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Comas Iwu, the
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Senatorial candidate for Imo North
senatorial district has rejected the result of last Saturday’s
election, saying the exercise was marred by violence, rigging and
inducement of voters.

Mr Iwu, who is also
the immediate past Secretary of the Imo State Government told reporters
in his home town of Umukabia, Ehime Mbano, that the election was so
marred with irregularities that the materials used by INEC in the
botched April 2 election were openly sold in the market and used for
voting in the April 9 elections.

The ACN candidate
also said that in his home of Umukabia, PDP thugs snatched ballot boxes
which were later stuffed with already thumb printed ballot papers.

No elections

He said out of the
six local government areas that make up the Senatorial District, there
was no election in many wards in Obowo, Isiala Mbano and Ehime Mbano
council areas. According to Mr Iwu, agents of PDP were bribing
accredited voters with amounts ranging from N5,000 to N10,000 in the
full glare of security officials electoral commission workers without
any arrest being made. He also accused PDP thugs of firing gun shots to
scare away voters to create room for them to snatch ballot boxes.

Mr Iwu, however,
urged his supporters to remain calm, saying that such an injustice and
charade would not stand. “What happened in Okigwe zone was not an
election. Some of us are lucky to be alive because of the violence
unleashed on ACN supporters across the zone”, Mr Iwu lamented.

He called on INEC
to cancel the results of Imo North as no elections was held in majority
of the wards and because of the irregularities that characterised the
entire exercise.

Former Vice
President Atiku Abubakar has advised the Independent National Electoral
Commission to brace up for the upcoming presidential and gubernatorial
elections.

Mr Atiku, who
contested for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, alongside
President Goodluck Jonathan, said the impressive outing of the National
Assembly elections is a call to the electoral commission and their
security agencies for better preparations during the presidential and
gubernatorial elections.

In a press
statement released by his media office, the former vice president
advised Nigerians, the electoral commission and security agencies to
guard against “complacency, which may play into the hands of enemies of
democracy. “The will of the people is superior to the ego of any
politician,” he said.

Mr Atiku advised
fellow politicians to abandon the culture of do-or-die politics which
he said is getting out of fashion. He noted that events of last
Saturday’s National Assembly elections have proved that a credible,
free and fair poll is only achievable in an atmosphere of non violence.

Advising Nigerians,
he said: “You must never succumb to the antics of scare mongering and
intimidation because your future and those of your children and
generations unborn is what is at stake.”

He expressed joy over the mass participation in the electoral
process and encouraged the voters to participate en masse in the
presidential and gubernatorial elections. He also commiserated with the
families of the victims of the Suleja and Maiduguri bomb blasts and
prayed for the recovery of all those currently receiving treatment.

The Bauchi State
Police Command says it has arrested 20 persons for various electoral
offences across the state during last Saturday’s parliamentary
elections.

The state Police
Commissioner, Amanam John Abakasanga, disclosed this while parading the
suspects before newsmen at the command headquarters in Bauchi. He said
they were arrested for various offences ranging from ballot box
snatching to possession of dangerous weapons, impersonation, multiple
registrations, criminal conspiracy and thuggery, among others.

According to Mr
Abakasanga, “those arrested on 9th April are: Ibrahim Ya’u and Ya’u
Adamu of Toro Council of the state who were arrested at Jajuwa Polling
unit for multiple registrations and being in possession of dangerous
weapons; Abdulkarim Adamu Jumba, arrested at Federal Lowcost polling
unit for being in possession of offensive weapons; Murtala Dankirana of
Kobi Street in Bauchi Metropolis, who was arrested in Alkaleri Local
Government for being in possession of ballot box and ballot papers;
Saidu Magnid of Dambam, who was arrested in Dambam for ballot box
snatching.” Others include “Mohammed Maigari, a citizen of Niger
Republic, arrested in Azare for impersonation and for voting when not
qualified. Musa Adamu, Hassan Mohammadu, Haladu Mohammed, Ibrahim
Saidu, Hassan Alhaji Musa, Hussaini Makama, Mohammed; all of Darazo
Council arrested for criminal conspiracy, snatching of ballot box
containing electoral materials and being in possession of dangerous
weapons.” The CP further revealed that other suspects arrested prior to
the elections on 8th April were: Ahmed Bala Mohammed and Sale Adamu who
were arrested at Federal High Court premises for being in possession of
a pistol revolver and six rounds of live ammunition;

Shuaibu Hambe,
Sani Mohammed, Ibrahim Mohammed, Rabiu Musa and Suleiman Mohammed all
of Bauchi who were arrested yesterday at Unguwar Nupawa in Bauchi
metropolis for thuggery and mischief. He said they were arrested while
damaging vehicles.

The Police boss
said the suspects would soon be charged to court for prosecution. He
commended men and officers of the Police in the state for their conduct
during the polls on Saturday saying, “I have not received any case of
misconduct by any of my men.” He called on newsmen to assist the Police
in reporting cases of misconduct, underage voters, among other
irregularities.

Caught in the act

Some of the suspects who spoke to NEXT admitted to their offences.

Ahmed Mohammed, a
father of three who was arrested with a pistol at the Federal High
Court premises, where the CPC gubernatorial candidate is in court said:
“I am a youth leader of CPC in the state and I took the pistol to
protect myself from opponents who could attack me at any time.” He said
he bought the pistol for N40,000, and prayed that he be shown mercy.

The 37-year-old Nigerien, Mr Maigari said “I am a wheel-barrow
pusher and had been in Nigeria for over 20 years. I have never voted in
Nigeria and even in my country, I have also never voted. I thought that
by living in Nigeria for this long, I now have the right to vote.”

The Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Bauchi State has released the
final result of Saturday’s National Assembly elections in the state.

Announcing the
results at the INEC headquarters in Bauchi on behalf of the Resident
Electoral Officer, Iliya Audu, the Administrative Officer, Aminu Bello,
said the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the two senatorial
seats where elections were held.

The result shows
that Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Babayo Gamawa of the PDP won the
Bauchi North Senatorial seat, while the Bauchi South senatorial seat
went to Abdul Ningi of the PDP who is an incumbent Member, House of
Representatives, representing Ningi/Warji Federal Constituency.

On the other hand,
PDP won eight out of the 12 House of Representatives seats in the
state. Mohammed Tukur Adamu (PDP) won the Alkaleri/Kirfi Constituency,
Dogara Yakubu (PDP) was returned as the representative for
Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Constituency.

Abdulrazaq Nuhu,
the Chairman, Warji Local Government Area (PDP) won the Ningi/Warji
seat; Umar Abubakar Sade (PDP) won the Darazo/Ganjuwa seat.

Other results, as
announced by Iliya Audu, showed that Abubakar Ahmed (PDP) won the
Misau/Dambam seat, Muhammed Auwal Jatau (PDP) won the Seat of Zaki
constituency. Jama’are/Itas Gadau seat was won by Hassan Isa Mohammed
of the PDP.

The REC said that
Aliu Gebi (CPC) won the Bauchi constituency seat; Lawal Hanaya Tosu of
the CPC clinched the Toro Federal constituency seat, while Adamu Gurai
and Auwal Dahiru Saleh, all of the CPC won the Shira/Giade and Katagum
setas respectively.

Yuguda loses constituency

Meanwhile, the
state governor, Isa Yuguda has lost his constituency, Bauchi Federal
constituency to the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC.

Aliyu Ibrahim Gebi
of the CPC has been declared winner of the last Saturday House of
Representatives election in Bauchi Federal Constituency to represent
the area for the next four years in the lower chamber of the National
Assembly.

Mr Gebi defeated
one of governor Isa Yuguda’s loyalists, Garba Dahiru of the PDP, who is
a former commissioner of finance in the state.

Announcing the
result in Bauchi Local Government Independent National Electoral
Commission INEC office, the returning officer Isiyaku Mohammed said Mr
Gebi of the CPC scored 93,740, to defeat his closest opponent, Mr
Dahiru of the PDP who got 45,807 vote; while Hamidu Sa’idu Ghani of the
ACN scored 12,090, and Comrade Sabo Mohammed of ANPP had 1,0317 votes.

Speaking with news
men after the result was announced, Mr Gebi thanked eligible voters for
the confidence reposed on him and pledged to be fair to all.

The People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) has retained majority of the Benue seats in the
National Assembly, overall official results of the just concluded
election show.

According to the
results released by the Benue office of the Independent National
Commission (INEC), the PDP won two contested senate seats in the state
and also won six of the nine contested seats in the Federal House of
Representatives. The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) won the remaining
three Federal House of Representatives seats.

David Mark (PDP),
current senate president, was declared winner of the Benue South
senatorial district with 62.19 percent of the total votes cast while
Barnabas Gemade, also of the PDP, won the Benue North-East senatorial
district by 59.30 percent of the total votes cast.

Hassan Aalch (PDP)
won the Ado/Ogbadidgo/Okpoku federal constituency with 73.76 percent of
the total votes cast. The party also won the Agatu/Apa federal
constituency seat where Adamu Entono won with 64.9 percent of the total
votes cast.

Orker Jev Yisa of
the ACN won Buruku federal constituency with 68 percent on the total
votes cast. John Dyegh, also of the ACN won Gboko/Tarka federal
constituency with 72.48 percent of the total votes cast, and Aboho
Benjamin, ACN too, won Kwande/Ushongo federal constituency with 53.94
percent.

Emmanuel Lyambee
Jime (PDP) won Markudi/Guma with 51.26 percent of the votes cast. Okwu
Samson also of the PDP won Obi/Oju federal constituency with 54.42
percent while Ezekiel Adaji won Ohimini/Otukpo federal constituency
with a slim margin of 45.95 percent of votes cast.

Hembe Herman Iorwase, a serving Rep member, won Konshisha/Vandekya federal constituency with 61.86 percent.

ACN to protest

The leaders of the
ACN in the state say they are not satisfied with the results. Abba
Yarro, the state chairman of the party said the election was rigged and
that the party is considering petitioning INEC and going to court over
the results.

Before the
elections, the ACN had put up a formidable presence especially in the
northern part of the state and won three of the five contested House of
Representatives seats in the area. Elections were postponed in two
constituencies in that area.

Election into the
Benue North-West senatorial seat, considered the strongest hold of ACN
in the state, was also postponed till April 26, date of the
much-awaited governorship poll.

No jubilation

Despite the clear
victory of PDP in the elections across the state, wild jubilation was
only observed in the Otukpo residence of the senate president.
Markurdi, the state capital was quiet, as security officials paraded
the streets. However, three busloads of young men, supporters of the
ACN, on Monday protested carrying placards.

The Assistant
Inspector General of Police, (AIG) Zone 1, Abubakar Muhammad, has said
that an INEC security guard and a former vice chairman of Warawa Local
Government Area of Kano State have been arrested and detained for
illegal possession of INEC sensitive materials.

Mr Muhammad who
was speaking to newsmen in Kano said that the suspects were picked up
during the last Saturday parliamentary election by security agents.

He identified the
former Council boss as Ado Muhammad of Warawa local council while the
INEC security guard attached to their Shanono office is Nasiru Labaran,
adding that the exhibit found on them had been confiscated.

Suspects to be charged

He stated that
investigations were on to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the
possession of the INEC sensitive materials by the suspects, saying that
the police will soon arraign the suspects.

“Two high profile
suspects were picked up by the security agents during the just
concluded parliamentary election in the state for being in possession
of INEC sensitive materials and they will soon appear in court.” Mr
Muhammad commended politicians and other stakeholders in the state for
the peaceful conduct of the election, and asked them to sustain the
tempo in the subsequent elections.

“We appreciate the
way and manner political supporters conducted themselves during the
waiting period before and after the counting, it was a clear
demonstration of maturity that needs to be sustained for the growth of
democracy.” He promised that the police will not be carried away by the
euphoria of success recorded during the parliamentary election,
pointing out that they are reassessing the whole exercise for better
improvement.

Kazeem Adekilekun (not the real surname) has been
going to the Saraki’s home for political patronage since the age of 15.
Now 35 years old, he voted for the first time and also for the
politicians of his desire, saying it is goodbye to the political
dynasty in Ilorin.

“I used to follow my father here and I grew up to
start coming myself. Even when I was at Osiele College of Education, I
cannot come home during political era without coming here to be part of
whatever schedule for the time. I grew up to know it that way, but I
think that is gone, we have been liberated,” Mr. Adekilekun told NEXT
at his business centre around Taiwo Oke, Ilorin.

According to some of those who spoke to NEXT, the
ouster of the Sarakis’ is imminent, as most of them said that not even
the governor can come back from the Senate to contest and win.

“What Kwarans want is no Saraki in directing our
affair again. By the time a new person that is not installed by Baba is
not there – and I am sure that with the wave of things the marriage
between Bukola and PDP cannot last – then the state will soon start
enjoying the possibility of having new entrants in politics,” said
Sarafa Adekomi, a banker and father of two, at one of the popular
newspapers stand at Challenge.

Describing Olusola Saraki’s style of politics as
extinct, a young man who had come to see the possibility of sharing
money ahead of Saturday’s election, said: “Bukola Saraki gathered all
the youth of PDP to his side while baba is going with the elderly ones,
and now you can see what is all about. What I know is just that this is
the political era and I am here to get what belongs to me,” he said in
Yoruba.

New strategy

NEXT, however, gathered that the elder Saraki’s
party, the ACPN, had regrouped its loyalists by disowning some leaders
and youth who were alleged to have been more interested in the
financial benefits accruable from the party. It also organised groups
of youth into areas, for door-to-door campaign for the forthcoming
elections.

At Mr. Saraki’s Ode Opobiyi area ward, where the
state governor defeated his father’s party to the third position, no
one was willing to talk openly. While some jokingly said the squirrel,
which is ACPN’s logo, fell from the tree, others believe that the elder
Saraki is still relevant to the success of the state.

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission,
Attahiru Jega, at the weekend conceded that the electoral body bungled the
printing of ballot papers for the presidential election billed for next
Saturday, but said the process was later resolved.

Mr Jega said procuring the presidential election ballot papers
became problematic when two foreign companies rejected the job last minute
after previously assuring to deliver by the deadline.

“It is true that we had challenges with the contract for the
presidential ballot papers,” Mr Jega said. “But the situation has been resolved
and we now have all the materials we need for the presidential election.” He
said the first company withdrew after initially guaranteeing timely delivery; a
second company in South Africa, which took over the contract, also withdrew for
the same reason. Each had undertaken to print the ballot papers for the main
election and a rerun.

A third company finally delivered on the job, but only after a
mix-up forced the commission, as it raced to meet elections deadlines, to
cancel the printing of the papers for the main presidential election, and going
ahead to commission the rerun printing, he said.

“People got to know this and they made it look as if we
deliberately printed the rerun ballot paper and left the main, anticipating a
rerun,” he said. “Every electoral commission has to plan for the main election
and the rerun. Everything we have done, we can defend them.”

After a week of public rage over the April 2 postponed
elections, the rescheduled poll on Saturday was widely adjudged a fair
improvement, with millions of voters carried through orderly accreditation and
voting with relatively few troubled areas.

An elated Mr Jega said cases of missing names on voters’
registers, late arrival of materials, violence and reported cases of diverted
materials, will be tackled before the crucial presidential election on April
16. “Evidently, some politicians are still living in the past believing that
snatching ballot boxes and papers will allow them declare false results. But we
are confident that with the new accreditation and security, that will not be
the case,” he said.

Insulting insinuations

He said the missing names were caused by mix-ups in the
deployment of the Direct Data Capture machines and will be corrected before
Saturday, while the commission had received all materials needed for the election.

He took swipes at media reports that criticized his leadership in the wake
of the cancelled election last week. “Every day you read a report that says
there is a division in the commission and you look around and there is nothing
like that and you know they want to undermine us. It is really unfortunate,” he
said. “They want to portray us as partisan. Some say we have meetings with the
politicians. I feel very insulted. People who know us and know our reputation
know that cannot happen. Why would we take this job this far and be doing these
kind of things. But that is the nature of Nigerian politics; we have a job to
do and we will do that job to the satisfaction of Nigerians.”

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerge victorious in
one Senatorial seat and two House of Representatives seats from the results of
the National Assembly elections in Ebonyi State so far released by the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abakaliki.

The closest rival, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) won one
House of Representatives seats.

The state has three senatorial seats and six House of
Representatives seats, out of which elections took place in two senatorial and
five federal constituencies.

Elections into Ebonyi North Senatorial seat and
Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo federal constituency were among those postponed by INEC.

The result announced by the INEC returning officer, Achilike
Beatrice indicate that the candidate of the PDP in Abakaili/Izzi federal
constituency, Sylvester Ogbaga scored a total of 45, 559 votes to defeat seven
other contestants. Emmanuel Uguru of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)
scored a total of 16, 300 while All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
candidate Uchenna Mbam secured 6, 149 votes.

In Afikpo North/South federal constituency, PDP candidate
Christopher Omo Isu defeated his opponents while the ANPP candidate for
Ishielu/Ezza North federal constituency, Peter Ede scored the highest number of
votes.

In Ebonyi South senatorial seat, PDP’s Sonni Ogbuoji scored 65,
735, ahead of Idu Igariwey of ANPP and Darlington Okere of ACN.

The election witnessed low turn out in most areas, even as
voting continued into the night in some places.

The results of Central senatorial zone, Ezza South/Ikwo federal
constituency and Ohaukwu/Ebonyi North federal constituency elections are still
being awaited as at the time of filling this report.

Electoral challenges

At Nkaliki in Abakaliki Local Government Area, 13 thugs, dressed
in army uniform and suspected to be engaged by the PDP, were over powered by an
angry mob who manhandled them before handing them over to the police.

At Ikwo Local Government Area, the home of both the state
governor, Martin Elechi and that of Martin Nchita Ogbuewu, the All Peoples
Grand Alliance (APGA) gubernatorial candidate, the exercise recorded low
turn-out with late arrival of electoral materials that led to late commencement
of accreditation and election.

Also at Ndufu Alike in governor Elechi’s country home,
supporters of PDP and APGA clashed resulting in some sustaining knife cuts.

At Agubata, Akuna Akuna, one man identified as Charles Ogboji
allegedly stopped INEC from accrediting voters against the wish of INEC staff.

Money was handed to voters on queue at Abina Ndufu in Amagu ward two and
Ndubia in IIkwo, though the turn-out was encouraging with the electorate
enthusiastic to have their own share of the money before casting their vote. At
Ekpaomaka and Ekpanwude electoral materials meant for four polling units were
snatched by gun-wielding thugs.

The results of the
election in Anambra central senatorial district have been put on hold
by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) pending a rerun
election in three wards in Njikoka local government.

The decision came
in the wake of strong protests by agents of the Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN) against the cancellation of results in the three wards,
which they claimed would have catapulted their candidate, Chris Ngige
to victory.

NEXT gathered that
the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Dora Akunyili was
slightly ahead of her closest rival, Mr Ngige, from the results already
announced by the electoral body. But when the results from Njikoka were
received, the ACN agents claimed they received a text message from
their agents in the cancelled wards which they said showed that ACN led
in two of the areas, a development they pointed out would have ensured
victory for their party in the overall result.

Led by their state
agent, Kingsley Ezenwenyi, the ACN agents insisted the results should
not be announced and threatened to deal with the returning officer if
he went ahead to announce the results. They shouted and hurled
invective at both the Election and and Returning officers – and even
chased the Returning Officer into the first floor office of the
commission.

Finally both officials walked out, leaving some other officers of the commission to explain the situation to the protesters.

A spokesperson for
the commission, Mr Nwunelli, said the cancellation was because of the
non-availability of result sheets which were snatched. He said there
was a new INEC guideline which stipulated that when the total number of
registered voters is added up and found to be capable of upturning the
result, such would be declared inconclusive.

He said the number
of voters in the affected wards was found to be capable of upturning
the result and hence no return would be made. He said the result had
therefore been put on hold pending a rerun in the Nimo and Enugwu-ukwu.

A briefing by the
resident electoral commissioner with the press could not however hold
as soldiers flooded the entrance to the commission’s headquarters and
refused the journalists entry.

In Nimo, people
dressed in Army uniform had stormed wards one and two and commandeered
the INEC staff to part with the result sheets. The operation was
believed to have been orchestrated by a politician of the town
belonging to the Accord Party, whose party was hopelessly outclassed in
the wards by ACN and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

In the declared result, Andy Uba of the PDP won in Anambra south.