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Tag: guber polls

  • Guber Polls: Collation suspended over result tempering in Adamawa

    Guber Polls: Collation suspended over result tempering in Adamawa

    An allegation of result tampering has led to the temporary suspension of collation in Adamawa state on Sunday night through Monday morning.

    The exercise is likely to resume on Monday by the time all the irregularities are sorted.

    Collation officers and even the state Commissioner of Police, Tola Afolabi had confirmed that there indeed were reported issues with results from Fufore but that they were working to make the necessary amends.

    Before collation came to a halt as INEC officials tried to sort the issue out, results from 20 of the 21 LGAs of the state had been collated by Sunday midnight.

    Results from Song and Michika LGA, respectively, were the last two to be collated after collation officers returned from break at just before 11pm.

    Song and Michika results are as follows:

    SONG (Central Zone)

    PDP 24,744
    APC 19,935
    NNPP 1582.

    MICHIKA (Northern Zone)
    PDP 30,262
    APC 15,793
    ABC 217

    The two brought to 20 the number of LGAs thus collated, leaving out just Fufore LGA, and bringing the votes of the leading PDP and APC candidates as follows: A total of 401,067 votes for the PDP and 366,498 to the APC.

    APC’s Aishatu Ahmed Binani is expected to get the highest votes from Fufore if INEC officials and party agents eventually agree on the result that will be announced from there.

    It’s still unclear if Aisha Bunani’s effort to make first elected female governor will come to fruition.

     

  • Guber Polls: DJ Switch laments inhumane treatment meted out to Igbos

    Guber Polls: DJ Switch laments inhumane treatment meted out to Igbos

    Canada based Nigerian  disc jockey, Obianuju Catherine Udeh, professionally known as DJ Switch, has expressed disastisfaction   over the treatment meted out to Igbo in Lagos State.

    The Igbo suffered open rejection in Lagos State and were publicly stopped from casting their votes in the presence of security agencies.

    The singer is  surprised that the Igbos were subjected to inhumane treatment during the Guber polls in the just concluded elections in Lagos state.

    The 2023 Lagos State gubernatorial election was marred by a high level of violence and intimidation.

    Some of the attacks on voters and electoral materials were carried out right in front of the security personnel.

    Before and during the polls thugs were used to threaten, create fears and force residents to either vote for a particular political party or not to bother casting their votes at all.

    Video clips of police officers being compromised are flying around on social media. The police had even described as a mere joke, the threat issued to non-indigenes of Lagos by the State’s Parks Management Committee Chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo.

    “I am really sorry to my Igbo brothers and sisters!” The Enugu-born DJ said.

    “Truly. You are not the only tribe in the SW but how you’ve all been demonized is so heartbreaking

    “APC is a shame Nigeria police shame, Nigeria is a shame. Shame… shame!

    Stand strong everyone… stand strong,” she wrote.

  • Guber Polls: Hoodlums kill Ebonyi PDP chair, Peter Nweke

    Guber Polls: Hoodlums kill Ebonyi PDP chair, Peter Nweke

     

    Peter Nweke the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has given up the ghost.

    Nweke died after sustaining injuries from an attack by hoodlums suspected to be political thugs of opposition during the Gubernatorial and Assembly elections on Saturday.

    Onome Onovwakpoyeya, the Police spokesperson in Ebonyi, confirmed the death of Nweke on Sunday.

    According to Onovwakpoyeya, Nweke was beaten up and rushed to the hospital unconscious where he was later pronounced dead by a doctor.

    She further disclosed that the Police has launched an investigation into incidents leading up to the party Chieftain’s death, with a view to arresting and prosecuting those responsible.

    Confirming the death, Samson Nweke, a human rights activist and younger brother to Peter, said he was beaten to a coma by thugs.

    He said the thugs wielding AK-47 rifles invaded his polling unit booth 10, Ogboji ward, Ezza North LGA Ebonyi State and surrounded his brother.

    He said an unnamed political party in the state was responsible for his late brother’s death, stating he had an intelligence report before the incident that led to his death.

  • 48hrs to Lagos guber poll: Confusion as Awamaridi claims he’s LP rightful candidate

    48hrs to Lagos guber poll: Confusion as Awamaridi claims he’s LP rightful candidate

    Barely 48hours to Lagos guber election, Mr Ifagbemi Awamaridi, a former candidate of the Labour Party in Lagos State,  says he still remains the candidate of the party in the March 18 Gubernatorial Election.

    Awamaridi, who was also the National Coordinator, Labour Party Concerned Stakeholders, made the disclosure in Lagos on Thursday at a news briefing to round off his electioneering campaign.

    Awamaridi said that he never withdrew from the governorship race as claimed by some National leaders of the party.

    He said that he was the party’s bonafide flagbearer in Lagos state,  haven emerged winner in the state primary election in July 2022.

    He said that his name was forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the party leadership.

    “In July 2022, INEC published the name of Labour party candidate and the name is Prof. Ifagbemi Awamaridi based on the fact that I won the primaries.

    “The party forwarded the name to INEC around July 5 and INEC published the name around July 25 and that name subsists.

    “Later on, I discovered that the name has changed and some party leaders decided to organise a substitution primary and claimed that I have withdrawn,” he alleged.

    Awamaridi said he had replied INEC that he had not withdrawn from the race, adding that a candidate could only withdraw on a signed Letter of Oath or Form 11B of INEC.

    He said that the party was trying to change a lot of things in the country and INEC irregularities would not be excluded.

    He alleged that the party had issues of forged documents in  22 states, including Edo and Ebonyi, in connivance with some INEC officials.

    He, therefore, urged the Nigeria Police to look into the issue of forged documents by some national officers and charge them to court.

    According to Awamaridi, the matter of his candidacy is before the Supreme Court.

    However, the Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of Labour Party, Mrs Dayo Ekong, has refuted claims that Awamaridi was the party’s candidate for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

    Ekong told newsmen that Awamaridi was being used by the opposition party to cause confusion in Labour party.

  • Delta guber candidate, Oborevwori visits Owhelogbo community, ask for votes

    Delta guber candidate, Oborevwori visits Owhelogbo community, ask for votes

    Ahead of the forthcoming Gubernatorial and State Assembly  elections in the country, the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, State PDP Governorship Candidate for the 2023 governorship Election and National Deputy Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori held a meeting with the people of Owhelogbo, Isoko North Local Government Area of the State.

    The meeting was held at the Government Secondary School, Owhelogbo, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State to chart a way forward concerning the March 18 elections in the state.
    Addressing the gathering, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, appealed to the people to vote massively for him in the Governorship election and the House of Assembly Candidate in the area.
     Elder Emmanuel Ogidi said that; “We have all endorsed Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori here in Isoko North Local Government Area of the State and we will deliver him to become our next Governor”.
    On his part, Barrister Kingsley Esiso, State PDP Chairman said that ; “You people are trying very well here in Isoko North Local Government Area. Saturday is the real day and let us come out to vote for our Governorship Candidate . Let us work hard so that we can deliver Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori. Vote for all our candidates”.
    Deacon (Prince) Godwin Ogorugba, PDP Chairman, Isoko North LGA stated that; “We are here to do what we have done before. I want to assure you that we have not lost ground, we are going to do well here in Isoko North. I want to appeal to all our party leaders to work hard to deliver Isoko North so that we will celebrate at the end of the day”.
  • Supreme court upholds the candidacy of Plateau LP guber candidate, Dr Patrick Dakum

    Supreme court upholds the candidacy of Plateau LP guber candidate, Dr Patrick Dakum

    The Supreme Court of Nigeria has dismissed an appeal brought forward by one of the Labour Party (LP) governorship aspirants in Plateau State, Ambassador Yohanna Margif, challenging the authentication of the party’s gubernatorial candidate Dr Patrick Dakum in the March 18th election.

    The case was dismissed by Justice John Inyang Okoro after the compalinant withdrew the case upon realizing that it has become statute barred.

    Counsel to the appellant, Mr Opeyemi George Ojo, had pleaded in his arguments with the Apex Court to invoke Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act to take over the matter and resolve all disputed issues in the interest of justice to his client.

    His persuasion was however rejected by the 5-man panel of Justices of the Court on the ground that conditions precedents for the Court to invoke section 22 of the Supreme Court Act were not met.

    Confronted with reality on the futility of his request, the appellant withdrew his appeal and was subsequently dismissed by Justice Okoro.

    The appellant had in his brief challenged the emergence of Dr Patrick Dakum as the Labour Party’s Gubernatorial candidate in Plateau State insisting that he won the governorship primary election of the party and never withdrew his nomination.

    Labour Party however in its defence insisted that Ambassador Margif in a letter voluntarily withdrew his candidacy and copied the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, with the same letter.

    The Party claimed that following the withdrawal by Ambassador Margif, a new primary election was conducted in which Dr Patrick Dakum emerged and his name submitted to INEC.

    Margif ignited the first legal battle at a Federal High Court in Jos but lost as the court upheld the position of LP and declared Dr. Patrick Dakum as the legitimate governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Plateau State.

    Justice Dorcas Agishi in her judgment on December 9, 2022 affirmed Dr. Dakum as the authentic candidate of the party, having followed the party’s guideline to emerge as the party’s flag bearer.

    The Judge established that Ambassador Yohanna Margif had signed an affidavit to withdraw voluntarily as the governorship candidate of the party which necessitated the party to conduct fresh primary that produced Dr.Patrick Dakum.

    Not satisfied with the High Court’s decision, Margif had approached the Court of Appeal but lost and subsequently moved to the Supreme Court for final decision.

    With the Supreme Court’s final judgment, the long drawn legal action on Labour Party’s Gubernatorial candidate tussle for Plateau State has been laid to rest.

  • Guber Poll: INEC, NSA issue warning to politicians, supporters against violence

    Guber Poll: INEC, NSA issue warning to politicians, supporters against violence

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, have warned politicians and their supporters against causing violence  that could  disrupt the smooth conduct of the governorship and state Assembly elections coming up on the 18th of March.

    According to the NSA, anyone caught disrupting the election by any means will be severely dealt with by the Federal Government.

    Both parties issued the warning, yesterday during the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) held at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja.

    According to him, unlike the first round of elections involving 470 constituencies, Saturday’s election will involve 1,021 constituencies.

    The INEC boss said the election would require more collation centres and will need the deployment of more security personnel.

    His words: “ Governorship elections will hold in 28 states. Governorship elections in eight states (Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun) are held off-cycle and therefore not conducted during the general elections. However, elections will be conducted for all the 993 state constituencies nationwide.

    “Our state offices have made available to the Nigeria Police Force, being the lead agency in election security, the delimitation details for the elections, including locations of Polling Units and Collation Centres. On that basis, we expect a coordinated deployment plan in synergy with other security, intelligence, law enforcement and safety agencies.

    “Unlike the last election involving 470 constituencies (1 Presidential, 109 Senatorial districts and 360 House of Representatives seats), the state elections will involve 1,021 constituencies (28 governorship and 993 state Assembly seats). There will also be more candidates involved and more collation centres to protect.

    “They are also local elections involving keen contests. It is, therefore, important for parties and candidates to speak to their agents and supporters to see the elections as a contest and not war. They should refrain from acts of violence that may mar the elections or compromise the security of our personnel, observers, the media and service providers,” he said.

    On his part, Monguno urged politicians, especially at the state level to demonstrate equal level of maturity and discipline by calling their supporters to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner.

    “Anybody thinking to undermine the process should please think again because that won’t be in his or her interest or the nation’s interest.”
    MIKE Igini, a former INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom State, said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) functioned optimally in the presidential election, despite observed technical glitches.

     

  • BREAKING: INEC postpones guber polls to March 18

    BREAKING: INEC postpones guber polls to March 18

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed the governorship and state assembly elections till March 18.

    The commission announced this in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye, in Abuja on Wednesday night.

    Okoye said that the decision was necessary to ensure adequate time to back up the data stored on the over 176,000 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices used for the Feb. 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, and then reconfigure them for the governorship and state assembly polls.

    Okoye said following Wednesday’s ruling by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (EPT) on the reconfiguration of the BVAS used for the Presidential election, INEC met to assess its impact on the commission’s preparations for the state elections scheduled for March 11.

    He recalled that on March 3, the EPT gave an ex-parte order for some political parties to inspect materials used for the Presidential election, including the forensic inspection of over 176,000 BVAS used in the election which are located in INEC LGA offices across the country.

    He explained that INEC approached the Tribunal to reconsider the order, given that the BVAS Systems were to be deployed for the state elections.

    He said the action was also necessary given the lack of a clearly defined timeframe for the inspection could disrupt the commission’s ability to conduct the outstanding elections.

    “For instance, the BVAS can only be activated on the specific date and time of an election. Having been used for the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Feb. 25, it is necessary to reconfigure the BVAS for activation on the date of the Governorship and State Assembly elections.

    “While the ruling of the Tribunal makes it possible for the commission to commence the preparation of the BVAS for the Governorship and State Assembly elections, it has come far too late for the reconfiguration to be concluded.

    “Consequently, the commission has taken the difficult but necessary decision to reschedule the Governorship and State Assembly elections which will now take place on Saturday March 18,” the statement read in part.

    Okoye said that by the decision, campaigns would continue until midnight of Thursday (March 16); that is 24 hours before the new date for the election.

    “This decision has not been taken lightly but it is necessary to ensure that there is adequate time to back up the data stored on the over 176,000 BVAS machines from the Presidential and National Assembly elections held on Feb. 25 and then to reconfigure them for the Governorship and State Assembly elections.

    “This has been the practice for all elections, including the period when the Commission was using the Smart Card Readers,” he asserted.

    Okoye reiterated that INEC was not against litigants inspecting election materials.

    “Consequently, it will continue to grant all litigants access to the materials they require to pursue their cases in court.”

    He assured all political parties and candidates that the data from the Presidential and National Assembly elections would be backed up and available in INEC cloud facilities, including the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV).

    “Political parties can apply for Certified True Copies of the backend data of the BVAS.

    “Also, the results on the BVAS will continue to be available on the IReV for interested parties to access.”

    Okoye appreciated all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria for their understanding as INEC continue to deal with those difficult issues and navigate these challenging times.

  • Osun 2022: PRP withdraws from governorship polls

    Osun 2022: PRP withdraws from governorship polls

    The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has withdrawn from Saturday’s governorship election scheduled to hold on Saturday in Osun state.

    This development was made known by the National Secretary of the party, Babatunde Alli on Thursday in the state.

    PRP blamed its decision which came less than 48 hours before the election on its governorship candidate in the State, Ayowole Olubusuyi Adedeji.

    Adedeji said “The National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party, the PRP has noted with great concern and disappointment, the negative effects of obvious in-activity of the Governorship Candidate of the party in Osun State, Mr. Ayowole Olubusuyi Adedeji, both on the party structures in Osun State and at the National level.

    “The National Executive Committee (NEC) having therefore considered all options hereby direct the withdrawal of the PRP from the Osun State Governorship Election of 16th July 2022,” the statement read in part.

    PRP has also set up a five-man disciplinary committee to investigate Adedeji.

    As a result, the party called on its supporters in the State “to concentrate on the project of party building towards electoral victories in the 2023 General Election, while completely dissociating itself from the Governorship Election holding on Saturday 16th July 2022, in Osun State”.

     

     

  • Just in: Court dumps suit seeking Oyetola’s disqualification

    Just in: Court dumps suit seeking Oyetola’s disqualification

     

    Barely 48hours to Osun Guber polls, a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, dismissed a suit seeking the disqualification of Gov. Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, in Saturday’s Governorship Election holding in the state.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG)  reports that in Delivering judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo, declared that the suit filed by a chieftain of the APC,  Alhaji Moshood  Olalekan Adeoti, against Oyetola was an abuse of court process.

     

    Justice Ekwo held that there was no iota of law supporting the plaintiff (Adeoti)’s process filed before the court.

     

    The judge also agreed with the APC (1st defendant) that the court could not assumed jurisdiction on the matter on the grounds that the there was no cause of action for filing the suit.

     

    Ekwo also held that Adeoti, who was also an aspirant in the Feb  19 APC’s primary poll, in his application, also admitted that he did not exhaust the party’s internal mechanism before filing the suit.

     

    Consequently, the judge dismissed the suit in its entirety for being an abuse of court process.

     

    Adeoti, the plaintiff in the suit, filed the matter through his legal team led by Chiesonu Okpoko, SAN.

     

    In the suit, the plaintiff listed the APC, Oyetola and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.

     

    Adeoti, who was an aspirant in the Feb. 19 Osun APC governorship primary in the originating summons dated Feb. 22 and filed Feb. 23, prayed the court to nullify Oyetola’s candidacy on the grounds that he (Oyetola) contested in the poll as a member of the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary and Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

     

    Adeoti said the act contravened the provisions of Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended) and Article 31(iii) of the APC (October 2014 as Amended).

     

    According to him, the 2nd defendant (Oyetola) ought to have resigned his membership of the 1st defendant (APC)’s CECPC and leave office as an officer of the 1st defendant at least 30 days prior to the date of the 1st defendant’s Osun State primary election to qualify for participation in the said 1st defendant’s primary election.

     

    Upon resumption of the matter on Wednesday, Adeoti’s counsel, Mahmud Adesina, SAN, informed that the matter was adjourned for hearing and that he was ready to proceed on the case.

    Court dumps suit seeking Oyetola’s disqualification

    Barely 48hours to Osun Guber polls, a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, dismissed a suit seeking the disqualification of Gov. Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, in Saturday’s Governorship Election holding in the state.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports that in Delivering judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo, declared that the suit filed by a chieftain of the APC, Alhaji Moshood Olalekan Adeoti, against Oyetola was an abuse of court process.

    Justice Ekwo held that there was no iota of law supporting the plaintiff (Adeoti)’s process filed before the court.

    The judge also agreed with the APC (1st defendant) that the court could not assumed jurisdiction on the matter on the grounds that the there was no cause of action for filing the suit.

    Ekwo also held that Adeoti, who was also an aspirant in the Feb 19 APC’s primary poll, in his application, also admitted that he did not exhaust the party’s internal mechanism before filing the suit.

    Consequently, the judge dismissed the suit in its entirety for being an abuse of court process.

    Adeoti, the plaintiff in the suit, filed the matter through his legal team led by Chiesonu Okpoko, SAN.

    In the suit, the plaintiff listed the APC, Oyetola and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.

    Adeoti, who was an aspirant in the Feb. 19 Osun APC governorship primary in the originating summons dated Feb. 22 and filed Feb. 23, prayed the court to nullify Oyetola’s candidacy on the grounds that he (Oyetola) contested in the poll as a member of the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary and Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

    Adeoti said the act contravened the provisions of Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended) and Article 31(iii) of the APC (October 2014 as Amended).

    According to him, the 2nd defendant (Oyetola) ought to have resigned his membership of the 1st defendant (APC)’s CECPC and leave office as an officer of the 1st defendant at least 30 days prior to the date of the 1st defendant’s Osun State primary election to qualify for participation in the said 1st defendant’s primary election.

    Upon resumption of the matter on Wednesday, Adeoti’s counsel, Mahmud Adesina, SAN, informed that the matter was adjourned for hearing and that he was ready to proceed on the case.