TheNewsGuru

Tag: 2019 Election

  • Only God can stop Feb. 23 elections, Yakubu tells the world

    Only God can stop Feb. 23 elections, Yakubu tells the world

    Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says “only an Act of God can stop the conduct of the rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly election slated for Saturday.

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu stated this in Abuja while addressing a cross section of the diplomatic community and international election monitoring groups in Nigeria, for the 2019 General Election.

    The briefing which was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in conjunction with INEC, is aimed at engaging with friends and partners of Nigeria on the rescheduled election.

    Yakubu, who was represented by an INEC National Commissioner, Dr Mustapha Lecky, said that the commission had put in place everything possible to ensure the elections hold on Saturday.

    The INEC boss said that the commission had no reason to feel that anything would stop the conduct of the election on Feb 23.

    He said the commission has developed a six-point agenda of what needed to be done to ensure success of the election

    He also said that the commission has completed the deployment of materials.

    “We believe that as a prayerful nation the act of God has been assuaged and that things will go right, we have no reason to feel that anything will go wrong.

    “We have received all the materials, they have been checked, audited people have been informed, party agents have gone there to check,” he said.

    The official said that INEC had already taken responsibility for the postponement and that the body was committed to surpass achievement of previous elections in the country.

    He blamed the postponement on logistics and problems associated with the primaries of some political parties, which according to him delayed the printing of ballot papers.

    The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, said the police was working with other security agencies to ensure maximum security during the elections

    Adamu said that he would ensure ballot box snatchers and other criminal elements who may attempt to scuttle the polls are arrested and prosecuted according to the law.

    He said, the force had taken measures to protect voters, officials as well as election observers during the polls and warned trouble makers to rethink or be made to face the consequences of their actions.

    “The police will be professional, impartial and will create a level playing ground for all parties.

    “All security personnel were trained by various security agencies, training was also given by Civil Society Organisations and other partners towards free, fair and transparent elections.

    “I have spoken to Nigerians. We on our part, will be professional and impartial.

    “We are going to create enabling environment for all the political parties to operate freely without molestation without favouring one party against another,” he said.

  • Atiku insists on selling NNPC

    Atiku insists on selling NNPC

    Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday in Kaduna reiterated his plan to privatise the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC), if elected president on Feb 23.

    Abubakar spoke at a town hall meeting with ward, local government and state party leaders in the state at the Kaduna Trade Fair Complex.

    He said that the NNPC had failed to serve the purpose for which it was established in 1977.

    According to him, selling-off the Corporation and all the three refineries is the best option for the country, likening it to the sale of Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL).

    Abubakar said Nigeria is among the biggest producers of crude, but lamented that the country still imports refined products for local consumption at exorbitant prices to the detriment of the common man.

    He said, if elected President, he would deregulate the NNPC and sell it to Nigerians. the way Obasanjo sold NITEL.

    However, he forgot to mention that the sale of NITEL was disastrously done.

    Under Obasanjo, NITEL went through several botched sales and management turnaround contracts.

    First, 51 per cent of the shares was sold to a group of investors under the trading name of Investors International London limited.

    The sale was cancelled after the investors failed to pay. Then in 2003, , the government approved a management turnaround contract with a firm called Pentascope. The contract was cancelled in 2005 after it became clear Pentascope did not have the adequate resources to run NITEL. In 2005, government again offered NITEL to Orascom. This failed again, leading the government to sell it to a subsidiary of Transcorp in 2007. The sale was revoked in 2009. In 2014, the firm was sold to NATCOM, a group of investors led by Tunde Ayeni. Ayeni since then has been running it as NTEL.

    Abubakar, also former Vice president, urged the people of Kaduna state to massively vote for the PDP, promising to allocate 40 per cent appointments to the youth to address the rising unemployment and restiveness.

    He said that, his government if elected, would make education a priority by providing scholarships to all deserving youth and women in the country.

    Abubakar also promised to allocate 30 per cent of appointments to women, adding that, he would provide adequate funds through the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency to empower women and the youth.

    He said that his leadership would address, what he described as alarming insecurity, with killings of innocent Nigerians across all the geopolitical regions.

    Abubakar appealed to the electorate to vote the PDP into political offices in the state for the betterment of the people.

    He said he would allocate more resources to the states and local government areas for faster development across the country.

    Earlier, the National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, urged the Kaduna State Party leaders to work tirelessly to ensure the success of the party at the Feb 23 and March 9 general elections.

    The Governorship candidate of the party, Isah Ashiru said the party would bring development at all levels to the state, if voted into power.

    Ashiru said his administration would reduce poverty to the minimum and create employment opportunities for the youth and women as well as persons with disabilities.

    Ashiru appealed to the people to come out en masse and vote for the party and ensure their votes count.

    He, however, urged the youth against violence during and after the polls.

    The chairman of the party in the state , Mr Felix Hassan Hyat spoke in the same vein.

    Former Vice President, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, former National chairman of the party, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi, former governors Ramalan Yero of Kaduna and Ibrahim Shema of Katsina were among top party leaders that attended the event.

  • Buhari reads riot act to political thugs, ballot box snatchers

    President Muhammadu Buhari has said that any politician that decides to sponsor political thugs to cause trouble or to snatch ballot boxes in the rescheduled elections will be doing so at great risk.

    The President read the riot act at the All Progressives Congress (APC) emergency National Caucus meeting on Monday in Abuja at the party’s national secretariat.

    He stressed that security operatives had been ordered to deal with any such persons ruthlessly.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC caucus meeting was called by the party’s national leadership to discuss matters arising from the postponement of the earlier scheduled Feb.16, Presidential and National Assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The APC caucus is a statutory organ of the party, and it is chaired by President Buhari.

    Its members include the Vice President and all the party’s former and serving governors and members of its National Working Committee (NWC), among others.

    “Anybody who decides to snatch ballot boxes or be a thug, will be dealt with ruthlessly,” President Buhari said.

    NAN reports that INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had early on Saturday postponed by one week the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for the day.

    By the postponement, the Presidential and National Assembly elections will now come up on Feb. 23, while the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections will come up on March 9.

    Yakubu said the decision to postpone the elections was taken after a meeting with INEC Commissioners, citing “logistics’’ problems as issues that prompted the postponement.

    He said the decision was further necessitated after reviewing the level of the commission’s preparedness for the exercise.

    He stressed that postponing the elections was a difficult decision, but was necessary for successful delivery of the elections and to consolidate on Nigeria’s democracy.

    President Buhari said he got the news of the postponement of the election at 4.30 a.m on the election day. He described the action as most unfortunate as the INEC had all the time and resources required to conduct the election.

    “After the elections, we have to know exactly what happened, we cannot accept incompetence.

    “The Constitution and the laws protect INEC, but they cannot take us for granted. We have to go into details after the elections to find out what happened ” he said.

    He advised the party’s members not to be deterred by the postponement, but to remain resolute.

    He charged them to go back to their constituencies and talk to the party’s supporters to come out en masse on Saturday to vote for APC candidates at all levels.

    The President maintained that the APC remains committed to ensuring a free, fair and credible elections.

  • Buhari urges APC agents to protect party’s interest at polls

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday challenged agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the forthcoming polls to be vigilant and watch out for the party’s interests at the polling units during the forthcoming general elections.

    The president gave the charge at the opening of the ongoing emergency caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja on Monday.

    President Buhari, who said he had garnered adequate support of the electorate to guarantee his electoral victory during the forthcoming presidential election, stressed the need for APC members to reassure their constituents to come out and vote on the rescheduled dates.

    He urged all party members to always shun acts capable of disrupting the conduct of the rescheduled elections, saying that he had ordered security agents to deal ruthlessly with party thugs that try to snatched ballot boxes.

    According to him, security agencies have also been directed to identify hot spots and be ready to move should they suspect any attempts to cause commotions or trouble by thugs irrespective of party affiliations.

    On the postponed elections, the president said he learnt of the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at about 4.45a.m. on Saturday

    “There is no explanation for what we went through. I was told about the decision of INEC at quarter to 5am in the morning of the elections.

    “INEC had all the time and resources, didn’t have to wait six hours to the elections to announced postponement.

    “Definitely, INEC must explain to Nigerians what happened. The constitution and the law protects INEC, but they must not take us for granted.

    “If we had failed to provide all what INEC wanted, then we would have been held responsible

    “So at least after the elections we will have to go into details to find out what happened,’’ he said.

    The APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, condemned the decision of INEC to postpone the general elections.

    “We saw INEC’s magic. The worst had happened by postponing the elections by one week without cogent reasons.

    “If we and ordinary Nigerians were shocked, then we can only imagine how shocked you were, more so as you are determined.

    “This action was meant to frustrate our party and discourage voters.’’

    He, however, stated that the party was determined to put INEC to shame, saying that, “we are committed to free, fair and credible elections. We are not going to compromise on that.’’

    Oshiomhole used the occasion to commend President Buhari for his efforts for going round the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) during the just concluded nationwide campaign tour of the country.

    According to him, the governing party is determined not to disappoint supporters and Nigerians.

  • INEC should not postpone elections any further – labour leader

    labour leader, Mr Timothy Akintola, on Monday advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to further postpone the general elections.

    “It will be a big blow to Nigeria and Nigerians if INEC does not get all logistics right to ensure elections hold on Feb. 23.

    “INEC should know that the survival of Nigeria’s democracy is in its hands now, Akintola, a former General Secretary, Nigerian Union of Electricity and Allied Companies, said in Lagos.

    He spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    According to him, Feb. 16 has come and gone, and Nigerians are looking forward to casting their votes on Feb. 23.

    “INEC should work toward conducting free, fair and credible elections on Feb. 23.

    “The commission must, therefore, do all it can to ensure that the Presidential, Senate and House of Representatives elections hold on Feb. 23.

    “The 2019 General Elections are crucial for Nigeria to be recognised and be in the league of democratic countries,’’ he said.

    According to him, Nigeria needs to conduct general elections six times before it can be recognised as a democratic country.

    He noted that the 2019 General Elections would be the sixth for Nigeria and, therefore, critical for the nation.

    Akintola, who said that INEC had no justifiable reason to postpone the elections, however, advised Nigerians to put the postponement behind them and focus on Feb. 23.

    “It behooves now on the commission to ensure that elections hold nationwide on Feb. 23.

    He regretted that the cost of the election postponement was huge.

    NAN reports that INEC on Saturday morning postponed the Presidential and National Assembly Elections from Feb. 16 (same day) to Feb. 23, and shifted governorship and state assembly elections from March 2 to March 9.

  • Human rights lawyer faults INEC’s decision to stop campaign

    Human rights lawyer faults INEC’s decision to stop campaign

    A Human Rights lawyer Dr Kayode Ajulo, on Monday, faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the ban on campaign.

    NAN reports that the two leading parties, All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday argued that the commission’s restriction has no basis in law.

    Ajulo in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Ilorin, that the chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu could not by mere pronouncement amend the provisions of Section 99 of the Electoral Act.

    According to Ajulo, Section 99 of the electoral act allows political campaign till 24 hours to election.

    He said he would continue to campaign for the candidate of his choice in accordance with the law of the land.

    Ajulo said that INEC’s directive should be ignored, adding that he would be having a solo road show for his candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari to activate the above statutory provision and test the efficacy of the illegal ban.

    According to him, as it is now, many people have been canvassing and mentioning section 100 of the electoral act which says INEC can make any rule.

    ” There is one thing about rule of specific and all those provisions they mentioning did not specify.

    “One thing we should understand is that if that section 100 had section 99 in mind, it would have say notwithstanding section 99, it would have been specific,” he said.

    He said that those backing INEC on the no campaign issue also gave credence to section 160 of the constitution, regarding the power of INEC to stop campaign 24 hours to the election.

    The lawyer who also double as the secretary of Forward With Buhari (FWB) said that such power in section 160 of the constitution would not help INEC to make such order.

    According to him, what that section is talking about is political parties and candidates, I am not a political party and I am not a candidate

    “All those laws they are saying is addressed to political parties and their candidates, this order did not stop any independent campaign organisation to go on campaign.

    Ajulo stated that anything INEC said to that effect would not affect his campaigning for his candidate and would embark on a road show to canvass vote for President Buhari.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that INEC had, in the early hours of Feb. 16, postponed the presidential and National Assembly elections to Feb. 23 and also banned political parties from campaigning.

    Meanwhile, NAN reports that ollowing the opposition of the APC and PDP, INEC is due meet to review the restriction.

    INEC, according to its national chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, would meet to review its position and decide whether or not to reopen campaigns.

  • Roadshow: Ajimobi’s aide denies vote-buying allegation

    Roadshow: Ajimobi’s aide denies vote-buying allegation

    Mrs Adekemi Opatunde, the Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Community Relations, says there is no truth in claims of using roadshow to manipulate voters.

    Opatunde made the clarification while addressing journalists on Wednesday in Ibadan during the week-long campaign roadshow organised by the governor’s wife, Mrs Florence Ajimobi.

    According to her, the roadshow, which include distribution of food items, among others, is an appreciative gesture to people for their support to Ajimobi-led administration since inception.

    “The roadshow is not a vote-buying, rather, we are trying to appreciate the good people of state for their support in the last eight years.

    “It also provides us with the opportunity to engage the people and sensitise them on our plans in the next four years,’’ he said.

    Opatunde, while lauding the initiative of the governor’s wife, described her as an exceptional and kind woman who has good intention for people and the development of the state.

    She said that the senatorial ambition of the governor was a step in the right direction, given Ajimobi’s experience and intellect.

    According to her, his election as a senator, representing Oyo South Senatorial District, will attract further development to the state.

  • Election: Be ready to protect Nigeria’s integrity, Oyeyemi tells FRSC officers

    Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has urged its officers to be ready to defend Nigeria’s integrity at the upcoming presidential polls.

    Oyeyemi said the corps must deliver the mandate given to them by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He gave the charge in Owerri, Imo on Wednesday during a training for members of the corps on the roles and responsibilities of the FRSC in the 2019 general elections.

    The corps marshal said the FRSC had been given a mandate to perform during the polls, adding that there would be no excuse for failure.

    He warned officials against partisanship during the elections, noting that the commission could only pay allegiance to the Federal Government but not political parties.

    “FRSC does not belong to any political party and we must stay away from partisanship or to compromise any process of the poll; you must, therefore, not identify with any politician or political party.

    “Our mandate is to certify all vehicles for the election duties and to play a complementary role to sister security agencies to ensure that adequate security is provided for the election,” he said.

    Oyeyemi, who was represented by the FRSC Zonal Commanding Officer RS9, Mr Pullin Osadebamwen however, urged officers to ensure that their operations met both local and international standards to avoid disrepute to the commission.

    The Director, Department of State Security in Imo, represented by Head of Internal Security Unit, Mr Abel Akubue who spoke on “Security Challenges during Election” urged Nigerians not to rely on social media result during the election.

    He also warned against vote buying and cautioned politicians against plans to disrupt the election.

    Representative of INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Friday Mgbere urged FRSC to ensure that all vehicles for the election duty was certified fit for the election.

    He also urged FRSC officials to live up to expectations especially by collaborating with other security agencies in ensuring a peaceful poll.

    Imo Commissioner of Police, Mr Dasuki Galandachi while delivering his speech on “Risk and Threat Assessment” said police had identified all the flash points and areas prone to violence.

    Galadanchi said that the force would deploy more personnel in the area to ensure adequate security.

    Sector Commander FRSC in Imo, Mr Joseph Aremu disclosed that the command had intensified efforts to deliver its mandate.

    He said FRSC officials would be deployed to various locations in the state to ensure that restriction of vehicular movement was strictly enforced.

  • NYSC D-G advises corps members to be neutral while on election duty

    NYSC D-G advises corps members to be neutral while on election duty

    Maj.-Gen. Sule Kazaure, Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has advised corps members to display neutrality while on duty during the forthcoming general elections.

    Kazaure gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), after a meeting with NYSC members at Uniben Sport Centre in Benin on Wednesday.

    Kazaure who was represented by Mr Godwin Omoti, Assistant Director, Reforms Unit, NYSC warned the corps members not to make a compromise with any political party.

    He stressed the need for all corps members to maintain neutrality and professionalism while on election duty.

    Kazaure advised the corps members to put in extra effort to master the use of the electoral materials to avoid mistakes.

    He said that as the youth serving the nation, corps members should always show good example to influence the society positively.

    Earlier, Mr Emmanuel Aina, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Edo, said that the Police will continue to ensure security of lives and property, especially of those on election duty.

    He urged corps members that would be deployed in the conduct of the elections to observe all rules governing the process.

    “You need to be vigilant in case of any trouble.

    “Taking of bribe is a great offense and anyone caught would end up in jail,’’ he warned.

    NAN reports that a total of 7,000 corps members will be deployed as ad hoc staff to all Local Government Areas in Edo for the conduct of the general elections.

  • 2019 Election: Tuface, MI, Chidinma release song ‘Not For Sale’

    2019 Election: Tuface, MI, Chidinma release song ‘Not For Sale’

    Ace Nigerian singers Tuface Idibia,MI Abaga and Chidinma Ekile have lend their voices against vote-buying during the 2019 general elections, as they jointly released a single hit ‘Not For Sale’.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Teni D, Waje,Umar Shareef and Cobhams Asuguo also featured in the advocacy collaboration.

    The song was directed by Bobby Hai,shot and edited by Paul Gambit and produced by Cobhams Asuquo.

    ‘Not for Sale’ lyrics entreat Nigerians not to sell their votes “because the power to change the nation for the better is in everyone of us.”

    It also encourages a non-violent electoral process by all stakeholders, especially the electorate as they come out to exercise their franchise.

    NAN reports that Tuface, the ‘African Queen’ crooner, has over the years championed advocacy for better society through his songs.

    In 2015, he campaigned extensively for a free,fair and peaceful polls with a song ‘Vote Not Fight’.

    He had also released songs such as ‘For Instance’, and ‘E be like say’, all advocating for good political leadership and better society.