Live Updates: Nigeria Decides 2023

WENESDAY 1, MARCH 2023

6:12am

Tinubu: I’ll Be the President of All

*Thanks Nigeirians for electing him as 16th president of Nigeria

Says lapses that occurred in the election were relatively few in number and immaterial to final outcome.

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The President-elect, Bola Tinubu has assured that he would be the leader of all Nigerians.

The former governor of Lagos state made the pledge while giving his acceptance speech following his declaration as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

Tinubu, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s election polled a total votes of 8,794,726 to defeat his closest rival and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar who scored 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of Labour party who polled 6,101,533 votes.

The presidential candidate of New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso came a distant 4th with the total votes of 1,496,687 votes.

He also said during the election, other presidential candidates might have been his opponent but they were never his enemy.

Tinubu stated: “I am profoundly humbled that you have elected me to serve as the 16th president of our beloved republic. This is a shining moment in the life of any man and affirmation of our democratic existence. From my heart, I say thank you.

“Whether you are Batified, Atikulated, Obidient, Kwankwasiyya, or have any other political affiliation, you voted for a better, more hopeful nation and I thank you for your participation and dedication to our democracy.

“You decided to place your trust in the democratic vision of a Nigeria founded on shared prosperity and one nurtured by the ideals of unity, justice, peace and tolerance. Renewed hope has dawned in Nigeria.”

Tinubu commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for running a free and fair election.

He said the lapses that occurred were relatively few in number and were immaterial to the final outcome.

According to him, With each cycle of elections, we steadily perfect this process so vital to our democratic life.

Tinubu thanked all the people that supported his campaign, from President Muhammadu Buhari led the campaign as its chairman, to the Vice Presidential-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima.

He added: “To the progressive governors of our party and this nation, to the party leadership, to our loyal party members. I owe you a debt of gratitude. To the entire campaign organization, I thank you sincerely.”

The president-elect commended the Nigerian people for their abiding belief in the country’s democracy.

He said, ” I shall be a fair leader to all Nigerians. I will be in tune with your aspirations, charge up your energies and harness your talents to deliver a nation that we can be proud of.”

“To my fellow candidates, former VP Atiku, former governor Kwankwaso, former governor Obi and all others, I extend the hand of friendship. This was a competitive, high-spirited campaign. You have my utmost respect.”

Tinubu noted that it was time for political competition to give way to political conciliation and inclusive governance.

His words: “During the election, you may have been my opponent but you were never my enemy. In my heart, you are my brothers.

“Still, I know some candidates will be hard put to accept the election results. It is your right to seek legal recourse. What is neither right nor defensible is for anybody to resort to violence. Any challenge to the electoral outcome should be made in a court of law, and not in the streets.”

Tinubu called on his supporters to let peace reign and tensions fade, saying the ruling party ran a principled, peaceful and progressive campaign.

He said, “The aftermath of our campaign must be as benign. Yes, there are divisions amongst us that should not exist. Many people are uncertain, angry and hurt; I reach out to every one of you. Let the better aspects of our humanity step forward at this fateful moment. Let us begin to heal and bring calm to our nation.

“Now, to you, the young people of this country, I hear you loud and clear. I understand your pains, your yearnings for good governance, a functional economy and a safe nation that protects you and your future.

“I am aware that for many of you Nigeria has become a place of abiding challenges limiting your ability to see a bright future for yourselves.”

Tinubu said himself and Shettima understood the challenges ahead, saying more importantly, they also understood and deeply value the talent and innate goodness of the Nigerian people.

He said, “We pledge to listen and to do the difficult things, the big deeds, that put us on the path of irreversible progress. Hold us firmly to account, but please give us a chance first. ‘

“Today, you have given me the greatest honor you can bestow on one man.

“In return, I will give you my utmost as your next president and commander-in-chief. Peace, unity and prosperity shall be the cornerstones of the society we intend to build. When you gaze upon what we shall accomplish in the coming years, you shall speak with pride at being a Nigerian.”

5:31am

Buhari Congratulates Tinubu

*Says he’s the best man for the job

*Expresses readiness to work with him for a seamless transition

*Notes electoral maps changed in some states including his home state Katsina

.Identifies technical faults associated with electronic transmission of results

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the winner of this year’s Presidential Election, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Reacting to the presidential election results announced this morning by Chairman of the Independent National ElectoralCommission (INEC), Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, President Buhari said: “I congratulate His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his victory. Elected by the people, he is the best person for the job. I shall now work with him and his team to ensure an orderly handover of power.”

According to the President: “The election was Africa’s largest democratic exercise. In a region that has undergone backsliding and military coups in recent years, this election demonstrates democracy’s continued relevance and capability to deliver for the people it serves.

“Within Nigeria, the results reveal democracy’s ripening in our country. Never has the electoral map shifted so drastically in one cycle. In the presidential elections, states in all regions across the nation changed colour. Some amongst you may have noticed my home state amongst them. The winning candidate did not carry his own home state either. That happens during a competitive election. Votes and those that cast them cannot be taken for granted. Each must be earned. Competition is good for our democracy. There is no doubt the people’s decision has been rendered in the results we look at today.

“That is not to say the exercise was without fault. For instance, there were technical problems with electronic transmission of the results. Of course, there will be areas that need work to bring further transparency and credibility to the voting procedure. However, none of the issues registered represent a challenge to the freeness and fairness of the elections.

“I know some politicians and candidates may not agree with this view. That too is fine. If any candidate believes they can prove the fraud they claim is committed against them, then bring forward the evidence. If they cannot, then we must conclude that the election was indeed the people’s will – no matter how hard that may be for the losers to accept. If they feel the need to challenge, please take it to the courts, not to the streets.

“However, to do the latter means they are not doing it in the interest of the people, but rather to inflame, to put people in harm’s way and all for personal, selfish gains.

“After a degree of polarization that necessarily accompanies any election, it is now time to come together and act responsibly. I call on all candidates to remember the peace pledge they signed just days before the election. Do not undermine the credibility of INEC. Let us now move forward as one. The people have spoken.”

4:15am

BREAKING: INEC Declares Tinubu Winner of 2023 Presidential Election

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu declared Tinubu the winner at exactly 4:10 a.m on Wednesday in Abuja.

The former Lagos state governor polled a total votes of 8,794,726 to defeat his closest rival and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar who scored 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of Labour party who polled 6,101,533 votes.

The presidential candidate of New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso came a distant fourth with the total votes of 1,496,687 votes.

Yakubu said the registered voters for the election was 93,469,008, while 25,286,616 voters were accredited.

He added that the total valid votes was 24,025,940, while total rejected votes was 939,278.

The chairman said the total number of votes cast was 24,965,218.

He declared: “I certify that I am the returning officer for the 2023 presidential election held on the 25th of February 2003.

“That Tinubu Bola Ahmed of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and returned elected. The Certificate of Return to the president elect and Vice president elect will take place here at 3pm today.”

Yakubu said for Senators and Members of the House of Representatives elect, the commission would issue a statement today on when the presentation of their own certification would be made.

Registered: 93,469,008
Accredited: 25,286,616

A: 61,014
AA: 14,542
AAC: 14,608
ADC:81,919
ADP:43,924
APC:8,794,726
APGA:61,966
APM:25,961
APP;12,839
BP:16,156
LP:6,101,533
NNPP: 1,496,687
NRM:24,869
PDP:6,984,520
PRP:72,144
SDP:80,267
YPP:60,600
ZLP:77,665

VALID VOTES:24,025,940
REJECTED:939,278
TOTAL: 24,965,218

4:05am

PDP, APC Trade Blames over Election Violence in Ebonyi

Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

Ebonyi State Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Mr Chukwuma Odii, said he has uncovered plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) in the State to attack him.

On the other hand, the State Director General of the APC campaign council, Austin Umahi, has accused Odii for hiring fake security men for the purpose of causing mayhem in the State.

Umahi also accused him and other opposition parties for electoral violence and manipulation of results during the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

However, Odii reiterated that his security team was legitimate, stressing it was the plan of the ruling party to attack him like other governorship candidates in the State if not that he was fortified with security operatives.

He said: “My security team is genuine and legitimate. It appears that their problem is that they don’t know how to attack me like other governorship candidates who have been attacked severally in the State. It baffles me why they should be the one complaining that I have enough conventional security operatives around me. That shows they want to attack me and possibly kill me.”

The APC also lamented that the ambition of the PDP governorship candidate was against equity, justice and fairness as he hails from the zone of the outgoing governor, David Umahi.

Odii said it was his constitutional rights to contest for any position, recalling that all the zones of the State had always participated in previous elections.

4:04am

Presidential Election: Rivers Collation Officer Decries Threat to His Life

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The State Collation Officer for the 2023 Presidential election in Rivers state, Prof Charles Teddy Addias, has decried series of threat from some political party faithful and unconfirmed members of the public.

Just as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi is leading the state with 168, 981 votes as collated from 21 local government areas of the state.

Prof Addias ,who spoke yesterday , while presiding at the 2023 general election state collation centre, held at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Port Harcourt, said he would have to indefinitely adjourn the collation process.

Collation of the presidential election for the state was expected to be concluded at the reconvening of the collation process, having just two local government areas to conclude the exercise.

Addias, who is the Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Otueke, Bayelsa, disclosed that his family members have received similar threats from the public, saying that despite the challenge he would remain committed to the service of the nation.

He explained that he was not involved in the collation of results at the polling units or at the LGAs, but a state Returning Officer whose duty was to receive already collated results and transmit to national collation centre, Abuja.

“I wish to use this medium to draw the attention of the public to the barrage of text massages and calls from members of the public and various walks of life, political parties faithful inclusive. And this massages range from calling me to order claiming abnormalities and those to threatening my life.

“They are threatening my life and members of my family. They claimed I am the mastermind of rigging in all elections in Rivers or intended to rig election from Rivers state. I need to add that it is common knowledge and common to suspect a possible concern for free and fair election and this will generate a lot of arguments among stakeholders.

“However, I am constraint to observe that threat to my life and members of my family, mainly by stakeholders of some political parties, a particular one however, will begin to resort to misinformation or ignorance about the scope of responsibilities or liabilities of staff that are adhoc with this Commission

For the avoidance of doubt, you may know that a state collation officer for the presidential election is limited to merely receiving report. I am not privy to any fact of figures emanating from conduct of election and presented here. I am not involved in the process of collation of results and announcement of results that would have taken place right in the local government for arrival here.

“Am not involved in accreditation, I am not involved in voting, am not involved in counting, am not involved in computation, neither am I involved in validation of votes accurable to any political party. I carefully consider therefore, I regret to observe that my life is being threatened because I have been erected to serve our dear country, to contribute my fair quota to the success of the ongoing elections which we all wait for and pray for success,” he said.

“By this I wish to alert security agencies, indeed the public of the threat to my life and request for every necessary protection to enable me live, discharge my duty and obligation. In the main time I need adjourn the collation of this presidential election fir Rivers state, to enable the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Rivers state and indeed INEC to address the foregoing and put holds as scope in Rivers state to the perspective in the public,” Addias added.

Reacting on the reported threat incident, Resident Commissioner of Police in charge of elections in Rivers, CP Adeyemi Adeoye, warned that the police would not be ignorant of such report, saying that investigation had commenced to unravel the perpetrators.

He also assured the state collation Officer of his safety even after his service in the state.

“Threat to life the professor have mentioned, the Nigerian Police Force condemned such threat and those behind it in its entirety without reservation. It is condemnable that what seem to have played out on social media is not complicity to real life and is affecting the whole of our national interest.

“He mentioned a particular political party posting his picture and urging his members world wide to rob him of the peace of his mind. Things are not done that way and whoever is behind it will have his or her name in court. I want to request the professor to kindly submit a written complaint to this effect to the Commissioner of Police, Rivers state. Investigation will be launched and those behind it will be brought to the book. While your assignment continues, the Nigerian Police Force guarantee your safety. We will provide adequate security for your movement, we will provide adequate security for your residence. Whoever is stupid enough to attempt anything will pay with their lives, if you wish try us. They have displayed irresponsible ignorance in blaming the professor for non-functioning of BVAS”, CP Adeoye assured.

Meanwhile, the LP is leading with 168, 981 in the collated 21 local government areas, while the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had gotten 148, 977 votes so far, leading the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who clinched 84, 992 votes.

3:47am

APC Fast Losing Grip of Nasarawa State

Igbawase Ukumba reports that All Progressives Congress in Nasarawa State may have lost control of the state as outcome of last Saturday’s national assembly election has shown the Social Democratic Party and Peoples Democratic Party as being in firm control of the state.

It was on November 5, 2023, that President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated all Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council for Governor Abdullahi Sule to crush opposition in the state during the 2023 general election.

However, Buhari’s directive to crush the opposition hit brick walls of the opposition due largely to the internal crisis that had engulfed the state chapter of the APC during the party’s primary elections. It was alleged in some places that the national headquarters of the APC had doctored the delegates’ list of the primary elections in the state.

Hitherto, the Nasarawa APC was reportedly on a reverse gear following mass exodus of its juggernauts from the party to the opposition political parties.
Hours after the Nasarawa State governorship primary election of the APC was conducted, there were allegations from the state chapter of the party that the entire delegates list of the party were changed overnight.

It was against this background that the state chapter of the APC had to suspend the state House of Assembly primaries citing alleged tampering with the authentic list of delegates in the state.

The chairman of the state chapter of APC, Dr John Mamman, had at a press conference in Lafia, the state capital, said the party was sad after discovering that the authentic list of delegates sent to the national secretariat for the party’s primaries had been tampered with.

He insisted that the party would not tolerate the unwarranted distortion of the official delegates list sent to the national secretariat. He also warned that the party would not accept any list outside the authentic list of delegates.

Mamman, however, enjoined the national secretariat of the APC, in the interest of peace, unity, harmony and the progress of the party, to ensure that wishes of the law-abiding party members were respected.

“The numbers of delegates across Local Government Areas in the state were doctored or completely changed. We consider this undemocratic, and this is capable of breeding disaffection, tension and disunity in the party. The APC in Nasarawa should not be made to lose its status and prestige as a model, “the Chairman had cautioned.

Consequently, the development caused uproar among powerful political strategists that had led the party to victory in previous elections. Hence, most of them either resigned their membership of the party, or just maintained the status quo as pseudo members to work against the party’s success in the 2023 polls.
Notable among those caught in the alleged doctored list crossfire were the chairman of the state 2019 Governorship Campaign Council, Hon Aliyu Wadada; Governor Sule’s former Campaign Director General, Senator John Danboyi and Senator Godiya Akwashiki.

Others were two incumbent members of the House of Representatives representing Lafia/Obi and Karu/Keffi/Kokona federal constituencies of the state – Hon Saraki Dahiru and Jonathan Gaza, respectively and the incumbent majority leader of the state House of Assembly, Hon Tanko Tunga, among others.
Be that as it may, the APC in Nasarawa State has been struggling to survive the bumper traps set against it by its aggrieved members and the opposition, hence leading to the party losing in the presidential and National Assembly election held on Saturday, February 25, 2023.

It could be based on the above scenario coupled with the support of youth in Nasarawa State for the presidential ambition of Mr. Peter Obi that metamorphosed into the defeat of the APC by the Labour Party (LP) in last Saturday’s presidential election in the state.

Flowing from this, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, polled a total of 191,361 votes in the 2023 presidential election conducted in Nasarawa State on February 25, 2023, to defeat Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling APC.
The presidential election results as announced by the Nasarawa State Presidential Election Collation Officer, Prof. Ishaya Tanko, at the Lafia office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), showed Ahmed Tinubu of the APC polling 172,922 votes to come second while Atiku Abubakar of the PDP scored 147,093 votes to come third.

The presidential flagbearer of the NNPP, Musa Kwankwaso, trailed a distant fourth with 12,715 votes. Prof. Tanko, who is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, said during his announcement of the results.

Also, the All Progressive Congress in the state has lost all the three senatorial seats to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The first person to be consumed in the Nasarawa APC imbliglio was the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, as INEC declared the SDP as winner of the Nasarawa West Senatorial District election. The senatorial district is the base of the APC’s National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu. Adamu had earlier lost his polling unit during the election to Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

The SDP senatorial candidate, Aliyu Wadada Ahmed, who had defected from the APC in the aftermath of the alleged doctored delegates’ list, is to replace Adamu, who had vacated his seat in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly last year after emerging National Chairman of the ruling APC.
Announcing the results of the election in Keffi, headquarters of the Nasarawa West Senatorial District, Returning Officer of the election, Prof. Nasir Baba, declared Aliyu Wadada Ahmed of the SDP as winner having polled 96,488 votes.

APC polled 47,717 votes while Umar Musa Galadima of PDP polled 46,820 votes, Bala Tongorma of LP got 33,228 votes while Wakil Kabiru of NNPP secured 2,667 votes.

Another victim of the party’s instability was the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last Monday, declared that the immediate past governor, who is representing Nasarawa South Senatorial District on the platform of the APC, had lost to Mohammed Onawo of the PDP with 76,813 votes, against 93,064 votes.

Declaring the result in Lafia, the Returning Officer, Prof. Ahmed Ashiku, said Onawo got 93,064 votes to defeat Al-Makura of APC who got 76,813 votes. The returning officer stated that, “Onawo of the PDP having satisfied the requirement of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby returned elected.”
Similarly, the incumbent senator of the Nasarawa North Senatorial zone, Godiya Akwashiki, who had renounced his membership of the APC in the aftermath of the alleged doctored delegates’ list for APC’s primaries of the state, had won his re-election on the platform of the SDP against his former political party.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Godiya Akwashiki of the SDP as winner of last Saturday’s election for the Nasarawa North Senatorial zone.

The INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Ilemona Adofu of Federal University of Lafia, declared Akwashiki as winner with 44,471 votes. Akwashiki defeated former Executive Secretary of the National Judicial Commission (NJC), Danladi Halilu Envuluanza, of the APC who scored 32,058 votes.
The PDP on the other hand scored 11,212 votes, the New Nigeria Peoples Party got 4,083 votes and All Progressives Grand Alliance received 1,455 votes, among others.

APC was also caught in the web of its internal imbliglio as it also lost its Lafia/Obi and Karu/Keffi/Kokona federal constituency seats to the opposition SDP.
The two federal constituencies mentioned are being represented by Hon Sarki Dahiru and Jonathan Gaza. The duo had since dumped the APC, on whose platform they were elected to represent their constituencies. They resigned their membership of the APC during the doctored delegates’list episode that denied them return ticket to the National Assembly.

Dahiru and Gaza after dumping APC pitched tent with the SDP where they contested to return to the green chambers of the National Assembly.
The INEC declared the two federal lawmakers winners of their constituencies at the Saturday polls.

Declaring Hon Gaza, Member of the House of Representatives for Karu/Keffi/Kokona Federal constituency as winner of the Saturday’s election for the constituency, INEC Returning Officer for the election, Prof George Genyi, declared Gaza, who polled 60,265 votes as winner at the Keffi Zonal Collation Centre in Keffi Local Government Area of the state last Monday.

Genyi said the candidate of the PDP, Mr Bulus Ishaku, scored 33,180 votes, with that of the LP, Mr Iliya Gambo scoring 29,665 votes, while that of the APC, Mr. Auta Koro, scored 28,417 votes, respectively.

“That Gaza Jonathan of the SDP having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declare winner and is returned elected,” Genyi declared.
In the same vein, Hon. Sarki Dahiru has won the Lafia/Obi Federal Constituency seat on the platform of the SDP. Dahiru, who was re-elected for the third term after dumping APC, polled 37,469 votes to defeat Ahmed Dallah of the PDP and Mohammed Al-Makura of the APC, who both scored 36,067 and 35,400 votes respectively.

Abdullahi Usman, Returning Officer of the election who declared the result said Dahiru scored the highest number of votes cast. He added that Dahiru of the SDP won having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes in the election.

3:45am

Constituents Reject Senators Gaya, Olujimi, Egwu, Others at Poll

The Tsunami that swept about 70 per cent of the current members of the Senate during the primaries of political parties last year, further depleted the hallowed red chambers at the end of the just concluded National Assembly elections. Sunday Aborisade reports.

Apart from all the six female Senators that would not make it to the 10th Senate, some ranking Senators also lost at the poll last Saturday.
The female Senators that lost in their re-election bid are Biodun Olujimi (Ekiti South); Stella Oduah (Anambra North); and Lilian Ekwunife (Anambra Central).
Senators Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), Nora Ladi Dadu’ut (Plateau South), and Akon Etim Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom South) did not seek re-election.

With the prevailing trend, the 10th National Assembly may be dominated by fresh legislators with the attendant adverse effects on institutional memory which usually strengthen the legislative institution.

Other serving Senators who lost their bid to return to the red chamber after Saturday’s poll are the Senate Spokesperson, Ajibola Basiru (Osun Central), Kola Balogun (Oyo South); Danjuma La’ah (Kaduna South), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North), Michael Ama Nnachi (Ebonyi South), Kabiru Gaya (Kano Central); Francis Alimikhena (Edo North); Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North);Gabriel Suswan (Benue North-East) and Senator Bala Na Allah Kebbi South).

Announcing the result at the collation center for Kebbi South in Zuru, Professor Ibrahim Mohammed, said PDP scored 75,232 votes, while APC scored 70,787.
Serving governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Ben Ayade (Cross River), lost their bid to retire to the 10th Senate.

Despite the controversies that trailed his candidature which was later resolved at the Supreme Court, President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, won his re-election to the Senate for the fifth term on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

Lawan, who won the Saturday Senatorial election by a landslide victory having polled 91,318 votes, representing 74.7 percent of the total valid votes(122,193), to defeat his closest rival, Bello Ilu of PDP who polled 22,849 votes dedicated his victory for the people of Yobe North Senatorial District in Yobe State.
Also, the Chief Whip of the Senate and Candidate of the APC, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has been declared winner of the Abia-North Senatorial elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The former governor of Abia State polled a total of 30,805 votes to defeat his major opponents Mao Ohuabunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 15, 175 votes while Nnamdi Iroh of the Labour Party got 25,540 votes.

Similarly, the Senator representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, has been re-elected. Dickson was declared winner of the Bayelsa West Senatorial District election by the Senatorial Returning Officer, Prof Akpan Emnanuel, on Monday.
The former two-term Governor of Bayelsa State polled 27,000 votes to defeat candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Wilson Ayakpo Dauyegha, who scored 8,375 votes.

Senator Mohammed Sani Musa (APC Niger East) has also been declared winner of the Niger East Senatorial District. He scored a total of 229,415 votes to beat his opponent Isiaku Sani of the Peoples Democratic Party who scored 116,143.

Similarly, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party for Nasarawa North Senatorial district, Godiya Akwashiki, has also won his re-election bid.
Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, polled 69,351 votes to defeat Ajijola Lateef of the PDP who polled 26,181 votes.
Umar Sadiq Sulaimon of the APC was declared winner of the Kwara North Senatorial District.

Sulaimon polled 78,015 votes to beat his closest rival, Issa Bawa Adamu of the PDP, who garnered 41,443 votes, while the Labour Party (LP) Candidate, Moses Rebecca, got 1,947 votes.

The declaration was made by the Returning Officer for Kwara North, Professor Oluwole Akinola.

In the same vein, Senator Lola Ashiru, representing Kwara South Senatorial District, APC, has been reelected for another term. Ashiru of the APC polled a total of 55,966 votes, while Senator Rafiu Ibrahim of the PDP received 34,950 votes
Ibrahim Mustapha of the PDP has been declared winner of the election in Kaduna North Senatorial District.

PDP candidate in the Cross Rivers North Senatorial District elections, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, has been declared winner in Saturday’s National Assembly elections.

Announcing the results, the Returning Officer, Dr Emmanuel Emanghe said the PDP scored 76,145 votes to defeat the incumbent APC Governor of the State, Professor Ben Ayade, who scored 56,595 votes. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe has thus been re-elected to the senate.

Senate Spokesperson, Ajibola Basiru, has lost his bid to return to the senate, after losing to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Fadeyi Olubiyi. Declaring result of the election at the Osun Central Senatorial collation centre, Osogbo City Hall, Olonkoro, the collation officer, Professor Ibrahim Usman, disclosed that Olubiyi scored 134, 229 to defeat Basiru, who polled 117,609.

Former Governor of Ogun, Gbenga Daniel, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been declared winner of the Ogun-East Senatorial election held on Saturday.

Christopher Onwuka, INEC Returning Officer for the senatorial district, announced the results on Sunday at the collation centre in Itoro Hall, Ijebu-Ode. Onwuka said Mr Daniel scored 115,147 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ajibola Kalejaiye of the PDP, who scored 58,708 votes.
Also, Senator Solomon Adeola polled a total of 112, 887 votes to defeat Ganiyu Obanibasiri of the PDP, who scored 60,189 votes. Adeola scored the highest votes of 112,887, to emerge winner of the Ogun-West Senatorial District.

Busunessman and Enterpreneur, Mr Jimoh Ibrahim, polled 110,665 votes to defeat a former deputy governor of the state, Agboola Ajayi of the PDP, who polled 65, 784 votes to emerge the Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District.

Declaring former Governor Godswill Akpabio as the winner of the contest for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, Professor Anthony Udoh, said the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, satisfied all conditions to be declared the winner having polled 115,401 valid votes.
The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, who came a distant second, polled 69,838 votes.

Former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, also won Zamfara West Senate seat under the APC. The Returning Officer, Zamfara West Senatorial Election, Prof. Rufus Tinuola, said Yari scored 147,346 votes against his closest opponent of the PDP, Bello S-Fagon, who scored 58,832 votes. According to him, other candidates Ibrahim Musa of ADC scored 150 votes, Ahmad Lawali of APP scored 75 votes and Aliyu Yahaya of LP had 111 votes.

Former governors of Gombe State, Danjuma Goje and Ibrahim Dankwambo won their bids to represent their senatorial districts.
Goje of the APC was declared winner for Gombe Central Senatorial district while Dankwambo of the PDP emerged winner of Gombe North Senatorial election. Anthony Siyako of PDP clinched Gombe South Senatorial seat.

Senator representing Benue South Senatorial District, Abba Moro of the PDP has won his re-election bid. He polled 76,459 votes to defeat his closest rival Daniel Onjeh of APC who polled 59, 595 and Joe Ojobo of LP who polled 40,194 votes

However, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom of the PDP lost to Titus Zam of the APC in the contest for Benue North West Senatorial District. Zam polled 143,151 votes to defeat Ortom who got 106,888 votes and Mark Gbilah of LP who scored 51,151 votes.

TUESDAY 28, FEBRUARY 2023

11:07pm

Tinubu Files Suit to Stop LP, PDP from Halting Collation of Presidential Election Results

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday, instituted a legal action to restrain the Labour Party (LP) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), from stopping the collation and announcement of the results of the February 25 presidential election.

According to court documents, the case, filed on Tuesday before the Federal High Court in Kano and marked FHC/KN/CS/43/2023, the Action Alliance and the Independent National Electoral Commission were joined as defendants and the Vice Presidential of the party, Kashim Shettima was mentioned among the plaintiff.

The plaintiffs in the originating summons asked for a declaration that INEC chairman “is duty bound to continue to receive Election Results from the State Collation Officers of the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory for the purpose of collating the result of the Presidential Election from the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT as collated and announced by the States Collation Officers in their respective States and the FCT for the purpose of declaring the winner of the Presidential Election as well accordingly make a return of the candidate so declared in fulfillment of the provisions of section 134 (1) &(2) of the 1999 Constitution.”

The plaintiffs in a motion on notice filed alongside the originating summons, asked the court to make the order restraining the defendants from stopping the collation and announcement of the results because “damages will not adequately compensate for the injury that may be occasioned on the Plaintiffs if the Defendants stops the collation of the result.”

The suit was supported by an affidavit deposed to by Abdullahi Abbas, the APC Chairman in Kano.

The counsel for the plaintiffs, Sunusi Musa (SAN) moved the ex-parte motion attached to the summons, the judge, Justice A. M. Liman held that “the Chief Judge of the Court has directed that no Ex Parte Application may be issued by any Judge” and therefore ordered an accelerated hearing of the Motion on March, 3 by 12:00 noon via zoom, and ordered that the defendants must be served with the process by publication in 3 National Dailies 48 hours before hearing of the application.

9:54pm

Don’t Truncate 2023 Elections Like June 12 Mandate, Yoruba Assembly, COYN Tell Obasanjo

· Challenge INEC to conclude presidential poll

Gboyega Akinsanmi

The Yoruba Assembly, a body of socio-cultural groups in the South-west states, has warned former President Olusegun Obasanjo against truncating the 2023 presidential election as the outcome of the June 12, 1993 presidential poll won by late Chief M.K.O Abiola was aborted without justifications.

NNPP is one of the four leading parties in the 2023 election and it has the fourth highest votes in the results announced so far. Two other parties with the second and third highest votes so far, Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party respectively, had earlier called for the cancellation of the election.

Conscience of the Yoruba Nation similarly faulted Obasanjo’s call for the cancellation of the 2023 presidential election, observing that his statement “is nothing, but a call for undue interference in the constitutional responsibilities of the INEC.”

The National Chairman of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Hon. Olawale Oshun and the Director-General of the Conscience of the Yoruba Nation (COYN), Abagun Kole Omololu expressed these concerns at separate fora in Lagos on Tuesday.

Obasanjo had claimed that INEC officials, at operational level, had been compromised to make what should have worked not to work and to revert to manual transmission of results, which was manipulated, and the results doctored.

Consequently, he had suggested that all elections that did not pass the credibility and transparency test be cancelled and be brought back with areas where elections were disrupted for next Saturday and BVAS and Server officials be changed.

At a news conference he addressed in Lagos Tuesday, Oshun claimed that the former president lacked the moral right to serve as a guiding beacon for Nigeria whether in his intervention in the 1993 presidential election that yielded MKO Abiola or in this particular instance of the yet to be concluded 2023 elections.

Oshun, who spoke for the Yoruba people at the conference, said Obasanjo’s hand was heavy in the institution of the failed 1993 Interim government, a process that ultimately led to the military intervention that brought the late tyrant, Gen. Sani Abacha to power and the death of the President-elect, Chief M.K.O Abiola.

Oshun pointed out that the former president “is as politically partisan as any other Nigerian, which is his right, but cannot at the same time be pretending to be father of the nation.

“We will be justified to impute motive and suggest that this 2023 attempt at wanting to render the elections inchoate as that of 1993 could just be that Obasanjo would want till his passing to remain the only Yoruba people to ever attain leadership of the country.”

On behalf of the Yoruba people, Oshun called for the completion of the 2023 electoral processes starting with the already held national elections and ending with the state executive and legislative elections.

For now, according to him, let the electoral process be completed and any party or candidate can, as provided for in the electoral laws, seek justice in our courts. Whoever emerges however has great unifying tasks ahead if Nigeria is to remain one.

He warned the military “to completely steer clear of whatever temporary impasse could occur, as this is not unusual in all democracies. The military should also turn a deaf ear to any possible incitement be it from retired Generals or their rank and file.

“The world has moved on and the Yoruba people will resist with other Nigerians any misguided intervention to take place in our polity.”

Also, in a two-page statement yesterday, Omololu noted that INEC should be allowed, even encouraged, to continue with the ongoing electoral process, which according to him, all Nigerians – at home and in the diaspora – were anxiously waiting for.

He, therefore, said the people of Yoruba “stand by INEC to conclude the process in line with its mandate. As a people, we challenge the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to declare any candidate that satisfies the requirements of the 1999 Constitution winner of the process to avoid another June 12 dilemma or any political contradiction that can truncate our democracy.”

Even though the process is not entirely credible, Omololu observed that the solution “is not to throw away the baby with bath’s water.”

Rather than resorting to extra-legal measures that could lead to the regrettable path of people’s aborted mandate as witnessed after the June 12, 1993 election, Omololu urged any aggrieved candidate to seek redress in the Election Petition Tribunal in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and 2022 Electoral Act.

He observed that the use of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System “has brought credibility into the process. With BVAS, APC lost Lagos, the home state of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to LP. Nobody complained about it.

“With BVAS, APC also lost Katsina, the home of President Muhammadu Buhari, to PDP. For them, it is all well. What else does Obasanjo want? He is partisan in this process. He endorsed the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi.”

On this ground alone, Omololu said Obasanjo lacked moral authority “to provide guidance for the electoral regulatory institution. If his candidate loses in the process, he should accept it in good faith and join hands with the new president-elect to move Nigeria forward.”

9:44pm

NNPP Calls for Cancellation of Presidential Election over Wrong Party Logo on Ballot Paper

*Accuses INEC of deliberately undermining party

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has called for the immediate suspension

of the announcement of result and the cancellation of the presidential election across the country, demanding that new election be conducted as soon as possible.

Briefing the press in Abuja on Tuesday on the February 25 Elections, the National Chairman of the Party, Prof Rufai Ahmed Alkali said its members were disenfranchised by the electoral body because of the logo used on the ballot paper which was neither clear enough nor contained the key representation of the party, which is a basket of fruits, thereby confusing its voters as they made their choices.

The party said: “The deliberate use of illegible logo of our party on the ballot papers of the 2023 general elections by INEC is very unfortunate. We were shocked on the Election Day to discover that INEC has decided to make use of the most blurred image to represent the logo of NNPP. It is even more shocking that the blurred image that INEC has put on the ballot did not include the name of our party”

Alkali noted that “This is in spite of the provision of section 42 (1) which states “…the commission shall prescribe the format of the ballot papers which shall include the symbol adopted by the political party of the candidate and such other information as it may require”. Majority of our supporters found it difficult to identity NNPP on the ballot paper”.

“The key representation of the NNPP logo is the basket of fruits. But on the INEC ballot

papers neither the basket nor the fruits can be identified. This did not only confuse our supporters but deliberately disenfranchised them”

It said: “There was a deliberate undermining of the NNPP by INEC from the beginning of the 2023 electioneering process, INEC as a Commission has been displaying incomprehensible hostility towards the NNPP”

“From the conduct of our congresses and conventions to the conduct of our primary elections we suffered unnecessary and unexplainable resistance and outright sabotage from INEC both at state and national levels.The most disturbing one was when INEC shut our party from submitting our candidates onto their server days before the deadline. We had to go to court and secure judgement to compel INEC to accept our Candidates”

“As if that was not enough, even after the court judgement, INEC went ahead to appeal some of the judgments. And to the best of our knowledge, we are the only political party that INEC has been appealing pre-election cases that we have won in courts. The most shameful of all is the refusal of INEC to use the correct and legible logo of our party on the ballot papers”

The party stressed that “While it is illegal to campaign on election day according to the provisions of the electoral act, the President of Nigeria Maj. Gen. M. Buhari (rtd.) and the Minister of Justice Barr A Malami and many senior members of the government were seen on election day campaigning openly by displaying their ballot papers, showing Nigerians which party should be voted for “

“It is unfortunate that the distribution

of election materials was deliberately delayed in many polling units to suppress our voters. This is Rigging-byTime. In many places elections started few minutes to the

closing time of 2:30pm. Law enforcement personnel especially some Police and DSS were openly seen colluding with the agents of the ruling party and elections officials not only to cause delays in the process but also

to harass and intimidate voters in places were the ruling party is very unpopular”

Speaking on vote buying, the party insisted that “In spite of the Naira swap policy which the government claimed was intended to end the culture of vote-buying, there is no gainsaying that the 2023 general election was among the worse in terms of vote-buying”

“While the volume of cash being used to bribe voters has reduced, the quantum of other truckloads of essential commodities that was used openly, at polling units, to

bribe voters was unprecedented in the history of elections in Nigeria. In almost every electoral ward in the country, merchants of corruption and bribe were in their elements! Truckloads of raw food items, truckloads of fabrics, truckloads of toiletries etc. were seen everywhere and being used shamelessly by the ruling

party to bribe voters and compromise the election. In many places this dastardly act was being protected by some law enforcement agents”

Furthermore, NNPP stated that “The embarrassing decision of INEC to close down the iReV server might not be unconnected with the very widespread failures of the bvas across the country. In majority of the PUs across

rural Nigeria, the BVAS machine failed. It simply did not work. There was no any accreditation. And people were

allowed to vote”

“Nothing compromised the election and

returned us to pre-technology era than the shelving of BVAS and allowing election to hold without accreditation. And in those places, ballot boxes were simply stuffed with ballot papers of a particular party to the detriment and disadvantage of other parties. No over-voting is worse that voting without accreditation at all”

“In fact in the few places were the bvas machine worked, the attempt to change the results on transit has also rubbished the

accreditation as the record on the bvas is entirely different with the tampered results on the results sheet”

It said, “to save our democracy and our country, the present election results must not be accepted by Nigerians and by all friends of

Nigeria”

9:15pm

LP’s Ireti Kingibe Floors Aduda, Wins FCT Senatorial Seat

Olawale Ajimotokan, Abuja

Labour Party candidate, Ireti Kingibe has won FCT Senatorial election after she defeated the incumbent, Senator Philip Aduda of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Returning Officer for the FCT Senatorial election, Prof. Sani Saka, who declared the result Tuesday evening said Kingibe scored a total of 202,175 votes across the five area councils where results were declared to emerge winner.

Aduda came second with 100,544 votes, while Mr Angulu Dobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came third with 78,905 votes.

Results of Abaji Area Council were cancelled due to over voting and the appearance of African Democratic Party (ADP) on the ballot when it had no candidate for the election.

Result of Bwari Area Council where initially there was over-voting, was rectified and accepted prompting both PDP and APC agents to reject the result.

9:13pm

INEC: We’ll Review Election Where Necessary

•IPAC backs INEC, says collation of presidential election must continue

•Communicate whenever you have challenges, APC chieftain tells INEC

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured that elections would be reviewed where necessary in accordance with the Section 65 of the Electoral Act.

INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu stated this Tuesday at the ongoing collation of presidential election results in Abuja.

He said: “In accordance with the new electoral Act particularly under section 65 of the Electoral Act, we will review the election where it is absolutely necessary.”

Earlier, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) threw its weight behind the electoral body, saying the ongoing collation process of presidential results must continue.

The Chairman of IPAC, Yabagi Sani stated this following the call by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party for the cancellation of election results.

He said: “We are here with most of the members of the council. We are here to express our delight that this process should continue. This is because when democracy fails political parties are the first casualties and the politicians are the biggest losers.

“Democracy is crucial to the people of this country and we believe that the elections are the fundamental pillars of our democracy. So the mere fact that we held this election amid the current circumstances we need to congratulate this country.”

Sani noted that IPAC was aware of the challenges in the country, adding that the commission and political parties experienced some of the unexpected development.

According to him, From our findings it is not uncommon to experience such in any technology usage. We believe that we are at a crossroads but Nigerians are highly resilient. We should sum up the courage to conclude this process.”

Sani added: “It is not that we are happy or we don’t understand the pains of our people. But in democracy according to the popular maxim ‘the show must go on’ not that we just wanted to have this as a show but this country is a country of greatness.”

The IPAC chairman stressed that any of its members that felt aggrieved should seek redress

“I want to assure Nigerians that as political parties we are on the same page with them but we must conclude this process and conclude it and do what the law says we can do,” he added

Also, the National Chairman of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, said the INEC chairman should go ahead with the process.

His words: “Without prejudice to whatever challenges, we must not burn down Nigeria. Nigeria must exist first before we can become whatever we become.

“Nobody can believe that Lagos can fall to third force. Nobody believes that three governors will lose their senatorial seat. A state they governed for eight years.

“Nobody believes that an Okada rider is now moving to the House of Representatives. Party leaders lost their polling unit and state. This is the same election we want to throw the baby with the bath water. So go ahead with the process.”

Meanwhile, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Sam Nkire has urged INEC to inform and communicate with both the political parties and the general public, whenever it faces hitches or difficulties in the cause of its assignments and operations.

He appealed to all Nigerians, including members of his party, especially the youths, to be patient and remain calm until the final announcement of the presidential election results.

Nkire in a statement Tuesday urged candidates and leaders of political parties to restrain their members and supporters from taking the laws into their hands, while the nation awaited the final announcement of the presidential and the other National Assembly election results.

He noted that the outcome of the election so far announced indicated that the youth were yearning for inclusivity in the running of the affairs of the country, stressing they needed to be involved more than ever before.

He advised that no patriot should go into an election hoping to win at all costs adding that, “an electoral contest must not be a do or die affair for anyone who has the peace and unity of his or her country at heart”.

Nkire also advised INEC “to inform and communicate both the political parties and the general public, whenever it faces hitches or difficulties in the cause of its national assignments and operations”.

“It would be foolhardy for members of the public to take to the streets to protest and riot over the delay in the announcing process by the Independent National Elections Commission (INEC) or over unsuccessful attempt by their preferred candidates to win.

“The country is too important and strategic to Africa and the world for it to descend into post-election violence and crisis. This capable of significantly impacting on the socio-economic security of the sub-region and the whole world”,

Nkire maintained that the recent presidential election which he adjudged to be an improvement on the last one would surely produce a president that a majority of Nigerians want and voted for.

8:05pm

House of Reps Majority Leader Arrested in Kano

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

House of Representatives Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa has been arrested by the police in Kano.

He was arrested over alleged role in the killing of several persons and burning of the secretariat of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) during the just concluded polls.

A credible source in the police told reporters that Doguwa was picked up at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) while about to board a flight to Abuja.

The source said that the report obtained from the police in Tudun Wada, alleged that Doguwa personally led the thugs that set ablaze the NNPP secretariat where at least two persons were burnt to death.

“He also (allegedly) used the pistol of his orderly and fired at several persons. So we have arrested him in connection to murder and arson.

The source, who is very familiar with the investigation and asked not to be named, said “He is currently cooling off in the state Criminal Investigation Department.”

The police in Kano had confirmed that at least two persons were killed at the campaign secretariat of the NNPP in Tudun Wada after the secretariat was set ablaze.

The spokesman of the Kano Police Command, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa,could not be reached for comment.

Doguwa had at a press briefing with journalists before his arrest denied any culpability and said he learnt that police were looking for him but he had not received any formal invitation.

He also denied allegations that he shot at several individuals in the fracas that broke out, saying he does not own a gun nor does he know how to fire one.

“I never held a gun. I don’t even know how to hold a gun. I also never held any weapon throughout the election,” he said.

7:32pm

Tinubu Wins Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu has won the election in Rivers State.

Tinubu polled a total of 231,591 votes to clinch the position in the state, while the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi polled 175,071 votes and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar polled 88468 votes.The result was declared at about 6.42pm on Tuesday, by the state collation officer for the presidential election in Rivers, Prof Charles Teddy Adias.

Announcing the result, Prof Adias disclosed the total registered votes in the state as

3, 315, 005 and Accredited voters as 605,055.

He listed the votes polled by each participatory political parties as “A 1875, AA 321, AAC 4043, ADC 1823, ADP 953, APC 231, 591, APGA 1468, APM 579, APP 849, BP 514, LP 175071, NNPP 1322, NRM 888, PDP 88468, PRP 275, SDP 10514, YPP 797, ZLP 5963”.

He further disclosed the number of total valid votes as 523,65, rejected votes 30293, adding that the total number of votes cast is 553, 944.

Also, Prof Adias said 25 Registered Areas in the state had unresolved issues, which affected about 51,763 voters who had collected their Permanent Voters Cards.

6:51pm

Polls: Look into Legitimate Complaints of Nigerians, Ex-Katsina Gov Urges INEC

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

A former governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to look into legitimate complaints raised by Nigerians on the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections in the country.

Shema, who made the appeal at a press conference in Katsina Tuesday evening, said the nation’s electoral umpire may be abused but that should deter it from doing what is right within the armbit of the law.

He said: “INEC must look into genuine and legitimate concerns and complaints, but in doing so must act strictly in consonance with the laws of the land. They will still be accused, abused and insulted, but that should not deter them from doing what is right under the law.”

He said the election was acclaimed to be peaceful, but without some challenges, adding: “We should therefore collectively come together to work for its peaceful outcome and continue to support the advancement of the course of our dear country and its people.”

He, however, appealed to all leading candidates in the election to come together and speak with one voice for the peace, unity and stability of Nigeria which they seek to lead.

The erstwhile Katsina governor also called on the international community, political parties, religious and traditional leaders to join hands in supporting and deepening Nigeria’s democracy for peace and unity to thrive.

While noting that no nation or leader could succeed in an atmosphere of rancour, Shema urged all relevant stakeholders, including the media, to collectively work for the unity, peace and progress of the country.

According to him, “Sectional, tribal, religious, personal or group interests must give way to national and collective interest.”

6:28pm

Gen Bajowa Disagrees With Obasanjo over Call for Cancellation of Presidential Election

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

A retired military general, Olu Bajowa has condemned former President Olusegun Obasanjo for demanding the cancellation of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Obasanjo had called on President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the Independent National Electoral Commission to cancel the polls because it was marred by irregularities.

But in a statement on Tuesday, the retired general, who saved Obasanjo from being killed by whiskers during the February 13, 1976 military coup, warned the former head of state against causing crisis in the country.

He said, “It is very sad, most disheartening and grossly unexpected that a man of the calibre of a former military Head of State and two-time civilian President, General Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR, could contemplate anything that could truncate Nigeria’s democratic process at this very crucial stage!

“General Obasanjo was the one who gave me orders to go to the war front in 1967, to fight the legendary Ore Battle, “to keep Nigeria One”.

“Without any attempt to undermine General Obasanjo, I believe that his intentions on the 2023 electoral process, are far from being sincere, given the fact that he openly endorsed a particular candidate who incidentally is not leading the polls, as already announced by INEC.

“As the saying goes, He who must come to equity; must come with clean hands. Hence, It is obvious that having endorsed a candidate, General Obasanjo’s hands are not clean in this instance, and he lacks the moral right to come to equity.

“I advise President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, not to be deterred by the anti-democratic voices making the rounds and not be swayed, deceived, or persuaded to allow anyone to destroy his worthy legacy of excellent service to our great nation.

“A quick glance at the results announced so far by INEC, paint a clear picture of the direction to which the voice of the people is tilted. There are several upsets which only a free and fair process could have produced.

“For instance, the official release of results so far showed that, President Buhari lost Katsina, Bola Tinubu lost Lagos, El-Rufai lost Kaduna, Ganduje lost Kano, Lalong lost Plateau. All these states are strongholds of the Ruling Political Party! How else can a process be free, fair, and transparent?

“I call on all well-meaning Nigerians across political parties, tribes, and religion to rise and condemn any attempt by any persons of sinister motives, to create problems for our country, leading to anarchy that could endanger peace, unity, and stability of Nigeria, and even the disintegration of the country.

“Nigeria is not a lawless country. The constitution is clear on who should conduct elections, and there are provisions for review on irregularities, punishment for infractions, and aggrieved parties to seek redress through the legal process! In fact, the law does not make any provision for unilateral cancellation or annulment of election results. Such move is totally wrong, undemocratic, unacceptable, and unconstitutional.”

6:23pm

PDP Wins Plateau North Senate, Reps Seats Amidst Drama

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Tuesday, declared the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Simon Mwadkwon and Musa Agah as the winners for the Plateau-North Senatorial district and Bassa/Jos North Federal constituency respectively in the elections held last Saturday.

The Returning Officer for Plateau North Senatorial election and the Head of English Department, University of Jos, Professor Jeff Doki, announced the results.

He said that Mwadkwon polled 155,681 votes to defeat the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Christopher Musa who polled 78,302. The candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Suleiman Kwande polled 32,607 votes.

For the Bassa/Jos North federal constituency seat, the Returning Officer, Professor Josiah Muthir of the University of Jos declared the results of the election.

According to him, the PDP candidate scored 87,609 to win the election while his closest rival, Hon Muhammad Alkali of the PRP polled 67,331.

The winners were originally meant to be announced at the Jos North Local Government Secretariat, where the Collation Center for the two elections was situated. But there was tension at the secretariat over the invasion of the collation center by thugs alleged to be loyalists of the PRP candidates.

The thugs chased the INEC officials out of the collation centre leading to relocation of the collation centre to another venue in Tudun Wada community of the state.

6:20Pm

Presidential Election: Rivers Collation Officer Alleges Threat to Life, Halts Collation

*Obi leading with 168,981 in 21 LGAs

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The State Collation Officer for the 2023 Presidential election in Rivers state, Prof Charles Teddy Addias has decried series of threat from some political party faithful and unconfirmed members of the public.

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi is leading the state with 168, 981 votes from results collated from 21 local government areas of the state.

Prof Addias who spoke on Tuesday, while presiding at the 2023 general election state collation center, held at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Port Harcourt, said he would have to indefinitely adjourn the collation process.

Recalled that collation of the presidential election for the state was stipulated to conclude at the reconvening of the collation process, having just two local government areas to sum up the results for Rivers out of the 23 LGAs.

Addias, a Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Otueke, Bayelsa, disclosed that his family members have received similar threats from the public, saying that despite the challenge he would remain committed to the service of the nation.

He explained that he was not involved in the collation of results at the polling units or at the LGAs, but a state Returning Officer whose duty is to receive already collated results and transmit to National collation centre, Abuja.

“I wish to use this medium to draw the attention of the public to the barrels of text massages and calls from members of the public and various walks of life, political parties faithful inclusive. And this massages range from calling me to order claiming abnormalities and those to threatening my life.

“For the avoidance of doubt, you may know that a state collation officer for the presidential election, is limited to merely receiving report. I am not privy to any fact of figures emanating from conduct of election and presented here. I am not involved in the process of collation of results and announcement of results that would have taken place right in the local government for arrival here.

“I am not involved in accreditation, I am not involved in voting, I am not involved in counting, I am not involved in computation, neither am I involved in validation of votes accruable to any political party.

“I carefully consider therefore, I regret to observe that my life is being threatened because I have been elected to serve our dear country, to contribute my fair quota to the success of the ongoing elections which we all wait for and pray for success.

“By this I wish to alert security agencies, in deed the public of the threat to my life and request for every necessary protection to enable me live, discharge my duty and obligation.

“In the meantime I need to adjourn the collation of this presidential election in Rivers state, to enable the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Rivers state and indeed INEC to address the foregoing”, Addias added.

Reacting to the reported threat incident, Resident Commissioner of Police in charge of elections in Rivers, CP Adeyemi Adeoye, warned that the police was not ignorant of such report, saying that investigation has commenced to unravel the perpetrators.

He also assured the state collation Officer of his safety even after his service in the state.

“Threat to life the professor has mentioned, the Nigerian Police Force condemn such threat and those behind it in its entirety without reservation. It is condemnable that what seem to have played out on social media is not complicity to real life and is affecting the whole of our national interest.

“I want to request the professor to kindly submit a written complaint to this effect to the Commissioner of Police, Rivers state. Investigation will be launched and those behind it will be brought to book. While your assignment continues, the Nigerian Police Force guarantee your safety. We will provide adequate security for your movement, we will provide adequate security for your residence.

“Whoever is stupid enough to attempt anything will pay with their lives, if you wish, try us. They have displayed irresponsible ignorance in blaming the professor for non functioning of BVAS”, CP Adeoye assured.

6:13pm

PDP: Elections in Sokoto Marred by Violence, Security Agencies Must Bring Perpetrators to Justice

By Onuminya Innocent In Sokoto

The People Democratic Party (PDP) Sokoto State has lamented the spate of violence perpetrated by its political opponents in the Saturday’s presidential and Natonal Assembly elections.

Addressing journalists at the NUJ Secretariat at Zuru Road , Sokoto on Tuesday, the chairman of the party in the state, Alhaji Aliyu Bello Goronyo, said the trend was a deviation from political ideology of the founding fathers.

He noted that the state had produced renowned people in scholarship and politics.

” In this state we have produced the likes of Sheikh Usmanu Bin Fodio, the former premier of Northern region late Sir Ahmadu Bello , late president of Nigeria Shehu Usman Shagari , had all distinguished themselves as exemplary figures while they lived”, he stated.

He maintained that it was unfortunate that the state as conceived by the aforementioned personalities, especially in politics, was no longer the case now.

He further stated that some desperate politicians had introduced violence, thuggery, killing and maiming into the system.

“It is sad our seat of caliphate is now famed for these kinds of lawlessness,” he added.

He explained that despite the efforts by Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for peace to reign in the state, some elements were bent on disrupting peaceful atmosphere being enjoyed in the state.

He said last Saturday some politicians sponsored armed political thugs which led to the cancellation of elections in over 400 polling units with 400,000 voters affected.

He urged the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of these heinous acts, stressing that they will not fold their hands and allow the enemies of the state to have their ways.

He appealed to the people to remain calm as the state government will do everything to safeguard their lives.

He also urged them to come out enmass to cast their votes for candidates of their choice on March 11, saying adequate security will be provided for them.

5:56pm

PDP’s Ngwu Wins Enugu West Senate Seat

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for Enugu West Senatorial District, Engr. Osita Ngwu has emerged victorious in the just concluded elections.

Ngwu who won in a landslide victory, will be replacing Senator Ike Ekweremadu who has been in the Red Chamber since May 2003.

He polled 52,473 votes to defeat Dennis Amadi of Labour Party, who polled 48,053.

Other losers are, APC’s Ezeh Chika who scored 3825 while NNPP candidate, Udeagulu Cletus scored 1052.

The returning officer declared Ngwu winner saying that he has satisfied the requirements of the law.

5:32pm

Protesters Storm Presidential Collation Centre in Abuja over Electronic Transmission of Results

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Scores of protesters from different political parties Tuesday stormed the Presidential Collation Centre at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, to demand for electronic transmission of results from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The protest took place at the nearby Emeka Anyaoku Street, Area 11, in the light of the tight security cordon at the International Conference Centre.

The protesters expressed dissatisfaction with the failure by INEC Chairman Dr Mamood Yakubu to abide by his promise to relay the result of the election via electronic transmission.

They asked the INEC Chairman to fulfil what his promise of an election that is transparent and open process promised Nigerians several months before the election.

One of the protesters, Lillian Kozau, who spoke with reporters, called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow his image to be tarnished and his legacy destroyed by the INEC.

“INEC assured us that it would be a transparent process. They assured us of a transparent process and that the BVAS would be used, which is supposed to be an electronic process. Yet, after three days, 23 states still need to be uploaded. Why? Does this mean we will be doing this for one week?

“Why will a result be deleted from a platform after it has been uploaded? What are they up to? All we asked for was a transparent process. We just wanted whoever we voted for to emerge as the president of this country. We just wanted hope; we just wanted things to work. We are not asking for too much,” Kozau said.

Another protester, Dr Lovett Izekor asked the international community and the international election observers to mount pressure on the federal government to ensure INEC sticks to the promise of electronic transition of results.

5:19pm

NHRC: There may Be Voter Apathy in Guber, States Assembly PollsMichael Olugbode in Abuja

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has raised the alarm that with the way the Presidential/National Assembly elections were handled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), there may be voter apathy during the March 11 Governorship/House of Assembly polls.

It also warned that if something is not immediately done to ameliorate the problem caused so far with the electoral process, there may be outbreak of violence in the country.

The commission supports ongoing calls on INEC to comply with the rules guiding the conduct of the 2023 general election as contained in the amended Electoral Act, insisting that non-compliance would result in voter apathy and violence among other consequences in the coming governorship and states assembly elections.

The call was championed by the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu, during the briefing on the review of the NHRC 2023 elections and the human rights situation on Tuesday in Abuja.

Ojukwu said people may gradually lose faith in the system because of non-compliance with relevant laws and rules guiding the conduct of the election.

He said it was not acceptable to transmit results manually when the law says it has to be transmitted electronically, adding that manual and electronic upload should go simultaneously.

He however urged Nigerians to have patience with the process as a new portal is now open where results are been uploaded.

According to Ojukwu, it was gladdening that following the outcry of the people, INEC has now found an alternative to the manual upload of results in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Meanwhile, he advised Nigerians to cry out if they found any discrepancy between the original sheet and the uploaded one, adding that the law clearly expected results to be transmitted, therefore, INEC needs to comply with the law to restore the confidence of the people to reduce apathy.

In his remark, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Coordinator of Transition Monitoring Group, Auwal Rafsanjani, condemned INEC for its silence for days while the people complained about manual upload of results rather than electronically.

5:08pm

Presidential Poll: CAN Demands Explanations from INEC on Failure of BVAS

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The national leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explanations to make to Nigerians on why its officials failed to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines as provided in its guidelines on election day.

It said: “It is important that explanation be given to Nigerians by INEC as to why the preventable lapses were not addressed in a timely manner.”

The association said that it has noted with deep concern the recent developments in the country following the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

It said that despite the many assurances given by INEC about its level of preparedness for the polls, “it was observed in many quarters that last Saturday’s elections fell below the reasonable expectations of the people”.

A statement signed by the CAN President, Archbishop Daniel C. Okoh, said elections are vital for our country’s stability and democratic consolidation, adding that the process must be conducted and concluded safely, fairly and credibly.

However, CAN urged politicians and other stakeholders to avoid any action that could create needless tension or stoke any form of violence that could put the country on the precipice.

“For this reason, we urge political parties, candidates, supporters and the public to desist from any action that could create needless tension or stoke any form of violence that could put the country on a precipice.

“CAN specifically asks all presidential candidates to abide by the spirit and letter of the Peace Accord they signed before the elections. We remind them that this is the only country we have and we must do everything to keep it safe, united and peaceful.

“In the same breath, we encourage all political actors, elder statesmen, eminent personalities in our society, as well as religious and traditional leaders to make proactive interventions to calm any tensions and nip signs of violence in the bud,” it said.

In the statement, CAN asked INEC to do all within its scope of authority to ensure that the will of the people as expressed through the ballots during last Saturday’s presidential and federal legislative elections count.

It said: “Ideally, when people vote, the votes should be counted and allowed to reflect in the result the electoral umpire will announce. Anything short of that, remains an aberration in any democratic context and contest.

“Despite the many assurances given by INEC about its level of preparedness for the polls, it was observed in many quarters that last Saturday’s elections fell below the reasonable expectations of the people.”

CAN said that the presidential election was marred by late arrival of election materials in parts of the country, malfunction of the BVAS machines and failure of the planned electronic transmission of results to the virtual results viewing portal amid other structural challenges in the electoral process.

According to CAN, these flaws have not only cast a shadow of doubt on INEC’s sincerity to deliver a transparent and fair general election this year, but also threaten the credibility of the entire system.

“It is, therefore, important that explanation be given to Nigerians as to why the preventable lapses were not addressed in a timely manner.

“INEC must rise to the occasion in the face of this precarious situation and do everything possible to win back the slipping confidence of the people in the electoral system, especially as the country prepares for the governorship and state legislative polls in 11 days time.

“Most importantly, all Nigerians must note that the whole of the international community is watching the behaviour of federal government and its agencies, especially the police, the army and the other law-enforcement agents, to see how far they respect the country’s constitution, the rule of law and the obligation to act well in playing their roles in respect of elections.

“CAN commends the electorate for the huge number of voter turnout, which is even more than the population of several countries. However, the implication is that, once anything goes wrong in our country, it will have a ripple effect across West Africa and beyond.

“As it is said, when Nigeria sneezes, the rest of the African continent catches cold. This implies that all stakeholders must ensure that these elections are free and fair so that no room is created for people to agitate unnecessarily or for violence to erupt,” it said.

4:36pm

Okowa, Datti Baba-Ahmed Call for Cancellation of Presidential Election Results

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

In a follow up to the press conference of the national chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Labour Party, the vice presidential candidates of the PDP, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state and Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed of the Labour Party have called for the cancellation of the presidential election because of violation of the constitution and the 2022 electoral act.

Addressing a joint press conference in Abuja, Okowa and Datti said that the presidential election held Saturday cannot stand because it was a rape on democracy snd was unconstitutional.

The text of the press statement read by the PDP Presidential running mate, Governor Okowa said, “We wish to state for the records that last weekend’s election was a sham. It was neither free nor fair. What played out yesterday at the National Collation Center exposes the National Chairman of playing to a predetermined script.

“Our position remains that the election and transmission of the results must be in tandem with the Electoral Act and the INEC guidelines.

“There is no doubt that INEC is under a statutory obligation to transmit election results electronically. Paragraph 38 of the INEC manual made pursuant to section 149 of the Electoral Act 2022 and the 1999 constitution as amended provides for this. That paragraph, which deals with the transmission of results at the polling units, is crucial, and it imposes statutory obligations on the part of INEC to upload polling units results on its portal.

“There is no doubt that polling units results are the pyramid upon which other results are built. Therefore, it is required that the moment polls come to a close and the results are declared, the results must be uploaded on INEC server or portal.”, Okowa stated.

According to Okowa, “Paragraph 38 of INEC Manual 2022 made pursuant to the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended and section 149 of of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that: “On completion of all the Polling Unit voting and results /procedures, the Presiding Officer shall:

“Electronically transmit or transfer the result of the Polling Unit, direct to the collation system as prescribed by the Commission.

“Use the BVAS to upload a scanned copy of the EC8A to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), as prescribed by the Commission.

“Take the BVAS and the original copy of each of the forms in tamper evident envelope to the Registration Area/Ward Collation Officer, in the company of Security Agents. The Polling Agents may accompany the Presiding Officer to the RA/Ward Collation Centre.” It is mandatory and compulsory. INEC has no option.

“So, the failure to upload results and follow the procedures set out in paragraph 38 of the manual made pursuant to the Electoral Act 2022, is a fundamenal breach that has the potential of rendering the election results that did not follow those procedures null and void.”, he stressed.

Accordingly, Okowa said, “For clarity, Section 64 (4) (a) and (b) of the Electoral Act, 2022 specifically provide thus:

“A collation officer or returning officer at an election shall collate and announce the result of an election subject to his or her verification and confirmation that the –

“number of accredited voters stated on the collated result are correct

and consistent with the number of accredited voters recorded and transmitted directly from polling units under section 47 (2) of this Act ; and

(b) “votes stated on the collated result are correct and consistent with the votes or results recorded and transmitted directly from Polling Units under Section (60) (4) of this Act”, he explained.

Consequent on the above Section 60 (4) of the Electoral Act 2022, Okowa stressed, “any result announced by INEC is ultra vires, illegal, and of no consequence unless they are results already transmitted DIRECTLY from the Polling Units.

“So procedurally, INEC cannot continue to announce results that are yet to be transmitted as expressly stated in the relevant Sections of the Electoral Act.

”The law is that where the law has set out the procedures to be followed, that procedures and no other must be followed”, he emphasized.

According the PDP Presidential running mate, “The argument that INEC guidelines have no force of law is idle and wayward arguments. This is not even the question of alterations of the results. It is a question of noncompliance with mandatory statutory provisions.

“The argument that it is only when the Chief Electoral Officer of the Federation announces the winner of the Presidential election that the results can be uploaded on the INEC portal cannot be correct. There must be uploading of results at the polling units after the polling officers had announced the winner at the polling units.

“Finally, we call on the commission to thread the path of honor by canceling the election outright and commence the process of a fresh election that will not only be credible but will be seen to be credible by Nigerians”, he stated.

3:36pm

PDP’s Ekwunife Congratulates LP’s Victor Umeh after Defeat in Anambra Central

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District and Senatorial Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the just concluded Senatorial election, Uche Ekwunife, has congratulates Senator Victor Umeh.

Umeh, a candidate of Labour Party in the just concluded election was declared the winner of the 2023 Anambra Central Senatorial District election over Ekwunife of PDP and Dozie Nwankwo of APGA.

In a congratulatory message by Ekwunife, which was signed by his media aide, Kingsley Ubani, the senator stated that she has accepted the outcome of the election, and urges the constituents and critical stakeholders in the zone to support the Senator-elect as he prepares to represent the people in the 10th Senate.

Ubani said: “The federal lawmaker while expressing gratitude to God Almighty for his guidance and protection throughout the long and intense campaign season, appreciates God for the peaceful election.

“The Senator further appreciates members of her campaign organization, various support groups and individuals who worked tirelessly in support of her candidacy. She urges them to accept the outcome of the election in good faith.”

3:36pm

INEC Has Destroyed Legitimacy of 2023 Presidential Election, Says Christian Group

*Call for cancellation of results

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

As controversy continues to trail the Saturday, Presidential Election, with many calling for the cancellation of the elections, the Nigerian Christian Elders Coalition (NCEC) Monday said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deliberately put the presidential poll in terrible disrepute, thereby, destroying the legitimacy of the election.

The NCEC while addressing journalists in Abuja spoke vehemently against what it called antics of INEC and its Chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, specifically, in the flagrant abuse of both the Electoral Act 2022 Section 60(5) and the INEC 2022 Guidelines and Regulations for Conduct of Elections Clause 38.

The group maintained that INEC arrogantly sidestepped and bypassed its own rules, guidelines and principles set up by the commission itself for the 2023 presidential election and engaged in broad day elections brigandange.

Speaking at the briefing, leader of the group and Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre (FWC), Sarah Omakwu contended that the conduct of the presidential election fell below the threshold of transparent, free and credible election.

Omakwu, who was joined by Rev William Okoye, Associate Prof Sam Amadi, Prof Haruna Dabin, Rev Austin Kemie among others, further explained that, “the most distressing aspect of the conduct of the election is the refusal of INEC to electronically transmit the results of voting directly from the polling units to IREV Platform as required by the electoral

act.

This failure is unbelievable and surprising considering that the heart of the new electoral law is the mandatory electronic transmission of results to enhance the credibility of the process.

“In the light of these flagrant violations of the law regarding the conduct of the election, which include (but not limited to) rampant voting by underaged children; collusion with the security agencies, in several documented cases, to perpetuate violence; and the fraudulent tempering and falsification of results, etc. INEC has thus put the legitimacy of the 2023 Presidential election results in terrible disrepute.

She said: “INEC has also used this reliable method in off-season gubernatorial elections in Anambra, Osun and Ekiti without significant hitches. In addition, INEC demonstrated the reliability of electronic transmission recently and gave assurance that it was ready to use the BVAS both for accreditation and electronic transmission of results in the 2023 General Elections.

“We can recall several instances when either the Chairman of the Commission or the Commissioner in charge of Voters Education had assured the nation that election results would be transmitted electronically from the polling units.

“Today, it is sad that INEC that led in the enactment of a new electoral act that mandates electronic transmission has refused to comply with this

provision and rendered the results that it is presently collating dubious and unreliable.

“We are shocked that many hours after a National election, INEC could not transmit the results as required. This is in addition to many other fundamental breaches of the electoral law, including late commencement of voting across the country, non-voting in many polling units and widespread reports of logistic failure as highlighted by foreign and domestic observers.

The group observed that “the failure to comply with the electoral law and INEC’s regulation and guidelines on the conduct of elections, particularly Section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022 and Clause 38 of the Regulation and Guidelines for the Conduct of elections 2022. These laws make it mandatory to electronically transmit the results of elections from the polling units.

“We therefore call on INEC to suspend further action on the election results and then explain to Nigerians the circumstances for this grave violation of the electoral law and the administrative actions it intends to take to rectify this breach of integrity of the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly

elections.

“As Christian leaders, we would continue to pray for peace and unity in Nigeria and it is thus our prayer that INEC will immediately do the right thing by cancelling the presidential elections so as to restore the integrity of the electoral process in Nigeria.”

2:40pm

PDP, LP, ADC Ask INEC Chairman to Resign, Demand Cancellation of Presidential Poll

*Say they have lost confidence in INEC chair

Insist what is going on is not collation but allocation of results

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Three political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party and the African Democratic Congress, have called on INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, to step down from further presiding over the ongoing election process on account of his alleged biases.

The three parties made the call at a joint press conference in Abuja where they passed a vote of no confidence on him as chairman of INEC.

They made the call at a press conference where a tape of Yakubu promising last November that the BVAS machine would be used during an interaction with some international pre-election observers.

They also called for the outright cancellation of the presidential election. stating that what INEC is doing is no longer collation of results but allocation of results.

2:35pm

Presidential Poll: Stop Collation of Results Now, Ugochinyere Tells INEC

Udora Orizu in Abuja

As Nigerians and foreign observers continue to express their anger over discrepancies that have characterised the conduct of the 2023 presidential election, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ideato House of Representatives member elect, Ikenga Ugochinyere has called on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to discontinue forthwith the ongoing collation of presidential election results, saying the process is unconstitutional.

Ugochinyere in a statement he personally signed, said the ongoing collation of results should be halted in view of the compromise of the process and violation of the provision of the electoral Act.

He said the results being collated is not transmitted directly from polling units but cooked by some rogue governors.

The reps member elect, therefore warns that collation should be stopped to prevent invitation to anarchy and burning down of Nigeria.

The statement titled, “Stop the Collation Now, Don’t Burn Down Nigeria”, read in part, “The ongoing collation of presidential election results are unconstitutional and a possible invitation to anarchy that must be averted now by immediate halt. As a constitutional lawyer, foremost advocate for credible election and Spokesman of CUPP, I have come to the conclusion to advise that in the national interest that collation of presidential election results be halted in view of compromise and violation of provision of section 64(4) of the electoral act.

“Clearly, the results being collated were not transmitted directly from the polling units but cooked by rouge governors who were the same elements behind the Omuma magic compromise of the voters register and should be stopped before this illegal throws Nigeria into national confusion.”

2:32pm

Group Calls for Cancellation of Election Results in Parts of Delta

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in the South South region have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the Presidential and National Assembly elections in part of Delta State south Senatorial district over cases of alleged outright rigging, violence and myriad irregularities.

The coalition in a statement issued Tuesday and jointly signed by the Convener, Citizens Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vices, Danesi Prince; the National Coordinator, Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative, Mallam Suleiman Musa; and Comrade Igwe Ude-Umanta of Guardian of Democracy and Development Initiative, said the just concluded elections in some specific areas in Delta State were marred with irregularities and should therefore be cancelled.

While calling on INEC to uphold the Electoral Law and sustain the integrity of the polls in Nigeria, the Coalition urged INEC to act accordingly as the international community was on ground and watching what was going on with keen interest.

It stated: “We have facts to prove that there was over voting in places such as Isoko North, Burutu, Warri South, Warri South West, Warri North and Bomadi.

“You cannot have more votes than the whole of registered voters in an area not to talk or those who were accredited.

“Coercive force and brute force was widely employed in these areas to deter Nigerians from exercising their franchise. This is unacceptable and the results in the aforementioned places should therefore be canceled”

“Let it be known that we are not the only people who witnessed the electoral malpractices that took place in the places mentioned above. International observers were also on ground and it’ll be a blow on the image of Nigeria as a country if these issues are not addressed within the ambit of the law. It is only when good men keep quiet that evil continues.”

It, therefore, called on Nigerians to remain calm and be law-abiding even in the face of violence and intimidations aimed at creating fear and panic so that evil and unpatriotic people could operate with impunity.

1:21pm

Protesters in Abuja Demand Electronic Transmission of Poll Results by INEC

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Protesters Tuesday stormed the adjourning streets leading to the Presidential Collation Centre at the International Conference Centre, Abuja to demand the electronic transmission of results from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Contrary to reports in some sections of the media, the protesters did not go close to the collation centre.

Since the collation of results started on Saturday, all the roads leading to the Collation Centre were barricaded by security agents and traffic diverted about a kilometre away to the collation centre.

The protesters, who claimed to be members of different political parties, expressed dissatisfaction over the refusal of INEC to transmit results electronically.

Political party agents led by Senator Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and three others had staged a walkout at the collation centre.

Addressing journalists, one of the protesters, Lillian Kozau, called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow his image to be tarnished and his legacy be destroyed by INEC.

She said: “INEC assured us that it would be a transparent process. They assured us of a transparent process and that the BVAS would be used, which is supposed to be an electronic process. Yet, after three days, 23 states still need to be uploaded. Why? Does this mean we will be doing this for one week?

“We are not violent. Nobody is holding any weapon; we are just trying to make our voices heard. Please, our president should call the INEC chairman to order. Eight years have passed, and we don’t care what happened. We are looking to the future. Buhari should not let his legacy to be tarnished. Let them follow due process. Whosoever we have voted for should be announced as the president of the country. Let things be done rightly.”

Another protester, Ilemona Onoja, said their major demand was for the INEC chairman to fulfil what he promised Nigerians before the election, which was a transparent and open process.

He lamented that the process was not being followed, rather, what they were seeing was a situation where results were written and were announced as the results of the election contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act, the INEC guidelines that they issued, and the promises of the INEC chairman.

Onoja stated: “We came out on the 25th of February to cast our votes for our preferred candidates. We were told that a process was going to be followed. This process involves accreditation, voting and our ballots will be counted. After it has been counted, it will be transmitted directly to a central server. And that on the day of the election, at the national collation centre, that central server will be displayed and we will be able to follow the results.

“Now, all we are saying is, we don’t mind if our preferred candidate loses, just give us a transparent and open process. Let us be able to see the results. INEC promised us they will follow a certain procedure, we are asking them to follow it.”

1:35pm

INEC Declares Obi Winner of Presidential Election in Anambra

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, winner of Saturday’s presidential election in Anambra State.

Obi, as earlier reported by THISDAY, swept all the 21 local government areas in the state with a wide margin.

Prof Nnenna Otti, the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), who worked as the Anambra State Collation Officer announced the result at exactly 12:50 pm.

She said: “The total number of registered voters is 2,536,156, accredited voters are 628,590.

“At the end of the exercise, parties scored the following votes:

A – 343

AA – 108

AAC – 1012

ADC – 208

ADP – 299

APC – 5,111

APGA – 7,388

APM – 325

APD – 148

BP – 514

LP – 58, 4621

NNPP – 1,967

NRM – 118

PDP – 9,036

PRP – 62

SDP – 84

YPP – 1997

ZLP -1,420″

Anambra State had a total valid votes of 613,861. Void votes were 10,751 and total votes cast were 624,612.

As at the time filling this report, the collation officer and the Resident Electoral Commission of INEC in Anambra State, Dr Elizabeth Agwu, has left for the national collation centre in Abuja.

1:31pm

PDP Clears Kaduna Senatorial Election

John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won the three senatorial seats in Kaduna State.

In Central North Senatorial District, Lawal Usman of the PDP polled 225,066 votes to defeat Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s former Chief of Staff and Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Abdullahi Sani (aka Dattijo) of the All Progressive Congress (APC), who scored 182,035 votes.

The Kaduna Central Senatorial seat is currently being occupied by Senator Uba Sani, the Kaduna governorship candidate of the APC.

The result was announced in Kaduna by INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Haruna Adamu.

The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Ibrahim Sani, and Umar Tijjani of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) scored 87,510 and 24,395 votes respectively.

In Kaduna North Senatorial District, Khalid Mustapha of the PDP defeated the incumbent Senator Suleiman Kwari of the APC.

Announcing the results in Zaria, INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Saleh Ado, said Mustapha scored 250,826 votes, while Kwari got 190,008 votes.

He said Sidi Bamalli of the Labour Party (LP) scored 28,418, while Adamu Rabi’u of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) scored 315 votes.

In Kaduna South Senatorial District, a former member of the House of Representatives, Sunday Katung of the PDP, was declared winner, having polled 138,246 votes.

His closest opponent, Michael Auta of the LP scored 101,479 votes.

The result was announced in Kafanchan by INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Abdullahi Dalhatu.

1:27pm

Obi of LP Wins C’River

Bassey Inyang in Calabar

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has been declared winner of the presidential election in Cross River State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Announcing the result in Calabar Tuesday morning, the returning officer for the presidential election from the 18 local government areas in the state, Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, said the LP candidate polled 179,935, while Bola Tinubu of the APC scored 130,520 and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP had 95,415 votes.

Rim-Rukeh said the LP presidential candidate won in 10 out of the 18 LGAs of the state, and the APC candidate Tinubu won in seven LGAs, while PDP’s candidate Atiku won in one LGA.

The LP won in Calabar South, Yakurr, Obudu, Bakassi, Ikom, Bekwarra, Calabar Municipality, Yala, Ogoja and Akamkpa LGAs.

APC won in Etung, Abi, Akpabuyo, Odukpani, Boki, Biase and Obubra LGAs, while PDP won in Obanliku.

1:24pm

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULT IN KOGI STATE. Source INEC

20 out of 21 local governments result released.

1) MOPA AMORO LGA
APC…4, 900
PDP…2’319
LP..718
NNPP..14
ADC….555

2) OGORI MANGOGO LGA
APC..2,008
PDP…2,075
LP..784
NNPP…09
ADC..17

3) ADAVI LGA
APC…10,340
PDP…10,612
NNPP..26
ADC…61
LP……897

4) KOGI LGA
APC…..13, 473
PDP……8,825
LP….1040
ADC..55
NNPP..77

5) KABBA BUNU LGA
APC…12, 534
PDP….5,598
NNPP..73
ADC…584
LP….2339

6) IJUMU LGA
APC..11;237
ADC..795
PDP…4503
NNPP..93
LP..920

7) BASSA LGA
APC..7260
PDP…7288
ADC..49
LP..4068
NNPP…62

8) IGALAMELA LGA
APC 9982
PDP…4006
ADC..49
LP…17
NNPP..84

9) YAGBA WEST LGA
APC….8822
PDP….4266
NNPP….23
ADC….95
LP…….1227

10) OLAMABORO LGA
APC ..10670
PDP….5662
NNPP..304
ADC..120
LP..7206

11) OKEHI LGA
APC ..9443
PDP…11459
NNPP.. 36
LP…1099
ADC..40

12) OMALA LGA..
APC..6374
ADC..51
NNPP..315
PDP..6420
LP…2706

13) OFU LGA
APC..16078
ADC….117
NNPP…187
LP…1744
PDP….6593

14) OKENE LGA
APC….22038
ADC….62
NNPP…02
LP….964
PDP…..6403

15) LOKOJA LGA
APC….15642
ADC.. 268
LP. 7,605
NNPP..4007
PDP…11,156

16)ANKPA LGA
APC…18976
ADC..155
NNPP..1559
LP…5918
PDP….14170

17) YAGBA EAST LGA
ADC – 840
APC – 11,635
LP – 1,140
PDP – 2,910
NNPP.. 29

18) IBAJI LGA
APC 5992
LP 5933
NNPP.. 124
PDP..6219

19) DEKINA LGA
ADC – 95
APC – 22,157
LP – 1,661
PDP – 10,704

20) .IDAH LGA
ADC – 112
APC – 9,869
LP – 2,618
PDP – 5,459

APC won in 14 local governments: Mopa /Muro, Kogi, Kabba Bunu, Ijumu, Igala/ Mela, Yagba West, Olamaboro, Ofu ,Yagba East, Dekina, Ankpa, Lokoja, Okene and dah

PDP won in six local governments: Ogori Magogo, Adavi, Bassa, Ibaji, Okehi and Omala

The result of Ajaokuta local government is yet to be released.

12:56pm

SDP Candidate Condemns Election in Ogbia Federal Constituency of Bayelsa, Says Process Highly Flawed

*Alleges some BVAS preloaded with votes before election

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for the 2023 House of Representatives election in Ogbia Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, has described the conduct of the election last Saturday as a charade.

Speaking at a press conference in Yenagoa, Iworiso-Markson said there were a lot of anomalies in the conduct of the election and was therefore surprised that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), went ahead to declare a winner.

According to him, the “obvious electoral malfeasance”, that took place was allegedly perpetrated by some officials of INEC in connivance with security personnel and agents of the ruling party in the state.

He said: “The House of Representative election in Ogbia on Saturday fell short of expectation on so many levels. The late arrival of electoral materials to most polling units triggered a chain of events that resulted in series of anomalies which comprehensively compromised the integrity of the elections.

“With the late arrival of INEC officials and materials, election proper commenced very late in most polling units, as late as 2pm and voting in some polling units continued till late into the night which gave ample room for manipulations. The late commencement of voting coupled with the doctoring of the BVAS in most of the polling units created heightened tension among willing voters.

“In ward 11 unit 7 in my community, the BVAS was already preloaded with 158 votes even when no single vote had been cast. It took the effort of vigilant voters in the unit who challenged the INEC officials with several calls made to the Electoral Officer in charge of Ogbia to remedy the tampered BVAS. After a long wait with no solution to the compromised BVAS, election in unit 7 was canceled.

“The problem of preloaded votes in the BVAS was not unique to unit 7 alone. Similar discoveries were later made in some units at Imiringi, Emakalala, Kolo, Akipleai, Ogbia Town, Otueke, Emadeke and other polling units in several communities across the federal constituency. But unfortunately voters in the afore listed communities were not vigilant enough to challenge this electoral fraud”.

Continuing, Iworiso-Markson lamented that “other glaring electoral malfeasance witnessed in Saturday polls in Ogbia ward 11 and 12 and indeed in all the other wards saw the use of fake agents deployed by the ruling party in the state. Sadly, both INEC and the security agencies on duty failed in their duties to stop these fake agents who freely and unashamedly engaged in vote buying for their respective parties, where votes were exchanged for wrappers (women clothing), machete, rice and dollars.

“The dollar rain in Ogbia on Saturday was effectively deployed to induce poor hapless voters who already suffer from multidimensional poverty occasioned by years of neglect by the same leaders who seek to continually force themselves on the people.

“In ward 13, particularly in Otueke, there were reported cases of over voting perpetrated by the party in power in the state. The massive electoral fraud that took place in Otueke as reported by our agents on ground made the collation of votes to stretch into the wee hours of midnight. The question on the lips of everyone is: why did INEC collate the ward results of Ward 13 at Otueke and not at the ward headquarter at Otuaba? Results are collated at the ward headquarters and Otueke is not the ward headquarter of Ward 13. We have it on good authority that ballot papers already pre-thump printed were smuggled and included among the original ballots of valid votes which was then escorted by agents of the ruling party in the state from Otuaba the ward headquarter to Otueke for final collation.

“Similarly, in Ward 5, three units in Emadeke were canceled after repeated complaints was made to INEC regarding over voting and other electoral malpractices. It took the extra vigilance of our ward 5 coordinator to stop the broad daylight robbery.

“We are calling on INEC to revisit the results entered in favour of the PDP in Otueke, Imiringi, Elebele and Otusega. We have every reason to believe that results in the aforementioned communities are doctored and skewed to favour the candidate of the PDP. Most of the inec adhoc staff and the security agencies were complicit to this monumental electoral fraud.

“In addition, the following were observed in the Presidential, Senate and House of Representatives Elections in Ogbia LGA Bayelsa state: Vote Buying, Over Voting, Fake unit Agents presented by the PDP with the aim of buying votes and compelling voters to vote for their party.

“We noticed that in some wards there was voting by unaccredited voters, highjacking of polling materials to a private polling unit in ward 9. Also, people voted with voters card of different identities, among others”.

The SDP candidate said steps have been taken to write to INEC to furnish the party with details of the unit by unit results across the 13 wards with other relevant documents to enable them carefully study the results with the help of forensic experts.

He added that once this is done, it will guide the SDP on the next step to take in their quest to restore sanity in the electoral process.

Iworiso-Markson thanked his teeming supporters across the 13 wards that make up Ogbia federal constituency, saying despite the threats and intimidation, they stood by him solidly and voted for him.

“The 3, 352 votes recorded for the SDP are genuine votes by those who are tired of the misrule and bad leadership Ogbia has been subjected to over the years. I will forever cherish and salute the courage of those 3,352 voters who dared to make a difference.

“Their place in Ogbia’s history will not be forgotten even as we will continue to march on in our quest to seek for justice and restore our beloved Ogbia back to reckoning as it was in the good old days of our father and political icon Chief Melford Okilo”, he said.

6:37am

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS IN KADUNA

APC: 399,293

LP: 294,494

NNPP: 92,969

PDP: 554,360

*Number of registered voters: 4,335,208

*Number of accredited voters: 1,418,046

*Number of votes cast: 1,401,376

*Number of valid votes: 1,360,153

*Number of rejected votes 41,223

WHICH PARTY WON WHERE IN KADUNA STATE

APC (the ruling party) won in two LGAs

1. Sanga

2. Birnin Gwari

LP won in seven LGAs

1. Kaura

2. Kajuru

3. Jaba

4. Kachia

5. Zangon Kataf

6.Jama’a

7. Chikun

PDP (main opposition party) won in 14 LGAs

1. Giwa

2. Makarfi

3. Kaduna South

4. Kauru

5. Lere

6. Ikara

7. Kagarko

8. Zaria

9. Sabon Gari

10. Soba

11. Kubau

12. Kudan

13. Kaduna North

14. Igabi

HOW THE PARTIES PERFORMED IN THE 23 LGAs OF KADUNA STATE

1. GIWA LGA

APC -19,922

PDP – 22,302

LP – 565

Registered voters – 149,456

Valid votes – 46,435

Rejected Votes – 1,662

2. KAURA LGA

APC – 1,847

LP – 25,744

PDP – 7,847

Valid votes – 36,222

Rejected Votes – 694

Total votes cast- 36,916

3. KAJURU LGA

APC – 3,940

PDP – 9,253

LP – 14,875

Valid votes – 29,839

Rejected Votes – 30,639

4. MAKARFI LGA

APC – 13,767

PDP – 22,098

LP – 759

Registered voters – 118,150

Accredited voters – 43,888

Valid votes – 42,046

Rejected Votes- 824

Total votes cast – 42,870

5. JABA LGA

APC – 3, 131

PDP – 8,798

LP – 9,967

NNPP – 335

Registered voters- 75,445

Accredited voters – 23,368

Valid votes – 22,827

Rejected Votes – 524

Total votes cast – 23, 301

6. KADUNA SOUTH LGA

APC – 29,596

PDP – 42,996

LP – 22,577

NNPP – 9,124

Registered voters – 407,580

Accredited voters – 114,508

Valid votes – 106, 085

Rejected Votes – 3,964

Total votes cast – 110, 049

7. KAURU LGA

APC – 15,870

PDP – 19,018

LP – 11,293

NNPP – 3, 128

Registered voters – 132,827

Accredited voters – 51,142

Valid votes – 49,729

Rejected Votes 1,133

Total votes cast – 50,862

8. LERE LGA

APC – 24, 795

PDP – 34,149

LP – 15,568

NNPP – 7,264

Valid votes – 82,299

Rejected Votes – 2,342

Total votes cast – 84,608

*Two polling units cancelled due to over voting

9. IKARA LGA

APC – 17,297

PDP – 24,540

LP – 994

NNPP – 4,274

Valid votes – 47,474

Rejected Votes – 1,136

Total votes cast – 48,610

*The Returning Officer, said no fewer than 15 polling units’ results were cancelled due to over voting.

10. SANGA LGA

APC – 9,393

PDP – 9,233

LP- 9,088

NNPP – 356

Valid Votes – 23,400

Rejected – 722

Total votes cast – 29,122

11. KAGARKO

APC – 9,798

PDP – 14,027

LP – 12, 502

NNPP – 1,255

Valid votes – 37,818

Rejected Votes – 1,255

Total votes cast – 39,415

*Returning Officer, said 13 polling units were cancelled due to violence and over voting.

12. KACHIA LGA

APC – 12,053

PDP – 16,049

LP – 17,381

NNPP – 1,521

Valid votes – 47,696

Rejected Votes – 1,595

Total votes cast – 49,271

13. ZANGON KATAF

APC – 5,877

PDP – 20,170

LP – 22,689

NNPC – 246

Valid votes 49,896

Rejected Votes – 1,607

Total votes cast – 51,502

14. JAMA’A LGA

APC – 10,928

PDP – 16,452

LP – 26,560

NNPP – 719

Valid votes – 53,372

Rejected Votes – 1,781

Total votes cast – 57,163

15. ZARIA LGA

APC – 41,432

PDP – 62,260

LP – 3,634

NNPP – 8,729

Valid votes – 118, 489

Rejected Votes – 4,352

Total votes cast – 122,841

16. SABON GARI LGA

APC – 25,714

PDP – 30,713

LP – 12,834

NNPP – 6,082

Valid votes – 76,846

Rejected Votes – 2,433

Total votes cast – 79,279

17. SOBA LGA

APC – 18,965

PDP – 23,364

LP – 354

NNPP – 3,722

Registered voters – 158,086

Accredited – 48,530

Valid votes 46,982

Rejected Votes – 1,027

Total votes cast – 48,009

18. KUBAU LGA

APC – 20,139

PDP – 23,686

LP – 1,701

NNPP – 4,819

Registered voters – 158,757

Accredited voters – 52,137

Valid votes – 50, 650

Rejected Votes – 1,111

Total votes cast – 51,761

19. BIRNIN GWARI LGA

APC – 17,080

PDP – 8,774

LP – 235

NNPP – 1,143

Registered voters – 132,165

Accredited voters – 28,355

Valid votes – 27,493

Rejected Votes – 756

Total votes cast – 28,249

20.. CHIKUN LGA

APC – 9,367

PDP – 32,759

LP – 69,117

NNPP – 2,742

Registered voters – 334,079

Accredited voters – 122,711

Valid votes – 115,895

Rejected Votes – 4,721

Total votes cast – 120,616

21. KUDAN LGA

APC – 11,630

PDP – 19,340

LP – 888

NNPP – 6,747

Registered voters – 101,331

Accredited voters – 38,851

Valid votes – 38,913

Rejected Votes – 10

Total votes cast – 38,851

22. KADUNA NORTH LGA

APC – 39,693

PDP – 40,670

LP – 10,330

NNPP – 12,613

Registered voters – 369,928

Accredited votes – 108,523

Valid votes – 105,098

Rejected Votes – 2,421

Total votes cast – 108,519

23. IGABI LGA

APC – 37,259

PDP – 45,962

LP – 4,839

NNPP – 8,276

Registered voters – 328,468

Accredited voters – 100,470

Valid votes – 97,721

Rejected 3,019

Total votes cast – 100,740

6:34am

Atiku Wins Kaduna

By John Shiklam in Kaduna

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has won Saturday’s presidential election in Kaduna state.

Atiku scored 554,360 while his closest opponent, Bola Tinubu, candidate of the the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured 399,293 votes.

According to the result, Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), polled 294,494.

Atiku won the election in 14 LGAs while Obi and Tinubu won in seven and two LGAs respectively.

Atiku won in; Giwa, Kauru, Lere, Ikara, Kagarko, Zaria, Sabon-Gari, Makarfi, Kaduna South, Kudan, Igabi, Kaduna North, Kubau and Soba.

The seven LGAs won by Obi include, Chikun, Kaura, Kajuru, Jaba, Kachia, Jema’a and Zango-Kataf.

Tinubu won in Sanga (home of the Kaduna state deputy governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe) and Birnin Gwari, the area constantly terrorised by bandits.

6:30am

Tambuwal Delivers Sokoto for Atiku

By Onuminya Innocent In Sokoto

The presidential candidate of People Democratic party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has won February 25 presidential election in Sokoto State.

Sokoto is the home state of the Director General of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Animu Tambuwal.

Declaring the results in the early hours of Tuesday, the returning officer of the election Prof Kabiru Bala of Ahmadu Bello University , Zaria said Atiku Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 288,679 votes to defeat his closest rival Ahmed Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 285, 444 .

In the results Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP) came distant third with 6,568 votes while Engr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) came fourth with 1300 votes.

In reaction, the agent of People Democratic Party and former Minister of Transportation Yusuf Suleiman said the results did not reflects the wishes of Sokoto voters, stressing that over three hundred thousands (300000) voters in the state were disfranchised due to electoral violence which led to the cancellation of 471 polling units.

But in a Swift reaction, the APC agent and Minister of Police Affairs Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi said nobody should bring confusion by quoting unsubstantiated figures.

The response from Dingyadi received a swift response from Suleiman leadi g to a heated argument between them. It took the intervention of the returning officer to persuade the both of them to end the argument.

However, the returning officer, Prof Bala Kabiru, confirmed the cancellation of 471 polling units due to electoral violence.

6:20am

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS IN BENUE LGs

– ADO

LP-9,987

APC- 2,271

PDP- 1,107

APA-

LP- 7,421

PDP-3,682

APC-3,430

OBI

LP- 7,949

APC- 4,450

PDP- 4,340

MAKURDI

– LP- 48,228

– APC- 28,692

-PDP- 5,134

GWER EAST

– APC- 15,900

– LP- 9,800

– PDP- 7,370

OGBADIBO

– LP- 10,154

– PDP- 3,460

-APC- 3,129

GUMA

– LP- 21,796

– APC- 10,481

– PDP- 999

OKPOKU

– LP- 10,470

– PDP- 4,641

– APC- 3,409

OHIMINI

– LP- 6,545

– PDP- 4,972

– APC- 3,239

GWER WEST

– LP- 17,417

– APC- 7,332

– PDP- 838

USHONGO

-APC- 20,060

– LP- 7,324

– PDP- 7,264

KONSHISHA

– LP- 26, 261

– APC- 10, 742

– PDP- 3,524

TARKA

– APC- 13, 640

– PDP- 2,642

– LP- 2,038

BURUKU

– APC- 20, 248

-LP- 13,466

– PDP- 6,909

UKUM

– APC- 20,719

-PDP- 9, 892

– LP- 8,036

KATSINA-ALA

– APC- 18,632

– PDP- 8,060

– LP- 7,876

OJU

– LP- 13,192

– APC- 8,412

– PDP- 4,920

LOGO

– LP- 13,836

– PDP- 9,377

– APC- 8,121

Gboko

– APC- 35,149

– LP- 18, 615

– PDP- 13,901

Kwande

-APC- 23, 027

– LP- 11,945

– PDP- 2,813

Agatu

-LP- 6,302

-PDP- 4221

-APC- 3,988

Otukpo

-LP- 23,762

– APC- 8,471

-PDP- 6,760

– Vandeikyia

-APC- 36,926

-PDP- 8,255 be

-LP- 5,952

NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS

-2, 772,977

TOTAL ACCREDITED VOTERS

804, 189

Total Valid Voted- 770, 075

Total Rejected Votes 27, 687

Total Vote Casted: 797, 762

5:10AM

The World Moves against Nigeria’s Tainted Polls

•US, EU, AU, ECOWAS, Commonwealth condemn lack of transparency by INEC

•PDP, LP, two others stage walkout, more results come in

•Collation process can only be reviewed after exercise, says Yakubu

•IG warns parties, candidates, others against inciting violence

•Obi breaks record, Tinubu lu’le in Lagos

Kingsley Nwezeh, Adedayo Akinwale, Emameh Gabriel in Abuja and Segun James in Lagos

Forty-eight hours after the presidential and National Assembly elections ended in many parts of the country, there is palpable anxiety amongst the people as criticisms by by the United States, European Union, Common Wealth and international observer groups trail the conduct of the exercise amid allegations of widespread of irregularities, rigging and manipulations of the results.

For instance, yesterday, observers from the United States of America (US), the European Union (EU), African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Commonwealth, all noted the irregularities in the polls.

The International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) Joint Election Observation Mission, noted that inadequate communication and lack of transparency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) created confusion and eroded voters’ trust in the process.

Although more results came in last night, pointing in the direction of a likely winner of the presidential election, agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Dino Melaye, his Labour Party counterpart, Hon. Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Action Peoples Party (APP), Chinemelo Ubah and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), yesterday, staged a walkout at the National Collation Centre in Abuja, alleging that the electoral process was flawed.

But, some other parties like the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Action Alliance (AA) dissociated themselves from what described as a charade.

INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, however said the process could only be reviewed after the exercise had been concluded.

This nonetheless, Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, yesterday, made history after he defeated his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart in his Lagos base.

The IRI and NDI in their preliminary statement on the Presidential and National Assembly elections, presented in Abuja by their leader, and former President of Malawi, Dr. Joyce Banda, said despite the much-needed reforms to the Electoral Act 2022, the election fell well short of Nigerian citizens’ reasonable expectations.

The foreign observers on the Nigeria 2023 International Election Observation Mission also urged the international community to sanction perpetrators of electoral violence in the ongoing general election in Nigeria.

Those who spoke on the occasion included, Former President of the Republic of Malawi, who is the head of the delegation, Banda, and Ambassador Mark Green, who is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Woodrow Wilson, an International Center for Scholars.

Other speakers included, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, a former Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State; and an IRI Board Member, Constance Berry Newman, who was a former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

They also included NDI Board Member, who is an American political leader, lawyer/ voting rights activist, Stacey Abrams and IRI Board Member, Dana White, a foreign policy and communications advisor.

Banda said, “The delegation observed that late opening of polling locations and logistical failures created tensions and the secrecy of the ballot was compromised in some polling units given overcrowding. At the close of the polls, challenges with the electronic transfer of results and their upload to a public portal in a timely manner, undermined citizen confidence at a crucial moment of the process.

“Moreover, inadequate communication and lack of transparency by INEC about their cause and extent created confusion and eroded voters’ trust in the process.

“The combined effect of these problems disenfranchised Nigerian voters in many areas, although the scope and scale is currently unknown. Despite these issues, Nigerians once again demonstrated their commitment to the democratic process.

“Voters displayed extraordinary resilience and resolve to have their voices heard through the ballot, and INEC administered a nationwide election according to the electoral calendar for the first time in the country’s recent history.”

“As the nation awaits the results of the February 25 polls and the Nigerian people prepare for upcoming gubernatorial elections, we urge political actors and their supporters to remain calm and exercise restraint.

‘The mission encourages INEC, the government, political actors and civil society to redouble their efforts to deliver on citizen expectations for transparent and inclusive elections, and to ensure that electoral outcomes are a credible expression of the voters’ will.”

On the other hand, Commonwealth observers yesterday stated that the country’s elections were, “largely peaceful,” despite administrative and logistical hurdles at many polling units.

Chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group, former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, delivered his team’s preliminary assessment of the electoral process at a press conference in Abuja, saying Nigerians were largely accorded the right to vote.

Delivering the group’s preliminary assessment, he noted that as voting hours extended into the night due to late openings, some polling units were ill-equipped with proper lighting to facilitate voting and counting in the dark.

Considering the challenges, he encouraged the electoral commission to conduct a thorough post-election review of the electoral process to draw lessons and consider setting up appropriate mechanisms to implement the recommendations of observers.

The chairperson also noted an improvement with the enactment of a new Electoral Act in 2022, which gave the electoral commission more autonomy, legal backing for the use of electronic accreditation of voters and frameworks for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the elections, among other things.

“We congratulate all Nigerians for their determination, patience and resilience displayed throughout the electoral process. We call on all those with grievances to address disputes through prescribed legal channels,” Mbeki said.

In her preliminary report, the EU, stated that, “Nigerians went to the polls in highly anticipated presidential and National Assembly elections that INEC kept on schedule despite a volatile and challenging environment. Fundamental freedoms of assembly and movement were largely respected, yet the full enjoyment of the latter was impeded by insufficient planning, insecurity and the prevailing Naira and fuel shortages.

“Abuse of incumbency by various political office holders distorted the playing field and there were widespread allegations of vote buying. Media provided an extensive coverage of the three leading campaigns, while disinformation interfered with voters’ right to make an informed choice on election day. The EU EOM is continuing its observation of the ongoing collation and tabulation of results throughout the country.

“INEC’s operational capacity was hampered by the ongoing fuel and Naira shortage. Insecurity prevented it from accessing some Local Government Areas (LGAs), notably in the South. Attacks on INEC premises, including just days before polling, hindered preparations in affected areas, while instilling fear in voters.

“Overall, stakeholders had expressed confidence in INEC’s independence, professionalism, and voter information efforts, but this decreased ahead of elections. INEC lacked efficient planning and transparency during critical stages of the electoral process, while on election day trust in INEC was seen to further reduce due to delayed polling processes and information gaps related to much anticipated access to results on its Results Viewing Portal (IReV).

PDP, Labour Party, Others Fault Process, Stage Walkout

Melaye had earlier observed that the result of Ekiti State presidential election presented on Sunday was characterised by over voting.

Melaye and other party agents, however, demanded the cancellation of the Ekiti result and also asked INEC to show transmitted results state-by-state on the screen for all to see.

He emphasised that if the electoral body had transmitted the election results in line with the Electoral Act, political parties would have accessed the results on the commission’s portal.

But the INEC boss, Yakubu, explained that if the total number of votes cast and the number of accredited voters were compared, the only complaint would have been that of under voting.

His words: “Towards the end of the spreadsheet, we provided three columns. The first column is total valid votes and that is 308,171; Total rejected votes, 6,301; Total votes cast, 314,472, which is actually lower than 315,000 058. Let me recap. Total number of accredited voters 315, 058. Total votes cast – both valid and invalid, 314,472. There is no over voting.

“I repeat myself once again for clarity. If there is any figure different from what I have presented, and what came from the manual forms completed by the state collation officer for the presidential election, please discountenance that figure. It did not emanate from the commission.

“I saw some postings on social media to the effect that the election result was published on the 20th of February, five days ahead of the election. They took the results presented yesterday (Sunday) and took the total number of registered voters for Ekiti and concluded that the results were prepared several days before the election.

“All Nigerians will bear witness that it is this hall we presented the hard copies of the total number of registered voters in Nigeria on state by state basis and then the number of PVC collected. And that information as we speak is on the Commission’s website.

“So if anybody is trying to be clever by half by taking figures from somewhere and saying all these results were published, or released ahead of the election, that one can only pass for fake news. And I’m sure that we are responsible citizens not to fall for fake news.

“So, my first response is that for the election results presented for equities, there was no over-voting. Over-voting means the total number of votes cast is higher than the number of accredited voters. The number of accredited voters is in this particular case higher than the total number of votes cast,” he explained.

On whether what transpired at the polling units and what was uploaded or ought to have been uploaded to the IReV portal corresponded, the INEC chairman expressed satisfaction that the figures on this spreadsheet emanated from the process that transpired at the polling units.

Yakubu said the polling units were the only places where citizens voted, saying whatever was being done thereafter, was just a collation of results.

He added: “We have provided the votes scored by each political party. However, if any political party believes that the figures they have from the hard copies of the results, given by their polling agents at the level of collation, that if figures are inconsistent with what has been provided on the spreadsheet that we projected yesterday, that political party should forward the information to the commission, so that we can speak on the basis of facts.”

The chairman said while the electoral body was empowered by law to review results, he said the power was contingent upon one procedure – the process has to be concluded first before it would be reviewed.

“And to assure political parties that any evidence that you have of any alleged wrongdoing, at any level of the process, whether it is at the polling unit or collation level, please forward this information and I promise you as soon as the process is concluded, we will then do the review, as provided by law. On this note. I beg you, for us to proceed with the process,” he submitted.

Dissatisfied with Yakubu’s explanation, Melaye and three others staged a walkout, and addressed journalists afterwards, saying they were not at the collation centre to rubber stamp the fraud that had been perpetrated, because there was no result on the server.

His words: “We party agents, having observed that the national chairman of INEC is determined to rig the election by making sure that results are not uploaded by vehemently making a presentation that makes us look as if we are all here to rubber stamp the fraud. We are saying that we are not here to rubber stamp the electoral fraud that has been prepared by INEC and APC.

“He is now saying we should wait for the process to be completed, that there will be a review knowing full well that after the announcement, there can’t be any review. So, we are completely dissociating ourselves and that’s why we staged a walkout to express the unfortunate politicisation and commercialisation of our electoral process.

“We are saying INEC is compromised. APC has influenced INEC and we can see results are being changed. We have records of where elections did not take place and results are being prepared. We have records of where the BVAS were not used and results have been pronounced. What is difficult in the chairman to display the uploaded results so that we can compare it with that which is made by the state returning officers.

“They cannot upload results. They cannot show us the uploaded results because they know that what they are going to upload will be at variance with what will be presented to Nigerians. The electoral process has been rigged and we are disassociating ourselves from it.

“Our resolution is that the entire process be canceled. We are saying that the system has been compromised. INEC is compromised, we are saying the entire process be canceled.”

On his part, the National Secretary of Labour Party, Umar Farooq Ibrahim, said the party has reliable evidence that BVAS machines were not used and in places where they were used, they were compromised.

He said, “We have aired our observations to the National Chairman of INEC and he has refused to listen to us. When we make observations, he wants us to accept the results that came from the collation center at various state.

“We do not agree with that. And we have empirical evidence that we have our agents, who have observed and they have informed us reliably that the BVAS machines have not been used, where they are used and where they are used they were compromised.

“And the results of the BVAS machine have not been uploaded to the server and we have observed on Saturday around the hour of 2pm. The portal has gone down…and he wants to us to accept what they are presenting here. And so on. The issue is the system truthfully being used.”

Relatedly, the Labour Party has said President Muhammadu Bubari and Yakubu, have failed in their promise to conduct a free and credible elections.

The party has therefore called on INEC to halt the announcement of election results and stick to the rules of engagement for the sake of national peace and unity.

Speaking at a press conference by the Director General of its Presidential Campaigns Council, Akin Osuntokun, in Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, the party warned that it should not be held responsible when Nigerians take to the street to protest against the outcome of the elections.

“The President promised Nigerians free and fair elections with the passage of the new Electoral Act and indeed has repeated this promise multiple times.

“The INEC Chairman also came before Nigerians and the Global community to promise free and fair elections and severally reiterated its readiness to conduct the elections.

“What has become glaring is that none of these promises have been kept. All the promises made about deploying a fail-safe system anchored on BVAS were broken,” Osuntokun said.

Consequently, the party has called “on INEC to suspend 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.”

On his part, Ubah of APP said what they had been trying to do was for INEC to redeem itself, insisting also that the process was not transparent.

But, about 13 political parties had dissociated themselves from the walkout staged by the PDP and three other parties. The political parties insisted they were not part of the charade and as such were not pulling out of the collation process.

Some of the parties were Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Young Peoples Party (YPP), APC, New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord party, National Rescue Movement (NRM) and Boot Party.

The APC agent, Babatunde Ogala said the party had confidence in the process, and “we are not part of walkout or boycott as some have done.”

Peter Obi Floors Tinubu in Lagos, Wins Big

In the most shocking outing, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, defeated the strong man of Lagos politics, Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his Lagos State.

Obi won in nine local governments to defeat Tinubu and win the state.

The Labour Party candidate scored 582,454 votes to defeat Tinubu.

It was a major upset as Lagos had hitherto remained under the control of Tinubu since 1999.

Giving the total votes cast, the collation officer, Prof Adenike Oladiji, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, said the LP candidate got 582,454 while APC got 572,606.

The total valid votes were 1,271,451 while the rejected votes were 64,278. Total votes cast was 1,335,729.

George: INEC’s Claim on Slow Results Transmission Shameful

A former Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has berated INEC and its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu over claims that the transmission of votes to its server was slow, saying it would be disgraceful to go back to the dark age.

The PDP chieftain noted that, “It is the most despicable shameful act, after the certification of the veracity of the BVAS.”

He explained that such a claim by INEC was a way of taking the country back to the period of misery, when elections results were manipulated between the polling units and the collation centers.

While commending President Muhammadu Buhari for his boldness to getting things right by initiating and signing the electoral bill into law, George stated the director of ICT in INEC should be sacked.

He therefore called on the international community and observers on ground, monitoring this election, to rise and condemn the alleged self-destructive move.

IG Warns Parties, Candidates, Others against Inciting Violence

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, yesterday, read the riot act to political parties, presidential candidates of the parties and their supporters to desist from inciting violence as INEC continued with the collation of election results.

A statement by the Police Spokesman and Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the warning was in furtherance of “the close monitoring of the ongoing 2023 electoral exercise and consequent upon a series of intelligence reports, and high expectations from all angles.

“The Nigeria Police Force has deemed it necessary to charge presidential candidates of all political parties, most especially APC, PDP, LP and NNPP, to caution their party stalwarts and supporters to avoid making inciting comments capable of unnecessarily heating up the polity and creating undue excitement amongst the electorate and the general populace in the country.

“The NPF, having assessed the trend of scaled-up expectations and psychological projections on the ongoing electoral process viz-a-viz collation of results, charges all presidential candidates, as leading and respected figures in their respective political parties, to seize the opportunity of this waiting period to emphasise the rule of law, respect for the constitution, and constituted authority amongst their supporters, as we all owe a duty to ensure that the nation does not fall into anarchy on the basis of interests and sentiments,” it said.

The police high command further warned against mounting undue pressure on the electoral process and INEC, the body constitutionally mandated with the conduct of elections and announcement of results.

While commending the general populace and electorate for their patience thus far and largely lawful conduct around the country, “the police, therefore, encourage presidential candidates to admonish their supporters to uphold the tenets of the peace accord recently signed for the smooth conduct of the 2023 general elections.”

3:51AM

2023: Presidential, National Elections Held under Siege, Says Osun APC

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday condemned in strong terms the tensed atmosphere under which the presidential and National Assembly elections were conducted in the state last Saturday.

The APC in the state decried the pocket of lawlessness, violence and extra-judicial killings that trailed the electoral process in the state as manifested in the severe heinous attacks on the members of the opposition party the state before, during and after the polls, where 15 persons were allegedly killed and several others injured in the process.

This is even as APC in the state rejected the results of the election in some parts of the state, arguing that they were not the true reflections of the people’s wish.

The party commended the electorate in the state for their unflinching support, resilience, forthrightness and strong resistance “in the face of intimidation and physical life-threatening events from the ‘daredevils’ of the ruling party before, during and after the elections in the state.”

The APC in the state urged its members to remain calm just as it maintained that it would challenge the results of the elections and seek redress through legal means.

Addressing a press conference at the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office in Osogbo, the state APC acting Chairman, Hon. Tajudeen Lawal, bemoaned the ugly incidence of extra-judicial killings and palpable mayhem unleashed on the people of the state before, during and after the election, saying it was a clear indication that the PDP-led government in the state was at war against the opposition parties, particularly the APC.

He expressed displeasure at the way and manner many of his party’s members and admirers were maimed, harassed, assaulted, humiliated and dehumanised in the name of winning an election.

According to him, “The entire structure of the APC and its members in the state were denied a level play ground to canvass for votes before the elections as it is on record that so many of the party’s members were either killed, maimed, attacked or run out of their abodes by the PDP hoodlums.”

Lawal bemoaned how a sizeable number of his party’s members were needlessly and cruelly killed “by the notorious and daredevil PDP thugs who were operating unhindered across the state before and during the elections.

3:50AM

INEC Worker Shot Dead, Several Others Injured in Delta

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

A staff member of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been shot dead by security personnel who reportedly shot into the bus that was conveying some workers of the commission after electoral duties in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State.

The commission’s Delta state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Monday Udoh Tom, who disclosed this to newsmen at the state collation centre in Asaba yesterday, said that several other occupants of the vehicle also sustained injuries during the incident.

The Delta REC, however, said that the five other persons wounded were receiving medical attention in the area but would be moved to another hospital later.

The shooting was said to have occurred when the driver of the bus allegedly failed to stop when flagged down at a checkpoint in the area.

However, the state police spokesman, Mr Bright Edafe, said that investigation into the incident was ongoing but added that the identity of the trigger-happy security operative was not yet ascertained .

The shooting incident was coming on the heels of the abduction of INEC officials, including nursing mothers during the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Udoh had lamented the frequent kidnap of INEC officials, including nursing mothers during the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections.

He said INEC staff were abducted because of their inability to upload election due to poor network which he said was beyond INEC’s control.

Udoh said: “Voters held our personnel hostage in many locations because the results could not be uploaded. It was the issue of poor network and it is not controlled by INEC. Voters believed our staff were trying to play pranks. I had to take a lot of people on bail. Even this morning, we had to go to Ethiope East LGA and Agbarho community to release our staff.”

3:46AM

Uphold Popular Will of Nigerians, Southern, Middle Belt Leaders Tell INEC

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) has expressed concern over the non-transmission of the results of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Portal, after the collation of the results at the various polling units across the country.

SMBLF expressed this concern in a statement signed by its leaders, Messrs Edwin Clark, (Pan Niger Delta Forum), Chief Ayo Adebanjo (Afenifere), Dr. Pogu Bitrus (Middle Belt Forum) and Okey Emuchay (Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide) and made available to our correspondent in Abuja yesterday.

They lamented that President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to Nigerians and the international community of holding free, fair and credible elections might have been undermined by the actions and inactions of the INEC.

Part of the statement read: “Suffice to say that INEC failed to adhere to critical provisions of the amended Electoral Act, with several reports of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) challenges, the delay in upholding the results and excuses of server hutches.

“There were also cases of outright voter intimidation in parts of the country, particularly, in Lagos, where people were allegedly prevented from voting, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been silent on the occurrences.

“Most worrisome are the suggestions that the delay in uploading results to the INEC Portal was deliberate; to provide certain persons opportunities to alter the election results, with Lagos state and Delta state repeatedly cited.

“These situations are unacceptable and should not be allowed. We warn INEC not to tamper with the results; the will of Nigerians as expressed through the votes cast yesterday, across the country, must be upheld. Let the choice of the people stand, in the interest of peace and stability.

“There were high hopes that INEC would do a good job, unfortunately, it appears that the electoral body was not prepared to conduct credible elections.

“SMBLF cautions the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu not to pour scorn on his hard earned reputation, due to pressure from desperate politicians. Nigeria is greater than any individual or group.”

Meanwhile, the National Coalition for Peace and Unity (NCPU) has warned political parties and supporters against utterances capable to distabilising the nation.

The warning came on the heel of some utterances from politicians, who threatened that the EndSARS will be a child’s play if the election doesn’t go their way.

The coalition also warned that the poor masses are mostly the victims of crisis and such, politicians should be mindful of statements capable of destroying a peaceful setting.

The Coalition, in a statement by its Protem Secretary General, Cairo Ojougboh, cautioned the public on the way they believe in the social media, adding that information from that channels should not be taken whole heartedly.

It said that INEC remained the only body constitutionally empowered to announce election results, warning that the public should know which report they should believe.

“While we are cautioning the public to be watchful and filter the reports out there before drawing conclusion, it is also very important to note that false reports have a way of causing serious crisis,” the coalition said.

The group urged the public to be careful with what they say and try to accommodate other people’s opinion, because sentiments are high at the moment.

Similarly, the South West Security Group under the aegis of South West Security Think Tank Forum has called for calm and enjoins all citizens to eschew violence as the election results are being released.

The Forum called on all aggrieved youths in particular that elections are won and lost based on the aggregate of votes from all over the country and not in a few places where they have strong showing.

It also called on aggrieved people to wait until the final result is announced and act within the dictate of the Constitution by taking legal and legitimate steps to seek redress and not resort to violence or anarchy.

“The Forum cautioned that while some youths or citizens may have valid concerns to express, there are criminals and agents of destruction always waiting for such opportunity to loot and commit arson which will completely jeopardise the genuine concerns of citizens,” the statement added.

3:45AM

PDP, LP, Others Call for Cancellation of Ekiti Presidential Election Results

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and Action Alliance (AA) have called for the cancellation of the presidential election of Ekiti state, citing alleged over voting.

The State Collation Officer for Ekiti State, Prof. Akeem Lasisi, on Sunday declared Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election in Ekiti.

He said Tinubu scored a total of 201,494 votes; Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 89,554 votes, while Labour Party’s candidate, Peter Obi garnered 11,397 votes and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) polled 264 votes.

But at the resumption of collation of the presidential results yesterday in Abuja, the agent of the PDP, Senator Dino Melaye argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should cancel the election because there was over voting.

His words: “I worked on the result as presented and I discovered that we have 987,647 registered voters in Ekiti and 301,558 accredited. The result that was presented yesterday, APC had 201,494. If you subtract that from 301,558, what you have left is 100,064. Out of this 100,064, PDP scored 89,554. If you subtract that from the balance of 100,064, what is left is 10,510 and now it was also recorded that the Labour Party had 12,397 when the total left is 10,510. Meaning an over figure of 887.

“Apart from this 887 surplus, we have not calculated the votes of other political parties. Because you will recall that yesterday he told us that ADC scored 1,027.

“You will see from that presentation yesterday that the figure did not add up. There was over voting and the number of votes outnumber the number of accredited votes and we know exactly what the law says concerning that. I move that should be considered because Ekiti cannot stand,” Melaye posited.

In his submission, the Presidential agent of Labour Party, Hon. Umar Farouk Ibrahim, also aligned with the argument of Melaye, saying his party also observed the same anomaly and therefore called for rejection of the votes from Ekiti.

On his part, the Presidential agent for Action Alliance, Kenneth Udeze also called on the electoral body to cancel the election result from Ekiti state.

According to him, This calculation and position of my colleagues here, Action Alliance has gone through that same figure and we got the same similar position. We will like the commission to look at it and the Ekiti state result should be cancelled for over voting based on our calculation.

On his part, the agent of APC, Babatunde Ogala said since the result has been declared, any aggrieved party should head to court.

He said: “I think the law is clear that when a result has been declared, we should resort to petition, if need be. Ekiti was declared yesterday, we were asked for observation, and if that had been done , any party that feels troubled should prepare its petition.”

Baring his mind on the same issue, the presidential agent for National Rescue Movement, Safanaya Jisalo said the Electoral Act was not ambiguous, stressing that aggrieved parties should go to tribunal.

But Melaye argued that the result was only presented, not declared, insisting that only the chairman of INEC has the power to declare results.

Responding, INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu said Melaye quoted the wrong figure during his argument.

He, however, stressed that his observation was noted and the commission would look into it.

Yakubu stated: “I still insist that the figure presented by the state collection officer for the presidential election for Ekiti state, the total number of accredited voters is 315,058. This is what is on the spreadsheet that we screened yesterday. And this is also what is on the actual result manual recorded by the State Collation Officer for Presidential Election (SCOPE) and signed by the PDP agent and agents of other political parties back in Ekiti state.

“But having said that, I’ve taken note of your observations, let us make progress on that one. But what we have here is exactly what I’ve said. And any other figure that is at variance with this one cannot supersede the official result presented. Let’s make progress.”

Nevertheless, Melaye was unsatisfied with INEC’s chairman explanation and continued to disturb the proceeding while the Returning for Ondo state election was presenting his result.

After the presentation of the Ondo result, Melaye held a meeting with other party agents where they agreed that they would insist that INEC display the transmitted results on the screen.

Addressing journalists after their meeting, Melaye stated: “A few minutes ago, we raised the issue of the fact that in accordance with the provision of the Electoral Act, Section 60 and Section 64 of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), that there will be transmission of results from the polling units. And then INEC chairman has repeatedly told Nigerians that there will be transmission of a lot of results from polling units directly to the server. “

“We find out that this has not been done. INEC failed in this regard. And when this issue was raised today, supported by other party agents, the national chairman of INEC evaded vehemently because what Section 47(3) emphasizes is that wherever that the BVAS failed, if they cannot get a replacement, election should be cancelled in those areas.

“And we have seen from the presentation of the results from yesterday that some places were cancelled as a result of bypassing BVAS. So the only way to detect that BVAS have been bypassed is for us to see the uploaded results.

And we insisted that the chairman should show us here the uploaded results state by state just like the way they are displaying the collated results they are presenting and that is the only way to test the veracity and authenticity of these results.”

“If not, we are only here to endorse the fraud that has been done from the units to the world to the states. We are not here to rubber stamp infractions. We are not here to rubber stamp the abnormalities that have been done. We are here to check them but the National Chairman of INEC is not given us opportunity to question what they are doing.”

Melaye said they are going to do everything humanly possible to make sure that the right thing is done.

According to him, We have just met with other political parties and we are going to make a presentation by the time we resume and if they insist that they are not going to respond to us, then you will see the action we will take.

“We will not allow it. We have suffered a lot of pain in this country, suffered poverty, hunger, kidnapping, killings. We will not allow a continuation of failure. We must make sure that the right thing is done.

3:43AM

Thugs Invade INEC Collation Centre, Disrupts Result Announcement in Plateau

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

Suspected thugs yesterday evening invaded the Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau state, venue of the collation centre for Presidential and National Assembly elections in Plateau North Senatorial district of the state.

THISDAY gathered that the thugs chased away the INEC officials before they could conclude their assignment.

An official of the Jos North LGA that was a witness to the fracas, who identified himself as Mr Shittu said: “Trouble started when the party agents were asked to sign the result sheets for the Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency as announced by the Returning Officer, Dr Nehemiah Sanda who declared the PDP candidate, Musah Agah as winner with 59,337 votes.

“But the agent of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidate, who came second with 58,460 votes rejected the results and insisted that no result sheets would be signed at the collation centre.

“As the INEC officials were trying to prevail on the party agent to allow them do their job, the thugs believed to be loyalists of the PRP invaded the collation centre and chased the INEC officials away, thus preventing them from declaring the winners.

He said that it took a spirited effort of a senior police officer, DC Afebuamhe, who quickly seized the election results and took them away.

Returning Officer for the Presidential election for the Collation Centre, Dr Lazurus Maigoro also confirmed the disruption of the election exercise by the thugs, saying, “yes, it is true that thugs invaded our collation centre while we were doing our job.it is now up to the INEC to know what to do next.”

The results of Jos North elections have not been announced.

3:42AM

Shun Violence, Remain Peaceful, Jandor Tells Lagos Residents

The Lagos Peoeples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor), yesterday said there should be no reason for violence in any part of the state following the outcome of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

Adediran made the call in a statement by issued by the Jandor4Governor Campaign Organisation in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the collated results on Monday in the state favoured the Labour Party(LP) as against the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC).

There were cases of violence in some parts of the state reportedly instigated by those who were not comfortable with the outcome of the polls.

The candidate, who condemned alleged attacks on some non-indigenes in the state, said that the results should be accepted in good faith.

“I call on the good people of the state to continue to keep the peace and remain resolute on their readiness to change the government in the state through their voting in the March 11 guber election,” he said.

Decrying what he described as inhuman treatment meted on the electorate by political thugs in some local government areas of the states, Adediran called on Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to condemn such attacks and beef up security around the areas the attacks were happening.

The candidate recalled that his team also on Sunday paid a visit and extended support to one Mrs. Bina Jennifer Efidi, one of the victims of the political attacks on Saturday in Surulere area of the state.

He said that Efidi was wounded by suspected thugs at her polling unit during the presidential and National Assembly election on Saturday.

Adeniran also condoled with the people who had been attacked and had suffered loss of property in the fracas.

3:40AM

Election Violence: Two Die as Thugs Set NNPP Campaign Office Ablaze in Kano

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

Kano State Police Command yesterday said that at about 4:00 on Sunday, reports were received that, while the collation of results was ongoing at Tudun Wada LGA INEC Office, a group of thugs in large numbers mobilised and attacked the Campaign Office of NNPP House of Representatives Candidate.

Police Spokesman in Kano, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa yesterday said this in a statement made available to THISDAY.

According to him, the thugs torched the building, setting it ablaze with two unknown persons in a stationary motor vehicle inside the building burnt to death.

“The hoodlums again mobilised and attempted to block the road leading to the INEC Office” Kiyawa added.

He explained that security personnel were immediately mobilised to the scene.

It was gathered that, while investigation is in progress, one of the thugs was fatally injured and was rushed to hospital where he died while receiving treatment. Four other suspected thugs were, where however, arrested.

Meanwhile, the former member House of Representatives from Gwarzo-Kabo constituency, and candidate of the NNPP, Nasiru Sule Garo, has rejected the election result recently announced by INEC.

He announced this reaction Sunday night at an emergency press conference in Kano following the declaration of his opponent from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner by INEC after a polling unit in his constituency was canceled due to over-voting.

He complained that the action taken by INEC after it was observed that there was over-voting in the polling unit, when they added the result of the canceled polling unit contradicts the Electoral Act.

He therefore, stated that he along with his party would reclaim what he describes as the “stolen mandate of the people.”

“I represented the NNPP in the just concluded elections. I am here purposely to reject the results of the elections as declared by INEC.

“I am rejecting this result because I am actually the one that the people actually voted for to represent them at the National Assembly.

“However, there was massive collaboration between the state government, the security agencies and the INEC in which they went and changed all the results.

“We actually have two physical pieces of evidence that involve collaboration and non collaboration between the security and INEC.

“Firstly, the Electoral Act is clear on over voting. What it says is that if there is over voting in a polling unit even with one vote, that polling unit should be canceled.

“More so, my agent who was there and insisted that they cannot include that polling unit and have to cancel it based on the position of the Electoral Act, the APC people who insisted that they must add it and include it in their result. Because of his insistence, the collaboration with the state government and the security agencies, the Orderly of the former commissioner of local government mobilised security agents and arrested my agent around 3:00 am, brought him to the state police command detained him and left him there.

“This means that I was left in that polling unit without an agent. We just got him out of their hands through bail. This is a clear collaboration between security agencies and the state government.

“Secondly, that of INEC is that if there is cancellation of a polling unit and you bring the votes that were canceled, automatically if the canceled votes are above the margin between the two leading candidates, that result has to be declared inconclusive.

“In my own case, there are cancellation of polling units and the number of voters that are in that polling unit are above the difference between me and my opponent but they went ahead and. declare that result thereby declaring the loser as the winner.

“We have other clear evidence which we will not reveal to the press at the moment. We have to go back and reclaim the victory. It is not for me or the NNPP, it is for the people who voted, the good people of Gwarzo-Kabo constituency.

“The people have given me their mandate but the security, state government and INEC have stolen their mandate.

INEC had announced the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Muazu as the winner after disqualifying the NPP candidate.

However, presidential candidate of ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu scored the highest votes for the 2023 general election in Jigawa state.

While former vice president and also the candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar followed with 386,587 votes.

Announcing the results, the collation officer for the 2023 presidential election in Jigawa state, Professor Arma-Ya’u Hamisu Bichi from Federal University Dutsin Ma said, the election was conducted peacefully and the contestants scored the following votes.

He explained that, the total registered votes is 2,341,441 and total votes accredited is 961,670 while the total votes cast stand at 954,805.

Professor Bichi announced the scores by each party as APC scored 421,390, LP scored 1,889, NNPP 98,234 while PDP scored 386,587 votes.

He then, announced the total valid votes as 920,531, rejected votes stood at 34,274 while the total cast votes remained 954,805.

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