Category: Politics and Governance

 

By Flowerbudnews
Heavy protest has rocked the ongoing conduct of the re-run election holding in Enugu South Urban State constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Members of the Labour Party, who converged at the Robinson Primary School, Uwani and Uwani Secondary School venues of the election, raised an alarm and alleged that the election umpire failed to present original result sheets for the election.

However, members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who held a counter protest, said that they have seen the result sheets, insisting that the election must hold as planned.

The by-election is holding in only eight polling units at the Robinson Primary School, Uwani and Uwani Secondary School, situated on the same street.

As at 12 noon on Saturday, the election is yet to commence despite huge presence of both military, police and DSS operatives due to disagreement on the availability of result sheet.

 

The state INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, however arrived at the venue of the election at about 11:45a.m. pleading with the already agitated voters to allow for the conduct of the election, a plea which was roundly rejected.

The REC who had earlier spoken to reporters in phone conversation around 10a.m. said he has not been briefed on why the election was yet to commence.

Reacting to the impasse, the Senator representing Enugu East Senatorial district, Sen. Kelvin Chukwu, and the member representing Enugu North/South Federal Constituency, Chimaobi Atu accused INEC officials of compromise.

Chukwu said: “I was reliably informed that this election has been highly compromised. I got to this place, I met with the Electoral Officer and told him to do the simplest thing by showing all the candidates the original result sheets which he has not produced as am talking to you.

 

“That is what is causing the tension. I am worried because since INEC is yet to show the result sheets, the election may not hold. I haven spoken to the Assistant Commissioner of Police. I have spoken to an army officer in charge.

 

“I have told them what is required. I told the INEC man to show the people nthe result sheet, very simple. demand is that the original result sheet be shown to them. If that is not done, there will be no election.”

On his part, Rep. Chimaobi Atu said that his constituents were frustrated but were ready to defend the electoral process.

Atu said: “Getting to this place, there is no result sheet. The result sheet should be shown to them before anything. And INEC is not doing what they should do.

“So the people are demanding that the result should be shown to them so that their will be free and fair election. That is what the masses are standing for.”

However, the candidate of PDP in the re-run, Chief Sam Ngene, accused members of the Labour Party, including National Assembly members, Kelvin Chukwu and Sam Atu, of disrupting the electoral process.

Ngene said: “The election was about getting started until Sen. Chukwu and his supporters came here to disrupt it.

“Yesterday night, all the agent were shown the result sheets, but coming this morning, these people came here and started demanding for the result sheets.

“They should allow INEC set up their boots before demanding for result sheets. How can you be demanding for result sheets when they are yet to set up.

“They are jumping the gun. I am also calling on the security agencies to do the needful by moving Sen. Chukwu out of this place. He is not supposed to be here.” (Flowerbudnews)

The Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mr Kayode Egbetokun has ordered restriction of movements in 26 states, ahead of Saturday’s re-run and by-election.

 

A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuywa Adejobi on Thursday in Abuja said the restriction applied to all forms of vehicular movement on roads, waterways and other forms of transportation.

The IG said the restriction would take effect from 12 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day in all states where election would be conducted.

 

said that those on essential services, INEC officials, electoral observers, accredited media and observers, both foreign and domestic, ambulances responding to medical emergencies and firefighters would be exempted from the restriction.

 

Egbetokun also ordered a ban on all security aides to VIPs and escorts from accompanying their principals and politicians to polling booths and collation centres during the election.

 

“State-established and owned security outfits and organisations, quasi-security units and privately owned guard and security outfits are also barred from participating in election.

 

“The movement restrictions, including the ban on VIP aides, escorts, and state security outfits, are crucial measures aimed at preventing any undue interference or intimidation during the election,” he said.

 

The police boss said the idea was to safeguard the integrity of the election and guarantee equal participation for all citizens in the affected states.

 

He urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to conduct themselves responsibly, in accordance with the electoral laws.

 

Egbetokun said any attempt to disrupt the process or violate the established guidelines would be met with the full force of the law.

 

The IG pledged the commitment of the police to foster a secured democratic society and enjoined citizens to report suspicious activities or incidents that could undermine the electoral process to the appropriate authorities.

 

He said the authorities could be reached through 08034040439, CP Elections, 08031230631, Toll Free, 08057000001, 08057000002, Complaint Response Unit, @ngpolice, Facebook, @PoliceNG, X or pressforabuja@police.gov.ng, e-mail.

 

Egbetokun expressed confidence that through collective efforts, the run-off and by-election would be conducted peacefully, transparently and in line with the principles of democracy.

 

The states affected included Ebonyi, Yobe, Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Katsina, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

 

Gov. Adeleke calls for closer developmental cooperation among South-West states.

 

 

By Adewale Owoade

 

 

 

Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has called for closer developmental cooperation among South-west states.

 

 

Gov. Adeleke stated this when he joined his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde to commission the 8.2 kilometres dualised Agodi Gate-Old Ife Road-Alakia-Adegbayi Junction Road, including the Onipepeye Underpass Bridge.

 

 

Adeleke, who was the special guest of honour at the event, lauded the project as part of Governor Makinde administration’s infrastructure revolution, describing it as a great motivation for his colleagues in the South-West states.

 

 

He also described Makinde as a golden governor in the areas of innovations and infrastructure development, even as he called for a collective and collaborative development in the region.

 

“Oyo State governor’s performance is a great motivation not only for Osun but for other states in the South-West.

 

 

“I am delighted to be present at this all-important event, which is one in the series of achievements recorded by my own brother, the governor of Oyo State.

 

“In the whole of Western region, he is reputed to be the leading son in the areas of innovations, infrastructure and good governance.

 

 

“We have lost that rating for some time now. But I want to put it on record that the South-West has regained the momentum.

 

 

“The Oyo State governor is a trailblazer. Come on! Give it to him.

 

 

“As the governor of Osun State, I watch with keen interest the developments in Oyo State. I do peer review and I must say that the people of Oyo State are lucky to have Governor Makinde.

 

 

“As we celebrate my brother today, I call for closer developmental cooperation among South-West states. We must deepen closer collaboration,” he said.

 

Gov. Makinde in his speech, said his government has decentralised Oyo’s economy, saying that the completion of the project is a testament to his administration’s commitment to expanding the state’s economy through road infrastructure.

 

 

“The completion of this project is further testament of our commitment to expanding the Oyo State economy through road projects.

 

 

 

“As we continue to attract large, medium and small businesses into Oyo State, the pressure on our infrastructure increases and there is a need to upgrade them.

 

 

“This is why we have chosen to keep investing in our infrastructure. Our goal is to upgrade cities and towns in Oyo State to places we can all be proud of.

 

 

“As we all know, our wants and needs are infinite but the resources to meet them are limited, so, we often have priorities on the project that will bring the best value to the good people of the state.

 

 

“This, indeed, for me is the true definition of governance, which is the ability to use limited resources to meet the growing needs of the population by prioritising projects that maximise value. And this is exactly what we are doing in Oyo State,” Makinde said.

 

Earlier, the Commissioner for Public Works and Transport, Prof. Dahud Sangodoyin said the state government embarked on the project due to the expansion of Ibadan.

 

 

He said that the road, which used to be a single carriage, was awarded to Messrs Kopek Construction Limited in October 2022 and that with the completion of the project, the Makinde administration has completed 187.42 kilometres of road under Omituntun 1.0 and Omituntun 2.0.

 

 

Also, in separate goodwill messages, former President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Adebayo Oyero; the Asiwaju Oloja of Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Raimi and the Iba Oluyole,  Alhaji (Chief) Nureni Akanbi, thanked the governor for the infrastructural and uncommon developmental strides through various projects.

 

 

The event was attended by the Deputy Governor of the State, Mr Bayo Lawal; Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Olanike Adeyemo; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Segun Ogunwuyi; Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni.

 

 

Others include chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including a former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara and members of the party’s Board of Trustees; Governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Olusegun Mimiko. (NAN)

 

 

By Yakubu Uba

Maiduguri: The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Borno, has won all the 27 Chairmanship and 312 councillor positions in Saturday’s council polls in Borno state.

The Executive Chairman of the Borno State Independent Electoral Commission (BOSIEC), Alhaji Lawan Maina, made this known while declaring the overall results of the election on Sunday in Maiduguri.

“Following the conduct of the election on Saturday, today we have received results from the 27 LGAs and as empowered by the law under Section 10.

“In my position as the Chief Returning Officer of the state, I read out the results as follows :-

“The ruling party, APC won all the 27 Local Government Chairmen in the state.

“Equally, the ruling party has won all the 312 council members (councillors) in all the wards of the state.

“With this, we have come to the end of this exercise and the certificate presentation to the winners will be made at a later date to be announced soon,” Maina said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)/ Flowerbudnews

The Supreme Court, on Friday, upheld the re-election of Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.

apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel, dismissed as lacking in merit an appeal the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Ladi Adebutu, filed to challenge the outcome of the governorship poll held in the state on March 18, 2023.

 

In its lead judgement that was prepared by Justice Tijjani Abubakar, the apex court said it found no reason to nullify the election victory of Governor Abiodun, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

 

The apex court upheld the earlier verdict of the Court of Appeal, which on November 22, 2023, dismissed the case the PDP and its candidate raised against the election.

 

“This appeal is unmeritorious, and it is accordingly dismissed,” the court held.

 

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared that Governor Abiodun polled a total of 276,298 votes to defeat his closest rival, Adebutu of the PDP, who garnered a total of 262,383 votes.

 

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll, Adebutu approached the Ogun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, insisting that he was the valid winner of the gubernatorial contest.

 

He, among other things, alleged that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

 

Aside from alleging that the election was marred by irregularities and corrupt practices, Adebutu alleged that over 40,000 voters from his strongholds were disenfranchised due to violence.

 

He told the tribunal that he secured the highest number of valid votes cast at the election and therefore ought to have been declared the winner by INEC.

 

However, Adebutu’s petition was dismissed by Justice Hamidu Kunaza, who led a three-man tribunal that affirmed Abiodun as the bona fide winner of the contest.

 

Likewise, the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, on November 24, 2023, in a split judgement of two to three, upheld the decision of the tribunal.

 

While the appellate court, in its majority decision that was delivered by Justice Joseph Ikyegh, found no reason to dislodge the judgement of the tribunal, in her minority verdict, Justice Jane Inyang directed INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return it issued to Abiodun and, within 90 days, conduct a fresh election in some polling units in the state.

 

Whereas Adebutu approached the Supreme Court to challenge the appellate court’s majority judgement, Governor Abiodun lodged a cross-appeal to set aside the minority verdict that ordered the fresh election.

 

INEC equally lodged a cross-appeal, praying to the Supreme Court to validate the result of the election that it announced.

President Bola Tinubu on Monday hugged and shook hands with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The duo met during the swearing-in of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State in Owerri for a second term.

 

In the past, Tinubu and Obasanjo endured a sour relationship but they seemed to mend the fence prior to the 2023 presidential election when the former visited the ex-president in Ota, Ogun State.

 

Despite Tinubu’s visit, Obasanjo supported the Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during the last election.