A Civil Society Organization, Partners for Electoral Reforms, has commended the high turnout of voters in the ongoing governorship election in Osun State, SouthWest Nigeria.
Its Chairman, Ezenwa Nwagwu, who is monitoring the election in the state, made the commendation in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.
He said that between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. accreditation and voting had already commenced as people trooped out in orderly manner to exercise their franchise.
“We are coming out from Ife now, accreditation and voting is ongoing. The punctuality is pretty nice in the areas that we have observed between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.
“But generally, people are coming out to vote and the climate is calm and relatively peaceful,’’ he said.
The chairman also commended the relative peaceful atmosphere under which the process is going on.
He, therefore, expressed the need to encourage the people of the state to continue to maintain the maturity they put in during the campaigns and the poll and remain peaceful.
He expressed optimism that the outcome of the election would reflect the will and aspirations of a greater percentage of the people.
“It is good to continue to encourage the people of Osun to maintain the maturity that they put in during the campaigns and ensure that they remain peaceful.
“We hope that the outcome of the election reflects the will and aspirations of a greater percentage of Osun people,’’he said.
NAN reports that a heavy security cordon was thrown on the state with massive deployment of policemen and other security personnel including soldiers who were sighted on the outskirts of the state capital.
NAN also reports that there are 3,010 Polling Units and 755 Polling Points spread across the three senatorial districts and 30 local governments areas of the state.
Although INEC registered a total of 1,682,495 voters, some 400,000 Permanent Voters Cards remained uncollected as at Friday.
NAN also reports that although 48 parties are participating in the election, the frontline candidates are Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples, Democratic Party and Iyiola Omisore of the Social Democratic (SDP
Former Kaduna State Governor, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi has refuted rumours said to be going round that he had anointed some aspirants for some offices, including the governorship ticket of the PDP in Kaduna State.
A statement by his Media Aide in Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria, Mukhtar Sirajo said the Senator has not anointed anybody.
Senator Makarfi’s only preference, the statement emphasised, was for the party to win all available positions in the forthcoming elections.
“This is the more reason why he still encourages the coming together of all the aspirants with a view to forging a common understanding that will pave way for a smooth and successful campaign for whoever eventually emerges as the party’s candidate.
“It will be a big boost if they are able to come to an agreement among themselves so that they can save energy and resources to channel towards the general elections.
“Where however, they fail to come to an agreement, the Senator believes that the democratic rights of all of them must be respected by the party providing a level playing field for all to participate in a free and fair primaries at which party members will freely take a decision,” the statement contends.
Senator Makarfi who wished all aspirants the best, urged delegates to freely exercise their rights.
The Senator representing Southern Kaduna in the National Assembly, Danjuma Laah says the safety, development and progress of the area has been his life pursuit even before given the political mandate by the people.
The Senator stated this in a statement issued by his media team against what he calls “the unusual high interest showed in his candidacy and that of Rt. Hon. Audu Jagaba, assuring both delegates and non-delegates about his desire to run a peaceful, rancour free and charming campaign ahead of the delegate conference
Consequently upon the above, the Senator, called on all sons and daughters of the area ,especially those who are members of the party, the PDP, to campaign with caution and be considerate to every side in the choice and usage of words, adding that at the end ,it is the interest of PDP and Southern Kaduna that counts the most.
The Senator, the statement said, however, appreciates those who have come out to publicly voice their support for him, and assures them that he remains in the race focused and working hard with his team to secure the ticket of the party, believing that the party leadership will remain neutral and give a level playing field for all.
Against this background ,the statement added, Sen, Laah calls on the leadership of the party to try hard to dispel the ugly rumour that it is already one sided in this contest.
He counsels that that doing so will reduce the level of angst among his supporters, delegates, party faithful and even non-party members.
As for the Senator, the statement said, has no reason to doubt the integrity of the leadership of the party, as someone who also has no fears about his victory in the primary polls.
“Senator Laah concedes that just as any other human being, he has not been able to meet the private expectation of many and that hecannot be perfect in all aspects of his assignment just as no human being is 100% complete in everything, he however wants to affirm that whatever shortcoming he may have as a human being, his complete dedication to the pursuit of the liberty, development, peace, security and progress of Southern Kaduna is what he is sure will never be compromised.
“In the pursuit of the aforementioned, he has suffered immeasurable humiliation, harassment, intimidation, including detention, sabotage on his investment, illegal invasion and vandalisation of his home by government forces who also branded him a ‘hater’ of peace in Southern Kaduna. He has been branded enemy of Kaduna state in which the state governor called upon indigenes of Kaduna State to visit violence upon him and the two other Senators from the state. He added that he has been watched upon by security forces as if he was mafia boss simply because he had stood up for what is best for Kaduna State.
“He attracted unexpected strong hostility from Kaduna state government after denouncing the genocide in Southern Kaduna and call upon the people to use legitimate means to defend them in face of the obvious failure of the state to stop the carnage in 2016. According to him, it is in his DNA to speak against tyranny and show affection for the weak and vulnerable especially if they fall under his protection. To this he said, he is ready to sacrifice his comfort and privileges.
“He had borne these sufferings stoically believing that Southern Kaduna was worth going even more sacrifices. That he never got frustrated or distracted from doing all he could to add to the security of Southern Kaduna, attract federal institutions to the place, get some critical federal infrastructures into past budgets which were sadly not executed as a result of the poor implementation of capital projects under the present government, among others.
“Still on the need for peaceful and cordial campaign, the Senator said he has been told by a broad segment of electorates that should the delegates not elect him, there would be mass revolt against party in the general elections in which another party will be the beneficiary. To this, the Senator wants to assure that the PDP reminds the party of choice of Southern Kaduna. That all his supporters and lovers of PDP must not in any way nurse such notions should the outcome not be favourable to them, long as it is the genuine outcome of the delegate. He said even though he is sure of victory, what matters most to him is that whoever emerges the candidate will be embraced by him. He wishes the same thinking is also going on the other camp.
“Finally, the Distinguished Senator wants to caution and warned against certain interest that are infiltrating the party from outside, saying he has been getting steady briefs on the matter, but would rather not elaborate it in the public”, the statement warned
Some governorship aspirants under the platform of the main opposition party in Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria, PDP has passed a vote of no confidence in party’s leadership, headed by a one time Minister of Aviation, Hassan Hyet.
Consequently, the aggrieved Aspirants have therefore called on the national leadership to take over affairs of the party in the state.
At a news briefing in Kaduna on Friday by their Spokesman. Ahmed Maiyaki said “In view of the above, the Forum humbly requests the National leadership of our great party to take “full charge” of the Party’s activities in Kaduna State, in order to rescue the situation and restore the confidence of majority of Party members and loyalists in the state once more,”
The aspirants comprising Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, Mohammed Sani Sidi, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, Muhammed Sani Bello and Shuaibu Idris Mikati, according to the spokesman met and took unanimous decisions to intimate the national leadership of the party with some of the disturbing activities including tampering with the delegates list.
According to the spokesman, prior to and after losing the 2015 general elections, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has never been a more ‘cherished bride’ with the prospects of winning almost all the elective posts in Kaduna State than now with more people willing to join and participate actively in rescuing our state and the nation at large.
The aspirants, Maiyaki said, condemned strongly the activities of the Kaduna State Chairman of Party, Felix Hassan Hyet, who had openly attached himself to one of the gubernatorial aspirants saying, “this is against the norm and the principle of fair play”
“He has, without a sense of decorum, been openly working against the aspirations of the other gubernatorial aspirants in favour of his ‘anointed candidate’ because he has been promised the position of a running,” he said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says 435,015 registered voters in Osun who are yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would not vote.
Mr Olusegun Agbaje, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun, made this known on Friday at a press conference in Osogbo.
Agbaje said 1,246,915 PVCs were collected from INEC by registered voters in the state as at Wednesday when collection of the cards for the election ended.
The commissioner, who said 1,682,495 voters were registered, warned that ” those who are yet to collect their PVCs would not be allowed to vote” .
He gave an assurance that the uncollected PVCs were safe in the commission’s custody, adding that a credible election would hold on Saturday.
Agbaje also warned against vote selling and buying, saying those caught risk imprisonment of one year or N500,000 fine.
He also said those caught violating the secrecy of their votes may be jailed for six months or fined N100,000 or both.
Agbaje, who thanked the media for its support, however, insisted that only INEC could announce election results.
Inspector-General of Nigeria Police, Ibrahim Idris
Inspector-General of Nigeria Police, Ibrahim Idris
By Auwal Ahmad
Gombe State Command of the Nigeria Police says it has arrested the killer of Professor Simon Ocheme Apakwu, a lecturer at the Federal University of Kashere.
Speaking to newsmen in Gombe, North East of the country on Friday, Commissioner of Police, Shins Olukolu said following the killing of Professor Simon Ocheme at his residence in the Federal Low Cost Housing Gombe, preliminary investigations showed hat the deceased driver , named Simon Olocher , aged 25 who served him for only 3 week , master minded the crime.
The Commissioner of Police said, the Command made an immediate contact with the Police Commands in Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue States, while the DSS and the Army in Gombe and Plateau states also assisted and collaborated unconditionally in the intense sustained search for the fleeing driver which led to his arrest in Jos.
He said, the suspect , after killing, went away with the deceased car ,Toyota Corolla red in colour with Registration number RSH 520 SE, unspecified amount of money, two phones and other valuables.
Items recovered from the suspect ,are Bank Cheque of the deceased, ATM cards, Bag containing other miscellaneous personal belongings of the deceased, Toyota car, two blood stained T Shirt, One blood stained white and red towel, Ten sachets of empty 225 grams Tramadol Tablets and National Identity Card of the deceased.
Inspector-General of Nigeria Police, Ibrahim Idris
Inspector-General of Nigeria Police, Ibrahim Idris
By Peter Usman
The Nigeria Police Force says it recovered 9,657 prohibited firearms and 26,994 ammunitions among other dangerous weapons from February 2018 to date from wrong hands including suspected militia and militants across the country in the ongoing mop- up operations.
The operations were carried out in line with the prohibited/illegal firearms and ammunition, specified under Chapter F.28 LFN 2004 Fire Arms Act.
Recovered by the police include, Artillery, Apparatus for the discharge of any explosives of gas diffusing projectile, Rocket weapons, Bombs and Grenades, Machine-Guns and Machine-Pistols.
A statement made available to journalists by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Jimoh Moshood reads “This operation which is still ongoing among other purposes
, is aimed at the full enforcement of the Firearms Act, mopping-up and recovery of all prohibited firearms and illegally acquired weapons
The Spokesman stated that the exercise would enable the Nigeria Police Force deal decisively with herders/farmers clashes, kidnappings, armed robbery, cattle rustling, militancy and terrorism in the country.
The statement reads in part, “The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, on 21st February, 2018 directed the Commissioners of Police of all the State Commands of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja and their Supervisory Assistant Inspectors General of Police of the twelve Zonal Commands in the country, and the Force Headquarters Joint Task Enforcement team to immediately commence simultaneously throughout the Country, the mopping-up, recovery of prohibited firearms, ammunition and weapons in the possession of all suspected Militias, Bandits, Armed Herdsmen and Farmers, Vigilante groups, Neighbourhood watch and other groups or Individual”
Meanwhile, $470,519,889.10 belonging to NNPC Brass/LNG Investment hidden in some commercial banks after the directives of the Federal Government on TS was also recovered.
N8, 807,264,834.96 monies belonging to NNPC Brass/LNG Investmentthat was not remitted to TSA account of the Federal Government and the some of N114, 290,000.00 in relation to the December 10th, 2016, national and state Assembly re-run elections in Rivers State of Nigeria was recovered from 23 INEC electoral officials.
“While the Firearms Mop-up Operations and the recovery of monetary/non-monetary assets of Government are still ongoing, the Nigeria Police Force therefore implores Members of the Public with useful information that will assist the Police to report via the following contacts: DIG Department of Operations: 08037025670, O/C IGP Special Investigation Panel: 08035891859, O/C IGP Monitoring Unit: 08032451594, O/C IGP Intelligence Response Team: 09098049333”
The Embassy of Israel in Nigeria has inaugurated the 1st National Old Testament Bible Contest in Nigeria and Africa at large, to promote the knowledge on peace and reconciliation.
Mr Nadav Goren, Charge D’Affaires, Embassy of Israel in Nigeria, made this known in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
The event with theme: “Living Peacefully in the Promised Land” was organised by Israeli Embassy in collaboration with Israel’s Ministry of Education and the Christians United for Israel, a faith-based organisation.
Goren described the theme of the event to be clear message to Nigerians to be resilient in their opposition to violence throughout the 2019 electoral process and thereafter.
According to him, the event is the first of its kind in both Nigeria and Africa at large.
Goren said “peace and reconciliation are important ideas, which are reflected in the Bible and are particularly relevant today.
“We live in challenging times with conflicts at varying intensity levels in the North East, Middle Belt and South-East region and in the Niger Delta.
“As we near elections here in Nigeria, these tensions are prone to show themselves more and more.”
He explained that the event would be conducted via the internet in three stages and shall commence in October, 2018 in all states of the federation.
The winners at state levels would compete against each other at geo-political zone stage.
Also, the final contest which would be written exam that consist 12 contestants from different geo-political zones would take place in Abuja in November, 2018.
He said that the event is opened to people from 18years and above.
He, however, said that the overall winner and two runner-ups that would emerged would win a trip to Israel, while other contestants would get consolation prizes.
He, however, urged people that are eligible to register through http://retro.education.gov.il/bible-contest-nigeria.html to participate.
