Headline

2023: INEC Gives Update On Supplementary Polls

Published

1 year ago

March 17, 2023

Editor

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has dismissed reports that it intends to conduct supplementary elections arising from the presidential and National Assembly elections together with the governorship and state assembly elections slated for tomorrow, Saturday, March 18.

National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Festus Okoye, disclosed this in a statement issued Friday in Abuja.

He said: “The Commission has not scheduled the conduct of supplementary elections arising from the presidential and National Assembly elections.

“For clarity, the supplementary elections will take place on a date to be announced by the Commission immediately after the governorship and state assembly elections.

“However, this should not be confused with the two National Assembly elections earlier suspended by the Commission and rescheduled to hold along with the governorship and state assembly elections.

“First is the Enugu East senatorial district election, which was countermanded to allow the Labour Party, LP, conduct a fresh primary election to replace its deceased candidate in line with the provision of Section 34(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The second is the Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency of Edo State following issues with the ballot paper for the election.

“These are not supplementary but main elections that could not be held earlier.

“The public is advised to disregard any report alluding to the conduct of supplementary elections alongside the governorship and state assembly elections tomorrow, Saturday 18th March 2023,” he stated.

‘Lyon deserves APC ticket’

Meanwhile, the Progressive Consultative Forum, PCF, has made a case for the governor-elect of Bayelsa state, Chief David Lyon, ahead of the November governorship election in the state.

Director-General of PCF, Wilberforce Waribote, in a statement said for Bayelsa, a state with an uncanny voting pattern, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has to come to terms with the political ambition of two main contenders, Chief Timipre Sylva and Chief David Lyon.

He recalled that Sylva, a former governor of the state, failed in his bid to seek re-election.

“He contested and lost. It is on record that the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, only won in one of the eight local government areas of the state.

“Bayelsa has a reputation for not being a one-party state, as its people vote according to the exigencies of the time.

“In 2007, Sylva, who contested the governorship on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won to succeed Goodluck Jonathan.

“In 2019, there was a dramatic swing towards the APC, as the party’s gubernatorial candidate, David Lyon, won by a large margin but due to an alleged forgery case involving his deputy-elect nominated by “Timipre Sylva, PDP’s Douye Diri was declared by the Supreme court and Lyon disqualified before his inauguration.

“Party faithful in the state will attest to the fact that as soon as Lyon’s victory was upturned, the Minister tactically played down Lyon’s popularity, took over the party and led the party to disunity and crisis.

“One of the many sins of the Minister includes disobedience to court orders on the party executives at the ward-to-state level.

“It is on record that Sylva’s leadership style sprang up grievances in the party, members decamped to other political parties and the state gravitated towards the Labour Party (LP).

“This was evident in the presidential election of 25 February 2023. And it explained why all the APC national assembly candidates performed woefully.

“It is in light of this sad development in our party, that we members of the Progressive Consultative Forum (PCF) of Bayelsa state, wish to stem down the tide and reclaim the state back for APC.

“We are also committed to using the November 11 governorship election in the state to get the state back to the progressive camp.

“It is, however, our considered opinion that for the APC to make the desired impact at the polls and win the governorship seat, the party must put forward its best and the most acceptable candidate, while also ensuring that it goes into the elections with a united force to defeat the ruling PDP and the emerging LP.

“It is our candid opinion that Chief Sylva, at this point, could not be considered APC’s best choice in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.

“Sylva’s political inconsistency in recent times made him unfit for the party’s ticket. It will be recalled that he surreptitiously indicated his interest to vie for Nigeria’s presidency, and lacking the courage to resign his appointment as Minister and go for it, he buckled at the primaries.

“But his presidential interest was not lost on the party’s power brokers and the electorate in Bayelsa who have noted his lack of guts.

“In a similar vein, his refusal to resign from his current position as the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, a month before the party’s primaries as required by the Electoral Act is a legal lacuna.

“Akin to his indecisiveness at the presidential primaries, Sylva has again shown a visible lack of courage to do the needful at the right time but went on to join the power brokers to carry on a spoiler game.

“APC’s governorship primary is scheduled to take place on the 10th of April, 2023. All political appointees interested in the party’s primary ought to have resigned their appointments on or before the 10th of March, 2023.

“We make bold to say that as of today, 17th of March, 2023, the Minister is yet to turn in his resignation letter.

“That was a legal requirement that must be satisfied, and refusal to act by the provision of the law would be a fatal blow to his ambition and the party’s electoral fortune in the state.

“In light of this development, the entire leadership and members of the Progressive Consultative Forum of Bayelsa State wish to strongly warn the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to make a grievous mistake that will affect the bright prospects of the party at regaining our 2019 mandate.

“The party should not toy with such obvious facts for floating a candidate who has such an open legal deficiency that could be exploited by opposition parties in a court of law.

“In terms of popularity, while Sylva appears to have lost favour with the electorate in Bayelsa, David Lyon has been a philanthropist and a bridge builder who has proved to be at home with the populace including the physically challenged and the fatherless. He is loved and respected by all in Bayelsa state,” he stated.
VANGUARD

Headline

Iran President Had ‘Lot Of Blood On His Hands’ – White House

Published

5 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

Iran President Ebrahim Raisi had a “lot of blood on his hands”, the White House said on Monday despite Washington offering condolences after his death in a helicopter crash.

“This was a man who had a lot of blood on his hands,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, saying Raisi was responsible for “atrocious” rights abuses in Iran and had supported regional proxies including Hamas.

Kirby said, however, that “as in any other case, we certainly regret in general the loss of life and offered official condolences as appropriate.”

Earlier, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced on Monday five days of mourning for President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash.

“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” said Khamenei in an official statement a day after the death of Raisi and other officials in the crash in East Azerbaijan province.

Headline

Iran Gets Interim President After Raisi’s Death

Published

14 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei assigned vice president Mohammad Mokhber to assume interim duties after the death of president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash a day earlier.

“In accordance with Article 131 of the constitution, Mokhber is in charge of leading the executive branch,” said Khamenei in a statement, adding that Mokhber will be required to work with the heads of legislative and judicial branches to prepare for presidential elections “within a maximum period of 50 days”.

Recall that President Raisi was confirmed dead on Monday after his helicopter crashed in a mountainous region of the country.

Raisi was travelling with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian who also died in the accident.

Rescue teams had been scouring the area since Sunday afternoon after a helicopter carrying Raisi, the foreign minister and other officials had gone missing.

Early Monday, relief workers located the missing helicopter, with state TV saying the president had died.

“The servant of Iranian nation, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi has achieved the highest level of martyrdom whilst serving the people,” state television said Monday, with Mehr news agency also saying he was dead.

State television broadcast photos of Raisi, with the voice of a man reciting the Koran playing in the background.

Iran’s vice president for executive affairs Mohsen Mansouri posted on X a Koranic verse used to express condolences.

Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has announced a five days of mourning for President Raisi.

“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” said Khamenei in an official statement a day after the death of Raisi and other officials in the crash in East Azerbaijan province.

Headline

UK Threatens To Deport Physically-challenged Nigerian After 38 Years

Published

14 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

The United Kingdom has threatened to deport a physically-challenged Nigerian man, Anthony Olubunmi George, over an alleged forged entry stamp in his passport.

George who has lived in the UK for 38 years, after he left Nigeria at the age of 24 in 1986, according to the Guardian UK.

The 61-year-old Nigerian has no criminal convictions and made several applications for leave to remain in the UK, which the Home Office has rejected, most recently on 7 May.

George’s case became the second African facing a huge disappointment with the UK Home Office after spending several years in Britain.

Vanguard reported last week that a 74-year-old Ghanaian Nelson Shardey, who has resided in the UK since 1977, was refused indefinite leave to remain despite being in the country for most of his adult life.

As the case of the Nigerian, he has never left the UK and has no criminal convictions, with the reports of having two strokes, which left him with problems with speech and mobility in 2019.

When George arrived, Margaret Thatcher was prime minister and Rishi Sunak is the ninth to hold office since George has lived in the UK.

He has endured many periods of homelessness and disclosed he has lost count of the number of friends who have given him shelter over the years, adding that he no longer has any close family in Nigeria.

The Guardian UK said in 2005, his previous solicitors submitted a forged entry stamp in his passport and have subsequently been reported to the police and the legal regulatory bodies.

George told the Guardian he knew nothing about the passport stamp until many years later. His current lawyer, Naga Kandiah of MTC Solicitors, cited his poor previous legal representation as the reason for George’s problems.

In his most recent refusal, Home Office officials said: “Unfortunately this is not something that is considered an exceptional circumstance.”

Kandiah has lodged an appeal against the latest refusal.

A previous Home Office rejection of his case states: “It’s open to your family and friends to visit you in Nigeria.”

George said, “I don’t know how many different sofas I’ve slept on – too many to count. I don’t have my life, living the way I’m living now. My health problems since I had my stroke are my biggest worry. All I’m asking for is some kindness from the Home Office.”