Politics

NLC declares announced results illegitimate, warns INEC against plunging Nigeria into chaos

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The NLC once again warns that any election result that does not reflect the wishes of the people will not only spell doom for democracy but will also render the benefiting government of such heist illegitimate. Sustainable governments are built on sovereign will.

The reason is that such government is akin to a coup though not a military one but organised by civilian INEC against the fundamental rights and choices of the people as expressed through the ballot last Saturday. Every government needs legitimacy to govern freely.

However this can only be conferred by the will of the people freely given in an election.When that will is circumvented by whatsoever means, the government loses the very foundation that it needs to be anchored to find acceptance thus govern.

These very basic elements are clearly lacking in what INEC seems to be in a rush to plunge Nigeria into.

As it stands now, the current Presidential result collation lacks legitimacy as it has been questioned critically by major stakeholders with INEC unable to give satisfactory explanations to the issues raised.

Since INEC has compromised the sources of the results from the Polling units by the mere action of the clear sabotage of the BVAS an instrument that had hitherto given Nigerians hope for a more free, fair, credible and acceptable election in 2023, there is nothing that will restore this hope and build belief than to go back to the results as captured by the BVAS.

If this is no longer possible, we call for a pause in further announcement of the Presidential results and carry out a backward review before deciding on the way forward.

INEC’s actions have sabotaged the integrity of the election and undermine the credibility of its outcomes.

It is the process that confers legitimacy on the outcome and anything that contaminates it renders the outcomes inchoate.

This is not what this country needs right now especially when we are confronted with military insurgencies, banditry, Kidnappings and other very criminal acts around the nation.

We need outcomes that builds national cohesion and solidarity and not one that divides.

Nigerian workers find it difficult to believe that at this day and age, INEC could not collate results from its own Servers when far less funded organisations both locally and internationally have done so seamlessly?

Many Organisations and nations have performed this very basic tasks without this storm. It is neither the lack of capacity nor the paucity of resources at INEC’s disposal that has led to this farce but the greed factor that has led to the intentional scuttling of a simple process for the benefit of a few individuals and to the detriment of the whole nation.

A product is always subject to the processes that gives birth to it and if that process becomes contaminated, the product becomes defiled.

We do not understand the driving force behind INEC’s pursuit of announcing a Presidential election result with processes that are clearly fraught with serious irregularities.

We do not understand why INEC has suddenly become deaf to sound reason but continues to pursue a path that may put the whole nation in crisis. It will be the height of irresponsibility to rush our nation into a cul-de-sac.

A government that is built on subverting the sovereign will cannot be seen to be legitimate. Such illegitimacy will dog the footsteps of the administration and will surely make it incapable of providing acceptable governance to the people.

If INEC announces a result that is dogged by this confusion and questions, how can a government built on it survive?

How can such a government hope to mobilise the people?

How will such a government build trust and confidence in the people for whatever policies and programmes that may become the anchor for its governance projections?

How can such government gather the support of the citizen it hopes to lead?

How can it wield authority?

The NLC is seriously worried knowing that a government that lacks legitimacy is like a fish out of water and can only survive by the sheer strength of brutal force thus a recipe for national disaster.

INEC should therefore not give Nigerians an “Abiku or Ogbanje” that is billed to give us so much trouble and eventually die in infancy. This nation must be saved from this avoidable disaster.

INEC must allow reason to prevail and remove its legs from the pedal that is clearly headed for the rocks. No good will come from where it is taking Nigerians to.

We are sure that a government that is unacceptable to the people will suffer severely and may be prone to social instability. This illegitimate result must not be announced. A stitch in time they say, saves nine.

Let us consider this nation first before our selfish designs. We will not accept a government built on fraud and we are sure that other critical national stakeholders will also not accept such contraption.

Politics

Suspend further announcement of the results or completely cancel the entire election and make plans for another election- Labour party tells INEC

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The Labour party has called for the suspension of the announcement of election results and cancellation of the ‘’compromised” election.

The Presidential Campaign Council of the Labour Party made the call today February 27.

At a press briefing, Dr Akin Osuntokun, who is the Director-General of the Labour Party Campaign Council said President Buhari and the INEC chairman, Yakub Mahmood, had on several occasions come out to promise Nigerians a free and fair election with the passage of the new Electoral Act but that what has become glaring is that none of these promises has been kept.

Osuntokun stated that all promises about deploying a fail-safe system anchored on BVAS were broken as the internet and social media are awash with videos and photographic pieces of evidence of the pervasive violence and attacks that were visited on Nigerians during the elections, adding that some attacks were still ongoing across the country.

He said that there are numerous evidence of collusion between INEC and the security forces to subvert the will of the people, stressing that INEC’s guidelines on the conduct of the elections were extensively breached, and INEC has evidently been very reluctant to make the necessary adjustment to remedy the situation.

‘’Contrary to the publicly advertised guidelines for the conduct of the elections, we are convinced that the processes leading to the results have been severely compromised.

Consequently, we state that we have lost confidence in the results being collated and announced.

Nigerians have inundated us with calls and protests over INEC’s non-compliance with provisions of the electoral guidelines and the obvious manipulations of the election results.

We, hereby, call on INEC to suspend the further announcement of the results, and follow its own guidelines or completely cancel the entire election and make plans for another election with strict compliance with the stipulated laws and guidelines,he said.

Politics

”Lie from the pit of hell”- Gov Wike denies moving around with soldiers to intimidate voters during elections

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The Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, has denied allegations that he moved around with soldiers to intimidate and cause disruption during last Saturday, February 25, Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

In a statement released by the State Commissioner for Information, Chris Finebone, Governor Wike said the allegations that he was involved in electoral misconduct during the election are just the wicked imagination of failed evil doers.

“Let it be clearly stated that after Gov. Wike and his wife managed to cast their vote last Saturday, they quietly returned to their home and never stepped out for the rest of the day.

It was, therefore, surprising that the same individuals who, for reasons best known to them, decided to lie against the governor, have gone ahead to raise false accusations suggesting that Gov. Wike moved about with soldiers intimidating people and influencing voting and collation of votes. This is, indeed, a lie taken from the very abyss of hell.

For the avoidance of doubt, Gov. Wike does not have a single soldier in his formal and informal entourage at any time, more so, during election time. The governor did not for whatever reason visit or move around after casting his vote.

The accusation of him moving around to intimidate or cause any disruption of any kind derives only from the wicked imagination of evil doers but they have failed.” the statement read

Finebone mentioned that a group of persons have been peddling a doctored audio and visual clip aimed at incriminating the governor and tarnishing his image.

“Of particular mention is a doctored audio clip that was concocted by Saharareporters during the 2016 re-run election in Rivers State in which they purported same to be a discussion between the governor and Hon. Dum Dekor.

That audio concoction was duly discredited and discarded as a piece of rubbish masterminded by evil people to tarnish the image of Gov. Wike. But in a hurry to throw dirt at the governor this time, some people decided to exhume and use same old discredited cl

Politics

INEC results: Peter Obi wins Enugu state

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The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has won Enugu State in the presidential election which took place on Saturday,February 25.

According to the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission collation officer in the state, Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, Obi polled a total of 428,640 to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party who had 15, 749 votes while Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) gathered 4, 772.

The New Nigerian Peoples Party’s candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, came third with 1808.

Politics

As a democrat, I’m bound to accept election outcome- Bola Tinubu speaks after losing Lagos state to Peter Obi

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The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has reacted to losing Lagos state to Peter Obi of the Labour Party in last Saturday, February 25, presidential election.

Obi polled 582,454 votes to defeat the former Lagos State governor who scored 572,606 votes.

In a statement released by the director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said he is bound to accept the outcome of the just-concluded election as a Democrat.

According to him, Peter Obi’s victory in the state shows the beauty of democracy..

The former governor warned his supporters to be calm and maintain peace, saying Obi’s victory in Lagos should not be a source of provocation.

“The APC candidate further said that as a democrat he is bound to accept the outcome of any election whether favourable or not,” the statement read

Tinubu condemned the reported attacks on some traders of Igbo origin in the state following Obi’s electoral victory in the state.

“The fact that the APC narrowly lost Lagos State to another party should not be the reason for violence. As a democrat, you win some, you lose some. We must allow the process to continue unhindered across the country while we maintain peace and decorum,” the statement said.

Politics

INECresults: Atiku Abubakar wins Gombe state

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The PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has won the presidential election conducted in Gombe state.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Atiku secured a total of 319, 123 to defeat his closest rival and All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Tinubu who polled 146, 977 votes.

Labour Party’s Peter Obi secured 26, 160 votes while NNPP’s Rabiu Kwankwaso polled 10, 520 votes.

Politics

INEC Results: Tinubu wins Ogun state

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The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC, Bola Tinubu, has been declared the winner of the February 25, presidential election conducted in Ogun state.  

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Tinubu polled a total of 341, 554. 

PDP’s Atiku Abubakar came second withe 123, 831 votes while Peter Obi of the Labour Party came third with 85, 829 votes.

Politics

Obi wins all 17 LGAs in Enugu

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The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has been declared the winner of Saturday’s presidential election conducted in Enugu State.

Obi polled a total 428,640 votes to defeat other contenders, with the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and his counterpart Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress scoring 15,749 and 4772 votes, to a distant second and third respectively.

The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, polled a total of 1,808 to record the fifth position.

The collation officer of presidential election in Enugu State and Vice Chancellor, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Professor Maduebibisi Iwe, declared the results of the election.

According to him, a total of 2,112,793 voters were registered for the election, while accredited voters Scores: APC – 4772, LP – 428,640, PDP – 15,749 and NNPP – 1808.

Iwe noted that total valid votes are 456,424, rejected votes 12,467 and total votes cast were 468,891 respectively.

The Labour Party also won all the 17 local government areas of the state in a landslide.

Politics

#NigeriaElections2023- Ibori’s daughter floors Reps member in Delta

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The House of Representatives candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Ethiope Federal Constituency, Erhriatake Ibori-Suenu, has floored the incumbent, Ben Rolands Igbakpa of the New Nigerian People’s Party.

Ibori-Suenu is the daughter of a former governor of Delta State and National Leader of the PDP in the state, Chief James Onanefe Ibori.

Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu was declared winner of the Ethiope Federal Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The certified result of the House of Representatives election from the constituency as released by INEC show PDP 20,814 votes; APC 15,172; NNPP 8,901; APGA 2,155; ADC 637; ZLP 563.

Politics

INEC suspends rescheduled presidential, NASS elections in Abia

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended the rescheduled Presidential and NASS elections in seven local government areas in Abia.

Rebecca Jim, Head, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC Abia, who disclosed this in a statement, said that a new date would be communicated in due time.

She said;

“The proposed election in polling units where election could not hold on Saturday, 25th February, 2023 in Abia State scheduled for Monday, 27th February, 2023 has been put on hold.

“You shall be communicated in due course on a new date. All inconveniences are highly regretted.”

Clement Oha, INEC Administration Secretary in charge of Abia, had on Sunday addressed journalists in Umuahia about the proposed election.

He said that the election would be held at various polling units in Aba North, Aba South, Arochukwu, Obingwa, Osisioma, Ohafia and Umuahia North local government areas.

Mr Oha explained that the fresh poll was due to result of various degrees of discrepancies in the procedures that were violent to some extent.

“The commission in their wisdom felt that the credibility of the election should not be compromised, and that there should be no winner by default.

So, election must take place in the affected polling units tomorrow (Monday),” he had said.

Politics

APC chairman Adamu commends INEC on BVAS, optimistic on Tinubu’s victory

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The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Abdullahi Adamu, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the use Bimodal Verification and Accreditation System (BVAS).

Mr Adamu gave the commendation in an interview in Abuja on Monday.

“Although the system malfunctioned in some places, it is not overwhelming to question the credibility of the election.

“We heard from INEC that some BVAS malfunctioned. We expected it because it is a technology and with the political environment like our own, I am not expecting it to be 100 per cent.

“I must commend INEC that though there were hitches, they were not particularly overwhelming to a point of questioning the credibility of the election.

“I think it has been worth the experiment and it should be used for subsequent elections,” he said.

Mr Adamu said he is optimistic that the APC Presidential Candidate, Bola Tinubu, will win the presidential election.

“If the information we are beginning to receive from various parts of the country is anything to go by, one has every reason to be optimistic that our candidate will win.

“I know Tinubu will win because of his faith in God and we have worked for it and we believe Nigerians have listened to us just as they have listened to others.

“I believe our message has gone deeper and has bigger spread and understanding of what we are,” he said.

On what the party intends to do differently for national development should Mr Tinubu win, Mr Adamu said everything is contained in the manifesto.

He said APC party members were not beginners, adding that they had been “tested” by Nigerians.

According to him, there is no denying the fact that given their expertise, understanding and goodwill their candidate qualify to win.On vote buying, the chairman said he did not believe in it.

He said, “I do not believe in this idea of people claiming to be purists, having holier than thou attitude to life and being pretentious.

“I believe very electoral system and every country has problems that are peculiar to it.

“I want the person that would come out to say from the beginning to the end that there was no money in his or her political activity till the day he or she was declared winner or loser.”

On whether or not the cashless policy affected the conduct of the election, the former governor said “the problems have stayed but we were able to move on.

“If you have a choice then you talk of what to do and what not to do but we do not have a choice for the election to wait for it.

“I think our ability and doggedness to achieve certain feat in the face of difficulties has made us to withstand this,” he said.

Mr Adamu thanked Nigerians for turning out enmass for the election and conducting themselves peacefully.

He said in spite of the few hitches experienced in some places, there had not been any major mishap.

While thanking God for taking control of the election, the chairman said the election was about one of the biggest he had witnessed.

On his ability to manage some crisis the party faced prior to the election, Mr Adamu thanked God for His guidance as well as the leadership and other members of the party for their cooperation.

He further said he was able to manage the crisis because he provided the leadership that represented different interests and a common goal.

Lifestyle, Politics

Port Harcourt thugs attacked us, INEC starved us, lament ad hoc staff

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At least five ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), stationed in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, have complained about poor treatment by the commission, including the non-payment of required allowances and inadequate welfare planning for their security and personal well-being during the ongoing presidential and parliamentary elections.

Speaking to Peoples Gazette at the Obio/Akpor local government collation center, a presiding officer who chose not to disclose his name said he had not received his feeding allowances from Friday up until this morning.

He accused his Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO) of cornering the funds for himself and his colleagues.

“Our own feeding money that they were supposed to give us, since on Friday nothing, Saturday nothing. Till this Sunday morning, our SPO said she is not owing us anything,” he said.

He added that INEC authorities allowed them to transport sensitive election materials, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and result sheets without any form of protection, leaving them vulnerable to thugs who stopped and harassed them.

His statement aligned with that of another officer who simply identified herself as Grace.

“We have been here for the past three days, no food, no water. They didn’t give us anything,” she said.

“We have serious issues with payment.”

“We did not have money for transport, we have been spending our own money,” she added.

Another presiding officer, Henrietta, said she and her colleagues were held hostage for more than three hours by “area boys” who assaulted several of them repeatedly.

“The bus took us to Rumeme community primary school and we were held hostage in that place for more than three hours.

We tried calling our SPO, INEC officials, none of them answered us,” she said. “In fact, they molested so many of us yesterday evening,” she added.

Politics

LP candidate snatches federal constituency seat from PDP opponent

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Donatus Mathew of the Labour Party has won the Kaura Federal Constituency seat in the February 25 National Assembly elections in the Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The Returning Officer, Elijah Ella, who declared the result in Kaura on Sunday, said Mr Mathew polled 10,508 votes to defeat his closest opponent, the incumbent, Gideon Gwani of PDP, who garnered 10,297 votes.

The defeated PDP lawmaker is taking a shot at the seat for the fifth time.

The Returning Officer said Benjamin Gugong of the All Progressive Congress came third with 9,919 votes, while Simon Na’Allah of the New Nigeria Peoples Party came fourth with 5,354 votes.

He explained that 36,983 voters were accredited out of the 101,624 registered voters in the LGA.

He added that of the 36,983 accredited voters, 36,133 cast their votes.

“Mr Donatus Mathew of the Labour Party, having satisfied the requirements of the law by scoring the highest votes, is hereby declared the winner,” he said.

Politics

Late Alao-Akala’s son wins Ogbomoso Federal Constituency

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Olamijuwonlo Akala, son of late former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, the winner of the Ogbomoso Federal Constituency election.

Mr Akala, a former chairman of Ogbomoso North Local Government, polled 33,268 votes to beat his close rival, Olufemi Onireti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 27,126.

Hakeem Salami, Returning Officer for Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South/Orire Federal Constituency, announced that the APC candidate scored 33,268 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Olufemi Onireti, scored 27,126 votes.

“I declare Olamijuwonlo Akala winner of Ogbomoso/North/South/Oriire Federal Constituency, having polled the total number of 33, 268 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Olufemi Onireti, polled 27,126 votes,” Mr Salami said.

In his reactions shortly after being declared winner, Mr Akala said, “I’m so excited.”

Mr Akala’s father governed Oyo State from 2007 to 2011 under PDP.

Also, Najeem Oyedeji, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), won the Federal Constituency seat election for Iseyin/ Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/Kajola.

Announcing the winner, the Returning Officer, Adeolu Adeleke, said Mr Oyedeji scored total votes of 30, 372, while Soliu Gbadamosi, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), scored 28,821 votes.

Politics

INEC officials refusing to upload results in Lagos, Delta – Labour Party cries out

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Labour Party, LP has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC of refusing to upload results of the presidential elections collated in various polling units in Lagos and Delta states to the Central Server.

In a statement released this evening, February 25, the National Chairman of the party, Barrister Julius Abure, said INEC officials in connivance with the security agencies, are claiming that the BVAS have suddenly developed a fault and therefore cannot function.

He stated that information from the party’s field men has it that in places like Agege, Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Surulere, and Ibeju Lekki, amongst others where results show that Labour Party won convincingly, the INEC officials claim that the BVAS suddenly developed a fault when it concerns uploading results of the presidential election.

“Information reaching me has it that in Lagos, they have refused to upload the results for the presidential election, they have uploaded that of the Senate and House of Representatives but for the presidential, they have refused.

And they are using the police to drive our agents and supporters out of the place. And they said that they have firm instruction from INEC headquarters not to upload.

For example, in Kosofe, they put the collation centre in a Local Government Area Headquarters.

The place is sorrounded by APC and people are afraid of their life. They are not uploading, they said that they have been giving instruction to insist that the BVAS is faulty. And most of the places we won, but they have refused to upload.

As I speak, APC officials are in Yaba office of INEC negotiating with the officials. What I have said now is happening in Agege, Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Surulere, we have this situation all over. In Ibeju Lekki, our local government chairman who attempted to stop them was arrested by the police.”

Abure said that similar situation is playing out across the collation centres in Delta state.

The Labour Party chairman, however, called on INEC to ensure that only genuine and verifiable results generated from the various polling units should uploaded.

Politics

Gunmen attack polling units, burn ballot papers in Lagos

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Some unknown gunmen, on Saturday, attacked and disrupted the presidential and National Assembly elections at some cluster units in Mafoluku, Oshodi area of Lagos.

It was gathered that about six gunmen came on motorcycles to the area and started shooting to scare away the voters.

The gunmen attacked Owoseni, Ijaye, Branco, Owolabi, and Fadeyi streets, among others that formed the cluster units, collected some of the ballot boxes containing papers already thumb printed and set them on fire.

“The unknown gunmen came in around noon and started shooting. They collected some of the thumb-printed ballot papers and set them on fire.

“The hoodlums ran away when armed police and soldiers arrived at the place,” Mr Jonah Obisanya, an electorate said.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Idowu Owohunwa, who visited the area at about 1:07 p.m., evacuated 25 ad-hoc INEC officials from the units attacked and took them to the police command headquarters.

The officials were later taken to Oshodi Local Government Council with electoral materials.Mr Owohunwa said some suspects had been arrested in different parts of the state for electoral offences.

He, however, did not mention the number of arrests made, stressing that a vast number of people arrested will be made known to the public.

The police boss said that the exercise has been peaceful in most parts of the state despite pockets of violence in some areas.

He said that some of the violence observed in some areas were expected, stressing that special squads were put in place to immediately check them.

The police boss said no one died in the crisis so far, pointing out that security had been beefed up in the areas concerned.

Some of the ad hoc staff that sustained injuries were treated by the police medical unit at the state command.

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