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Kwara Assembly Speaker secures second term

Mustapha USMAN
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Kwara Assembly Speaker secures second term

SPEAKER of the Kwara State House of Assembly Yakubu Danladi-Salihu has been declared winner of the Ilesha-Gwanara State Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Danladi-Salihu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was announced the winner having polled 14, 949 votes, while his closest rival, Usman Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got 2,072 votes.

This was as disclosed by the state INEC Returning Officer Dr Adewale Rafiu on Sunday, March 19. 

“Yakubu Danladi-Salihu of APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Rafiu declared.

In his acceptance speech, Danladi-Salihu lauded his constituents for their massive support which led to his victory.

He also stressed that he would continue to prioritise their welfare.

“I wish to thank my constituents for the show of love and massive support that earned me this sweet victory at the poll.

“I will continue to appreciate and reciprocate this rare gesture with another superlative performance in office while prioritising people’s welfare,” he added.

Guber poll: Lagos CP admits attacks on voters

Ehime ALEX
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Guber poll: Lagos CP admits attacks on voters

LAGOS State Commissioner of Police (CP) Idowu Owohunwa has admitted incidences of violence and attacks on voters who came out to exercise their civic responsibilities during the gubernatorial and state assembly elections held on March 18.

“It is true that we recorded instances of violence in some areas within the state,” Owohunwa admitted in an interview with Channels Television.

Political thugs had rained widespread violence on voters in many parts of Lagos State during yesterday’s election, disenfranchising millions of voters and destroying polling units.

The Lagos CP however said the violence was “not as widespread as to affect the general dynamics of the process”, adding that most of the instances were “properly responded to by the police”.

According to Owohunwa, the Lagos State Police Command had anticipated violence in some flashpoint areas in the state.

“As security practitioners, when you plan operations of this nature, you must anticipate that some elements will want to become adversaries in the process.

“We anticipated and then we integrated that into our general operational plan and we activated that protocol effectively in this instance. Most of those breaches, the police were able to respond promptly.”

The Lagos CP noted that the incident that happened around VGC (Victoria Garden City) was as a result of the relocation of the polling units from within the estate to a location outside the [VGC] gate.

“That falls within the mandate of INEC, and when my attention was drawn to it, I drew the attention of the REC to the development. As we speak, he has personally gone to the location and is trying to engage the electorate, so that they can find a common ground,” he said.

Obi sympathises with victims of election violence

Beloved JOHN
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Obi sympathises with victims of election violence

THE presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi, has expressed his sympathy to victims of the election-related violence recorded during the governorship election.

He condemned the acts of violence across the states, which in some cases led to the death of citizens.

In a tweet on Sunday, he decried the loss of lives caused by a “simple thing as an election”.

“With sadness, my heart goes deeply to the Nigerians who lost their lives and those who were maimed for participating in such a simple election. My prayers and wishes for a quick recovery of the injured,” he said.

“My sincere condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. May God Almighty grant them eternal rest and grant their families the fortitude to bear their sad irreplaceable loss.

“I pray earnestly that God Almighty will save and help Nigeria out of this precarious situation.”

Election: Abducted APC campaign coordinator shot dead in Rivers

Mustapha USMAN
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Election: Abducted APC campaign coordinator shot dead in Rivers

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Coordinator for Ahoada-West Local Council of Rivers State Chisom Lennard, has been shot dead by unknown gunmen.

The ICIR gathered that Lennard was taken away by gunmen who dressed in police uniform while he was trying to prevent them from hijacking election materials during the governorship and state assembly election on March 18.

The incident happened at Ibagwa Polling Unit 2, Ward 10 in Ahoada West Local Government Area of the state.

The Rivers APC publicity secretary Darlington Nwauju, who confirmed the development to The Punch, said Lennard’s dead body was discovered on Saturday evening.

Nwauju stated, “He was abducted from his polling unit during the voting process and taken away.

“Nobody knew where they took him to. It was later in the evening of Saturday that his body was discovered.

“He was APC LGA caretaker chairman and was a PhD student at the Rivers State University.”

Voter Apathy: Amaechi decries ‘complete failure of governance’, slams INEC, Police

Harrison EDEH
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Voter Apathy: Amaechi decries ‘complete failure of governance’, slams INEC, Police

THE erstwhile minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Saturday, March 18, slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police over the governorship and state Assembly elections in Rivers State.

Amaechi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), described the low turn-out out of voters for the exercise in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state as a result of “complete failure of governance.”

The former minister, who had also been a former Governor of Rivers State, speaking to newsmen after he cast his vote yesterday at Ward 8, Unit 14, Ubima community, accused detractors of being behind electoral violence in the state.

He explained that the situation led to voter apathy in the state as most people failed to show up for the polls for fear of being beaten.

“There is a total failure of governance in the country. Complete failure. People are being arrested and nobody has spoken.

“The Inspector-General of Police is doing nothing, nobody is doing anything. Now, there is voter apathy. I don’t know if it cuts across the country but there is complete voter apathy in Rivers State,” Amaechi fumed.

Though the election was peaceful in his community, Amaechi said that there were reports of the arrest of candidates of the APC in the polls.

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Besides Amaechi, some politicians who spoke to newsmen after voting, decried low voter turn-out. The presidential flagbearers of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, attributed the low voter turn-out to the people’s low confidence in the electoral process.

Abubakar, after casting his vote, said, “INEC is already a discredited organisation. Sadly, there’s a low voter turn-out in today’s election, no thanks to INEC’s partisanship and incompetence that delivered a sham election on February 25. I hope the electoral body will seize this second chance to redeem its discredited reputation.”

Obi, who made similar remarks after casting his vote at his ward 019 in Amatutu village, Agulu, said, “The voter apathy is due to lack of trust in the electoral process.”

 

 

LIVE: Collation, results from 2023 governorship and state election

Editorial
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LIVE: Collation, results from 2023 governorship and state election

Guber poll: Vote buying, thuggery reduced credibility — CDD

Beloved JOHN
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Guber poll: Vote buying, thuggery reduced credibility — CDD

THE Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), a non-profit organization, has said cases of bribery, violence and harassment of voters recorded during the governorship and state assembly elections has raised questions over the credibility of the polls.

CDD stated this in its preliminary findings on the Governorship and State Assembly elections held on Saturday, March 18.

According to the CDD executive director, Idayat Hassan, there were more cases of vote buying during the governorship election compared to the presidential poll of February 25.

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She said although the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) improved logistics deployment and the prompt arrival of electoral officials, there were occasional issues of non-functionality of the Bi-modal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS).

Hassan said, “In the North-West, observers in all seven states reported increased reports of vote trading, primarily by political party agents. Money was used alongside other materials such as food items, wrappers and a ‘credit voucher,’ and those items would be redeemed after the results.

“Similarly, in the North-East, political party agents in Taraba infiltrated the queue, pretended to be voters and used the chance to offer cash for votes.

“In the South-East, there were reports of APGA and LP party agents using materials, phones and other souvenirs to entice voters in Anambra State.

“In the South-South, multiple states reported a desire for voters to show proof of their vote before being paid, with party agents reportedly compiling a list of their voters in Esan Central LGA, Edo state.

“This might be a reflection of the heightened political environment around governorship polls, the importance of local personalities in state-level politics, and the shortages of fuel and Naira.”

Guber poll: 65 vote buyers land in EFCC net

Theophilus ADEDOKUN
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Guber poll: 65 vote buyers land in EFCC net

THE Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has apprehended over 65 persons for vote buying and inducement across 28 states during the governorship and state assembly elections.

A statement issued on Saturday, March 18, signed by the spokesperson of the Commission, Wilson Uwujaren, said that 13 suspects were nabbed by operatives on election monitoring duty at the Kaduna Zonal Command.

Also, the teams monitoring the polls in the Port Harcourt Zone arrested a total of 12 people for various offences bordering on inducing voters with money to vote for their preferred candidates.

The statement further disclosed that four vote buyers were arrested in Calabar.

Thirteen suspects, consisting of 10 males and 3 females, were arrested in Kaduna State.

The statement added, “They were apprehended by operatives working on intelligence or chanced upon them during the monitoring exercise. A suspect allegedly involved in vote buying was nabbed at School Road, Unguwan Rimi Kaduna. The suspect who initially resisted arrest, is however in custody, pending the conclusion of the investigation.”

EFCC operatives caught Buhari Muhammed in Polling Unit  002 Dogara Yaro Dagari area with voter coupons which he confessed would be used to trace and pay those who voted for his party.

The Commission also apprehended the women leader of a political party, Esther Edem, as well as Edet Etim and Asanwana Eyo, for alleged vote buying in Calabar.

According to the statement, “The Woman Leader, who had a list of suspected voters, their account numbers and thousands of Naira in cash, was apprehended inside an uncompleted building, beside her Ward in Calabar South, while Etim and Eyo were arrested at Ward 12, Unit 11, at Kings Memorial School by Inyang Street, Abasi Obori, Calabar South.

“The duo of Etim and Eyo had with them their own lists and money they allegedly used in buying votes.”

The Gombe Zonal Command of the Commission also recorded the arrests of 10 persons for alleged voter inducement.

The investigation by the EFCC, however, revealed that the mode of operation of the suspects was through cash, transfer of money, coupons and sending recharge cards to eligible voters in order to induce them to vote for their candidates.

The ICIR earlier reported that 20 persons were nabbed for vote-buying and financial inducement in Kwara State

APC member shot dead in Cross River

Beloved JOHN
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APC member shot dead in Cross River

A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was shot dead in Cross River state on Saturday March 18.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Cross River, Irene Ugbo, confirmed the incident.

The deceased, identified as Joe, was shot close to a polling unit on Saturday morning for reasons yet to be identified.

It was alleged that Joe was shot dead by a soldier in Ogoja local government for creating a rowdy scene at the yet-to-be identified polling centre.

Ugbo said the police command was still investigating the reason for his murder.

She has also assured residents of their safety across communities in the state.

Guber poll: IPC condemns attacks on journalists covering election

Mustapha USMAN
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Guber poll: IPC condemns attacks on journalists covering election

THE International Press Centre (IPC) has condemned attacks on journalists during the March 18 governorship and state assembly elections.

The Centre, in a statement released via its twitter page, said the attacks took place in some parts of the country, including Lagos, Ogun, and Rivers states.

IPC said the attacks constitute a violation of the fundamental rights of the affected journalists.

According to the Centre Journalists’ Election Day Safety Desk, AIT reporters and cameramen including Henrietta Oke, Amarachi Amushie and Nkiru Nwokedi were molested and prevented from covering the elections at some polling units in Eti-Osa, Ifako-Ijaiye and Amuwo Odofin local government areas of Lagos State by political thugs and hoodlums.

The statement added that the molested journalist Nwokedi temporarily lost her phone before it was recovered with the help of Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) men.

IPC stressed that Amushie was also rough handled, and his camera was damaged while the cameraman was beaten in the presence of a political chieftain.

Arise TV News crew comprising reporter Oba Adeoye, cameraman Opeyemi Adenihun and driver Yusuf Hassan were also attacked while covering election process in the Elegushi area of Lagos, according to the statement.

“The cameraman, Opeyemi Adenihun, suffered facial injuries while drones and equipment were seized” according to the news medium.

It stressed that the News Agency of Nigeria’s reporter Adejoke Adeleye was among journalists who were molested in Itori Odo Area,  Abeokuta South Local government of Ogun state.

The political thugs equally reportedly assaulted INEC officials with axes and allegedly destroyed ballot boxes.

IPC also detailed how journalists who tried to capture voting in the polling unit of the PDP Governorship candidate in Rivers State were denied access by some “overzealous police officers”.

“The policemen refused passage despite the proof of identity provided by the journalists” the report from Rivers stated.

“Following the attacks on journalists during the presidential and National Assembly elections on February 25, we had called on the Police, the Political Parties and all concerned to take measures to protect them today. It is therefore worrisome that such attacks have been repeated”, the Press Freedom and Safety Alert Desk Officer of IPC, Melody Lawal added. 

Lawal further charged the security agencies to thoroughly investigate the various attacks and ensure that the perpetrators face the consequences of their illegal actions.

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