INEC cancels Bauchi supplementary elections, to announce final governorship result

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has cancelled the earlier announced supplementary elections in Bauchi State.

In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja and signed by a National Commissioner, Festus Okoye, the commission said it has approved Tuesday, 19th March 2019 for the resumption, conclusion and announcement of the result of the Tafawa Balewa Local Government in relation to the Governorship election.

INEC also announced the change of the Collation Officer for Tafawa Balewa Local Government who reportedly withdrew due to threat to her life.

The statement reads; “On the 12 day of March 2019 the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) considered a report submitted by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Bauchi State on the disruption of the Collation process at the Tafawa Balewa Collation Centre which led to the cancellation of results for the entire Local Government.

“The Commission found that there are issues that need further investigation and set up a Committee for that purpose:

“The findings of the Committee are as follows:

“The Governorship and State Assembly Elections were held on the 9th March 2019 in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area and the votes scored by candidates were announced at the Polling Units and collated at the 11 Registration Areas of the Local Government.

“Halfway into the Local Government collation, armed gangs attacked the collation centre and destroyed the Local Government Result Sheet (EC8C) and some collated results from the Registration Areas. The results of 7 out of 11 Registration Areas for Governorship and 6 out of 11 for State Assembly elections were affected.

“INEC guidelines provide that where violent disruption affects collation in this manner, results should be regenerated from duplicate copies on a replacement result sheet.

“The Collation Officer, under pressure from Party Agents who could not wait for the arrival of a replacement result sheet, decided to collate the result on an available RA result sheet instead of the replacement LGA result sheet.

“When the result was presented at the State Governorship Collation Centre, the Returning Officer rejected the regenerated result because it was on a wrong result sheet.

“The Investigation Committee established that the result in Polling Units and Registration Areas are available and in safe custody.

“The Investigation Committee also established that the number of cancelled votes for the 4 Polling Units in Ningi Local Government Area which was recorded as 25,330 in form EC40G (1) was incorrect. The actual figure is 2,533. Consequently, the Commission has taken the following decisions:

“Approved the resumption and conclusion of the collation of results of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area in relation to the Governorship election as the duplicate and original Registration Area results are available.

“Approved the resumption, conclusion and announcement of the result of the Tafawa Balewa State Constituency.

“The appointment of a new Collation/Returning Officer for Tafawa Balewa Local Government to continue and conclude the collation process in place of the original Collation Officer who withdrew from the exercise citing threats to her life and those of her family members.

“The Collation process for Tafawa Balewa Local Government will resume on Tuesday, 19th March 2019.

“The Commission directed that the error in the total number of cancelled votes in four polling units in Ningi Local Government Area should be corrected from 25,330 to 2,533.

“The Commission appeals to all stakeholders for continuous support and understanding”.

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Gbenga Daniel resigns from PDP, gives reasons

Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Governor of Ogun State, has quit partisan politics.

He has also resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In his letter to the national chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, Daniel said he decided to leave the scene to “rejuvenate my charity based organization, the Gateway Front Foundation (GFF) which will literally continue to dispense succor to our people in need, address and assist in the areas of some of their health challenges.

“I also plan on resuscitation of the non-partisan Political Leadership Academy (POLA) which I established some years ago as a platform of political education to our citizens.”

Full text of letter below

The National Chairman,
Peoples Democratic Party,
Wadata Plaza, Michael Okpara Street
Wuse Zone II, Abuja

*Attention: Prince Uche Secondus*

Mr. Chairman,

*Resignation from Partisan Politics*

This is to inform you of my intention to resign from active and partisan politics with effect from today, the 14th day of March, 2019.
My decision in this regard is entirely personal to me and having served in various capacities, including as Governor of Ogun State, I have resolved to immerse myself in some other vocations and take on some new challenges.

*Preamble*
My Political Journey so far

I joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State on Sunday, the 9th of September, 2001 at an event which was described as one of the most ceremonial political rallies in our recent political history in the South Western part of Nigeria. We rose from that rally to create a highly robust and effective political campaign machinery which resulted in an electoral victory for the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State in 2003; this movement and vibration affected the politics of the region positively with a victory in five (5) states of the South West.

2. I served as Governor of Ogun State for eight (8) years and our administration till today remains a point of reference in terms of physical, social, economic, educational and human capital development since the State was created in 1976. 

3. Notwithstanding these widely acclaimed achievements however, our party, the Peoples Democratic Party ran into trouble waters towards the end of our administration (about the year 2009) which led to the sad loss in the election of 2011, and regrettably ten (10) years after the party has been unable to resolve those internal disputes and challenges.

4. Meanwhile, the PDP in Ogun State was confronted with a very difficult situation in matter of choice. Whereas the national leadership of our party, recognized one candidate for the 2019 election, by court pronouncements another candidate, and in compliance with those court orders, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognized was on the INEC list. The candidates recognized by INEC were not acceptable to the national leadership of the party. Our situation was then compounded because the candidate which the court and INEC recognized and accepted as valid has also been expelled by the party. This was the dilemma we found ourself as we approached the March 9, 2019 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

5. Going forward, we have responded to the yearnings of our people and joined others in emplacing an administration that we believe will better serve the interests of our people than what currently exists. The rest they say is now history.

6. I must say that looking back, I do not have any regrets over that patriotic choice and decision, especially as several of our citizens, leaders and stakeholders in the state and outside have commended that singular action. Many stakeholders within and outside Ogun State feel fulfilled, excited and grateful about our decision to join others in putting a stop to a regime that was believed to be against the collective and general welfare of our people.

7. Let me also add, that in the last few months, I have had one of the rare privileges of traveling round the entire length and breadth of our great country on at least two occasions; the first being during my campaigns to become the National Chairman of our great party, and later as the Director General of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organization (APCO).

8. I must sincerely admit that in the course of all these travels, I have built a network of contacts, of friends and associates in a mutually rewarding relationships which I cherished most and greatly too. I am therefore persuaded that I have fewer points to make and prove in my Political journeys in partisan politics.

9. My decision to quit partisan politics notwithstanding, I have decided to rejuvenate my charity based organization, the Gateway Front Foundation (GFF) which will literally continue to dispense succor to our people in need, address and assist in the areas of some of their health challenges; I also plan on resuscitation of the non-partisan Political Leadership Academy (POLA) which I established some years ago as a platform of political education to our citizens.

10. Without doubt, I will miss the company of my friends and associates and all those relationships I built in the course of the years all over the country..
While I crave for your kind understanding, accept assurances of my highest regards.

Yours faithfully,

Otunba (Engr.) Gbenga Daniel, FNSE, FNAEng
Governor of Ogun State (2003-2011).

Cc:
His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar GCON
Chairman, Board of Trustees (PDP)

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Oyo govt gives update on collapsed building in Ibadan

The Oyo State Government, Saturday morning disclosed that there was no fatality in the building collapse incident which occurred on Friday in the Sogoye area of Ibadan, the capital city.

Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Toye Arulogun, in a statement made available to EMIRATCO POST, said that the multi-agency rescue operation team set up by the Governor of the state was able to achieve the evacuation of all victims from the collapsed building which was under construction as at the time of the incident.

He noted that the injured, who were in stable condition, have been taken to the hospital while no death was recorded.

Arulogun said, “Upon hearing the news of the incident, the Governor set up a multi-agency rescue team which promptly swung into action, mobilising equipment, materials and personnel. The team was able to rescue the two victims trapped in the rubble of the collapsed building as three were initially rescued manually and no fatality was recorded in the rescue operation which ended 3.45am today”.

He further said that an investigation into the incident will be carried out by the relevant agencies while admonishing building construction practitioners to desist from cutting corners and using cheap materials.

He reiterated the imperative of adhering to approved building plans.

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Rivers guber: ‘I’m sorry’ – Amaechi’s ally, Chidi Llyod begs President Buhari

The Director-General of the Tonye Cole campaign, Hon. Chidi has apologised to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Emiratco Post reported earlier that Llyod, an ally of the leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi, had accused President Muhammadu Buhari of turning against the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State.

And in a swift reaction, Senator Magnus Abe, representing Rivers South East, had called on Amaechi and his men to leave Buhari out of what is happening to the party in the State.

However, in a statement he issued in Port Harcourt on Friday, Llyod called on Abe to leave Amaechi out of his (Llyod) comments, adding that he made the statement about Buhari out of anger.

He added, “As a stakeholder in the politics of Rivers State, I feel sad that a collaboration of Senator Magnus Abe and Governor Wike and their accomplices in the Rivers State Judiciary denied us so much in power structure of Rivers State.

“Whereas, it is an incontrovertible fact that Magnus Abe was collecting huge sums of money and a landcrussier jeep, including payment of legal fees, from Governor Wike to pull the rug off the feet of the APC, it is even more annoying that Magnus Abe did everything under the sun to stop President Buhari from being re-elected.

“It is on record that when we were working round the clock to ensure we re-elected President Buhari, Magnus Abe addressed a team of 23 Coordinators across the 23 LGAs in his camp to go to their LGAs and instruct their supporters to vote for Atiku instead President Buhari and they did.

“Every true Nigerian will agree with me that President Buhari’s emergence and subsequent re-election is the best thing that has ever happened to Nigeria. I am a full supporter of President Buhari and I am doing that without regrets.

“My statement may have sounded harsh, I regret it and take responsibility for that. I am sorry.“I spoke in anger because of the collusion of INEC and Wike in Rivers State Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.”

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Imo: Uzodinma fires more salvo at Okorocha, speaks on video showing him ‘congratulating’ Ihedioha

Imo State Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Hope Uzodinma, says the embattled Governor of the State, Rochas Okorocha is the real mole in the APC.

He said this barely 24 hours after he lambasted Okorocha, declaring the governor “politically dead”.

Uzodinma, in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, said it was laughable that the Imo State Governor who had all long worked against the interest of the APC in the state, South East and indeed, Nigeria, would suddenly turn around to accuse others of being moles in the party.

He noted that events preceding the governorship election in the state clearly showed that Okorocha was against the interest of APC, citing the Zonal Youth and Women Presidential Campaign rally, the APC Presidential rally in Imo State and the adoption of another political platform-Action Alliance (AA) which he mobilized state resources to get some members of the APC in Imo State to defect to, in pursuit of his son-in-law’s governorship ambition.

“The clearest evidence of this sabotage was on live television when the result of Ideato Local Government Area (Okorocha home Local Government Area) was declared as more than 70,000 in favour of AA which created a stalemate and was later illegally reduced to 40,000.The question to ask is what was the basis for reducing the result at a Local Government Area (LGA) Collation Centre?”, he asked.

The Governorship candidate stated that Okorocha had brazenly continued to work against the APC and this manifested on the governorship election day in the state when having realised that “I was cruising to victory, the Governor quickly moblised thugs dressed in military and police uniforms to snatch ballot boxes to manipulate scores in favour of the PDP candidate when it became apparent that his anointed son-in-law will not make it. It was at this point that they falsified the scores for PDP and AA.

“Prior to that, the Governor used the same thugs dressed in military and police uniforms to forcibly chase away APC Polling Agents at the various Polling Units and fielded those of the AA. So who is more of a mole in the APC than Rochas Okorocha?”.

Uzodinma said Okorocha was simply reaping the result of his anti-party activities “but instead of accepting his fate, he is busy looking for whom to latch on as a drowning man”.

On the purported report that he had felicitated with Emeka Ihedioha over the latter’s declaration as winner of the state governorship election, the APC Governorship Candidate reiterated that the video of him and Ihedioha trending on social media ”was at a different occasion, way before the election, which is a wedding ceremony”.

He said it is the handiwork of mischief makers and detractors wondering how he could have congratulated the PDP Candidate when he has vowed to challenge the outcome of the election in court to reclaim his mandate.

Debunking the claim that he (Uzodinma) ensured that only his supporters were made agents of the APC during the Governorship Elections in the South East, the Senator said that was a white lie from Okorocha, as the agents were duly approved and sent by the National headquarters of the party but that Okorocha’s hired thugs chased them away.

Uzodinma thanked his supporters and appealed to them to remain steadfast, assuring them that the APC led-Federal Government under the mature leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari would not abandon Imo State in the scheme of things.

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Rivers guber: APC, security agencies plotting to postpone polls, kidnap INEC REC -Wike

Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers State has raised the alarm over alleged plot by security agencies and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to kidnap the INEC’s Resident Electoral

Commissioner (REC) of the state ahead of governorship election.

 Wike said the ploy to kidnap INEC REC was to ensure the postponement of the Governorship and State Assembly elections in the state.

Wike further exposed that the State Government had also intercepted credible intelligence that the APC also plans to use the security agencies to generate mass violence to disrupt the distribution of election materials on March 9, 2019

 Wike said this in a statement signed by Simon Nwakudu, S.A. on electronic media to Governor .

The statement read: “They are struggling to ensure that the Governorship and State Assembly elections don’t hold in Rivers State.

“The APC is planning with security agencies to kidnap the Rivers State Independent National Electoral Commission REC.

 “They will send people wearing army uniforms to kidnap the Resident Electoral Commissioner so that INEC will be forced to postpone the elections.

“That is their latest strategy and so I have to let the world hear that if anything happens, they should hold the APC and security services responsible.

“These people are not kidnappers; they are security agents organised by security agencies working for APC to see that the Governorship and State Assembly elections don’t hold in Rivers state.

“These security agencies have been organised to ensure that the elections are postponed. This ugly plan has failed. I am calling on Nigerians to take note of this undemocratic plot.

“We have also gathered that the APC and security agencies plan to disrupt the distribution of electoral materials and compel INEC to postpone the Governorship and State Assembly elections

“He wondered why some politicians are keen on unleashing violence on Rivers people.

“The governor urged the people of Rivers West Senatorial District to be vigilant all through the Governorship and State Assembly elections for the purpose of ensuring that the elections hold in line with the extant laws.”

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