Politics

Osun Gov Poll: INEC Admits Overvoting In Polling Units

Published

3 months ago

December 22, 2022

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, admitted to “seemingly” overvoting in some polling units during the July 16 governorship election in the state.

Former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress, APC, is challenging the declaration of Governor Ademola Adeleke by INEC before the Justice Tertse Kume-led election petition tribunal sitting in the state.

At the resumed hearing, on Wednesday, a Deputy Director in charge of Information and Communication Technology, Abimbola Oladunjoye, under cross-examination from the petitioner’s counsel, Akin Okujinmi, SAN, said there was overvoting in the polling units she was confronted.

Olujinmi, who referred the witness to her statement under oath and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, report tendered in the exhibit by INEC, said: “In paragraph 21.35 of my witness statement at page 413: the total votes cast is 388 accredited votes 388, but exhibit RBVR1, BVAS report tendered by the commission at page 25, ward 4 unit 7 Ede-South, accreditation record is 313 against 388. Based on RBVR 1-129, and my witness statement there is a seeming over the voting of 75.

“Paragraph 21.36, the accreditation figure in my witness statement is 830, exhibit RBVR1 accreditation figure there is 793, based on the exhibit and my witness statement, there is seemingly over the voting of 37.

“Paragraph 26.7 of witness statement page 549, the accreditation figure in it is 402, exhibit RBVR, accreditation figure there is 263, there is seemingly over voting of 139. Paragraph 23.24 of witness statement page 476, the accreditation figure there is 448 in exhibit RBVR1, the accreditation figure is 224, there is seemingly over the voting of 224.”

However, while being re-examined by counsel to INEC, Paul Ananaba, SAN, over what she meant by seemingly, she said: “I used the word seemingly because any comparison that should take place should be between EC8A and the physical BVAS machine. According to the INEC guidelines voter accreditation figure and total number accredited voters is taken from the physical BVAS machine and written on form EC8A.”

The Justice Kume-led panel admitted and marked the 976 BVAS machines as exhibit.

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Politics

What Abians Should Expect From Me – Governor-elect, Alex Otti

Published

6 hours ago

March 23, 2023

Editor

The Abia State Governor-elect, Alex Otti, on Thursday revealed that Abians should expect general restructuring of the state once he assumes office.

Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, Otti said in the next few days he would appoint a team that would help him, adding that he would create a bigger and more robust economy in Abia.

He added that payment of salaries would be one of his main priorities.

Otti said, “In the next few days, I will appoint a team that will be sworn in on the 29 of May. I will appoint the right people who will help me.

“We will look at a lot of things, but we will take it step by step, including revenue.

“As of yesterday, I have already started engaging banks. Things they will expect is a general restructuring of Abia.”

He added, “There is no problem in taking loans, but the problem is what you do with the loans. Payment of salaries is my priority.”

“We will create a bigger economy, a robust economy, we will do everything possible to ensure our economy grows.”

Otti scored a total of 175, 467 votes cast to beat his closest rival and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okey Ahiwe, who polled 88,529 votes to come second position.

NEC Returning Officer in the state, Prof Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, declared Otti the winner on Wednesday evening after the resumption of the final collation of governorship election results in Umuahia.

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Politics

Those Arrested For Electoral Malpractices In Kaduna Released Without charge – Shehu Sani

Published

7 hours ago

March 23, 2023

Editor

A former federal lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has alleged that some persons arrested for different offences during the just concluded elections in Kaduna State were released without being charged to court.

In a tweet on Thursday morning, Shehu Sani said a woman arrested with multiple Permanent Voters Cards and other men arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have all been released.

He wrote, “The woman who was arrested with multiple PVCs and paraded by the EFCC during the presidential election.

“And the men who were arrested for vote buying and paraded by the EFCC during the governorship election in Kaduna have all been released without charges and now at home”.

DAILY POST reports that operatives of the EFCC had, on February 25, during the presidential and National Assembly elections, intercepted a woman with no fewer than 18 voter cards in a sting operation at the Badarwa area of Kaduna, Kaduna State.

The woman, identified as Maryam Mamman Alhaji, who is a member of the support group of one of the leading political parties, also had in her possession a 17-page list containing names of eligible voters, their bank details, and phone numbers as accredited under Badarwa/Malali Ward 01 and 08, Kaduna North Local Government Area of the State.

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Politics

Abia Governor-elect Alex Otti Sends Message To PDP’s Okey Ahiwe, Others

Published

7 hours ago

March 23, 2023

Editor

The Abia State Governor-elect, Alex Otti, has sent a clear message to the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okey Ahiwe, among others, that his government would not seek revenge.

DAILY POST reported that Otti got a total of 175,467 votes cast to beat his closest rival, Ahiwe, who polled 88,529 votes to come second position.

NEC Returning Officer in the state, Prof Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, declared Otti the winner of last Saturday’s Abia Governorship election on Wednesday evening after resuming the final collation of the gubernatorial election results in Umuahia.

Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Thursday, Otti, who noted that Ahiwe is yet to congratulate him for his victory, said revenge is not important.

Otti said, “If there is no sin, there will be no forgiveness. I will have four years in the first term and another four years.

“We are not going to try and take revenge [on the opposition parties] because it is not important.

“I have received a congratulatory message from Ikpeazu and I thank him for that.”

He added, “The votes that were cast were authentic votes. I have received a lot of congratulatory messages from candidates even before INEC announced the results yesterday [Wednesday].“I thank them for their maturity because they are not going to court. I’m yet to receive a congratulatory message from Okey Ahiwe, the PDP candidate, he is my brother.”