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Tag: re-election

  • Heat over governors’ re-election bid

    Heat over governors’ re-election bid

    Aside Anambra State, where criticism or support for Governor Willie Obiano’s re-election bid in the Governorship Election, billed for next Saturday, November 18, 2017, has dominated campaigns, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports that in most of the other states in Nigeria, where the current chief executives are first term governors, debate over their alleged bid for re-election, either in 2018 or 2019, is also generating heat

    PERHAPS more than what obtains today at the centre, where critics and supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari are debating whether or not he should vie for re-election in the 2019 Presidential Election, the issue of governors’ re-election bid now dominates political discussions and strategies. The Nation learnt that even in states where the governors have tactically declined to make categorical statements on their future political ambition, their aides and associates have constituted what could be called informal campaign teams that now engage political opponents who are busy reeling out reasons why the incumbent must not contest for re-election. But reports and feelers from states show that virtually all the first term governors are preparing for re-election. Except in few of the affected states, where the governors have managed to gain support and endorsement of most of the critical stakeholders across party lines, the speculated or confirmed re-election ambition of the state chief executives has become the centre of political debate and or disagreement and has in some cases helped to heat up the polity.

    In the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it is believed that virtually all the first term governors, including Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Ben Ayade (Cross River) and Nyesom Wike (Rivers) will seek re-election.

    In All Progressives Congress (APC), first term governors, who are likely to seek re-election in 2019, are Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa); Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi); Samuel Ortom (Benue); Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Umar Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano); Aminu Masari (Katsina); Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); Yahaya Bello (Kogi); Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos); Abubakar Bello (Niger); Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo); Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto).

    Governor Willie Obiano, the only state governor of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is one of the candidates in this Saturday’s governorship election. Observers of the campaign said his achievements and or lack of performance, as his critics and opponents would say, were the fulcrum of the ongoing governorship election campaigns. While his opponents said they joined the race mainly to offer better services than Obiano, who they said had failed the state, his campaign officials said he achieved so much that the election is really between him and the others. In less than a week today, the outcome of the election will determine the truth.

    The Nation investigation shows that in most of the states, the announcement of the governors’ ambition is usually received with scepticism. When the news of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State’s ambition for re-election was first publicized, for example, not only did his opponents fought back hard, they made a mockery of his response that he will pray over the matter. One of his critics, Abba Moro, a former Minister of Interior, had warned the governor to desist from talking about second term. The PDP stalwart said: “It saddens me always when I hear my governor, Samuel Ortom, talk of a second term when I am sure he has not been able to even convince himself that he has creditably discharged the mandate given him by the people in his first term in office.” Saying that the people of the state are hungry and suffering, he wondered why Ortom’s supporters and youths have been organising rallies in support of his re-election. As the criticism and the support rallies continued however, Ortom, who earlier said he may not make his ambition known until next year, kept quiet until this week’s Thursday, when he came out to say he had concluded the prayers and that God had given him the go ahead to contest for re-election. With that declaration, the stage is finally set and the picture of how the campaigns for the next election would be is becoming clearer.

    Another state where the governor’s declaration of interest to be re-elected had generated heat is Ekiti, where the lips of Governor Ayo Fayose, over his next political move, have become rather very difficult to read. Fayose had earlier said he will contest for re-election during the 2018 Governorship Election in the state.

    It would be recalled that many informed observers, aware that Fayose had served as governor before his current tenure, are of the opinion that his re-election again in 2018 may be contrary to the law of the country, which provides for only two terms. Besides such sentiment, observers are also confused because of his declaration of interest to also contest as the President of Nigeria in spite of his party’s insistence that the plum office has been zoned to the North.

    One of the critics of Fayose’s governorship bid is activist lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), who said such a bid in 2018 would amount to tenure elongated which no court could grant.

    But Fayose had, according to reports said he would contest the 2018 governorship election to enable him serve out his first term which was truncated through impeachment about seven months to the end of his first term in 2006. It would be recalled that the Supreme Court in 2014 nullified the impeachment that ousted the Ekiti State Governor from office.

    It was while speaking in a live broadcast on Ekiti State Television in Ado-Ekiti that Fayose said since the apex court had said his impeachment in 2006 was illegal, he would therefore approach the same court to interpret what that ruling meant and also consider seeking a re-election in 2018.

    Reacting, Falana said, “tenure extension by a governor under any disguise is anomalous. No court can prolong the tenure of a sitting governor buying the two terms prescribed by the Constitution.

    “In the case of Gov. Rasheed Ladoja v INEC the appellant wanted an extension of his term of office to allow him to spend extra 11 months while he was fighting his impeachment from outside.

    “Although the Supreme Court had set aside his impeachment, it was held that the relief was illegal and unconstitutional.

    “Similarly, the governors who were re-elected after their initial election was annulled, the Supreme Court made it abundantly clear that tenure extension was unknown to the Constitution.

    “In view of the settled position of the law on the matter, Governor Ayo Fayose cannot be granted by any court in Nigeria,” he said. Both Fayose’s supporters and opponents are awaiting his next action as the state prepares for the 2018 election.

    In Kogi State, the second term bid of Governor Yahaya Bello is being used by some stakeholders as a major political strategy for future interests. The Nation, for example, learnt from a source that the people of Kogi West, and the Okun people in particular, believe that their ambition to occupy the Lugard House as governor would be real in the near future if they support Bello’s second term bid. So, most of the political leaders from the zone are mobilizing support for Bello’s re-election though the next election is still more than a year away.

    In Cross River State, the interest of Governor Ben Ayade for a second term is also a major political campaign issue in the state today.

    Since a political group, ‘The Voice of Cross River Central’ called on the governor to seek re-election in 2019 “in view of his laudable projects in the state,” his opponents have picked on the governor’s ambition.

    The Director-General of the group, Mr. Victor Bassey, had said at their general meeting held in Ikom Local Government Area

    that “The Voice of Cross River Central is supporting Ayade, not because of his vast experience as a former Senator, but because of his commitment and the need to complete the present administration’s ongoing projects.”

    In Abia State, the ambition of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to contest for re-election is also receiving heated reactions as his opponents and some of his former supporters are alleging that he should have delivered on his election promises first before expressing interest in re-election.

    The Nation investigation shows that even within the Ukwa Ngwa area, where the governor got overwhelming support in his first election, some of the stakeholders, who claimed that he sidelined them after the election, are mobilizing to work against his election.

    “It is unfortunate that even within the Ngwa people, we are today divided over the governor’s re-election. But I believe the matter would be resolved before the next election as it is mainly an internal problem,” Kinsley Chima, from Isialangwa said.

    But the alleged division may not be entirely a family affair. Just last week, there was altercation between Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) and World Igbo Youth Council (WIYC) over the later’s ruling out of Ikpeazu for a second term in office.

    It started when WIYC called on Abia people not to re-elect Ikpeazu because of what the group described as “under-performance.”

    But, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, OYC said it was time faceless groups stopped stoking embers of crisis in Igbo land. “Tthe World Igbo Youth Council has no locus standi to decide the political fate of Governor Ikpeazu in 2019. Only the people of Abia state reserve that right and nobody can take if from them,” the group said.

    While talks of second term ambition of some governors have received hot responses, in some states like Enugu and Ebonyi, most of the responses for such reports have been reports of endorsements. Recently, Enugu West, judiciary workers, and Anglican Communion endorsed the second term bid of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

    Other PDP states where the governors’ ambitions have become an issue are Rivers and Ebonyi. There however, the opposition is very loud in its criticism. In Rivers, the opposition is critical of both the style of Governor Nyesom Wike and the continuous neglect of power shift.

    But Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned that nothing will stop Wike from winning his re-election bid in 2019.

    In virtually all the states where there are first term governors, the heat over their re-election bid is gradually becoming hotter, although it differs in density from state

  • Igbo group push for Buhari’s re-election in 2019

    Igbo group push for Buhari’s re-election in 2019

    The Ndigbo may have begun to change its hard stance against President Muhammadu Buhari as it has started pushing for his re-election in 2019.

    A group of Igbo notables, under the auspices of “Ndigbo for PMB 2019” is working for the re-election of the President in the 2019 general election.

    The group’s  National Coordinator and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Prince Paul Ikonne, addressed reporters yesterday in Abuja on its modalities.

    Ikonne said the time had come for Southeast indigenes to re-launch themselves into the nation’s mainstream politics.

    The national coordinator noted that the President’s re-election will reciprocate his love for the Igbo.

    According to him, the Southeast had a political miscalculation in the last general election in 2015 and had decided to correct the wrongs of the past.

    He said: “Some of our Southeast brothers and sisters did not do too well in the last general election, especially in the presidential election. So, in 2019, the Igbo must be properly positioned and physically seen to be supporting the President of Nigeria in the person of Muhammadu Buhari.

    “So, our mission is very simple: to bring the Igbo together from wherever they are for them to throw their support for the re-election of President Buhari. That’s what we will be championing.

    “As you can see, there is no other group calling on Mr. President to run for a second term. But this group, Ndi Igbo for PMB, will kick-start that project, the second term project of Mr. President, so that the Igbo will regain their rightful position in Nigerian politics. It is our responsibility.

    “So, this first meeting we are holding is to have our state coordinators and national officers to map out our action plan, having in mind that our principal responsibility is to mobilise the Igbo to vote for the President in 2019.

    “We will first of all ask him to run; and in asking him to re-contest, we’ll assure him that the Igbo will vote for him massively. This is because if you look at him very well, the President believes in the Igbo more than any other zone in this country, considering his political calculation in previous year.

    “The first time he ever ran for President, he used an Igbo man as his running mate. The second and the third time; same thing. There is no other way one can show love than showing that he trusts you.

    “But it was very unfortunate that some of our people didn’t see it coming. But thank God, we have a second chance to prove that we believe in this administration of Mr. President. One thing is clear: it is not a party affair but an Igbo affair…”

  • ‘Why Buhari should seek re-election’

    ‘Why Buhari should seek re-election’

    Hon. Preye Aganaba is an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Bayelsa State. He served as a member of the Presidential Transition Committee. In this interview with TONY AKOWE in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Aganaba speaks on the crisis in the party and the 2019 presidential election.

    The APC in Bayelsa State seems to have been engrossed in another round of crisis in recent times. As a stakeholder in the party, what is actually the problem with the party in the state?

    I don’t think the Bayelsa APC Is in crisis, but it depends from where you are looking at it. In a political party, people have their different views and different interest and so, it is inevitable that different issues should arise. Eventually, however, those issues are always resolved politically and somehow we are getting to a point of resolving the issues in Bayelsa APC. The pioneer chairman of the APC in the state is a good man who put in a lot to the establishment of the APC in Bayelsa state. The same thing with the former governor, Timipre Sylva without whom the APC in Bayelsa state might not have been a reality. Everybody contributed their quota. There are bound to be issues and I wish and hope that those issues are resolved. Right now, there is an Acting Chairman in the state and we are looking at how to rebuild the party and move forward from there. What is happening is all politics and at the end of the day, a solution will be found, steps will be taken. But what we have for now is an acting chairman whose mandate is to rebuild the party and gather everybody together.

    Does that mean that the former Chairman has agreed to work with the acting chairman?

    Even though he has not agreed, there is hierarchy of power in a political party. If the NWC has met and concluded that it was the best decision for now, then, I believe that everybody should tow that line. That may not necessarily mean that the aggrieved parties will go home and sleep, of course, they are still making their case, but for now, we have an acting chairman whose mandate is to build the party and gather all party faithfuls together.

    What about the allegation of anti-party against the former chairman, especially the allegation of hobnobbing with the governor. The information is that the Bayelsa State government paid for the party secretariat?

    That is not true. I paid for the first APC secretariat in 2013 with my personal cash as their was scarcity of funds then in the party and that was the secretariat we used for the general elections in 2015. The property we now moved to from there is being claimed by the Bayelsa state government alleging that the property belongs to the state government. But that matter is in court. So, I am not aware that Governor Dickson is funding anything in APC.

    There was a time when the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank, and the former governor, Timipre Silva, had issues. Has the party been able to deal with this issue?

    I don’t think there were any personal issues between Timi Frank and former Governor Sylva. I am sure it is all about interest and at the end of the day people were sent down to resolve those interests. I don’t think there are still issues because the bulk of them, as I was aware, were resolved behind the scene.

    You are close to the Minister of Transportation. In recent times there appears to be issues between him and Senator Abe and we learnt that the issue has to do with the choice of candidate for the 2015 governorship election. What is really the issue between these two?

    I don’t think there are any issues in Rivers state because if there were, at the time the governorship candidate was brought out in 2015, you would have seen those issues playing out. Most of the issues are media creations. If there are issues, I would have been aware because I am very close to most of the actors in Rivers state. There is a lot going on right now and most of the things you get to read in the press on Rivers state are not true.

    But, there were physical clashes during the congress.

    I think the congress matter is being handled by the NWC. I don’t have any information about that. But in most states, there were issues with the congresses. It is all about interest. You go for an election and your interest is not carried along but that does not mean that people have problems. For example, In my local government we big wigs like myself, Timi Alaibe and others who, in their own right, want to be delegates. But it doesn’t mean that if one of us don’t get to be a delegate there is a problem. It is all about interest.

    Are you not worried that this interest is tearing the APC apart?

    I have so much confidence in this party. From our first congress here in Abuja to the day we demonstrated to shut down the police headquarters to our presidential primaries in lagos, I was there and I saw APC leaders coupled together something that Nigerians never thought could come out of an opposition political party. I have confidence in the leadership of this party to resolve every issue.

    Are you still really convinced that the party will put up a good show?

    In my own opinion, I think we had more issues putting this party together in 2013 than we have today. Maybe because we are in government, everybody is seeing what is going on. There were lots of issues in 2013/2014, but the leaders were still able to put this party together and go into an election. If you remember, in Kano, Shekarau was the leader of the APC and when Kwankwaso moved in, he was made the leader and that turned into a crisis. It happened in Rivers state. The current SSG in Wike’s government was the person leading the APC and when we moved in, there were issues. It happened in almost every state, even in Edo state with Tom Ikimi leaving the party. We had all these issues. I remember going into our first congress to elect our national chairman. We almost postponed it and Tom Ikimi left the party that very day. We almost shifted the congress. I was with our leaders, moving from house to house and we were able to bring everybody together to go for that congress to elect our current national chairman. Maybe because we are in government, everybody is seeing what is going on. Meetings are going on and very soon, you will see most of these thing being resolved.

    Considering the health of the President and other factors, would you encourage the president to re contest? Do you think he can still win?

    If President Buhari runs for election today, he is going to win. I don’t think the President is as ill as the cynics are trying to sell. Like every other human being, he can fall sick. The problem is that because he is in government and he is President, there are lots of stories. But he is back and healthy. I don’t think that for now the APC has any other choice than to field him. People are free to contest the primary, of course. I was in the convention committee and we had a free and fair primary in Lagos and he won with more than half of the votes.

  • Much ado over Obiano’s re-election bid

    Much ado over Obiano’s re-election bid

    Early endorsements for the re-election of Governor Willie Obiano in 2017 is the source of the current increased political tension in Anambra State, reports Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu

    The next governorship election in Anambra State is still many months away but the political atmosphere of the South-East state is already hot. While opponents of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA)-led state government blamed the tensed political situation to what they described as informal but consistent early campaigns for Governor Willie Obiano’s re-election bid in 2017, his supporters and aides allege that it was the handiwork of mischievous rivals bent on discrediting the governor in order to frustrate his re-election.

    Aside verbal crossfire of political rivals in the state over the proposed re-election bid of the serving governor, recent events show that non-governmental organisations and commoners have been dragged into the political battle.

    Just last week, tricycle operators numbering over 100 reportedly visited the Nnewi office of a national newspaper threatening to work against Obiano’s re-election bid. They alleged that the Obiano-led state government “has been anti-people in the last two years.”

    Mr. Emerie Anigbogu, the spokesperson of the protesting Keke NAPEP Operators, was quoted by the paper as saying “they decided to take their matter to the court of public opinion because they have suffered in silence for long.”

    According to them, Obiano had, in a state broadcast, announced the suspension of all manner of levies and taxes, but the government “somersaulted” and is now “coercing us to join a union for exploitative purposes.

    “This government is full of deceit; they give you something with left hand and collect it back with right hand, the SA to the governor on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Uche Okonkwo, have not stopped using funny characters to extort money from the operators.

    “The latest attack on us is that they now want every operator to belong to a union that was allegedly formed by the state government and each operator is expected to pay three hundred and fifty naira daily in the park and fifty naira per loading. This is outside N10, 500 (Ten thousand, five hundred Naira) they want us to pay for registration”, he alleged.

    Such open attack on the governor can be traced back to the first anniversary of his government when his critics frowned at some open endorsement of his candidacy for the next governorship election. Wondering why the governor and his supporters would begin so early to talk about endorsement and re-election instead of facing governance, his critics told newsmen that, “the endorsements and praise singings have de­railed Obiano from giving his best to the state in terms of governance as he faced second term mission rather than administration.”

    One of the non-governmental organisations that first condemned the re-election bid on prints was the Face to Face Campaign Organisation of Nigeria which attacked the National Executive and state branch of APGA for “allegedly endorsing the re-election bid of the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano.”

    Engr. Paul Ezeka, the Coordinator of the group, had told newsmen that he was “disappointed with the way the leadership of APGA is closing the door against other aspirants for the forthcoming 2017 Governorship Election in Anambra State.” He went back to the campaign promises of APGA and alleged that Obiano has not fulfilled them and so should not be endorsed for re-election.

    As he puts it: “Let us start by reviewing 2013 campaign manifesto of APGA/Willie Obiano, as I deeply reviewed his promises, vows, manifesto, agenda, etc., during his campaign; according to his mission for better Anambra State, a campaign strategy, stated; “To create a socially stable, business friendly environment that will attract both indigenes and foreigners to seek wealth creating opportunities in Anambra State

    “I want to equivocally ask APGA leaders, how socially stable are businesses in Anambra State, how friendly has Anambra State government policies positively impacted on businesses in Anambra State, how many indigenous companies did he establish, or encourage to be established, not to talk about foreign investment? How many jobs has he created, to reduce hunger and unemployment in Anambra State, Ndi Anambra can’t be deceived again come 2017.

    “The truth remains that, Governor Willie Obiano has been “idle” in the Anambra State Government House since 2013.”

    The Coordinator of Face to Face Campaign Organisation of Nigeria advised the All Progressives Grand Alliance to allow a better candidate as their flag bearer for the forthcoming governorship election or face defeat.

    But the Senior Special Assistant on Media, Strategic Communications and Legislative Matters to Governor Obiano, Prince Oliver Okpala, dismissed allegation of non-performance against his boss as “infantile, laughable and the handiwork of mischievous political opponents. While describing the governor’s critics as mischievous elements, he told The Nation that Obiano has delivered on his campaign promises and that he therefore deserves to be re-elected in 2017.

    As the verbal crossfire between Obiano and his critics persists, observers say the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State promises to be very intriguing. Stakeholders, including opposition political parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) are carefully studying the development even as they prepare to outsmart APGA in 2017.

  • Dickson wins re-election as Bayelsa governor

    Dickson wins re-election as Bayelsa governor

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson yesterday won a second term after a tension-soaked election.

    The election came to a conclusion following the declaration of results of Saturday’s supplementary election results in the troublesome Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and 101 polling units across six local government areas.

    Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won with 134,998 votes to beat the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva, who polled 86,852 votes.

    Dickson won in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area with  23,081 votes. Sylva scored 10,216 votes.

    The returning officer announced the cancellation of  39,679 votes in Southern Ijaw for over voting, ballot box snatching, non-use of card readers and other irregularities.

    Declaring the results, the Returning Officer and Vice -Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Zena Akpagu, said Dickson was returned having satisfied the requirements of the law and scoring the highest votes cast.

    Amid tight security, Akpagu declared the winner of the election at the state collation centre inside the multipurpose hall of the Yenagoa Local Government Area secretariat.

    Hundreds of armed security operatives surrounded the venue and its environs with head of security agencies, such as the police, army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, monitoring the proceedings.

    The governor extended his initially lead of 33,150 votes to 48,146 to retain his position after the epic electoral battle.

    The breakdown of the results showed that Dickson won in seven of the eight local government areas. Sylva won in only his Brass Local Government Area.

    In Yenagoa Local Government Area, Dickson won the supplementary election with 839 votes as against Sylva’s 448 votes.

    The consolidated results for the Council showed that PDP and Dickson polled 25,097 to defeat APC and its candidate who scored 15,011.

    In Brass,  the APC candidate widened his lead in the six polling units where the rerun election was held. Sylva polled 1,679 to extend his previous lead from 21,755 to 23,434 votes. Dickson got five votes to have a consolidated total of 6517 votes.

    The agent of the APC from Brass, Mr. Denis Otiotio, staged a walkout from the collation centre, claiming that he was not given an equal opportunity by the Returning Officer to address issues raised by the PDP agent.

    In Ogbia, Dickson extended his lead in the 27 polling units where the rerun poll was held.  He polled 1290 votes to lead from 13051 to 14341 votes.  Sylva added only 139 votes to get 9249.

    Also, the PDP and Dickson won in Ekeremor, the local government area of the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, amidst protests by the APC.

    Dickson extended his lead from 14,602 votes to 17,297 after securing 2,695 in the 32 polling units where the supplementary election was held in the area.

    Sylva got 257 votes poll to increase his consolidated votes in the area to 8,178.

    There were, however, controversies in Ekeremor, following the cancellation of 17 units by the local government collation officer.

    The officer said the units were annulled for overvoting, disagreements on electoral procedures and diversion of electoral materials.

    He said the cancellation affected over 6,600 votes, adding that of 9157 registered voters, only 3,018 were accredited for the poll.

    But the cancellation sparked a row between the agent of the APC, Mr. Denis Otiotio, and his PDP counterpart  Mr. Fred Agbedi.

    Otiotio said the APC won by landslide in all the units cancelled, insisting that the ad-hoc employees of INEC were deliberately recruited with a mandate to work against the interest of the APC.

    He said the ward collation officers were given too much discretionary powers and wondered why 6,600 votes would be cancelled in an election that had 9157 registered voters.

    He said: “Everywhere APC won, the collation officer looked for a flimsy excuse to cancel it. The process must be free, fair and the procedure must be seen to be so. We submitted petitions but the electoral officers refused to collect them.”

    Otiotio urged the Returning Officer to suspend the collation and devote some time to peruse the petitions byAPC, a request that was turned down by the returning officer.

    He said APC had petitions against the conduct of elections in Ogbia, Nembe and Ogbia, insisting that the petitions must be looked into by the Returning Officer.

    But Agbedi said the 257 votes scored by the APC in Ekeremor should be cancelled, describing them as stolen votes.

    Agbedi, who is a member of the House of Representatives, accused the APC of engaging in actions that led to the cancellation.

    However, in Nembe, Sylva won the supplementary election after scoring 1,400 votes but still trailed behind Dickson in the consolidated votes. Sylva had 8,374 overall votes, Dickson got 11,927 votes after securing 1,163 in the rerun election to win the council area.

    The announcement of Nembe results also ended in protest following the cancellation of 883 votes.

    Otiotio said the cancellation was done without following the process laid down by INEC, wondering why a local government collation officer annulled a result that had been collated and brought to the INEC office in Yenagoa.

    He said: “l vehemently object to that procedure. When votes had been collated and brought to the INEC office, any party that has problem with it goes to the tribunal.”

  • Ateke Tom: I didn’t endorse Dickson for re-election

    Ateke Tom: I didn’t endorse Dickson for re-election

    The ex-leader of the Niger Delta Vigilance Movement, Ateke Tom, has said he is not part of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta’s (MEND’s) endorsement of Governor Seriake Dickson, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) candidate in Saturday’s election.

    The former “General,” yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, expressed shock at the inclusion of his name on the social media and in other publications, among the MEND leaders, who endorsed Dickson for re-election.

    He warned against the rigging of the poll, stressing that emphasis must be placed on one person, one vote, devoid of violence, thuggery or intimidation of the electorate.

    Tom, through his media aide, Opia Joshua, said he was never a member of MEND and should not be associated with the activities of the militant group, adding: “On November 17, MEND held a meeting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, where the members endorsed the re-election bid of Seriake Dickson.

    “MEND leaders issued a statement, warning the Presidency to stay away from the Bayelsa governorship election. The picture of Comrade Ateke Michael Tom was published as a member of MEND. It is important to state that he is not a member of MEND and he is not aware of the meeting.”

    The ex-militant warned against the use of his photograph in the media without his consent, urging the public to ignore the inclusion of his name as part of MEND leaders, who endorsed Dickson’s re-election.

    He noted that power could only come from the Almighty God, as He alone would determine who would emerge as the winner of Saturday’s poll and enjoined the people to ensure a peaceful election.

    The authentic MEND, in an online statement on November 24 signed by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, alleged that Dickson, in his desperation to be re-elected, paid a group of thugs to use its (MEND’s) name to endorse his ambition.

    The militant group dissociated itself from an “imposter and self-acclaimed” Acting Chairman of MEND, Prince Amaibi Horby, aka Gen. Busta Rhymes, who claimed to be speaking for the group, by endorsing Dickson’s re-election.

    The group said: “MEND wishes to state that we do not endorse or support Governor Dickson in a way, shape or form. We urge the media to disregard any such statement, as it did not emanate from MEND.”

    Horby’s MEND, earlier in an online statement, signed by him and 12 others, claimed that it was sending 500 of its members to monitor the Bayelsa governorship poll, especially in the creeks, while endorsing the second term ambition of the incumbent governor, claiming that Ijaw people were behind him (Dickson).

    The fake MEND claimed that Dickson performed creditably in office, having purportedly taken development to the hinterlands.

    Horby’s group said: “We have endorsed the incumbent Governor of Bayelsa State,  Henry Seriake Dickson, for a second term, as Bayelsans gear up for the December 5 election. Dickson, over the years, has performed creditably in office, as he has taken development to the hinterlands.

    “The Ijaw people are behind him (Dickson) in this forthcoming governorship election and we will mobilise our members to monitor the poll, especially in the creeks where we are deep-rooted, to avoid intimidation and rigging by the enemies of Ijaw land and their Abuja collaborators.

    “We wish to admonish President Muhammadu Buhari not to engage election riggers in the governorship poll, as such vicious and surreptitious antics shall not only be resisted, but may also lead to waking the sleeping dog from its rest.’’

     

  • ‘Support Wada’s re-election’

    The Majority Leader of the Kogi State House of Assembly and a member representing Kabba/Bunu, Prince Matthew Kolawole, has enjoined the people to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Governor Idris Wada.

    He advised them to comport themselves on November 21 and re-elect Wada. Kolawole said it was God that gave power, urging the people to vote for the PDP.

    He told the people to vote Wada “for the continuation of good work and people-oriented projects.”

  • Senator Tinubu: I didn’t get my husband’s support for re-election

    Senator Tinubu: I didn’t get my husband’s support for re-election

    Senator Oluremi Tinubu yesterday said she did not get the support of her husband, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to run for second term.

    Tinubu, Lagos Central Senatorial District, spoke while answering questions at the ongoing “Women in Government” conference organised by the South-West Region of the Department For International Development (DFID).

    The conference was organised in collaboration with the Lagos State Office of the Deputy Governor.

    She said it was her district leaders who got the form for her and talked her husband into allowing her to run for the position.

    She said: “ Asiwaju likes his wife to be at home and what is more confusing to me is that most Muslim men do not want their wives to work, but I am a hard worker.

    “People have been saying that I got to this position because I am Asiwaju’s wife.

    “What they did not realise is that in the past election, my husband asked me not to go for a second term.

    “It was the leaders in my district that got me the form and talked to him that they wanted me to go back.

    “You can go to my district, the elites might not know me but the grassroots are the ones supporting and voting massively for me.

    “I think that is enough for me and that is how you can get elected, you have to really identify with your people; if really know your people, they will stand up for you,’’ she said.

    Tinubu said she fought and worked hard as it was difficult getting the vote of the masses.

    “When I got the bill to run for primaries, I told my husband that I needed money and he said no money.

    “I fought with the people in my constituency because they said I have to give them more money and I said no, what about the ones I have been giving to you before?

    “If you are not going to vote, so be it. They said that they were just voting for me because of Asiwaju and I responded that Asiwaju is not even supporting me, then, you can go and vote for him. But I’m grateful they voted for me.

    “I have realised that when you are elected, you have to go back and work with your constituency because that is where your support and vote rests,’’ she said.

     

  • Oyovbaire: I wasn’t fanatical about Jonathan’s re-election

    A former Minister of Information and Culture in the Ibrahim Babangida administration, Prof Sam Oyovbaire, has written a former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters to ex-Presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, Sen. Abba Aji, that there was no time he was fanatical about Jonathan’s ambition or held a meeting with him on his re-election.

    Oyovbaire, who clarified this in a statement, was reacting to reports credited to Sen. Aji in some newspapers.

    The reports said Oyovbaire held a meeting with former governor of the old Bendel State, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors and President Jonathan, where he allegedly stood his ground that Jonathan should complete his tenure.

    But Oyovbaire described the reports as false and unfounded.

    He added: “We hardly knew each other. The nearest we had was a very private meeting over a private affair on a possible sale of a private property in Abuja. This is as long as 2004 or thereabout.

    “There he expressed excitement for knowing me, because he happened to be a student in my former university, the Manchester University in United Kingdom (U.K). He was most excited because, according to him, he read my PhD work on the Nigeria State and Federalism and he was glad to meet me.

    “I never had any meeting with him, whether private or political. It was quite surprising that he would drag me into an interview he granted. When a friend called me that Abba-Aji referred to me in a newspaper, I thought he may have been reacting to a very carefully worded interview I had with Tell magazine of May 4, 2015, on page 22, where I expressed a strong position about the failure of Jonathan to get the party together to win its election. I said the failure of the PDP was a price paid for the survivor of democracy in Nigeria.

    “I have never held any other meeting with Jonathan when he was Acting President or when he became President, where I now took a serious position on why he should or must complete his tenure; where I was so fanatical about Jonathan’s ambition.

    “The only time I attended a meeting with Jonathan was when he was the Vice President. This was a period leading to the amnesty in which a committee under civil rights activists and lawyers was put in place…”

  • Defectors can’t stop my re-election, says Dickson

    Defectors can’t stop my re-election, says Dickson

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has said his re-election is guaranteed.

    The governor spoke with reporters in Lagos on the gale of defections in Bayelsa State, the preparations for the governorship poll and failure of the PDP to retain power at the centre in the last general elections.

    He also gave reasons why former President Goodluck Jonathan lost his second term bid.

    The reason they are positioning themselves for the federal appointments is because APC is at the centre now. I am not in a position to do it

    He attributed Dr. Jonathan’s defeat to many factors, including power fatigue, controversy over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rotational principle, zoning, religion, ethnicity, betrayal and  mismanagement of the presidential campaign by party officials.

    Dickson added that he would earn second term because he had lived up to expectation in his first term.

    He chided Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains, who have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying that they are after federal appointments.

    Dickson, who acknowledged that there are some hurdles to cross before securing a second term, said he would triumph over political challenges as he did in the past when forces against his first term ambition polarised the party.

    He said former President Goodluck Jonathan has reiterated his determination to back him for a second term, adding that there is no bone of contention between him and his wife, former first lady Dame Patience Jonathan.

    Dickson described the PDP as the party to beat in Bayelsa, adding that the “governorship election is not a big deal,” compared to the recent House of Assembly poll.

    The governor, who said he enjoyed cordial relations with the former president and his wife, enjoined Nigerians to await his memoirs where real details of battle he fought when he was running for governorship in 2012 would be clearly stated.

    He said: “What I know about the former president is that the former president remains my elder brother and my leader, and we are working closely. If there is anyone who believes and who is supportive and understood the imperatives, the reasons why I should be re- elected is former President Jonathan.

    “He believes I have done well and I am doing well for our state and for our people.”

    Dickson said the former president was aware that he was his no 1 supporter from beginning to the end when he was in power, pointing out that all that was being said about the sour relation between him and former president was speculations and rumours he would not like to react to.

    “Former president knows that I was his no 1 supporter from beginning to the end, I don’t want to comment on speculations and rumours,” he said.

    On the defection from the PDP, Dickson, while describing it as blackmail, propaganda, political betrayal and show of ingratitude, said the concern was that those involved were ones who had benefited immensely form his government and the party.

    According to him, a lot of them are currently handling huge contracts, which he said they didn’t beg to get but were sought for to be given those contracts.

    “They didn’t come begging for those jobs, we sought for them. Alaibe has his nominees in government even as we speak, all of them,” he said, adding that such act would, however, not dissuade him from doing good as it only showed the capacity of people for doing evil.

    Dickson, who said the reason why the defectors were rushing to the opposition, contrary to other excuse that they were not paid for contracts they executed for government, was to position themselves for Federal appointments as Bayelsa had never been in opposition camp until now, insisted that he had been good to all that defected through quality leadership as he did not see them as enemies.

    “The reason they are positioning themselves for the federal appointments is because APC is at the centre now. I am not in a position to do it.

    He, however, said that in spite of what had taken place, Bayelsans from various constituencies in the state had been endorsing his second term bid, even in places where he had not visited, including Alaibe’s homestead.