The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has announced the boycott of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections in the state.
The decision by the party to call for the boycott and cancellation of the elections followed a reported widespread hijack of electoral materials by thugs and armed fake policemen, suspected to be sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Our correspondents, who went round Uyo, Etinan, Onna, Eket, Nsit Ubium, the five local government areas of Oro, Uruan, Ibiono, Nsit Ibom, Oruknam, among others, report that ballot box diversion, thump printing of ballot papers, characterised today’s elections in Akwa Ibom State.
It was also learnt that many centres were denied electoral materials. And in the areas, where they were provided, the figures would not tally with the number of accredited voters.
The APC governorship candidate in the state, Mr. Umana Umana, said out of 1,571 registered voters, only 450 ballot papers were sent to his polling unit.
Former Director of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), retired General. Edet Akpan, 10 corps members and a soldier were reported to have been arrested at the home of a retired General in Akwa Ibom state by men of the Department of Security Service (DSS) for electoral offences.
The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Austin Okojie gave this report while taking a break from the election to brief the press in Uyo, the state capital.
Okojie who reacted to general complains about late arrival of result sheets and compromise by some INEC officials said INEC received sensitive materials on Tuesday, despatched to local government areas on Thursday for early dispatch to polling units.
He regretted that the issue of late arrival of result sheets is never the policy of INEC, as the commission has no reason to withhold any sensitive material.
“The issue of late arrival of result sheet should not even arise because we issue all the sensitive materials at once and have trained and warned our electoral officers against dispatching any electoral material to politicians.”
Okojie who reported cases of violence in Uyo, Ibesikpo, Nsit Ubium and Mkpat Enin, Nsit Ibom and Etinan local government areas said these are basically security issues and commended security agencies for being alive to their responsibilities.
He further reported prompt replacement of card readers in areas where a few were reported to have malfunctioned.
Kebbi State Police Command has confirmed that the Nigerian army had killed four voters in Bayan Dutse Polling Unit, Ginga Ward in the Suru Local Government of the State.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Nafiu Abubakar who confirmed the incident to newsmen today could not however give reason why the incident took place.
“Yes, we have received reports of the killings of four people allegedly killed by soldiers and I will give you details of the killings as soon we conclude our investigation,” he said.
Abdullahi Suru, the House of Representative-elect representing Suru federal constituency, also confirmed the deaths to journalists.
He said the incident happened around noon today as accreditation was going on in the APC-supporter area.
This was even as suspected thugs were reported to have hijacked ballot boxes and papers in Ilaje local government area of Ondo State.
According to the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC),, Olusegun Agbaje, the hoodlums also attacked members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who were deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission as ad hoc staff for the election.
Mr. Agbaje said the thugs, who were working for a particular political party, chased away voters who were already in line to vote before descending on the INEC staff.
“The thugs came to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the election in the waterside area of the state. They unleashed terror on our ad hoc staff and stole election materials when voting was about to end,” Mr. Agbaje told SaharaReporters.
Some of the ad hoc staff were reportedly by the thugs, according to an eyewitness who resides in the area.
It was gathered that marine policemen posted to the area were overpowered by the hoodlums who ran off with the electoral materials.
The police spokesman in the state, Oluwole Ogodo, confirmed the incident. He promised to give full details at the end of the voting exercise in the state.
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has commended the people of his state, Delta, for conducting themselves peacefully and being orderly during the conduct of the governorship and House of Assembly elections held today in the state.
Governor Uduaghan who gave the commendation in Abigborodo in Warri North local Government Area after casting his vote at the unit one Umuegbe Primary School polling unit said that information he received so far from security agencies indicated that voters behaved well adding that the development was a plus for Deltans as well as the security agenda of the state government.
He commended Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for improving on its conduct of the presidential election particularly in ensuring that its staff and election materials arrived polling stations early.
While thanking every Deltan for their peaceful conduct, the governor said the peaceful behaviour proved analysts who had listed Delta State as a flash point wrong.
Governor Uduaghan and his wife, Roli who voted at about 1.45 pm expressed satisfaction with the electronic card reader and voter turn out stating that “The INEC conduct of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the Umuegbe Primary School polling station, Abigborodo Ward Six was an improvement on its conduct of the Presidential Election, INEC officials and election materials arrived the polling station at 8.55 am while accreditation started at 9.52 am.”
Gov Uduaghan and his wife, Roli who arrived the polling station at 9.54 am was accredited in less than three minutes using the electronic card reader while that of his wife took less than one minute.
Meanwhile there were reports of low voter turnout heralded the governorship and state Assembly elections nationwide. This is even as former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that Nigeria’s democratic process was fast maturing.
Obasanjo made the assertion shortly after his accreditation at Ward 11, Unit 22 at Olusomi Compound, Sokori area of Abeokuta South Local Government Area.
He said that although there was a drop in the turnout of voters compared with the presidential and National Assembly polls, the accreditation exercise could still be described as successful.
“Reports getting to me indicate a general low turnout across the nation; however, the exercise has been orderly and peaceful.
“The low turnout is not unusual and should be expected, because people normally show more interest in national elections than the state elections.
“I, however, commend INEC for improving on their last performance because many people who did not have PVCs in this area have now gotten their cards.
“There were apprehensions concerning the polls because of some people beating drums of war; but we thank God for taking control,” he said.
The former president, however, praised Nigerians, saying they should be proud of their electoral performance.
“We have done it for West Africa; we have done it for Africa and we have now done it for ourselves.
“Nigerians can now raise their heads in honour anywhere because there are evidences that our democracy is fast maturing,” he said.
In Ekiti, Gov. Ayodele Fayose got accredited at noon after several failed attempts to use the card reader.
The governor, who performed the exercise at the Afao Ward, Polling Unit 001 in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, later filled the incident form before being accredited.
In an interview with journalists, Fayose urged INEC to improve on the use of the card reader, just as he decried the low turn-out of voters.
The governor, who was accompanied to the accreditation centre by his cousin, Mr Adebayo Adeniyi, however, expressed the hope that more voters would turn out before the end of the exercise.
Also, a former Minister of Sports, Mr Bolaji Abdullahi, has described the 2015 general elections as the best of its kind.
Abdullahi made the assertion at his residence at Anifowose area of Ilorin, the Kwara capital, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Saturday.
“The 2015 elections have been unprecedented. “ The Independent National Electoral Commission has put in the best performance ever in the conduct of election exercise in this country,” he said.
He lauded the initiative of electronic voting system introduced by INEC describing it as a step forward in Nigerian history.
Abdullahi commended the peaceful conduct of the electorate and the security personnel, saying it showed an improvement in the country’s democratic culture.
The former minister urged Nigerians to unite and support the President- elect, retired Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to move the country forward.
According to him, irrespective of party, religious and ethnic differences, citizens must work for unity and live exemplary lives.
Abdullahi said that the 2015 elections had taught Nigerians to have confidence in the power of their thumb and also for politicians to respect the electorate.
“I believe that Nigeria will be better and greater than ever,” he said.
President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed optimism that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will record good results in the gubernatorial and State houses of assembly elections which took place across the country today.
Fielding questions from journalists after undergoing accreditation at Ward 13, Unit 39, Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa state, the President expressed hope that the party’s overall performance will be better than the March 28th Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“My conviction is that PDP will do well. It may probably do better in a number of states. In some states our performance will even improve. Even if you look at the last elections, our performance in some states improved. But in some states our performance was a bit low.I think that in the overall PDP will do well.”
The President arrived at his hometown of Otuoke at exactly 11am to participate in the state houses of assembly election and was accredited by the card reader within 10 seconds.
This is contrary to the experience he had two weeks ago when several card readers in that same polling unit could not read his finger print and he had to be accredited manually after standing for an hour. Speaking on the development, the President said: “`it is technology. There must be some minor errors and they have rectified the faults. Although I am still hearing that we have some problems of rejection but I think INEC has a way of handling their assignment. The most important thing is that elections will be conducted.”
The President gave two reasons for the low voter turnout for the election in Otuoke compared to the March 28th polls, saying the stake is usually higher for Presidential election and again, there was no governorship election in Bayelsa state at this time.
“Naturally different levels of elections elicit different interests. Presidential elections are quite interesting. Governorship elections are quite interesting. If we were to have a governorship election in Bayelsa state, the mobilization would have been higher because you need to mobilise the voters to come out. But for State Assembly elections, the interest is not as high as the presidential elections or governorship elections. We expect low turnout for states that don’t have governorship elections. There is no governorship elections in Bayelsa that is why the turn out may be low.
Leading political parties in Adamawa state, including All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others have opposed the decision of the State Police Command to impose a dusk to dawn curfew on the state. The curfew from Sunday, April 12, 2015, according to the command is aimed at forestalling violence after the state governorship House of Assembly election.
The state Commissioner of Police, Gabriel Adaji, made the announcement while briefing newsmen in his office on Friday in Yola preparatory to Saturday’s election.
The police commissioner said the curfew would begin from Sunday to Tuesday, April 14 between 6pm and 6am.
He explained that the measure was to ensure peaceful and orderly conduct of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections in the state.
“After the last presidential and National Assembly elections, we had some nasty and ugly experiences in the state, hence the present measures,” the CP said.
Adajie added that the ban of tricycles, wheel barrows, truck pushers and any other hawking materials were still in force, warning that the law would take its course on any person or group that violates the order.
The police boss commended the people of the state, especially politicians for their peaceful conduct and orderliness during the presidential and National Assembly elections.
But, the Publicity Secretary of the APC, Ahmed Lawal, said that the party did not see any reason for the declaration of a curfew in the state if the election is peaceful even as the Director General of the Campaign Organisation of PDM, Sunday Wugira, said that the party had yet to understand the rationale behind the imposition of the curfew.
Also, Secretary of the PDP in the state, A.T. Shehu, said the curfew is unwarranted, insisting that the police should have banned celebrations after the announcement of elections results instead of imposing a curfew on the state. [myad]
African champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria messed up their Malian counterparts with a 8-0 goals to advance to the women’s football event at the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo. Assisat Oshoala of Liverpool Ladies star played a vital role in all the goals scored by the Nigeria sides and also scoring a double herself.
France-based Desire Oparanozie gave hosts Falcons the lead after three minutes even as Francisca Ordega made it 2-0 after 18 minutes, before Oshoala increased Nigeria lead on 36 minutes. Oparanozie then made it 4-0 just a minute to half time.
A minute after the interval, Oshoala netted her brace as Mali tried to play damage control.
Ordega became the third Nigeria star to grab a brace when she hit target in the 62nd minute.
Skipper Evelyn Nwabuoku fired home the seventh goal from 23 yards after 69 minutes, before substitute Esther Sunday completed the rout in the 71st minute off a rebound.
The Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, is still finding difficult to believe that the Special Adviser on Research, Documentation and Strategy to President Goodluck Jonathan in the person of Mr. Oronto Douglas is dead, even as he said it was a devastating personal loss to him. In a statement reacting to the death of Oronto after a protracted fight with cancer, Gocvernor Uduaghan,through his Press Secretary, Felix Ofou, remarked: “I can’t believe that Oronto – that’s what we all call him, is gone. I refuse to use the word dead. I’m very disturbed that such a brilliant mind, articulate strategist and friend has been struck down. It is even more painful that this has happened when the nation would have benefited from his vast knowledge and depth of wisdom.” Governor Uduaghan recalled the patriotic and heroic role of the Presidential Adviser in articulating a broad Niger Delta strategy as well as ensuring a continuous rapprochement between the states in the region and the President. “I can tell you that he played a major role in ensuring that governors of the Niger Delta region maintained a cordial and close relationship with the Presidency. He was an unrelenting advocate of peace and justice. A bridge builder who wanted the progress of his boss at all times. “It was a sad day for Delta State, for the Niger Delta and Nigeria. It is a personal loss for me, my family and everyone that has had a close encounter with him. Oronto Douglas will be greatly missed.”
Special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on media and publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati has asked the national publicity secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Muhammed to look for another target and leave the President alone. Reacting to the APC spokesman’s allegation that President Jonathan went to Lagos yesterday to plan the rigging of the governorship electiontomorrow, Dr. Abati said that Lai Mohammed’s fatuous tale does not make any sense. “I repeat: we will like to advise that the APC should just leave the President alone. President Jonathan was a candidate in the presidential election; he did not rig the election. Why would he want to rig tomorrow’s elections?” Abati, in a chat with newsmen at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, faulted Lai Muhammed who had earlier accused the President of going to Lagos to rig the uubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, April 11. He made it clear that Lai Mohammed was lying as usual even as he referred to him as being “rude.” Abati admitted that people like the leader of the notorious Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Gani Adams: a minister in Jonathan’s cabinet, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Jimi Agbaje as well as many others visited him while in Lagos and asked: “So what? “Anytime the President is in Lagos or any part of the country, a lot of people come to pay homage to him. Nothing unusual happened during his last visit to Lagos. Senator Musiliu Obanikoro’s visit to the President in Lagos is not something that anybody should use to play politics. Obanikoro is a Minister of the Federal Republic. He came to see his boss. “Mr. Jimi Agbaje is the Governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos. I don’t see how his visit to the President, who is also the leader of his party, the PDP, should become an issue. “Yes, Gani Adams also visited, but so did a lot of other people.” Dr. Abati swore that the President did not hold meetings with the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), neither did he meet with the police, or polling officials or with anybody who is involved in organising elections. “So to say that the President went to Lagos to supervise the rigging of Saturday’s election is most uncharitable and cruel. “After the Presidential election, the President immediately congratulated General Buhari and the whole world has commended him for saving Nigeria. President Jonathan’s sportsmanship, statesmanship and leadership saved this country at that critical moment. He has demonstrated his commitment to free and fair election, the rule of law and due process. He has shown that he is a man of character, honour and integrity. Nigerians generally are proud of him. He has left a worthy legacy and shown a great example. “That, obviously, is the narrative that Lai Mohammed and his masters want to change, so they are now cooking up meaningless tales.”
Delta state Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has commissioned a 3.5 billion naira 120 metre-long six span flyover bridge, constructed by the state government to enable the state capital to take its rightful place as one of the best state capitals in the country.
Speaking at the ceremony in Asaba Thursday, Governor Uduaghan said that the project was part of his administration’s urban renewal programme meant to improve the social economic and political lives of the people.
“A lot of things have happened in the state capital and it is assuming the status of a befitting state capital, at the beginning we started with the airport, the new government house then we did the schools and the health sectors, very soon an ultra modern hospital will be completed. ”
“We have done a lot in Asaba to make it a befitting state capital. This project started two years ago, not eight years ago and today, we are commissioning it.”
He observed that the flyover was very strategic as it will ease traffic on the road which connects Edo State and reduces time of journey from Asaba to Abuja and the northern parts of the country.
“The flyover is very strategic, it is on the road that leads to Abuja, with the completion of the Utor bridge at Ebu, which constitute an arterial road from the South-South and South –East States through Edo state to Abuja and other parts of Northern Nigeria, this flyover bridge is very timely.”
Dr. Uduaghan assured Deltans that his administration would continue to execute projects and called on the people to vote for the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and the House of Assembly candidates of the party during the elections.
The commissioner for Works in the state, Hon. Funkekeme Solomon in an address, said the flyover bridge located at the intersection of Nnebisi, Okpanam, Anwai roads was awarded to “Messrs CCC Construction Company Nigeria Limited by the state government in 2013 at a contract sum of N3, 528, 939, 077.63.” “The scope of the works included a 120 metre-long six-span bridge, two ramps of about 140 meters each on either approach bringing it to a total of 400 metres long,” he said, noting, “the entire bridge/ramps structure is a four-lane dual carriage way, comprising of two in each travel direction demarcated with a New Jersey Barrier.”
Asagba of Asaba, Obi (Professor) Chike Edozien represented at the occasion by Chief John Edozien, thanked Governor Uduaghan for his efforts towards transforming Asaba. [myad]
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The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has announced the boycott of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections in the state.
