Elections

Abia Bye-Election: APC Candidate Kicks, Asks for Fresh Poll
Elections, News, Nigeria

Abia Bye-Election: APC Candidate Kicks, Asks for Fresh Poll

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the ongoing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency bye-election, Mr Mascot Kalu, has called for fresh polls in some areas citing violence eruption. Kalu, who is the younger brother of Chief Orji Kalu, the Chief Whip of the Senate, said this while interacting with reporters at the Eziama High School Ward 01, Unit 014. He said, “We have reports of malpractice at Abia Polytechnic, vote-buying at Item Hall but here at Eziama, it has been peaceful. “We had a vigorous campaign and are hopeful we will emerge victoriously but it is the people that will decide at the end of the day,” Kalu said. He denied the allegation that APC engaged the military to disrupt voting in some wards. According to him, the military operatives only...
INEC declares PDP Candidate, Ebisike, Winner of Aba By-election
Elections, News, Nigeria

INEC declares PDP Candidate, Ebisike, Winner of Aba By-election

The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the Aba North/South Federal Constituency bye-election, Mr Chimobi Ebisike, the winner of the Saturday polls and returned him elected. He polled a total of 10,322 votes to defeat his closest challenger and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, chief Mascot Uzor Kalu who scored 3,674 votes. The All Progressives Grand Alliance and Action Alliance were the other political parties that fielded candidates in the election. The returning Officer Prof. Fedelis Okpata, said, ”The election was contested and the candidates received the following votes: AA candidate, 199 votes; Mascot Uzor Kalu, of the APC scored 3,674 votes; Akaraka Destiny of APGA polled 1,554 votes; Abraham Oko...
Igbo Leaders Demand PDP Presidential Ticket, Threaten Defection
Elections, News, Nigeria

Igbo Leaders Demand PDP Presidential Ticket, Threaten Defection

A group of prominent Nigerians from the South-East region under the aegis of the Igbo Leadership Development Foundation has threatened to mobilise their people to leave the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, en masse if the party fails to zone the presidency to the region in 2023. This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by its Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Law Mefor. According to the statement, the group pledged to sue PDP to a court of competent jurisdiction if it does not stick to its constitutional provision of rotational presidency. Details later…
INEC Plans Online Voter Registration, targets 16 Million Nigerians
Elections, News, Nigeria

INEC Plans Online Voter Registration, targets 16 Million Nigerians

In an attempt to address the cumbersome process of voter registration at the various centres in Nigeria ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission, has said part of the registration exercise will be done online while biometric data capturing would take place at designated centres. The new initiative is expected to reduce overcrowding at the registration centres. The INEC National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye, said this during a chat with newsmen on Monday, while reacting to questions on the modalities for voter registration. He said, “We won’t require everyone to go to registration centres to go register. The new registrants will start their registration online and only go to the registration centres for th...
Ekiti By-Election Violence Proof Nigerians Have Rejected APC – Fayose
Elections, News, Nigeria

Ekiti By-Election Violence Proof Nigerians Have Rejected APC – Fayose

Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said the killings that took in Omuo Ekiti on Saturday by suspected political thugs is clear evidence of terrorism against citizens, who have rejected the party in government. Reacting to the violence, Fayose said the killing of innocent citizens because of the House of Assembly by-election was barbaric. He said: “I thought we have gone past this barbarism in Ekiti State, especially when we are confronted with national insecurity to which the government have no solution. “What was witnessed today in Omuo Ekiti is nothing but terrorism against the people of Ekiti, knowing that time has caught up with them and they are no longer popular. “This will remain guilt in the conscience of the perpetrators and their sponsors perpetually for...
2023: Okupe Tenders Apology to Igbos Over Comment on Killing of Ahmadu Bello
Elections, News, Nigeria

2023: Okupe Tenders Apology to Igbos Over Comment on Killing of Ahmadu Bello

A former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, has tendered an apology to Igbos for his comment on the 2023 elections and the agitation for Igbo presidency. Okupe in a tweet on Saturday weighed in on the calls for a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction in the 2023 presidential election. He stated that an Igbo president cannot be possible in 2023 except there is a national consensus. The former presidential aide also said that the South-East cannot produce a president until the North forgives them for killing Ahmadu Bello in 1966. He wrote, “A national consensus for Igbo presidency cannot evolve until the core North forgives the Igbos for the killing of Sardauna of Sokoto by Nigerian soldiers of Igbo extraction in the 1966 coup. “If this consensus emerges, in the...
2019 Election: PDP Have Evidence of Atiku’s Victory Over Buhari – Bauchi Governor
Elections, News, Nigeria

2019 Election: PDP Have Evidence of Atiku’s Victory Over Buhari – Bauchi Governor

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed has alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won the 2019 genera election but were rigged out of the contest. Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari vied the 2019 presidential election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, against former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. President Buhari was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The Supreme Court upheld Buhari’s victory after Atiku and PDP had contested the result of the election from the tribunal to the apex court. Mohammed while speaking on Politics Today, A channels Television programme on Thursday, claimed that electoral fraud perpetrated either by INEC or security personnel cost his party the electi...
APC Seeking to Entice Makinde to Evade Defeat in 2023 – Aide
Elections, News, Nigeria

APC Seeking to Entice Makinde to Evade Defeat in 2023 – Aide

The Chief Press Secretary to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Taiwo Adisa, has alleged that the All Progressive Congress, APC, is planning to entice the governor to join the party in a bid to avoid a heavy defeat in the 2023 governorship election. He said the quest to win Makinde over was informed by the APC’s realisation that they could not present a more worthy candidate that could challenge the governor at the poll. Adisa who disclosed this in a statement on Monday added that the ploy to entice Makinde to the APC did not come as a surprise, as the party was impressed by Makindes laudable feats despite the existing challenges. The statement partly read, “One is not surprised that some elements in the APC are busy debating the possibility of Governor Makinde’s defection to the p...
Nigerian Political Space is Dubiously Spiritual – Kukah
Elections, News, Nigeria, Religion

Nigerian Political Space is Dubiously Spiritual – Kukah

The Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Mathew Kuka has said that Nigerian politics operates in an environment that is dubiously spiritual, alleging that Nigerian politicians don’t believe they can win an election by merit of their hard work, but depend on prayer for the success of their political enterprise. He said this on Sunday in an interview with academic and historian, Toyin Falola. The cleric called on religious leaders to abase themselves before politicians and to reject the political class from making a mockery of their faith. He expressed worry that religion has been sacrificed on the altar of sycophancy, adding that faith without reason breeds religious extremism and a situation where people kill in the name of God. Kukah said, “Nigerian politics as you can see from ...