TheNewsGuru

Tag: Adamawa

  • Boko Haram: Food shortage hits Fufore IDPs Camp in Adamawa

    No fewer than 1,400 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) including the elderly, women and children from Fufore in Adamawa are complaining of acute food supply in the camp.

    Malam Bakura Umar, an IDP and leader of IDPs in Fufore Camp, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Yola.

    Umar complained that for the past three months the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had not supplied food to them.

    “About 1,400 IDPs, mostly women, children and elderly people are facing starvation due to acute food supply in Fufore Camp.

    “For the past three months, NEMA didn’t supply food for us and we are facing serious living conditions.

    “Because of the acute food supply both men and women from the camp had to go out to Fufore town and other nearby villages to look for food in order to survive,” Umar said.

    He said they were in the camp since 2014 and NEMA used to supply food items for them on monthly basis for every household living in the camp.

    The chairman said the IDPs in the camp were from Bama, Gwoza and Gamboru Ngala in Borno state.

    He said they were brought to the camp from Republic of Cameroon after Boko Haram overran their villages and towns in 2013 and they escaped to Cameroon for safety.

    He appealed to appropriate authorities concerned to come to their aid.

    When contacted, Alhaji Abani Garki, the NEMA Operational Officer in charge of Adamawa and Taraba dismissed the starvation claims and described it as “false alarm”.

    Garki told NAN that the agency was aware about the short delay in supply of the food to the camp.

    “The Agency is aware about the short delay of regular monthly food supply to households in Fufore camp but there was nothing like starvation in the camp.

    “In fact the delay was not as they claimed because we experienced a short delay of food supply in January this year due to some logistic challenges which affected the following months of February and March.

    “The Agency is trying all it can to ensure the IDPs are being taking care of properly,” Garki said.

    He said that the Federal Government was taking very good care of the IDPs including children education, healthcare provision and food supply.

  • Adamawa election tribunal receives 19 petitions

    Adamawa election tribunal receives 19 petitions

    The Adamawa Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Yola says it has received 19 petitions.

    The Secretary of the tribunal, Mr Godwin Ezenwa, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Yola.

    Ezenwa said the petitions comprised of two for Senate, seven for House of Representatives, and 10 for House of Assembly.

    Ezenwa said the tribunal would have its inaugural sitting on Monday, April 8.

  • Join hands with me to fix Adamawa, Fintiri tells defeated incumbent, others

    Join hands with me to fix Adamawa, Fintiri tells defeated incumbent, others

    The Adamawa State Governor-elect, Rt Hon Umaru Fintiri, has appealed to all those who contested in the just concluded governorship election, including incumbent Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow, to join hands with him in the task of running the state and taking it to higher heights.

    Fintiri was in the early hours of Friday declared winner of the state governorship election after the conclusion of the rerun by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which announced that Fintiri’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 376,552 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Bindow of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who got a total of 336,386 votes.

    Fintiri who addressed the press on his victory Friday afternoon in Yola, said he would need the support and contributions of everyone, including those who contested against him, to discharge his mandate for the good of the state.

    He promised to lead a socially accountable government where the best interests of the people would be the focus.

    Friday was a double celebration day for the governor elect as a court case challenging the election which produced him was quashed just hours after the declaration of his election by INEC.

    The candidate of the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), Eric Theman, had approached the state high court to allege that INEC omitted the logo of his party from the ballot paper for the March 9 election, for which reason he asked the court to annul that election and stop the supplementary election announced to correct the ‘inconclusive’ nature of that election.

    While the court immediately granted the injunction which prevented the holding of the supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State until Thursday March 28, the court continued hearing

  • INEC declares PDP’s Umaru Fintiri winner of Adamawa guber election

    INEC declares PDP’s Umaru Fintiri winner of Adamawa guber election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umaru Fintiri winner of the Adamawa State governorship election.

    This followed the conclusion of collation of results of the supplementary governorship election which was conducted in 44 polling units in 14 local government areas of the state on Thursday.

    Fintiri polled a total of 376,552 from the main election conducted on March 9 and the supplementary election of March 28 to beat his closest rival, incumbent Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored a total of 336,386 from both elections.

    Sen Abdulaziz Nyako of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came third with 113,237 and was followed by Chief Emmanuel Bello of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who polled 29,792 votes. Rev Abel Behora of the Alliance for New Nigeria trailed behind with 2,545 votes.

    Making the winner in the early hours of Friday, the returning officer, Prof Andrew Haruna, said Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, having polled the highest votes and satisfied other requirements, “is hereby declared winner and returned elected.”

  • INEC concludes supplementary poll in Adamawa, to start collation by 8 pm

    INEC concludes supplementary poll in Adamawa, to start collation by 8 pm

    The Independent National Electoral Commission has said the collation of result of the Adamawa governorship supplementary election will begin by 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

    Mr. Kasim Gaidam, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, confirmed the development to NAN in Yola.

    Gaidam explained that the exercise would begin at the Adamawa Governorship Election collation centre at INEC state headquarters in Yola.

    Gaidam said that reports reaching him showed the election was concluded peacefully and successfully in the 44 polling units in 14 Local Government Areas of the state.

    “We thank Almighty God that the supplementary election was conducted successfully and the collation of the result will commence by 8:00 p.m. today.

    “The election results from the affected 14 LGAs and 44 polling units are on the way to the collation centre, ” gaidam said.

    The Commissioner thanked the relevant stakeholders for making the election successful and peaceful.

  • Adamawa guber dispute: Court concludes hearing, fixes judgment for Friday

    The Adamawa State High Court on Thursday concluded hearing on a suit filed against the Adamawa State governorship election and fixed Friday March 29 for judgement.

    The candidate of the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), Rev Eric Theman, had gone to the court immediately after the March 9 governorship election that he was denied the right to be voted for as his party logo was not on the ballot paper for the election.

    He asked the court for an injunction stopping the conduct of a rerun already announced at the time after the main election was declared inconclusive. He also asked the court to declare the main election null and void for the same reason that he was not duly entered for the election after he fulfilled all requirements for inclusion.

    The court promptly granted his request of injunction against the rerun, which stayed until the same court lifted it on Tuesday, following which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fixed Thursday, March 28, for the rerun which was in progress as this story was filed Thursday afternoon.

    The court Thursday heard arguments for and against the originating motion seeking the annulment of the March 9 election from plaintiff and defence counsels, and adjourned judgement to Friday.

    Counsel to INEC, Bar Stephen Ibian, had argued, among other things, that the MRDD did not get to the ballot paper because the candidate did not nominate a running mate for the election. He said the necessary forms of INEC in respect to the MRDD showed that the party did not sponsor a running mate.

    “The reliefs sought constitute an academic exercise and not grantable,” he concluded.

    Defending MRDD’s motion, however, the counsel, Bar Mustapha Ibrahim, told the court that the MRDD did present a running mate to the governorship candidate but that the documents INEC was tendering had a vital page missing, which he said amounted to withholding of evidence.

    “It is inconceivable for INEC to receive form 001 (as it did) and not Form 002 because they come together,” Bar Mustapha Ibrahim said, urging the court to grant the reliefs his clients sought as the reliefs were well grounded.

    The trial judge, Justice Abdulaziz Waziri, who had been emphatic since Tuesday that the week would not end without him delivering judgement on the case, brought Thursday’s session to a close a little after 1pm, urging counsels who had not provided details of all authorities for the cases they cited in their arguments to do so by mid afternoon so he would have time to conclude the writing of his judgement against Friday.

    The judgement could have a telling effect on the ongoing governorship election process. If he annuls the election, it will bring the process to zero level, although the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the election, Rt Hon Umaru Fintiri, who are parties to the case and have always questioned the jurisdiction of the court over the case, will be certain to appeal such a judgement.

  • Adamawa APC makes u-turn, accepts to participate in guber re-run

    Adamawa APC makes u-turn, accepts to participate in guber re-run

    The ruling APC in Adamawa has called on its supporters in the state to get prepared and participate in the governorship supplementary election slated for Thursday.

    Alhaji Ahmed Lawal, State Organising Secretary of the party, gave the directive on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola.

    Lawal said that the party reviewed its earlier decision to boycott the poll and had resolved to fully participate in the poll.

    He, however, said that in spite of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC)’s refusal to heed their call for a re-schedule, the APC would still win the election.

    He appealed to the APC family and supporters not to be deterred by INEC’s action, but to go out en mass to vote for the candidate of the party.

    “Having consulted all the party stakeholders, we have resolved to participate in the supplementary election fixed for tomorrow.

    “Our earlier boycott threat was not out of fear, but to encourage participation by other political parties who had been taken unawares by the date for the supplementary election.

    “To us, we will participate and win the re-run even as INEC has refused to rescind its decision to hold the re-run tomorrow.

    “We appeal to APC supporters to come out and vote for APC massively so as to ensure victory in the election.

    “Adamawa is an APC state, and with the developmental strides recorded by Gov. Mohammed Bindow, it is a sure qualification for winning an election,’ Lawal said.

    It will be recalled that the state chapter of the APC had earlier rejected the March 28 date fixed by INEC for the conduct of the supplementary election in 44 polling units in the state.

    The APC threatened to boycott the election if INEC refused to reschedule the election.

    The date was fixed sequel to the vacation of a court order restraining INEC from conducting a governorship supplementary election in the state.

  • APC threatens to boycott supplementary poll in Adamawa

    APC threatens to boycott supplementary poll in Adamawa

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa has threatened to boycott the supplementary governorship election if INEC insisted on conducting it on Thursday.

    The State Organising Secretary of APC, Alhaji Ahmed Lawan, made the party position known on Wednesday in Yola.

    Lawan told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the party had rejected the Thursday’s date and communicated its position to the electoral body.

    INEC had announced Thursday for the supplementary election in 44 units.

    This followed the vacation of an interim injunction that stopped it from conducting the election last Saturday.

    “We are not going to participate in the election, if INEC is going to conduct it on Thursday.

    “I don’t know why INEC is rushing, as conducting this election on Thursday will disenfranchise many voters, particularly workers and students who need to go to work and schools,” Lawan said.

    The PDP Chairman in Adamawa, Mr Tahir Shehu, whose candidate (Ahmadu Fintiri) is leading with a difference of over 30,000 votes, said they were ready for the election.

    When contacted, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Adamawa, Mr Kassim Gaidam, said that the commission would hold the election as scheduled on Thursday.

    Gaidam urged all the parties involved to work toward a hitch-free poll.

  • APC rejects new Adamawa governorship supplementary election date

    APC rejects new Adamawa governorship supplementary election date

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa has rejected the new date, March 28, fixed by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) for the supplementary Governorship election in the state.

    The Organising Secretary of the party,Alhaji Ahmed Lawal, announced the party’s decision in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola on Tuesday.

    Lawal said that INEC did not consult the party before fixing the new date for the poll.

    He alleged that information had filtered out earlier that the election would be held on Thursday, March 28.

    “INEC failed to consult with political parties involved in this election before going ahead to fix a new date for the re-run.

    “We, therefore, became suspicious due to rumours in town earlier that supplementary election would be conducted on Thursday and it turned out to be true.

    “We are not afraid of re-run election but INEC should have done the right thing.

    “How can you fix an election on a working day. Are civil servants not going to participate in the election.

    “We are going to forward our protest on the matter to INEC,’’ he said.

    NAN reports that an Adamawa High Court sitting in Yola had earlier vacated an order restraining INEC from conducting a supplementary election in the state.

    INEC, therefore, fixed March 28 for the election.

  • Court vacates order stopping governorship election in Adamawa

    An Adamawa State High Court has vacated an order preventing the governorship supplementary election from taking place in the state.

    The court vacated the order on Tuesday, following the inability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the poll in 44 polling units in the state.

    Delivering a ruling, Justice Abdul-Azeez Waziri, held that the court had jurisdiction to entertain the case.

    He also approved the oral application by counsel to PDP gubernatorial candidate, Ahmadu Fintiri, Mr Joe Gadzama (SAN) and counsel to PDP, Mr Hamidu Tukur to join the suit as interested party.

    He, fixed Wednesday for hearing of the origination summons.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Adamawa Chapter of the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD) and its gubernatorial candidate, Rev. Eric Theman, had dragged INEC to the court over the absence of the party logo on the ballot paper of the inconclusive election.

    Reacting to the judgement, the Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Mr Kassim Gaidam said INEC would meet over development and take decision on next line of action.

    NAN reports that on March 14, the court ordered an injunction restraining the INEC from conducting a supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State on 23rd March.

    Waziri in the order said: “I hereby make the following orders: The defendant herein the Independent National Electoral Commission is restrained whether by themselves, their agents, servants, representatives, nominees or any other person from proceeding with the supplementary election with respect to Adamawa State Governorship pending the hearing and determination of Motion on notice.”

    INEC had ordered a rerun in six states, including Adamawa State.

    INEC declared the poll inconclusive after collating results from all the 21 local government areas in the state.

    The state returning officer, Andrew Haruna, said the margin of votes between Fintiri who scored higher votes and his All Progressives Congress counterpart, Gov. Muhammad Jibrilla, is lesser than total votes voided in about 40 polling units.

    Haruna said there are 40,988 votes that were cancelled in 44 polling units across the state. The margin between the two parties was 32,476.