT, Abuja.

    Where two or more candidates score an equal number of votes being the highest in an election, the Returning Officer shall not return any of the candidates and a fresh election shall be held for the candidates on a date to be appointed by the Commission (Section 69 of Electoral Act 2010 as amended).

    Where no candidate gets the required spread, the Commission shall within seven days of the result of the election arrange for another election between the candidate, who scored the highest number of votes at the election and one among the remaining candidates, who has a majority of votes in the highest number of states.

    Where there is more than one candidate with a majority of votes in the highest number of states, the candidate with the highest total of votes cast at the election shall be the second candidate for the election.

    A candidate shall be deemed to have been duly elected to the office of president if he has a majority of the votes cast at the election, in line with Section 133 (3) (4) of the 1999 Constitution.

    Who makes the declarations?

    Results are declared at various stages depending on the type of election. For councillorship election, they are declared at the RA/Ward Collation Centre. For chairmanship election, they are declared at the LGA collation centre.

    The rest are House of Assembly (state constituency collation election centre); House of Representative (Federal Constituency collation election centre); Senatorial election (Senatorial district collation centre); governorship election (state collation centre) and presidential elections (presidential collation centre).

    The functions of INEC as contained in Section 15, Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) and Section 2 of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended) include organising elections and declaring their winners.

    The constitution empowers INEC to “organise, undertake and supervise all elections to the offices of the President and Vice-President, the governor and deputy-governor of a state, and to the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each state of the federation.”

    Section 27 of the Electoral Act empowers the presiding officer (polling unit), ward collation officer (ward collation centre), LGA or Area Council Officer, state collation officer and the returning officer announce election results.

    Sub-section (h) says: “The Chief Electoral Commissioner shall be the Returning Officer at the Presidential election.”

    Lawyers urge caution

    Senior lawyers have urged political actors to allow INEC do its work and follow constitutional provisions in venting their grievances.

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Emeka Ngige, called for patience to allow INEC conclude with the process.

    He said: “The Electoral Act and the INEC Manual for the conduct of elections provide for polling unit results alongside ward, local government and constituency results.

    “None of them can be isolated in the process of result collation. They act as checks and balances to prevent cheating or alteration of results by the players.

    “So, my advice is that they should patiently go through the process. The polling unit results alone cannot be used to declare results.”

    Former Nigerian Law School Deputy Director-General, Prof Ernest Ojukwu, said INEC deserves Nigerians’ support.

    “INEC has decided how they it would announce results. We should all be patient and give INEC support,” he said.

    Another SAN, Ahmed Raji, said the law should be complied with at all times. He wondered if it would be in line with the Electoral Act and guidelines to announce results as announced at polling units as demanded by PDP. “I doubt it, hence there is need to ascertain the true position of the two key instruments (Electoral Act) and Guidelines,” he said.

    Lagos lawyer Emeka Okpoko (SAN) said any party is entitled to demand that INEC should announce winners of an election but it must do so the right way.

    He noted that what the PDP or any party cannot do, is to demand that INEC should announce its own candidate, because there is a likelihood that the candidate may not be the genuine winner.

    He advised any aggrieved party to challenge the results at the Elections Petitions Tribunal.

    Okpoko said: “INEC is the only authority under the Electoral Act to announce results of elections. But what it announces must flow from exactly the results that have been sent in from each polling unit.

    “INEC is a statutory body, anyone is entitled to ask that it performs its duty and announce the result – that is what it is set up to do – unless the PDP went about it the wrong way. That would be a different ball game entirely.

    “Also, the PDP cannot say INEC should declare its own candidate, because INEC can only declare who the winner is from the totality of the results it has. You cannot ask that your candidate be declared; what if at the end of the day it is not your candidate that wins?

    “INEC’s responsibility is to declare the winner, unless the PDP is saying it has details already from all the polling units nationwide to come to the conclusion that their candidate is the winner.

    “In this circumstance, if it has such details, and anything is done contrary to the results it has, which indeed should reflect on the various result sheets made manifest in Form EC8A, if what it has is in conformity with EC8A, and what ultimately turns out to be the result is contrary to that, then that becomes an issue for the Elections Petitions Tribunal.

    “That is the basis upon which it can go to the Tribunal to challenge the outcome of the result.”

    A civil society group, the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) Africa, which deployed the parallel voter tabulation (PVT), said INEC had the ultimate responsibility of announcing election results.

    It warned about the threats of violence, hate speech and misinformation, saying they portend great danger to peace and national security.

    “Electoral stakeholders, especially candidates and political party leaders should refrain from heating up the polity as Nigeria is on a fringe of a potential electoral conflict if caution is not exercised,” it said.

  • Polls: Drama and surprises

    Last weekend’s presidential and National Assembly elections were full of drama and surprises. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on the lessons of the exercise.

    Political parties and candidates are counting their blessings and losses after the presidential and National Assembly polls. Mighty men of power are falling in some states. Also, flag bearers who were dismissed as paper-weight contestants are smiling home with the crowns.

    There is anxiety. Collation of results is still on across the federation. The two leading parties-All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic party (PDP)-are in suspense. Their leaders are monitoring the situation. Although results are being brandished in the social media, the authentic result will be announced by the umpire. The country is big. It may take some time.

    Many political big wigs could not deliver their polling units to their parties. This is gleaned from results by Presiding Officers at the units. They lost to the opposition.

    Although the poll was postponed till last weekend, there was no apathy during the rescheduled exercise. Nigerians trooped out to cast their votes without fear and inhibitions.

    According to observers, the polls were peaceful in many states. But, there were pockets of disruptions and violence in some areas; Okota in Lagos, Oriade Council in Osun, Anambra, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Kogi, Oyo and Zamfara states. No fewer than 20 people lost their lives. The violence had nothing to do with the conduct of the polls by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Kogi State police spokesman Willia Aya confirmed that three persons were killed in the state; two in Ayingba/Odolu axis; and a police orderly in Okene.

    To minimise thuggery and violence, security agents should always rise to the occasion. Many believe that prosecution and conviction of offenders will deter others from taking to electoral crime.

    According to INEC, elections were postponed in some areas in Rivers, Anambra, Lagos, and Zamfara where the exercise was disrupted. Yesterday, at a media briefing, INEC boss Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, clarified that the commission has not cancelled polls in any part of the country.

    Accreditation and voting took place simultaneously across the polling units, resulting into a speedy exercise. In some areas, there were some avoidable lapses-polling officers reported late for electoral duty, there was shortage of ballot papers, and late commencement of the exercise.

    To observers, this is worrisome in a country that has been holding elections since 1999. All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who noted some of these anomalies, said Nigeria will overcome them through persistence, tolerance and consistent reforms.

    Preliminary poll results showed some variations in the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly polls. Where many people voted for a particular presidential candidate in a polling unit, they made different choices while voting for senatorial and House of Representatives candidates. This may be related to the growth of political consciousness among Nigerians.

    Ahead of the elections, President Muhamadu Buhari urged Nigerians to vote for candidates of their choice. He also warned against ballot snatching, saying that perpetrators will pay dearly with their lives. There was uproar in some quarters as the admonition was misinterpreted as ‘shoot at sight.’ Despite the warning, ballot snatching was recorded in some states. There is no report of brutality by security agents. They were also not partial towards any political party.  At a press conference last Friday, Police Inspector-General Muhammed Adamu said thuggery and violence will attract consequences. Yet, unpatriotic elements dared the police as they perpetuated their nefarious activities on poll day.

    When the results finally come, will they influence the outcome of the rescheduled governorship and House of Assembly polls? The elections will take place on March 9.

    Two issues have been thrown up by the elections. The first is the desirability of electronic voting, which will lessen the burden on the electoral commission. Some experts have suggested that it is long overdue. But, some people have also urged caution, saying that it cannot be sustained by the current literacy level. Instructively, some people still came out to the polling units with various kinds of receipts, which they mistaken for Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs).

    The second is the need for Special Election Offences Tribunal to try electoral offenders.

     

  • Polls: Security agents uncover 6 flash points in Anambra

    Ahead of today’s Presidential and National Assembly elections, security agencies in Anambra said they had uncovered six major flash points in the state.

    Mr Rabiu Ladodo, Commissioner of Police in charge of security in the conduct of the general elections in Anambra, disclosed this at a news conference on Thursday in Awka.

    Flanked by heads of other security agencies, Ladodo named the flash points as Ogidi, Obosi, Nnewi, Onitsha, Ajali and Ihiala.

    He said that identification of the black spots were made possible by the cooperation of security agencies with police.

    He, however, announced that adequate security arrangements had been made to ensure that the elections were peaceful in all communities in the state.

    The commissioner called on politicians, especially candidates vying for positions, to play by the rules.

    He also appealed to community leaders to advise their subjects against involvement in any act capable of affecting the exercise negatively.

    ”On our part as security agents, we will be professional in the discharge of our duties”, he said.

    Ladodo also called on the public to massively participate in the elections, adding that enough arrangements had been made by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to make the polls hitch-free.

    ”On my arrival in Awka yesterday, I went straight to Central Bank of Nigeria where the sensitive materials for the elections were distributed to all the local government areas.

    ”The brief I got from the INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner showed that all the 21 local governments have received their materials, and with the support of security personnel we hope to have smooth elections,” he said.

  • Polls: Kwara, Kano, 10 others major flash points, says CCC

    The Centre for Crisis Communication on Friday identified 12 states including Kano, Kwara, Kogi, Kaduna and Imo as major flashpoints during the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday.

    The CCC whose findings are usually based on credible intelligence from military and security agencies stated this in its mid-February collation and dissemination of data on crisis situation across the country.

    Other states in this category included Adamawa, Taraba, Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Anambra, said the group’s Executive Secretary Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd).

    These disclosures which were made at Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA) in Abuja was confirmed to The Nation by Anas, a former spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

    He said the possible flash points were arrived at after a review of recent incidents and violent activities in some of the states.

    “We strongly recommend that adequate security arrangements should be made to ensure that the elections are not disrupted in some of the states we have identified.

    “We identified these states and grouped them according to geopolitical zones. In the north, Kano and Kaduna are major flashpoints. We have Kwara and Kogi in North Central; Adamawa and Taraba in Northeast.

    “In the south, we identified Lagos and Ogun for southwest, Rivers and Akwa Ibom south-south and Imo and Anambra States for southeast.

    “We appeal to politicians and community leaders to advise their subjects against involvement in any activity capable of inciting violence that could have negative effects on the electoral processes.

    “We also urge all security agencies deployed for elections to be proactive and conduct themselves professionally by carrying out their duties with absolute neutrality, devoid of bias, while the media and Civil Society Organizations should continue to monitor and keep Nigerians abreast before, during and after the elections,” said Anas.

    According to him, the centre gathers, collates, processes, harmonises and disseminates information on potential crisis situation in the country.

    “It has been providing credible and professional crisis information and early warning alerts to strategic institutions with the view of taking appropriate measure towards ensuring adequate security as well as promoting peaceful coexistence in the country.“

  • Polls: Buhari raises alarm over influx of foreign currency

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed astonishment at the huge amount of foreign currency flooding the country intended to influence the general elections beginning on Saturday.

    He spoke during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The President, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, issued on Thursday, accused some politicians of flouting money laundering regulations in their desperate bid to capture political power.

    President Buhari, however, commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for successfully tracking the money in “millions of United States dollars.”

    Read Also: ‘Why Buhari gave directive on ballot box snatching’

    “The EFCC success followed the presidential directive to investigative agencies to probe a number of high profile cases.”

    Reassuring the nation of his administration’s determination to wage a relentless war against money laundering and terrorist financing, the President again appealed to Nigerians, especially politicians to place the interest of the country above all others, as they troop out to cast their votes in the coming elections.

  • Fed Govt draws line for foreign countries on polls

    THROUGH its Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, the Federal Government yesterday drew a red line for foreign countries on internal affairs, especially as it concerns the general elections.

    He was raising  concern on the interference of some countries in Nigeria’s internal matters.

    Onyeama spoke at a joint briefing of Heads of Diplomatic Missions and International Organsiations accredited for the general elections alongside the INEC chairman and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

    The minister said there is no problem for friendly nations to engage the government but the manner of the engagement in some cases have gone beyond the limit.

    Onyeama said: “We welcome very much your engagement, we appreciate very much the support of all other countries in this process, we acknowledge how important your engagement and also in 2015 to help us to deliver probably one of the previous election.

    “We welcome international observers to the country and all other friends and media to be fully engaged, but what we are concerned about, has sometimes been just the way the engagement has been communicated.”

    He further noted that election to choose who to lead Nigeria is the exclusive right of the country and hence, the country would not tolerate a situation where it will be dictated to.

    He also urged them to be unbiased in their assessment of the electoral process.

    According to him:  ”And we have expected  and hope that you  will also be impartial  and just help and observe to see if the election  will be free  fair and credible and not to give any sense of indication  that they might  be preference.”

    He also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a seamless conduct of the rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly election on Saturday.

    The minister reminded the electoral umpire of its constitutional mandate to conduct credible elections, saying that nothing less will be acceptable.

    Demanding an assurance from the electoral body that  February 23 will not suffer the same fate as February 16,  Onyeama said: “Most importantly, Mr. President and all Nigerians absolutely demand that elections be held on Saturday and nothing less will be acceptable to government and to Nigerians.”

    He further added that what is expected from the commission is a total assurance that “this Saturday we will have the elections.”

    Read also: Motorists, OPS lament return of trucks to Lagos roads

    The minister, who also explained President Muhammadu Buhari’s anger over the postponement, said after providing all necessary support and assistance, there was no reason why INEC should fail the country.

    He said: “I think it is absolutely important that the message be communicated that the government is absolutely disappointed and just cannot understand why after three years, the commission was still unable to deliver this process on time.

    “I have never seen him so livid as he did with the postponement.

    “The President objective is to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. Hence, the decision to postpone the elections by INEC is something he could not pardon.”

    The minister added that after investing time and resources into the campaign by going round the entire country, canvassing for votes, you will of course be disappointed.”

  • Poll shit: our support for Buhari intact- Nwosu

    …appeals for calm

     

    The governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Uche Nwosu, on Tuesday, reassured that the party will deliver President Muhammadu Buhari in the rescheduled Presidential election.

    Nwosu, who briefed journalists in Owerri, noted that the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly election has not dampened his zeal and that of his supporters, adding that they will come and enmasse to cast their votes for the President.

    According to him, even though the postponement came at a great cost to Nigerians, it would have been more costly if at the end of the day the election was discovered to have been compromised.

    In his words, “we are prepared to deliver President Muhammadu Buhari on February 23, there is no going back on that. We are still committed to our promise to deliver one million votes to President Muhammadu Buhari and not even the shock and disappointment of the postponement can alter our resolve”.

    Read Also: Buhari, govs, service chiefs meet in Aso Rock

    He continued that, “on the day that the election was scheduled to hold, we had already mobilized massively and we were sure of victory for the President before the election was postponed but we are back to the trenches and we are seriously mobilizing our members across the state ahead the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections”.

    Nwosu, however, enjoined members of the party, as well as all his supporters across party lines to remain calm and rise above the pains and disappointment of the election postponement and focus on the job at hand, “we should not despair, we should remain resolute in our support for President Muhammadu Buhari and make that we come out and vote on the new date”.

  • Polls: Activists urge EFCC to probe Kwara govt over alleged N1b loan

    Activists, under the aegis of Kwara Coalition for Good Governance and Accountability (Kwara-CGGA), have urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe a N1 billion loan the state government allegedly secured from a bank few days to the general elections.

    Kwara-CGGA insisted that the loan was suspect and in bad faith.

    A statement by its Secretary General, Hassan Omoiya, said Kwara-CGG was privy to intelligence that the state government obtained the loan on February 13 from a first generation bank, using the remittance of the state’s Value Added Tax (VAT) allocation due in February and March as collateral.

    The statement said: “We urge the EFCC and, indeed, the Federal Ministry of Finance, to determine the appropriateness of utilisation of credit facility of N1 billion by Kwara State government at the twilight of the general elections and the status of VAT Account as collateral for the credit facility in the absence of prior approval and authorisation from the Debt Management Office and Federal Ministry of Finance in tandem with extant laws and regulation on granting of loan to state governments.

    “It is our expectation that your investigation will extend to individuals and corporate institutions that participated in the unwholesome act with a view to prosecuting the affected individuals and institutions with attendant cost and penalty.”

    The statement stressed that the loan would be used to prosecute elections for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, adding: “It seems the state government, remote-controlled by Senator Bukola Saraki, does not want to change its ways, despite efforts by the Muhammadu Buhari administration to end misuse of public funds.”

    But Finance Commissioner Demola Banu said the state often secured short-term loans from banks to augment dwindling monthly Federal allocations.

    Banu said: “Owing to the consistently low and unstable Federal allocation, the state government often secures short-term loans from banks to augment inflows to meet monthly obligations.

    “These obligations include salaries, pensions and overheads as well as liabilities, such as payments to contractors and gratuity arrears.  States affected by the consistent drop in monthly allocation often augment the shortfall with bank loans. Kwara State is no exception.

    “Additionally, banks only grant loans, following due diligence, which examines the capacity to repay and what the facility will be used for. Any facility obtained by the state government, therefore, goes only towards budgeted expenditure.

    “It is through this prudent management of funds that we are able to pay salaries, pensions and subventions as well as fund major infrastructure, besides providing repayment guarantees.

    “This administration will also liquidate these short-term loan interventions by or before it leaves office.”

  • Polls: Army GOC threatens Wike, PDP with legal action

    —Demands unreserved apology, withdrawal of frustrating statements within 72 hours or face legal action

    THE General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Maj.-Gen. Jamil Sarham, has berated Governor Nyesom Wike and other members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers over their reckless comments against the 6 Division and its personnel.

    Maj.-Gen. Sarham also demanded an unreserved apology from Wike and theCommissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, a lawyer, who doubles as the Director of Information and Communications of Rivers PDP Campaign Council, as well as the withdrawal of the offensive and frustrating statements within 72 hours or face legal action.

    The 6 Division covers Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states in the Niger Delta.

    Okah, yesterday in an online statement, accused a Senior Officer of 6 Division, Brig.-Gen. Nasiru Najaja, who is the Commander, 6 Military Intelligence Brigade, of allegedly tampering with sensitive electoral materials in Port-Harcourt and planning to rig Presidential and National Assembly elections in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The GOC, through 6 Division’s Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, said: “The attention of Headquarters 6 Division, Nigerian Army, has been drawn to some unscrupulous and wicked assertions by one Barr. Emma Okah, who claims to be the Director of Information and Communications of PDP Rivers State, in a statement he issued and published in an online medium.

    “In the most bizarre and slanderous statement, Emma Okah criminally and frivolously accused the person of a respected professional, Brig.-Gen. Nasiru Najaja, the Commander 6 Military Intelligence Brigade, to the effect that the senior officer was prevented access to the Port Harcourt Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) premises by some so-called PDP members, who stopped him from tampering with sensitive electoral materials. Okah went ahead to brazenly accuse the institution of the 6 Division for planning to rig the election in favour of another political party.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, as part of the Nigerian Army’s constitutional responsibility of aiding civil authority and our mandate to safeguarding key points and vulnerable points of our dear nation, troops of 6 Division were accordingly deployed and further reinforced at various locations, including the CBN, Port Harcourt, where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) usually deposits sensitive materials before, during and after elections.

    “Brig.-Gen. Najaja, as the Coordinator of all deployments, was at the CBN, Port Harcourt and other locations to assess the level of troops’ deployment and alertness. This deployment must have thwarted Mr. Okah’s sinister plans and that of his paymasters, thereby making such frustrating statements.

    “Emma Okah and his cohorts are advised to henceforth restrict their politicking to themselves and avoid dragging the respected institution of the Nigerian Army and its personnel for cheap popularity. The 6 Division and indeed the Nigerian Army have over time reiterated and genuinely demonstrated our neutrality and apolitical posture and will continue to play our constitutional mandates responsively and professionally, despite the distractions.

    “The 6 Division wishes to categorically demand an unreserved apology and withdrawal of the slanderous statements by Emma Okah against the Nigerian Army and the person of Brig.-Gen. Nasiru Najaja within 72 hours, failure of which will lead to institution of legal proceedings.”

    Maj.-Gen. Sarham also reassured the good people of Rivers State and the crude oil and gas-rich Niger Delta region of the 6 Division’s unflinching resolve to protect lives and property, in conjunction with other security agencies, for a conducive atmosphere in the entire region.

    The GOC also hailed the people of Rivers State and the Niger Delta for their continued support and cooperation with the division in the area of provision of useful and timely information, which he said greatly assisted the operations of the division, while urging them to do more.

     

  • Polls: FG orders re-opening of borders

    Nigeria’s borders which were shut at 12 midnight on Friday ahead of the now postponed presidential and national assembly elections  have been re-opened.

    The Comptroller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr Muhammad Babandede, confirmed the reopening yesterday.

    He said Immigration officers officers would continue “their normal border control and patrol duties to ensure that all persons crossing Nigeria’s land, air and sea borders travel with valid and genuine documents.”