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Tag: 2019 Election

  • Thugs Set Gov. Dankwambo’s Convoy Ablaze

    Two official cars belonging to Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo, were on Sunday set ablaze by some suspected political thug Our correspondence gathered that the thugs descended on the convoy as Dankwambo was on his way from the airpor

    The Director of Media of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council in the state, Dahiru Kera, reported the incident.

    In a related development, the thugs also attacked a Lafiyawo community in the state.

    They damaged a private radio station, Progress FM, located along Gombe Airport Road with eight shops razed down in the town.

    Also, two vehicles were burnt in Jekadafari Quarters of the state capital.

    Gombe State Police Commissioner (CP), Bello Makwashi, on Sunday in Gombe confirmed the incident to journalists, saying they were investigating the matter.

    Speaking on the attack, the Managing Director of the radio station, Ibrahim Biu, alleged that the attack was caused by some thugs attached to Dankwambo.

    “Yesterday evening, thugs following the governor’s convoy from the airport attacked our office with weapons,” Biu added.

    “They were throwing stones and making attempts to gain entrance into the compound.

    “So, I quickly called the commissioner of police and the director of State Security Service who responded swiftly.

    “In the attack, one of our security men was wounded. It was very scary but we thank the security for their swift response.”

    The PDP and the Gombe State Government have, however, denied the allegations.

  • Emulate Jonathan, congratulate Buhari, Tony Momoh tells Atiku.

    Prince Tony Momoh, former Minister of Information, on Wednesday advised the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Feb. 23 election, Atiku Abubakar to concede defeat and congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Momoh gave the advice in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos while reacting to the declaration of Buhari as winner of the polls by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu while announcing the results of the polls on Wednesday in Abuja, said the APC candidate, Muhammadu Buhari polled 15,191,847 votes to the defeat his PDP counterpart, Atiku, who polled 11,255,978 votes.

    Atiku had in a statement described the results as questionable, saying he would challenge it in court.

    Momoh said Atiku would earn respect, nationally and international, if he accepts the outcome of the results as the wish of the people.

    The former minister also advised Atiku not to go to court but call to congratulate Buhari like former President Goodluck Jonathan did in 2015.

    He said the singular act made Jonathan an instant hero, adding that Atiku could earn the same status if he allows national interest to rise above his personal ambition.

    “A beautiful thing happened shortly after the results were announced in the 2015 general elections; Jonathan called the winner (Buhari) and congratulated him.

    “That singular act not only made Jonathan a respected national figure, but also an international figure.

    “Therefore, as a national leader, I will call on our friend, Atiku to call Buhari and congratulate him.

    “That will make him not just a national figure like Jonathan, but also an international figure.

    “Though court is an option, I advise him not to go to court because time will tell if he will get any reckoning after doing so.

    “He should not allow anybody to deceive him, instead, he should immediately call Buhari to congratulate him,“ Momoh said.

    Momoh said he believed the outcome of the election reflected the wishes of the people, adding that it was the aggregate of the results from polling units across the country.

    He said that INEC had done what was expected of it as an impartial electoral umpire.

    Momoh said that he advised Atiku not because he did not believe in the court to seek redress as he went to court with Buhari in 2003, 2007 and 2011 to challenge election results.

    The former Minister said he only gave the advice because Atiku would earn respect by conceding defeat, rather than challenging what he called the will of the people.

  • “I was forced to submit ballot papers for massive thumb printing”, Corps member confesses

    A member of the National Youth Service Corps, Ashimom Msuguhter, who also served as an ad hoc official of the Independent National Electoral Commission, has discredited the election that took place at his unit in Nasarawa State on Saturday

    Msuguhter, who describes himself as “NYSC Doctor at Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia, Nasarawa State,” said out of 900 registered voters at the polling unit, the card readers were able to authenticate only 15 persons, while all the others voted without being accredited.

    The corps member said in a Facebook post that he was forced to hand over ballot papers to persons who thumb-printed the papers for a particular party.

    He said he regretted ever working for INEC, as his life was put in danger.

    Msuguhter said, “This is the last time I’d be doing this bullsh** INEC ad-hoc nonsense.

    “Having disenfranchised myself in the name of ad-hoc staff, I was almost thoroughly beaten. I was cowed into submitting the bulk of ballot papers for mass thumb-printing.

    “Well, I filled the incident form and I hope the result would be cancelled.

    “I’m just angry with everything, most especially for getting involved in the first place. No one forced me, actually.

    “First, this card reader rubbish should be quashed in subsequent elections. The whole aim has been defeated.

    “Out of about 900 registered voters in my unit, the card reader could authenticate only 15. The rest had to do manual accreditation, which opened more room for rigging. Quite sad!”

    While calling on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to resign, the corps member said the election of Saturday was not as good as that of 2015, which was superintended by Prof. Attahiru Jega.

    He said rural areas are known for rigging and this has continued to undermine Nigeria’s democracy.

    The corps member said, “This Prof. Mahmood has to resign immediately after this elections and apologise to Nigerians. The extra one week he got did not prove anything different. In fact, he’s made Jega’s INEC much more coveted.

    “As of 11am, we had not seen materials, the people were already agitated, thinking we were compromised… They started threatening to descend on us… Luckily, we escaped that.

    “Because we reported late at the polling unit, we were forced to extend voting time till around 7.30pm.

    “When it was dark, these people requested for the remaining ballot papers, that is the tradition of the polling unit not to return ballot papers to INEC… Before we knew it, the atmosphere became very tense.

    “The short of it is that we allowed them to do their wish, but I pray the result is cancelled.

    “The fact is, most of the rigging is done in the rural areas. There, there is no electoral law, anything goes… Party agents do the voting for people and you don’t dare talk.

    “We must penetrate the grassroots if we must overcome this plague.

    “I’m glad I returned safely.”

     

  • Party agent, others shot dead in Taraba

    Police in Taraba State have confirmed the killing of five persons by unknown gunmen in the early hours of Sunday.

    Spokesman for the force in the state Mr David Misal told reporters in Jalingo that the deceased were going from Umari to Gambri in Karim Lamido Local Government Area at about 3am when they were shot dead in an ambush.

    Missal said, “The killing had nothing do to do with the elections. However, we are investigating the incident.”

    But spokesman for the All Progressives Congress in the state Mr Aaron Artimas said one of the victims Muhammed Kambari represented the APC during the elections in his Kambari hometown and was going to Karim when suspected thugs believed to be working for a rival party killed him and others.

    He said, “ Kambari went to his hometown where he served as a party agent and was on his way back to the local government headquarters (Karim) from where he and the other four men were to travel to Jalingo to submit the results of the elections when they were ambushed and killed.

    “We have reported the incident to the police but so far nothing has been done to arrest the killers.”

    Spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party Inuwa Bakare lamented the killing.

    However, he disassociated the PDP from the killings.

    “It is sad the men were killed after the elections on their way to back to Jalingo.”

  • INEC declares PDP winner of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial seat

    The Independent National Electoral Commission, has declared Mrs Akon Eyakenyi of Peoples Democratic Party, as the winner of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial seat.

    Announcing the results, the Returning Officer, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, of University of Uyo, said Eyakenyi polled 122,412 votes, to defeat his closest rival Senator Nelson Effiong of APC who polled 44,053 votes.

    Ndaeyo commended INEC for conducting free, fair and credible elections, saying that the election was well organised.

    “The elections was well organised, but in bringing results from the local government areas, it took a little time for us to collate the results,” Ndaeyo said.

    He alleged that some politicians tried to thwart the efforts of the commission.

    Meanwhile, the APC, in a statement called for the cancellation of the results.

    The statement was signed by Mr Iniobong Okopido, and Mr Augustine Ekanem, Chairman and Secretary, respectively.

    They alleged that INEC failed to comply with the provisions of Electoral Act 2010

  • Shehu Sani, alleges irregularities, rejects polls result

    The People’s Redemption Party candidate for the Saturday National Assembly elections in Kaduna Central Senatorial district, Senator Shehu Sani, has rejected the result of the election.

    Sani, who spoke with journalists in his house in Kaduna, alleged that the exercise was full of irregularities and massive rigging.

    The results indicated that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Uba Sani, was victorious in the exercise.

    Details of the result as declared by the returning officers, Messrs Bashir Abubakar, Lawal Ahmad, and Abdulfatai Imrana, are as follows:

    Kajuru Local Government
    APC – 7, 872
    PDP – 26, 918
    PRP – 2456

    Giwa Local Government
    APC – 41, 221
    PDP – 12, 912
    PRP – 1480

    Birnin Gwari Local Government
    APC – 30, 673
    PDP – 9, 855
    PRP – 2, 260

    Igabi local government
    APC – 87, 607
    PDP – 23, 711
    PRP – 5, 603

  • SDP presidential candidate, Duke, loses LG to PDP

    Mr Donald Duke, former governor of Cross River and presidential candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP), has lost his local government area, Calabar Municipal to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The result, which was announced by the Returning Officer for the local government, Mr Maxwell Eba during collation at INEC office in Calabar on Monday, showed that PDP recorded 25,950 votes, APC 5, 232, while SDP had 228.

    Eba said that the election was peaceful in the local government area as no incident was recorded.

    He added that the number of the registered voters were 163, 969, accredited voters were 36, 901, valid votes were 32,462, rejected votes were 3,051, while the total vote cast was 35, 513.

    There is no question as the result was accepted by all party agents present,’’ he said.

  • Gov Dankwambo loses bid to go to senate

    The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) senatorial candidate in Gombe North, Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo, has been defeated by Alhaji Sa’idu Alkali of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Saturday’s National Assembly election.

    Gombe North Senatorial District has five Local Government Areas (LGAs); Nafada, Kwami, Gombe, Dukku, and Funakaye.

    Dankwambo was defeated in four out of the five LGAs in the District including his LGAs which is Gombe.

    Dr. Umar Gurama, the Returning Officer of Gombe North Senatorial District, announced the results at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) office, the collation centre in Mallam Sidi, Kwami LGA.

    Gurama declared Alkali winner of the election, having fulfilled the requirements of the law and scored the highest votes in Gombe North Senatorial District.

    Alhaji Sa’idu Alkali of APC scored 152,546 votes to defeat Gov. Dankwambo of the PDP, who scored 88, 016 votes.

    “In Kwami LGA, APC scored 26, 964 votes while the PDP scored 14, 105 votes.

    “In Gombe LGA, APC scored 60, 934 votes against PDP’s 31, 106.

    “In Dukku LGA, APC scored 26, 394 votes while the PDP, polled 13, 106 votes.

    “In Funakaye LGA, APC scored 28, 544 votes against 17, 204 votes for PDP.”

    However, Gov. Dankwambo won in Nafada LGA, scoring 12, 335 votes while APC scored 9,710 votes.

    Nafada is the hometown of the PDP governorship candidate, Sen. Usman Nafada of Gombe North Senatorial District.

  • Suswam to Gemade, acknowledge defeat now

    Suswam to Gemade, acknowledge defeat now

    Senator-elect, Benue North Senatorial District, Mr Gabriel Suswam, of the PDP has appealed to one of his opponents, Sen. Barnabas Gemade, of the SDP to stop whining and accept defeat in good faith.

    Suswam told Journalists on Monday at the INEC office in Makurdi that Gemade had no basis to complain against him as he was not even his closest rival in the contest.

    “Gemade was not even the one that came next to me according to the result. He came a distant third. I congratulated Gemade when he defeated me in 2015. So, I expect him to follow suit by congratulating me, ”he said.

    Gemade, who was also at the INEC office earlier, told Journalists that he was there to complain against the conduct of the elections.

    He said the polls were marred by irregularities and accused former Gov. Gabriel Suswam of allegedly using thugs to manipulate the process.

    He alleged that the former governor resorted to the use of militia groups to rig the elections allegedly supported by government officials.

    “It was only in Konshisha and Ukum Local Government Areas that they were unable to perpetuate the act of rigging.

    “They were unable to carry out the act in those places because our supporters prevented them from achieving their aim.

    “But in other places they had a field day. I came to lodge my petition with the INEC,” he said.

    INEC had earlier announced Suswam of the PDP as the winner, over senator Gemade of the SDP and two others.

     

  • 2019 election: FG declares Friday public holiday

    Nigeria’s Federal Government has declared Friday, 22 February as a public holiday, to enable citizens to prepare for Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary elections.

    Bankers and those offering essential services across the nation are excluded, according to a statement by the Ministry of Interior.

    “The work-free day is to enable citizens to return to their polling units for the reschedule Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    “Security agencies have been directed to ensure the safety of lives and property before, during and after the general election,” the ministry said.