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Tag: Edo poll

  • Edo election: APC, PDP supporters jubilating ahead of final result

    Edo election: APC, PDP supporters jubilating ahead of final result

    Supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People Democratic Party (PDP) have occupied the popular Ramat Park in Benin, jubilating even when the result of the Edo Governorship Election is yet to be announced.

    As at the time of this report, collation of results for the election was yet to commence.

    The two political parties were frontline in the off-cycle election held in the state on Saturday with 17 candidates jostling for the top job.

    Supporters of the parties faced each other, chanting different triumphant songs to indicate their victory at the poll.

    Operatives of the joint security agencies including the police and the military had a herculean task maintaining law and order between the groups.

    NAN reports that Ramat Park is about 700 metres from the INEC office in Benin.

    The APC supporters who converged at the centre of the park set-up electronic gadgets and danced to the reeling music.

    Edo residents voted on Saturday to elect a new governor that will pilot the affairs of the state for the next four years.

    The election was conducted under tight security.

  • Edo Poll: Disregard fake election results, APC tells electorate

    Edo Poll: Disregard fake election results, APC tells electorate

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has charged Edo electorate to disregard election results in circulation as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was still collating results.

    Mr Felix Morka, the party’s National Publicity Secretary gave the advice, in a statement, on Saturday in Abuja.

    “The attention of the APC has been drawn to some reports circulating in sections of social media by certain political parties, peddling bogus figures of vote tallies in the ongoing Edo Gubernatorial Election.

    “We urge the Edo electorate and the general public to disregard these bogus and highly speculative reports.

    “Our great party wishes to clarify that collation at the Ward level is still ongoing and has yet to be concluded.

    “Certainly, Local Government level collation has yet to begin in most of the Local Government Areas in the state let alone concluded,” the APC spokesman said.

    He explained that consistent with the Electoral Act, INEC was the sole authorised body empowered to collate results at Ward, Local Government and State levels, and to officially declare the election results

    Morka said the APC was comfortably in an early lead, but would not attempt to preempt INEC’s conclusion of the election process and official declaration of final results.

    He urged members of the public to disregard attempted misrepresentation and await INEC’s final verdict on the election.

  • Edo poll: INEC uploads 90.33% of results on IREV

    Edo poll: INEC uploads 90.33% of results on IREV

    The Independent National Electoral Commission has uploaded 90.33 percent of the results from the Edo governorship election to its Result Viewing Portal.

    Results from 4,082 out of the 4,519 polling units where elections were held in the state have been successfully transmitted.

    Earlier today, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo, Anugbum Onuoha, reassured the public during an interview on Arise Television that electronic transmission of results would proceed smoothly, barring any network disruptions.

    “We have trained the operators for the BVAS. They are set. BVAS is to accredit the voters and to know the total number of voters that will vote at that level and that polling unit.

    “After that, the voters will start voting. At the end of the day, they will count the results, and it will be uploaded to our IReV,” he assured.

    With more than 2.2 million permanent voter cards collected, candidates from various parties, including Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party, are competing for the governorship position.

    The winner will succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki, who will leave Osadebe House on November 11 after completing two terms in office.

  • ‘I’m still in this race’ – LP candidate denies stepping down from Edo guber poll

    ‘I’m still in this race’ – LP candidate denies stepping down from Edo guber poll

    Labour Party candidate, Olumide Akpata has said he is still in the race ahead of the Sept. 21 Edo Governorship Election.

    Akpata stated this in Benin on Friday, while debunking a publication that he had stepped down from the governorship race.

    He said the publication was the handiwork of fraudulent politicians.

    He urged Edo people to disregard the publication, noting that: I AM STILL IN THIS RACE.

    ”I have been inundated with a flood of calls and messages from friends and supporters, which constrains me to release this statement to dispel the wicked rumour circulating that I have decided to step down and support the PDP candidate in tomorrow’s governorship election.

    “The notion that I would step down on the eve of the election, after the overwhelming support received from the good people of our state, borders on delusion.

    “This pathetic attempt at deception is so amateurish that the “Oluwole” forgers could not even get the date right, leaving “July 29, 2024″ on their fraudulent document.

    He urged journalists to report the facts accurately and diligently verity information before publication.

    He also vowed to fish out the architects of the forgery, “I will not rest until I uncover every individual involved in this criminal act.”

  • Edo poll: Davido canvasses votes for PDP’s Ighodalo

    Edo poll: Davido canvasses votes for PDP’s Ighodalo

    Nigerian superstar, David Adeleke (Davido) has begun canvassing votes for Asue Ighodalo, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate  in the Edo governorship election billed for Sept. 21.

    The award winning music star took to his social media handles on Sunday evening, to make the  endorsement  for Ighodalo.

    He urged  the younger ones to come out en masse to vote for the PDP candidate.

    He said  Ighodalo, who happened to come from the same place with  his late mother, is the right candidate to vote for.

    The renowned singer captioned  it on a picture of the PDP candidate: ”The next governor of my mother’s homeland”.

    With millions of followers on social media, Davido’s endorsement could  influence the narrative of the upcoming election, particularly among the youths.

    NAN recalls that celebrities like Banky W and his wife, actress Adesua Etomi, actress Etinosa Nollywood actor and producer Charles Onojie among others, also  publicly supported the PDP candidate.

    Other influential business figures like Dr Aloy Chife and former Nigerian Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. former  governors Liyel Imoke and Donald Duke of Cross River State, have also been vocal in their backing of Ighodalo.

    The combination of celebrity endorsements and support from political heavyweights is expected to boost PDP chances amidst fierce challenge from the opposition.

  • Oba of Benin directs chiefs to perform ‘Bisusu’ ceremony ahead of Edo poll

    Oba of Benin directs chiefs to perform ‘Bisusu’ ceremony ahead of Edo poll

    The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has directed all traditional chiefs and leaders in Benin Kingdom to perform the traditional “Bisusu” ceremony to ward off evil ahead of the Edo governorship election.

    The ceremony is ensure a peaceful and hitch-free gubernatorial election in the state.

    This is contained in a statement by Chief Stanley Obamwonyi, the Esere of Benin on Wednesday in Benin.

    The ceremony, which involved waving away calamity, is to be performed with traditional items and carried out immediately.

    According to him,  the Oba’s directive is aimed at ensuring that the forthcoming Sept.  21, gubernatorial election in the state is free from violence and other forms of electoral malpractices.

    The Esere of Benin noted that the Oba’s directive is targeted at “preventing evil from Edo,  especially before, during, and after the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

    “The “Bisusu” ceremony is a traditional ritual performed by the Benin people to ward off evil and calamity from their land.

    “By directing the chiefs to perform this ceremony, the Oba is invoking traditional powers to ensure a peaceful and orderly election,”  Obamwonyi said.

    He said performance of the “Bisusu” ceremony would involve all Chiefs, Enigie, Ikao, Edionwere, and Igie Ohen of various deities in the Benin Kingdom.

    He said with the directive, traditional leaders in the Benin Kingdom were expected to take immediate action to perform the ceremony and use their influence to ensure a peaceful election.

    NAN

  • Edo poll: Appeal Court dismisses suit seeking Ighodalo’s disqualification

    Edo poll: Appeal Court dismisses suit seeking Ighodalo’s disqualification

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday dismissed an appeal seeking to disqualify Asue Ighodalo as governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo.

    A three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Hamma Barka, dismissed the appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/863/2024.

    The appeal was filed by governorship aspirants Arthur Esene and Anselm Ojezua.

    Esene and Ojezua had, in the appeal prayed the Court of Appeal to set aside the April 17 judgment by Justice James  Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja which dismissed their suit for being statute barred.

    Justice Barka  held that the suit filed before the Federal High Court by Ojezua and four others was filed out of time and statute barred.

    He agreed with the judgment of the Federal High Court that, not  Ojezua and others fail to establish their claims that Ighodalo forged his voter’s card.

    In addition, the judge held that their suit was bereft of any merit because it was based on a flawed assumption that not possession of a voter’s card constitutes a ground to disqualify a candidate from contesting election.

    He found that the appellants failed to appeal the findings of the trial court that Ighodalo actually applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the transfer of his registration from Lagos State to Edo and that INEC issued a voter’s card to Ighodalo.

    Justice Barka therefore strike out the appeal for being without merit and pto awarded cost of N3 million against the appellants and in favour of Ighodalo, PDP and INEC.

  • Edo 2024: APC pegs N40m on Nomination forms, gives discount for other aspirants

    Edo 2024: APC pegs N40m on Nomination forms, gives discount for other aspirants

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday in Abuja began the sale of Nomination and Expression of Interest forms to party members aspiring to the Edo governorship seat.

    Off-cycle governorship election would hold in Edo on Nov. 16, the same day as a similar exercise would hold in Ondo State.

    Mr Clem Agba, a former Minister of State for Budget and National Planning was the first APC aspirant from Edo to pick the forms at the party’s national secretariat.

    Mr Henry Idahagbon, a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Edo picked the forms on behalf of Agba.

    According to a schedule of activities for Edo governorship election released by the APC, the sale of Nomination and Expression of Interest and Delegates Forms will end on Jan. 29.

    The APC will elect its flag bearer for the governorship race at a primary election to hold on Feb. 17.

    The Expression of Interest and Nomination forms cost at N10 million and N40 million respectively.

    Aspirants living with disabilities and female aspirants are to pay for the Expression of Interest Form while the Nomination Form is free for them.

    Youths between 25 years and 40 years of age are to buy the Expression of Interest Forms and the Nomination Forms at 50 per cent discount.

  • Edo poll: Why we can’t investigate, disqualify Obaseki over certificate forgery saga – INEC

    Edo poll: Why we can’t investigate, disqualify Obaseki over certificate forgery saga – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that it does not have the power to investigate or disqualify candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo during the September 19 election of Governor Godwin Obaseki, over alleged forgery of the University of Ibadan’s (UI) certificate.

    It noted only a court order could disqualify a governorship candidate from participating in an election.

    INEC stated that it could not investigate the originality, authenticity, or otherwise of the disputed UI’s first-degree certificate presented to the commission by Edo Governor because it was beyond its responsibility.

    The electoral commission, as the first respondent in the petition filed by Action Democratic Party (ADP) and its governorship candidate, Iboi Emmanuel, at the Edo governorship election petitions tribunal in Benin, made the submissions in its reply, with a copy obtained on Sunday.

    The reply was signed by INEC’s lead counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

    The electoral commission said: “The information given by the third respondent (Obaseki) in the affidavit and documents submitted by him as a candidate at the election in INEC’s nomination form (Form C.F. 001) are presumed manifestly true or prima facie correct until and only if the contrary is proved and/or pronounced false by an order of the court.”

    PDP, last week, admitted there were noticeable errors in Obaseki’s UI’s certificate, which it claimed occurred while filling the forms for the election in 2016.

    It claimed the governorship candidate “mistakenly” wrote 1976 as his year of graduation, which ought to be his year of admission.

    The PDP said: “At the time Obaseki was completing his Form CF001 in 2016, he deposed to an affidavit, stating that he had misplaced the originals of all of his certificates, while changing offices, with the intention to apply for a re-issuance if his certificates.

    “The original certificate was issued in A5 size. In order for the photocopy of the certificate to be attached to Form CF001, the size was reduced to A4 and in the process, leaving out some information on the certificate.”

    Five petitions were filed at the tribunal chaired by Justice Abdulrazak Abdulkareem against INEC; PDP; Obaseki and his deputy/running mate, Philip Shaibu; the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its standard-bearer, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

    Besides ADP and its governorship candidate, there were four other petitions from Action Peoples Party (APP) without joining its governorship candidate, Amos Areloegbe; Action Alliance (AA) and its governorship candidate, Ukonga Onaivi; Allied Peoples Movement (APM), excluding its governorship candidate, Igbineweka Osamuede, and Tracy Agol, without joining her political party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

    The petitioners prayed the tribunal to nullify the September 19 election over forgery, perjury, and massive rigging as well as ordering a fresh election with the exclusion of PDP and Obaseki.

  • Edo poll: Ize-Iyamu returns to church, holds special thanksgiving for ‘successful election’ [Photo]

    Edo poll: Ize-Iyamu returns to church, holds special thanksgiving for ‘successful election’ [Photo]

    The governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has celebrated the successful conclusion of the 19 September governorship election and dismissed notions that he was downcast for not being declared the winner.

    He said this at a Special Thanksgiving Service held in his Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Soul Winners Assembly, in Benin City on Sunday.

    He said he chose to express gratitude to God for the exercise, as well as immensely thank supporters and those who assisted him.

    As he said God expects Man to offer him praises in all situations.

    The APC Governorship Candidate, whose sermon was titled “Utilising Opportunities”, said every opportunity must be seized to achieve an aim.

    On the outcome of the Election, Pastor Ize-Iyamu noted that defeat is an imagined state, and that since the exercise he had not felt defeated.

    Furthermore, he admonished his supporters not to allow the seed of defeat germinate amongst them, as God has decreed that all the “Earth is theirs”.

    The minister additionally encouraged his members to heed God’s caution in Thessalonians 5:16-18 that true believers do not “give away to grief’, ‘rejoice evermore’ and ‘pray without ceasing’ as he (God) only can determine the future.”

    The Edo State Regional Pastor of the RCCG, Professor Dele Balogun, also urged supporters of Pastor Ize-Iyamu not to lose focus as God may allow them to lose a battle and later win the war to test their faith.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Sunday, September 20 declared incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Godwin Obaseki as winner of the poll. This is the second time Obaseki is defeating Ize-Iyamu in a governorship contest in the state. He earlier did in 2016 when Obaseki contested under APC and Ize-Iyamu under PDP.