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Tension as party supporters clash in Kano

Bankole ABE
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Tension as party supporters clash in Kano

RIVAL party supporters have clashed at a polling unit in Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State.

The clash is between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Security operatives arrest a political thug in Kano
Security operatives arrest a political thug with cutlasses in Kano

The reason for the clash is not yet known as of the time of filing the report but one of the polling units is where the NNPP governorship candidate is expected to vote while another polling unit close by is that of APC state chairman, Abdullahi Abass.

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However, a man was arrested at one of the polling units with a broken head and about five cutlasses were seen in his possession.

INEC officials arrive early in South-South

Beloved JOHN
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INEC officials arrive early in South-South

THE second lap of Nigeria’s general elections – governorship and state assembly election – is holding today, March 18, two weeks after the Presidential and National Assembly polls.

Eight hundred thirty-seven candidates are vying for governorship positions while 10,240 candidates are contesting state assembly seats across the 28 states where the election will hold.

In the South-South region, the process has been smooth and calm. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials dispatched election materials and began setting up polling units as early as 7: 00 am.

In the six south-south states, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Edo and Delta, many of the INEC officials present were punctual to their respective polling units and were set to conduct election before the voters began to troop in.

Accreditation and voting commenced in many polling units between 8:00 am and 8:30 am.

However, there are still some units in the states where INEC officials arrived late.

The governorship election was scheduled for March 11 but was postponed by a week by INEC.

The commission said it needed time to reconfigure the BVAS used for the Presidential Election.

Governorship elections will not hold this time in Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun and Ondo, as polls to the offices of governors of the states are held off-cycle and not part of the general election.

DASHBOARD: 2023 Nigeria Governorship Election Result

Editorial
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DASHBOARD: 2023 Nigeria Governorship Election Result

Party agents, INEC officials clash over incomplete ballot papers in Rivers

Ijeoma OPARA
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Party agents, INEC officials clash over incomplete ballot papers in Rivers

PARTY agents and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) clashed at Polling Unit (PU) 046, Ward 19, Elekahia in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during the Governorship and State Assembly elections.

The argument ensued after the presiding officer for the unit announced that there are only 50 ballot papers for the governorship elections and 60 for the State House of Assembly, despite the unit having 89 registered voters.

“This is because of the low turnout of voters at this unit during the last elections held here. Out of 89, we had only 28. That is the reason they provided this figure. If these ones are finished we can make calls to our superiors for more,” the presiding officer said.

However, the party agents insisted that voting would not begin until ballot papers are complete.

“Even if it is only five persons that vote here, the remaining papers should be cancelled,” the APC agent yelled.

The agents also insisted that calls be placed to the INEC for more ballot papers before the voting could proceed.

The ICIR also observed that at various other units in Elekahia, ballot papers were less than the number of voters registered.

At PU 073, Ward 19, there were 200 registered voters for the unit, however, there were 148 ballot papers for the state House of Assembly and 200 sheets for the governorship election.

At PU 074, Ward 19, there were 183 registered voters but 177 sheets for governorship and 129 for the State House of Assembly elections.

INEC officials set out polling booths early as Lagos, Sokoto, Kaduna residents troop out to cast votes

Mustapha USMAN
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INEC officials set out polling booths early as Lagos, Sokoto, Kaduna residents troop out to cast votes

AS early as 8:00 am, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto have set out polling units as trooped out in hundreds to participate in today’s governorship and state assembly elections.

Residents came out early in large numbers to search for their names on the INEC voters list to be sure of their polling units.

The governorship election is taking place across 28 states of the country while the entire 36 states are participating in the state assembly election.

In Sokoto North, INEC officials arrived at the respective designations and started accreditation of voters for the election at 8:10 am. Also in Bodinga, Wammako LGAs of the state, accreditation and voting commenced simultaneously at 8:30 am.

In Kaduna State, Sabon Gari Local government area, Jama’a Ward Polling Unit, the electoral process started at 8:00 am. The ICIR observed that the electoral process is going smoothly, although the voters complained of insufficient security personnel as only one officer was on ground. 

As early as 7:00 am, The ICIR observed that most streets were filled with excited residents going to cast their votes in Kano State. In Faggae LGA of the state, Faggae B 022 Polling Unit, the voting exercise started at exactly 8:30 am.

At 8:00 am, voting and accreditation of voters commenced at Polling Unit 33, High Court Gate, Ikeja, Lagos. Also, INEC officials arrived early at Polling Unit 022, Oshinfila Street, Anifowoshe, where the Labour party candidate  Gbadebo Rhodes Viviour will be voting.

The ICIR also observed early arrivals of INEC officials, smooth commencement of voting process and early turnout of voters in other parts of Lagos state.

Other places where The ICIR observed early turnout of voters and early arrival of INEC officials are Abia, Enugu, Anambra and Niger states.

Guber poll: Early voters turnout in Kano

Bankole ABE
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Guber poll: Early voters turnout in Kano

RESIDENTS of Kano have trooped out early in their numbers to cast their votes in the governorship and House of Assembly elections.

As early as 7:00 am voters were seen in various parts of the state waiting for the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

At Polling Unit 016, Diso Ward, Gwale LGA, a large crowd gathered at the voting venue waiting to cast their votes.

A voter, Kabiru Usman told The ICIR at the PU that he was eager to cast his vote. Usman also said he is expecting a free and fair election.

“We are waiting, we have been here once at 6.30 am. We are eager to vote. We are expecting a free and fair election,” Usman said.

Also at Polling Unit 06, Diso Ward Gwale LGA, a lot of voters were already in the queue waiting to vote.

The incumbent governor of Kano State, Umar Ganduje will be ending his tenure on May, 29 and his successor is expected to be elected today

Live update election day: 2023 governorship and state assembly

Editorial
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1
Live update election day: 2023 governorship and state assembly

Constitution amendment: Presidents, govs to form cabinets within 60 days

Vincent Ufuoma
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Constitution amendment: Presidents, govs to form cabinets within 60 days

NIGERIAN Presidents and state governors are now constitutionally mandated to form their cabinets within 60 days of assuming office.

The requirement is among the provisions of 16 Constitution amendment bills signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, March 17.

One of the new laws mandates Nigerian Presidents and governors to submit the names of persons nominated as ministers or commissioners within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly.

Other bills signed into law by the President include those that provide financial independence for state houses of assemblies and state judiciary, as well as the right to food and food security.

Some of the bills also aim to correct errors in the names of some local government areas, as well as in the definition of the boundary of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Bills seeking to regulate the first session and inauguration of members-elect of the National and State Houses of Assembly, delete the reference to provisions of criminal codes, and move the item “railways” from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List were also signed into law.

Additionally, the one of the bills deleted the reference to “prisons” in the Exclusive Legislative List and re-designated it as “Correctional Services” in the Concurrent Legislative List.

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They also provide for the post-call qualification of the Secretary of the National Judicial Council and exclude the period of intervening events in the computation of time for determining pre-election petitions, election petitions, and appeals.

The President also assented to three other bills, namely the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology Act, the Nigerian Institute of International Relations Act, and the Federal Medical Centers (Amendment) Acts.

All the assented bills will soon be published in the Official Gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Russia-Ukraine war: ICC issues arrest warrant for Putin

Oghenekevwe UCHECHUKWU
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Russia-Ukraine war: ICC issues arrest warrant for Putin

THE International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant of arrest for the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes.

The warrant was issued on Friday, March 17, after the Court said it had reasonable grounds to believe that Putin was responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

“The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian-occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022,” the ICC said in a statement.

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An arrest warrant was also issued for the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, for her complicity in the crime, based on the Prosecution’s applications of February 22.

“The Chamber considered that the warrants are secret in order to protect victims and witnesses and also to safeguard the investigation.

“Nevertheless, mindful that the conduct addressed in the present situation is allegedly ongoing, and that the public awareness of the warrants may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes, the Chamber considered that it is in the interests of justice to authorise the Registry to publicly disclose the existence of the warrants, the name of the suspects, the crimes for which the warrants are issued, and the modes of liability as established by the Chamber,” the Court explained.

However, neither Russia not Ukraine are members of the ICC, although Kyiv granted the Court jurisdiction to prosecute crimes committed on its territory.

The ICC has no police force of its own and relies on member states to make arrests. The bold legal move will, therefore, obligate the court’s 123 member states to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory.

Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations that its forces have committed atrocities during its one-year invasion of its neighbour and the Kremlin branded the Court decision as “null and void”.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia found the very questions raised by the ICC “outrageous and unacceptable”.

Guber poll: Court orders INEC to transmit results electronically

Beloved JOHN
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0
Guber poll: Court orders INEC to transmit results electronically

AN ABUJA Federal High Court has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results of the March 18 Governorship and House of Assembly elections electronically.

The court further ordered that the results of the election be transmitted in accordance with INEC regulations and guidelines.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, the presiding judge, gave the order on Friday, March 17.

He also ordered the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System to upload a scanned copy of the form EC8A to the INEC Result Viewing Portal immediately after the completion of all the polling unit voting.

The judge equally ordered INEC to engage the services of independent, competent and reliable logistic companies who are non-partisans or known supporters of any political party to distribute electoral materials and personnel.

Egwuatu gave these orders while ruling on a motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/334/2023.

The motion was filed by the Labour Party (LP) and Uduakobong Udoh, its governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom, and 13 state house of assembly candidates.

Moses Usoh-Abia, counsel to the applicants, had urged the court to direct INEC to comply with its regulations and guidelines, particularly provisions of clauses 37 and 38 on the conduct of elections.

He also asked the court to mandate the presiding officers of all polling units to conspicuously paste the publication of result posters EC460(E) at the polling units after completing the EC8A result sheets.

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