Jalingo (Nigeria) – Report of early results from Taraba State, Northeast Nigeria indicates that the PDP Governorship candidate Darius Ishaku is leading ahead of his APC opponent Aisha Alhassan with wide margins.
Results announced by INEC shows that PDP is leading in Jalingo, Takum, Donga, Ibi, Wukari, Bali, Zing, Lau, Kurmi, Ussa, Karim-Lamido, and Yorro LGAs.
Gombe (Nigeria) – Early results of Gubernatorial elections in Gombe State, Northeast Nigeria are indicating that the incumbent Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo is leading ahead of his major opponent of the APC Inuwa Yahaya.
Reports from Billiri, Dukku, Kaltungo, Gombe, Balanga, Funakaye, Kwami show that Dankwambo is leading by a wide margin
Dankwambo had shortly after casting his vote at Manzo Hassan polling unit in Gombe told journalists that he would accept the result of the elections as an act of God.
He said he was satisfied with the turnout of voters and the conduct of the election.
But his opponent Inuwa Yahaya of the APC, said he would only accept the results of the election if the elections were conducted according to the rules and regulations of the Electoral Act.
He also spoke with journalists shortly after casting his vote at the A.Y.U polling unit, at the Government Science Secondary School, Gombe.
Yahaya also expressed satisfaction with the voters’ turnout in Gombe.
By Bello Adisa
Kaduna (Nigeria) – Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has told contestants in the governorship and state houses of assembly elections to accept the outcome of the polls.
This was as he told the contestants to accept the results by emulating the exemplary step of President Goodluck Jonathan who conceded defeat even before official announcement declaring his opponent, General Muhammadu Buhari winner of the race.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after casting his vote at his polling unit in Kaduna Northwest Nigeria, Sambo said at the end of the race a winner and a loser is bound to emerge.
According to him, “we always believe in the rule of law and whether Muslim or Christian, there is always one person that will be a winner. So, whatever the outcome, Mr President has gave a very good example by been the first to congratulate the President elect, General Muhammadu Buhari and I also did the same.
“It is expected that the President has put another standard into the politics of Nigeria and politics of Africa and believe the standard will be maintained. We are looking forward to all Nigerians to cooperate with this administration even though it will come and go but Nigeria remains.
“All of us can contribute to development of the country whether inside or outside the government. So, the outcome should be taken in good faith and make Nigeria move forward,” VP Sambo said.
On the low turn out witnessed in the polls in Kaduna, Sambo said “I cannot say precisely what is responsible for the low turn out, but it happened like that,”
Kaduna
Africa Prime News observed that there was a general voters apathy within Kaduna metropolis.
At unit 010, Cinema Close Narayi in Kaduna metropolis INEC ad hoc officials were sighted seated, waiting for voters to come out for accreditation.
Africa Prime News gathered that as at 11:45am, only 71 voters out of 450 registered voters of the unit were accredited to cast their votes.
Another report says election materials were received on time in Sarki Street of Unguwan Romi in Kaduna, but only few voters were out to cast their votes.
Africa Prime News reporter who monitored poling unit 024 along Murnona road, Unguwar Sarki GRA reported of similar low turnout of voters in the area.
Gombe
A journalist Titus Usman covering southern Gombe State, Northeast Nigeria reports of massive turnout of voters in the Local Governments.
He said the turn out were higher than what was seen during the presidential elections.
As at the time of writing this report, he had visited some poling units in Billiri, Kaltungo and Balanga LGAs.
Some voters including Lydia Kure and Ishaku Kure in unit 012 located in Lakarai of Banganje in Billiri Local Government of Gombe State told Africa Prime News that more than 70% of voters have turned out in the unit which has 495 registered voters.
Lagos
A voter simply called Mrs Owo at poling unit 011 in Ijesha Street of Olaleye Village Ward In Lagos Mainland described the turnout as not too bad.
She Africa Prime News that it took her less than 2 minutes to accredit, adding that the card reader worked well, “the process was stress-free, ten of my fingers were fingers scanned, there after they checked my details on their records and gave me a paper, then asked me to come at 3:15 pm to cast my vote and when I came, it took me less than a minute to cast my vote.”
Asked on the turn out she said “the turn out was not too bad. I think they gave each voter a separate time to come and cast their vote to avoid congestion, because when I went there were very scanty people. My worry id that people will not be there to witness the counting of the vote.”
By Bello Adisa
Kaduna (Nigeria – Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has since been accredited to vote in the Kaduna Governorship and State House of Assembly election.
VP Sambo who was accompanied by his wife, Hajia Amina Sambo were accredited around 11am at his polling unit, 011 Police College, Kabala Ward.
The VP and his wife accreditation exercise went pretty well as they were accredited within 2 minutes.
Speaking shortly after undergoing the accreditation exercise, VP Sambo commended the INEC officials.
He also described the exercise as a peaceful and orderly.
By Mohammad Ibrahim
Kaduna (Nigeria) – Governor of Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria, Muktar Yero Ramalan has urged electorates to accept result of governorship elections in good faith, saying God gives power to whoever He wills.
Governor Yero who disclosed this shortly after been accreditated at his poliing unit in Zaria city also sues for peaceful poll across d state.
Report says the governor arrived the polling unit accompanied by his wife and security agents.
Hundreds of electorates among them youth cheered him as he waved them at the unit.
Both incumbent Governor Yero and his main rival from the APC opposition party, El-Rufai are from Zaria city.
By Mohammad Ibrahim
Kaduna (Nigeria) – All Progressive Congress Governorship Candidate in Kaduna Northwest Nigeria, Nasir El-Rufai has blamed the Peoples Democratic Party for the low turn out of electorates in the ongoing governorship elections in the state.
It was gathered that there was voters apathy within the metropolis.
The opposition candidate arrived the venue of the accreditation at his 024 polling unit along Murnona road, Unguwar Sarki GRA around 9:55 am.
Fielding question from newsmen, El-Rufai said the electorates were bothered about the PDP thugs.
” People are bothered about the miscreants PDP promised to unleashed on them.
” But we have been assured by the police and army that there will be enough security on ground to forestall any violence.
” So am calling on voters to come out and exercise their civic right.
On his chances El-Rufai said ” APC has a wide acceptance in Kaduna and so we are optimistic that at the end of the day, it’s people that will decide,” he said.
By Bello Adisa
Kaduna (Nigeria) – Crisis has brewed-up in a branch of Nigeria’s Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), a meeting platform of all politics parties in the country.
Kaduna state chapter of IPAC in Northwest Nigeria announced on Wednesday that it had sacked its chairman. But a faction led by the sacked chairman, Captain Abdullahi Mai Kano Sara (rtd), has dismissed the sack and said he still remained the authentic chairman of the council.
Addressing the media in Kaduna, Chairman of Kaduna Alliance, Abdulmalik Abdulrahman, alleged that the purported removal of the chairman was orchestrated by the Kaduna State Government, adding that Governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero financed the removal of the said IPAC chairman.
“We drown at such development consider such purported removal as null and void. The major objective of the removal is to provide an enabling environment to compromise the forth coming gubernatorial election scheduled for April 11, 2015 which will hold in less than forty eight hours.
“The said IPAC chairman has remain resolute and committed in discharging his responsibility to all political parties in Kaduna State. He exhibited a high level of dedication and fairness to all members. He had been approached at several occasions and instances by the so called government in Kaduna state to help manipulate the electoral and political process in the state which he ignored.
“We call in strong terms the state government and any other stakeholder in Kaduna state politics to desist from any activity that will overheat and compromise the fragile political system in the state,” he said.
However in a sharp reaction, the new interim chairman of the council, Musa Idris, said the former chairman, Abdullahi Mai Kano remain sacked and whosoever does any business with him does so at his or her own risk.
“It is pertinent to let the public know that contrary to their claim that the Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero-led government in Kaduna state had finance the removal of the said IPAC chairman in the state, the public should know that IPAC has nothing to do with the government or any of its officials as the council is comprised of men of integrity who are responsible for their action or inaction.