22032019- INEC holds make-up polls in 17 states, FCT tomorrow

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supplementary election
will proceed as scheduled
for March 23 in the other
15 local government areas
of Bauchi State as well as
in the Kirifi local
government constituency
election in Kirifi local
government area.
“While the commission
has complied with the
policy to obey all court
orders, in deference to the
rule of law, it has also taken
urgent steps to vacate the
order and dismiss the
action,” he disclosed.
Similarly, Alhaji Ibrahim
Abdullahi, the Bauchi State
Resident Electoral
Commissioner, REC, said
the electoral commission
will hold the polls in 36
polling units spread across
29 wards in 15 Local
Government Areas of the
state. According to him, 22,
759 registered voters are
expected to participate in
the exercise.
He gave a breakdown of
the affected local
government areas and
number of polling units as
Alkaleri, one ward, two
polling units (PU) ; Bogoro,
one ward, one PU ; Darazo,
three wards, four PU;
Dass, one ward, one PU
and Gamawa, one ward,
one PU.
Ganjuwa has two wards,
two PU; Giade, four wards,
four PU; Itas Gadau, one
ward, three PU;
Jama’are, two wards, two
PU and Katagum, two
wards, three PU. Others
are Kirfi, two wards, two
PU; Misau, one Ward, one
PU; Ningi, four wards, five
PU; Shira, one ward,one PU
and Toro, three wards and
four PU.
Also, a Federal High
Court in Abuja has fixed
Monday to determine
whether or not the INEC
should proceed with the
collation and announcing
of result of the
governorship election that
was held in Bauchi State on
March 9.
Justice Iyang Ekwo
adjourned to deliver
judgment in the suit the
APC and its candidate,
Mohammed Abubakar,
who is the incumbent
governor of the state,
lodged to stop further
collation of results by
Naira stable at N358.2/$ in
parallel market
By Elizabeth Adegbesan
The naira yesterday was stable at N358.2 per
dollar in the parallel market.
On the other hand, the naira yesterday depreciated
by seven kobo in the Investors and Exporters (I&E)
window despite a 440 percent rise in the volume of
dollars traded.
Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative
exchange rate for the window rose to N360.47 per
dollar from N360.40 per dollar on Wednesday,
translating to seven kobo depreciation of the naira.
The volume of dollars traded on the window rose
by 440 percent to $697.07 million from $129.18
million traded on Wednesday.
vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews
INEC holds make-up polls in 17
states, FCT tomorrow
INEC.
The court had on
Tuesday, issued an order of
interim injunction against
INEC, following an exparte
motion that was filed
by the plaintiffs.
It ordered all the parties
to maintain status quo
ante, pending the final
determination of the suit.
No basis for
supplementary election in
Bauchi – Secondus
The PDP National
Chairman disagreed with
the INEC over its decision
to conduct supplementary
governorship election in
Bauchi State while all
results have not been
collated.
In a letter addressed to
Mahmood Yakubu, INEC
chairman, and dated
March 21, the PDP said
such decision contradicts
provisions of the Electoral
Act as well as the INEC
guidelines for the conduct
of the elections.
Mohammed Kyari, the
returning officer of the
Bauchi governorship
election, had declared it
inconclusive after the
number of canceled votes
exceeded the margin of
victory between the two
leading candidates, with
results from Tafawa
Balewa LGA pending.
But while INEC had
fixed Tuesday for collation
of the remaining results, a
federal high court in Abuja
issued an order stopping
the process pending the
determination of a suit
brought by Mohammed
Abubakar, the governor of
the state.
Notwithstanding, INEC
said it would proceed with
a supplementary election
earlier scheduled for
Saturday, while awaiting
the decision of the court on
the collation process.
In the letter, Secondus,
asked INEC to suspend
the supplementary election
pending the collation of
results.
The letter read: “It is
important to note that
rerun or supplementary
election can only be ripe
and determined upon
conclusion of collation of all
the results from the 20 local
government areas in the
state and the margin
between the winner and
runner up is known.
“This is the provision of
the law as provided in the
regulation and guidelines
for the conduct of elections,
specifically paragraphs 33
(a) and (e) and 34 (e).
“By the combined effects
of the paragraphs, the
commission shall wait to
determine the margin of
lead between the two
leading candidates of the
governorship election after
collation of the overall
results of the election before
deciding to embark on the
supplementary poll. Hence
there is no basis for a
supplementary election at
the polling units canceled.”
Those planning to
truncate process ‘ll be dealt
with – Military, police
To ensure hitch-free
make-up polls, the
Nigerian military and the
Police, have warned those
planning to truncate the
process to bury the
thoughts. The security
agencies reiterated their
joint commitment to the
peaceful conduct of the
forthcoming supplementary
elections.
Spokespersons of the
Defence Headquarters, the
Nigerian Army, the
Nigerian Navy, the
Nigerian Air Force and the
Nigeria Police Force, spoke
in Abuja, yesterday.
The joint press briefing
came a day after the military
authorities expressed
disappointment with the
role allegedly played by the
police, accusing the latter of
betrayal.
Reading a prepared
speech to newsmen on
behalf of the military and
the police, Force Public
Relations Officer, Frank
Mba, said: “In the interest
of the general public, we
want to seize this
opportunity to assure that
the military and the police
are not at loggerheads as
may have been erroneously
portrayed.
“The two security
agencies are working in
synergy to guarantee
peaceful and secure
environment for all law
abiding Nigerians to
exercise their civic right of
voting.
“In keeping to this
mandate, we want to
reiterate our joint
commitment to the peaceful
conduct of the forthcoming
supplementary elections
scheduled for March 23,
2019.
“While the support and
cooperation of the media
and the public is highly
solicited, any person or
group of persons who
attempt to truncate the
elections will be made to
face the wrath of the law
irrespective of status.”
On why military
personnel were deployed,
they said: “Additionally,
threat analysis conducted in
those states prior to the
elections identified them as
flash points for electoral
violence hence, the need for
extra security deployment.”
Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019—41
NEWS HOTLINES
018773962,
08052867058
Armed Forces and Police Briefing: From left, Commodore Ayi, Director Defence
Information, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu and Police Public Relation Office , ACP,
Frank Mba addressing pressmen on the role of Security agencies during March
23rd, 2019 Election and reschedule Election at a Joint press Conference by Armed
Forces and Police in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.
Army raises committee
to probe alleged
misconduct of personnel
The security agencies
while expressing concern
on accusations against
some military personnel
deployed in previous
elections, explained that “to
ensure transparency and
accountability in the
conduct of Nigerian Army
personnel deployed for
election security duties
during the 2019 elections,
the Nigerian Army has set
up a nine-member
investigative committee
comprising senior military
officers, headed by Major
General Tari-Timiye
Gagariga to investigate all
allegations of misconduct
against Nigerian Army
personnel during the
elections.
“The committee’s terms of
reference include thorough
investigation of the
reported activities, actions
and inaction of personnel
of the Nigerian Army in all
the States that contravene
extant rules of engagement
and Code of Conduct in
internal security operations
duties during election.
“It is also to investigate all
reported infractions or
violations against security
agencies, particularly the
Nigerian Army. We assure
Nigerians that appropriate
punitive measures will be
applied to those found
culpable in accordance
with the military justice
system,” they added.
Recalling the numerous
positive roles played by the
military during the
elections, they said: “We
are however, equally aware
of some of the unfortunate
security challenges
witnessed during the
elections which have
generated public outcry
and condemnation.
“The alleged
involvement of some
security agents in some of
these unfortunate incidents
is of serious concern to the
military and police high
commands.
“While we appreciate the
fact that some of these
issues may be as a result of
the overzealousness of
some personnel, it is
instructive to note that some
of these incidents were
instances of impersonation
by political thugs clad in
military and police
uniforms.’’
Recalling that sometime
ago a container load of
military uniforms and
accoutrements was
impounded by the Nigeria
Customs Service on Aba-
Port Harcourt Road, while
similar interception was
made at Kirikiri Lighter
Terminal in Lagos,
appealed to the general
public to volunteer useful
information to aid security
agencies in this regard.
Court stops INEC from
conducting Adamawa
governorship rerun
Meantime, Justice
Abdulaziz Waziri of an
Adamawa State High Court
in Yola, has ordered INEC
not to conduct the
governorship
supplementary re-run
slated for tomorrow.
The judge said the polls
should be put on hold until
he rules on an application
for an interlocutory
injunction barring INEC
from conducting the polls
and then adjourned the
matter to Tuesday to give
the ruling.
A political party, the
Movement for Restoration
and Defence of Democracy,
MRDD, and its candidate,
Eric Theman, had asked
the court to cancel the
election on the grounds that
the party’s logo is not on
the ballot paper.
Lead counsel to INEC,
Tanimu Inuwa, SAN,
however, prayed the court
to discharge the injunction
on grounds that it has no
jurisdiction to entertain the
case. He cited section 25
subsection 1 of the
Constitution, saying that
“INEC being a federal
organ, challenging its
decision should be through
a federal high court not a
state high court.”
He said the issues being
canvassed before the court
touched on the conduct of
elections and that section
285 subsection 2 of the
Constitution places
conduct of an election in
the purview of election
tribunals. He said that
MRDD has no locus standi
to approach the court
because it has not fulfilled
all the electoral process,
adding that it has no
interest in the case.
Counsel to the PDP
candidate, Ahmadu Fintiri,
Barr. Joseph K Gadzama,
SAN leading other counsel
had filed a motion for Fintiri
to be joined in the suit. Also
counsel to PDP,
Okechukwu Udeze, SAN,
leading others, also
applied for PDP to be joined
in the suit.
Adeyemi Pitan, counsel
to MRDD and Eric
Theman, however,
opposed the motion of the
two parties on grounds that
the two applications were
not served on him in due
time.
INEC ready for rerun in
Kano, to be supported by
three additional RECs
In Kano, the REC, Prof
Riskuwa Shehu, said three
RECs would join him,
assuring that the
commission is ready for the
re-run polls, tomorrow. He
stated that the rerun
election will take place in
28 local government areas
with 75 registration points
in 207 polling units whose
results were all canceled.
A total of 128,324
registered voters are
expected to participate in
the rerun elections in all the
affected areas.
Prof Riskuwa explained
that the cancellations of the
votes in the LGAs were as
a result of violence and
over-voting. 15 LGAs with
116 polling units were
cancelled due to violence,
while 23 LGAs with 91
polling units were
cancelled as a result of
over-voting.
Meanwhile, all sensitive
and non sensitive materials
have been received
accordingly and the
commission will begin
distribution of the materials
to the affected areas Friday
morning.
However, the rerun
election is going to be
supported by three
additional RECs from
Zamfara, Ogun and Kebbi
in persons of Dr Asmau
Maikudi, Prof Ganiyu Raji
and Barr Ahamad Bello
Mahmud respectively.
Security measures have
also been enhanced to