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The Oyo State
governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, and his other colleagues fielded as
candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had their day at the
Appeal Court in Ibadan on Tuesday as two rulings of the court were made
in their favour.

The appellate court
threw out an application requesting a shorter timeframe within which
the involved parties could file their briefs. This would have allowed
an accelerated hearing of the suit against their emergence as the
party’s candidates for elections in Oyo.

Wole Oyelese, Lekan
Balogun, Azeem Gbolarumi and 34 others filed the suit to appeal against
the decision of Jonathan Sharkharo of the Federal High Court in Ibadan
to set aside his earlier interim order restraining the Independent
National Electoral Commission and the PDP from recognizing Mr
Alao-Akala and others as the party’s candidates.

Also the court
granted the prayers of Lateef Fagbemi, lawyer to Dejo Afolabi, the
state PDP chairman, for the amendment of the records of proceeding and
permission to allow the use of documents brought by him as complements
to the record of the Federal Court, in order to adequately guide the
appellate court in its proceedings.

Mr Fagbemi had, at
the last sitting, sought the relief of the court to allow him to
include exhibits B and C, which comprise his jottings and newspaper
cuttings, respectively, on what transpired at the lower court, to
augment the ‘incomplete’ record from the lower court.

New records acceptable

The three-man
panel, comprising Stanley Alagoa, Sidi Bage and Modupe Fasanmi, ruled
that the additional records are important and would be helpful in the
course of the proceedings.

However, Mr Alagoa,
the presiding judge, refused to allow the inclusion of photocopies of
some national dailies as part of the court records, saying they were
neither certified as genuine copies nor the original versions of the
papers.

The court also
overruled an objection raised by Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), lead
counsel to the aggrieved PDP member, that Mr Fagbemi should not have
been the one to file the application for amending the court’s records
since his client had withdrawn from the case at the lower court and has
been excused ever since. The court said the lawyer has the right to
present the additional record because he was a party to the original
suit.

“The applicants are challenging the completeness of the records of
the court. What he sought to be amending is simply an order to add
exhibits B and C and the leave is hereby granted to use exhibits B and
C as supplementary records,” Mr Alagoa said.

A coalition of
civil society organisations monitoring the 2011 general elections has
alleged that the presidential election results in about 12 states may
have been doctored. The coalition at a press conference in Abuja on
Tuesday called on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s
(INEC) to investigate the allegation.

Clement Nwankwo,
the executive director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC)
speaking on behalf of the coalition, Civil Society Election Situation
Room, commended Nigerians for their determination in voting and
protecting their votes in the presidential election.

Mr Nwankwo,
however, said that the collation process seems to have been the weakest
link in the election management process. “INEC appears to have been
ineffective in its oversight function as far as monitoring and
controlling the collation process was concerned. This state of affairs
raised doubts about the authenticity of some of the figures arising
from this process.” “Of particular note were the exceptionally high
turnout figures in Abia (77%), Akwa Ibom (75%), Bayelsa (85%), Bauchi
(63%), Cross River (63%), Delta (68%), Edo (74%), Enugu (62%), Kaduna
(65%), Imo (84%), Plateau (62%) and Rivers (76%) states. This was
against the national average of 53%. Such a high turnout is quite
atypical of Nigerian elections and we call on INEC to rigorously
investigate the authenticity of these figures.”

Some irregularities

Furthermore, he
said the group observers also noted a number of irregularities. “One
area of concern was significant instances of underage voting in Bauchi,
Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, Nasarawa and Taraba States. In
particular, Bajoga, Funakaya Local Government Area in Gombe State saw
irate youths attempting to lynch the Resident Electoral Commissioner –
along with a number of journalists – who sought to enforce the
prohibition against underage voting.” He added that the contestants,
their parties and supporters have a corresponding duty to respect the
final results. “Any complaints at this stage should be channelled
through the appropriate election result verification and dispute
resolution processes. The Civil Society Election Situation Room
unequivocally condemns in the strongest terms the violence and killings
which have attended the announcement of the results.”

The Situation Room
of the coalition is made up of groups such as Action Aid Nigeria,
Transition Monitoring Group, Centre for Democracy and Development,
Justice Development and Peace Commission, Policy and Legal Advocacy
Centre, CLEEN Foundation, among others.

Some former
warlords of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND)
yesterday held an emergency meeting following the outbreak of riots in
some part of the country over the outcome of last Saturday’s
presidential election.

The meeting blamed
what they called “disgruntled politicians and crises-profiteers” for
the crisis, saying the masses of the north are as marginalised as their
counterparts in the southern part of the country. They also promised
not to promote any retaliatory actions in the south-south.

“We condemn, in
very strong terms, the post-election violence being perpetrated and
sponsored in parts of northern Nigeria by disgruntled politicians and
crises-profiteers. We regard the outbreak of violent protests as
uncalled-for, barbaric and very retrogressive,” the group said at the
end of the meeting. “But we dare assert that this sponsored violence
does not in any way mirror or reflect the inner feelings of the
overwhelming majority of the northern masses. The northern masses, just
like their brothers and sisters in the south, particularly the Niger
Delta, are victims of years of misrule under the same persons
orchestrating the post-election violence across the north.”

A source at the
meeting said all former leaders of MEND and some former insurgent
fighters, as well as activists in the Niger Delta, were present at the
meeting held at Gbekebor Creek in Burutu local government area of Delta
State. Other selections of ex-combatants also met in Lagos and Abuja.

Declaration

The former
militants said the northern masses suffered similar deprivation as
their southern compatriots and thronged the voting centres in their
respective wards last Saturday to vote for change. “We are calling on
the international community as well as all men and women of good
conscience to promptly prevail on this political jobbers who are
stoking the embers of war across the north to sheath their swords,
given that the consequences of their action would most likely endanger
the unity of this country,” the group said. “We are piqued that, for
once, an eminently qualified Niger Deltan has won the freest and
fairest presidential election in Nigeria and some crises-profiteers in
the north are sponsoring violent protests. It is so sad and
regrettable.” The group also called on security agencies to secure the
lives and properties of all Nigerians in all parts of the country so as
to avoid the escalation of the post-election crisis.

Declaring their
support for the victory of Mr Jonathan and enjoining other Nigerians to
defend his mandate, the former militants warned that if a Niger Deltan
cannot be accepted to legitimately govern Nigeria, they shall not allow
a non-Niger Deltan to rule over resources found in the area.

“We console those
who have lost loved ones and heard-earned property and pray that the
good Lord who aided the emergence of Goodluck Jonathan as the popularly
elected President of Nigeria will replenish their loses in record
time,” the group said.

The meeting was attended by Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo);
Ateke Tom; Asari Dokubo; Bibopre Ajube (aka Shoot At Sight), Ezekiel
Akpasibewei, Farah Dagogo, Africa Ukparasia, Paul Ezizi; Reuben Wilson,
Joshua Macaiver, Ferdinand Amaibi; Tamunegiyeifori Proby; Kenneth
Opusinji; Kile Selky Torughedi; Bonny Gawei Aboy Muturu; Hendrick
Opukeme; Paul Bebenimibo; Dennis Otuaro; Gomoh Ekiyou; Saibakumo Wilson
Gbaire; Andabafa Opunamah, and Soboma Jackrich.

To forestall any uprising that may arise during the
gubernatorial elections, the Inspector General (IG) of Police is to
oversee the polls on Tuesday in Akwa Ibom State.

The State Commissioner of Police (CP), Felix Uyanna,
said yesterday in Uyo, that the top police officer, Hafiz Ringim or a
deputy Inspector General was expected in the state for the April 26
elections.

He noted that the presence of the IG or his deputy
in the state was one of the measures taken by the police hierarchy to
ensure that there was a level-playing ground for all political parties
during the elections.

In accepting the apology of the Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate in the state, John Akpanudoedehe
on allegations levelled by the ACN that the CP was partisan and that he
be removed, Mr Uyanna mentioned to the ACN governorship flagbearer that
he was free to lay his complaints to the IG or the deputy IG when he
arrived, if he felt the CP was not doing well.

“I want to assure you that in the forthcoming
elections, there will be fair play and justice. I assure you that on
May 26, either the IG or the deputy IG of Police will be here.

“All these things are in an effort to ensure a
level-playing ground. If you feel I am not doing well, you can walk up
to him and lay your complaints,” he said.

Mr. Akpanudoedehe who noted that the electorate
would need to be safe to cast their votes on Tuesday, appealed to the
CP to caution his men against intimidating people at the polling
centres.

He called for a restoration of relationship between
the police and the ACN which he said was lost during the tenure of the
erstwhile CP, Walter Rugbere.

“We are here to ask for a free and fair election.
People need that confidence in the police to go out without being
intimidated by government officials. Our vote must count to bring about
peace and security to this place. We plead with you to guarantee our
security and our votes.

“Let Akwa Ibom people not listen to any speculation that I have
withdrawn from the race. How can a winning governor withdraw?” he asked.

The vice
presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in last
Saturday’s presidential election, John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday
expressed shock at the poor performance of his party in the election,
saying the figure ascribed to it looks unreal.

He, however, said
the party hierarchy will meet next week, after the governorship and
state house of assembly polls to consider its response to the result of
the presidential election.

The ANPP candidate,
Ibrahim Shekarau, came a distant fourth position in the election with a
total score of 917,012 votes, according to the result announced by the
Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday.

President Goodluck
Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 22,469,484;
Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change, 12,214,853;
and Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria, 2,790,978.

But Mr Oyegun, in
an interview, said the ANPP’s poor outing could not be divorced from
text messages and misinformation sent out by some unknown persons about
24 hours before the poll.

He explained that
the message specifically stated that some candidates had withdrawn from
the presidential contest to pave way for others, adding that even some
PDP members were involved in it.

“We still don’t
understand. I was surprised about the figure we got. But I think it can
also be attributed to text messages going round before the election
that some candidates were no longer running,” he said. “In fact, the
night before, the messages were going round that everybody must vote
for a particular candidate. I am not guessing. It was what I heard,
myself. That changed the picture of the whole thing and the support for
us just collapsed. So, the whole thing looks unreal, uncanny to me.”

No decision on result

Asked if the party
would have got more votes if the alleged messages were not sent out, Mr
Oyegun said, “Oh naturally! Of course!”

The vice
presidential candidate, who could not say exactly if the ANPP would
challenge the result of the presidential contest in court, said the
party’s national leadership will meet next week to study the conduct
and result of the election before taking a stand.

“We’ve not got to that stage (of going to the court),” he said.
“We’ve to know exactly what happened. We’ll meet Tuesday next week
after the governorship election to assess the total situation, that is,
if the situation in the country will allow for the next election. We
need explanations and I hope we will get to the bottom of it.”

The Adamawa State
government has sacked the chairman of Michika Local Government Area of
the state, Steven Nuhu. According to a release signed by the secretary
to the state government, Kobis Ari Thimnu, Simon Vandu, a retired Air
Force officer, is to take over the administration of the council as the
new sole administrator. The statement directed security agencies in the
state to give the new administration all the necessary support.

Assumption

Although the state
government did not give any reason for the dissolution of the executive
council of the local government, the action may not be unconnected with
the violent protest which broke out in the state by youth protesting
the victory of president Jonathan.

The violence
resulted in wanton destruction of lives and property in the state. It
was particularly bad at Michika, where religious worship areas were
torched and some deaths recorded.

Mr Nuhu has been
engaged in a running battle with Mr Nyako. He had earlier accused the
governor of being behind his inability to pay council employees for
several months when the governor came to Michika to campaign. He said
illegal deductions by the state government of local government
allocations was behind the poor financial state of the local council.

Mr Nuhu is also known to be a supporter of Buba Marwa who is seeking to unseat the governor.

Some of Mr. Nuhu’s supporters claimed his sack is political and had nothing to do with violence in the area.

For a greater part
of yesterday, the freedom of Theophilus Osim Onyuku, the Cross River
State gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP) was denied him
as he was holed up at the Atakpa police station in Calabar answering
questions bordering on alleged anti-party activities and his subsequent
suspension from office as the chairman of the party in the state.

Mr .Onyuku, who was
invited by the police last Monday, showed up yesterday morning only to
be detained by the police. He is the embattled state chairman of the
party in Cross River who also won its governorship primary to become
its candidate.

Last week, the
national leadership of the party suspended Onyuku, a psychiatric
medical doctor, for anti-party activities. It also directed him to
vacate the office of chairman of the party and hand over all documents
and property of the party to the vice-chairman, pending investigation
into allegations leveled against him.

Two persons, Onyuku
and Imah Nsa Adegoke, have been parading themselves as the
gubernatorial candidate of LP, with their posters competing for
attention in the state. The duo are jostling to represent the party in
the governorship election coming up next year, following the tenure
elongation granted the incumbent state governor, Liyel Imoke.

Mr Onyuku reacted
swiftly to the purported suspension, saying it had no place in law
since due process was not followed. He also denied involvement in
anti-party activities of any kind, saying the fact that he comes from
the same local council as Mr Imoke does not mean he was working for him.

“The police have
been asking me to explain my level of involvement in purported
anti-party activities. I have told them everything that I know. At no
time did I align with the PDP (People’s Democratic Party) nor work for
Governor Imoke. Those who know me know that I’m an unrepentant critic
of the state government. The allegations against me are absurd and
cannot be proved beyond reasonable doubt. This is a party affair. If
there is any crisis in Labour Party, its chieftains and stalwarts
should be allowed to resolve it themselves. .”

‘Due process candidate’

Mr Onyuku, who
described himself as the authentic candidate of LP for the governorship
election in Cross River State, said he emerged through due process and
challenged any person parading herself as candidate to prove when and
how she got elected as candidate.

His interrogation at the police station attracted the sympathy of other opposition politicians in the state. company.

The police said they invited him based on a petition sent to them
that Mr Onyuku should stop parading himself as the state chairman of LP
because he has been suspended from office over anti-party activities.

Polling stations holding more than 300
voters are to be fragmented into smaller voting centres for next week’s
gubernatorial and state house of assembly elections, the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) said yesterday.

Observers have warned that although the
parliamentary and presidential elections held yet remain one of
Nigeria’s fairest, congestion at polling centres across the federation
stands out as a problem requiring immediate attention as other
elections draw near.

At many voting areas, balloting dragged
into the night after material and officials were clearly outsized by
voters’ figures averaging about 1,000.

An earlier directive by the commission
to state resident electoral commissioners that large centres be reduced
to sizeable units was not fully implemented ahead of the presidential
elections last Saturday.

The European Union election monitoring
group said in its assessment of the election that for 633 randomly
observed polling units across the 36 states, only 14% were split as
INEC directed, with the rest having an average of 860 voters.

A spokesperson for the electoral body
said yesterday that any such flouting was “in default”, insisting that
the commission’s policy remains that, amongst its 120,000 polling
units, those averagely more than 300 be split into sub-units for
voting. “That has not changed and the electoral officers have been so
instructed again at a meeting today,” Kayode Idowu, spokesperson for
the chairman, Attahriu Jega, said after Mr Jega reviewed the
presidential elections with the state resident electoral commissioners
in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mr Jega and his team have earned praise
for the elections so far. Still, foreign and local observers have
expressed concerns about a “complicated and multi-tiered” collation
process, inducement of voters and overpopulated stations.

Multiplicity of units

Mr Idowu said the new voting points are not to be confused with the polling units whose creations are only permitted by the law.

Under the new arrangement, voters in a
particular polling unit in excess of 300 are to be assigned fresh
voting points which still come under the original polling unit. “This
does not breach the law,” Mr Idowu said. “For collation purposes, the
voting points come under the same PUs (polling units).” With each
existing polling unit numbering over 1000 registered voters, the
commission said it is aware that the decision is likely to affect
almost all polling units in the country.

The move is certain to escalate cost and the number of personnel
required for the governorship poll, deemed a crucial part of a series
of nationwide polls. The electoral body said the implication was
factored into the planning and that provisions for sufficient materials
and workforce have been made.