₦airaland Forum

The police have beefed up security in Sokoto, Kano, Benue and Plateau states ahead of the supplementary polls scheduled for Saturday.

Also, the National Peace Committee led by a former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, met with party leaders in Benue and Bauchi states on Wednesday with an appeal to them to give peace a chance and accept the outcome of the run-offs.



Supplementary elections had been fixed for March 23 in Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Plateau and Sokoto states where the Independent National Electoral Commission had declared the governorship elections held on February 9 inconclusive.

However, tension has been mounting in the affected states with the two leading parties, the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, heating up the polity with accusations and counter-accusations of plot to rig the run-offs.

But the security agents in order to ensure a peaceful conduct of the supplementary election have beefed up security in the states where the rerun will take place.

In Kano State, for instance, the police have tightened security in major parts of the state in preparation for the supplementary election that would hold in 29 out of 40 Local Government Areas of the state.

This was sequel to a “strategic meeting” in Kano attended by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Wakili, and heads of other security agencies as well as the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Riskuwa Arabu-Shehu.

Armoured personnel carrier in INEC office

Investigations by The PUNCH showed that the most guarded location on Wednesday was the state headquarters of INEC.

One of our correspondents, who visited the INEC office, counted up to six security trucks stationed in front of the building.



An armoured personnel carrier was also stationed at the office.

“Deployment of security personnel to the various local government areas where the rerun will take place on Saturday has also begun,” a police source informed The PUNCH in Kano.

Sensitive electoral materials have also arrived at the office for distribution to the LGAs on Thursday (today).

In Sokoto State, the police said they had summoned party leaders to a meeting on Thursday as part of efforts to ensure peace during the polls.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Sadiq, who disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH, said the command would deploy additional 10 units of mobile policemen to complement the men of the command on election duties.

RECs meet party leaders, heads of security agencies

Findings also indicated that the meeting earlier attended by the REC and heads of security agencies discussed the security plans for the elections and the number of personnel that would be required to give adequate security cover for materials and INEC ad hoc staff.

The INEC Public Relations Officer in Kano State, Mr Garba Mohammed, confirmed to our correspondents that the REC and heads of security agencies ended the meeting about 2pm.

He said, “A similar meeting was held separately with representatives of the political parties earlier on Tuesday.”

On its part, the campaign organization of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, said it hoped the election would turn out to be peaceful.

According to a spokesman for the ruling APC, Mr Aminu Musa, the governor is committed to a peaceful poll and will do everything possible to ensure that there is no breakdown in law and order.

However, the state chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Rabiu Bichi, said the people of Kano had since made up their mind to vote for the party’s governorship candidate, Abba Yusuf.

Abubakar-led peace panel visits Benue, Bauchi

Meanwhile, the National Peace Committee led by Abubakar met with party leaders in Benue and Bauchi states on Wednesday.

In Benue State, the panel called for free, fair and peaceful polls on Saturday. Abubakar, who was represented by a member of the committee, George Nakanda, said, “We are trying to enforce a situation where there are peaceful elections and ensure that there is peace after the elections.”

Responding, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, who was represented by his deputy, Benson Abounu, urged the people of the state to embrace peace, which he said, was a prerequisite for development.

In Bauchi State, the NPC called on them to embrace peace and accept results of the elections, adding that politicians should warn their supporters against violence.

Abubakar, who was represented by a member of the peace committee, Duke Anoemuah, gave the warning in Bauchi, during a town hall meeting with stakeholders.

He said, “It is important to remind you that in a contest, only one winner emerges. Therefore contestants are urged to educate their followers and supporters to conduct themselves peacefully in the celebration of their electoral victory in a manner devoid of provocation. This would also prevent resentment that could result in violence.”

The interventions, he said, were made ahead of the elections in order to uphold peace during and after the elections with key stakeholders including INEC, security agencies, political parties, and traditional and religious leaders.

Anoemuah said, “This was done to amplify the calls for peace and to commit the participants to the pursuit of peace. This town hall meeting is yet another one in the series of interventions in Bauchi, Benue, Plateau, Kano and Sokoto states organised by the NPC and supported by the Department for International Development (UK).”

The Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu, represented by Galadima Bauchi, Alhaji Saidu Jahun, also urged the politicians to embrace peace.

The Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Ali Janga, represented by Aliyu Adamu, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, commended the stakeholders for encouraging peace during the 2019 elections.

The Administrative Secretary of INEC, Usman Bukar, while pleading with political parties, stakeholders and the people of Bauchi State to be patient, assured them that INEC “will be fair and do its best to see that all goes well with the elections.”

Army warns soldiers against illegal election duties

Also, the new General Officer Commanding the 8 Division, Nigerian Army, Sokoto, Maj. Gen. Hakeem Otiki, has warned men and officers of the Division to stay clear of the supplementary polls.

He warned the officers of the Division not to get involved in the electoral process without approval.

The GOC stated this when he took over from the immediate predecessor, Maj. Gen. Stevenson Olabanji, in Sokoto on Wednesday.

Otiki said, “You must not get involved, no soldier must be found in the town with uniform without my permission. The image of the military must not be brought down. Anyone who acts contrary to this warning will be moved to Abuja for further explanation.”

No hiding place for troublemakers in Plateau – CP

Also, the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Mr Isaac Akinmoyede, has assured residents of his command’s preparedness to provide security during and after the rerun in the state.

Briefing journalists at the command’s headquarters in Jos on Wednesday, the commissioner warned troublemakers to steer clear of the nine council areas where the rerun would take place.

The commissioner said, “We have report that some people have finalised arrangement to cause problem in the state during the rerun. But I want to assure residents that the command is well prepared to provide security during and after the polls.

“There will be restriction of movement on the day of election but we will decide whether to limit the restriction on the affected council areas where election will hold or extend it to the entire state so that people will not take advantage of the situation to disrupt the polls.”

NAF airlifts election materials to Taraba, Adamawa, Bauchi

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force aircraft have airlifted election materials to Taraba, Adamawa and Bauchi states, ahead of the run-offs.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who confirmed this during a press conference in Abuja, assured the electorate of hitch-free supplementary polls.

Abubakar said, “For the supplementary elections, our aircraft were able to convey some of the materials on Tuesday to Jalingo, Taraba State; Yola, Adamawa State; and Bauchi. Similarly, we are rounding off the distribution of supplementary election materials to other areas where INEC wants us to go.”

source:https://punchng.com/run-offs-abdulsalami-panel-meets-parties-inec-as-police-tighten-security/

Report him asap

This guy is an idiot. A tout that used a maze to flog someone in the state house if assembly and he is still standing trials for attempting murder.

Wonderful....

Olaleye Aluko, Abuja

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is earning N40,000 annually as a supervisor at the National Open University of Nigeria, Abeokuta Study Centre, Ogun State, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Abdalla Adamu, disclosed on Tuesday.

The NOUN VC stated this at a press briefing in Abuja, noting that Obasanjo, a holder of PhD in Christian Theology, has two students in Theological Studies attached to him.



The briefing was on the 8th convocation of NOUN, where 20,799 students will be awarded graduate and postgraduate degrees with 103 graduates finishing with first class honours.

When asked how the former President was doing after being employed by the university in 2018, the VC said Obasanjo was given an office in Abeokuta and earned N40,000 yearly.

Adamu noted that the 20,799 students for convocation were divided into 15,642 for graduate degrees and 5,157 for postgraduate degrees.

The VC said, “He (Obasanjo) has two students attached to him in Theological Studies. We gave him an office in Abeokuta and the salary is N40,000 a year as a facilitator.

“The former President did his fieldwork in Borno State during the heat of the insurgency, going to collect and analyse data. We have another big fish that we have appointed as a facilitator and we will announce him when we have given him an appointment letter.

READ ALSO: Ondo to name OSUSTECH after ex-gov Agagu

“The 20,799 students for convocation are the highest in our history and the highest single graduation of students in a year in Nigeria.”

Source: https://punchng.com/obasanjo-earns-n40000-as-noun-lecturer-vc/

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Tuesday refused to speak on the militarisation of the 2019 polls, particularly the alleged interference by the Nigerian Army in elections in some states.

Excessive force was said to have been used by the army in some states, including Rivers, during the presidential/National Assembly polls and the governorship/State Houses of Assembly elections.


President Muhammadu Buhari had met with Buratai and other security chiefs in Abuja on Tuesday ahead of Saturday’s supplementary elections in six states.

However, as the COAS emerged from the meeting, he refused to answer questions on the role of his men during the polls.

Instead, he directed State House correspondents to the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu.

When reporters turned to the IG, the police chief too kept sealed lips.

He merely said there would be no formal briefing on any issues.

But The PUNCH learnt that aside from security arrangements for Saturday’s polls and the general security situation in the country, the meeting also looked into the raging violence in Kaduna State.

Apart from Buhari and the IG, other security chiefs who attended the meeting were the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok Ekwe-Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Abubakar Sadique.

The attendees also included the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.); Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen Mansur Dan-Ali (retd.); Minister of Interior, Gen Abdulrahaman Dambazau (retd.); Director-General of Department for State Service, Yusuf Magaji-Bichi; and the Director-General of the Nigerian Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar.



Meanwhile, Zamfara State Governor, Mr Abdulaziz Yari, has said his administration has no plan to dialogue with the bandits attacking and killing innocent villagers in the state.

According to him, the bandits are more equipped than the Nigerian soldiers and policemen.

He added that what was needed was a coordinated show of force to flush the killers out of the state permanently.

Yari spoke with journalists shortly after meeting with Buhari in company with his Katsina State counterpart, Mr Aminu Masari.

Yari said, “I have told my people that that (dialogue) will no longer take place during my time because I have done that three times but it did not work.

“They are in control of the types of weapons that the police command in Zamfara State does not have. In one armoury alone, they have over 500 AK-47 rifles; we saw them. Our people were even given the chance to take pictures.

“That is why I said there has to be a show of force before anything else. I know that in any war, eventually, you have to come to the table and dialogue but the situation we are right now, sincerely speaking, dialogue is not needed at this point in time.”

In a related development, the House of Representatives faulted the deployment of the military during the 2019 general elections without the approval of the National Assembly.

The chamber resolved to set up a panel to investigate the activities of soldiers in the elections.

At the plenary on Tuesday, the House adopted a motion moved by a member, Mr Patrick Asadu, entitled, ‘The Alleged Illegal Deployment, Use, Misuse and Abuse of Soldiers of the Nigerian Army During the 2019 (General Elections) and Other Elections against the Express Provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Armed Forces Act and Valid Subsisting Judgments of the Various Courts of Competent Jurisdiction.’

The motion, which was unanimously adopted, prayed the lawmakers to observe a one-minute silence “in honour of innocent Nigerians who lost their lives in the course of the 2019 general elections and sympathise with all those who suffered injuries or sustained avoidable material losses.”

The chamber also resolved to, “As a matter of urgency set up a high-powered ad hoc committee to carry out a holistic, detailed, comprehensive and far-reaching investigation of the deployment, use, misuse and abuse of the soldiers of the Nigerian Army in the 2019 elections and other elections, and make adequate recommendations to the House within four weeks.”

Source: https://punchng.com/polls-buratai-avoids-question-on-militarys-interference/

ABUJA – The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had at various stages of the February 23 presidential election, unlawful allocated votes to President Muhammadu Buhari. Atiku who made the allegation in the petition he lodged before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, said he would adduce oral and documentary evidence to show that results of the election as announced by INEC, especially the votes credited to President Buhari, did not represent the lawful valid votes cast. He alleged that in some states, INEC, deducted lawful votes that accrued to him, in its bid to ensure that Buhari was returned back to office. Both Atiku and the PDP said they would call evidence of statisticians, forensic examiners and finger-print experts at the hearing of the petition to establish that the scores credited to Buhari were not the product of actual votes validly cast at the polling units.

“The Petitioners plead and shall rely on electronic video recordings, newspaper reports, photographs and photographic images of several infractions of the electoral process by the Respondents”, they added. Specifically, the petitioners serialised results that were recorded from each state of the federation in order to prove that the alleged fraudulent allocation of votes to Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC, took place at the polling units, the ward collating centres, local government collating centres and the State collating centres. Atiku contended that proper collation and summation of the presidential election results would show that contrary to what INEC declared, he garnered a total of 18,356,732 votes, ahead of Buhari who he said got a total of 16,741,430 votes. “The Petitioners shall rely on the evidence of Statisticians, Forensic Examiners and other Experts, detailing the data analysis on the votes at all levels of collation, from the polling units to the final return”, he added.

“The Petitioners state that Smart Card Readers deployed by the 1st Respondent, in addition to accreditation, equally transmitted electronically the results of voting from polling units directly to the server of the 1st Respondent. The Presiding Officers of the 1st Respondent directly inputted the results from the polling units at the end of voting and transmitted directly to the server, in addition to manually taking the Form EC8As to the Wards for collation.

The 1st Respondent is hereby given notice to produce the records of results from each polling unit uploaded and transmitted electronically by officials of the 1st Respondent through smart card readers to the 1st Respondent’s Servers. “The Petitioners plead and rely on the 1st Respondent’s Manual Technologies 2019, and notice is hereby given to the 1st Respondent to produce same at the trial.

The 1st Respondent’s agents at the polling units used the Smart Card Reader for electronic collation and transmission of results. The Petitioners plead and shall rely on and play at the trial, the video demonstration by the 1st Respondent of the deployment of Smart Card Reader for authentication of accreditation and for transmission of data. “The Petitioners hereby plead and rely upon the extract of data as contained on the 1st Respondent’s servers as at 25th February 2019, notice to produce whereof is hereby given to the 1st Respondent.

The Petitioners also will rely on the data on the 1st Respondent’s central server between 25th February 2019 and 8th March 2019 and hereby also give notice to produce same before this Honourable Court. “The Petitioners hereby plead the electronic data on the servers of the 1st Respondent and shall at the trial give evidence of the source of the data analysis and data material, including the website: www.factsdontlieng.com. “The 1st Respondent had on the day of election published the total number of registered voters in the entire Country as 84,004,084. Subsequently, the same 1st Respondent published a different figure of 82,344,107 as registered voters, leading to an unexplained difference of 1,659,977 registered voters. The 1st Respondent equally published the number of permanent voter’s cards (PVC) collected for the purpose of the presidential election as 72,775,502. “The Petitioners state that whereas the actual number of voters accredited at the election was 35,098,162, the 1st Respondent wrongly suppressed and/or reduced the number of accredited voters to 29,394,209 to the detriment of the Petitioners. “The 1st Respondent had by its Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2019 made pursuant to the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) provided for the mandatory use of card readers for the said election.

The 1st Respondent by its press release on smart card readers issued in February 2019 and signed by its National Commissioner, Barrister Festus Okoye, emphasised and reiterated that “The use of the Smart Card Reader is NOT ONLY MANDATORY but its deliberate non-use attracts the sanction of possible prosecution of erring officials in accordance with the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of elections. “This is in addition to the voiding of any result emanating from such units or areas as was done in the Presidential and National Assembly elections of February 23, 2019.” By this stated position of the 1st Respondent, all accreditation not done by smart card reader in the presidential election was and remain void.

“The Petitioners state and contend that the 2nd Respondent was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election; and that from the data on each State of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in the 1st Respondent’s server, the 1st Petitioner, as opposed to the 2nd Respondent, scored majority of lawful votes cast at the election. “Wherefore, the Petitioners pray jointly and severally against the Respondents as follows:- “That it may be determined that the 2nd Respondent (Buhari) was not duly elected by a majority of lawful votes cast in the said election and therefore the declaration and return of the 2nd Respondent by the 1st Respondent as the President of Nigeria is unlawful, undue, null, void and of no effect. “That it may be determined that the 1st Petitioner (Atiku) was duly and validly elected and ought to be returned as President of Nigeria, having polled the highest number of lawful votes cast at the election to the office of the President of Nigeria held on 23rd February 2019 and having satisfied the constitutional requirements for the said election. “An order directing the 1st Respondent to issue Certificate of Return to the 1st Petitioner as the duly elected President of Nigeria. “That it may be determined that the 2nd Respondent was at the time of the election not qualified to contest the said election. “That it may be determined that the 2nd Respondent submitted to the Commission affidavit containing false information of a fundamental nature in aid of his qualification for the said election”. In the alternative, he prayed: “That the election to the office of the President of Nigeria held on 23rd February 2019 be nullified and a fresh election ordered

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/presidential-poll-inec-credited-invalid-votes-to-buhari-atiku-tells-tribunal/

Former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel has said that he will never abandon the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Gbenga Daniel Daniel, former Director-General of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, had resigned his membership of the PDP on Saturday and announced that he was quitting partisan politics. After the announcement, Daniel made a U-turn when he expressed his readiness to join the All Progressives Congress, APC, after his supporters urged him to lead them to the ruling party.

Commenting on this, Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, said it was sad that Daniel decided to dump the opposition party “before the conclusion of Atiku’s election petition.” Fani-Kayode also accused Daniel of taking sides with President Muhammadu Buhari after Abubakar was “rigged out.” In his reaction, yesterday, Daniel said he had not abandoned the former vice-president. He also denied joining the APC, explaining that he told his followers to “join any political party of their choice. According to him: “I have not, will not and will never abandon Atiku. Atiku is different from PDP. I have resigned from PDP and lost interest in partisan politics having put in about 20 years of my life in a thankless process. “I will commit my God-given resources to help less privileged through my Foundation and will contribute sharing the body of knowledge through our not for profit Political Academy. That will be a thankful process. “I will continue to support the political process in a non partisan manner. I am clear with my position, without any ambiguity. There is no need to insinuate, speculate, extrapolate, anticipate or draw conclusions on my behalf. “I did not expect such a simple personal decision can generate such national discourse and for that I remain grateful to God. I am however most grateful to all my friends and well wishers. The phones have not stopped ringing.”

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/daniel-vows-never-to-abandon-atiku/

Amaechi wants to emulate Tinibu but Tinubu planned his political takeover since 1999

Simply because Nigerians don't care about what happens within

True

Let them explore all options

Is either she visited Benin, or she drank sapele water.

They have done their job and left the wahala for the executive to carry

The larger percentage of the most wicked people in this country are politicians

Suspended sentence? Spanish style

There is nothing we haven't heard from the magistrate courts in Ibadan and Lagos.

Their Wahala

If he was a cultist that serves him right.

That's a country where every sector is working

When you apprehend such criminals...execute them. I remember a pastor pay bribe for his criminal son to be released smh

One of the ways to reduce crime is public execution like its done in China.

Olopa can't face robbers oooo

This not so useful post will make front page

Mysteriously? Blogger