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Save for an intervention today, Imo State may be the first state
to face an emergency rule on account of a failure to meet the election
deadline. Under the amended constitution and the Electoral Act, all elections
must be completed one month before the inauguration date, May 29.

As at today, April 29, Imo State remains the only state yet to
conclude its gubernatorial election. Election was held on Tuesday in the state,
but the results were declared inconclusive by the Independent National
Electoral Commission, (INEC).

INEC said a rerun will be conducted in three local government
areas of the state before a winner can be determined between incumbent, Ikedi
Ohakim of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and front runner, Rochas Okorocha
of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

For a commission pressured with several deadlines after repeated
rescheduling of elections, conducting fresh polls in the affected areas of the
state today, just two days after the shift was announced, is “unlikely”, INEC
officials said yesterday.

If a winner does not emerge at the end of today, it will create
a “power vacuum” as INEC chairman Attahiru Jega put it last week when concerns
were raised about the possibility of concluding gubernatorial elections in
violence-hit Bauchi and Kaduna states. Mr Jega said the commission will do
everything to avoid an emergency rule in any part of the country but noted that
such efforts were limited.

INEC yesterday issued a statement urging calm while it consults
on the legal implications.

“In view of the difficulties experienced with the April 26, 2011
governorship and state assembly election in Imo State, which caused the
returning officer to declare the election inconclusive, the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) has consulted with its lawyers for advice
on the next line of action.” read a statement signed by Kayode Idowu,
spokesperson to Mr Jega.

Mr Idowu said the commission is scheduled to meet today, Friday,
April 29, to take a final decision, he urged “everyone concerned to be patient
and await further directives which will be communicated as soon as a decision
is taken, and to be peaceful and avoid taking the laws into their hands.”

Tensed atmosphere

Following Tuesday’s stalemate however, some incidents raised
suspicion and set the stage for the tension in Owerri, the capital of Imo
State. At the INEC office, scores of youth congregated and prevented vehicles
from entering the premises to avoid the smuggling of material into the office.

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Kwara State has rejected
the result of Tuesday’s gubernatorial and state house of assembly elections.
The party, at a press conference on Thursday in Ilorin, announced its rejection
of the electoral process “in its entirety and the outcome of the elections in
the state” and affirmed that it would be heading to the court to challenge the
results.

Addressing the media, the acting chairperson of the party in the
state, Kayode Olawepo, stated that violence would have erupted in the state
“after thousands of youth and women gathered at the family house of our
gubernatorial candidate to seek permission to go on rampage.

“But we pleaded with them to avoid spontaneous reactions and
needless loss of lives that may arise from such protest because the ruling PDP
is known to always cash in on such lawful protests to visit violence on the
people.”

The ACN’s candidate in the election, Dele Belgore, lost the
election to the candidate of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP),
Abdulfatah Ahmed, who was declared the winner by the returning officer of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Mr Ahmed won the polls by
254,969 votes while Mr Belgore polled 152,580 to come second.

Rule of thumb

Mr Olawepo alleged that PDP thugs in connivance with the police
and some soldiers intimidated the people of Kwara State, including supporters
of their party, during the elections which prevented them from casting their
votes. He also alleged that there were a number of instances where electoral
officials were seen thumb-printing the ballot papers for the PDP just as there
was open distribution of money and gifts to voters on the queue by party agents
while voting was ongoing, contrary to the Electoral Act.

Mr Olawepo further cited cases of inflation of accredited voters
and multiple thumb printing in a number of councils. He also claimed that there
was no accreditation at all in councils like Ojoku and Oyun. “All the INEC
staff did was to put the ink on the hands of the prospective voters and direct
them to go,” he said. “The rest was history as soon as the PDP stalwarts
occupied the polling units where they started thumb printing,” he alleged.
Underage voters were also alleged to have been deployed by the PDP in most
parts of the state.

According to the chairperson, who was accompanied to the press briefing by
Mr Belgore and all the party’s candidates to the state house of assembly,
“There are ample evidence to back up all these claims of electoral malpractices
and brigandage by the PDP which is desperate to perpetuate itself by all means
necessary despite its dismal record of performance in the last eight years.” He
made known his party’s decision to head to the electoral tribunal to challenge
the elections “on the basis of all the evidence we have accumulated, to restore
the mandate of the people.”

The National Chairman of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP),
Ogbonnaya Onu has said that the party would study the flaws and irregularities
that characterised the conduct of Tuesday’s gubernatorial and state Houses of
Assembly elections before making its stand on the election public. Mr Onu who
made this assertion in his Eze Adu country home in Uburu, Ohaozara Local
Government Area of Ebonyi State Wednesday, decried the level of intimidation of
opposition parties in Ebonyi State.

“It is left for the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) to put things right where they were done wrong, because the law permits
the commission to cancel elections in areas where there are evidences of
malpractice.” He said.

Speaking on the conduct of the election generally, the ANPP
Chairman said, “It is very clear that in some parts of the country, there was
very reasonable movement away from what it used to be in the past, but in the
Southeast; there are records of vehicles and houses of members and supporters
of opposition parties burnt in order to intimidate them.” He said there was
“Monetary inducement, intimidation and indiscriminate criminal use of ballot
papers by agents and proxies of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to
stuff ballot boxes. In most cases, ballot boxes were highjacked while voting
was ongoing and brought back later, after votes meant for opposition parties
might have been removed and already thumb-printed ones stuffed inside before it
is restored to the helpless INEC ad-hoc staff.”

Electoral offences

The ANPP governorship candidate in the state, Julius Ali Ucha,
bemoaned the outcome of the upturned National Assembly election results in the
state. “The National Assembly election result as it affected Ebonyi State was a
sham and its effect on ANPP supporters who voted massively for the party led to
their scanty participation in the presidential poll. Imagine where records of
the outcome of the NASS election results were upturned and entered in Form EC8B
meant for results summary instead of EC8A meant for results sheets,” Mr Ucha
stated.

Recounting series of reports of manhandling and intimidation of
ANPP supporters, the opposition party’s gubernatorial candidate alleged that
“at Umuogudu Akpu Ngbo in Ngbo Council Area, six ANPP agents deployed to
different polling booths were stripped naked by soldiers but were rescued by
police team from zone six.

“At Ezzaagu ward II Ishielu, that is the stronghold of ANPP
where we have 16 polling units, electoral materials were supplied without voter
register until 5pm when voters had waited and dispersed. Is that a conspiracy
with the ad-hoc staff of INEC and the government of the day?” Mr Ucha pondered.

Reacting to Mr Ucha’s allegation, Nwoba Pius, the Supervisory
Presiding Officer (SPO) said that the voters’ registers were initially omitted
in the electoral material supplied to the Ezzagu Ward II but were made
available later excluding the three polling units at Agba Ugama Central School
in Ezzagu in Ezza North Local Government Area of the state.

Vice President Namadi Sambo has given assurance that President
Goodluck Jonathan would involve all Nigerians in his administration
irrespective of party affiliation, tribe or religion.

Mr Sambo who made the declaration shortly after casting his vote
at camp road polling unit Kabala Doki, thanked Nigerians for voting massively
for PDP during the presidential and governorship elections.

“We thank God that today everything is going very calm and peaceful
and I would like to use this opportunity to express my appreciation to all
Nigerians for the confidence bestowed in us during the last presidential
election.

Assuring Nigerians

“We want to assure Nigerians that we will not fail them. Today
the trust will be seen and I must congratulate all Nigerians for the right
decision.” The vice president alongside his wife, Amina voted around 1.25pm
amidst tight security, just as there was low turnout of voters in many polling
stations across the state. The low turnout was attributed to fear of any fresh
violence during the election coupled with the crisis that engulfed the state
last week.

He condoled the victims of the post election violence that broke
out in some parts of the north, assuring that all the culprits involved in the
mayhem would be brought to book.

“I want to seize this opportunity to also express my sincere
sympathy and condolence to the victims of the last violence that took place and
pray that Almighty God will grant us continued peace in this country.

“But I must also seize this opportunity to inform Nigerians that
all culprits would be taken in accordance to the law of this country and this
administration would not sit down to allow people to take law into their hands.
However, we are working hard to ensure that the sad experience does not occur
again.”

Mr Sambo said that investigation into the recent crises will
soon commence and those that were affected will be investigated and proper
investigation would be taken to ensure that government does the right thing in
ensuring that people do not unnecessarily suffer in this country.

The Sokoto State chapter of the Congress for Progressive Change
(CPC) has rejected the results of Tuesday’s state assembly and Sokoto North
senatorial zone elections.

The party disclosed the decision at a news conference in Sokoto
on Wednesday night addressed by its Sokoto North Senatorial Zone candidate, Usman
Balkore.

Mr. Balkore, a former member of the House of Representatives,
said “after a careful review of the events that took place during the just
concluded Sokoto North and State Assembly elections, we are constrained to
reject the results of the elections based on some fundamental flaws that
characterised the exercise.”

He alleged that there was open, reckless and widespread monetary
inducements of voters at polling stations in violation of the electoral laws.

“Some of these incidences were captured and promptly reported to
relevant authorities but continued unabated throughout the exercise.

“A significant number of polling stations commenced voting
without prior accreditation of voters. In some polling units, voting was
concluded as early as 11am with impunity; the relevant authorities were duly
notified,” he alleged.

According to Mr Balkore, there were also cases of outright
rigging and ballot box stuffing which were observed and also reported.

The former lawmaker said “deliberate obstruction and in some
cases forceful abduction of our polling agents were recorded in several polling
units.

More irregularities

“These criminal violations were also reported and investigations
are ongoing as well as alleged violent harassment and intimidation of voters,”
he said.

Mr Balkore also alleged mischievous and illegal exclusion of the
party’s senatorial candidate’s name and party from participating in the
election in Gudu Local Government Area.

“This development was noted and promptly reported to the
Director of Administration and Head of Operations of INEC in Sokoto Office ,”
he said.

According to him, sequel to these allegations, “it is abundantly
clear that, there were significant and incontrovertible violations of the
electoral laws and INEC stipulated guidelines for the conduct of a free and
fair election”.

“It is, therefore, right to conclude that there was no
level-playing ground as the elections were rigged, voters disenfranchised and
the exercise lacked transparency and credibility,” he said.

Reacting to the allegations, the Resident Electoral Commissioner
in Sokoto State, Husseini Mahuta said the elections were free, fair and
transparent “Anybody who is aggrieved can, however, seek redress in the
tribunals and INEC will produce the required evidences to support such
electoral litigations.

“The recent elections were remarkable departure from the past
and the achievements recorded in the 2011 polls will be further improved in
subsequent elections,” Mr Mahuta said.

It would be recalled that the PDP had won all the National and State
Assembly seats in Sokoto State in the just-concluded April polls.

A new political era seems to have emerged in Kwara State with
the decimation of the political machinery of Olusola Saraki, the hitherto
strong man of the state’s politics by the victory of the People’s Democratic
Party in Tuesday’s governorship election.

Besides that, the political rivalry between the leader of the
Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) and his son, Bukola Saraki, who is the
state governor, seems to have been resolved – naturally.

Following the older Saraki’s endorsement of his daughter,
Gbemisola Saraki, currently a senator, to aspire to be the state’s PDP
governorship candidate, a gulf emerged between the duo of the father and
daughter, on the one hand, and the governor on the other, with their loyalists
across the state divided on both sides.

Mr Saraki, popularly referred to as ‘Oloye’ by his loyalists, is
well known for determining the political fate of Kwarans since the creation of
the state in 1967. It was gathered that no governor has ever governed the state
without his consent, ranging from the military administrators to the
democratically elected governors.

Although the governor made efforts to reach an understanding
with his father, he was not successful, as his father was determined to make
his daughter the next governor of the state. When that became difficult, he
defected to the ACPN, along with his daughter, to achieve his aim.

Unfortunately for the political icon, end has finally come to
his political struggle as he conceded victory to his son in the just concluded
governorship election in the state.

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Mohammed Dele Belgore,
had also threatened the authority of Mr Saraki by standing out to unseat the
ruling party as well as defeat the kingmaker. Following the collapse of an
attempted alliance between the ACN and the ACPN, Mr Saraki’s hope of remaining
the father of governors in the state was cut short.

End of an era

Mr Saraki, a Second Republic Senate leader and Waziri of Ilorin,
was born on the 17th of May, 1933, in Ilorin, Kwara State. His mother was from
Iseyin in Oyo State and his father from Ilorin. His paternal ancestors were
Fulanis who came from Mali about 150 to 200 years earlier.

He was educated at Eko Boys High School. He attended the
University of London, and St. George’s Hospital Medical School, London. He
worked as a medical officer at the General Hospital, Lagos, and the Creek
Hospital, Lagos.

In 1977, Mr Saraki was elected a member of the Constituent
Assembly that produced the 1979 constitution. In 1979, he was elected a Senator
of the Second Republic, and later became Senate leader. In 1983, he was re-elected
into the Senate under the platform of the then National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

He then sponsored Adamu Attah, who emerged as the governor
between 1979 and 1983. Mr Attah’s inability to meet up with some laid down
rules and his attempt to seek re-election in 1983 led to crises between him and
his godfather, Mr Saraki.

Mr Saraki eventually declared his support for the then Unity
Party of Nigeria (UPN) candidate, Cornelius Adebayo, on the eve of the election
and this led to the downfall of the NPN in the race.

In 1998, Mr Saraki became a national leader and member of the
board of trustees of the All People’s Party (APP), contributing to the party’s
success in Kwara and Kogi States. He assisted Mohammed Alabi Lawal in becoming
governor of Kwara State.

Following a disagreement between him and Mr Lawal, Mr Saraki
switched allegiance to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and in the 2003
elections supported his son, Bukola Saraki, as candidate for governor of Kwara
State, and his daughter as senator for Kwara State Central.

With his son’s two-term tenure coming to an end in May, 2011,
and in a bid to continue calling the shots in the state’s politics, he threw
his weight behind his daughter’s quest to take over from her brother as
governor of Kwara.

But this has finally proved impossible, a situation analysts say may have
ended the political dominance of the state by Mr Saraki, and indeed rendered
the Saraki political dynasty irrelevant in the scheme of things in the state.

There was wild
jubilation at the Ekiti State Government House yesterday as the state
governor, Kayode Fayemi and members of his cabinet celebrated the
party’s victory in the National Assembly and House of Assembly
elections.

The Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) swept three senatorial seats, six House of
Representatives and 24 out of the 26 state House of Assembly seats in
Tuesday’s polls, according to results announced by INEC.

However, the opposition Labour Party and People’s Democratic Party have rejected the results.

Ayodele Fayose, LP
candidate for Ekiti Central Senatorial District, said in a statement
that the election was characterised by open financial inducement of
voters and all other malpractices. He said such action contravened the
provision of the Electoral Act 2011.

Also, the PDP
Director of Communications, Jackson Adebayo alleged that members of the
ACN intimidated their members and induced the electorate as well. Mr
Adebayo urged the electoral body to investigate cases of
ballot-snatching and intimidation of voters that were witnessed on the
day of the elections across the state.

Babafemi Ojudu,
who is now the senator-elect in Ekiti Central, polled a total vote of
67,747 to defeat the former governor of the State, Ayodele Fayose of
the Labour Party and Kayode Alufa of the PDP, who polled 29,773 and
28,488 respectively.

A sweep by the ACN

Bunmi Adetumbi of
the ACN, who is now the senator-elect in Ekiti North, polled 58,568 to
defeat the incumbent, Ayo Arise of the PDP and Segun Akinwumi of the
LP, who recorded 38,422 and 2,055 respectively.

Tony Adeniyi of
the ACN polled 70,360 to defeat another incumbent PDP Senator, Sola
Akinyede and Biodun Fasakin of the LP, who polled 43,537 and 3,623
respectively in Ekiti South Senatorial District of the State The House
of Representatives-elect are: Opeyemi Bamidele in Ekiti Central Federal
Constituency 1; Ojo Oyetunde, Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 2;
Bamidele Faparusi, Ekiti South Federal Constituency 2; Ife Arowosoge,
Ekiti South Federal Constituency 1. Robinson Ajiboye and Bimbo Daramola
win in Ekiti North Federal Constituency 2 and 1 respectively.

Congratulations

However, Mr Arise
has congratulated Mr Adetumbi over his victory in the election, calling
on him to impact positively on the lives of his constituents. Mr Arise,
in a statement he personally sent to the Senator-elect at about 11.13pm
on Tuesday, said he had accepted the result of the election.

“I have done creditably well and I don’t need to be afraid of my
future in the politics of this state,” he said. “I believe this is the
will of God for now and every mortal must abide by it. I remain
committed to serving Ekiti at any level and I wish the new person the
very best in his future endeavour.”

The Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday evening released the
full result of the House of Assembly election in Edo State, with the
exception of the result from Igueben where a re-run in two polling
units has been fixed for Thursday, April 28, due to reported cases of
violence.

The results, signed
by the administrative secretary of the commission in the state, Gilbert
Okolocha, shows that the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) won 19 of the
24 seats.

The ruling party in
the state won the 6 seats in Edo North, the 10 in Edo South, and one
out of the six in Edo Central with that of Igueben, the sixth in Edo
Central, pending until after today’s re-run.

Akoko-Edo
constituency I, ACN won with 13,483 votes, ANPP 03, LP 05, PDP 6,939.
Akoko-Edo II, ACN 21,005, LP 25, PDP 7,518. In Egor, ACN’s Paul
Ohombamu scored 12,212, PDP’s Erigbe Blessing polled 4,079, ANPP 48,
AGPA 06.

In Esan Central,
ACN 8,578, ANPP 10, PDP 10,926. Esan North East I, ACN 3,324, ANPP 08,
CPC 03, LP 32, PDP 7,839. Esan North East II, PDP 9,292, ACN 529. Esan
South East, ACN 12,659, ANPP 07, PDP 11,785. Esan West, ACN 11,119, PDP
15,602. Etsako Central, ACN 14,156, CPC 95, PDP 5,949. Etsako East, ACN
19,653, ANPP 20, CPC 61, LP 117, PDP 7,845.

Others are: Etsako
West I, ACN 10,092, ANPP 05, CPC 57, LP 3,062, PDP 3,561. Etsako West
II, ACN 18,043, LP 2,552, PDP 1,118, CPC 97. IKPOBA OKHA, ACN 26,796,
PDP 5146. Oredo East, ACN 14,311, ANPP 46, APGA 07, LP 716, PDP 3,318,
PPP 363.

ACN also took the
lead in Edo South senatorial district in the following order: Oredo
West, ACN 12,503, ANPP 101, APGA 18, LP 139, PDP 3,364. Orhionmwon I,
ACN 9,517, ANPP 20, LP 65, PDP 5,376. Orhionmwon II, ACN 9,354, CPC 20,
LP 232, PDP 3,557. Ovia North East I, ACN 9,354, CPC 20, LP 232, PDP
3,557. Ovia North East II, ACN 8,186, ANPP 389, LP 642, PDP 2,481. Ovia
South West, ACN 14,231, PDP 9,751. Owan East, ACN 24,640, ANPP 11, CPC
27, PDP 10,561. Owan West, ACN 11,407, ANPP 47, LP 86, PDP 8,437.
UHUNWONDE, ACN 11,525, LP 08, PDP 6,608, PPP 879.

Meanwhile, the
incumbent Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Bright Omokhodion,
has rejected the result of the election of Esan West constituency as
announced by INEC. According to the result, Mr Omokhodion lost his
re-election bid into the House of Assembly to Monday Orhue of the PDP.

In a press
statement yesterday, Mr Omokhodion alleged that the PDP officials
hijacked and massively rigged the election in favour of their
candidate. He cited “multiple thumb-printing” and the conversion of PDP
officials’ houses into “election voting centres” as reasons for his
rejection of the result declared by INEC. He has indicated his interest
to contest the result at election petition tribunal.