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Tag: Adamawa

  • Adamawa Assembly polls: PDP wins 13, APC 11 seats

    Adamawa Assembly polls: PDP wins 13, APC 11 seats

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won 13 seats of the Adamawa State House of Assembly.

    The commission said in a statement by Mrs Rifkatu Maxwell, its Head of Voters Education and Publicity on Monday in Yola, that the All Progressives Congress (APC),which is the ruling party in the state, won 11 seats.

    It also said that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) won one seat.

    ”Adamawa has 25 State Assembly seats and out of these, the Peoples Democratic Party won 13 seats and the African Democratic Congress won one seat.

    ”The ruling party, the All Progressives Congress won 11 seats,” it said.

    It listed the PDP elected state constituencies to include Demsa,Gombi, Guyuk, Uba/Gaya, Hong and Jada/Mbulo

    Others are: Lamurde, Madagali, Nassarawo/Binyeri, Michika, Numan, Song and Yola North state constituencies.

    The commission said the 11 seats won by All Progressive Congress, include Fufore/Gurin, Fufore/Verre, Ganye, Girei and Leko/Koma.

    Others are: Maiha, Mubi North, Mubi South, Shelleng, Toungo and Yola South.

    The African Democratic party won only Mayo-Belwa state constituency, the electoral umpire added.

  • BREAKING: INEC vacates court orders, to conduct supplementary poll in Bauchi, Adamawa on Saturday

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday evening confirmed that the supplementary governorship election earlier scheduled to hold in Bauchi and Adamawa states on Saturday will still hold as scheduled despite the fact that the issue has become a subject of litigation.

    The litigation on the Bauchi governorship election, INEC said, was initiated by the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Mohammed Abubakar.

    Taking to its verified Twitter handle @inecnigeria on Thursday, INEC said an interlocutory injunction to suspend the process has been served on the Commission by the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    “While the Commission has complied in accordance with its policy to obey all court orders in deference to the rule of law, it has also taken urgent steps to vacate the order and dismiss the action,” INEC said.

    It noted that the litigation and consequential order only affect the collation of results for the governorship election in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area.

    “Consequently, the supplementary elections will proceed as scheduled on Saturday, 23 March in the other 15 Local Government Areas of Bauchi State as well as the Kirfi State Constituency Supplementary Election in Kirfi Local Government Area,” the Commission said.

    Similarly, INEC said, the Adamawa State High Court had issued an injunction restraining the Commission from proceeding with the supplementary election following the application by the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy, a registered political party which did not take part in the main election.

    It said that though the Commission had also complied with the order, it has also taken steps to vacate it and dismiss the action.

    “Notwithstanding the legal action over the Supplementary Governorship election, elections will hold in Nassarawo/Binyeri State Constituency in Mayo–Belwa Local Government Area where the election had to be countermanded following the death of a candidate before the polls, as well as the supplementary State Constituency election and Uba/Gaya State Constituency in Hong Local Government Area,” INEC said.

  • Court orders indefinite postponement of Adamawa supplementary governorship polls

    Court orders indefinite postponement of Adamawa supplementary governorship polls

    A state high court in Yola has ordered the indefinite postponement of the governorship supplementary polls in Adamawa State slated for Saturday.

    The judge, Abdul-azeez Waziri, said the polls should be put on hold until he rules on an application for an interlocutory injunction barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting the polls.

    The judge then adjourned the matter to Tuesday to give the ruling.

    A political party, the Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD) and its supposed candidate, Eric Theman, had asked the court to cancel the election on the grounds that the party’s logo is not on the ballot paper.

    Appearing for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Fintiri, in the matter, Joseph Gadzama, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) leading eight other counsel, had filed a motion for Mr Fintiri to be joined in the suit.

    Counsel to the PDP, Okechukwu Udeze (SAN) leading six others, also applied for PDP to be joined in the suit.

    Adeyemi Pitan, counsel to MRDD and Eric Theman, however, opposed the motion of the two parties on grounds that the two applications were not served on him in due time.

    The MRDD counsel said the only business of the court for the day was the March 14 application for an interlocutory injunction to stop the supplementary election, not the hearing of any motion.

    Lead counsel to INEC, Tanimu Inuwa (SAN), however, prayed the court to discharge the injunction on grounds that it has no jurisdiction to entertain the case.

    He cited section 25 subsection 1 of the Constitution, saying that “INEC being a federal organ, challenging its decision should be through a federal high court not a state high court.”

    Mr Inuwa said the issues being canvassed before the court touched on the conduct of elections and that section 285 subsection 2 of the Constitution places conduct of an election in the purview of election tribunals.

    He said that MRDD has no locus standi to approach the court because it has not fulfilled all the electoral process, adding that it has no interest in the case.

    Adjourning the case to March 26, Justice Waziri ruled that he needed time to study the voluminous documents submitted by the counsel to the various parties.

  • Boko Haram terrorists invade, attack Adamawa community

    The military on Monday chased out insurgents who tried to enter Michika, a commercial town in Adamawa, after a fierce battle that raged for hours.

    Some residents of Michika told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they started hearing gunfire and explosions around 7 p.m. on Michika- Lassa road as the insurgents, who approached the town, were confronted by the military.

    “We are hearing gunshots and the fight is raging on,” a resident of Michika who simply identified himself as Idris, said.

    “Pray for us; Boko Haram are trying to enter Michika,” another resident, Teri, said.

    John Jigalambu, a resident of Bazza, a village near Michika, said they could hear gunshots and most residents in the village had escaped to avoid the attackers.

    Confirming the incident, the Adamawa Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Mallam Ahmad Sajoh, said the military was on top of the situation.

    According to Sajoh, the insurgents, who entered through Kirchinga village in neigbouring Madagali local government, were being chased out by the military which had deployed reinforcement.

    “They burnt the first bank in Michika and some shops,” Sajoh said.

  • [BREAKING] Inconclusive polls: Osinbajo in secret meeting with Bauchi, Adamawa governors

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday met behind closed doors with the Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar and the Adamawa State Governor, Jibrila Bindow at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The two governors are seeking second tenure on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    But the governorship results of the March 9th elections in the two states were declared inconclusive.

    The agenda of the meeting on Thursday was not made public.

    It was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

    Details later…

  • JUST IN: Court restrains INEC from conducting supplementary gov’ship election in Adamawa

    JUST IN: Court restrains INEC from conducting supplementary gov’ship election in Adamawa

    A state high court in Yola has barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting the supplementary governorship election for which it scheduled March 23 in Adamawa State.

    The Adamawa State High Court, presided by Justice Abdulaziz Waziri, granted an interim injunction barring INEC from conducting the supplementary polls in the 44 polling units where voting either did not hold during the March 9 governorship election or was cancelled

    The high court judgement was sequel to a suit filed by the governorship candidate of the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRRD), Rev Eric Theman, who questioned non-inclusion of his party logo for the governorship election by INEC.

    The Adamawa governorship election had been declared inconclusive by INEC on Monday morning after it collated results from the 21 LGAs of the state and arrived at a margin of lead between the two leading parties to be lower than the number of registered voters in polling units where voting was cancelled.

    The commission announced Tuesday that it would conduct a supplementary election on March 23 in the affected polling units, but a sign that the current suit might come up emerged the day after the election, March 10, when the MRDD candidate cried out that his party logo was not on the ballot paper, and urged INEC to cancel the election.

    “I reject the election and urge INEC to stop the process of announcing the results immediately. My party is not on the ballot paper and I will reject whatever is the outcome,” Theman had said.

  • Adamawa Governorship poll inconclusive – INEC

    Adamawa Governorship poll inconclusive – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the Adamawa Governorship election is inconclusive and a new date for the rerun election would be announced.

    The Returning Officer .Prof. Andrew Haruna, confirmed the development at the governorship election collation centre in Yola on Monday.

    Haruna said the number of cancellations was higher than the margin of lead votes between the two contestants and therefore, a new date for the rerun election would be fixed.

    Haruna mentioned about 44 polling units affected across the state

  • 313 candidates contest for governorship, House of Assembly seats in Adamawa

    313 candidates contest for governorship, House of Assembly seats in Adamawa

    No fewer than 313 candidates from 29 political parties will be contesting for Saturday Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Adamawa.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa, Mr Kashim Gaidam, the told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that 29 candidates would be contesting for governorship, while 284 candidates from various political parties are vying for the 25 state House of Assembly seats.
    Among the 29 contestants for governorship seat are four women; Lami Musa of People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN), Na’ama Bulama of Progressive People Alliance (PPA), Rukayya Audu of Action People’s Party (APP) and Elizabeth Isa of Change Advocacy Party (CAP).

    Also 25 women are among the 284 candidates for the legislative poll.
    Meanwhile, many residents see the governorship election as a tough contest between four major contenders of the 29 in the race.

    The contenders are the incumbent Gov. Muhammadu Bindow of APC; former Adamawa Speaker and two-time acting governor-Umaru Fintiri of PDP; current serving Sen. of Adamawa Central, Abdul-Aziz Nyako of ADC; and former House of Representatives member, Chief Emmanuel Bello of SDP.
    NAN also reports that some of the gubernatorial candidates have within the week announced their withdrawal from the race to endorse the candidates of the APC, PDP, ADC or SDP.

  • Adamawa lawmaker slumped, died at political gathering

    Adamawa lawmaker slumped, died at political gathering

    A member of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Adamu Kwanate (APC, Nassarawo-Binyeri), slumped and died Wednesday after attending an election campaign rally.

    The legislator was said to have collapsed at a political meeting.

    This was five days after the member representing Mubi South in the house, Abdurrahman Abubakar ,died in Yola.

    The Public Relations Officer of the house, Yahaya Daji , yesterday confirmed Kwanate’s death to newsmen.

    He said the lawmaker was rushed to a hospital in Yola where he later died.

    He said Kwanate had been battling an undisclosed health problem before his death.

    He described the deceased as a hardworking legislator who enjoyed a cordial relationship with his colleagues and the staff of the house.

  • Adamawa Assembly loses second lawmaker in one week

    Adamawa Assembly loses second lawmaker in one week

    Adamawa House of Assembly member, Adamu Kwanate (APC- Nasarawo/Binyeri) is dead.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that Kwanate died on Wednesday, four days after another lawmaker, Abubakar Abdurahman (ADC-Mubi South) passed away after a long illness.

    Kwanate who is seeking reelection in the upcoming election on Saturday, was said to have collapsed during a campaign engagement in his constituency and was rushed to a hospital in Yola, where he died.

    Mohammed Daji, Information Officer of the state assembly, who confirmed the death of the lawmaker to NAN, said: “I just got the shocking news of his death, but I am yet to get details of what happened.”