₦airaland Forum

No opposition, op. Apt

Obong Nsima Ekere takes his turn at PU2 Edemeya Ward 1, Ikot Abasi LGA

The main gubernatorial candidates in Akwa Ibom State, Gov Udom Emmanuel (PDP) and his main challenger from the APC Obong Nsima Ekere have just cast their votes at their respective units

Gov Udom excercised his franchise at his home unit in Awa ward 1, Unit 1, Onna LGA

A Facebook user has just reported that At Unit 12, St. Nathy's Primary School, Ikot Otu, Nto Edino Ward 4, Obot Akara LGA, materials have been set ablaze by suspected APC thugs while INEC Officials and voters scampered for safety.

All electoral materials for Mbalom ward in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue, were in the early hours of Saturday, burnt by armed hoodlums.

According to a witness, the hoodlums on arrival fired shots in the air before setting on fire the RCM Primary School Aya, housing the materials.

Mrs Ngunan Yongo, the Electoral Officer for the local government area, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone conversation.

The EO said the materials were yet to be distributed to polling units in the ward when the attack occurred.

” The entire materials are burnt,” she lamented.

However, no official of the commission including ad hoc staff were hurt.

She explained that final decision over the conduct of the elections in the area would be communicated later.

Mr Thaddeus Ujah, a senior staff of the commission, also confirmed the early morning attack.

“Right now I can’t say anything, I am overwhelmed; we were not expecting anything of that nature. I am short of words. I can’t see some of my people, they ran into the bush, some of them got injured. For me, the most important thing to me now is to get those people and take them back”.

Ujah said he was posted newly in the area and could not ascertain the exact number of ad hoc staff that were missing until he takes a roll call.

https://www.nan.ng/news/just-in-gunmen-burn-electoral-materials-in-benue/

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed Saturday, March 23, for the conduct of the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) mock exercise.

The board also urged candidates to begin the printing of their mock examination notification slips from Wednesday, March 6.

The board shifted the date of the mock examination because it coincided with the postponed date of the 2019 presidential and National Assembly election.

The 2019 presidential election held on February 23 while the state elections will hold on March 9.

This year, the sale or registration forms to all candidates (UTME/DE) including those outside Nigeria, started January 10 and ended February 21.

Meanwhile, the examination was expected to begin on March 16 and end on March 23 at JAMB’s computer-based test centres nationwide. But the postponement of the general election affected the dates.

Although a top source in the examination body has said the examination date has been shifted from March 16 to April 16 because of the general elections, the board is yet to announce the new date for the examination.

JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, has urged all candidates to guard all their details pertaining to the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME/DE) Direct Entry.

Mock examination was introduced in 2017 to give candidates the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the conduct of Computer Based Test, particularly, candidates who are not conversant with the use of computers.

Mr Benjamin said the board would not want any candidate to be at a disadvantage position, hence the introduction of mock examination and other processes that would help the candidates during the examination.

”The Board equally introduced the nine (9) keys without a mouse for candidates to use the computer with ease,” he said.

He also said the mock exercise was established to ascertain the readiness of its system and to appraise the candidates’ preparedness for the main examination

”This clarification becomes necessary because of insinuations from some quarters that marks from the mock examination would be added to scores obtained in the main examination, ” he said.

He said the public should note that the mock exam as its name implies, would not be used for any assessment process.

This year’s exercise is the third in the series of mock examinations conducted by the board under the leadership of Ishaq Oloyede.

The Chairman, Governing Board of JAMB, Emmanuel Ndukwe, earlier said the board would not extend its registration deadline.

The board is charged with the responsibility of administering examinations for applicants to Nigerian public and private universities, monotechnics, polytechnics and colleges of education.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/317439-jamb-fixes-march-23-for-mock-examination.html

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may redeploy the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, before the forthcoming governorship and house of assembly elections across the country, top sources in the commission have told PREMIUM TIMES.

An official in the commission told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday afternoon that the chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, has been under pressure from the federal government to redeploy Mr Igini from Akwa Ibom.

The official, who did not want his name mentioned in the report, told this newspaper that Mr Yakubu has already succumbed to the pressure.

“He (Mr Yakubu) is working on the (redeployment) plan,” he said. “The announcement will be out few days to the governorship election.

“People in the office (INEC headquarters) are surprised, and are worried at the same time why the chairman could give in to such pressure when he knows the consequences it could have on the commission’s image and on the remaining elections,” he said.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been campaigning for Mr Igini’s transfer from Akwa Ibom, weeks before the just concluded presidential and national assembly elections.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is the ruling party in Akwa Ibom, won the presidential and all the national assembly seats in the state.

The APC has been accusing Mr Igini of being biased, in favour of the PDP in the state.

APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, has repeatedly demanded Mr Igini’s removal from office and restated his position at an APC meeting attended by President Muhammadu Buhari last week.

Apart from Mr Igini denying the accusation, the PDP in Akwa Ibom said the APC was frustrated with the commissioner because “he refused to help them rig the elections”.

Mr Igini is generally regarded as a forthright and respectable public officer within and outside INEC.

Besides Mr Igini, PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the INEC chairman, Mr Yakubu, was also under pressure to redeploy resident electoral commissioners in Rivers, Imo, Benue, and Plateau states.

The APC lost the presidential election in all five states including Akwa Ibom despite governing two of the states, Imo and Benue. The ruling party’s dilemma in Imo is worse as its governor, Rochas Okorocha, is supporting a separate party for the governorship election and has been suspended by the APC.

Another source close to the INEC chairman in Abuja lamented the pressure being mounted on him by the federal government.

“The problem is that while he is a good man, he does not have the conviction of a Jega (Attahiru, ex-INEC chairman),” one source said. “He appears to be caving in.”

But INEC, however, says there is no such plan.

“It’s not true. It is just speculation,” Rotimi Oyekanmi, the spokesperson to the INEC chairman told PREMIUM TIMES.

“The INEC chairman has not told me of any pressure, and I don’t see any pressure on his face, except for the normal pressure of planning for the general elections as we all know, but not pressure from anybody to transfer anybody.

“There is no such plan to redeploy any of the RECs before the elections,” Mr Oyekanmi said.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/317449-inec-chairman-under-pressure-to-redeploy-recs-in-akwa-ibom-four-other-states.html

…1.8 million candidates registered

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board says it has registered over 1.8 million candidates for the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

The Head, Media and Information of the board, Dr Fabian Benjamin, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lagos.

NAN reports that registration of candidates for the Computer Based Test commenced on February 10 and terminated on February 21.

Benjamin said that the registration was a huge success, adding that there were no hitches at all across the various accredited registration centres nationwide.

“We have concluded the registration and we recorded over 1.8 million candidates for the UTME this year.

“Registration closed on February 21, when we stopped the pin vending for the exercise.

“However, some candidates who had acquired the pin but were unable to register before February 21, due to one reason or the other, were allowed to do so till 12 midnight, February 25.

“The registration finally closed on February 25, he said.

The JAMB spokesman dismissed rumours in some quarters that candidates could start printing their examination notification slip from March 2.

“This is misleading and absolutely not correct.

“Let me sound it clearly that the board has not come up with any date for both the examination and the printing of examination notification slip for candidates.

“The board will announce the date for the 2019 UTME soon.

“As it is now, no date has been fixed yet for both the examination and the printing of examination notification slip.

“The examination slips are usually printed, two weeks to the main examination, but that is only after when the examination date has been fixed.

“There is no way anybody can print examination notification slip when the examination date, itself, has not been fixed.”

He, therefore, urged candidates and other stakeholders to remain calm, reassuring them that the board would make an announcement and proper sensitisation about the date for the examination and printing of examination notification slip.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/no-date-for-2019-utme-yet-says-jamb/amp/?espv=1

Defeated presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has rejected the result of the election won by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Atiku, who had kept mute since Monday, when the results showed that he was going to be the loser, knocked the election as a sham. And he said he will be challenging it in court.

Read his statement:

I thank the Nigerian people who trooped out in their millions to perform their civic duty this past Saturday. The patriotism of Nigerians is heartwarming and affirms my oft-repeated statement that we are brothers and sisters born from the womb of one mother Nigeria.

With regards to the Presidential elections that took place on February 23, 2019, it is clear that there were manifest and premeditated malpractices in many states which negate the results announced.

One obvious red flag is the statistical impossibility of states ravaged by the war on terror generating much higher voter turnouts than peaceful states. The suppressed votes in my strongholds are so apparent and amateurish, that I am ashamed as a Nigerian that such could be allowed to happen. How can total votes in Akwa-Ibom, for instance, be 50% less than what they were in 2015?

How can total votes in Akwa-Ibom, for instance, be 50% less than what they were in 2015?

Another glaring anomaly is the disruption of voting in strongholds of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers and diverse other states, with the authorities doing little or nothing and in some cases facilitating these unfortunate situations.

The militarization of the electoral process is a disservice to our democracy and a throwback to the jackboot era of military dictatorship. In some areas of the country, such as, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Imo states, troops deployed for the elections turned their guns on the very citizens they were meant to protect. This is condemnable and should not be associated with our electoral process in the future.

I am a democrat and there are democratic avenues available to present the truth to the nation and the watching world. Already, many international observers have given their verdicts, which corroborate our observations. I am sure more will come in the coming hours and days.

If I had lost in a free and fair election, I would have called the victor within seconds of my being aware of his victory to offer not just my congratulations, but my services to help unite Nigeria by being a bridge between the North and the South.

However, in my democratic struggles for the past three decades, I have never seen our democracy so debased as it was on Saturday, February 23, 2019. 2007 was a challenge, but President Yar’Adua was remorseful. In 2019, it is sad to see those who trampled on democracy thumping their noses down on the Nigerian people.

Consequently, I hereby reject the result of the February 23, 2019 sham election and will be challenging it in court.

I want to assure my supporters and the entire Nigerian people that together, we will not allow democracy to be emasculated.

I hope and pray Nigerians will someday summon the courage to defend democracy. That is the only way we can move away from being the world headquarters for extreme poverty.

https://www.nan.ng/politics/just-in-atiku-rejects-the-result-heads-to-court/

Oh No

The Independent National Electoral Commission is set to announce President Muhammadu Buhari president-elect, following the collation of results of the 23 February election.

President Buhari crossed the 15 million mark in votes scored in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

He polled 15,191,847 votes, winning in 19 of the states, after the result of Rivers was added.

His main challenger Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party scored 10,782, 007 votes and won 17 states and Abuja.

Buhari also satisfied the constitutional requirement of making 25 per cent in 34 states and the FCT. He missed the cut in Enugu and Anambra states.

In 2015, Buhari scored 15, 424,921 votes to beat the PDP incumbent Goodluck Jonathan who scored 12,853,162 votes.

It means Abubakar performed worse than Jonathan.

https://www.nan.ng/news/breaking-inec-set-to-declare-buhari-president-elect-with-over-15m-votes/

President Buhari: coasting home to victory
President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress has taken an early lead over main challenger, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, in the collated result of the presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

In the results declared on Monday, Buhari won in Osun, Kogi, Gombe, Ekiti, Nasarawa, Yobe and Kwara states, while Atiku took FCT Abuja, Ondo and Abia. More results are still expected.

Osun State

Total No: Reg Voters: 1,674,729
Total No: of Accredited: 732,984
Total Votes Cast: 731,882
Total Valid Votes: 714,682
Rejected Votes: 17200

AAC: 1,022
ADC: 1,525
ADP: 9,057
APC: 347,634
PDP: 337,377
SDP: 259

Winner:Muhammadu Buhari

Ekiti State

Total No: Reg Voters: 899,919
Total No: of Accredited: 395,741
Total Votes Cast: 393,709
Total Valid Votes: 381,132
Rejected Votes: 12,577

AAC: 400
ADC: 406
ADP: 126
APC: 219,231
PDP: 154,032
SDP: 48

Winner:Muhammadu Buhari

FCT Abuja

Total No: Reg Voters: 1,335,015
Total No: of Accredited: 467,784
Total Votes Cast: 451,408
Total Valid Votes: 423,951
Rejected Votes: 27,457

AAC: 583
ADC: 246
ADP: 145
APC: 152,224
PDP: 259,997
SDP: 410

Winner: Atiku Abubakar

Kwara State

Total No: Reg Voters: 1,401 895
Total No: of Accredited: 489,482
Total Votes Cast: 486,254
Total Valid Votes: 459,676
Rejected Votes: 26,578

AAC: 401
ADC: 456
ADP: 203
APC: 308,984
PDP: 138,184
SDP: 212

*Winner: Muhammadu Buhari

Nasarawa State:
Total No: Reg Voters: 1,509,481
Total No: of Accredited: 613,720
Total Votes Cast: 599,399
Total Valid Votes: 580,778
Rejected Votes: 18,621

AAC: 75
ADC: 339
ADP: 107
APC: 289,903
PDP: 283,847
SDP: 359

Winner: Muhammadu Buhari

Kogi state
Total No: Reg Voters: 1,640,449
Total No: of Accredited: 570,773
Total Votes Cast: 553,496
Total Valid Votes: 521,016
Rejected Votes: 32,480
AAC: 250
ADC: 4,369
ADP: 499
APC: 285,894
PDP: 218,207
SDP: 2,226

Winner: Muhammadu Buhari

Gombe state:

Total No: Reg Voters: 1,385,191
Total No: of Accredited: 604,240
Total Votes Cast: 580,649
Total Valid Votes: 554,203
Rejected Votes: 26,446

AAC: 165
ADC: 248
ADP: 135
APC: 402,961
PDP: 138,484
SDP: 248

Winner: Muhammadu Buhari

Ondo state:

Total No: Reg Voters: 1,812,567
Total No: of Accredited: 598,586
Total Votes Cast: 586,827
Total Valid Votes: 555,994
Rejected Votes: 30,833

AAC:4,414
ADC:6,296
ADP:1,005
APC:241,769
PDP:275,901
SDP:1,618

Winner: Atiku Abubakar

Abia State:

Total No: Reg Voters: 1,793,861
Total No: of Accredited: 361,561
Total Votes Cast: 344,471
Total Valid Votes: 323,291
Rejected Votes: 21,180

AAC: 212
ADC: 336
ADP: 131
APC: 85,058
PDP: 219,698
SDP: 472

Winner: Atiku Abubakar

Yobe state

Total No: Reg Voters: 1,365,913
Total No: of Accredited: 601,059
Total Votes Cast: 586,137
Total Valid Votes: 559,365
Rejected Votes: 26,772

AAC: 137
ADC: 162
ADP: 107
APC: 497,914
PDP: 50,763
SDP: 180

Winner: Muhammadu Buhari

https://www.nan.ng/news/buhari-leads-atiku-in-results-declared-by-inec/

Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha has been declared Senator-elect for Imo West Senatorial zone.

The Collation Officer, Professor Ibeawuchi Francis, announced Okorocha winner, after he polled a total of 97,762 votes to defeat his closest rival, Jones Onyereri of the PDP who scored 63.117 votes.

http://thenationonlineng.net/okorocha-wins-imo-west-senatorial-seat/

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has won in seven Local government Areas (LGAs) of Rivers state while the All Progressives Congress (APC), won in one.

Results of eight of the 23 LGAs in the state have been collated by the returning officer for the state, Professor Aniefiong Essien, Vice Chancellor, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom state in the company of the state Independent National Electoral commissioner(INEC), Dr. Effanga Obot and security chiefs.

The exercise was conducted in INEC office in Port Harcourt the state capital on Sunday night.

The LGAs: are Oyibo, Omuma, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Obio/Akpor, Eleme, and Gokana and Etche while APC won in Asari-toru LGA.

The results presented to Prof. Essien by the LGA collation Officers and the Electoral Officer(EO) showed the PDP won in Oyigbo with a total of 16,102 votes while the All Progressives congress(APC) scored 3, 520 votes.

It was further revealed that a total of 109, 095 voters were registered and 22, 787 accredited.

At the end of the poll, 20, 087 votes were validated, 1, 102 were

In Asari-toru area, President Muhammadu Buhari scored overwhelming 18, 180 leaving Atiku with 3, 175 votes.

It was however reported that election took place in 10 out of the 13 wards in the areas while election did not hold in three wards.

In Governor Nyesom Wike’s Obio/Akpor LGA, a total of 600, 622 voters were registered for the polls but 81, 562 only accredited.

Atiku won with a total of 69, 981 leaving Buhari with 6, 875.

However elections in four of the 17 wards were reportedly cancelled for various reasons, especially in Rukpokwu, Choba and two other wards.

In Senator Magnus Abe’s Gokana LGA, Atiku won with 10, 276 while Buhari secured 9, 328.

More of the results are expected to be ready later today for collation before the result would be finally announced in Port Harcourt.

http://thenationonlineng.net/atiku-wins-seven-rivers-lgs/

24 February 2019

PRESS RELEASE

AKWA IBOM STATE APC CALLS FOR CANCELLATION OF ELECTIONS

The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), having reviewed all the field reports from its unit agents who participated in the Presidential and National Assembly elections of 23 February 2019, hereby states as follows:
1) That the elections purported to have been held in the state on the aforementioned date should be cancelled outright for the following reasons:
a) Failure to, in particular, to deliver election materials to designated RACK Centres as announced by INEC to all political parties in a briefing by the Resident Electoral Commissioner a few days to the elections, thereby misleading party members to wait in vain in those designated centres while the state REC in collusion with his Electoral Officers and the PDP delivered the said election materials illegally to the homes of PDP leaders for illegal thumb printing of the ballots

b) Failure of INEC in Akwa Ibom State to comply with the requirements of the Electoral Act 2010 (as Amended) for the conduct of elections which specifies the use of the card reader for the accreditation of voters, a requirement that was blatantly disregarded.

c) That in light of the above, we hereby state that the said elections were not conducted according to law in the state.

2) That given the above grounds, the purported elections be cancelled and a new date set for fresh Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

Signed:

APC State Chairman, Ini Okopido
APC State Secretary, Augustine Ekanem

#NigeriaDecides2019

Akwa Ibom Partial Results In

The People's Democratic Party (PDP)'s presidential candidate Abubakar Atiku has swept the polls in the 12 local government areas so far announced by the INEC collation officer in the State - Dr Augustine Asuquo Umoh

The local governments are Ibeno, Nsit Atai, Obot Akara, Mkpat Enin, Onna, Ikot Abasi, Urue Offong/ Oruko, Mbo, Ikono, Ini, Ikot Ekpene and Eastern Obollo

According to results, while the PDP presidential candidate polled 128,022 votes from the 12 local governments, his APC counterpart, President Muhammadu Buhari polled 41,003 votes

…To prosecute ad-hoc staff who jettisoned Card Readers

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has announced the postponement of the elections in some parts of Lagos, Rivers and Anambra States following disruption of the exercise due to violence.

Specifically, INEC said elections in Akuku Toru and Bonny local government areas of Rivers state as well as some parts of Anambra and Lagos would be conducted on a later date, saying mostly affected is the contest for the federal legislative seats.

“The commission has received reports of violence and ballot box snatching in some areas leading to the disruption of the process.

We have asked the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs and the Electoral Officials on ground to submit their firsthand reports in relation to some of these incidents. We are still receiving reports relating to incidences in some states of the federation but we have received reports relating to incidences in Akuku Toru and Bonny local government areas of Rivers state.

“So long as the commission could not deploy in these areas, the implication is that voting did not take place in those areas and the commission will hold consultations with the relevant authorities and the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs in relation to these areas and will announce the date when polls will take place in some of these areas, especially in relation to the areas as they affect the House of Representatives and Senatorial elections.

“It is not only in Rivers that we had reports of burning of electoral materials. We have such reports from Anambra and Lagos states as well as some other places”, he added.

To prosecute erring staff

The commission also vowed to prosecute any of its staff who failed to use the Smart Card Readers for purposes of accreditation, saying where the card readers do not work up till 6pm on election day, the standard procedure is to shift the exercise to the next day.

According to Okoye, no staff of the commission has discretionary powers on the use or otherwise of the card readers as its usage is not a subject of negotiation.

“With regards to the challenges associated with Smart Card Readers in some polling units, most of these challenges were resolved and were resolved on time.

However, it is to be noted that in the Regulations and the Guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC it was made very clear that the use of the smart card readers is mandatory.

“Therefore, no staff of the Commission or any ad hoc staff of the Commission is permitted in whatever guise to deliberately refuse to use the smart card readers for the conduct of elections.

According to the Guidelines and Regulations of the Commission, it is negligent conduct for any ad hoc staff to refuse to use the smart card readers for purposes of accreditation and any of them that refused to use the smart card readers or deliberately violated the use of the smart card readers will be subject to prosecution in accordance with the Guidelines and Regulations of the Commission and the Electoral Act”, he declared.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/breaking-inec-postpones-elections-in-anambra-rivers-lagos-others/

More

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel and Wife Martha today Saturday 23rd February 2019 exercised their franchise at Primary School Awa Iman, Awa 1, (Polling Unit Code 03-24-001) , Onna Local Government Area.

Speaking shortly after voting, Governor Emmanuel decried unnecessary interference of security agents in the electoral process, condemning the arrest of his Senior Special Assistant on Security Matters on the eve of the election and sued for a level playing field from the security operatives.

It's 12noon, some election materials, most importantly the result sheets are missing here in Udung Uko and Mbo LGAs, Akwa Ibom State.

In the pic is the Electoral Officer, confused and dumbfounded

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has closed the sale of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) forms.

The board’s Head of Media, Dr Fabian Benjamin told newsmen in Abuja that the sales of the forms, ended on Thursday.

Benjamin however said that online registration was still ongoing. Benjamin said: “This is because some people earlier bought e-pins for the exams but were unable to register before now, so we are monitoring them online and would avail them the opportunity to register.

“Therefore, we cannot give the exact figure of the registered candidates for now until this is over. ”

He added that the registration would continue until the board decides.

The board had commenced the sale and online registration of the 2019 to 2020 UTME forms on Jan. 10 and was scheduled to end on Feb. 21.

On the issue of rescheduled dates for both the mock and main examinations, Benjamin said that the board was yet to decide on a new date but would give updates as soon as possible.

Reports have it that the board considered rescheduling the initial dates for the examination because of the shift of dates for the general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking also on the suspension of 17 Computer Based Test (CBT) centres across the country, Benjamin assured that the suspension would not, in anyway, affect the process of the examinations as the board had over 700 accredited centers nationwide.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has postponed the mock examination of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination slated to start from Saturday, February 23, because of the rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The board also said, on Wednesday, that it may reschedule the 2019 UTME if the country’s elections drag until the earlier fixed dates of Saturday, March 16, to Saturday, March 23.

According to the new timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections slated for March 2 have been rescheduled to March 9, which fuels fears that the UTME slated for March 16 may be affected.

The JAMB Head of Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, in an interview on Wednesday, said the board could announce new dates for the UTME if the elections did not conclude by March 9.

Benjamin added that a new date for the mock examination would be announced by the management shortly.

He said, “The elections have been shifted and we are also watching other government programmes. If for any reason they affect our timetable, we will not be averse to shifting. But as it is now, our date stands.

“If they do elections and there is a need to do a run-off and it enters another week, of course, it will affect our programmes, then we will adjust appropriately.

“Our mock examination was supposed to start this weekend. Now that INEC has shifted the presidential elections to this weekend, certainly mock examination will not take place that day.

“A new date for the mock examination will soon be announced to candidates. But for the examination, the date earlier scheduled stands. No date has been picked for the mock. We are still looking at other things.”

More

Governor Udom Emmanuel launches Akwa Ibom State owned airline, #IbomAir today, with two aircrafts arriving Uyo for commencement of operations.

Attended by Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and other top government functionaries, the event is holding at Victor Attah International Airport.

I am deeply disappointed that despite the long notice given and our preparations both locally and internationally, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the Presidential and National Assembly elections within hours of its commencement.

Many Nigerians have traveled to various locations to exercise their right to vote, and international observers are gathered.

INEC themselves have given assurances, day after day and almost hour after hour that they are in complete readiness for the elections. We and all our citizens believed them.

This administration has ensured that we do not interfere in any way with the work of INEC except to ensure that all funds were released to the commission.

We now urge INEC to ensure not only that materials already distributed are safe and do not get into wrong hands, but that everything is done to avoid the lapses that resulted in this unfortunate postponement, and ensure a free and fair election on the rescheduled dates.

While I reaffirm my strong commitment to the independence, neutrality of the electoral umpire and the sanctity of the electoral process and ballot, I urge all political stakeholders and Nigerians to continue to rally round INEC at this trying national moment in our democratic journey.

I, therefore, appeal to all Nigerians to refrain from all civil disorder and remain peaceful, patriotic and united to ensure that no force or conspiracy derail our democratic development.

I have decided to move back to Abuja to ensure that the 14.00 hrs meeting called by INEC with all stakeholders is successful.

Muhammadu Buhari
Daura, February 16, 2019

PRESS STATEMENT ON POSTPONEMENT OF ELECTIONS.

The shocking last minute postponement of the 2019 elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is an admission by the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC that it is compromised and grossly incompetent.

The INEC had four years to prepare for the 2019 elections only to fail in the last minute. There is no justification for this.

It should be noted that the INEC Chairman in his statement did not specifically state or itemize the challenges of logistics and operational plans that confronted the Commission warranting the postponement of the election.

Why is the Commission not transparent with the people of Nigeria? Openness builds trust and without truth the credibility of elections is not guaranteed.

Also noticeable in the press statement, is the absence of any form of apology by the INEC Chairman to Nigerians for the inconveniences, financial losses and risks occasioned by their failure to organize election.

It is either the INEC Chairman is grossly insensitive or arrogant.

The INEC statement also failed to offer any form of accountability in terms of punishment for the officials of the Commission whose wilful or negligent conduct orchestrated the postponement.

As a Nigerian who had to travel all the way from Lagos State to Akwa Ibom State just to be able to discharge my civic responsibility by casting my vote, this postponement is painful.

Media reports showed that election materials were either unaccounted for or not distributed to several constituencies and parts of the country in time.

This raises fundamental questions on the credibility, independence and integrity of the current leadership of the Commission.

It is true that this is not the first time that the INEC will postpone national elections. However, that only shows that the Commission lacks the necessary capacity to organize elections in Nigeria.

The Chairman of INEC and his leadership team should be ashamed of themselves.

Whatever the outcome of the rescheduled elections may be, the fact is that the Commission has lost whatever goodwill it had.

Prof. Yakubu is incompetent and at a minimum, should tender his resignation.

Inibehe Effiong
Saturday, 16th February, 2019.

The campaign office of President Muhammadu Buhari has blamed the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the postponement of the 2019 presidential elections.

Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, announced at about 2:40 a.m. Saturday that the election had been postponed, barely hours after Nigerians were set to hit the polling units.

The elections would now hold on new dates scheduled as February 23 for presidential and national assembly elections and March 9 for governorship and state assemblies elections.

Mr Yakubu said the announcement came hours after a string of strategic meetings were held by top INEC officials to review preparedness for the exercise. It was concluded that a rash of logistics challenges that arose on Friday informed the postponement.

Ekiti, Niger and Taraba states were identified as some of the states that faced glitches of distribution of voting materials that would be difficult to resolve in time for the elections Saturday morning, thereby forcing the postponement.

Nigerians online expressed severe disappointment in INEC’s eleventh-hour decision, with many criticising the umpire for displaying stark incompetence since it had four years to prepare for the exercise.

Festus Keyamo, a spokesperson for Mr Buhari’s reelection campaign committee, also expressed sadness about the development, and quickly heaped the blame on the PDP in a statement released minutes after the announcement.

“We condemn and deprecate this tardiness of the electoral umpire in the strongest terms possible.

“President Muhammadu Buhari had since cooperated fully with INEC by ensuring everything it demanded to conduct free and fair elections were promptly made available to it.

“This news is therefore a huge disappointment to us and to our teeming supporters nationwide and around the world, many of whom have come into the country to exercise their franchise.

“We do hope that INEC will remain neutral and impartial in this process as the rumor mill is agog with the suggestion that this postponement has been orchestrated in collusion with the main opposition, the PDP, that was never ready for this election.

“We note that all the major credible demographic projections have predicted a defeat of the PDP and it seriously needed this breather to orchestrate more devious strategies to try and halt President Buhari’s momentum.

“It did the same as the ruling Party in 2015, when it realized the game was up, by orchestrating the postponement of the 2015 elections by six weeks. Now, it may be up to its old trick again.

“We have earlier raised the alarm that the PDP is bent on discrediting this process the moment it realized it cannot make up the numbers to win this election. We are only urging INEC not collude with the PDP on this.

“We are truly worried because as early as Friday morning, some known PDP Social Media influencers unwittingly announced this postponement, but quickly deleted the message and apologized to the public that it was fake news,” Mr Keyamo said.

The spokesperson also urged Nigerians to support INEC in its challenges, and prevent the commission from being compromised by the opposition.

“We do not want to be forced to a situation of announcing our total loss of confidence in INEC, because we know where that would leave our democracy.

“It is in the light of the above that we wish to appeal to Nigerians and our supporters to be patient, calm and resolute despite this temporary setback.

“Let us not give anyone, especially the PDP, the opportunity to plunge this nation into a crises, which is what they earnestly desire. Its imminent defeat is just a few days away.

“Lastly, we wish to draw the attention of INEC and the world to observe that the PDP has clearly and openly said it plans to announce parallel results through some funny device it has procured or developed.

“We wish to reiterate that it is only INEC that is legally and constitutionally empowered to declare results and it constitutes an offence for anyone to do so.

“We urge INEC to speak up now and warn the PDP to desist from this ignoble act that is capable of plunging the nation into a crises of immeasurable proportions,” he said.

Mr Keyamo did not attach any evidence to corroborate his claims against the PDP or other opposition elements he accused in the statement.

A spokesperson for the PDP did not immediately answer calls seeking comments in the early hours of Saturday morning.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/313208-elections-buhari-campaign-blames-pdp-for-postponement.html

While the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, last week suspended its three months old industrial action, many stakeholders were excited with the news, believing that at least students and lecturers can now return to classroom.

However, there are indications that though the strike was called off seven days ago and teachers back at school, many undergraduates and new admitted students were nowhere to be found on campus, as they preferred to remain with their parents at their respective homes.

Vanguard visits to some of the public institutions of higher learning in the country revealed a very low turn out of students on campus. Thus, while teachers are preparing for lectures, the students are nowhere to be found for learning. Situational reports revealed that some of the available students at the University of Benin, UNIBEN, had arrived the campus before ASUU suspended the strike to serve as INEC official during the elections.

Some new admitted students and undergraduates who spoke with Vanguard, displayed some levels of fear to return to school, envisaging the likelihood of violent before,during and after elections. They were in the opinion that if they go back to school now, they would be forced to return home before or during the elections. ‘’I would rather prefer to be at home with my food stuffs and return after elections,’’ a student said.

Parents who spoke with Vanguard insist that they would not allow their wards back at school until after the elections. According to some of them, living their children in school during elections, would create an avenue for some politicians to use the gullible ones among them.

They reiterated that though they were happy for the suspension of ASUU strike, but however posited that they would rather wait after the election before their children go back to school.

On its part, in compliance with ASUU directive, teachers at the Lagos State University, LASU resumed work on Monday. This is just as the university Senate is meeting for consideration of the revised 2017/2018 Academic calendar, as lecturers now await the decision of the university Senate on the review of the academic calendar.

LASU authorities maintained that the participation of some lecturers in the upcoming general elections would not affect their 100 percent productivity at work, as the election would be on Saturdays. Dr Tony Dansu, Secretary, ASUU-LASU Chapter had during the week said: The participation of any lecturer in the election is a personal commitment and ASUU will not take responsible for any positive or negative outcome of it.’’

At the University of Lagos, UNILAG, the situation was almost similar to that of LASU as many lecturers are on campus, with the presence of few students who probably reside in Lagos. Reacting to the immediate resumption of students on campus, Miss Favour Ogar, a 300 Level English and Literary Studies student, University of Calabar, UNICAL admitted she enjoyed the three month holiday occasioned by ASUU strike .

She said: ‘’I am not willing to go back to school now until after the elections because there will not be lectures. Moreover, since I did not register for PVC in Calabar, there is no reason to go back to school now. ‘’I will wait after the election as most students will be going back to school after the elections.

Besides, the present situation is not encouraging to go back to school. I studied during the break and I am prepared for examination after the elections.’’ On his part, a new admitted Computer Engineering student from the University of Uyo,Wiseman Ogar said: ‘’We ought to have resumed on November 5th .which incidentally was the day the strike started. ‘’I felt bad that day because I was already in school for my pre-registration and was told to go back home. Despite the strike being called off, I am still at home due to fears of insecurity in the country.

We are reading and hearing of killings, kidnapping etc, because of the elections. So I am at home in order to be on the safe side.’’ Moreover, Emmanuel Oboba, a 300 Level Engineering student from the University of Benin said he had gone back to school before ASUU suspended the strike to serve as INEC staff during the elections.

He said: ‘’I am in school but lecture is yet to start. However, some of my course mate are around, but the Calendar they are proposing is that school will resume on the 24th February. ‘’The few students who are on campus are coming from off campus. ‘’Nothing is going on and lecturers are just coming into their offices and doing nothing. Speaking in the same vein, Seyi Adeleye, a 300 Level Engineering student, UNIBEN said: ‘’My parents allowed me on campus because I stay around the school. However, nothing is going on now, as a few lecturers are around.’’

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/after-ASUU-strike-lecturers-in-classes-without-students/

An aged man has been reportedly killed by a snake that attacked him while tapping palm fruits. The incident occurred a few hours ago in Oro, Akwa Ibom.

An eyewitness said no sooner had the man shouted "snake" than he was seen dangling atop the tree.

Amids fear of similar attack, some courageous villagers climbed the tree to bring down the corpse.

However, as at time of posting this, the suspected snake was yet to be discovered