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Tag: Rivers elections

  • Rivers elections: ADP heads to tribunal

    The Action Democratic Party (ADP) has petitioned the Justice Umar Dogon-daji-led Election Tribunal to challenge the declaration of Governor Nyesom Wike as winner of the March 9 governorship election.

    The party’s candidate, Victor Tamie Fingesi, in a statement yesterday, said the party is asking the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) to nullify the polls and reschedule a fresh exercise, having earlier admitted that the March 9 election was marred by violence.

    He maintained that elections did not hold in the state, and so INEC should void the earlier purported poll, withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Wike and begin the process all over again.

    The statement reads: “We have filed a complaint against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Nyesom Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the election tribunal.

    “We know many people are unhappy with INEC and Wike’s return as governor-elect, and that is why we are challenging the March 9 election as not substantially in compliance with the Electoral Act.

    “We are asking the Tribunal to nullify the election and order for a fresh election. This is because anyone who is the governor in a democratic dispensation carries the people’s sacred mandate. No matter the expediency, he must have a majority of lawful votes and the process and procedure must comply with the laws of our land.

    “No attempt should be made in any guise to describe elections as merely filling a vacuum and impose anybody on Rivers people as Governor.

    “Our stand on this matter is even corroborated by a statement from INEC that the election was marred by irregularities, so we wonder why INEC would consequently volte-face and return Wike as the governor in such an election.

    “We shall pursue the matter to its logical conclusion even to the highest Court of the land. We enjoin the people to remain calm and wait for the outcome of the petition.”

  • Updated: INEC declares Wike re-elected in Rivers

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday declared Nyesome Wike of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the March 9th governorship election in Rivers state.

    The Returning Officer for River state, Professor Teddy Adias of the Niger Delta University Otuoke, Bayelsa state who declared Wike winner of the election said he polled a total of 886, 264 votes to defeat his closest opponent and candidate of the African Action congress(AAC), Biokpamabo Awara, who scored a total of 173, 859.

    Read Also: Rivers: Wike close to victory as collation continues

    According to Prof. Adias, “That I, this day confirm that I am the returning officer for this election and that Nyesom Wike of the PDP having satisfied requirement of the law and scored the highest number of the votes is hereby declared winner and stand elected.”

    Earlier, the returning officer had said that a total of 3, 048, 741 voters were registered across the state for the elections, and a total of 1, 130, 445 were accredited, while a total of 1, 123, 840 votes were validated as a total of 249, 324 votes were either cancelled or elections not held.

    Also a total of 1, 123, 840 votes were cast in the exercise.

     

    Details shortly...

  • Rivers polls: Wike leads in 13 councils

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike is leading in the March 9 governorship election having won 13 of the 15 local governments already collated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    INEC resumed result collation yesterday, having suspended it on March 10 due to violence and alleged military involvement which caused a disruption of collation.

    At the resumed collation yesterday, Returning Officer Prof. Teddy Adias said 17 councils would have been received and would be collated. They are Port Harcourt city; Ikwerre; Emoahua; Ahaoda-East; Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni; Etche; Omuma; Okrika; Akuku-Toru; Tai; Eleme; Oyibo; Andoni; Bonny and Opobo/Nkoro.

    While Wike won in 13 of the councils, his closest contender and candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Biokpamabo Awara, won in Oyibo and his Akuku-Toru councils.

    Awara’s representative Nenye Kocha was disappointed in the figures announced. He said: “We appear to be in the dark as it were, as to what has happened. It is said INEC had 17 councils; they know what were in these councils though we had the assumption that we were leading, we were winning, but we have come here now to see what is happening, and it appears to be a departure from what we had in mind.

    “The process was transparent but the figures we are seeing are not our expectation. We will review the issues; we will look at everything that has happened within the period the process was said to be suspended. As a party, we will look at what has happened, review it and then take it up from there.”

    The PDP agent, Austin Opara, was satisfied with the process and apologised to residents for the difficulty the elections has caused them.

    He said: “PDP is coasting clearly; we believe this is going to be a new Rivers State. The state cannot continue to be in the news for the wrong reasons, we believe that at the end of this, this will be a new beginning for the state.

    “We apologise to the people for the stress they are going through, caused by some people because of their internal wrangling. They put the people into this, we sincerely apologise on their behalf, and we believe that at the end of the exercise, there will be a relief for the state.”

    Prof. Adias, while adjourning the sitting yesterday, said while the two outstanding results would be collated today and decisions taken on the other six councils whose results are yet to be received by INEC.

    He, however, did not reveal the councils, but assured stakeholders that collation is ongoing in the councils

  • Breaking: Wike extends lead in Rivers

    Governor Nyesom Wike has widened his lead in the ongoing collation of governorship results in Rivers state.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has captured three more local governments, extending his lead to 11 councils declared so far.

    Read Also: Rivers Polls: Wike, AAC’s Awara clash at stakeholders meeting

    His closest opponent Engr. Biokpomabo Awara of the African Action Congress (AAC) has managed to win just two councils in the resumed collation.

    Find below the official results from INEC:

    Tai LGA:

    PDP=== 47, 652

    AAC=== 540

    Ahoada East LGA

    PDP===14,589

    AAC===3,713

    Emohua LGA:

    PDP=== 71, 522

    AAC=== 2, 856

    Etche LGA

    AAC===7, 437

    Details shortly…

  • Updated: Court dismisses AAC’s suit against Rivers election

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit by the African Action Congress (AAC) and one other, querying the propriety of handling of the last governorship and State Assembly elections in Rivers State, particularly as it relates to its announcement of the results, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment on Tuesday said the since the case was about an election that has been held, it was appropriate for the plaintiffs to take their case before an election tribunal.

    The suit, marked FHC/ ABJ/CS/303/2019, has AAC, Engr Biokpomabo Festus Awara and Pastor (Dr.) Ben-Gurion John Peter as plaintiffs, with INEC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    The plaintiffs noted INEC had earlier admitted that the election in Rivers State was marred with substantial violence that compromised the credibility of the entire process, and thereby suspended the election.

    They added that without calling for a fresh election, INEC announced, via a press release, that it was now set to continue with the election from Wednesday, 20th March 20 19.

    The plaintiffs prayed the court for, among others, an order cancelling the already held governorship and state assembly’s elections and an order directing the conduct of fresh elections.

    Justice Ekwo, in the judgment, said the reliefs sought by the plaintiff’s, which include prayers for the cancellation of the election already held and the stoppage of further collation of results of the election, are post-election in nature.

    He said such prayers, on which the electoral tribunal has exclusive jurisdiction, could not be entertained by the regular courts.

    The judge said his court has no jurisdiction to grant any of the prayers contained in the plaintiffs’ originating process.

    He said the court has earlier held in a similar case, that once an election has been held, the Federal High Court no longer has jurisdiction to entertain and determine any litigation touching on such election.

    Justice Ekwo said the case by the AAC and others was an attempt to litigate election issues in disguise.

    He said the hearing the case will amount to an attempt by the court to constitute itself into an election tribunal, “a capability it does not have constitutionally.

    “I find that issues in this case are post-election in nature and do not belong to the realm of this court.

    “Therefore, the preliminary objection of the second defendant in this case succeeds and accordingly, I declare jurisdiction.

    “Now, it is the law that where the preliminary objection succeeds, there is no need to go further to consider arguments in support other issues or issues for determination.

    “So, at this point, I make an order dismissing this case for want of jurisdiction,” Justice Ekwo said.

  • PDP alleges plots by APC to scuttle collation of Rivers election results

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged plots by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to cause confusion in Rivers State, with the view to scuttling the scheduled collation of the remaining results of the March 9 governorship election in the state.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had suspended the collation of election results in the state, owing to violence and clear threat to peace that characterised the election. The commission has fixed resumption of collation for April 2-5.

    However, in a statement Friday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party accused the APC of plots to orchestrate violent disagreements and crisis at the stakeholders meeting scheduled by INEC ahead of the collation.

    According to the PDP, the part of the alleged plot was to scuttle the exercise and stall the announcement of its candidate, incumbent Governor Nyesom Wike, who the PDP said, is the rightful winner of the election.

    Read Also: INEC plans issuing certificates of return to PDP candidates in Rivers, says APC

    The statement said, “In order to achieve this ignoble plot, the APC has conspired with certain compromised security agents to be bandying phantom security report in Rivers state, as a decoy for the execution of their ugly plan.

    “The PDP is not unaware of pressure being put on certain security heads particularly, the Directorate of State Services (DSS), by the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, asking that collation of results be stopped.

    “The APC should note that their plot has been exposed and that Rivers people will never allow them to have their way. Any person pushing such heinous machination in Rivers state will have him or herself to blame.

    “The PDP therefore cautions the APC and their co-travellers to desist from any act aimed at scuttling the scheduled collation of results, which figures, confirming Governor Nyesom Wike’s victory, are known to all”.

  • INEC plans issuing certificates of return to PDP candidates in Rivers, says APC

    The campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) IN Rivers state have alleged that even before the conclusion of collation of results for the governorship and state house of Assembly election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may have concluded plans to hand over victory to the People’s Democratic Party in the state.

    Director of Strategic Communication of the campaign, Prince Tonye Princewill said information available to them indicate that the Commission has already prepared certificates of return for all PDP candidates in preparation to formally declaring them winners.

    Copies of the unsigned certificates allegedly prepared by the commission bearing the names of PDP candidates were dated March 14, 2019 and are supposedly issued for the outcome of an election held on the 9th of March 2019.

    The certificates bearing the name of the INEC National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and are for 20 state constituencies across the state.

    Princewill said; “Even before the conclusion of the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections which it suspended in Rivers State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared the candidates of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, winners.

    “The Commission has also prepared their Certificates of Return, including that of Governor Nyesom Wike. The certificates, which have the name of the National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, are reportedly in the custody of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Obo Effanga, who was the mastermind behind the certificates-before-election-results deal with PDP.

    “Though the electoral umpire had suspended the Rivers’ elections via a statement on March 10, 2019, the certificates bear dates later than the April 15 date INEC said collated results would be declared. In its latest press statement on the election saga in Rivers State, INEC gave April 19 as the date that certificates of return will be issued to winners.

    Read Also: Former Sports Minister Adedoja, dumps PDP for APC

    “The recent revelations that INEC had prepared Return Certificates in favour of some Candidates in the purportedly suspended Governorship and House of Assembly Elections in Rivers State which took place on the 9th of March, 2019, came to few political watchers, participants and activists as a surprise given the many ‘Electoral Faux pas’ and open bias shown by INEC in Rivers State electoral matters.

    “To others, especially optimal optimists who still believed that INEC at a point in time, may perhaps carry out its duties impartially and independently like its name suggests, the revelations totally destroyed the slim hopes that INEC in Rivers State would do the right thing and allow the people of Rivers State to choose those they want to govern their affairs in the Brick House and House of Assembly.

    “It should be recalled that INEC conducted the Gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in the entire country on the 9th of March, 2019, Rivers State inclusive. It should also be recalled that whilst results were collated, declared and announced at seven (7) ward Collation Centers in Rivers State in clear violation of extant Electoral laws and totally ultra vires its powers under the Electoral Act (2010) as amended, purported to suspend an electoral process on spurious and unfounded allegations.

    “What is particularly noteworthy is the fact that it was ONLY IN RIVERS STATE that this kind of electoral faux pas took place in Nigeria and furthermore, that the purported suspension only took place when INEC as well as observers and participants in the elections had seen that the Governorship Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Engr. Biokpomabo Festus Awara, had taken a clear and seemingly unassailable lead over the obviously preferred candidate of INEC in Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike, current and outgoing Governor of Rivers State.

    “What is most curious and begging for answers however, is that while INEC purportedly ‘suspended’ the Elections in Rivers State, it nonetheless secretly and in a manner totally devoid of even the slightest pretences of neutrality, went ahead to prepare in anticipation of the results it intended to declare, ‘Certificates of Return’ dated 14th of March, 2019.

    “This was a time when the process was purportedly suspended by the imperial INEC in Rivers State led by the famous/infamous Obo Effanga, the State REC who could not conclude a bye election held in Phalga Constituency 3, again when he saw clearly that the PDP candidate was being trounced by the APC candidate.

    “INEC had meanwhile severally announced plans for resumption of the final processes of the election in Rivers State but had jumpstarted that process by preparing in advance the said Certificates of Return in favour of mostly PDP candidates it intends to announce as returned.

    “Why then one must ask, is INEC taking Rivers People for a ride

  • Rivers: Lulu-Briggs wants Governorship, Assembly polls cancelled

    Chief Dumo Lulu- Briggs, the Accord Party gubernatorial candidate in Rivers, has called for the cancellation of the March 9 Governorship and House of Assembly elections for lack of credibility.

    Lulu-Briggs made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Port Harcourt.

    He said that the call was necessitated by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) testimony on the gross electoral misconduct and insecurity that led to cancellation of elections in several polling units in the state.

    The politician said that the subsequent suspension of the process was enough reason to ask for a fresh election in the state.

    “What is most important is the credibility of the electoral process and legitimacy of any government.

    “Remember that on March 9, INEC had issued a press statement that reports from their men on the field indicated that there were wide spread irregularities and violence in substantial polling units and collation centres.

    “That INEC staff was taken hostage and materials, including result sheets were destroyed by unauthorised persons.

    “And that they could no longer vouch for the credibility of the electoral process.

    “INEC having raised such an alarm in this sort of atmosphere, the various party agents went back to their houses,” he said.

    Lulu-Briggs said it was disheartening that INEC was now saying that they have some results they intend to collate and announce, tell me how credible such result could be?

    “Even if they are authentic results, what confidence will the people have in the electoral umpire who kept the acclaimed results without the monitoring of party agents?

    “It’s said that justice should not only be done but should also be seen to have been done,’ Lulu-Briggs said.

    The Accord party candidate said that whatever INEC intended to do outside conducting a fresh election in the state could cause mayhem.

    He said that since INEC openly admitted that they could no longer vouch for the credibility of the process they should conduct a fresh poll to avert crises in the state.

  • Rivers: INEC to resume collation of election results

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed 13th April 2p19 for supplementary election in Rivets state.

    Besides, the commission is to resume collation of results of the last governorship and state Assembly election between April 2nd to 5th.

    INEC However noted that election had been concluded in 21 state constituencies.

    The collation of the results for the election held on March 9 was suspended due to violence allegedly carried out by soldiers and armed thugs.

    Consequently, the Commission set up a Fact-Finding Committee that visited Rivers State and submitted its report which revealed that while election could not hold in a few areas, it was successfully concluded in others with the declaration of winners in 21 state constituencies.

    Collation was ongoing at the time of the suspension of the process.

    Announcing the outlined activities and timeline to resolve the electoral logjam in Rivers State, INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said the commission will on 30th March 2019 have a meeting with critical actors in the state after which the headquarters of the commission will release a guideline for the continuation of the process.

    Okoye who disclosed this at a press briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja noted that there will also be an inter-agency meeting between the commission and other relevant agencies a day before the stakeholders meeting in Rivers.

    Revalidation of observers, the commission said, will be done simultaneously in Abuja and Rivers State between March 25 and March 31.

  • Breaking: INEC to resume collation of Rivers results

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has fixed 13th April 2019 for supplementary election in Rivers state.

    Besides, the commission is to resume collation of results of the last Governorship and State Assembly elections on 2nd to 5th of April.

    Read Also: ‘INEC should withhold Ihedioha’s Certificate of Return’

    INEC however noted election had been concluded in 21 state constituencies.

    The commission is to meet with all critical stakeholders in the state on March 30.

    INEC has also fixed 28th March for the inter-agency (security) meeting.

    Full story coming…