Governor Rochas Okorocha Imo, who was not presented a certificate of return by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC at a ceremony in Abuja today, taunted INEC with some sarcasm.

He suggested that the electoral umpire may be planning a special event to issue him a certificate of return, since it omitted his name from those it issued the certificate.

Okorocha spoke in Abuja on Thursday, while reacting to the omission of his name by INEC.

Though he was said to have won the Imo West Senatorial district election held on Feb. 23, INEC omitted his name from those it issued certificate of return. INEC flagged the Imo West senatorial seat as having been procured under duress.

Okorocha, while debunking the allegation, said some persons that were opposed to his electoral victory were working to rig him out.

However, he said those behind the plot were not smart in executing their agenda to rig him out of the senate race and his son in-law, Uche Nwosu, out of the governorship race.

Okorocha criticised the election of Emeka Ihedioha, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), governorship candidate, saying he fell short of the criteria for election.

He alleged that the PDP candidate did not have the needed spread of 25 percent in two thirds of the the Local Government Areas in the state as required by law.

He stressed that the PDP candidate ought not to have been declared winner of the polls.

The Imo Governor also said that he was aware that his travails was because some persons were beginning the fight for the future today.

I was conspicuously absent from the certificates issuance ceremony.

I was not there because INEC has removed my name from the list of elected Senators, having been declared the winner by the zonal returning officer. I am actually waiting to hear why INEC struck my name out.

I think probably, INEC must be trying to do something special, because I understand that once results have been declared and returns made, then you are bound to be issued a certificate of return,he said.

He added that he was in dark as to why the commission exempted him from the ceremony and why he was not invited to collect his certificate of return.

Maybe, INEC would want to organise a special programme for me to hand over this certificate of return to me, because clearly, I won and it was a peaceful election, the best you can ever think of,he said.

He said the allegations in some quarters that he was declared winner of the election under duress as claimed by INEC could not be true.

I do not understand what that means, because there was nothing of such. How can you put somebody on duress to declare you the winner of an election that you have already won

It is not true, but I must let the world understand that this is a game that is being played.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Imo is playing a script, and the script is so funny, it is so cruel and crude actually and they are executing it in a funny way.

I understand that people are beginning to fight a war of the future now when we are not even yet there.

The idea is that, do not give Rochas a certificate; you must slow him down until after they have elected the presiding officers, then you can let him come in,he said.

He added that the idea was to also ensure that he does not become anything in the Senate and to make sure that his governorship candidate son in-law does not emerge winner.

Okorocha further added that his political opponents wanted to cripple him politically before 2023.

I will advise INEC to do the right thing, to release my certificate so that I can celebrate as others. I want to be in the Senate and it will be interesting if I am there Okorocha said.

He advised that INEC should not allow his political opponents to use it as an instrument to achieve their desires.

Source: NAN

Governor Rochas Okorocha has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue him with certificate of return as the senator-elect for Imo West.

He made the appeal at a press conference in Abuja today.

I will advise INEC to do the right thing, to release my certificate so that I can celebrate as others. I want to be in the Senate and it will be interesting if I am there Okorocha said.

He urged INEC not to allow itself manipulated by his political opponents, who he said, wanted to freeze him out politically.

Okorocha was not invited by INEC to a ceremony in Abuja where certificates of return were presented to all senators elect and members of the House of Representatives. Okorocha was declared winner of Imo West two weeks ago, amidst claims by the returning officer, Professor I. Ibeabuchi that he made the declaration under duress.

INEC appeared to have upheld the submission and omitted Okorochas name from the list of senators-elect invited to Abuja.

Okorocha said his travails are connected to the politics of 2023 and that his opponents are already conspiring to close him out.

I understand that people are beginning to fight a war of the future now when we are not even yet there.

The idea is that, do not give Rochas a certificate; you must slow him down until after they have elected the presiding officers, then you can let him come in,he said.

He added that the idea was to also ensure that he does not become anything in the Senate and to make sure that his governorship candidate son in-law does not emerge winner.

Okorocha ended his conference with some sarcasm, suggesting that INEC excluded from todays event for a bigger event.

I think probably, INEC must be trying to do something special, because I understand that once results have been declared and returns made, then you are bound to be issued a certificate of return,he said.

Maybe, INEC would want to organise a special programme for me to hand over this certificate of return to me, because clearly, I won and it was a peaceful election, the best you can ever think of,he said.

Source: NAN

The Foursquare Gospel Church has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his re-election.

The congratulatory message is contained in a letter to the President by the General Overseer of the Church, Rev Felix Meduoye.

According to Mr. Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), Meduoye wrote the letter on behalf of the Board of Directors, leadership and entire worshippers of Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria.

“Your victory at the presidential poll held on Saturday February 23, 2019 is a testimony of God’s divine providence over your life.

“We commend your administration for providing the enabling environment for a generally peaceful and successful election.

“We urge you to see your renewed presidential mandate as a call from all Nigerians to you to marshal the growth, unity and stability of our dear country.

“We therefore pray that God will enable you to utilize this God-given mandate to continue to forge a strong, virile and united Nigeria irrespective of race, religion or region.

“As a Church, we will continue in our duty of offering prayers for the success of your administration, for your sound health and for divine wisdom to guide you in lifting the country to the desired level of growth, development and progress.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission has decided to resume from Tuesday, the collation of the governorship election result in Bauchi State and may declare the winner of the poll, hitherto ruled as inconclusive.

The commission announced the decision in a press statement on Friday night after resolving some issues around the result of Tafawa Balewa local government and some polling units in Ningi local government.

INEC did not state whether by the decision, the scheduled supplementary election on 23 March has been cancelled.

According to INEC, the number of cancelled votes in four polling units in Ningi Local Government was 2,533 and not 25,330 as recorded.

On Tafawa Balewa Local Government election result, where collation was disrupted by armed gangs, affecting 7 out of 11 registration areas for governorship and 6 out of 11 for state assembly elections, INEC said a committee set up, has found that the results in polling units and registration areas are available and in safe custody.

INEC thus decided to resume the resumption and conclusion of the collation of results of the council area for both the governorship and state assembly elections

A new collation and returning officer for Tafawa Balewa has been appointed to continue and conclude the collation process in place of the original collation officer, who withdrew from the exercise citing threats to her life and those of her family members. The collation officer was Dominion Anosike.

The governorship election in Bauchi state is a straight fight between incumbent Mohammed Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress and former minister, Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Bala was said to have won the Tafawa Balewa Local government election, putting him in an overall lead of his APC counterpart, but the INEC returning officer, Professor Mohammed Kyari, declared the election inconclusive.

In declaring the election inconclusive, Kyari, gave the scores of incumbent governor as 465,453 votes and Bala Mohammed of PDP as 469,512 votes.

The margin between the winner and opponent is less than the total number of votes cancelled in some polling units.By law, since the margin of winner is less than the total number of votes cancelled and registered voters in the areas where the votes have been cancelled, this elections is hereby declared inconclusive, he said.

He said his decision was in line with section 26 part 53 of the Electoral Act.

With INEC adopting the result of the Tafawa Balewa local council and amending the result for four polling units in Ningi Local government, the PDP believes that its candidate has won the election.

Read INECs decision on Bauchi governorship election:

Source: NAN

Chief Gbenga Daniel, a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Governor of Ogun State and Director-General of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, has resigned from partisan politics.

Daniel conveyed his resignation in a letter dated March 14, 2019 to the Chairman of the Party, Mr. Uche Secondus,

He said he took the decision based on the desire to immerse himself in some other vocations and to take on some new challenges.

My decision in this regard is entirely personal to me and having served in various capacities, including as Governor of Ogun State, I have resolved to immerse myself in some other vocations and take on some new challenges, he said.

The 62-year-old politician was governor of Ogun State from 29 May 2003 to 29 May 2011, making him the longest-serving governor of the state, a record that the incumbent, Ibikunle Amosun would match by May 29, 2019.

He founded the Nigerian Compass, a daily newspaper and also Kresta Laurel, a company he started in 1990.

Daniels last political engagement was his appointment as the Director-General of Atiku Campaign Organisation in preparation for the February 23 presidential election.

Atiku was defeated by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

Incumbent President Buhari polled 15,191,847 votes to defeat Atiku, who had 11,262,978 votes

Daniel is a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

He taught briefly as a lecturer in the School of Engineering of Lagos State Polytechnic.

The letter which was copied to His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar and Chairman, Board of Trustees (PDP) is produced hereunder:

14th March, 2019
The National Chairman,
Peoples Democratic Party,
Wadata Plaza, Michael Okpara Street
Wuse Zone II, Abuja

Mr. Chairman,

This is to inform you of my intention to resign from active and partisan politics with effect from today, the 14th day of March, 2019.

My decision in this regard is entirely personal to me and having served in various capacities, including as Governor of Ogun State, I have resolved to immerse myself in some other vocations and take on some new challenges.

Preamble
My Political Journey so far

I joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State on Sunday, the 9th of September, 2001 at an event which was described as one of the most ceremonial political rallies in our recent political history in the South Western part of Nigeria.

We rose from that rally to create a highly robust and effective political campaign machinery which resulted in an electoral victory for the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State in 2003; this movement and vibration affected the politics of the region positively with a victory in five (5) states of the South West.

2. I served as Governor of Ogun State for eight (8) years and our administration till today remains a point of reference in terms of physical, social, economic, educational and human capital development since the State was created in 1976.

3. Notwithstanding these widely acclaimed achievements however, our party, the Peoples Democratic Party ran into trouble waters towards the end of our administration (about the year 2009) which led to the sad loss in the election of 2011, and regrettably ten (10) years after the party has been unable to resolve those internal disputes and challenges.

4. Meanwhile, the PDP in Ogun State was confronted with a very difficult situation in matter of choice. Whereas the national leadership of our party, recognized one candidate for the 2019 election, by court pronouncements another candidate, and in compliance with those court orders, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognized was on the INEC list. The candidates recognized by INEC were not acceptable to the national leadership of the party.

Our situation was then compounded because the candidate which the court and INEC recognized and accepted as valid has also been expelled by the party. This was the dilemma we found ourselves as we approached the March 9, 2019 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

5. Going forward, we have responded to the yearnings of our people and joined others in emplacing an administration that we believe will better serve the interests of our people than what currently exists. The rest they say is now history.

6. I must say that looking back, I do not have any regrets over that patriotic choice and decision, especially as several of our citizens, leaders and stakeholders in the state and outside have commended that singular action. Many stakeholders within and outside Ogun State feel fulfilled, excited and grateful about our decision to join others in putting a stop to a regime that was believed to be against the collective and general welfare of our people.

7. Let me also add, that in the last few months, I have had one of the rare privileges of traveling round the entire length and breadth of our great country on at least two occasions; the first being during my campaigns to become the National Chairman of our great party, and later as the Director General of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organization (APCO).

8. I must sincerely admit that in the course of all these travels, I have built a network of contacts, of friends and associates in a mutually rewarding relationships which I cherished most and greatly too. I am therefore persuaded that I have fewer points to make and prove in my Political journeys in partisan politics.

9. My decision to quit partisan politics notwithstanding, I have decided to rejuvenate my charity based organization, the Gateway Front Foundation (GFF) which will literally continue to dispense succor to our people in need, address and assist in the areas of some of their health challenges; I also plan on resuscitation of the non-partisan Political Leadership Academy (POLA) which I established some years ago as a platform of political education to our citizens.

10. Without doubt, I will miss the company of my friends and associates and all those relationships I built in the course of the years all over the country..
    While I crave for your kind understanding, accept assurances of my highest regards.
    Yours faithfully,

Governor of Ogun State (2003-2011).

Cc:
His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar GCON
Chairman, Board of Trustees (PDP)

Source: NAN

Governor-elect of Kwara, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has promised to interface with the police to ensure that those implicated in Offa robbery were promptly prosecuted.

He said that he would ensure that the judicial process was logically concluded and perpetrators brought to book.

Abdulrazaq made the pledge at a media briefing on Sunday night in Ilorin where he delivered his acceptance speech amidst All Progressive Congress (APC) party supporters.

He noted that the state had become so insecure to the extent that banking operations had been suspended in the entire Kwara South senatorial zone, after the Offa robbery saga,

This development is seriously affecting the economic development in the zone. We will interface with the Police to address the challenge of insecurity

The Offa robbery where 33 people were killed, based on police investigation was linked to top government officials, he said.

He also pledged that his administration will be accountable to the people and will not steal or loot the states treasury.

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially declared Abdulrazaq of APC winner of the Saturday governorship election having polled a total of 331,546 votes to defeat Abdulrazaq Atunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 114,754 votes.

APC also won all the 24 seats in the Kwara House of Assembly.

The governor-elect said that his administration would interface with the people across the three senatorial zones of the state from bottom to top and ensure that the people determine what government would do for them.

He said his government would be people-oriented because it was the first time since 1999 that Kwara peoples votes counted and their will come to pass.

Abdulrazaq said that in line with the party manifesto, his administration would place priority attention to security, agriculture, education and infrastructure development.

Abdulrazaq said that Kwara being an agrarian state, his administration would pay attention to farming and agro processing.

Specifically, he said the state would among other crops, increase cashew production and processing for export to create employment and increase internally generated revenue.

The governor-elect lamented the poor state of infrastructure in public schools in the state as well as non-payment of salaries of teachers and other civil servants, and assured to reverse the trend.

We will set up a transition committee that will interface with the government and we will have a forensic audit of the paying system to formulate new policies.

We will organise health care summit. Education summit and special summit on how to improve the state infrastructure, he said.

Abdulrazaq reassured the traditional institution in the state that, contrary to the news making the round, his administration will not demote any traditional ruler but will work with them and count on their useful advice. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Collation and announcement of results have been suspended in Imo following protests at the INEC collation centre in Owerri on Monday.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that trouble started when the returning officer from Ideato South was asked by the Imo REC Prof. Francis Ezeonu to commence the announcement of Ideato South result.

No sooner had the returning officer sat down to announce the result than the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agent, Mr Uche Onyeagocha, and his counterparts Paschal Onwukaike of Democratic Alternative (DA) and Steve Asimobi of Redemption Party (RP) protested the announcement of the results from Ideato South.

This led to an argument where Onyeagocha alleged that the Ideato South result favoured the Action Alliance candidate with an outrageous figure and as such should not be announced.

A verbal altercation among PDP, AA, AD and RP agents culminated in the tearing of the governorship election results for Ideato South.

Onyeagocha also while rejecting the announcement of the results, claimed that the PDP and other party agents were intimidated at the Ideato South LGA collation centre and prayed that the REC cancel the result.

In the midst of the violence that ensued, Onyeagocha and the others were arrested by the security operatives present while Ezeonu and the Imo Returning Officer, Prof. Francis Otonta were whisked away to safety.

This led to the suspension of announcement of results in Imo.

NAN reports that before the fracas, results from 11 councils had been announced in the state.

Results from 16 councils are still being awaited.

Source: NAN

Malam Nasir El-Rufai has thanked the people of Kaduna state, after he was announced Monday as the winner of the governorship election that took place on 9 March.

Alhamdulillah! We campaigned vigorously on our record and continuously prayed for God to choose the best leader for Kaduna State even if that choice is someone else!! God has decided. We are grateful to over 1 million Kaduna voters through whom He made us the choice, he wrote on his Twitter handle.

Announcing the result on Monday in Kaduna, the State Returning Officer, Prof. Muhammed Yahuza Bello said, El-Rufai, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, scored 1,045,427 votes to emerge winner.

He said the candidate, Alhaji Isah Ashiru of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 814,168 votes

Bello said Malam Nasiru El-Rufai haven fulfilled all the requirements of the law, and scored the highest votes is hereby declared winner of the Kaduna State governorship election.

Bello said the APC won in 14 LGs while the PDP won in nine LGs that make up 23 LGs in the State.

According to him, the APC won in Ikara,Kubau,Makarfi, Kudan , Giwa, Kauru and Soba local government areas.

The APC also won in Lere, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna North and Sabon Gari, Igabi, Kaduna South, Zaria LGs.

While the opposition PDP won in nine local government areas, including Kajuru,Kaura, Jaba, Kachia, Zango Kataf, Sanga, Kagarko, Jemaa and Chikun LGAs.

The results are as follows:

1.Ikara Local government

APC:41,969

PDP:22,553

2.Kubau Local government

APC:57,182

PDP:17,074

3.Kajuru Local government

APC:10,229

PDP:34,658

4.Kaura Local government:

APC:8,342

PDP:38,764

5.Makarfi local government:

APC:34,956

PDP:22,301

6.Jaba Local government:

APC:6,298

PDP:22,976

7.Kudan Local government:

APC:28,624

PDP:22,022

8.Giwa Local government

APC:51,455

PDP:19,834

9.Kauru Local government

APC:34,844

PDP:31,928

10.Kachia Local government

APC:30,812

PDP:51,780

11. Soba Local government

APC:55,046

PDP:25,440

12.Sanga Local Government
APC 20,806
PDP 21,226

13. Zango Kataf Local Government
    APC 13,448
    PDP 87,546
    14 Kaduna North Local Government
    APC 97,243
    PDP 27,665
    15.Birnin Gwari Local Government
    APC 32,292
    PDP 16,901
    16.Chikun Local Government
    APC 24, 262
    PDP 86, 251
    17.Sabon Gari Local Government
    APC 57,655
    PDP 25,519
    18.Lere Local Government
    APC 71,056
    PDP 45,215
14. Jemaa Local Government
    APC 21,265
    PDP 63,129
15. Kagarko Local government
    APC 21,982
    PDP 26,643
    21.Kaduna South Local government
    APC 102,612
    PDP 31, 429
    22.Igabi Local government
    APC 102,035
    PDP 37, 948
    23.Zaria Local government
    APC 111,014
    PDP 35,356

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 38 political parties fielded candidates the Kaduna State Governorship poll.

NAN reports that the ruling APC, the PDP, PRP, SDP and APGA were most prominent among the Political Parties participated in the March 9poll in the state.

Source: NAN

The Adamawa Chapter of the All Progressives Congress(APC) has rejected the result of Saturdays governorship election in some local government areas in the state.

Mustafa Salihu, APC National Vice Chairman, North East, announced the rejection on Monday in Yola.

Salihu, who was the state collation officer of Presidential and Governorship elections, alleged that the governorship election that was declared inconclusive by INEC was full of irregularities.

We want to bring into the notice of the public serious irregularities associated with the just concluded governorship election. As a party, we reject this result in totality.

Because there are evidences that voting process were compromised, in a lot of Polling Units, Card Readers were not used. There were over voting and our agents were chased away, Salihu said.

He said the party had petitioned INEC on the election process from polling units, wards, local government and the state level but the petition was rejected.

He listed the areas where he alleged the irregularities took place to include Demsa, Lamurde, Numan ,Guyuk, Michika and Madagali Local Government areas.

Salihu alleged that the polling units that INEC declared the Saturdays governorship election inconclusive covered just one per cent of polling units and urged the commission to expand its investigation to cover more areas.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that INEC on Monday announced that Saturdays governorship election in the state was inconclusive because the number of votes cancelled was higher than the margin between the leading PDP candidate and the first runner up APC candidate. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Shuaib Sadiq/Kaduna

Alhaji Isah Ashiru, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kaduna has rejected the outcome of the election, which favours Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

The PDP candidate who lost to Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai, candidate of the All progressives Congress (APC), said he has substantial evidence showing that the election was manipulated.

Announcing the result on Monday in Kaduna, the State Returning Officer, Prof. Muhammed Yahuza Bello said, El-Rufai, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, scored 1,045,427 votes to emerge winner. Alhaji Isah Ashiru of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 814,168 votes.

Ashiru called for outright cancellation of the results, alleging gross irregularities in some local government areas of the state.

According to him, reports obtained by his party agents across the state revealed that the elections were marred by a lot of irregularities.

It is on the basis of these established irregularities that our party in a petition to the state Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC rejected the results and called for its outright cancellation.

It is important for you to note that available reports have shown that smart card readers were not used during the elections in a lot of polling units, he said.

The PDP candidate listed areas affected by the alleged irregularities as Giwa, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna North, Igabi, Zaria, Lere and Ikara Local Government Areas.

It is our firm belief that the non usage of the card readers which is a violation of the electoral guidelines have rendered the results from these areas invalid.

Another issue of concern to our party was the clear militarisation of the electoral process in various part of the state, he said.

Ashiru said the disparity between the number of votes obtained by the APC in the presidential elections and that of the governorship elections was another cause for concern.

How could the people of Kaduna State be convinced the APC will earn more votes during the governorship elections than it got in the presidential elections, he asked

INECs Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Kaugama Abdullahi has confirmed receiving a petition against the outcome of the governorship poll from the PDP.

Abdullahi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the PDP had requested to inspect the election materials used during the poll in the state.

He said the commission had already directed its legal department to take necessary actions on the petition since the request is within the law.

Source: NAN