Independent National Electoral Commission
Governor Wike: Edo election may likely be the best in Nigeria history
The governor of Rivers State and the Edo Guber Election Campaign Council Chairman, Nyesom Wike, has said considering the voting process and methodology employed in Edo State 2020 Guber election, the poll may likely be the best in the history of Nigeria. Wike through his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, via his twitter handle and Facebook page posted; “there was minimal violence recorded because of the proactive measures deployed by the security agencies”. “This may likely be the best election ever conducted in the history of Nigeria. But they must allow the process to continue to the end. Otherwise, they will destroy it. “If it is APC that has won, let it be so. If it is PDP that has won, let it also be so. But I must tell that we are happy with what we hav...
PDP: We will resist attempt to declare Edo election results inconclusive
File Photo The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign council for Edo State governorship election, Sunday has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release the Edo election results, saying that it will resist attempts to declare the election which was held on Saturday inconclusive. Chairman of the party’s National campaign council and Rivers State governor, Mr. Nyeson Wike, who disclosed this to journalists in Benin City cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against such move. Wike alleged that the INEC returning officer for Orhionmwon local government has disappeared after supervising collation of results in the area. He saids, “We call on INEC and to let the general public know that the man is locked up in an office in INEC complex.” Offi...
Edo election: Votes sold for N1,000 to N15,000 – CDD
The Centre for Democracy and Development on Saturday condemned the high incidence of vote-trading recorded in the Edo State governorship election. The organisation said reports from its observers on the field showed that politicians, in an attempt to circumvent the electoral process, used young girls as their contact with the voters for the trading. It lamented that votes were traded for cash gifts from N1,000 to N15,000. The Director of CDD, Idayat Hassan, who said these during a press briefing on the preliminary report on the election said it was quite worrisome that “young girls were used for indirect vote-buying during the election.” She said, “We saw largely vote-buying in the Edo election, the most worrisome trend in this election is the level of sophistication at which politicians e...
Governor Wike: We don’t want inconclusive election in Edo
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and the Chairman of the PDP National Campaign Council for the Edo Governorship election has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make sure the collation of the election is monitored and go well just like the election itself. Governor Wike who commended the commission and the security agencies during a press briefing on Saturday evening added that though they have done when during the voting, they must complete their jobs to the end. “We don’t expect the election to be 100 % perfect and there was no report of violence so far but I’m still worried. “So I’m calling on the INEC to move straight to the coalition Centre which is the critical aspect of this election before I can actually say INEC has done well or not. “We do not want a...
Governor Wike asks President Buhari to make Edo election a model
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to make Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State a model. Wike, the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Campaign Council for the poll, spoke during a live television programme in Port Harcourt. A statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, quoted the governor as saying that the outcome of the election would provide hope for 2023 general election. He said: “Everyone that loves this country should ensure that tomorrow’s election is credible, free and fair. “The police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should show Nigerians that they can support credible elections. “INEC should ensure that result sheets are not in the hands of i...
Edo election: Governor Obaseki declares Friday work-free
Ahead of Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Edo State, the government has declared Friday, September 18, 2020, as a work-free day. This was contained in a statement titled ‘Edo 2020: Obaseki declares Friday work-free day’ on Thursday. The statement noted that the declaration of a work-free day was to enable workers in the State Public Service to travel to their respective Constituencies to exercise their franchise. It quoted the Edo State Head of Service, through the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Aziegbemhin P.E, as saying, “Sequel to the forthcoming Edo State gubernatorial election scheduled to hold on Saturday September 19, 2020, Mr. Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has approved Friday 18th September 2020 as a work-free day to enable workers in the State Public Service travel to their respective ...
Edo election: Court fixes October 14 to hear PDP’s suit seeking Pastor Ize-Iyamu disqualification
Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, adjourned to October 14, to commence hearing in the suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking the disqualification of Pastor Osagie Ize-iyamu from the September 19 governorship election in Edo State. Justice Mohammed fixed the date following an agreement by parties to hear the suit after the court’s vacation period. The court had last week adjourned to September 16 for hearing in the application against the suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the court’s jurisdiction being a vacation court to entertain the suit. When the matter came up, on Wednesday, counsel to the plaintiff, Chief Ken Mozia (SAN), informed the court that the matter for the day was the hearing of the APC’s objec...
PFN urges Edo people to maintain peace during Saturday election
Rev. Dr. Felix Omobude, National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), has charged the people of Edo State to maintain peace and orderliness before, during and after the September 19 governorship election in the state. Dr. Omobude who is also the General Superintendent of Gospel Light International Ministry (GLIM) – New Covenant Gospel Church (NCGC), in a press statement in Benin City, signed by his Media Aide, Deacon Ralph Okhiria, said the election of an individual politician is not worthy of the blood or life of any resident of the state. “My dear good people of Edo state, I identify and join my voice to the many other good citizens of the state to call for peace during this governorship election scheduled for Saturday, this week.” “The contestants have transversed t...
Edo election: PDP, Comrade Oshiomhole bicker over ‘intimidation’ of voters
File Photo The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo and a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, are in a war of words over alleged planned intimidation of Edo’s voters with soldiers and stockpiling of arms. Edo PDP, through its Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, at a news conference in Benin, accused Oshiomhole, an ex-governor, of using soldiers to intimidate voters in Benin City and Auchi. It also accused Oshiomhole of stockpiling arms in his house at Iyamho hometown in Etsako West Local Government Area for the election next Saturday. It asked security agents to search the Iyamho house of the former governor while urging the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, and President Muhammadu Buhari, to call Oshiomhole to order. The...
PDP: Edo people will resist attempt to tamper with scheduled date of election
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday said that the people of Edo state would resist any attempt by anybody to tamper with the state governorship election schedule for Sept. 19. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, at a news conference on Sunday in Abuja alleged that there were plots by certain interests to use frivolous lawsuits to scuttle the scheduled date. “The PDP revealed that the said interests masquerading through certain political groups were seeking to blackmail the judiciary and stampede the court to violate the clear provisions of the Electoral Act and illegally halt the Edo election. “Nigerians are already aware that section 87(10) (11) of the Electoral Act, clearly prohibits the courts from restraining the conduct of party primaries and general elec...
Kebbi floods: Nigeria-Niger Highway to be shut as government relocates citizens
Troubled by rampaging floods which have washed off many portions of the Nigeria-Niger Highway, the Kebbi State Government is considering closing parts of the road. Already, the state has revamped the Internally Displaced Peoples camp at Kalgo with a view to moving natives of 11 worst-affected communities to the camp to prevent imminent threats to their lives. The Birnin Kebbi-Makera-Kangiwa Highway, which runs from the state capital Birnin Kebbi, is at risk of caving in at Duku, 40 kilometres to the border with Nigeria’s northern neighbour. Some of the minor bridges and culverts along the highway are being eroded. Already, five bridges in different parts of the state have been washed away by the flood, according to the Kebbi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) chairman, Alhaji Sani Do...
INEC: Fire incident won’t affect Ondo election
Ahead of the October 10 gubernatorial election in Ondo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Friday in Abuja said despite the fire incident that destroyed Card Readers meant for the election, the governorship poll will still go ahead as planned. The commission has also said it is not contemplating postponing the September 19 Edo election. INEC National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated this in Abuja during an interactive session with stakeholders and Civil Society Organizations, convened by the National Peace Committee. He said the 5100 Card Readers programmed for use for the election were razed in the inferno that on Thursday night, adding that investigation is on to unravel the cause of the fire. Yakubu said: “we received the sad news last night of fire inc...
