19032019 - Sack Buhari, declare me winner, Atiku tells tribunal

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34—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2019 Onu worked against APC in Ebonyi —Candidates By Dennis Agbo ENUGU—HOUSE of Assembly candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ebonyi State, have accused the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu of working against the party in the just concluded elections in the state. While accepting that the minister made financial contributions to all APC House of Assembly candidates in the South East, they alleged that Onu worked against the party’s governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Senator Sunni Ogbuoji. The candidates accused the minister of working in favour of his kinsman and Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, who was candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.. At a press conference in Enugu, 17 out of the 24 House of Assembly candidates of the APC in the state described the March 9 Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state as a sham and an exercise characterised by electoral irregularities. Leader of the APC candidates, Jude Okpor said: “There were massive irregularities characterized by multiple voting as Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, thugs and supporters used stockpiled Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, which were released to them by INEC officials prior to the period of election. “In most cases, the use of Card Reader was abandoned while manual accreditation was used which resulted in multiple thumb printing of unused ballot papers in favour of the PDP resulting to the invalidation of valid votes of APC candidates. “Several cases of intimidation, harassment, assault, abduction of party members, arrest of House of Assembly candidates were witnessed in all the 24 constituencies of Ebonyi State while election was going on. Security agents and PDP thugs in connivance with INEC officials were used to hijack sensitive materials to unknown places where results were written in favour of PDP." INEC's refusal to allow Atiku inspect results worrisome, says Obaze By Vincent Ujumadu AWKA—THE chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential council in Anambra State, Mr. Oseloka Obaze has frowned at the continued refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to allow the presidential candidate of PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to inspect the results of the February 23 polls. In a statement in Awka, Obaze, who was the governorship candidate of PDP in the 2017 governorship election in Anambra State said it was intriguing that INEC would continue to withhold the polling unit results and other election materials long after the results were announced. He said: “As the world watches Nigeria, it is intriguing that INEC continues to withhold polling unit results and other election materials, long after the presidential election results were announced. “By its conduct, INEC creates room for speculation and imaginations to roam freely. Indeed, Nigerians now wonder what INEC is hiding from them. “Whatever the encumbrances, INEC must defend its statutory position as an unbiased umpire by releasing election materials for public scrutiny and complying with court orders where applicable. “The polling unit results are not INEC property, but that of Nigerian voters and the legacy of dozens that tragically lost their lives while trying to defend their votes. INEC should stop dithering. It should acquit itself and prove to the world that it is neutral by releasing the Nigerian presidential polling unit results. They are our results.” OKOROCHA: Group plans massive protest against INEC •As protest hits Imo police, ahead of Saturday’s supplementary elections By Chinonso Alozie OWERRI—A group known as Presidential Support Committee, PSC, yesterday, said it would proceed with its planned protests should the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, fail to issue Governor Rochas Okorocha his Certificate of Return as Imo West senator-elect. PSC and Southeast professionals led by Emeka Ugwu-Oju and Maxwell Okoye respectively, made this disclosure in Owerri, adding that it had earlier given INEC March 18, 2019 as deadline to meet their demand. It should be recalled that Imo West senatorial election was enmeshed in controversies as the returning officer, Innocent Ibeawuchi said he declared Okorocha winner under duress. Since then, INEC has refused to issue Okorocha a Certificate of Return on the report that he (Okorocha) was declared winner under duress. However, the argument by the groups was that INEC should either issue Okorocha a Certificate of Return or conduct a run-off election, adding that by law, INEC does not have right to withhold Okorocha’s Certificate of Return. They also called for the removal of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Francis Ezeonu, claiming that they were no longer comfortable with his activities in the state. They said: “Under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Electoral Act, INEC lacks the power to withhold a Certificate of Return in an election duly declared in line with the laws of the land or cancel an election that met the minimum requirement of the law." This group therefore, called on INEC to as a matter of urgency, issue a Certificate of Return to Owelle Rochas Okorocha as Senator-elect, Imo West Senatorial District and to conduct a run-off election in line with Section 179 (4) of the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria. Protest hits Imo police, ahead of Saturday’s supplementary elections Meantime, scores of youths yesterday protested at the Imo State Police Command headquarters, ahead of Saturday's supplementary elections in the state. The youths who are from Ikeduru Local Government Area said that they wanted to be assured of adequate security in the forthcoming Saturday’s supplementary elections in Ikeduru and called for the arrest of the sponsor of the suspected bombers who were arrested in the last election in the area. It should be recalled that about 40 polling booths were said to have been cancelled in Ikeduru by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, during the last Governorship/House of Assembly elections. It was in the same Ikeduru collation centre at Central School, Iho that it was reported that three persons suspected to be bombers came with explosives device. They were arrested by the military in the area at the time of collation excercise. As a result of this development, the youths said they were afraid of a similar thing happening in the Saturday’s election. According to one of their leaders, Samuel Nwokocha, “We want security to be guaranteed in the election that will hold on Saturday in Ikeduru. We are afraid of what happened last time and we are not happy that some people were mentioned as those who sponsored some boys to bomb the collation centre, but the person is still walking about freely. We want him to be arrested." ...as Imo workers shun Okorocha’s biometric verification electronic payment of By Chidi Nkwopara OWERRI—Imo State branch of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has rejected the planned biometric verification and Ugwuanyi's re-election well-deserved —NLC ENUGU State workers, through the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, have congratulated Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on his resounding victory at the March 9 governorship election in the state. In a congratulatory message signed by the State Chairman and acting Secretary of NLC, Comrade Virginus Nwobodo and Comrade Eddie Olorunwa Edema, the workers disclosed that the governor’s “track record of achievements and purposeful leadership in Enugu State”, earned him the landslide victory. APPRECIATION: From left, Minister of Health, Prof Folorunso Adewole; Veteran yoruba actor, Babatunde Omidina; and Chief Medical Director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Prof Chris Bode, when Omidina paid a thank-you visit to LUTH in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamos The workers stated that the governor’s re-election will “ensure continuation of good leadership, grassroots development as well as inclusive governance of our dear state”, which they said the governor has “continually placed in the hands of the Almighty God.” workers by the outgoing Rochas Okorocha administration. Labour also fumed over what it called “the discriminatory payment of February 2019 salary, which workers in the parastatals are yet to receive”. The workers' position was made public in a letter addressed to the state Accountant General and signed by the NLC Chairman and Secretary, Comrades Austin Chilakpu and Ken Onwuemeodo, respectively. Labour was of the view that the intended exercise, is a last minute policy was capable of adversely affecting the state public service. The aggrieved workers equally accused the Okorocha administration of “plotting to use the programme to sack workers, especially those in the accounts departments”. Labour also reminded the Accountant General that “the programme cannot be fully realized within the remaining life span of the present state administration”. The labour leaders further argued that “if the planned programme is extremely necessary, it should be left for the incoming administration”. They insisted that: “The programme is aimed at making the workers redundant, especially those in the Accounts Departments of the various ministries, departments and agencies. The cumulative effect of the redundancy would lead to arbitrary sacking of workers. “Imo workers will reject any policy or programme that is aimed at making workers redundant and capable of leading to the sacking of workers.” The labour leaders then called on the state government to pay the salary arrears of workers in the parastatals, without further delay.
Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2019—35 Akpabio drags Ekpeyong to tribunal By Harris Emmanuel & Chioma Onuegbu UYO—THE battle for Akwa Ibom North- West senatorial seat has shifted to the tribunal, as Senator Godswill Akpabio has filed a petition in Uyo, the state capital, challenging the emergence of Dr. Chris Ekpeyong of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as winner of the February 23 polls. Akpabio’s Press Secretary, Aniete Ekong, told Vanguard: “Following the withdrawal of his case filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, which sought to challenge his Senate re-election loss, the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district in the February 23 election, Akpabio, and his party, have approached the election tribunal sitting in Uyo, to kick-start the legal processes that would lead to the validation of his victory at the polls.” Akpabio is seeking to upturn the victory of Ekpeyong and PDP, based on perceived electoral irregularities which characterised the said election. The former Senate Minority Leader had accused Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of infractions and deliberate violations of the electoral law and guidelines during the senatorial election. According to him, “in the said election, INEC had in collaboration with some PDP chieftains in the senatorial district, wrongfully declared Ekpeyong and his party, PDP, winner of the poll, having scored 118,215 as against Akpabio’s 83,158. “However, incontrovertible result sheets from Akwa Ibom INEC office showed different figures that had Akpabio securing 138,256 votes as against Ekpeyong’s 123,843. “Dissatisfied with the conduct and outcome of the election, the former governor of Akwa Ibom State and his party vowed to approach the election petition tribunal to ventilate their grievances as well as reclaim their stolen mandate.” WORLD SLEEP DAY: From left— Commercial Director, Mouka Limited, Mr. Dimeji Osingunwa; Mouka Distributor, Mrs. Folasade Wilhelm; Managing Director, Mouka Limited, Mr. Raymond Murphy; Senior Marketing Manager, Mrs. Tolu Olanipekun, and President, Nigeria Association of Physiotherapy, Dr. Rufai Ahmad, during the celebration of World Sleep Day in Lagos. Concerned citizens to INEC, politicians: Don’t set Kano on fire By Abdulmumin Murtala K ANO—FOLLOWING tension over the declaration of governorship election in Kano State as inconclusive, some elders in the state on the platform Kano Concerned Citizens Initiative, KCCI, have pleaded with Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to rectify all the perceived challenges that characterised the February 23 and March 9 elections to douse the tension ahead of the re-run. The group, led by the presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention, NRC, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, warned that on no account should the state be set on fire because of personal ambition of individuals, urging INEC and its officials to be above board and avoid anything that could compromise the integrity of the re-run election. At a briefing yesterday to express worries over perceived tension in the state, Tofa said: “We strongly believe that all electoral staff must be told, in no uncertain terms, to be above board and that anyone found to be wanting must receive the maximum sanctions provided for by the Electoral Act and the Constitution. “Any act of commission or omission would be By Festus Ahon ASABA—THE Coalition of Delta All Progressives Congress, APC Support Groups, has told the governorship candidate of the party in the state, Chief Great Ogboru, not to go to tribunal to challenge the victory of Governor Ifeanyi squarely placed on its (INEC) shoulders. Officials must be aware that such acts may be the difference between peace and violence in our state.” Declaring that no acts of violence would be tolerated in the state, the group praised the efforts of security agencies and also called on them to do more during the re-run exercise as “it is arduous and daunting.” Tofa called on the Police to be apolitical and ensure that people from Okowa of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Saying it would amount to waste of time and resources, the group said Deltans reflected who should be their governor through the ballot on March 9. Addressing newsmen in Asaba, Convener of the coalition, Mr. Daniel neighbouring states, not residents in Kano, do not come into the state to participate in the March 23 re-run elections to forestall unnecessary tension or violence. “Kano and Kanawa shall never allow our state to burn on account of anybody’s vaulting ambition to lead or govern us,” Tofa declared. The group equally called on the youths to stay away from violence and avoid being used to disrupt peace in the state. Ekiugbo, said: “INEC’s declaration was a true reflection of the wishes of the people of the state and I want to appeal to APC leadership not to support Ogboru in his decision to go to court. “It is obvious that challenging the outcome will be a wild goose chase. The margin is too wide for Nasarawa Minority Leader dumps PDP for APC By David Odama LAFIA—BARELY two weeks after the conduct of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections, the Minority Leader of Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Peter Mbucho, yesterday, dumped opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for All Progressives Party, APC, in the state. Speaker of the Assembly, Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, announced the lawmaker’s defection while reading Mbucho’s defection letter during proceedings in Lafia. The Speaker, who congratulated Mbucho for joining the ‘next level’ train, said Mbucho’s defection was a confirmation that APC is a family, adding that Mbucho's defection NGC tasks gas-bearing communities on peace By Jimitota Onoyume W A R R I — NIGERIAN Gas Company, NGC, has enjoined gas bearing communities in the Niger Delta region to continue to explore instrument of dialogue towards resolving conflicts, stressing that this will enable them benefit tremendously from the gas company’s corporate social responsibility projects. Managing Director of NGC, Mr. Babatunde Bakare, who spoke through Executive Director, Asset Management of the firm, Engr Ibrahim Yusuf, while commissioning and handing over a basic health centre built by the gas company at Ijomi community, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, added that the company would Going to tribunal, waste of time, APC group tells Ogboru any sane person to think of challenging it. “Ogboru had been challenging electoral victories in the past on allegations of being rigged out. “So this time around, the national leadership of APC now provided the level playing field so that he would not be rigged out. was a homecoming long overdue. Speaking, Mbucho said he joined APC to contribute his quota to the development of his constituency. He said: “I have left PDP and joined APC since March 8. I delivered my constituency to APC during the governorship and state House of Assembly elections.” According to Mbucho, “I would continue to use my wealth of experience to add value to the APCled government at all levels.” Meanwhile, the House has received nomination of members of the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission, NASIEC, and Nasarawa State Local Government Civil Service Commission from Governor Umaru Tanko Al- Makura for consideration and approval. continue to maintain healthy relationship with its host communities in the Niger Delta region. According to him, “as a responsible and responsive company, we remain committed to developing a robust and sustainable relationship with our host communities. “Their wellbeing is paramount in our corporate social responsibility thrust. That is why we are here today. “Therefore, we present to you this project, fully furnished basic health centre, as a token of appreciation and contribution to the development of Ijomi, which we cherish dearly as one of our peace-loving communities in Nigeria.” He urged the community to protect the health centre, adding that the community should also sustain its peace and support the growth of NGC operations. But he was overwhelmed, winning in just two out of 25 local government areas.” Noting that APC lost the governorship election partly as a result of alleged diversion of over N3 billion that was released for the purpose of the election, he said there was no evidence that such money was ever disbursed.
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19032019 - Sack Buhari, declare me winner, Atiku tells tribunal

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