The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PRIMARY

  • APC seeks peaceful primary in Bayelsa

    APC seeks peaceful primary in Bayelsa

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday told the candidates in this weekend’s governorship primary in Bayelss State to conduct themselves peacefully.

    This is coming as some party members were said to be plotting the disqualification of former Governor Timipre Sylva.

    The party leaders argued that giving the former governor the APC ticket might cause its defeat.

    At a meeting with the aspirants at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, the party’s leadership reportedly outlined its guidelines to 19 of the 20 aspirants present.

    Sylva was absent.

    Also present were APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Olusegun Oni and National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, among other national executives.

    Some of the aspirants, who addressed reporters after the meeting, dismissed the rumour that the party was fielding a consensus candidate.

    The only female aspirant Mrs Tonye Areapa said she had not stepped down for anybody.

    She said: “the party has no consensus candidate for the Bayelsa primary. We were assured of a level-playing field. We are all going to seek delegates’ votes at the primary. We were charged on ways to conduct ourselves during the primary: we were told not to do anything that will tarnish the image of the party.”

    Another aspirant, Mr Ebitei Francis, who was Commissioner for Works under Sylva, expressed optimism in the party’s ability to conduct a free and fair primary.

    He said: “One thing the party does well is free and fair primary. There was no petition from the Kogi State primary and we believe that will play out in the Bayelsa State primary. The issue of a consensus candidate is not something the party will practice.”

    He said former President Goodluck Jonathan’s endorsement of Governor Seriake Dickson was not a threat as the APC would win in the state.

    He said: “We in APC do not see the former President. That word is former. If you are a former (office holder), your activities, powers are also former. Do they still have the power they wielded before?”

     

  • Kogi: PDP must conduct fair primary, says Echocho

    The Isah Jubril (Echocho) Campaign Organisation yesterday warned that anything short of a credible primary by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State will spell doom for the party.

    In a statement by its Director-General, Fehinti Dada, the organisation urged the electoral committee members to be fair to all aspirants.

    It said there was an attempt by a Southwest PDP governor to convince other aspirants to step down for Governor Idris Wada instead of canvassing a level-playing field for the emergence of an acceptable candidate.

    The organisation alleged that over 90 per cent of the ad hoc delegates were allegedly hand-picked by the governor’s aides, like commissioners, special advisers, acting council chairmen, among others.

    It also claimed that the list of delegates had been compromised, saying: “It is our candid advice that the 21 local governments’ Returning Officers to be used in conducting the ward congress must be recruited directly by the electoral committee without being tele-guided by anybody.”

    The organisation noted that without transparency, the congress and primary “will confine PDP to the dustbin”.

    “We want to remind the National Headquarters of our great party that Kogi is the only state in the entire Northcentral that remains in the hand of PDP.  The Party must, therefore, not do anything that will jeopardise our chances of retaining the State in this crucial election,” the organisation said.

    It expressed confidence that Echocho will emerge victorious in a transparent and fair electoral process because he is loved and accepted in Kogi.

    “We are not in doubt of his victory at the polls going by his pedigree and acceptability by the entire citizens of Kogi State. We want to appeal to the conscience of the Electoral Committee Members therefore, to conduct this exercise with an unbiased mind and shun monetary inducement from the sinking Governor.

    “The concocted list …must be jettisoned so as to allay the fears of our teeming party supporters that the PDP will win the forthcoming elections in Kogi State,” the statement added.

     

     

  • Lagos JSS1 placement test result released

    The result of the placement test held on July 11 for primary six pupils for admission into public junior secondary schools in Lagos State has been released.
    A statement signed by Mrs Adewunmi Okoh, Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) directed Head teachers of public schools to check results of their candidates at their Local Government Education Authorities (LGEA).
    Approved private schools are to check the results at the Lagos State Examinations Board located in Iyana Ipaja.
    Parents/guardians can check the results of their pupils/wards at their schools.
    Meanwhile the board has disclaimed the rumour making rounds about recruitment into public primary schools and warned the public to beware of the scam.

  • ‘APC should conduct primary in Ondo’

    ‘APC should conduct primary in Ondo’

    A group, Ikale Youth Congress (IYC), has called on the national leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to ensure a level playing ground for governorship aspirants in Ondo State.

    The group urged the party not to jettison the chances the party has on the basis of zoning.

    It lamented that the political method adopted by the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in picking the party’s candidate during the last governorship election, cost the party the chance to unseat the Governor Olusegun Mimiko, despite the political machinery put in place by the leaders.

    In a statement, signed by the Coordinator of the group, Mr. James Atenuoro, said the group has urged a chieftain of the party in Ikale, Dr. Paul Akintelure, to join the race.

    He said Akintelure is a worthy leader who can lead the people of the state out of wilderness.

    Akintelure was the South Senatorial candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in 2011 and deputy governorship candidate of the party in 2012.

    IYC said Akintelure should not settle for anything less than the governorship in the next year.

    It said the medical doctor has touched many lives in the area, stressing that both young and old are beneficiaries of his philanthropy.

    The group said it is awaken by the need for an Ikale man to finish the good work of the late Governor Olusegun Agagu, who had laid the foundation for a better sunshine state.

  • Why we rejected PDP primary results, by Maku’s group

    Why we rejected PDP primary results, by Maku’s group

    The Maku Campaign Organisation has rejected the Nasarawa State governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    It described the December 8 primary at the headquarters of Nasarawa Local Government Area as “a ruse which cannot stand the test of integrity”.

    A statement by the organisation’s Publicity Director, Yusuf Zakari Ukpo-Edego, said: “The entire process of the election was full of frustration due to sudden change of the venue without prior notice.”

    The statement added: “The election panel chairman announced 1,100 voter cards to be used for the election as against the 601 delegates for the governorship primary, thereby giving room for manipulation of the electoral process. Most of the delegates were also intimidated to vote for a particular aspirant against their wish.

    “In view of the above, the Maku Campaign Organisation hereby appeals to the PDP Governorship Appeal Panel in the state to use its good office to address these anomalies in the interest of our party and the success of the 2015 general elections in Nasarawa State.”

  • Aspirants disrupt APC primary

    Aspirants disrupt APC primary

    The Chairman of the Ekiti State All Progressives Congress (APC) National Assembly Primary Election, Mary Ekpere, has said the attempt by supporters of two senatorial aspirants to disrupt the party exercise was an act of sabotage.

    She said the conduct of the two aspirants, who could not control their supporters was condemnable, stressing that it was aimed at undermining the success of the party in the next year’s election.

    She said: “The action of Tony Adeniyi and Remi Olorunleke were condemnable. The entreaties not to frustrate the process fell on deaf ears. They were adamant to frustrate the party’s chances.”

    She added that the aspirants sought for the abortion of the electoral process, noting that 47 wards had already cast their votes when they demanded that votes should be burnt.

    According to her, it was only  Ayoleke Adu, one of the aspirants, that wanted the process to be concluded, stressing that the aspirant prevented the ballot papers from being destroyed.

    She added that the APC was a law-abiding party, noting that the electoral committee would give a detailed report to the party’s National Working Committee on the development.

  • Akwa Ibom governorship aspirants denounce primary

    Akwa Ibom governorship aspirants denounce primary

    Following the emergence of Udom Emmanuel as the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, 22 of the 23 governorship aspirants in the state have petitioned the chairman of the PDP Governorship Electoral Panel, Prince Bola Oyebowale, over what they described as fundamental irregularities that marred the recent governorship primary.

    The aggrieved aspirants, which wrote the petition under the platform of ‘Forum of Akwa Ibom State PDP governorship Aspirants’, warned that they would not consent to the legitimization of the charade that took place on Monday called the Akwa Ibom PDP governorship primary.

    In the petition signed by the group, which is led by former Deputy Governor Nsima Ekere and Senator Helen Esuene, it alleged that all the purported delegates from the state were invited to Government House Uyo where they were addressed, threatened, intimidated and induced with one million each to vote for the governor’s preferred aspirant, Emmanuel.

    The aspirants said the list of contrived ad hoc delegates is populated by political appointees of the state government and civil servants.

    They alleged that the government doctored the delegates’ list and that there was indeed several lists of purported delegates. The forum said the first list emanated from the Akwa Ibom Consolidation Alliance and was denounced as fake by both the state government and the state chairman of the party.

    But, ironically, they said the list which was earlier denounced was the same one that was used in inviting delegates to the congress, going by the announcement broadcast on the state-owned Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation (AKBC).

    “Recently, another list emerged carrying the imprimatur of the National Organising Secretary of the PDP and which list is totally at variance with both the list earlier signed by the state chairman of the PDP and the one announced on radio this morning (Monday December 8, 2014),” it said, adding that the lists are contrived, as no ward congresses took place in any of the wards in the state and at the National headquarters of the party.

    The group said despite the plethora of lists, there was no accreditation of delegates by Prince Oyebowale’s electoral panel “to certify the individuals who are being trafficked in heavily-guarded buses to the venue of the congress from the Government House, Uyo.”

    In his individual capacity, Ekere also petitioned the chairman of the party’s Governorship Election Appeal Panel in Abuja, saying unqualified persons were smuggled into the venue of the congress, “with accreditation cards on their necks, without proper prior ascertainment of their status as the first business of the day, either as purportedly elected ad hoc delegates or statutory delegates known to us, having been consulted in the course of the campaigns for the exercise.”

    According to Ekere: “Because the purported delegates were fake, they could not be accredited at the venue of the congress; their accreditation tags/numbers were not given there, nor their names announced to the hearing of all present at the State Congress by the Electoral Officer, thereby breaching the clear provisions of paragraph 19 (e), (f) and (g) of the Governorship Guidelines of the party.”

    Given the magnitude of the irregularities on the entire process, the former deputy governor is calling for the cancellation of the exercise and the organisation of fresh primaries that would conform to the guidelines issued by the party and the law.

  • APC urged to cancel Ikorodu constituency primary

    APC urged to cancel Ikorodu constituency primary

    An aspiring member of the Lagos State House of Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Yekini Lanre,  has urged the party to cancel the of result of the primary of Ikorodu Constituency 1.

    In a petitioned filed on his behalf by Akinsanya Taoreed to the Lagos State APC Electoral Committee, Lanre said the December 2 primary was not transparent, as fake delegates participated in the shadow election.

    He said a former councilor from Olorunda Ward, Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA) was arrested with fake 70 delegates’ tags during the exercise.

    He said: “On the day of the primary, at least five fake people with tags were allowed from each ward in all the 17 wards to vote and actually voted.

    “Most of the delegates behaved as if they were either under duress or had sworn to an oath at the shrine at Odogunyan, administered by some elders of the council, warning them of the dire consequences if their candidate lost.”

    He added that the election was a sham, because the incumbent occupant of the seat used undemocratic means to alter the will of the people.

    “Some delegates avoided the election for fear of their lives, after being threatened and made to swear to the juju shrine at Odongunyan.”

  • Fintiri wins PDP governorship primary

    Fintiri wins PDP governorship primary

    Adamawa State Acting Governor Ahmadu Fintiri at the weekend won the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) governorship primary election.

    Announcing the result yesterday, Chairman of the Election Committee and former House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole said Fintiri scored 624 votes.

    Former Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) boss Dr Ahmed Modibbo scored 197 votes; former Lagos State Military Administrator Gen. Buba Marwa, 54 votes; Dr Umar Ardo, nine votes; and Mr. Jerry Kundisi, four votes. Bankole said there were 25 invalid votes.

    He hailed the “orderly conduct” of the delegates.

    Fintiri said he was overwhelmed by the “support and mandate” given to him and urged the other contestants to support him.

    Marwa said he was satisfied with the conduct of the primary. He congratulated Fintiri and pledged his support for him.

    Ardo said: “I feel disappointed, but I will abide by it. I even sent Fintiri a congratulatory message, though he did not reply me.”

    He complained that many people, who were not supposed to be delegates, voted at the primaries.

    Ardo said local government chairmen and their deputies, who recently defected from the All Progressives Party (APC) to the PDP, participated in the poll, adding: “We also have some House of Assembly and House of Representatives’ members that just joined PDP, who ought not to participate by virtue of Section 9 of the party’s constitution, but it was overlooked. We raised the point and submitted a petition to the panel.”

  • Ezekwesili: Chibok girls should be our primary priority

    Ezekwesili: Chibok girls should be our primary priority

    Protesters of the #BringBackOurGirls have said the rescue of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls should be the nation’s primary responsibility and not secondary.

    They urged the media not to allow the rescue become a secondary priority of the Federal Government and Nigerians.

    The protesters said this might lead to forgetting the girls.

    The group said 140 days after the abduction of the schoolgirls, it had moved beyond creating awareness to knowing if anything was being done.

    The former Education Minister and leader of the protesters Dr Oby Ezekwesilli said the group wished to capture the power of the press to sustain the need to rescue the girls.

    She noted that instead of the government criticising the advocacy and seeing the protesters as enemies, it should see them as an advantage to the growth of the country because citizens were uniting for the growth of the country and an end to terrorism.

    She said: “The media must advocate to avoid the girls becoming a secondary priority for the government or the society.

    “One hundred and forty days after the abduction of our daughters, we have moved beyond trying to create an awareness of their abduction to knowing if anything is being done. We wish to capture the power of the press to sustain the fight of the Chibok girls.

    “Right now, we have passed the point of the general briefs where the person briefing does not even understand the terminologies involved. The media need to be more sophisticated in their interactions with the government on the state of terrorism in the country.