Connect with us

Politics

CSO Alleges Plot To Compromise Election Results

Published

on

A human rights organization under the aegis of Connected Development on Sunday alleged that there were plans by those it described electoral criminals to rig the general election by compromising the results.

The Chief Executive Officer of CODE, Hamzat Lawal, who raised the alarm, said he got the information from the organisation’s 20,000 community-driven observers on the ground.

Lawal alleged that the rigging technique involved slow uploading of results on the INEC result portal, relocation of state collation centres without adequate information to stakeholders, outright denial of accredited observers access to new locations as well as issues of elections not holding in some local government areas but results being collated amongst others.

Advertisement

According to him, the criminal acts threaten the credibility of this election, and would make it possible for many people to accept the results to be announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

READ ALSO: #NigeriaElections2023: You Hold Nigeria’s Destiny, Don’t Declare Poll Inconclusive Ohanaeze Tells INEC

He said, “Connected Development and its partners are at this moment calling the Independent National Electoral Commission to indeed be independent and serve the people the constitution has mandated it to serve.

Advertisement

“With 20,000 community-driven observers on the ground, CODE and its partners, using our Electoral Intelligence tool, Uzabe have noticed a worrisome trend across the nation that points to the gaps and unpreparedness within the structure of the electoral process which is threatening the credibility of this election.

“We have several reports indicating that States like Ekiti, Cross River, Imo, and Rivers State have had their Local Government Area (LGA) collation centers relocated without adequate information to stakeholders.

“In Ekiti especially, we have it on good authority that all LGA collation centres were relocated, and in most cases, accredited observers were outrightly denied access and new locations were shrouded in secrecy.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: #NigeriaElections2023: Ugwuanyi Loses Senatorial Election 

“We have seen issues of elections not holding in some local government areas and results are being collated.

“This happened in Oru East, Imo State, where our observers confirmed that no election was held and in fact, some voters were asked to vote in a private residential building of a party chieftain, which is clearly against INEC guidelines and the electoral act. Yet we have results from that LGA. This is an indictment on INEC and all that our constitution stands for.

Advertisement

“There is still a growing number of reports that several polling units opened polls very late and ended the process of voting while voters were still in the queue, citing nightfall as the reason, thereby disenfranchising thousands of voters across various polling units.

“The INEC 2023 election guidelines state that voting till the last person on the queue votes but this was clearly not adhered to.

“We also noted that in many polling stations, BVAS were reported to be malfunctioning and observers even recorded a shortage of necessary materials.

Advertisement

“We are very concerned about the slow upload of results on the INEC result portal. At this point, the result portal has only 40,000 polling units results.

“This is more disturbing as we are aware that INEC created over 50,000 new polling units with less than 100 registered voters in each of them, and elections was since concluded in all these polling units at 2:30pm yesterday and one would expect that by midnight of yesterday, all this polling units results should have been uploaded.

“This expectation is coming from the experience we observed in the Ekiti and Osun Gubernatorial elections, where we witnessed over 95 percent of the results uploaded before midnight on election day.

Advertisement

“Nigerians deserve efficiency, they deserve fairness, with people denying themselves sleep and keeping wake under the rain, Nigerians deserve better from public institutions.

READ ALSO: #NigeriaElections2023: Atiku Floors Tinubu In Osun

“Therefore we are calling on INEC to address these issues immediately. We are also calling on the Nigerian police as the lead agency on election security to monitor.

Advertisement

“Joint security forces deployed for this election have done well and are already stretched.

“Lack of adequate information, access to independent observers and strict adherence to the electoral act of 2022 and the INEC’s guidelines will cause apprehension, a trust deficit that might lead to civil unrest and rejection of the overall outcome, and should be addressed immediately by the INEC chairman.”

Advertisement

Politics

Twist In Edo PDP Crisis As Faction Elects State Executives

Published

on

The crisis rocking Edo State chapter Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reignited on Sunday as a faction loyal to the party National Vice Chairman, South -South elected Nosa Ogieva as the state chairman of the party.

Ogieva, who was sworn in alongside other 13 members of the executive promised to reunite the party, and that PDP would soon begin to win elections again in the state.

Recall that a faction loyal to the Umar Damagum-led national secretariat of the PDP held its congress on September 27, 2925 where Dr. Tony Aziegbemi emerged as the state chairman of the PDP.

Advertisement

Earlier in his opening remarks, Orbih said former governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki was responsible for the crisis in the party.

READ ALSO:2027: Jonathan Will Contest Under PDP, Return To Aso Rock — Jerry Gana

Obaseki, who said Obaseki quarreled with everybody he met in the party, added that the poor performance of the party in the recently conducted by-elections showed how unpopular the party had become.

Advertisement

Orbih carpeted an earlier statement issued by the other faction of the party where they called on members to disregard the announcement for the State Congress.

He said: “Just yesterday (Saturday), I saw a statement issued by some funny characters saying they are advising party members not to attend this event. Are you not here?

“Those who don’t have any moral authority to speak on behalf of the party should keep their mouth shut.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:

As we prepare to elect our executive, I will appeal to you vote for those with capacity to lead this party, not those who will sell out, not those who will deny members their legitimate right

“As members of our great party. There is no doubt that PDP is going through a leadership crisis, both at the national level and several other states.

Advertisement

“Let us not deceive ourselves for the first time in the history of our great party, we have elected governors of PDP and founding leaders, founding members of this party, leaving this party every day for one simple reason, failure of leadership.

“Elected governors are living. Elected senators are living. Elected members of the House are living in Edo state, we know the root of our problem. We had a united party where everybody related with one another as brothers and sisters, until Godwin obaseki joined our party.

READ ALSO:PDP Zones 2027 Presidential Ticket To South

Advertisement

Obaseki destroyed our party. He sowed the seeds of discord, deep rooted seeds of discord in our party. He sinned against the party. He sinned against the people. He sinned against the state.

Continuing, Orbih said: “He came into the party and destroyed everything that was good in the party. Today, our party’s umbrella is shattered, torn, and we are here today to rebuild the party.

“What used to put us together as a family was totally destroyed by obaseki. He fought every person except himself, and at the end, we are at a very disadvantaged position in the politics of Edo state.”

Advertisement

Orbih described the other faction of the PDP as undertakers who he said were only praying for the party to collapse and then join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Politics

2027: Senator Imasuen Visits His Ward, Seeks Support For Tinubu

Published

on

The All Progressives Congress (APC) family in Ward 5, Umagbai, Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State, on Saturday, rolled out the drums as Senator Neda Imasuen, representing Edo South, visited for an interactive session with party faithful at the grassroots level to mobilise support for President Tinubu ahead of 2027 general elections.

The interactive session, which drew chieftains, ward chairmen and party faithful from the 22 units in the ward, was marked by jubilation and reaffirmed the party’s strength in the district.

Speaking at the gathering, Senator Imasuen expressed gratitude for the warm reception, stressing the need to build bridges with his local base.

Advertisement

He noted that while he joined the APC at the State level on June 12, it was crucial to identify with his ward because “politics is local.”

READ ALSO:Senator Imasuen Empowers Edo South Farmers With Farm Implements

It was very imperative that I come to my ward, not only to officially inform them of my joining the party since June 12, but also to meet the ward executives,” the lawmaker said.

Advertisement

“This move will strengthen the party, promote unity and ensure victory at the polls.”

Imasuen lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as “bold and courageous” economic reforms, adding that such steps were necessary to turn the nation’s fortunes around.

He also echoed the Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo’s pledge to deliver 2.5 million votes to Tinubu in 2027, declaring the target a “done deal.”

Advertisement

READ ALSO:Edo Senator, Neda Imasuen Defects To APC, Says LP In Shreds, No Direction

“By the grace of God, Asiwaju 2027 is settled. Part of that settlement is to begin to work towards that goal from the grassroots,” he added.

APC leaders in the local government hailed the senator for the move to galvanize support for the president ahead of 2027, pledging their support for the movement.

Advertisement

The All Progressive Congress, LGA Chairman, Osayimwenre Osawe, described him as “an asset” whose presence as a federal lawmaker would bring democratic dividends to Uhunmwonde.

READ ALSO:Call For Sen. Imasuen’s Recall: Group Tackles Omobude, Uwangue

“He is not a liability. He came to add value. Being a senator of the Federal Republic is a plus to our party. Beyond development, his return for a second term would make him a ranking senator, and that will position him for more influence on the Senate floor,” Osawe declared.

Advertisement

Also speaking, Acting Council Chairman, Augustine Imafidon Uhuonde, pledged unwavering support for the senator, praising his performance in facilitating projects in the senatorial district.

“Even watching him from the other side, he made us proud. Today, he has come down to the ward level to join hands with us. That shows he is ‘grass-rooted’ and truly the man of the people,” Uhuonde said.

Prominent party figures at the event included Festus Aimierovbiye, Chairman APC Ward 5; former Edo State Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Orobosa Omo-Ojo; Hon. Derick Uhunmwagho, Liaison Officer and Chief of Staff to the senator; Iziegbe Gabriel, LGA Coordinator; and Ese Edegbe, Ward 5 Assistant Coordinator.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Politics

Court Declines Kachikwu’s Motion Against INEC, ADC Leaders

Published

on

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday declined to hear an application filed by the African Democratic Congress’ 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, against the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the party.

Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling, refused to entertain the motion.

Kachikwu, through his counsel, Dayo Akinlaja (SAN), had sought an order compelling INEC to withdraw the publication of Mark and Rauf Aregbesola’s names as national chairman and secretary of the ADC, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Advertisement

INEC had recently recognised Mark, a former Senate President, and Aregbesola, a former Governor of Osun State, as the party’s national chairman and national secretary.

READ ALSO:Court Dismisses Suit Seeking Refund Of Rivers’ Monies Expended By Ibas

On July 7, Kachikwu and four others – Adikwu Elias, Etimbuk Umoh, Muhammed Khala, and Alaku Godwin William – filed an originating summons challenging the recognition of the duo.

Advertisement

The suit lists INEC, ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Mark, and Aregbesola as the first to fifth defendants.

When the matter was called on Friday, Akinlaja told the court that a motion dated September 19 had been filed. He argued that despite the pendency of the suit, INEC went ahead to recognise Mark and Aregbesola as party leaders.

The plaintiffs asked the court to set aside the recognition and publication of their names, describing it as a breach of the doctrine of lis pendens. They also sought an injunction restraining Nwosu, Mark, and Aregbesola from further relating with INEC as ADC’s national officers.

Advertisement

However, counsel for the ADC, Shaibu Aruwa (SAN), along with other defence lawyers, opposed the application.

READ ALSO:South African Court Finds Radical Politician Malema Guilty On Gun Charges

After hearing arguments, Justice Omotosho declined to entertain the motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1331/2025.

Advertisement

He said, “This court is not inclined to nullify anything at this stage, whether done before or now. This is a political case. I am not taking any interlocutory matter.”

The judge held that all processes filed by the parties, including preliminary objections, would be taken together with the substantive case.

Despite repeated pleas by Akinlaja for the motion to be heard, the court stood its ground.

Advertisement

Justice Omotosho also granted an application for joinder filed by Nkemakolam Ukandu, the ADC deputy national secretary, and ordered that his name be added as a defendant.

He directed the plaintiffs to file the amended processes within 48 working hours and gave the defence seven days to respond. The case was adjourned till October 23 for hearing.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending