₦airaland Forum

The name of Rochas Okorocha, the outgoing
Governor of Imo State, is missing from the list
of senators-elect published by the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) on
Monday.

Okorocha contested to represent Imo West
Senatorial District in the February 23 election.
After the collation of results, Innocent
Ibeabuchi, INEC Returning Officer for Imo West
Senatorial District, declared Okorocha winner
of the election.

However, Ibeabuchi has since said he was
“forced” to declare the results at the Imo West
election collation centre in Orlu.
Narrating his reason for the declaration,
Ibeabuchi had said he was “held up at the
centre by supporters of Mr Okorocha”, who insisted he must complete the announcement.

The returning officer’s account might have
necessitated the omission of Okorocha’s name
from INEC’s list, as the commission simply
explained the omission on its website as
“declaration under duress”.

The names of five other candidates in Abuja
South, Kogi East, Ondo South, Plateau South,
Rivers East and West, as well as Imo North, as
supplementary elections will be conducted in
those areas, while the candidate of Bauchi
South will be determined by the court.

The governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) Uche Nwosu has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withhold the declaration of the winner of the election until the constitutionally outlined provisions are fulfilled.

Nwosu, who addressed journalists via a telephone chat, noted the leading candidate, Emeka Ihedioha, to be declared a winner must have met the mandatory 25 percent votes in at least two-third in the number of Local Government Areas where the election held.

According to him: “The constitution is clear that for a candidate to be declared a winner he must have the mandatory 25 per cent spread in at least two-thirds of the number of local government areas in the state.

“In this instance, the candidate of DP did not meet this requirement as he scored the mandatory spread in only 12 whereas it should be 18.”

Nwosu also alleged widespread irregularity in the three local government areas of Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu and Ezinihitte.

He wondered why the three local government areas could return such huge numbers in an election marred by voter apathy.

The AA candidate said: “This result is totally unacceptable and I am calling on INEC to declare the election inconclusive and arrange a fresh election within seven days as stipulated by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

He also frowned at the conduct of INEC officials, who he alleged colluded with the PDP candidate
to inflate the figures in the three contentious local government areas.

BabaO2:
What is the fate of Amosun now. Amosun has serious inferiority complex
Oyo state is understandable, pride begets downfall, I think Ajimobi should single highhandedly take the responsibility
Ondo state is clear case of over ambitious internal pilferer

kenodrill:
How concrete is these your results?

wifeesnatcher:
he won't misuse the political opportunity given to him by kwarans


he was elected without godfatherism in Kwara which has not happen in the history of Kwara


so an elected officer will now kneel down In the front of a man that's politically finished in Kwara? you need to upgrade your brain

BabaO2:
Not when Jagaban is behind you. Saraki is a lightweight politician riding on the back of his father/ fedreal might in the past.

StOla:
This one does not know yet that Saraki is now haram in any political party in Kwara State.

Associate with Saraki and fail.

midolian:
Mr Hinwazaka

My very good misguided friend. How have you been?

EngrHumble:
joke of d day.... try hide ur face

midolian:
To me, this is not a breaking news

Realcash224:
Oh Saraki is gone

Security operatives monitoring the conduct of
election in Ukanafun local council of Akwa
Ibom state, have shot dead a young man as he
attempted carting away with ballot box at a
polling unit in Ikot Udo Ossiom village of the
state.

The incident, which occurred few hours ago,
has thrown the residents into mourning.

An eyewitness, who identified herself as Mrs.
Elijah, told some journalists on election
monitoring, that the young man had attempted
to snatch the ballot box in the morning
immediately it arrived from INEC but was
prevented by soldiers guiding the polling unit.

Mrs Elijah maintained that the victim reinforced
and returned to the unit to snatch the ballot the
second time.

Irked by such effrontery, the soldier opened
fire and shot him dead.

However, the corpse was still lying at the scene
of the incident, at the time of filing this report.

Ololanla:
You get sight

5thElement:
You must celebrate something even if you can't celebrate a political win.

Barely twenty four hours to the gubernatorial
and state assembly elections across the country,
the founder of Gideon and Funmi Para-Mallam
Peace Foundation, Reverend Gideon Para-
Mallam, has called on the people of Kaduna State
to politically detoxify the state by ensuring they vote out Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for the state to
move forward.

He urged the citizens of the state to look
beyond Governor El-Rufai with his Muslim –
Muslim ticket and vote for the “unity” of the
once “peaceful and accommodating” beautiful
liberal State.

Para-Mallam in an exclusive interview with
DAILYPOST in Jos, the Plateau State capital said,
“The idea of a Muslim-Muslim ticket in a State
which is multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-
religious as Kaduna by the present State
Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, for whatever reason; is politically wrong and unacceptable
either in this 2019 election or the future.

According to him, “That Governor El-Rufai
believes he is always ‘right’ does not make it
right. It’s insensitive and manipulative. I wish
to invite us to take a deep introspective look at
Kaduna State today. The State has never been
more divided and polarized both politically and religiously in the history of the State.

“When people voted change in 2015, was this
the outcome they were expecting? He asked.

“One constantly keeps hearing blames being
heaped on the elites or religious leaders by the
government of the day in Kaduna. This is not
only political spin but it appears frankly to me
more as a convenient escape route. I had said it
before and will say it again now, Christians in Kaduna State are not against Muslims and vice
versa. Some opportunistic politicians are
exploiting our differences for their unhealthy
political gains”, he explained.

“The good people of the State should unite and
say no to such manipulations”, he advised.

“To insinuate as I hear some claim that votes
from Muslims alone can produce a Governor in
Kaduna State thereby making votes from
Christians irrelevant is unfortunate and
condemnable.

“I will like therefore to ask; assuming if this is
to be the case, are we happy to encourage
what I refer to as the ‘politics of the tyranny of
the majority’ in a democratic context?

“I wish to also urge all voters to shake off the
weight of voter apathy and come out even
more than they did on February 23rd; and vote
on March 9th 2019.

MxreR:
Is Buhari the reason Enugu state is a failed state?

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu Thursday warned judges and lawyers involved in election petition tribunals against money laundering.

He said they must not allow the influence of money and other inducements to hamper the process and determine the outcome of petitions.

Magu, in a statement, noted that many judges wrongly see Election Tribunals and Appeal Panels as potential gold mines.

He said some of them even desperately lobby to
be included as members.

“Consequently, we want to remind all lawyers, judges, elected public officials and members of the wider society not to use the Election Petition Tribunals as conduits for siphoning public funds because there is a huge price to pay for such.

“The EFCC has the statutory powers to monitor, track, investigate, arrest and prosecute such and other offences.

“Our Commission shall exercise such powers throughout this election period and beyond in the interest of building a corrupt-free democratic society where probity and accountability are enthroned for good governance.

“The guiding principle of the EFCC on this matter is simple and straightforward: the right of choice of Nigerian voters is sacrosanct, and justice is not for sale,” Magu said.

According to Magu, all lawyers and judges at the Tribunals have a responsibility to dispense justice without inducement, fear or favour.

He said with the international community watching, Nigerians have a patriotic duty to act responsibly, and portray a good image for Nigeria.

“The principal actors at the Tribunals comprising petitioners, defendants, lawyers and judges have greater roles to play in this than the rest of us.

“The EFCC wants to strongly state that the rights of Nigerian voters to freely choose their leaders are sacrosanct and that their choice should not be thwarted on the altar of corrupt material inducement by anyone,” Magu said.

Urging Nigerians to come out enmass to vote tomorrow, Magu said elections are the only way they can collectively build a free, stable and prosperous democratic society for the benefit of all citizens.

rusher14:
Says the number 1 hate purveyor on Nairaland.

Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has
blamed Rabiu Kwankwaso, his predecessor, for
the slow education sector in the state.

Ganduje on Wednesday said that Kwankwaso
destroyed education in Kano during his
administration because had a “shallow
education”

He accused Kwankwaso’s administration of
leaving behind debt running into billions of
naira as outstanding fees of the students due to
his inability to introduce wise approach to
education policies in the state.

According to him, “Kwankwaso’s failure in
managing education during his tenure,
stemmed out from his alleged inability “to
comprehend that education policies need
plans.”

Ganduje said this while speaking on
Wednesday during the official inauguration of
the committee for the payment of scholarship
allowances to internal students, The Cable
reports.

Ganduje said: “Where did he attend
engineering course and graduate from? This is
somebody who failed his Common Entrance
examination during his primary school days.

“It was because Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso failed
his exams then, that he was sent to Craft School.
It was known to all that, in those days, those
who failed, sometimes woefully, in their
primary education, were sent to such Craft
schools

“When we first came to power, together with
Hafiz Abubakar as his deputy in 2015,
Kwankwaso ignorantly blamed us for
negligence in handling education sector in the
state.

“We are doing this, simply because he is too
proud. But which wise approach does he have
when his education is shallow

“Just imagine, a person who failed his primary
school examination and only managed to
attend Craft school, will now come out boldly
and accuse a professor and a PhD holder that
they didn’t know how to best handle
education. Is this not deception and ignorance?

“When Kwankwaso was sending students
abroad, he didn’t bother to do an excellent
planning for it.

“Most states from Nigeria that sent their
students then, withdrew them because of how
the dollar skyrocketed. But in our own case, I
said we would not withdraw a single student,
but instead we continued paying with tears. As
at now, many of them have graduated.”

The Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi and
his predecessor, Ayodele Fayose, provided one
of the highlights at an event in honour of Afe
Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Babalola was honoured with the 2018 Obafemi
Awolowo Prize for Leadership at the ceremony,
which took place at Harbour Point, Victoria
Island in Lagos, on Wednesday.

Former head of state, Yakubu Gowon, former
Secretary-General of Commonwealth, Emeka
Anyaoku; prominent traditional rulers and
politicians, were some of those in attendance.

Fayemi, who delivered a speech, was walking
to his seat when Fayose stood to greet him.

Responding, the Governor threw his arms wide
open as both men got locked in a warm
embrace.

Fayemi had taken veiled swipe at Fayose,
taunting the man he succeeded last year over
his “stomach infrastructure” policy.

“I am immensely proud that baba (Afe Babalola)
is from Ekiti.

“You have restored our values for us. With you
around, at least no one can accuse us of being
the state of stomach infrastructure.

“They will definitely regard us as the fountain
of knowledge,” he said.

But not minding the criticism, Fayose hugged
his successor, as the hall erupted in applause
and laughter.