TheNewsGuru

Tag: 2023Election

  • Presidential Election: PDP bigwigs, Ayu, Okowa, others to lead protest to INEC today

    Presidential Election: PDP bigwigs, Ayu, Okowa, others to lead protest to INEC today

    Critical stakeholders of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu and the PDP vice presidential candidate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa will lead other members of the party in a protest at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Monday against the outcome of the presidential election.

    Recall INEC had declared Bola Tinubu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the election and President-elect of the presidential poll held on February 25.

    Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the PDP who had 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) who secured 6,101,533 votes.

    But Atiku and the PDP rejected the declaration of Tinubu as the president-elect, saying the election was marred with infractions and would challenge it in court.

    The opposition party, in what seems as one of the ways to challenge the result has notified its members that a protest will be staged today in front of INEC’s building.

    In a notice by the Director of Administration of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Ibrahim Bashir, the party informed its members that the protest would take off from the Legacy House in the Maitama area by 10 am.

    “I am directed to respectfully invite Your Excellencies: The National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, The Vice Presidential Candidate and Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Okowa.

    “Governors of; Akwa Ibom and Chairman of PCC, Mr Udom Emmanuel, Sokoto state and DG of PCC, Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and Governors of Bayelsa, Edo, Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba and Osun States.

    “Former Senate Presidents, Senator David Mark and Senator Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, BOT members, NEC members, PDP Senators and House of Representatives Members, NWC members of the party, DDGs, Directors, Deputies and Assistant Directors of NCMC; Members of the PCC;

    “Leadership of People Living With Disabilities and all other Stakeholders to a protest march to INEC Office,” the notice read.

    “Endeavour to be very punctual please,” it added.

  • OPINION: Omo-Agege’s confessions and the BBC Pidgin Interview – By Ebiowei Goodluck

    OPINION: Omo-Agege’s confessions and the BBC Pidgin Interview – By Ebiowei Goodluck

    Those who know Ovie Omo-Agege can attest to his low intellectual content.

    Forget about his good dressing and attempt to make an impression when he is talking, the guy made a Third Class at the University of Benin and a Pass at the Nigerian Law School.

    He also could not finish his Master’s degree at the lowly rated Tulane University in America.

    Many of us laugh when we hear him pointing fingers at his opponents as not educated.

    Even many of the APC bigwigs including Ede Dafinone (senator-elect), Otega Emerhor, Festus Keyamo, Otive Igbuzor all detest and mock him because of his intellectual level.

    Even his latter day servants like Efe Duku, who betrayed Ogboru and the pretentious, jobless and financially stranded Aruviere Martin Egharevba, all once mocked and laughed at him for his intellectual level. But they all now work and walk with him because he used brawn and jibiti to get to where he is and they want to be around the corridors of power so they are beholden to him. This is very sad.

    Omo-Agege’s recent Pidgin BBC interview points to two things which are: his low intellectual capacity and how he has also infected his handlers with intellectual mediocrity.

    The widely circulated interview was a string of goofs and gaffs which an averagely intelligent person will not make.

    The content of that interview revealed the real Omo-Agege and it is enough to send him to jail in saner climes.

    Omo-Agege in the interview confessed that he was part of a PDP rigging machinery for twelve years. This is enough to earn him handcuffs and a jail term. This surely sends a warning that what he plans to do this Saturday, since he knows he can’t win a fair and credible election, is to deploy his rigging machinery of which he confessed to being a master.

    Boastful and loud like an empty drum, Omo-Agege said Deltans know him very well because he has held many offices in Delta State. But can he survive an audit of his theft laden service? He saw service as a call to looting. In two years in government, Omo-Agege built mansions in Orogun, Effurun, Lagos, Abuja and turned his houses into Central Banks as they held more money than most government houses. Is this the service he is referring to? Deltans know him as the most corrupt politician in the state.

    Like the kettle calling the pot black, Omo-Agege accused Governor Okowa of betraying the South for running as vice presidential candidate with Atiku. Omo-Agege was also planning to run as vice presidential candidate with Ahmed Lawan, but Lawan lost the presidential ticket. Omo-Agege accused Okowa and Sheriff Oborevwori of taking loans. The same Omo-Agege as Deputy Senate President has approved over 77 trillion in loans for his master, President Buhari.

    The truth is that for every finger Omo-Agege points at Okowa, his other four fingers are pointing at him. Omo-Agege called Oborevwori a stooge of Okowa. But has Omo-Agege not been a slave of Buhari and Ahmed Lawan? Did he not mastermind the stealing of the senate mace? Did he not , work against the electronic transmission of result, the BVAS and iREV? Did he not chose to remain silent when Fulanis herdsmen were killing the Urhobo people? A slave is calling someone else a stooge. How laughable?

    Omo-Agege accused Oborevwori of supporting “deve” that is extortion of property developers. This is laughable. Omo-Agege is the foremost deve-collector-in-chief of Delta State. It is on record that between 2003 and 2007, Omo-Agege extorted contractors handling projects all over Delta State to the extent that many of them had to run from the State. He is yet to account for money meant for fifty projects in Orogun. He extorted DESOPADEC and the place bled.
    Omo-Agege lied when he said that Deltans have a consensus to vote for him. Deltans know him as an ethnic bigot who has no regard for other ethnic nationalities. He even told his friends that, left to him, he would have an Urhobo as his Deputy. Omo-Agege’s hatred for other ethnic nationalities was the reason he has contested every governorship election in the State since 2006. For this reason, Deltans have rejected him. Even the Urhobo people have also rejected him because during his tenure as Senator he represented only Orogun by siting all five federal projects there.
    Omo-Agege in the interview kept saying “I, I, I, I,” all through to show his poor understanding of government as a collective. He is a dictator and not a consensus builder. Look at how he destroyed the APC in Delta State. He is a victim of an ego that is a braggart. Deltans must avoid him on the ballot this Saturday. His confessions directly and indirectly make him unfit to be governor of our state.

  • Ovie Omo Agege; The Mastermind Of Urhobo, Isoko, Delta Ijaw And Itsekiri Loss On NDDC Board

    Ovie Omo Agege; The Mastermind Of Urhobo, Isoko, Delta Ijaw And Itsekiri Loss On NDDC Board

    By Olorogun Olori Magege

    Ovie Omo Agege thinks he is the beloved son of President Buhari. Of course, he is not. A Fulani man has no abiding love for anyone. His love is as fleeting as the moving cloud above, changing as it dissipates over the horizon. That is strange to Ovie because he stole the mace of the Senate of the Federal Republic to stop the phantom impeachment of Buhari. Shouldn’t Buhari forever lick his backside? So he thought. Of course, Ovie didn’t know that Buhari knew there was no impeachment plan on that day and he is only amused by the dexterity of the mace snatchers. It was a comic relief from an otherwise tense Executive/Legislature relationship of that era. But Ovie in his self-induced egomania, overstretched his goodwill with President Buhari.

    When he got rewarded with the plum job of the Deputy Senate President over his role in the mace snatching, he got giddy-headed; he nicknamed himself Ovie Omo Buhari, he was unstoppable, the anointed of Aso Rock. He had direct access to the President of the Federal Republic.

    His first plan was to be anointed as the APC leader of the South-South Zone. But he was rebuffed by the big boys of Rivers, Cross Rivers, and Akwa Ibom. ‘Who are you?’ they asked him. He staged a quick retreat. Buhari was silent, amused by the antics of the mace snatcher.

    Not done yet he set his eyes on the NDDC Board. He reckoned as the Deputy Senate President who hails from the South-South he is the alpha and omega of the NDDC and he should decide who gets nominated into the Board.

    So he sold the idea of the Board to the then National Chairman of APC Comrade Oshiomhole and together they got to work. Ovie knew the Managing Director position would guarantee him the funding of his Guber dream. But he sold a dummy to Adams that the position of the Board Chairman is more befitting to him to appoint as the Chairman of APC. Adams swallowed the bait and he nominated his ex-Deputy to the position of Chairman. Of course Ovie nominated Bennard Okumagba who is said to have bankrolled his second Senate bid. They got some others to nominate for the remaining positions. The job was done and dried, so they believed.

    They bid their time until Buhari had left the country for medical treatment, and they forged a letter to the Senate announcing the nominations and Ovie sought for Senate clearance. Of course, the Senate screened the nominees and passed them. Ovie had delivered, Ovie had vanquished, Ovie had triumphed……Ovie Omo Buhari!!!!

    Ovie in his wildest dream did not anticipate the revolt his actions would provoke; in intensity and severity. Buhari was not amused. Many claimed to be the son of Buhari just because he took pictures with them or because they ran errands for him sometime ago. But only Buhari knows his sons; if you doubt me ask El Rufai.

    Ovie grossly underestimated Buhari’s resolve to clean the augean stable that NDDC had become. The forensic audit would be carried out to catch the thieves and to reposition the Commission for effective mandate delivery.

    So Akpabio didn’t really have any convincing to do on Buhari for Buhari to jettison Ovie NDDC Board.

    The problem with Ovie is his ego. He believes he is the smartest person God has ever created, he knows it all, the alpha the omega. Anything he does not know does not exist. Because of his superego, he did not believe he needed to carry anyone along in his mischief-making. In the art of diplomacy, he has no knowledge of and therefore no need for it.

    How he thinks he can single-handedly nominate a board of such an important interventionist agency beats all imagination. But that is how the world of sadists and despots revolves and the innocent suffer the consequences.

    So when the new Board was being selected Ovie was denied access. He had done his own and alone. This time around his input was denied, and his advice was not needed.

    And the Urhobos, the Isokos, the Delta Ijaws, and the Itsekiris were left out of the Board. Ovie’s arrogance of purpose has cost my people a no representation on a Commission specifically created and mandated to ameliorate the hardships arising from oil exploration and oil degradation of their ancestral lands.

    And Ovie wants to be their Governor. God forbid!

    ©️
    Olorogun Olori Magege wrote from the oil-degraded swamps of the Gbaramatu Kingdom.

  • OPINION: Will APC Federal Government do well for APC governed Delta State?

    OPINION: Will APC Federal Government do well for APC governed Delta State?

    By Akpo Sobotie

    The answer to the above question is a loud Nooooo! An APC Federal government will not in any way augur well for an APC governed Delta State.

    This question and the answer to it have become necessary because of the kite being flown by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State that the people should vote for the APC in Saturday’s governorship election because a Delta State ruled by APC will benefit from a federal government run by the APC.

    This is false and nothing can be farther than the truth. Deltans must think and beware and they must not fall for this trick.

    There is absolutely no connection between good governance in a state and the federal government irrespective of the party in power at both state and federal.

    So far, the APC has been a disaster since 2015 and Nigerians are actually in a hurry to get rid of the party. But what happened in last Saturday’s presidential election was electoral robbery during which the APC stole power in broad day light at gun point. That victory does not reflect acceptance by Nigerians.

    Let us go back to the question of whether an APC Federal government will do well for an APC run Delta State. Again, the answer is an emphatic nooooo. The APC has been in charge of Nigeria since 2015 and Nigeria’s poorest states with the worst record of development indices are APC states such as Zamfara, Sokoto, Kogi, Niger, Ekiti, Ondo, Yobe, etc.

    These are not only the most wretched places, but also the most unsafe places. Workers in these states are owed salaries for up to fifteen months. They lack access to water, electricity, hospitals and schools. They have no roads and insecurity prevent their people from going to farms and markets.

    Yet, they are states ruled by the APC that also controls the federal government. How has that been beneficial to them? Kaduna State despite being central to the history of Nigeria is suffering under an APC governor. Massive unemployment, job loss, insecurity, hunger and chaos have become the character of that once beautiful state.

    Out of the three or five states that pay workers’ salaries regularly only Lagos State belongs to the APC. The others are of the PDP. Even Cross River State that jumped into bed with the APC has joined the league of Nigeria’s wretched states.

    So Deltans should not be deceived by the story that an APC federal government will do well for an APC run Delta State. It is a lie. The APC has brought Nigeria nothing but pains reflected in corruption, hunger, insecurity, death, unemployment and other unimaginable ills.

    Deltans must not make the mistake of voting for the APC’s Ovie Omo-Agege because that will be doom. Remember Omo-Agege is a tool in the hand of those destroying Nigeria. He will only replicate hell in Delta State.

    An Omo-Agege government will not pay workers’ salaries. Omo-Agege will borrow more money than Buhari borrowed in Nigeria’s name. Omo-Agege will destabilize Delta State because he hates the other ethnic groups in Delta State. Because he wants our votes, he is all over Delta State abusing Governor Okowa and Hon. Oborevwori. He is also promising Deltans everything, but he will end up doing nothing. He is a gbogboloshe governor who thinks he can do everything, but he will end up doing nothing. Deltans beware.

    An APC federal government will not guarantee anything good for an APC Delta State.

  • 10th NASS: Again, APC to lead both chambers with 57 senators, 162 reps

    10th NASS: Again, APC to lead both chambers with 57 senators, 162 reps

    The coast is now clear for the ruling party, APC to control the affairs of the upper legislature based on the list released so far by INEC on Saturday.

    In the list released, the APC has a clear majority with 57 senators and 162 reps putting the ruling party in a good stead for the leadership of both chambers.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the breakdown of results for the national assembly elections held on Saturday, February 25.

    The electoral body said winners have been declared for 423 national assembly seats while supplementary elections will be held in 46 constituencies.

    Yakubu Mahmood, INEC chairperson, said 98 out of 109 senate seats have been declared while in the house of representatives, 325 out of 360 seats have been decided.

    In the senate, the All Progressives Congress (APC) controls 57 seats while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now has 28 and Labour Party (LP) has six.

    The ruling party also dominates the house of representatives with 162 seats, the major opposition party PDP has 102 and LP controls 34.

    The INEC boss also addressed the logistics and technical issues that marred the presidential and national assembly elections.

    He said: “Do doubt, last week’s national elections raised a number of issues that require immediate, medium, and long-term solutions. The planning for the election was painstakingly done. However, its implementation came with challenges, some of them unforeseen. The issues of logistics, election technology, behaviour of some election personnel at different levels, attitude of some party agents and supporters added to the extremely challenging environment in which elections are usually held in Nigeria.

    “We appreciate the sacrifice and doggedness of Nigerians and the dignity and maturity displayed by political leaders even in the context of divergent views about the election. A lot of lessons have been learnt. Of immediate concern to the Commission is how the identified challenges can be addressed as we approach the concluding phase of the General Election involving the largest number of constituencies i.e. 28 State Governorship elections and 993 State Houses of Assembly seats.

    “In last Saturday’s elections, winners have also been declared for 423 national legislative seats while supplementary elections will be held in 46 constituencies. In the Senate, 98 out of 109 seats have been declared. So far, seven political parties have won senatorial seats while in the House of Representatives, 325 out of 360 seats have been won by eight political parties.”

    Mahmood described the 10th assembly as the most diverse national assembly since 1999.

    He said certificates of return will be presented to senators-elect on Tuesday at the national collation centre, Abuja, while members of the house of representatives-elect will receive theirs on Wednesday.

    The INEC chair said the comprehensive list of all members-elect will be uploaded to the commission’s website “shortly”.

  • INEC blows hot halts negligent staff From guber polls, cautions RECs

    INEC blows hot halts negligent staff From guber polls, cautions RECs

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has banned all staff found negligent in the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections from participating in March 11 governorship and state assemblies elections.

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced this at a meeting with the Resident Electoral commissioners (RECs) in Abuja on Saturday.

    As we approach the governorship and state assembly elections, we must work harder to overcome the challenges experienced in the last election. Nothing else will be acceptable to Nigerians.

    All staff found to be negligent, whether they are regular or ad hoc officials, including collation and returning officers (ROs), must not be involved in forthcoming elections.

    RECs must also immediately initiate disciplinary action where prima facie evidence of wrongdoing has been established,” Yakubu said.

    He noted that Saturday’s meeting is the third in less than two months and that like the last two meetings, the purpose was to discuss the conduct of the 2023 General Elections, arising from the presidential and National Assembly elections held a week ago, and with the governorship and state assembly elections holding next week.

    He said: “It is imperative to review performance and assess preparations. No doubt, last week’s national elections raised a number of issues that require immediate, medium, and long-term solutions.

    “The planning for the election was painstakingly done. However, its implementation came with challenges, some of them unforeseen. The issues of logistics, election technology, behaviour of some election personnel at different levels, attitude of some party agents and supporters added to the extremely challenging environment in which elections are usually held in Nigeria.”

    The INEC boss said he appreciated the sacrifice and doggedness of Nigerians and the dignity and maturity displayed by political leaders even in the context of divergent views about the election.

    Yakubu said a lot of lessons had been learnt and of immediate concern to the commission is how the identified challenges can be addressed as the nation approach the concluding phase of the general election involving the largest number of constituencies being 28 state governorship elections and 993 state houses of assembly seats.

  • OrderPaper observation confirms bandwagon effect on NASS polls

    OrderPaper observation confirms bandwagon effect on NASS polls

    A key outcome of the Elections Observation and Monitoring (EoM) for the 2023 General Elections by OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative has shown that a vast majority of citizens who voted at the National Assembly polls across the country did so on the basis of bandwagon effect more than any other consideration.

    This means that most votes for candidates standing for senate and house of representatives seats were cast based on the political party platform they ran on; as well as the choice of voters for the post of president.

    The appeal of individual legislative candidates played the least consideration for voters in making their choices.

    This is the highlight of the consolidated report by OrderPaper following the conclusion of its observatory of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections held the same day on February 25, 2023.

    OrderPaper is Nigeria’s premier and pre-eminent parliament-focused organization which deploys dedicated media reportage of the National Assembly, legislative advocacy as well exclusive legislative accountability measures towards promoting legislative strengthening and deepening of democracy in the country.

    An integral activity of the OrderPaper Elections Observation and Monitoring (EOM) for the 2023 polls was the use of an exit poll to ascertain the reasons citizens voted at the legislative elections. Randomly selected voters were interviewed for the exercise conducted by 415 citizen observers deployed to 326 polling units in the 360 federal constituencies across the 36 states of the country as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja..

    The results of the exit poll, which was deployed immediately at the end of voting at the polling units, showed that only 32.71% of respondents who partook in the exercise made their voting choice on the appeal of the candidates. On the other hand, 61.35% of the respondents chose their candidates based on the two factors of party affiliation and choice of presidential candidates. The remaining 5.94% of respondents polled based their ballot decisions on other random factors.

    The exit poll also showed that there was improved participation in the National Assembly Elections as 94% of the respondents across the country voted in both the Senate and House of Representatives Elections and not just the Presidential Polls.

    The assessment also revealed that of the randomly sampled respondents across the six geo-political zones who participated in its exit polls, the North East with 95.16% recorded the highest participation in the legislative elections; while the South East recorded 89.09% participation, the lowest based on the responses from those interviewed.

    These results clearly point to a bandwagon effect on the National Assembly elections, said Oke Epia, Executive Director of OrderPaper. He said the elections observatory has proved that citizens pay less importance to the legislative polls compared to the presidential and governorship which was a key premise of the VOTER Project being implemented with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and technical guidance by Palladium under the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project.

    According to him, while there was improved participation in the legislative elections, that appetite appeared not to have been appropriately directed to elect members of the National Assembly based on conviction that those voted for possess the capacity, competence and track record to deliver services in office but rather on extraneous influences and considerations.

    “Änd for us at OrderPaper, this has always been the bane of the legislature which continues to suffer deficiencies in being unable to hold the president, his appointees and bureaucrats to account in terms of vibrant oversight; providing the needed support to a competent executive arm of government in terms of lawmaking; and offering productive representation to constituents which are the core functions of the parliament and members of parliament.

    “It is our hope that this finding on the bandwagon effect will raise the much needed awareness and sensitization among stakeholders in the democratic project and attract more attention to the legislature before, during and post-elections to facilitate improved service delivery by this most critical arm of government.”

    OrderPaper deployed the 2023 elections observation as part of the implementation of the VOTER (Validating the Office of the Electorate on Representation) Project. Ahead of the deployment, the media-cum-legislative advocacy organization carefully recruited and onboarded hundreds of active citizens, christened Leg’ACEs (Active Citizens Engaging the Legislature), across the country and capacitated them to participate in Election Observations and Monitoring (EOM) for the legislative elections on February 25, 2023.

    Following this, a Situation Room on the elections was opened on Friday, 24th February and remained active till Sunday, 26th February. The main objective of the exercise was to observe the effect of bandwagon trend in the National Assembly elections, as well as ascertain compliance of the election management body- the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – and other stakeholders with the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s electoral guidelines.

    An interim statement on the conduct of the elections was released on Saturday, February 25th which focused on pre-commencement of voting by INEC. That statement highlighted the findings from the field that voting started late in many parts of the country due to late arrival of INEC officials.

    While polls were expected to open at 8:30 am in the 176,846 Polling Units (PUs) across the federation, most of the polling units did not open on time, the statement revealed, among other salient findings from the field.

    “For a democratic exercise of this nature, the process is as important as the outcome, hence we carried out this civic responsibility to as well ascertain compliance of INEC as the election management body and other critical stakeholders with the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s electoral guidelines,” Epia said.

    OrderPaper will publish and disseminate a comprehensive report on its observation of the 2023 general elections in the coming weeks.

  • 2023 fallout: Stop being delusional, you’re cause of your own downfall -APC-PCC slams Atiku

    2023 fallout: Stop being delusional, you’re cause of your own downfall -APC-PCC slams Atiku

    …you’re reaping full consequence of your indiscretion

    The APC -PCC on Thursday slammed the presidential candidate of PDP Atiku Abubakar saying that he is the architect of his own downfall after destroying the party that gave him the platform to contest.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports this was contained in a statement signed by Festus Keyamo SAN, Chief Spokesperson of the PCC on Thursday.

    Apparently reacting to the address of the presidential candidate where he claimed the 2023 was massively flawed, the PCC said:

    “In the typical fashion of the last kick of a dying horse, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar this evening addressed the Press and claimed that the 2023 Presidential Election was neither free nor fair.

    “He made this bogus claim without providing a shred of evidence, except to trumpet the noise made by his supporters on social media.

    “He also went ahead to make unfounded derogatory comments about the person of the President-elect, ASIWAJU Bola Ahmed Tinubu in obvious bitterness and frustration.

    “Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should be thankful that he even exceeded expectations in the elections by coming 2nd; with all the distractions and fractured party with which he campaigned he must have sensed beforehand that he was headed for a humiliating defeat that should have put him a distant 3rd or 4th in the elections. His performance was therefore the best he could achieve.

    “Firstly, Atiku Abubakar breached the zoning principle within his own party by insisting on running for President when that was clearly against the mood of the nation; even after emerging as a candidate, the PDP itself continued to rub insult on the faces of southern leaders in the Party by insisting on keeping the position of National Chairman in the North.

    “This obviously led to the rebellion of the G5 Governors and their subsequent sabotage of the PDP before the polls and at the polls by campaigning against ATIKU’S candidature. His failure to unite his party and manage this post-primaries fall-out was his eventual undoing.

    “ATIKU’S bid for the Presidency this time around was dead on arrival when his inordinate ambition fractured his party into 3 parts, with Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwanso and Mr. Peter Obi breaking away to the NNPP and the Labour Party respectively.

    “The massive loss he suffered in traditional PDP zones and States is a clear testament to this. One wonders, then, how he expected to have won the election. It is also comical to see that he claims victory at the polls together with Mr. Peter Obi with whom his party has been holding Press Conferences.

    “Nigerians have since seen through the ambition of ATIKU Abubakar that it is merely self-serving. Hence, he has run for Presidency at every point in time in the last 30 years, irrespective of the zoning tilt of the nation. Following his successive failures and rejection by Nigerians in different elections, it should be clear to him by now that he is simply UNELECTABLE. The expositions relating his self-confessed mode of syphoning public funds whilst in office through SPVs further dented his aspiration before Nigerians.

    “Atiku Abubakar’s decision to challenge the outcome of the results is welcome. We are prepared to meet his challenge, no matter the nature of the challenge, anywhere and anytime.

    “If ATIKU Abubakar is not embracing the olive branch extended to him and other losers in the 2023 elections by the President-elect, ASIWAJU Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the least he can do is to quietly relocate to Dubai which has become his traditional home base.

  • 2023: Okumagba hails Joel-Onowakpo Thomas on his emergence as Senator-elect for Delta South

    2023: Okumagba hails Joel-Onowakpo Thomas on his emergence as Senator-elect for Delta South

    Leader of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State and former Delta State Commissioner for Finance, Chief Bernard Okumagba has congratulated Joel-Onowakpo Thomas on his election as senator to represent Delta South senatorial district in the keenly contested general election held on February 25 2023.

    Chief Okumagba in a congratulatory message he signed praised Thomas’s tenacity and verve which saw him coasting to victory from a broad base of support in the senatorial district, which comprises Ijaw, Isoko, Itsekiri and Urhobo indigenes, adding that:

    “knowing the professional quality and capacity of Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, our Delta South Senatorial District has made the right choice.”

    “Joel-Onowakpo who I have known for over 15 years and has previously worked closely with me in the past has the right temperament, tenacity and drive to achieve for our Senatorial District.”

    Okumagba who is the Udu of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom and Eruvwu r’Ovie of Agbarha Kingdom, both of Warri South LGA in the Delta South Senatorial District, said the victory of Thomas gives the district a fresh vista to grow once again.

    He advised the new senator to “stay true to the progressive ideals of the APC for the benefit of all our people of the Delta South Senatorial District.” Olorogun Okumagba also stressed the need for equitable distribution of development among the constituent ethnic groups in the senatorial district in the next administration.

    He further prayed for God’s Grace and guidance for Thomas as he goes to the Red Chamber to represent the people of the district.

    #

  • APC set to form NASS leadership with 49 senate seats in it’s kitty

    APC set to form NASS leadership with 49 senate seats in it’s kitty

    …as incumbent govs lose in their states

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to form the tenth National Assembly as it is currently having 49 Senate seats in its kitty.

    The ruling party has maintained its dominance of the Senate, having secured 49 seats, according to the results of the parliamentary polls so far released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Out of the 89 seats so far declared, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 28; Labour Party six while New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) secured two seats each. The Young Progressive Party (YPP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have so far produced one senator each. With 49 senators, the ruling party is set to maintain majority in the 10th Senate. There are 109 seats in the Red Chamber, made up of three seats per state and one for FCT. A party with a simple majority produces presiding officers called President of the Senate and Deputy Senate President.

    Meanwhile, last Saturday’s parliamentary poll has continued to throw up shocks and upsets as more serving governors were defeated in the election

    Governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Ben Ayade (Cross River) lost their bids to represent their senatorial districts in the parliament. Only two, governors Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger) and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) won. The result of the Sokoto South senatorial election, which Governor Aminu Tambuwal contested, was declared inconclusive over irregularities, including over-voting. Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero has been declared winner of Kebbi central senatorial election.

    The returning officer, Professor Abbas Yusuf, said Senator Aliero of PDP polled 126,588 votes to defeat Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu in the election. He said Bagudu, who is also Chairman Progressive Governors Forum, scored 92,389 votes. Lalong trounced in Plateau The Director-General, DG Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, lost the bid to occupy the Plateau South senatorial seat. He was defeated by retired AVM Napoleon Bali of PDP. Lalong of APC scored 91,674 while Bali scored 148,844 to emerge the winner. In Plateau North, PDP’s Simon Mwadkwon polled 155,681 votes to defeat the candidate of APC, Christopher Musa who polled 78,302. FCT: LP’s Ireti unseats Aduda after 3 terms Ireti Heeba Kingibe of Labour Party has been declared winner of Saturday’s senatorial election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Kingibe defeated incumbent Senator Philip Aduda of PDP, who was elected into the Senate in 2011. She polled 202,175 votes to defeat her main challenger, Aduda, who scored 100,544 votes while APC’s Zakari Angulu secured 78, 905 and candidate of NNPP got 3,802 votes.

    Sokoto senatorial poll declared inconclusive No winner emerged in all three senatorial districts in Sokoto after INEC declared the National Assembly elections in the state inconclusive over violence and overvoting. Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal was leading Senator Ibrahim Danbaba Dambuwa of APC in the Sokoto South senatorial election with 2,050 votes before it was declared inconclusive.

    Tambuwal scored 87,850 votes while Dambuwa secured 79,991. Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and APC’s leader in the state is so far leading in the Sokoto North senatorial election with 11,732 votes. Wamakko polled 114,866 votes against the 103,134 votes scored by the candidate of the PDP and incumbent deputy governor of the state, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya. APC sweeps Kogi senatorial seats, wins 2 in Delta The ruling APC won all the senatorial seats in Kogi State. Engineer Abubakar Ohere was declared the winner of the Kogi Central senatorial election, after polling 52,132 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of PDP, who recorded 51,763 votes.

    In Kogi West, Sunday Karimi of APC polled 70,184 votes to defeat his main opponent, Tajudeen Yusuf, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 51,964 votes. The incumbent Kogi Central senator, Isah Jibrin (APC), was declared winner after polling 108,784 votes being the highest against his closest rival Victor Adoji of PDP, who scored 81,867. In Delta, the APC candidates, Chief Ede Dafinone and Thomas Joel-Onowakpo, won in the Central and Southern senatorial zones respectively. Dafinone polled 109,197 votes to defeat his closest rival, Chief Ighoyota Amori (PDP), who scored 101,385. Joel-Onowakpa polled 49,955 to defeat other candidates, including PDP’s Prince Michael Diden, who scored 47,656. PDP clears Kaduna, Rivers The ruling APC lost all the three senatorial seats to PDP in Kaduna State.

    Out of the three seats, only Southern Kaduna was previously occupied by PDP. In Kaduna North, the incumbent senator, Suleiman Abdu Kwari (APC), who polled 190,008 votes lost to PDP’s Khalid Ibrahim Mustapha, who secured 260,026 votes. In Kaduna Central, PDP’s Lawal Adamu Usman, popularly known as (Mr LA), won with over 250,000 votes. In Southern Kaduna, Sunday Katung of PDP won with 138,246 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ayuba Michael, of the LP who scored 101,479. In Rivers, Allwell Onyesoh (Rivers East), Barry Mpigi (Rivers South East) and Ipalibo Harry-Banigo (Rivers West), all PDP, won. Nyako loses as PDP clinches 2 seats in Adamawa

    PDP won two Senate seats while the APC got one in Adamawa. For the Central senatorial zone, Aminu Iya Abbas (PDP), was declared winner, having scored 145,880 votes to defeat Abdulaziz Nyako (APC), who got 118,555. Senator Binos Yeroe, PDP candidate for Adamawa South won re-election after scoring 146,407 votes to defeat his closest rival, Adamu Samaila Numan of the APC who scored 94,828 votes. Senator Elisha Abbo, APC candidate in the northern zone polled 71,927 votes to win re-election against PDP’s Yohanna Amos who scored 61,895 votes. Umeh unseats Ekwunife in Anambra LP candidate for Anambra Central senatorial district, Victor Umeh, defeated incumbent Senator Uche Ekwunife of PDP. Umeh polled 103,608, votes to defeat Ekwunife and other candidates.