POLITICS

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POLITICS

El-Rufai: Atiku Could Only Win Kaduna In His Dreams

Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai on Friday said the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar’s claim that he won the presidential election in Kaduna State, could only happen in his dreams.

He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa to show that he was alive against the rumour of his involvement in car accident.

Reacting to the PDP’s claims of winning election in his state, he said: “Well, I heard about that. Initially, I thought it was a joke and when I checked I saw clearly that he said he won Kaduna. It must be in his dreams.

“Let me say this without any fear of contradiction, since President Buhari started contesting for the presidency since 2003, he has never lost Kaduna.

“So, PDP has never won elections in Kaduna from 2003, even with a sitting governor in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.

“It has never happened. I don’t know what will happen that Atiku will win Kaduna in this election this time.

“He lost Kaduna, he lost very badly, even though about 100,000 votes he claimed to have got were added because elections conducted without card reader in some parts of the state, that’s how he even got up to the 400,000 that he got.

“He has lost Kaduna, he will always lose Kaduna. He will lose Kaduna 10 more times because he has never won Kaduna in any presidential elections.”

When reminded the results were said to have come from the INEC server, he said: “Well, I don’t know about INEC server, it must be Atiku’s server.

“I don’t know about INEC server, we don’t know how they had access to it. They will tell us during the tribunal proceedings what is this server and how they got access to it and how they got their numbers.

“You do not go to court in an election petition by quoting INEC server or any other server. Anyone can create a server, I can go and buy it, it is a piece of equipment and call it INEC server.

“But that does not mean that it amounts to anything, we are guided by the electoral act and the evidence act and other enabling legislation and he has to proof his case.

“But anyone can make claims, we live in the age of fake news and fake claims. Anyone can make claims but you have to proof it,” he said

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POLITICS

Just In: Tribunal Declares Ademola Adeleke Winner Of Osun Governorship Election

The Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal has declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ademola Adeleke, as the winner of the poll.

The tribunal, in its ruling, declared the Osun governorship election re-run illegal.

It stated that the exercise was borne out of an illegal cancellation of results in the polling units during the September 22, 2018 original poll.

The Returning Officers who declared the results cancelled, according to the Tribunal, lakced the power to do it.

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POLITICS

Supplementary Polls: I Am Confident Of Victory, Says Lalong

Executive Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, has said he is confident of securing a second tenure ahead of the supplementary election slated for Saturday, March 23.

Lalong told newsmen on Thursday in Jos that the c oast was very clear for him because he needed “just 2,000 votes, out of 49,000, to secure victory”.

“We have 49,000 registered voters in the places that the election will be conducted and I am already ahead with more than 44,000 votes.

“I don’t see anything stopping my victory,” he said

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POLITICS

INEC To Hold Supplementary Election In Ibeju Lekki

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos state says it has concluded arrangements for the conduct of the supplementary election in nine polling units of Ibeju-Lekki constituency 1.

The elections were declared inconclusive due to over voting in nine polling units covering two registration areas of the constituency.

In a statement on Thursday, the commission said it has met with all relevant stakeholders in the area including the political parties and affected candidates, Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) for the local government and other interested groups.

The statement noted that only voters with valid Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs within the constituency will be allowed into the polling units to vote.

The training of ad-hoc staff for the supplementary election has also commenced at the Registration Area Centres (RAC).

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POLITICS

Election Petition: 400 Witnesses To Testify For Atiku, Says PDP

National Legal Adviser of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, has said that the party has assembled a powerful legal team that will challenge the victory of President Muhamadu Buhari at February 23rd presidential election.

This is just as the PDP’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, filed his petition before the election tribunal.

Alleged massive riggings, malpractices, and noncompliance substantially with the electoral laws are the grounds put forward by Atiku and the PDP as reasons for challenging President Buhari’s victory.

In the petition filed, Atiku and the PDP are praying that they be declared winner of the February 23 presidential election.

In the alternative, the two petitioners prayed the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal nullify the poll and order for a fresh election that will be conducted in lines with provisions of the electoral laws.

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POLITICS

Guber Re-run: Buhari Building A Legacy Of Political Correctness – BMO

President Muhammadu Buhari’s non-partisan stance on the forthcoming supplementary elections in some States is a clear departure from what Nigerians had experienced between 1999 and 2014.

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) said in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, that this is unprecedented and yet another reminder of the President’s vow to leave a legacy of a robust and credible electoral process.

“It is unthinkable that a sitting President would issue a public warning to members of his own political party that they should not expect him to arm-twist the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to favour the ruling party in the March 23 supplementary election.

“Ironically, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had been vocal in accusing President Buhari of interfering with the Commission’s independence with a view to conferring undue advantage on the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“This is because the political class is used to the PDP-era situation where one man sits in the comfort of the Presidential villa and determines the fate of politicians across the divide with the active support of the INEC leadership.

“Only recently, a former Vice President who flew the party’s flag in the 2019 President election boasted on national television how he used his privileged position to stop the re-election bid of former Anambra State governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, regardless of the wishes of the electorate!”

The pro-Buhari group also noted that it was embarrassing that any APC leader or member would expect the President to manipulate the process to ensure victory for the ruling party in any of the States where gubernatorial re-run elections are slated to hold on Saturday.

It said: “There is no party member who could have forgotten so soon that President Buhari had in the course of the political campaigns, told Nigerians to vote according to their conscience.

“And his advice to APC leaders in States where supplementary elections are holding to work hard to earn the peoples votes, shows that the President is a statesman who would not trade his integrity for partisan consideration.

“It would be ideal for them to heed the advice and go the extra mile to earn their victory on March 23, rather than expect the President to force INEC to allocate imaginary votes for them”.

BMO also urged members of the opposition to desist from heating up the polity with unsubstantiated allegations against President Buhari in the run-up to the supplementary election.

This, it said, is because the President has no reason to now go back on his pledge that INEC would be completely independent and be free from any interference throughout the elections.

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POLITICS

I’ve Forgiven Theodore Orji, Says Kalu

Senator-elect for Abia North and former state governor, Chief Orji Kalu, said on Thursday that he had put his political enmity with his successor, Sen. Theodore Orji, behind him and was prepared to work harmoniously with him in the Senate.

Kalu said this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent in Umuahia, shortly after receiving his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Election Commission in Abuja.

He said: “I have forgiven him (Orji) for the benefit of Abia people and we are going to work as one family in the Senate in the interest of Abia and Nigeria.

“We are going to have a robust relationship in the Senate because the interest of Abia and Abians is uppermost to me.”

NAN reports that Kalu and Orji, who succeeded him in 2007 as Abia governor, had been arch- enemies for almost a decade due to political differences.

Kalu, who won the March 9 National Assembly polls, after two consecutive attempts, said that he would work assiduously to re-write the history of representation in his senatorial district.

“There is a lot of work to do for my constituency and we shall work to support the programmes of the Federal Government to ensure they succeed,” he said.

Kalu, who was a member of the House of Representatives in the aborted Third Republic, promised that the ninth Senate would reverse the unnecessary delay in the passage of the annual budget.

He said that the Senate would ensure that the Appropriation Bills received expeditious considerations, once they were presented by the president.

“The consideration and passage of budget estimates would not exceed three months. Once the president presents the bill in September, by December we would have concluded the consideration.

“By so doing, the budget would be ready by January for the president’s assent,” Kalu said.

He said that during the consideration of the budget, the ministers would be restrained from embarking on overseas trips.

“They must be available during the budget defence. They would not be allowed to travel overseas until the budget is ready,” Kalu said.

He said that his membership of the Senate would be remarkable, saying that he would strive to build harmonious relationship among all the ethnic nationalities in the National Assembly.

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POLITICS

INEC Fixes March 23 For Bayelsa Assembly Supplementary Poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says it would hold House of Assembly supplementary election on March 23 in Bayelsa State, in areas where election was declared inconclusive in Feb. 23, poll.

Mr Wilfred Ifogah, Head of INEC Voter Education and Publicity in the state, disclosed this in a statement issued on behalf of the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Monday on Thursday in Yenagoa.

“The election will hold in five wards in Ogbia Local Government Area(LGA).

“It will also take place in two wards in Southern Ijaw LGA and one ward in Brass LGA,” he said.

According to him, the places where election will hold are: Otuokpoti, Ologi, Ayama and Okodi polling units in Ogbia constituency II, Ukube and Koluama units in Southern Ijaw constituency IV and some units in Cape Farmoso in Brass constituency I.

“INEC wishes to inform the people of the state, especially the critical stakeholders of the date for the conduct of supplementary election in the constituencies were election was declared inconclusive,” he stated.

NAN

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POLITICS

Oyo Gov-Elect Promises Inclusiveness

The Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has admonished the newly elected governor of the state, Mr Seyi Makinde to be wary of praise singers to have a productive tenure.

Governor Ajimobi gave the advice while receiving Mr Makinde and his entourage at the government house, Agodi, Ibadan.

The Governor urged the governor-elect to select quality people into his cabinet drive meaningful development to the state.

In a remark, the elect-governor, Mr Makinde explained that it was imperative for him to visit the sitting governor to tap from his wealth of experience.

He said that governor Ajimobi had done his best for the state.

Mr Makinde, who will be taking over the mantle of leadership in the state on the 29th of may this year, promised to run an all inclusive government to make Oyo state better.

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POLITICS

El-Rufai, Fayemi, Others Meet President Buhari over Inconclusive Elections

Six All Progressives Congress (APC) governors – Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa) Tuesday in Abuja held a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari over inconclusive governorship elections declared by INEC in six states.

The meeting was aimed at mapping out strategies to save four APC governors and two governorship candidates following the declarations of inconclusive elections in their respective states.

The affected governors are Bindowo Jubrilla (Adamawa), Ibrahim Ganduje (Kano), Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi) and Simon Lalong (Plateau).

The two other states are Sokoto and Benue, whose Governors, Aminu Tambuwal and Samuel Ortom, had dumped the APC for opposition PDP last year.

The elections in these states were declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) because the number of cancelled votes at the polls exceeded the margin between the winner and the runner-up.

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POLITICS

Sokoto APC: We’re Ready For Guber Rerun

Ahead of the March 23 gubernatorial supplementary elections in Sokoto State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, on Monday said he is ready for the exercise.

Alhaji Aliyu, in a chat with newsmen, said “I, and my party, have accepted the outcome in good faith. If you recall on the day of election, I made it clear after casting my vote that, I will accept any outcome in good faith.”

Similarly, Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum and Coodinator, Northwest APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, also noted that “The party, its leaders and supporters are law abiding citizens and, as such, we have accepted the decision by INEC, in good faith.

“The action of the Chief Reurning Officer, who declared the election as inconclusive was in line with the nation’s constitution, as well as the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended.

“The declaration of the elections as inconclusive came at a time when the party was leading and we have won more than the two-thirds majority of the votes, as required by the law.

“Apt and accurate figures in our possession have shown that, I was already coasting to victory, yet, we directed our peaceful and lawful supporters to halt their celebrations.

“We have since directed them to embark on immediate and massive mobilisation of our supporters and the patriotic electorate, in readiness for the forthcoming rerun elections in 136 polling units across 22 local government areas to be conducted by INEC later”,  Sokoto  added.

“There is no cause for alarm, victory is ours, Insha Sha Allah,” he said.

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POLITICS

Adamawa PDP Rejects Inconclusive Governorship Result

The Adamawa State chapter of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC’)s decision to declare the governorship election in the state as inconclusive.

The former governor, Boni Haruna, who stated the party’s position,  also described the decision by INEC to declare the election inconclusive as absurd, unfortunate,  and unacceptable.

Haruna revealed that reports at the disposal of the PDP in Adamawa State indicated that the number of collected PVCs in the 44cancelled polling units is less than the lead margin declared and as such cannot affect any difference even if the whole votes are given to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The Adamawa State PDP also revealed that it has uncovered plans by the APC-led government in the state to use the military to intimidate and scare voters in PDP controlled units saying such a plan will not work.

The Adamawa PDP also informed that the clear lead by the PDP governorship candidate, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, over Governor Umaru Jibrilla Bindo of the APC is a testament to the fact the people of Adamawa have changed an inept, non-performing regime.

While calling on all PDP supporters to remain calm, the former governor prevailed on INEC to do the right thing by returning the PDP candidate as the winner of the governorship election of March 9.

Adamawa PDP Chairman and all members of the PDP executive in the state attended the briefing alongside Boni Haruna.

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