₦airaland Forum

Date Published: 04/26/09

[b]Anambra Bizmen panic as kidnappers place N200m ransom on seized oil tycoon

*no word on kidnapped NULGE chairman

Prominent businessmen in Anambra State are reportedly panicking over the kidnap of one of their colleagues and chairman of Tonimas Oil Limited, Chief Anthony Enukeme, even as some of them have begun relocating their businesses and families from the state.

Enukeme’s captors, family sources disclosed, have placed a ransom of N200m on the oil magnate who was reportedly seized in his country home in Neni, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, Saturday evening, shortly after he returned from his business base in Aba, Abia State.

But elsewhere in Ogbunike, Oyi Local Government Area of the state, gloom has heightened as family and friends of the state chairman of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Goddy Ibekwe, intensify efforts to contact the labour leader who, like Enukeme, was kidnapped in his country home, Saturday evening.

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According to family sources, Enukeme, the traditional prime minister of Neni, had returned from his base in Aba to attend the funeral of a family friend. Shortly after returning from the ceremony, at about 6.30pm, some gun-wielding youngsters in a white jeep drove into his compound and seized the oil tycoon.

According to the sources, Enukeme, whose interests range from lube blending plants to tank farms in Onne, Rivers State, initially thought the youngsters were beneficiaries of his numerous scholarship schemes, or had come to solicit financial assistance.

“It was when they brought out their automatic weapons that we knew they meant business. Poor Onowu (Enukeme)! He never, like his colleagues, believed in having scores of mobile policemen. He had always argued that, if you protect yourself with mobile policemen, what about your wife, children or even aged parents?” offered a family source.

The source expressed regret that, several hours after they had narrated the incident to the State Police Commissioner, Mohammed Abbass, as well as the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Anaocha council, some policemen accosted in Neni claimed they were not aware of any kidnap.

“Immediately the boys left with Onowu, we contacted the CP (Commissioner of Police) and the DPO, giving details of the abductors and their vehicle. The officers promised to put all their men on red alert. That was before 7pm. You can therefore appreciate our chagrin when, about 11 pm, we met some mobile policemen at a check point in the same village of Neni, and when asked, they told us they were not aware of any incident of kidnap. They had even asked if we reported the matter to the police,” the family source recounted.

The source offered that the kidnappers called him about 1.30pm on Sunday, and allowed a brief chat with the kidnapped oil tycoon. “He managed to tell me that they (the kidnappers) were asking for N200 million before they snatched the phone from him and switched it off,” he said.

He lamented the rising wave of insecurity in Anambra State, saying the state government was only paying lip service to the security of life and property. “Anambra is fast becoming the creeks of the Niger Delta. Several friends of Onowu had actually told him they were keeping off their villages and home towns until they know what the state government is doing about the rising tide of kidnappings in Anambra. It used to be around the Nnewi axis, and we thought it was a game or a sort of rat race amongst the money bags there. With Onowu, a man is literarily as free as air, becoming their victim, Anambra is set to experience a fresh crisis as the businessmen have started relocating their families and businesses,” he lamented.

For Ibekwe, who is a civil servant, the motive for the kidnap as at press time remained unclear. “Comrade (Ibekwe) is not a politician, a businessman or a money bag. He is not involved in village politics. Who might want him kidnapped? What do they want from him? We have not heard from him and only pray they don’t harm him, because he has no money anywhere to use to pay any ransom,” lamented a family friend.

“Anambra is fast becoming Colombia. While the FARC hold sway in Colombia, Kidnappers have become lords in Anambra. Peter Obi keeps posturing about ANIDS or AIDS, about Vision this and Vision that, whilst the security situation dips. With Obi slumbering, the state drifts into anarchy, and he is busy talking of re-election instead of arresting the slide.

Over 30 businessmen and politicians have been kidnapped in the past year in Anambra State. Only recently, a member of the State House of Assembly representing Anaocha constituency, Joseph Dimobi parted with an unspecified amount to regain his freedom after spending days in his kidnappers’ den.

Two Chinese workers of Innoson industries, Nnewi were kidnapped last year. While one of the workers was released after millions were reportedly paid the kidnappers, nothing has been heard of the other Chinese engineer till date. [/b]

http://pointblanknews.com/os1666.html

Ekiti: INEC suspends voting, declaration of winner indefinitely
From YINKA FABOWALE, DURO ADESEKO AND BOLU-OLU ESHO, OLUSOLA BALOGUN, Ado-Ekiti
Monday, April 27, 2009


•More Stories on This Section
The pending re-run election in two wards in Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State fixed for today has been postponed indefinitely by the Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC).

INEC Commissioner who took over the polls operations, Mr. Dayo Soyebi made the announcement on Sunday in Ado Ekiti, adding that, “A new date for the election will be communicated to the parties later.”

Soyebi also told newsmen that the remaining election results in four council areas would be announced only after the election had been concluded and all the results computed.
This development is a grim replay of June 12, 1993 presidential election debacle when release of election results was suspended midway as the late Basorun MKO Abiola was coasting home to victory.

And there is palpable fear that the postponement of the announcement of outstanding results and voting, would afford the ruling party the opportunity to manipulate the electoral process and declare a doctored result, which would see its candidate emerge as winner.
As at press time, there was war of words between the two major camps, each claiming to have won the re-run election.

Indeed, the political tension in the state fondly called “Fountain of Knowledge” peaked on Sunday as Nigerians, anxiously waiting to know the legal governor of the state, were told to wait for another two weeks before they could be given that luxury.
The confusion over the results climaxed on Sunday during a meeting at the collation centre in Ado Ekiti which had in attendance representatives of the parties and INEC. Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mrs Ayoka Adebayo, was conspicuously absent. Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana, who represented AC got up to ask for the REC who by virtue of the Electoral Act was the returning officer and the reply he got was that she was “indisposed” hence Mr. Soyebi, a Federal Electoral Commissioner (FEC) had to stand in for her.

Falana drew attention to the Electoral Act which vests the power to announce results of gubernatorial election on the REC, arguing that it would be unconstitutional for the FEC from Abuja to do so.
With this development, the atmosphere became rowdy, and the INEC commissioner after argument back and forth and consultation among the electoral body’s officials announced indefinite suspension of the results.

However, the delay in the announcement of result seems to be taking its toll on the patience of youths of the state who, agitated by the delay, took to the streets making bonfires of disused tyres in protest and warning that fake results should not be announced.
Some of the youths who also converged on Christ’s Girls school were heard chanting anti-Oni slogans and warning of the consequence of announcing fake results.
The [b]rising tension in the state has also caused the Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro to visit the state on Sunday afternoon. Unconfirmed report said the IGP might have actually taken over security in the state from the Deputy Inspector General of Police, John Ahmedu.
Meanwhile, the Action Congress (AC) in Ekiti State has accused Vice President Goodluck Jonathan of mounting pressure on, Mrs. Adebayo, to declare the disputed results from Ido-Osi local government in the re-run governorship polls in the state.

Apparently, if the Ido-Osi results are accepted and announced by the INEC, the PDP candidate, Engr. Segun Oni will have an edge over his AC counterpart, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
The state chairman of AC, Chief Jide Awe said at a press conference in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday that “information at our disposal is to the effect that Vice President Jonathan Goodluck is mounting pressure on the Ekiti Resident Election Commissioner to announce results not collated at Ido-Osi local government. If the results not collated are announced, the story will not be palatable. We now appeal to INEC that only collated results from Ido-Osi should be announced.”

According to the AC chairman, “hoodlums, aided by the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) of the Nigeria Police stormed the INEC collation centre at Ido-Osi on Saturday and shot sporadically into the air to disperse those at the collation centre. They emerged with two Ghana-Must-Go bags containing already thumb-printed ballot papers.

“Only results from three wards were collated before their arrival. Three policemen on duty were seriously wounded by those from the BDU. We were told that one of the policemen wounded at the collation center had one of his legs amputated.”
Awe said that the AC leaders were currently appealing to people to be calm, but may no longer be able to persuade them not to fight if the disputed results from Ido-Osi were accepted and announced by INEC.

He expressed surprise that despite assurances by INEC and the police that the postponed election in two wards in Oye would hold on Sunday, INEC had once again announced that the election had been postponed.

The AC boss wondered how long it would take INEC to collate results in 63 wards scattered over 10 local government areas.
“AC will no longer tolerate delay in the announcement of the results,” he warned, noting that the re-run election was peaceful in some areas, but characterized by serious violence, killings, maiming in some other areas.
“Scores of PDP thugs were arrested. Another Ipole-Iloro PDP chieftain was arrested with two shotguns. Two vehicles belonging to AC were burnt at Ido-Osi. Senator Lawrence Agunbiade, an AC chieftain was attacked and wounded. He’s in one of the hospitals in the state. It is an extension of the do-or-die politics of PDP.”

Awe, however, declared that “the AC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi performed brilliantly,” adding that if contrary result was announced, it would not be taken kindly.
“Whatever the resolution of the people in high places, the people of Ekiti chose Dr. John Olukayode Fayemi and we thank the people of Ekiti.”

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) had earlier in the day called for the cancellation of the election results at Egbe/Iro and Igbemo wards, alleging that the poll was beset with malpractice.
The party alleged that a former governor of the state invaded Igbemo with some thugs, who drove away the electorate and stuffed the ballot boxes.

Addressing newsmen at the party secretariat on Ajilosun Road, Ado -Ekiti on Sunday, the party’s Public Relations Officer, Lekan Adekanbi said there was no voting at Egbe/Iro.
He said the people of the ward complained that they were barred from participating in the re-run election to determine who would govern the state for another four years.

Calling for the cancellation of Igbemo ward result, in Irepodun/Ifelodun local government, Adekanbi said: “We are appealing to INEC to cancel the election results in Igbemo ward because a former governor of the state invaded the place with a retinue of thugs and chased away the people who wanted to cast their votes, and his thugs did the thumb-printing of the ballot papers.”
Meanwhile, a coalition of observer teams, which monitored the election, criticized the exercise, saying it was yet to advance democracy in Nigeria.

In an interim report signed on behalf of 12 organizations by Mashood Erubami (Transition Monitoring Group); Umar Faruk (Transparency Movement); Reuben James Esq. (Nigeria Bar Association) and Olasupo Ojo (Committee for Defence of Human Rights), the groups noted that in Ido-Osi local government election, people were intimidated and attacked, injured and turned away. According to them, such development tells a bad story about the integrity and authenticity of whatever results may come out of the election.

They pointed out that while the mobile police patrolled the streets and provided security, unprepared regular police personnel manned the polling units, which undermined the security of presiding officers. “There was lopsided presence of security personnel. Some party agents were intimidating and bloodthirsty,” the group said.

They said while the electorate were ready to imbibe the tenets of democracy and institutionalize it, a section of the political class was insisting on snatching the sovereign rights of the people.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Opeyemi Bamidele told newsmen at the collation centre that what the AC wanted was free and fair election. He noted that neither the AC nor Kayode Fayemi was desperate to rule Ekiti and pointed out that “whatever INEC does today is being seen by the whole world.”

Fayemi in his reaction to the whole quagmire, said that he was the governor in waiting, adding that with the results declared so far by INEC on Saturday, Ekiti people have elected him as governor and he was waiting to be sworn in as the governor of Ekiti state.
He denied that the PDP was leading his party after the re-run, insisting that INEC should declare him the winner of the election.

Fayemi added that INEC has to explain to the world why the re-run election in Oye has to be postponed despite the heavy security that was in that town on Sunday.
But the chairman of the PDP national committee for the Ekiti re-run, Ebenezer Babatope insisted that after the collation of all the results, Segun Oni was leading with over 5,000 votes.

Results so far released by INEC as at Saturday night L/G AC  PDP
Ise Orun 4221  3864
Gbonyin  2871  1925
Ekiti S/W  351 423
Irepodun/Ifelodun 5702 4087
Ijero  1881  5121
TOTAL  15,026  15,420 
•AC leading with over 11,000 outstanding votes in its favour as part of the validly cast votes in the 2007 elections
[/b]

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/apr/27/national-27-04-2009-01.htm

Ekiti rerun election: Shame of a nation
By Editorial Board
Published: Monday, 27 Apr 2009
[b]Contrary to President Umaru Yar‘Adua‘s promise of ensuring a free and fair governorship election rerun in Ekiti State, there are reports that results in some areas are about to be manipulated or falsified in favour of a particular candidate. More than 48 hours after election held in nine local government areas out of the 10 the Court of Appeal had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct fresh poll, only the results from five LGAs have been officially announced. There is, therefore, palpable fear that the delay by INEC to release the remaining results may be a deliberate attempt to manipulate figures and thwart the popular will of the electorate.

There are disturbing reports that the Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Ayoka Olusola Adebayo, who is legally empowered to announce the final result and declare a winner, might have been replaced. It was claimed that vigilance and local resistance prevented one of the parties from smuggling 14,000 votes from Ido-Osi Local Government into the collation centre.

Amid the confusion, the two contending political parties, the Action Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, are already claiming victory.

The Court of Appeal had ordered fresh elections in 10 out of the 16 local councils to determine the actual winner of the April 14, 2007 polls in the state. The Court decision climaxed the appeal filed by the AC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, contesting Mr. Olusegun Oni‘s victory. The Court submitted that the substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act in the 10 councils vitiated the election. The Court then ordered Oni to vacate the governorship seat on the grounds that accreditation did not take place before the election in the 10 local government councils.

Given this, it was expected that the Saturday rerun would meet the minimum standards of a democratic election. But the election was marred by large scale violence in many parts of the state. While voting was postponed indefinitely in Oye and Usi wards, election took place in 61 out of the 63 wards in ten local government areas of the state. It was reported that in most parts, the Police looked elsewhere as notable politicians and thugs had a field day. In some places, mobile policemen aided the rigging of the election by criminal gangs. The Police announced the arrest of 61 persons suspected to be thugs with ”incriminating” materials.

Accredited observers and journalists were molested and harassed. Regrettably, top politicians led the show of shame. Some notable senators from neigbouring states were seen leading some hoodlums to snatch ballot boxes. It is a shame that desperate politicians are portraying the nation as incapable of conducting free and fair elections.

According to the results released so far, the PDP candidate polled 15,420 while the AC flag-bearer was credited with 15, 026 votes. However, these figures were exclusive of about 12,000 votes that the Court of Appeal had declared in favour of the AC candidate in its February 17 ruling.

INEC itself was ill-prepared for the election. Electoral materials arrived at many polling booths late while ballot papers sent to some polling units were not enough for the use of registered voters. It is also claimed that some voters could not locate their names on the voters register, leading to tension and complaints of manipulation in some wards. In some units, the names on the voters‘ register were different from the list INEC displayed.

It is, indeed, unfortunate that the Federal Government has not lived up to its promise of ensuring that the Ekiti State rerun poll would be free and fair. Though some stringent security measures aimed at ensuring a hitch-free election rerun - including the deployment of about 10,000 policemen; the redeployment of the state Police Commissioner and the posting of 1,500 INEC personnel from outside Ekiti State to conduct the election - had been put in place, it is evident that some powerful politicians were determined to frustrate these commendable measures.

Why, for instance, did INEC choose to announce the election results in piece meal instead of declaring the results of nine councils at once? Why should the result be declared by one Mr. Ayodeji Soyebi instead of INEC Resident Commissioner, Mrs. Adebayo? Is it true that some party stalwarts are pressuring the President to annul the results of the rerun election?

In order to prevent any breakdown of law and order in the state, INEC must allow the popular will of the electorate to prevail.

President Yar‘Adua should see the rerun as a litmus test of his sincerity in effecting a credible electoral reform for the nation. Ultimately, the people reserve the right to defend their mandate from being stolen. This is the time for the President to act firmly as a statesman.[/b]

Ekiti rerun election: Shame of a nation
By Editorial Board
Published: Monday, 27 Apr 2009
[b]Contrary to President Umaru Yar‘Adua‘s promise of ensuring a free and fair governorship election rerun in Ekiti State, there are reports that results in some areas are about to be manipulated or falsified in favour of a particular candidate. More than 48 hours after election held in nine local government areas out of the 10 the Court of Appeal had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct fresh poll, only the results from five LGAs have been officially announced. There is, therefore, palpable fear that the delay by INEC to release the remaining results may be a deliberate attempt to manipulate figures and thwart the popular will of the electorate.

There are disturbing reports that the Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Ayoka Olusola Adebayo, who is legally empowered to announce the final result and declare a winner, might have been replaced. It was claimed that vigilance and local resistance prevented one of the parties from smuggling 14,000 votes from Ido-Osi Local Government into the collation centre.

Amid the confusion, the two contending political parties, the Action Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, are already claiming victory.

The Court of Appeal had ordered fresh elections in 10 out of the 16 local councils to determine the actual winner of the April 14, 2007 polls in the state. The Court decision climaxed the appeal filed by the AC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, contesting Mr. Olusegun Oni‘s victory. The Court submitted that the substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act in the 10 councils vitiated the election. The Court then ordered Oni to vacate the governorship seat on the grounds that accreditation did not take place before the election in the 10 local government councils.

Given this, it was expected that the Saturday rerun would meet the minimum standards of a democratic election. But the election was marred by large scale violence in many parts of the state. While voting was postponed indefinitely in Oye and Usi wards, election took place in 61 out of the 63 wards in ten local government areas of the state. It was reported that in most parts, the Police looked elsewhere as notable politicians and thugs had a field day. In some places, mobile policemen aided the rigging of the election by criminal gangs. The Police announced the arrest of 61 persons suspected to be thugs with ”incriminating” materials.

Accredited observers and journalists were molested and harassed. Regrettably, top politicians led the show of shame. Some notable senators from neigbouring states were seen leading some hoodlums to snatch ballot boxes. It is a shame that desperate politicians are portraying the nation as incapable of conducting free and fair elections.

According to the results released so far, the PDP candidate polled 15,420 while the AC flag-bearer was credited with 15, 026 votes. However, these figures were exclusive of about 12,000 votes that the Court of Appeal had declared in favour of the AC candidate in its February 17 ruling.

INEC itself was ill-prepared for the election. Electoral materials arrived at many polling booths late while ballot papers sent to some polling units were not enough for the use of registered voters. It is also claimed that some voters could not locate their names on the voters register, leading to tension and complaints of manipulation in some wards. In some units, the names on the voters‘ register were different from the list INEC displayed.

It is, indeed, unfortunate that the Federal Government has not lived up to its promise of ensuring that the Ekiti State rerun poll would be free and fair. Though some stringent security measures aimed at ensuring a hitch-free election rerun - including the deployment of about 10,000 policemen; the redeployment of the state Police Commissioner and the posting of 1,500 INEC personnel from outside Ekiti State to conduct the election - had been put in place, it is evident that some powerful politicians were determined to frustrate these commendable measures.

Why, for instance, did INEC choose to announce the election results in piece meal instead of declaring the results of nine councils at once? Why should the result be declared by one Mr. Ayodeji Soyebi instead of INEC Resident Commissioner, Mrs. Adebayo? Is it true that some party stalwarts are pressuring the President to annul the results of the rerun election?

In order to prevent any breakdown of law and order in the state, INEC must allow the popular will of the electorate to prevail.

President Yar‘Adua should see the rerun as a litmus test of his sincerity in effecting a credible electoral reform for the nation. Ultimately, the people reserve the right to defend their mandate from being stolen. This is the time for the President to act firmly as a statesman.[/b]

EKITI State.

;d

;d ;d

ThiefOfHearts:
Yoruba wo lon je Roland?

abeg no add us there jare.'okay,you  are the Speaker of the yoruba people.

18 Most Wanted Yorubas In The Usa
the
[b]DAdebowale Shekoni (40) •Abiodun Bakare (37) •Rilwan Ayatonde Soetan (50) •Kenneth Eromosele Abulu (36)

•Olselcita Folayan (41) •Musiliu Balogun (40) •Mutiat Titilola Olubi (51) •Ahiata Folashade Price (46)

•Monsuratu Omoniyi Griggs(43) •Ayodele Soyan (51) •Ahuama Benjamin Okey (50)

•Basiratu Mojisola Bakare-Giles (47) •Adegboyega Olukunle Odedina (36) •Alex Ahmed Ero (51)

•Seye Richard Osinoiki(46)[/b]ARRESTED

. Steve Adedeji •Apampa Olayinka •Olugbemiga Adebisi (a.k.a.) George Banks



https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-138739.0.html

Violence, arrests, mar Ekiti rerun election
By OLAYINKA OYEBODE, OLUSOLA FABIYI, AYODELE ALE, SAM AWOYINFA, AKIN OYEDELE, KEMI OBASOLA, TOYOSI OGUNSEYE, OLALEKAN ADETAYO and FRIDAY OLOKOR
Published: Sunday, 26 Apr 2009

[b]Violence, late arrival of election materials and the arrest of suspected hoodlums marred the rerun governorship election in Ekiti State on Saturday.
Segun Bakare, Akin Oyedele, Sam Awoyinfa and Toyosi Ogunseye
Some of the suspected hoodlums arrested at Oye-Ekiti during the election ,  on Saturday



Our Correspondent
A victim of violence during the election

The mayhem, which erupted in Oye-Ekiti, which is the base of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Privatisation, Senator Ayo Arise, forced the Independent National Electoral Commission to postpone the exercise in Oye-Ekiti to Sunday (today).

This was even as the Action Congress accused the Vice-President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, of piling pressure on President Umaru Yar‘Adua to order a cancellation of the whole exercise.

As at 10.15pm when results from five local government areas had been released, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Segun Oni, was leading with 15,420 votes as against the 15,026 votes recorded for the Action Congress candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

INEC released results of Gboyin, Ekiti South-West, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ise-Orun and Ijero LGs.

Fayemi, however, has over 12,000 votes in his kitty which were recorded in his favour as part of the validly cast votes in the 2007 election.

INEC informed journalists that the remaining four local governments where election also took place would be released at 5pm on Sunday.

The officials said the time for the release of the remaining results was fixed because all the stakeholders would be in Oye-Ekiti to monitor the election which was shifted to Sunday because of violence.

However, the AC spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said information at the disposal of the party indicated that the V-P was contacted by PDP leaders in Ekiti to try and convince Yar‘Adua to cancel the election, sensing that the candidate of the PDP had lost the election.

Mohammed said, ”We heard it on good authority that the Vice-President is already putting pressure on Yar‘Adua. This is the first time that the PDP would be asking for a cancellation after discovering that its rigging plans have failed woefully. The people of Ekiti have completed the election despite pockets of violence perpetrated by PDP leaders especially in Oye, where Senator Ayo Arise comes from. They have shot and abducted our people. But the youths of Ekiti have said they would all the same defend their votes.”

Attempts to get the reaction of the vice-president were not successful. Calls to the telephone line of his Senior Special Adviser on Communication, Mr. Ima Niboro, did not go through, while a text message sent to his phone at about 8.50pm was not responded to.

Parts of the state where violence erupted were Oye-Ekiti, Igede-Ekiti, Ilawe-Ekiti, Are-Ekiti and Ido-Ekiti.

One of our correspondents observed the arrest of 36 of the thugs, who assembled opposite the gate of Arise‘s residence with charms and weapons, while 25 others were arrested at Igede, Ilawe, Iloro, Are and Ido-Ekiti.

The suspects arrested at Ilawe with guns and an axe, were said to have attempted to burn down the house of the Secretary to the State Government, Ambassador Dare Bejide, which the police foiled.

The Deputy Inspector-General of Police, who supervised the election and the pro-tem Commissioner of Police for the Command, Mr. John Ahmadu, confirmed the arrests in separate interviews with our correspondent.

The chairman of Ado-Ekiti Local Government, Mrs. Tosin Aluko, was almost mobbed by supporters of the AC when she attempted to enter the collation centre at the Christ Girls‘ School in a car decorated with wedding materials.

She was said to have been spirited away from the scene in a police van, with the AC supporters that thronged the place jeering.

The election recorded pockets of violence, which was effectively contained by the police.

The former Commissioner for Commerce and Industry under the Oni‘s administration, Mr. Dare Omotosho, was also said to have been attacked by thugs at St. Theresa‘s Primary School, Erinwa, while his car was damaged.

At Ehinola compound, Igede III, an illiterate old woman who was deceived into thumb-printing for the PDP by a suspected PDP sympathiser, protested and this ignited a crisis that forced INEC to cancel the result of the ward.

In an interview, a former governor of the state and AC stalwart, Chief Adeniyi Adebayo, in his Iyin-Ekiti residence, said he might vote or might not depending on the security situation.

He said, ”I don‘t see why we should not have a free and fair election. I hope the police can maintain this momentum.”

At Usi-Ekiti, a former Minister of Education, Dr. Babalola Borishade, complained of discrepancies in the voters‘ register in three units in Usi Ward, which he said did not tally with the names posted by the INEC.

In an interview with Oni, he said the situation at Oye was unfortunate and that INEC should have allowed the election to take place there.

He said, ”Some people had the objective of not allowing the electorate to vote in Oye. Now, that objective has been partially achieved. It‘s unfortunate that we still practise democracy at this level.

”Every politician has his stronghold; that is the nature of politics. But, if you are confident of yourself, you should not perpetrate violence to achieve a selfish motive.

”Even if thugs prevent people from voting, we still believe that our advantage cannot be obliterated. We have a large volume of advantage. We have a high probability of winning and we are in a comfortable terrain.

”If I lose, all glory to God and if I win, all glory to God. I‘m surprised by the desperation of some people.”

On his part, the AC candidate, Fayemi, condemned the violence in Oye, which he linked to Arise.

Fayemi regretted the postponement of the election and said that he was not averse to the rescheduled election, given his conviction that he would win in Oye anytime.

He said, ”What I can say is that we are going to win this election, provided the police and INEC do their work competently and diligently. We are now moving to the collation stage.

”I‘m a democrat and I will always insist on the right thing; I‘m just a governorship candidate of this party. I‘m not the main leader of this party. I have to consult widely within this party.

”Particularly, we will consult within our members in Oye Wards I and II to see if they are disposed to the idea of participating in an election on Sunday.

”Even, if I don‘t want it to happen and my people say we want to show these people that they don‘t own this place, we don‘t have a choice but to listen to what they want us to do.”

Turnout

There was an impressive voters‘ turnout in most places visited by our correspondents, with the electorate conducting themselves in an orderly manner.

Voting was suspended in the two wards of Oye till Sunday (today) due to the charged atmosphere, following disagreement among party leaders on how to distribute election materials brought by INEC officials.

As soon as INEC officials began to offload the materials, it was gathered that agents of the PDP and AC swooped on them, prompting the INEC officials to return them to the vehicle.

The DIG, Ahmadu, later convened a meeting with INEC officials and representatives of the political parties around 11.30am, where it was agreed that the election should be postponed till Sunday (today).

The INEC officials were said to have cited the Electoral Act, which stipulates that voting should be concluded by noon and insisted that nothing much could be done within the short time left.

Confirming the postponement in an interview with one of our correspondents, the DIG said that he would supervise the scheduled election personally with other senior police officers.

Although he confirmed the arrest of 36 thugs in Oye with charms and weapons, he declined to confirm where they were arrested.

When one of our correspondents insisted that he witnessed the arrest and location of the suspects, Ahmadu said, ”I don‘t know o. I no dey for libel palaver. We caught thugs in Oye.

”We are here to give everybody a level-playing ground. All this violence here and there is just psychological warfare. Help us tell the people not to be afraid because we are equal to the task.”

In Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, streets were deserted following a late night restriction order by the acting governor, Mr. Olatunji Odeyemi, across the state, including areas where election did not take place.

Children were seen playing football on major roads, while eateries, filling stations, markets were closed to business.

One Armoured Personnel Carrier and hot water dispenser, manned by heavily armed policemen, were seen at Fajuyi, which is a hub of business activities in Ado-Ekiti, while roadblocks were mounted in strategic locations across the city.

There was a sharp contrast at Ikere, where elections did not equally take place, as there was movement of people and vehicles, while the popular Bisi Market was open to business.

At Ido-Osi Local Government Area, riot and regular policemen, members of the Civil Defence Corps and members of the vigilance group were dispatched to the various wards at 8.35am.

As at 9.46am in Ido-Osi, no material or INEC personnel was found, but by 10.30am, 10 voters were confirmed to have voted at St. Paul‘s Anglican Primary School, Unit 002 at Osi, where men and women voted separately.

The presiding officer, Mr. Idris Abdullahi, told one of our correspondents that he devised the method for administrative convenience.

Voting could not start until 9am at Unit V, Ward I, in Ido-Osi because voters‘ names were not listed alphabetically, which prompted the INEC official, Mr. Peter Ogah, to call out the names for accreditation before voting could start.

The Electoral Officer at Ido-Osi Ward II, Unit III, Mrs. Nwuche Catherine, who confirmed what she called the encouraging turnout, however declined to give the number of those that had cast their votes.

At Araromi, Ward 1, Unit 5, a Resident Electoral Commissioner from Imo State, Mrs. Maria Owi, who supervised the election said that the poll was peaceful in the area.

In the full glare of the public, an unaccredited agent of the PDP arrived at the centre, trying to persuade voters by monitoring them to the voting point to ensure that they voted for his party.

The REC blamed the confusion that dogged the discrepancy in the displayed voter register and the one used for the election on the failure of the electorate to have identified their serial numbers before now.

At Igede-Ekiti, headquarters of Irepodun/Ifelodun LGA, voting could not start as at 9.30am in some polling stations, while voting started about the same time in Asao Compound, Unit 003.

Voting took place at Ijesha Igan, Ijan and Ise-Ekiti.

Some electoral officials, including youth corps members deployed as polling agents were seen milling round the palace of the traditional ruler of Igede waiting for the materials to arrive from Ado-Ekiti.

Voting materials did not reach Ifaki as at 9am. However, as at 9.45am, 12 people had voted at Awo, Fakeye Hall Polling Unit 009, while six people had cast their vote at Anglican Primary School, Polling Unit 008.

Around 9.30am, one of our correspondents observed a bus filled up with fiery looking men who invaded Ward 047, Ifaki II, whose conduct scared away a group of journalists that had just arrived in the place.

It was also observed that only the PDP agents manned the polling units, while an attempt to speak with INEC officials over the discovery were frustrated by the arrival of the men.

Around 1.30pm, the same bus was sighted coming in to a hotel (Celiat) where Oni used as his base with armed police escort, as journalists were about to depart the place.

At Ifaki, one of our correspondents was threatened with death by two hefty men that rode in a grey Mercedes Benz 190, who ordered him to leave the town immediately despite identifying himself as a journalist.

At Ogbon Iro Town Hall, in Ifaki where Oni voted, there was no police presence, while some of his supporters organised a short prayer session for him.

The INEC officials in the two units, Mr. Jamil Sabiu and Mr. Adeyemi Oyemade, said there were no security problems. But at Iropora, voting had not started as at 10am.

At Ikole, voting started around noon due to late arrival of INEC officials and voting materials.

This was premised on security reasons, as the INEC officials were said to have waited for the arrival of police escorts before moving down to their locations.

Policemen foiled an attempt by some hoodlums to disrupt voting at the polling unit located opposite the palace of Elekole around 11.15am, while normalcy returned thereafter.

Because of the inability of INEC officials to access Orun Ward 10, Units 1, 9 and 10 due to threats of violence, the commission recorded zero for all the contesting political parties.

Olusola Obada

The deputy governor of Osun State, Mrs. Olusola Obada, was refused entry into the Independent National Electoral Commission office around 9.30am where she had gone in a convoy of five sports utility vans in company with Senator Isiaka Adeleke.

Men of the State Security Services who manned the gate, however, allowed Adeleke into the premises when he introduced himself as the Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC.

Obada immediately drove out of the area.

But Adeleke‘s almost one hour visit was greeted with protests by supporters of the Action Congress, who were around in the INEC office, while shouts of ”thief, thief” trailed his vehicle as he departed.

In an interview with our correspondent before leaving the place, Adeleke said that his status as a committee chairman with oversight function on INEC warranted his visit to the INEC headquarters.

Adeleke said, ”My oversight function entails monitoring election to ensure that they conform to the Electoral Act and guidelines for a free and fair election. I was at Cross Rivers, Sokoto and other places as well.

”I‘m not here to do anything more than that. I‘m not here to tell anybody to vote for this or that party. And during my monitoring, I observed little skirmishes here and there.

”I‘m not here to assist the PDP in any way. I‘m not here to manipulate for anybody. I‘m just performing my oversight function. There is no need for this anxiety.”

Asked why he came in the same convoy with Obada, the Senator simply said that he came on his own and that he entered the premises alone.

At a point during the interview, the atmosphere became tense as the AC supporters strongly protested his presence, at which point the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Chief Olusola Adebayo, came into the scene.

Encircled by the supporters and bombarded with questions on the propriety of the presence of a PDP Senator at INEC office at that moment, the REC said, ”Adeleke was not supposed to be here.”

She said further, ”I did not receive notice that he was coming. I will (pleading) go inside now and see what is happening. You can see that I‘m just coming from the NTA. Please.”

But INEC spokesman, Mr. Phillip Umeadi, told our correspondent in a separate interview that the senator had not contravened any law.

He said, ”You will appreciate that it is still 12 (noon). Voting is still going on in the respective polling units. I can understand the apprehension of politicians.

”But you have just been able to appropriately describe his status. He has been monitoring. If you see what I have here, he was the one who passed this information to me.

”Apart from this one, he just came back from monitoring and said to us that in one of the Igede Wards, there was no security. He also said that in Iyemero and Itapaji, in Ikole LGs, there was also no security and thugs are mobilising there.

”We thanked him and we are seeing him off. It is his responsibility as Senate Committee Chairman on INEC to see that we are doing the proper thing.

”Because he has the responsibility also to his primary constituency in the Senate to let them know what is happening in Ekiti, he came in here and said to us that we should be able to do something about these two areas because thugs were mobilising.

”The point is that he is not coming here as working in INEC. His report will not be on what INEC is doing, but generally on what happened in Ekiti.”

At Igbemo and Eyio, in Irepodun LGA, observers were beaten up and allegedly chased away by some political thugs.

At Surulere Street, Ward I, thugs seized the micro tape recorder of one of our correspondents, his complimentary cards, identity cards and bundled him into a car piloted by one Yunus Onyebe.

He was detained briefly at Omuo-Oke Police Station on the excuse that he was a fake journalist, while one Abiodun, a Chief Superintendent of Police warned him not to interview anybody after releasing his seized property.

The correspondent identified the leader of the gang that attacked him as one Ayo, a.k.a., Ozo.

At Okemesi, some thugs wearing PDP tags were seen with voting materials in a bush, while an attempt to capture the scene led to the seizure of the camera of a correspondent with The News magazine, Mr. Gbenro Adesina.

The large presence of thugs who milled round some polling units visited by our correspondent at Omuo-Oke intimidated the INEC officials from granting an interview.

At Omuo-Oke, Ayegunle Quarters Unit Ward I, three houses were attacked by thugs, which residents said had been a recurring decimal during elections due to boundary dispute.[/b]


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20090426245762

Nigeria’s economic development depends on South-South region - Bankole
Gill Nsa-Abasi, Calabar - 26.04.2009

The Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole has opined that the possibility of Nigeria’s economic development depends largely on the South-south region of the country.


Speaking at an interactive session at the 1st South-South Economic Summit, which held at the Tinapa Leisure Resort in Calabar and attended by all the governors of the region and the former prime minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern, Bankole said the Federal Government funding in the region stands at #1.5 trillion in budgetary allocations.


According to Hon. Dimeji Bankole, oftentimes, when he found himself in such situations as he now found himself, he would struggle within himself whether to play politics or to speak from his heart.


After pleading that he should be forgiven if he spoke his mind on the occasion and not succumb to playing politics, he declared “the possibility of Nigeria developing as an economy depends on the pilot of that plane in the South South.”


According to him, “the South-South economy has a budget of about one trillion naira. In addition, the Federal Government will spend, through the Niger Delta Development Com-mission, NDDC and the Niger Delta Ministry, another 150billion naira. Also, out of the N800billion for capital projects, of which 90 per cent is spent on infrastructure, 25 per cent will come to the South. It is almost N1.4 or N1.5 trillion on 15 million Nigerians out of 135 million.”


He further reasoned that if such huge sums go to 15million people what would be left for the other 120 million Nigerians?


His words: “With the initiative of the South/South Economic Summit, it means the region is taking over because I have not heard of a South West Economic Summit or a South Economic Summit. What this means is that you are taking charge of your responsibilities. It also means that you are setting the target, which means that the rest of us will have to follow, because you own the goose that lays the golden egg. Nobody gives power, you have to take it.”


http://www.tribune.com.ng/26042009/news/news8.html

Summit: South-South will no longer be taken for a ride - Amaechi
Shola Adekola, Lagos - 26.04.2009

South-South governors ended their meetings at the weekend vowing to take their destiny in their hands and not to allow other parts of the country, which formed the majority, to continue to use the wealth made from the Niger Delta region to develop other parts of the country, at the detriment of the region.


In a brief chat with airport correspondents at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, yesterday,the Rivers State Governor, Chukwubuike Amaechi hinted that the meeting, which touched on individual and collective benefits of states from the South-South Region, put into consideration the importance of connectivity through good regional road network that will link the South-South states of Edo, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers and Delta together for subsequent economic integration.


Still speaking on plans to unite the South-South states, Amaechi declared: “We are not going to take individual benefits. We are looking at collective benefits. We talked about regional road connection, infrastructure connecting Cross River to Akwa Ibom, Akwa Ibom to Rivers, Rivers to Bayelsa, Bayelsa to Edo, Edo to Delta. We talked about regional airlines that will enable us hop around and we are looking at the medium term as well as the long term.


“Everybody agreed that we are the nerve centre of the Nigerian economy. We should not allow the fact that the majority, who have held power through politics, took away our economy to Lagos and Abuja because the minority were not part of it, we were not seen. You know, I said at the Country Club presentation that if oil wasn’t there you would have even excised us.”


Talking on how the states intend to source for funds to execute the various projects the South-South states intend to carry out as agreed at the just concluded economic summit,Governor Amaechi said “that will not be a problem because the states involved are financially viable.”

http://www.tribune.com.ng/26042009/news/news8.html

Western Nigeria was a boiling point during 1st republic, here we go again, their sons have not learn anything na to start another commotion.

27 people were arrested in Ekiti
April 25, 2009 01:44PMT



27 people were arrested last night for various forms of violence, including attempting to burn down the house of the Secretary to the State Government.

One of the detained persons was armed with machine gun, others were found with cutlasses and ‘charms'. The Deputy Inspector General of Police, John Ahmadu, said this while he was speaking on a live NTA Ado-Ektiti transmission in the morning.


Earlier this week, some thugs were reported to have attacked non-PDP members in Esure, Afao and Are. Many people in Igbemo were also allegedly attacked with guns, machetes and axe

1217: Elections have been concluded in Igede Ekiti and some polling centres in Ora-Ekiti

1215: Stephen Mayah, an INEC official, has just announced the postponement of elections in Oye-Ekiti

1154: Houses are set on fire in Ise-Ekiti and parts of Ejero

1150: Thugs are brandishing weapons at the entrance of Ifaki Ekiti, the hometown of Segun Oni (PDP), and searching people as they enter into the town. Rigging is alleged to be going on in the town. A police patrol vehicle rolls by the thugs without stopping

1150: A former senator, Lawrence Agunbiade, was shot at in Ise Ekiti. He was rushed to a general hospital. Ise-Ekiti in Ise/Orun Ekiti local government area is one of two LGAs that will hold elections in all wards.

1145: Senator Iyiola Omisore and seven PDP members from the Federal House of Assembly arrive in Ekiti state

1014 hrs: Voting yet to begin in Oye LGA due to early fracas. Also yet to commence in Iro-Ekiti in Gboyin LGA, party agents are at the police station.

0951 hrs: Voting, which began on time, is going on smoothly in Ijero town. Attacks are reported at Ilawe Ekiti between supporters of the two major contenders.

0955: There are allegations of people submitting multiple thumb prints at Ward A Igede. The police use gunfire to scare troublemakers away

0939: Election was supposed to start by 0900, but has not started in 80% of the polling stations. Materials are just arriving at Igede-Ekiti.

0922: Party supporters chase away election observers at Oye local government

0832: Ekiti State is shut down by security forces for the election with zero movement in areas where the elections are not taking place


www.234next.com,

Help! My son and I are in great danger    25/4/2009
     
[b]
A septuagenarian, Pa John Ochi, whose son, Pascal Amaechi Ochi is missing after being accused of involvement in the activities of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has raised alarm over the safety of his son as well as other members of the family.

Five months after his residence was invaded and ransacked by security operatives in search of his son, Pascal, he was yet to set his eyes on him, raising fears that Pascal may have been in a terrible condition if he is still alive.

Pascal had narrowly escaped arrest in December last year, when some security operatives stormed their residence in Enugu in search of him.

The operatives, who thoroughly searched the residence were alleged to have destroyed household property and vital documents when they could not find Pascal, while security surveillance around the household had increased since then.

However, the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ebere Amaraizu, said he was yet to be briefed on the matter, saying that Police would not harass anybody without any cause.

But briefing newsmen in Enugu , Pa Ochi, who denied knowledge of his son’s whereabout, said his family was living in danger, adding that he was prompted to make the issue public following the latest invasion of his residence at the weekend by suspected security operatives.

He said he could not fathom why his household was "closely being monitored", despite series of losses they had suffered in the past years following the allegation that his son was a member of the MASSOB.

He said: "Last time they invaded my residence, they destroyed property and valuable documents in pretext that they were searching for Pascal. They said he is a member of MASSOB and that he is on their wanted list, dead or alive.

They did not disclose where they are operating from. So, that time, Pascal ran away, but later returned to take his wife and only son away fearing for his life. Since then, I have not set my eyes on him or his wife and only son.

"But the incident of last weekend took us by surprise. We were in the house around noon when five persons, who claimed they were security operatives and carrying guns, came in. They immediately requested to see Pascal and I told them he was not here.

"Not wanting to listen to me anymore, they started ransacking the whole house, kicking and hitting anything on sight. In fact, they turned my house upside down."

According to him, the men left with an instruction that, "I either produced my son or they would deal with me next time.

"I am not afraid to die, but I fear for my family, especially going by the rigours Pascal passed through before. I know that his vehicle was burnt sometime ago by unknown people; I know that he lost his job sometime, following incessant threat to his office and many more."

Pa Ochi, who said his family could no longer continue to live in fear, asked the government to intervene and save them from the imminent danger.

He stressed that "even if my son belongs to MASSOB, he is not with me and I cannot speak for him. They should seek him out where they pursued him to and let me be in peace."

The septuagenarian, who retired from public service some years back, said he did not deserve the present mental torture, more so because on his state of health, which he said has worsened since the sudden "disappearance" of his son.
[/b]

http://www.thenationonlineng.com/dynamicpage.asp?id=82809