November 17, 6:57 am Some results from the polling units Ozioma Ubabukoh Umuaturu/Ifiteani Ward in Enugwu-Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area: APGA – 126; PDP – 97; APC – 17; and LP – 1. Ogidi Town, Idemili North Local Government Area (Polling Unit 009): APC – 58; APGA – 25; PDP – 22; and LP – 4. Bureau of Land Survey (Polling Unit 0028): APGA – 20; APC – 10; PDP – 8; LP – 2. Permanent Site, behind Government House: APGA – 55; PDP – 43; APC – 6; PPA – 5; CPP – 2; and LP – 1. Ahocol Estate Phase One (Polling Unit 004): APC – 51; APGA – 50; PDP – 17; and LP – 8 Bureau of Land Survey (Polling Unit 002): PPA 1; APGA – 25; APC – 16; and PDP – 11. November 16, 8:12 pm Voters blame INEC over lapses as voting ends NAN s voting gradually ends in some parts of Anambra, some electorate, including the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Dr Edozie Aroh, have criticised the lapses witnessed in the exercise. Aroh blamed the lapses on the poor dispatch of materials and personnel by INEC, adding that any result from the area would not be acceptable to them. In Abatete, in Idemili Local Government Area, NAN reports that neither materials nor INEC officials were seen in the area. Reacting to the situation, Mr Onataluchi Ogwuikpor, a voter who said he had been at the community hall since morning, expressed worry over the situation. “We are confused; nothing is happening; we have been at Eke-Abatete since 7 a.m.There have been movement of vehicles in and out of this place; all I wanted to do was to cast my vote and go home but I cannot do that.” At Ifite-Abatete voting unit, only three people voted before they revolted on the grounds that there were no result sheets. Corroborating the Abatete situation, the commissioner expressed sadness that voting had not commenced as at 3.30 p.m. “It is a poor showing by INEC; in spite of decentralising the distribution of materials to ensure easy access, we still did not get materials; people are protesting; they insist they won’t vote without the result sheets in place. “We suspect foul play because materials should have been in place by 9 a.m.; they said that the corps members were on strike, among other reasons. “If results are released for Abatete, it will not be acceptable to us here,” the commissioner said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in Nimo Wards 1 & 3 and Enugu-Ukwu Ward 2 voting had ended and unit results released. Similarly, at Agu-Ukwu Nri, where Mrs Ego Okafor, the Transition Chairman of Anocha Local government Council, voted, results were already being collated under a peaceful atmosphere. Okafor said that the process commenced on schedule although there was a low turnout of voters. In Otolo, Nnewi, voting had also ended while most of the results from the polling centres in Awka South were being compiled at the council’s headquarters. However, in Obosi, Idemili North local Government Area, there was no INEC presence till 4 p.m. Consequently, the community refused to participate in the process, stressing that accreditation was supposed to have started at 8 a.m. and ended at 12.30 p.m., while voting was billed to have commenced at 12.30 p.m. and ended 4 p.m. Mr Victor Egbunam, a resident in Obosi, expressed disappointment in INEC, which had earlier assured the people of a free and credible election. Egbunam said that INEC had no reason not to provide facilities for election in Idemili, considering the smooth road network in the area. “I consider this action of INEC as sabotage and a show of incompetency.” Meanwhile, the INEC Public Relations Officer in Anambra, Mr Frank Egbo, told NAN that election would hold in Obosi on Nov. 17, but did not indicate whether other areas where there complaints would also be covered. November 16, 7:17 pm Celebration in Awka as APGA takes over lead Ozioma Ubabukoh The streets in Awka are getting busy as residents in the capital city are right now trooping out to celebrate the victory of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in the Anambra guber polls. The business people are gradually opening up shops, thereby defying the curfew order that should end by 10pm. Before now, the PDP was in early lead. November 16, 5:03 pm Anambra election: Counting is ongoing Ozioma Ubabukoh, Awka Counting is ongoing in most of the polling booths and from our correspondent’s observation, the Peoples Democratic Party is leading. The PDP and All Progressives Grand Alliance dominate the ballot papers, while supporters of the All Progressives Congress are still in shock. November 16, 5:01 pm PDP in early lead Ozioma Ubabukoh, Awka Reports reaching our correspondent says the Peoples Democratic Party has won in a ward in the Anambra State guber polls. Early results show that the PDP won in a ward at Nanka town in Orumba North Local Government Area. A source said that the party is also leading in other wards in the area, and there are shouts of “Tony Nwoye, Tony Nwoye…” In the area. November 16, 5:00 pm Gov. Obi restricted to Gov’s lodge by security agents Ozioma Ubabukoh, Awka In spite of the immunity enjoyed by Gov. Peter Obi and his being the Chief Security Officer of Anambra State, he has been prevented from moving freely around the state because of the governorship election. When journalists visited the Government Lodge, Obi was busy treating his files. When he was asked while he was not moving around, he disclosed that security men asked him not to as a result of the restrictions of movement imposed on the state for peaceful election. Obi who however left the Lodge at 11:50am for accreditation at his house in Agulu had to do so with police clearance. None of his security aides followed him as police men on election duty escorted him to the place and back to the lodge. Obi said he had no problem with the arrangement. He said he would support any measure taken to guarantee free and fair election at all times. He said he had no idea while the restriction should affect him as the Chief Security Officer, but stated that it was part of the sacrifice for the sanctity of the electoral process. Commenting on the restriction of Mallam Nasir El- Rufai, Obi who confessed to hearing about that for the first time, wondered what he left from Katsina to come and do in Anambra State. The Anambra State governor said though the restriction affected everybody and should be understood as part of measures to ensure free and fair election, he wondered why some Nigerians enjoy putting up reckless behaviour that would only lead to lawlessness and put Nigeria into Disrepute. He said even if his party wanted to monitor, that they have capable people from the South-East that would do that. Obi said that as an APGA chieftain, that he would not expect to go to Katsina to monitor election, except it were presidential election. “If El-Rufai wanted to monitor election, he should apply properly through the Independent National Electoral Commission and get accredited and not putting up reckless behaviour that bing bad name to the country,” Obi said. November 16, 1:55 pm APGA billboard causes accreditation delay at polling unit NAN Accreditation of voters was delayed in Aguleri on Saturday as INEC officials insited that a billboard of one of the parties in the Anambra governorship election be pulled down. The billboard of the APGA governorship candidate, Mr Willy Obiano, and his running mate, Dr Okeke Chukwukaodinaka, was mounted metres away from the polling unit near the Aguleri roundabout, contrary to electoral laws. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC regulations do not allow for campaigns or posters of candidates near election grounds 24 hours to the election. INEC adhoc officials who arrived at the polling unit before 8 a.m. for accreditation of voters, insisted that the billboard be dismantled before anything could be done. Similarly, some members of the electorate at the unit protested the presence of the billboard and insisted that it must be brought down. The presiding officer for Unit 004 told NAN that there was no way she could allow the accreditation with the billboard just a few metres from the unit. “This billboard is so conspicous that it is against our mandate as electoral officers. I can only continue with this election when the billboard is dismantled,” she said. She confirmed that those on ground for the accreditation had appealed to her to move the polling unit to a nearby space that would not show the billboard but she had declined. “My reasons are simply because this polling unit is where we registered the voters and I cannot move to another point without superior directive. “I have spoken to my supervisory presiding officer who said I should remain at my assigned unit,” she said. The APGA agent for the unit, Mr Peter Nneli, explianed that the billboard was erected long before the election. “This billboard is not for the purpose of campaign and cannot be easily dismantled,” Nneli said. Accreditation eventually kicked off in the unit at 10.25 a.m, more than two hours behind shedule after the billborad was dismantled by youths from the town. November 16, 1:53 pm Soldiers arrest 25 men for violating no-movement order NAN Soldiers on Saturday arrested 25 young men on the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway for violating the no-movement order following the Anambra Governorship Election currently ongoing. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that soldiers stationed at the Abba Junction in Njikoka Local Government Area arrested and detained the men, who are of voting age, around 7.30 a.m. Lt. A.O. Quadri, who led the team at the checkpoint, told NAN that the men were arrested for violating the movement restriction order. “You can see that they are all of voting age and claimed they are coming from Enugu with different stories. “Some of them claimed they are coming from church while the other boys said they are going to onitsha to vote. “We kept them here because they have not really committed a crime but their two story versions are not only suspicious but do not justify their moviing from Enugu to Onitsha on election day,” Quadri said. He said their directive was to detain anyone in violation of the order and release them after the election. Attempts to speak with the detainees who sat on the ground under the watch of the soldiers was not allowed. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the major political parties have been accusing one another of plots to import mercenaries to vote with purchased voters’ cards. The no-movement order imposed on the state started at midnight and will end at 10 p.m. on Saturday. November 16, 1:33 pm APC alleges shortage of electoral materials in strongholds Mudiaga Affe The All Progressives Congress has raised the alarm over the late or non delivery of voting materials to the party’s strongholds during the ongoing governorship election in Anambra State, describing the action as a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise the party’s supporters and make the election anything but free and fair. In a statement issued from the party’s election situation room in Lagos on Saturday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also said early reports from the state indicate a pattern of harassment of its members and the violation of INEC guidelines, among others, asking Nigerians to take note. It specifically decried the continued harassment of its Deputy National Secretary, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai by armed State Security Service (SSS) personnel, since he arrived at Awka on Friday night for the election. APC said apart from restricting Mallam el-Rufai to the Finotel Hotel where he is staying, the SSS personnel also barged into the hotel’s restaurant while he was eating and collected the phones of everyone there, apparently to prevent their pictures from being taken as they laid a siege on the hotel. ”These SSS personnel claimed to be acting on orders from above. Whoever gave them the order, we in the APC believe it is illegal to prevent a duly accredited top official of a party involved in an election from moving around to monitor the election. He has a right to be at the election as our Deputy National Secretary,” the party said. It also decried a situation in which a polling unit is situated right under the billboard bearing the pictures of APGA candidate Willie Obiano and his running mate in Aguleri, in clear violation of INEC guidelines. November 16, 12:40 pm Late Accreditation at Umuchu, Agwata LGA Mudiaga Affe Accreditation started in Umuchu, Agwata LGA after 11am. At the civic centre Umuchu ward 1, voters were seen waiting for the process to commence. Presiding officials declined comments on the cause of the late start. Candidate of the PPA, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, was accredited at about 11.25am. When asked if he suspected foul play due to late arrivals of materials, he said, “it is too early to suspect foul play. At the moment, there is the general complaints of this late arrival of materials in Agwata.” November 16, 12:25 pm Armed men defy IG’s order Mudiaga Affe Despite the stern warning issued by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, security orderlies still followed their principals with arms to polling units. At the Aguluzoigbo townhall wars 1 in Anaocha LGA, where the national chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, cast his vote, plain cloths security officers armed with riffles were observede to have escorted their principal to the unit for accreditation. No fewer than eight security personnel had followed Umeh fully armed to the polling unit. Meanwhile, there was no visible number of security monitoring team to arrest the erring personnel as promised by the IG when the o rder was given. November 16, 11:31 am APGA alerts INEC over absence of polling units in Nteje, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State Mudiaga Affe National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, has raised the alarm over the absence of two controversial polling units in Nteje, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State. Chairman of INEC, Prof Attahiru Jega, had during a stakeholders forum said two polling units would be relocated from a forest in the Nteje axis to an area inhabited by people. But speaking shortly after accreditation at about 11am in unit 17 located at Aguluzigbo townhall ward 1 in Anaocha LGA, Umeh said his party had formally complained to INEC that the relocated polling units could not be traced. “I got a call from Oyi LGA that the planned relocated polling units from a forest in Nteje to the town could not be traced. INEC had promised relocating it but nothing is there,” he said. He, however, expressed satisfaction over the feelers on peaceful conduct he had so far received from the field. Meanwhile, as at 11am, no fewer than 100 voters had been accredited in the two polling units (17 snd 18) located at the Aguluzigbo townhall ward 1 in Anaocha LGA. November 16, 10:12 am SSS officials harass El-Rufai Ozioma Ubabukoh, Awka Former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has been harassed by men of the State Security Service in Awka, the Anambra State capital. El-Rufai is in Awka for the Anambra State governorship election. He arrived yesterday night, and as soon as SSS officials sighted him, they halted him and held him hostage for about two hours. The former minister told PUNCH that he would give details of his ordeal with the SSS after the election. He is currently moving around the state monitoring the election with other top officers of the All Progressives Congress. November 16, 8:14 am Ngige disowns text announcing Obiano’s disqualification Mudiaga Affe The Chris Ngige Campaign Organsation has dismissed reports that it sent bulk text messages announcing the purported disqualification of the candidate of. All. Progressive Grand. Alliance, Chief Willie Obiano. It, however, insisted that Obiano registered twice, describing it as breach of the electoral act. A statement issued Saturday by the interim spokesperson for the All Progressive Congress, Mr. Okelo Madukaife, described the allegation as baseless. The statement read, “The Chris Ngige Campaign Organsation is aware of a news report suggesting that our organisation may have issued bulk short messages announcing the disqualification of Chief Willie Obiano of APGA from the Anambra State governorship election holding today. “We wish to distance ourselves from that accusation and note that nothing can be further from the truth. We know if for a fact that the APGA candidate is registered twice, has his name appearing twice on the voter register and is therefore in breach of the electoral law regarding double-registration.” It further said “We have had reasons in the apt to call for his investigation, arrest and prosecution, but at those moments, we advisedly did not call for his disqualification. This is verifiable from the records. If at those moments, we did not call for his disqualification, when we could, given the unassailable information available to us, it is most unlikely that we would be indulging in the self- help of announcing his disqualification.” November 14, 9:15 pm TMG deploys 633 observers for poll, hails INEC Emmanuel Obe, Awka The Transition Monitoring Group is deploying 633 observers to monitor Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State. The Chairman of TMG, Mr. Ibrahim Zikirullahi, told a press briefing in Awka on Thursday that 600 of its trained monitors would be sent in pairs to 300 polling units to monitor the election. He said TMG would at six designated times send its reports out about the situation at the polling units. “Based on these reports, TMG will also be able to verify the accuracy of the official results as announced by INEC to ensure that the results are not tampered with between the polling unit and the collation centre,” he said. The TMG boss praised the Supreme Court that was able to determine the candidacy of the Peoples Democratic Party on time to ensure that every legitimate party presented a candidate for the election. He however noted with concern the spate of litigation on party primaries. “TMG urges political parties to practice internal democracy in order to stem the current judicialisation of Nigerian politics. Party candidates should adopt the spirit of sportsmanship where they have failed to win in a transparent and credible manner,” he said. TMG appealed to security agencies to be impartial in the discharge of their duties during the election. “On no account should security personnel take over or participate in the conduct of the elections,” Zikirullahi said. November 14, 9:05 pm Court adjourns suit on Obiano’s double registration to January Emmanuel Obe, Mudiaga Affe and Ozioma Ubabukoh, Awka The Federal High Court sitting in Awka on Thursday adjourned hearing in a suit filed to disqualify the All Progressives Grand Alliance candidate in Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, till January 16, 2014. The suit, filed by an Onitsha-based lawyer, Mr. Jezie Ekejiuba, is seeking the disqualification of Obiano from contesting the election for apparently registering twice as a voter, an offence punishable under the Electoral Act. Obiano had earlier registered at Ward 2 Polling Unit 060 – Junction of Ramot Oluwakemi Street, Kosofe Local Government Area of Lags State, with Voter Identification Number 90 F5B12B01296204172. The APGA candidate is said to have registered in Anambra State as Obiano, Maduabuchi Willie with Voter’s Card Registration Number VIN 90F 5012088377091121 (PU 01/01/01/001) issued on August 11, 2012. When the matter came up for hearing at the Court 1 of the FHC, on Thursday, the presiding judge, Justice I.B. Gafai, granted an exparte order of substituted service on Obiano and APGA as prayed by the plaintiff. The case was adjourned to January 16, 2014, two months after the November 16, governorship election would have been concluded for hearing of motion to produce documents, nomination form, affidavits sworn to by Obiano and his voter’s card for the election by REC and INEC. November 14, 8:41 pm Fears over late distribution of electoral materials Mudiaga Affe; Emmanuel Obe and Ozioma Ubabukor, Awka There was anxiety on Thursday in Awka when the sharing out of sensitive materials delivered overnight to the Anambra State headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission failed to take off at 8am as promised by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Chukwuemeka Onukaogu. The exercise however began at about 3pm seven hours late, heightening fears that the chain of distribution of the materials to the respective polling centres in good time on Election Day might have been broken. Till very late on Thursday, the sharing of the materials was still going on, though party agents at the centre said there was not cause yet to suspect any foul play. The party agents and INEC personnel had slept at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Awka on Wednesday night from where the materials were taken to INEC headquarters. But the programme for the opening of the materials could not start early even though the party agents were ready. The Public Relations Officer of the commission, Mr. Frank Egbo, however, said the process went on smoothly. “Some EOs (Electoral Officers) are leaving with the materials,” he told our correspondents on Thursday evening. The Secretary of the Conference of Nigerian Political parties, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, who was at the centre, said the delay in the sharing of the materials notwithstanding “everything is going on smoothly.” November 14, 8:28 pm Police to tighten security in Delta, Enugu, others Adelani Adepegba, Abuja The Nigeria Police Force has said it will tighten security in Delta, Enugu, Imo and Abia States to ensure a hitch-free governorship election in Anambra State on Saturday. It added that there would be restriction of movement in Anambra State between Friday and Sunday for the governorship election, saying these were part of strategies to ensure a hitch-free election in Anambra State. It advised travellers to take alternate routes to their destinations where necessary within the days the restriction order would be in force. A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba on Thursday, stated that the contiguous states to Anambra would be heavily policed. It said, “The Force High Command notes that the restriction order is informed by the exigencies of overriding security considerations. “Noting that the Force is not ignorant of the citizens’ right to freedom of movement, as enshrined in the constitution, it however insists that this is a preemptive measure aimed at forestalling elaborate plans by faceless groups to undermine the electoral process as gathered through intelligence reports.” The police said they empathised with the citizenry over the inconveniences the order might cause, and urged the people to see it as necessary in the present circumstance, stressing that it was geared towards the quest for a seamless, credible and successful governorship poll. November 14, 6:49 pm Court asked to disqualify Obiano, APGA candidate Ihuoma Chiedozie An Abuja Federal High Court has been asked to disqualify the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in the Anambra governorship election, Chief Willie Obiano. The plaintiffs – Ugochukwu Ikegwuonu and Kenneth Moneke – asked for Obiano’s disqualification on the grounds that he possesses two voter’s cards, having allegedly engaged in multiple registration. At a hearing in the matter on Thursday, Justice Ahmed Mohammed ordered the service of court processes on Obiano. Justice Mohammed made the order after counsel to the plaintiffs, Ifeanyi Nrialike, moved an ex-parte motion. The judge granted leave to the plaintiffs to serve the court processes on Obiano outside jurisdiction. He also ordered the plaintiffs to paste the processes on the entrance or any other parts of Obiano’s residence at 1 Chief Willie Obiano Street, Aguleri Otuocha, Anambra State. The other defendant in the suit is the Independent National Electoral Commission. The plaintiffs claim that the voter’s card Obiano tendered before his party before he was cleared to participate in the party’s screening exercise was not the same as the one he submitted to INEC. The plaintiffs raised three questions for the court’s determination, and are also seeking five reliefs, including an order disqualifying Obiano from contesting the election. They also seek an order of mandatory injunction compelling INEC to strike out Obiano’s name from its record as a candidate in the election. The plaintiffs equally want the court to declare that Obiano is unqualified to contest the election on the grounds that he allegedly possesses more than one voter’s cards and for engaging in multiple registration. They equally accused the APGA candidate of supplying false information to INEC. They want the court to determine whether by his alleged conduct, Obiano was still qualified to contest the election by virtue of the provisions of Sections 12(2), 16(2)(3) and 31(5) of the Electoral Act. In a supporting affidavit, one of the plaintiffs, Ikegwuonu, averred that Obiano allegedly possesses two voter’s cards – the one he purportedly obtained in Lagos, which he tendered during his party’s screening exercise in August, and another one he claimed to have obtained in Otuocha, Anambra State, on September 3, 2013, which he allegedly presented to INEC. According to the plaintiff, the Voter’s Identification Number on the first card is 90F5815E7D3738200332, while the second one is marked 90F5B12B01296204172. He averred that Obiano’s claim to having a single voter’s card, as contained in the documents he submitted to INEC, was false. Ikegwuonu also queried the date contained on the birth certificate which Obiano tendered and which was issued by Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State. Hearing in the case continues on December 18, 2013. November 14, 6:36 pm Enugu landowners threaten to stop election materials Ozioma Ubabukoh, Emmanuel Obe, Mudiaga Affe Displaced landowners in Enugu State have threatened to storm the Enugu International Airport and seize materials meant for the conduct of the Anambra State governorship election. They said they resolved to take the action because the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria failed to pay them compensation for acquiring their land. Mostly indigenes of Anambra State, the landowners made available a notice of the threat to our correspondents in Enugu and Awka on Thursday. According to them, they were promised compensation when the land was acquired in 2009 by the Federal Government for the expansion and remodeling of the airport to international status. They, however, said since then, they had yet to receive any form of compensation from the FAAN. Eleven of the landowners, our correspondents gathered, had died without getting the compensation from FAAN. One of the landowners, Mr. Emmanuel Chukwurah, said the affected persons would besiege the airport very early on Saturday, and ensure that sensitive materials for the Anambra governorship did not leave the airport. Chukwurah said, “We are prepared to die for this, so no amount of security confrontation will hinder our action. “After that, we would move into the streets in Enugu and make the state ungovernable for Governor Sullivan Chime who has continued to promise us compensation on the part of the state government, yet nothing shows that he (Chime) is serious about it. “We need the compensation so that we can at least build new houses, no matter how small, instead of squatting in other people’s houses. Some of us have even returned to being tenants, while our money hangs.” Also, the Publicity Secretary of the landowners association, Mr. Emmanuel Ivuanyi, said the action was about the best decision, “considering the seeming lay-back approach of FAAN and the Enugu State Government.”
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 08:29:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015