•Voting
The re-run and by-elections conducted yesterday in 26 states of the federation ran into a hitch in some states, making the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to order the suspension of polls in some constituencies due to the abduction of election officials, disruption and other irregularities.
According to a release signed by the INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the affected areas are Akwa Ibom, Enugu South and Kano states (Kunchi/Tsanyawa), reports Sunday Sun.
In Akwa Ibom State, Olumekun said that the election was suspended in two polling units (Village Hall, EdemuUrua 003 in Ini LGA and Village Hall Mbiabong Ikot Udo 003 in Okono LGA because all election materials were carted away.
Also in Enugu South 1 Constituency the suspension order affected eight polling units where the original results sheets were said not to be available for inspection by voters before the commencement of polls.
In Kunchi/Tsanyawa State Constituency, Kano State, the election in 10 polling units in Kunchi Local Government Area was suspended due to invasion, vandalization, and disruption by thugs.
The INEC commissioner said: “The decision of the Commission aligns with the provisions of Section 24 (3) of the Electoral Act, 2022. Further necessary measures for the affected constituencies will be announced after the Commission’s meeting on Monday.”
In a quick reaction to the failure of INEC to present result sheets, there was heavy protest in Enugu. Members of the Labour Party who converged on the Robinson Primary School, Uwani and Uwani Secondary School, where the election was supposed to be held, raised the alarm in protest, accusing the election umpire of failing to present result sheets for the election.
However, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who held a counter-protest, said that they had seen the result sheets, insisting that the election must be held as planned.
The by-election was held in eight polling units at the Robinson Primary School, Uwani and Uwani Secondary School, situated on the same street.
The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Chukwuemeka Chukwu, later arrived at the venue of the election at about 11:40 a.m with photocopies of 2023 result sheets, pleading with the already agitated voters to allow the conduct of the election, a plea which was roundly rejected.
He said: “The political parties demanded that the result sheets be shown to them in line with the Electoral Act. So, when I got the information I quickly rushed to this place to calm the situation down and proffer solutions. In line with the Electoral Act if the result sheet is missing, what we are going to issue is a replacement.
“So, I am here to tell the whole world that whatever anybody is saying. In line with the law, if any result sheet is altered before the election, the INEC has every power to issue a replacement result sheet or any material tampered with. So, here is the replacement of the result sheets. I am going to stamp it and countersign it so that voting will commence shortly in this place.”
The situation was the same in various polling units in Enugu North/Udenu federal constituency where Labour Party candidate, Dennis Agbo contested against Chief Simon Atigwe of the Peoples Democratic Party. At 2:00 p.m, the election did not commence as voters insisted on seeing the result sheets before the commencement of the election.
Reacting to the impasse, the Senator representing Enugu East Senatorial District, Senator Kelvin Chukwu, and the member representing Enugu North/South Federal Constituency, Chimaobi Atu, accused INEC of plotting to rig the election.
The lawmakers also accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of colluding with the INEC to write the results of the by-election in favour of the PDP.
In Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency in Taraba State, there was a low turnout of voters though election materials and electoral officers arrived at the polling units very early.
At the Sabongari polling unit 014, Turaki Ward, only a few voters were seen undergoing voters’ accreditation. Mr James Igun, president of the Amazon polling unit said that few prospective voters had turned out for accreditation.
A candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Aminu Malle, who spoke with our correspondent, said that the turnout was not encouraging, but was typical of an off-season election.
In Benue State, though the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof Sam Egwu, applauded the peaceful conduct of the by-election in Guma LGA, he confirmed the low turnout of voters.
He said the exercise did not only begin on time at 8:30a.m as planned by the commission, but that all the procedures were being followed for a successful exercise.
“We have complied with all the processes. So far, there are no complaints from any quarters,” he said.
He appreciated the level of security presence at all the polling units where the exercise was being conducted.
Many polling units witnessed a low turnout of voters in the Kaduna by-election in Sabon-Tasha, Narayi, Maraban Rido, Angwan Boro in Chikun Local Government Area of the state as the majority of voters shunned the exercise.
However, at Makera, Barnanwa in Kaduna South LGA of the state, there was an impressive turnout of voters where party agents alleged vote-buying.
Allegations of vote-buying were recorded at the Barnawa Market Polling Unit of Kaduna South Local Government Area.
It was alleged at the polling unit that the vote was bought for between N10,000 and N15,000 allegedly by party agents.
An agent of the Peoples Democratic Party, a female, alleged that there was vote-buying at her polling unit.
She said: “There is vote-buying going on by APC agents right here (Barnawa Market road polling units) and now.
“I’m not happy at all. I went to Maraban Rido and Narayi, and the turnout was not much, but here the turnout is much because of vote-buying which isn’t good for our democracy.
“I wish operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were here to see things for themselves.”
Another PDP agent also corroborated the allegation of vote-buying, saying “if you look around, we have different agents buying votes from voters.
He said: “The ruling All Progressives Congress is buying votes from voters for between N10,000 and N15,000.
“I have never experienced an election such as this. I think democracy has come to an end if this should continue.”
However, an APC agent, Aminu Yakubu, countered the allegation, saying that there was nothing like vote-buying at the polling unit.
He noted that the polling unit was full of the party’s supporters.
He, therefore, called on the party (PDP) to join hands with the ruling party to move the nation forward, adding that “we need peace in this country for the much-needed development.”
He condemned vote-buying, saying that act was not good for the nation’s fledgling democracy.
However, in Bauchi State the situation was slightly different where there was an impressive turnout in Madara/Chinede Constituency.
When our correspondent visited Tudun Wada 1 Polling Unit in Madara/Chinede Constituency, there was a large presence of voters ready to cast their ballots.
An agent of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Suleiman Samaila Chinede, said that the rerun was smooth and people were voting for candidates of their choice.
His counterpart in the All Progressives Congress, Abdulkadir Abari, also described the exercise as peaceful and orderly.
Similarly, in Yauri, Shanga, Dandi/Arewa polling units of Kebbi, voters turned out in their numbers to cast their ballots.
At polling unit 005 located at Rafin Keriya primary school in Shanga LGA, there were large numbers of women and men waiting to cast their votes in the queues in an orderly manner.
Also at polling unit 007 Garki Sarki, voters were seen casting their votes without any challenges. Accreditations and voting took place simultaneously in line with the guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
While speaking with newsmen, the presiding officer at polling unit 005 Rafin Keriya Primary School at Shanga, Yakubu Faruku, said that the officers and voting materials arrived early, stressing that there was no problem.
Also, Kebbi State witnessed a good turnout of voters. The Secretary to the Kebbi State Government (SSG), Alhaji Yakubu Bala Tafida, and Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Sarki-Pawa, commended the electorate in the state for their large turnout and peaceful conduct during the by-election.
Tafida while speaking with newsmen after casting his vote in Yauri described voters’ turnout in Yauri and other areas as overwhelming.
“We have observed so far that our people came out en masse, which is unprecedented when it comes to by-election. They sacrificed their time to come out and cast their votes peacefully without any problem,” he said.
The Resident Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Sarki-Pawa also commended his officers for the early arrival at the various polling units with enough voting materials, stressing that he had not received any complaint from any quarters about the late arrival of officers and materials.
“We have been to many places, including Shanga, now in Yauri, we have not received any complaint because our staff and voting materials arrived early. That is why we have not gotten any complaint from anybody”, he said.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in Taraba State, has denied pressuring the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Innocent Jabayang to step down for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sadik Tafida, in yesterday’s by-election for Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency.
The CAN Chairman, Magaji Jirapye, who disclosed this in an interview with journalists, said that Jabayang willingly stepped down after the State governor, Dr Agbu Kefas consulted him a few hours before the election, and CAN was only informed after his decision.
“CAN was informed about the decision because of our earlier resolve to support the aspiration of the SDP candidate. When he willingly decided to withdraw to support the PDP candidate, the governor reached out to us because of our earlier resolve and we held a meeting with the SDP candidate and he confirmed his decision to us. CAN did not force him to step down,” Jipreye said.
Efforts to reach Jabayang through phone calls and text messages are so far unsuccessful.
There was massive vote-buying in the re-run election for Yenagoa Constituency 2 election yesterday in Bayelsa State.
The re-run election was between Hon Waikumo Amakoromo of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), the incumbent lawmaker, and his predecessor, Hon Ebiwou Koku Obiyai of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Though the election was peaceful amidst tight security by a combined team of security agencies across the polling units in Yenagoa, both political parties were involved in massive voting.
At Obungha, Tombi and Okotiama there was an open bargain of votes by agents of the two political parties.
A voter who did not want his name in print in Okotiama bemoaned the situation and wondered why security agencies and electoral officials were not bothered about the corruption of the electoral process.
“The last election in the three wards in Okotiama was cancelled because of vote-buying. But again, today the situation has repeated itself. Both APGA and PDP were involved in vote-buying. This is a total mockery of democracy” he said.
Also in Sokoto, the conduct of the bye-election was characterised by vote-buying but a large turnout of voters. Some of the polling units visited by our correspondent included Gidan Masha in Lambara ward of Shagari local government area and Yabo B ward in Yabo local Government Area of the State.
The contest was held between two candidates of the leading political parties in the state- the All Progressive Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party. However, there was an allegation of vote buying from both political parties. Sources said some prospective voters were offered the sum of N10, 000 before vote cast and received an additional N20,000 after voting to make the sum of N30,000.
In Ebonyi State, the candidates of the APGA and PDP, Chief Ifeanyi Eleje and Silas Onu, respectively accused the ruling All Progressives Congress ((APC) of vote buying, intimidation and militarization of the process. Eleje and Onu alleged that some stakeholders of APC in the zone were moving around inducing voters and intimidating supporters of opposition parties especially in the stronghold of the opposition parties. But APC dismissed the allegations as baseless.
However, findings showed that the election was generally peaceful across the five LGAs in the senatorial district. There were also reports of heavy turnout in Ohaozara, Onicha and Afikpo LGAs.
In the meantime, there have been reports in some sections of the media that the Benue State governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, recently gave the sum of N50 million as support to the LP’s candidate, Hon. Peter China, to help him win the by-election because he (Alia) was not pleased with the emergence of Hon. Uche Terwase Peter as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the poll. The Benue State LP chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Idoko, described the allegation as baseless.
He said, “The allegation that Governor Hyacinth Alia gave N50 million to our candidate for Guma 1 state constituency seat, Hon. Peter China is not true. It is the figment of the imagination of those who produced such narratives. He urged political opponents in the state to shun rumors and lies that were capable of causing unnecessary tension before, during, and after the by-election in the state.
Yesterday, Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu led heads of security agencies to Igbo-Eze North LGA, Ogrute to monitor the rerun elections in the area. The entourage included Heads of Correctional Centre, Airforce, Road Safety, Navy, and the Civil Defense Corps.
Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency is among the 34 federal constituencies that held rerun elections following the appeal court judgment that nullified the election of Hon Dennis Nnamdi Agbo of the Labour Party who was declared the winner after the 2023 general elections. CP Uzuegbu who was at the Igbo-Eze North local government secretariat, Ogrute , venue of the collation centre for the rerun election commended the zeal and enthusiasm displayed by voters in the area during the exercise.
The CP also commended the security agencies who ensured a seamless election exercise in the federal constituency and all the stakeholders who worked assiduously to ensure that the exercise was hitch-free. Executive Chairman of Igbo-Eze North LGA, Prince (Engr) Ejike Itodo who received the security Chiefs also appreciated their coming, noting that the council area was able to overcome the security challenges it faced in the past because of the commitment of the Peter Mbah administration in supporting the local administration and the synergy exhibited by the security agencies and the collaboration of all stakeholders.
In a related development, the Kano State Police Command has arrested scores of political thugs disrupting the re-run elections in Kunchi/Tsanyawa Constituency in the state.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Usaini Gumel, disclosed this while interacting with newsmen. According to him, the thugs were arrested with arms and dangerous weapons.
“We saw a truck that is faulty by the roadside. We saw people in large numbers by the roadside. At first, they gave us the impression that it was the fuel of the vehicle that was finished. But upon close observation, we saw them in possession of arms.
“One Abdulrazaq Muhammad aka Mai Salati, from Kano Municipal told us one Gwarmai who is contesting in the area invited them over.
“We will get the Gwarmai to know if he has truly a candidate contesting and why he invited them to the area.
“We suspect they are in the bush to lay ambush on the electoral officers while on their way with the election results,” Gumel said.