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  • Police to prosecute 18 suspects for ballot box snatching in Oyo

    The Oyo state Police Command on Wednesday said over 18 suspects have been arrested for various electoral offences during the Saturday’s governorship/state House of Assembly elections in the state.

    The police command said all the 18 suspects would face criminal prosecution after conclusion of investigation.

    Their offences ranged from ballot box snatching, violence and other related electoral fraud committed in different parts of the state during the Saturday poll.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Shina Olukolu who spoke through the Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO) , Mr. Olugbenga Fadeyi, a Superintendent of Police (SP) explained that the suspects who were been held at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) were arrested at various polling units during the Saturday poll.

    He said the names of suspects were still being withheld by the police not to tamper with the ongoing investigation.

    Read Also: Police arrest 9 suspected political thugs in Bauchi

    According to the state police boss, seven guns, 30 live cartridges, and some other miscellaneous items were recovered from the suspects.

    He further disclosed that the suspects who are currently held at the SCIID would soon be transferred to Abuja for further investigation in line with the directives from the Inspector General of Police (IG) before prosecution.

    ” I can confidently tell you that 18 suspects were arrested in connection with electoral offences during the last governorship/state House of Assembly poll in different parts of the state. And seven guns, 30 live cartridges and some miscellaneous items were recovered from them.

    “The State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) is handling the investigation and the suspects will later be transferred to Abuja for further investigation before prosecution,” he stated.

  • Ambode orders investigation of collapsed building

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has commiserated with families of victims who lost their lives, most of whom are children in a three-storey building, which collapsed in Ita Faaji area of Lagos Island on Wednesday.

    Ambode commiserated with the family when he visited the scene of the collapsed building.

    The three-storey residential building, located at No 14, Massey Street, Opposite Oja, Ita-Faaji, housing a primary school on its pent house, caved in at about 10am trapping scores of pupils of the school in the process.

    Ambode got to the scene of the incident at about 2:42pm, describing the incident as unfortunate.

    He appealed to residents to allow rescue operators the space to carry out their operations without any hindrance so as to rescue more children still trapped under the rubbles.

    “I want to commiserate with the families of those that lost their lives in this collapsed building.

    “I want to quickly let Lagosians know that this is quite an unfortunate incident. All we are trying to do is to scale up this rescue operation.

    “Our response units are already here; we are getting additional cranes to be able to go deeper than where we are now to rescue more lives.

    Read Also: Ambode congratulates governor-elect, lawmakers-elect

    “I just want to appeal to people that when we are doing this kind of rescue operation, yes, sympathizers will naturally come but I want to appeal that they should give the rescue workers the chance to save more lives,” he said.

    The Governor said his Deputy, Dr. Mrs. Oluranti Adebule, had also visited the hospitals where some of the victims rescued had been taken to, assuring government would immediately take over their treatment and foot their entire bill.

    “The Deputy Governor is in the hospital actually taking care of those that were rescued and taken to the hospital most especially the children.

    “On the part of government, we would immediately take care of whatever it is that we can do, including the hospital bills.

    “All we are interested in now is to save more lives and also see how those that have been rescued are put in proper place and proper care,” he said.

    Giving a brief of the situation, the Governor said he had received information that the building was a residential one, with the school operating illegally within the premises, adding that about two floors of the building sunk to the ground.

    He said most of the buildings in the area had been marked for demolition but that some property owners in the area defied such notices, assuring structural defective buildings would be demolished.

    “The first observation is that this is an old building and it is only the Pent House and the other floors that we have been able to use to rescue people.

    “So far, from what I have been briefed, we have rescued about 25 people and some already dead but we were earlier informed that it was a school, the building is not technically a school, it is a residential building that was actually accommodating an illegal school so to speak on the second floor.

    “Like we have said, we have been carrying out a lot if integrity tests on the buildings in this neighborhood and as you can see, some of them have been marked for demolition but we get resistance from landlords but we must continue to save lives and we would intensify our efforts to see that those have failed our integrity test, we would ensure that they are quickly evacuated and we bring the structures down,” he said.

    Ambode also said that a full scale investigation would be carried out immediately rescue operations are concluded, vowing those found culpable would be severely dealt with in accordance with the relevant laws.

    “This is unfortunate but we will investigate what has happened and also see the punishment for whoever are the culprits.

    ‘’That is the secondary level but the most important thing right now is to save lives and I just appeal to people that they should give us the chance to save more lives,” he said.

    He assured rescue operations would continue until all victims are rescued, adding that the General Officer Commanding 81 Division and the Brigade Commander were on ground to maintain peace and ensure smooth rescue operations.

    “That is what is important to us and the more lives we save, the better for us,” he said.

    Responding to a concern raised by a resident on the increase in illegal schools in the area, Governor Ambode said all schools that fall within that category would be closed down.

  • IYC to Wike: No harm should befall Awara

    The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide has told Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, that no harm should befall the Governorship Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Biokpomabo Awara.

    The umbrella body of the Ijaw youths condemned alleged threat to the life of Awara.

    The IYC in a statement signed by its Spokesman, Daniel Dasimaka described the situation as very unfortunate and sad.

    Dasimaka said: “Mr. Awara is an Ijaw son and Ijaws all over the world will not sit back and watch any further threat to one of their own who like every Rivers son and daughter, has the right to aspire to the office of the Governor of Rivers State.

    ” The AAC gubernatorial candidate, Biokpomabo Awara raised the alarm through his campaign organisation that Governor Wike and a few others that have arrogated to themselves the power of life and death to remain in government are plotting to assassinate him.

    “It is therefore imperative to note that the rights of every eligible citizen under our Constitution to vie for political position of their choice like Mr Awara has presented himself should be respected and not seen as threat to a fair contest.

    “Against the backdrop of the foregoing, the IYC is therefore calling on the security agencies to investigate those behind this cowardly act and bring them to justice as we stand against political killings in Rivers state”.

  • Alleged N3.5b fraud: Saraki’s aides re-arraigned

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday re-arraigned Senate President Bukola Saraki’s Deputy Chief of Staff Gbenga Makanjuola and two others before Justice Maureen Onyetenu of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    It accused the defendants of allegedly converting N3.5billion of N19billion London-Paris Club refund to states.

    The defendants were accused of conspiring to disguise the unlawful origin of N3.5billion paid into the account of Melrose General Services Limited.

    The company, along with its operations manager Obiora Amobi and a cashier in the Senate President’s Office Kolawole Shittu, were re-arraigned on an 11-count charge of money laundering.

    They were first arraigned before Justice Babs Kuewumi, but the judge was transferred to Sokoto Division.

    Justice Oyetenu was transferred from Osogbo, Osun State capital, to Lagos to replace him.

    While sitting in Osogbo Division, Justice Oyetenu made news when she sentenced a former lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Prof. Richard Iyiola Akindele, to two years imprisonment for demanding sex to pass one of his students, Monica Osagie.

    She jailed the randy lecturer despite his plea bargain with the prosecution, saying it was a warning to lecturers in the habit of molesting female students.

    EFCC, which first arraigned Saraki’s aides last October 7, alleged that Melrose General Services and Robert Mbonu, said to be at large, between December 14, 2016 and last January “took control” of the money transferred from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) account to Melrose’s Access Bank account numbered 0005892453.

    The commission said they reasonably ought to have known that the money represented proceeds of their unlawful and fraudulent activity.

    Makanjuola was accused of making a cash payment of N50million to Mbonu on December 20, 2016 without going through a financial institution.

    The alleged offence is punishable under Section 1 (a) and Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Act 2011 and punishable under Section 15 (3) and 16 (2) (b).

    One of the counts reads: “That you, Gbenga Makanjuola, sometime in December 2016 in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did accept cash payment of the sum of $500, 000 from Kolawole Shittu without going through a financial institution…”

    EFCC claimed that Melrose General Services, whose alter ego is Mbonu, was never engaged by the NGF for any consultancy services in relation to the Paris and London Club loan refund.

    The commission said the company allegedly recopied and misinterpreted work done by another consortium to the NGF for payment.

    EFCC said Melrose was paid N3.5billion by the NGF on December 14, 2016, and that it moved out about N2.2billion of the N3.5billion, the balance of which the commission had prayed the court to order its forfeiture.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    Justice Onyetenu allowed them to continue on the bail granted them by Justice Kuewumi and adjourned until May 20, 21 and 22 for trial.

  • Senator seeks immediate review of allocation formula to implement minimum wage

    The Senator representing Lagos West, Solomon Adeola, on Wednesday said the Revenue Allocation Formula should be reviewed by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission to pave way for effective implementing of the recommended N30, 000 minimum wage across all tiers of government.

    Adeola, who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, stated this in his contribution during a meeting of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Minimum Wage chaired by Senator Francis Alimikhena to consider the Minimum Wage Bill proposed by the Federal Government.

    The Senator, who supported the recommended N30, 000 contained in the National Minimum Wage Bill, noted the law when passed must be implemented by all the three tiers of government.

    He said: “I am in support of the recommended minimum wage as it will go a long way in cushioning the challenges faced by workers. However, there must be no excuse for non- implementation by any tiers of government across the federation.

    “It is in this wise that I call on the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission to begin a process that will lead to the review of the Revenue Allocation Formula for all tiers of government to be able to pay the minimum wage when passed into law”.

    The Lagos West Senator also supported the sanctions contained in the bills for indolent workers noting that while supporting the minimum wage for workers and improve welfare packages, the Civil Service at all levels must perform at its best as they are critical in the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people.

    The Senate Ad Hoc Committee is expected to submit its report for the passage of the bill to the Senate in plenary on Tuesday, March 19th, 2019.

  • Reps to amend Electoral Law over inconclusive elections

    The House of Representatives is set to amend the Electoral Act over spate of unconcluded elections in the 2019 general elections.

    The House would set up a Committee to look into the issues leading to the declaration of inconclusive election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the view of ascertaining areas to be amended in the Electoral Act.

    This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance by Sunday Karimi (PDP, Kogi) who said INEC does not possess the powers to declare elections inconclusive.

    The lawmakers were in agreement that the trend of inconclusive elections should be urgently addressed.

    The proponents of the motion said INEC lacked the powers to cancel votes at collation centers and should desist from elevating its election guidelines about the Constitution and the Electoral Act.

    However, the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila and those who spoke against the motion urged their colleagues to be mindful of the fact that INEC was empowered by law to declare elections inconclusive, an action backed by the pronouncement of the Supreme Court.

    “Since the November 2015 gubernatorial election in Kogi State inconclusive elections has become a demon hunting the Nigerian electoral system, eroding the confidence of the electorate in the electoral system and has become a tool for subverting the will of the people during elections in Nigeria.

    “Prior to the 2015 Gubernatorial Election in Kogi State, there were very few isolated cases of inconclusive and re-run elections in Nigeria, due to over-voting in some polling units and wards, and also due to non-voting in some words. This was the case in Ekiti State in 2009, Anambra in 2010 and Imo in 2011.

    “The escalating trend of inconclusive elections has cast a shadow on the neutrality of INEC as an umpire in the Nigerian election process.

    “The frequency of cases of inconclusive elections in Nigeria has created in the electorate lack of confidence in the election process.

    “The apprehension and deprivation caused by the rising case of inconclusive elections in Nigeria is a potential security risk in the country.

    He said he was aware that the Electoral Act in Section 153 gives the INEC power to make regulations, guidelines and manuals for the conduct of elections in Nigeria and as a result, the Commission issued the 2015 General Election Guidelines and the 2019 General Election Guidelines, as Subsidiary Legislation to the Electoral Act.

    “The March 9 General Elections, out of the 29 gubernatorial elections conducted, five gubernatorial elections in Sokoto, Benue, Bauchi, Kano, Plateau and Adamawa States, elections were declared inconclusive despite leading candidates having met the provisions of Section 179(2) of the Constitution, thereby causing apprehension, insecurity and eroding the confidence of the electorate in the Commission.

    “We are aware that as a result of the power of the Commission to issue guidelines, the INEC 2015 Guidelines in pages 22-23 paragraph 4, Section N, direct the Returning Officer to where the margin of win between the two leading candidates is not in excess of the total number of registered voters of the polling units where elections were cancelled or not held, decline to make a return until another poll has taken place in the affected polling units and results incorporated into a new form EC 8d and subsequently record in EC 8e for declaration.

    “This provision of the Election Guideline which was reproduced in the 2019 Guidelines is the basis for which the Commission whimsically declares election inconclusive.

    “It a source of concern that paragraph 4 of Section N of the 2015 General Election Guidelines is causing apprehension and lack of confidence in the nations electoral system, since Sections 134,179 and 111 of the Constitution provides for the emergence of the winner of Presidential, Gubernatorial and Area Council Elections in Nigeria.

    “The Constitution provides that the winner of the Election into Chief Executives offices in Nigeria shall emerge where the winner has majority votes of the total votes cast, scores one quarter of votes cast in each of at least two third of the votes in all States, Local Government and Wards respectfully.

    “Also, section 26(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 provides that where a date has been approved for the holding of an election and there is reason to believe that there will be serious breach of peace if the election is proceeded with that day, or that it is impossible to conduct the elections due to natural disaster or other emergencies, the Commission may postpone the election and fix a new date for the election.

    “The combined effect of Section 134,179, 111 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999(as amended) and 26(1) as well as Section 53(2)&(3) of the Electoral Act shows that inconclusive elections is not envisaged in our laws, except where there was over-voting in a polling unit, not where votes already cast were cancelled.

    “The Commission should not be allowed to continue to whimsically declare elections inconclusive”.

    His prayer that INEC be told not to subvert the will of the people by resorting to the provisions of the Guidelines (relating to inconclusive elections) but to adhere to the Constitution and allow aggrieved parties to proceed to the relevant Election Tribunals in order to ensure peace and security and to promote the credibility of the electoral process, was rejected though.

    Following the same argument against INEC, Aliyu Madaki (PDP, Kano) said declaration of inconclusive elections by the electoral body amounts to military rule dictatorship, which the people of Kano State would resist.

    He said: “We are talking about the integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari – his integrity, if he has any, is being questioned seriously.

    “If he is watching, he has been declared as a winner while the margin of victory is less than the number of canceled votes all over Nigeria but he has been declared winner and our candidates of PDP in six States of northern Nigerian have been declared as inconclusive.

    “From information available to me, in the next two weeks when we are going for the election they will use every resource available and declare APC as winners in these elections. Let me sound a note of warning that we will not take it”.

    Mohammed Soba (Kaduna) said INEC must be resisted on the inconclusive election if the law states that valid votes from polling units cannot be cancelled while it would rather act on its own guidelines

    Henry Achibong (PDP, Akwa Ibom) wondered if INEC was ever independent, while suggesting that the electoral laws be reviewed.

    Adamu Chika (Niger) also reiterated that elections cannot be cancelled at collation centers, adding that whoever is found culpable in the cancellation must be brought to book, “We must stop inconclusive elections,” he added.

    Diri Douye (PDP, Bayelsa) urged his colleagues not to form opinions along party lines but to see themselves as Nigerians first, adding that electronic voting is the solution to electoral challenges facing the country.

    Umar Barde (PDP, Kaduna) Deputy Minority Leader and Tajudeen Yusuf also spoke against INEC on the issue.

    However, House Leader Gbajabiamila captured the arguments of Femi Adebanjo ((APC , Lagos), Idris Wase, Muhammad Monguno (APC, Borno), Babale Bashir (APC, Kano), among others that the issue at stake is not for the House to decide since the Supreme court has interpreted the law in previous election matter.

    The opponents of the motion suggested that the parliament should rather look at how to amend the Electoral Act with a view of making inconclusive elections irrelevant to our electoral process.

    Gbajabiamila said since everyone is concerned about the situation, all the lawmakers were in agreement with the trend only that the approach to the solution may differ.

    “The debate today centered on the interpretation of the law but unfortunately, since we run a democracy, we are not empowered to interpret the law but that is what’s done here today.

    “While inconclusive elections should be a thing of the past, how do we get there? It’s to get the electoral law amended within weeks.

    “The Supreme court has already ruled on it when INEC used it’s guidelines to declare the 2015 Kogi gubernatorial election inconclusive by looking at all the processes.

    “So, there’s a position already and the only solution is to amend the law and have Supreme Court change its interpretation.

    “Even on cancellation of results, INEC is still empowered according to the Supreme Court, and that’s how Faleke lost his case.

    “My advice is, let us tarry for a while and allow the arm of government that has the authority and the power to complete its job.

    We must take a legislative approach through amendment to address all the areas of concern.

    “Before now, the APC caucus discussed it yesterday (Tuesday) because it’s an important issue involving too many sSates,” he added.

    The motion was unanimously adopted following the amendment to its prayers after a voice vote.

  • Uche Nwosu won Imo gov election, Okorocha insists

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has declared his son-in-law and candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Uche Nwosu won Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

    “I say so because going by the actual calculation, the person that won this election is Ugwumba Uche Nwosu.

    “Uche Nwosu won the election landslide, if you remove the manipulation results from Mbaise, Uche Nwosu won with over 50,000 votes, if you cannot declare him a winner because you have someone already, then they should go for a rerun because you cannot change the Constitution if the Federal Republic of Nigeria because you want to favour a candidate,” he insisted.

    He said Nwosu was rigged out of victory by the Governor-elect Emeka Ihedioha in connivance with Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Professor Francis Ezeonu.

    He accused Ezeonu of working for PDP, saying he wrecked democracy with his complicity in alleged electoral manipulations.

    According to him: “The REC has shown he was brought to Imo after the 2015 election to return PDP to power in the state.

    “The REC had acted illegally by ignoring the provision of the Constitution that makes it mandatory for a candidate to have 25 percent in 2/3 of the Local Governments in the State by announcing the PDP candidate, Emeka Ihedioha who only met the requirement in 9 Local Governments instead of 18 LGAs which is 2/3 of 27 LGAs winner.”

    Read Also: Supreme Court upholds N1b judgment against Okorocha, others

    Okorocha also wondered why the REC should accept the outrageous figures from the three Local Governments Areas of Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise and Ezinihitte where the PDP candidate got 64,219 votes from Aboh Mbaise alone.

    He stated the figures from the three LGAs constituted 50 percent of the total votes got by the PDP candidate in the State with 27 LGAs.

    “In the course of this manipulation, we all observed that the REC decided not to use the collation officers from Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), which he disbanded for reasons he gave that they have met with politicians.

    “Again, he brought some people whom he introduced from the University of Agriculture Umudike.

    “They arrived just a night before the election date and we thought we have gotten the collation officers. Again, those ones were disbanded on the same reason that they have met with politicians, I wonder how this is possible having arrived the state after midnight on the election eve.

    “Now the REC went to his own University in Awka to bring in collation officers.

    “We believed him not knowing that he brought people he has been training for a hatched job for some weeks now in Anambra State to come and carry out this injustice in Imo State.

    “These men arrived with heavy security from Anambra and went straight to the various Local Governments.

    “We never knew that these were relatives of the PDP candidate and from the same Local Government. These are relatives of the PDP Candidate who were already briefed of what to do.

    “This explains the over voting witnessed in Mbaise. Out of the 270,000 votes that he scored, 50 percent of it or over 130,000 all came from just three local governments of Mbaise”, he stated.

    He added “As far as I am concerned and we still maintain that REC has wrecked democracy in Imo State. Unfortunately for them, they were not smart enough to know that section 179 requires you to have a spread at least in 2/3 of the local governments before you can be declared a winner.

    “They ended up with only 9 local governments instead of 18 required by law. The Returning Officer was advised by all the Senior Staff of INEC against declaring a winner without looking at the Constitution.

    “This man in a hurry decided to announce the result against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

    “This is wrong, in doing so, the Returning Officer didn’t even consider the results cancelled, total voters cancelled in the different Polling Booths, was enough to declare the election inconclusive as the difference between the PDP and AA would have called for a supplementary election. With the speed with which he announced the result tells you that the man is part of the game. This again is unacceptable to all of us,” he said.

  • EFCC, Patience Jonathan get new date in forfeiture case

    Hearing was stalled Wednesday in a forfeiture case by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun had adjourned for parties to give oral evidence on the source of $8.4 million and N7.4 billion allegedly belonging to Mrs. Jonathan, which EFCC is praying the court to order its final forfeiture.

    But, EFCC’s lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo was said to have written the court for an adjournment as he was to appear before the National Judicial Council (NJC) in another matter.

    The Council’s committees investigating petitions against suspended Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen and Acting Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad were said to have begun sitting on Monday.

    Justice Olatoregun had on February 28 declined to grant EFCC’s application for the sums’ final forfeiture but directed parties to give oral evidence to justify ownership.

    She said there were conflicting depositions in the affidavits before her, adding that oral evidence was needed to clear them up.

    Mrs. Jonathan, Globus Integrated Services Ltd, Finchley Top Homes Ltd., Am-Pm Global Network Ltd, Pagmat Oil and Gas Ltd, Magel Resort Ltd and Esther Oba are the respondents.

    Read Also: Court hears evidence on final forfeiture suit against Patience Jonathan April 12

    Among the temporarily forfeited sums are N1.085billion and N226.3million found in Finchley’s Ecobank account and N39.4million found in its Diamond Bank account, as well as N55.9million found in Pagmat Oil and Gas’ Diamond Bank account, among others.

    Mrs Jonathan’s lawyers, including Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had argued that the funds included donations and legitimate earnings by the companies linked to her.

    But, EFCC said the money was “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity”.

    The anti-graft agency said the companies were not into “any legitimate income-yielding business venture” and did not pay tax, but were incorporated for the purpose of warehousing proceeds of unlawful activities for the former First Lady.

    Justice Olatoregun fixed April 12 for hearing.

  • INEC lacks power to withhold my Certificate of Return – Okorocha

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has described the decision to withhold his Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after being declared winner of the Imo West Senatorial election as unfortunate and unconstitutional.

    The Imo Governor alleged that INEC is being used by those he said were fighting him ahead the 2023 Presidential election to stop him from going to the Senate, adding that it is only the Courts that have the powers to nullify any election after a winner has been declared and the Electoral umpire does not have the power.

    “In my own case, my Certificate of Return has not been issued and I wonder why INEC will withhold my Certificate for a frivolous reason, without hearing from me. I am not a violent person and those who know me know that. This is why we have peace in Imo State. The Returning Officer could not have done that under duress under the watchful eyes of the Police, DSS and party agents. I am not unmindful of the facts that those who are fighting me from Abuja are anxious to see me removed as a Senator. I urge INEC to do the right thing immediately by releasing my Certificate.

    The governor continued that, “let me tell every Nigerian that I fought no one and no one should fight me. If anyone fights me, he will be the loser at the end of it all. My INEC Certificate cannot be touched or seized, doing so is belittling democracy in Nigeria. It is only the Tribunal that has the right to say otherwise once a result is declared. INEC cannot seize my Certificate by mere petition written by somebody in a case I was not given the opportunity to present my own side of the story.”

    Okorocha who addressed thousands of youths, who came on protest over the conduct of the 2019 elections in the state, Wednesday, at the Government House, accused the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Professor Francis Ezeonu of wrecking democracy in the State “with the worrisome manner he has handled the Conduct of the 2019 elections in the State”.

    He added further that “the REC has shown that he was brought to Imo after the 2015 election to return PDP to power in the state”.

    The governor insisted that “the REC had acted illegally by ignoring the provision of the Constitution that makes it mandatory for a candidate to have 25% in 2/3 of the Local Governments in the State by announcing the PDP candidate, Emeka Ihedioha who only met the requirement in 9 Local Governments instead of 18 LGAs which is 2/3 of 27 LGAs winner”.

    Okorocha also wondered why the REC should accept the outrageous figures from the three Local Governments Areas of Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise and Ezinihitte, where the PDP candidate got 64,219 votes from Aboh Mbaise alone, stating that the figures from the three LGAs constituted 50 percent of the total votes got by the PDP candidate in the State with 27 LGAs.

    The governor maintained that Uche Nwosu, the governorship candidate of Action Alliance (AA) won the election and has the required spread by having 25% in 21 out of the 27 LGAs in the State, adding that “the REC is working to set the state on fire”.

    The governor also regretted that “the REC has become a willing tool in the hands of those fighting him, adding that for the REC to have ignored the Constitutional provision for the announcement of the winner of the governorship election only explains his desperation to announce the PDP Candidate winner”.

    According to him, “I say so because going by the actual calculation, the person that won this election is Ugwumba Uche Nwosu. Uche Nwosu won the election landslide, if you remove the manipulation results from Mbaise, Uche Nwosu won with over 50,000 votes, if you cannot declare him a winner because you have someone already, then they should go for a rerun because you cannot change the Constitution if the Federal Republic of Nigeria because you want to favour a candidate.

    “In the course of this manipulation, we all observed that the REC decided not to use the collation officers from Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), which he disbanded for reasons he gave that they have met with politicians. Again, he brought some people whom he introduced from the University of Agriculture Umudike. They arrived just a night before the election date and we thought we have gotten the collation officers. Again, those ones were disbanded on the same reason that they have met with politicians, I wonder how this is possible having arrived the state after midnight on the election eve.

    “Now the REC went to his own University in Awka to bring in collation officers. We believed him not knowing that he brought people he has been training for a hatched job for some weeks now in Anambra State to come and carry out this injustice in Imo State.

    “These men arrived with heavy security from Anambra and went straight to the various Local Governments. We never knew that these were relatives of the PDP candidate and from the same Local Government. These are relatives of the PDP Candidate who were already briefed of what to do. This explains the over voting witnessed in Mbaise. Out of the 270,000 votes that he scored, 50% of it or over 130,000 all came from just three local governments of Mbaise”, he stated.

    He added “As far as I am concerned and we still maintain that REC has wrecked democracy in Imo State. Unfortunately for them, they were not smart enough to know that section 179 requires you to have a spread at least in 2/3 of the local governments before you can be declared a winner. They ended up with only 9 local governments instead of 18 required by law. The Returning Officer was advised by all the Senior Staff of INEC against declaring a winner without looking at the Constitution. This man in a hurry decided to announce the result against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

    “This is wrong, in doing so, the Returning Officer didn’t even consider the results cancelled, total voters cancelled in the different Polling Booths, was enough to declare the election inconclusive as the difference between the PDP and AA would have called for a supplementary election. With the speed with which he announced the result tells you that the man is part of the game. This again is unacceptable to all of us” he said.

    “It is obvious that this fight is targeted against me by some of those who have decided to fight me from Abuja. I am ready to take this fight as much as I can but don’t transfer this aggression you have against me to anybody associated with me, that I would not be acceptable. Allow the young men who won the elections to be so declared” he added.

    The leader of the youths, Comrade Ezenna Okoro said, “We are here to express our dissatisfaction with the manner INEC Conducted its election in the State. Particularly, we youths from Okigwe Zone demand that Uche Nwosu be declared governor and Emenike be returned as Senator elect because he won the election based on results gotten from the booths and wards,

    “INEC should not provoke us and we are giving them 24 hours to reverse the election of Imo North Senatorial Zone won by Emenike and as a matter of fact give us a date for the rerun between Uche Nwosu and the PDP Candidate having failed to make up the Constitutional requirement” he stated.

  • Lagos school collapse: rescue operation ongoing -LASG

    Search and rescue operation is currently ongoing at Ita-faji,  Lagos Island, where over 100 pupils were reportedly feared dead, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency has said.

    According to Adebayo Kehinde, spokesperson to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, “the search and rescue operation is presently ongoing with so many victims rescued alive from the collapsed building through combined efforts of LASEMA and other emergency responders such as the Lagos State Ambulance Service, Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Federal Fire Service.

    Others include National Emergency Management Agency, Nigeria Police Force, Rapid Response Squad, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Nigeria Red Cross Society, Lagos State Neighborhood and Safety Corps. The exercise is being coordinated by the General Manager Lagos State Emergency Management Agency Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu with the deployment of heavy and light rescue equipment from LASEMA and its stakeholders.”