INEC distributes sensitive materials in Jigawa, CBN bars journalists at premises

By Christiana Ekpa

The Jigawa State branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Wednesday restricted journalists from accessing the bank premises to monitor the distribution of sensitive materials for the Saturday, March 18 gubernatorial elections.

Journalists were left stranded and denied access to the area where the distribution of sensitive materials was taking place.

Unlike the normal procedure where journalists are allowed to witness the distribution of sensitive materials at the CBN, as part of their responsibility to ensure free and fair elections, security personnel prevented them from entering the premises.

Speaking to the newsmen at the entrance of the Dutse branch of the bank, the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Muhammad Lawal Bashar, told journalists: “If not for the CBN restriction on us, we would have invited you to enter inside to see the distribution of the sensitive materials but you can see them being evaluated from this premises to local governments.”

He said INEC decided to commence the distribution of the materials early to ensure that they reached polling units without delay.

The February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections didn’t commence in some polling units until late in the afternoon due to the delay in the deployment of election materials.

According to Prof Bashar, “To my knowledge, everything went okay [but for some] some hiccups, because you can not say everything went well 100%; human factors are there.

“We are well prepared and we have started moving the materials, the ad hoc staff movement will start as early as 10 o’clock on Friday to their respective local governments and there will be a refresher training by 4:00 pm after [which] they will start moving to the polling units.”

L-R: Chairperson of the House Representatives Press Corps, Grace Ike presenting the congratulatory card on behalf of the corps to Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, during the House Press Corps visit to Speaker, at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja.

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Southern Kaduna Youths Coalition for Labour Party, Southern Kaduna Youth and Young Forum (SOKAYUF) and Southern Kaduna PDP Youth

Supporters have called on the people of the area irrespective of their political party affiliations to come all out en masse to vote for the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Addressing newsmen in Kaduna on Wednesday, the spokesman of the group, Tanko Audu noted that following the outcome of the February 25, 2023, presidential and National Assembly elections, Labour Party supporters in Southern Kaduna have put up a groundbreaking performance.

He said: “We have reached the resolution that if we replicate our voting pattern of the justconcluded federal seats election, the danger is, we are definitely going to split our votes and pave way for the continuous stay in office of the APC – a party that we want to unanimously retire from power for its anti-people policies and cruelty.”

He observed that it is important to take into account that LP and PDP share the same political DNA, stressing that it would make it easier to align their interests and powers to achieve a common goal, which is to dislodge the ruling APC that brought untold hardship on Kaduna citizens, irrespective of religious, ethnic and political differences.

Audu explained that their coming together is rooted in the realism that they are stronger together if indeed, they want to take over power from the ruling party.

He stated that they have perceived the danger of going to the Saturday, March 18, 2023, gubernatorial election in Kaduna State as separate entities, stressing that supporting the gubernatorial candidate of LP would amount to dividing their bloc votes to the advantage of the APC which will embolden its chances of extending its reign in power and by extension, continues with its cruel and inhuman policies.

He further explained that they have carefully analysed the eight years of the administration of APC in Kaduna State which is the worst thing that has ever happened to the people of Southern Kaduna, adding that the region has suffered grave losses, ranging from paying billions to kidnappers, unprovoked and senseless killings of innocent souls, destructions of property and farm produce, destruction of the traditional institution, executive rascality, lopsided appointments and the display of nepotism in Gov. Nasir el-Rufai’s urban renewal programme.

“Only less than 5% was spent in Southern Kaduna out of the World Bank N350 billion loan. But sadly, all of us must pay back the loan on equal measure,” he lamented.

Following the hardship they are going through, people cannot access their farmland either to farm or harvest their farm produce due to fear of being killed or kidnapped, he stressed. This situation, according to him, has led to dwindled economic activities in the region, thereby causing untold hardship for the people of Southern Kaduna and other parts of the state.

He added that the APC-led government has divided the state along religious and ethnic lines that have created fear and mistrust among people. He further pointed out that the track record of the eight years of the APC regime shows that the party has no interest in the progress of the Southern Kaduna region.

He said: “In view of the aforementioned, we hereby aligned with the PDP candidates, Rt. Hon. Isah Ashiru-Dr. John Ayuba which is inclusive and stands the best chance to win the 2023 gubernatorial election because of his capacity, popularity and general acceptability across the state, having won the three Senate seats and 10 House of Representative seats out of 16, with the APC securing just four seats.”

Audu added: “In the PDP, we are convinced that our interest will be safeguarded with him as the governor of Kaduna State. The testimony of PDP running a fair, inclusive government need not be emphasised as its last 16 years in power can bear witness.”

LP votes were transferred to APC, but PDP votes left untouched –Peterside

By Christiana Ekpa

Aforemosteconomist and founder of Anap Foundation, Atedo Peterside has alleged that the votes belonging to the Labour Party in the just concluded presidential election were transferred to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Peterside who spoke in an interview on Wednesday, however, said the votes of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were not tampered.

According to him, the results uploaded on the IReV portal of the electoral body shows that INEC may have declared a wrong candidate winner.

“I have spent time scanning through some result sheets, there is a pattern they used and that is disturbing. All the examples I showed you were votes of Labour Party transferred to the APC but PDP’s votes were left untouched,” he said.

The economist expressed optimism that the judiciary would do a good job by telling Nigerians the true winner of the February 25 presidential election.

Gubernatorial election: Makinde will win in 29 LGs in Oyo

PDP boasts

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State has claimed Governor Seyi Makinde will win most of the local government areas in the state.

The gubernatorial election has been slated to hold on Saturday, 18th March 2023.

The PDP has, however, claimed that Makinde who is the candidate of the party will win in at least 29 local governments out of the 33 local government areas in the state.

The Publicity Secretary of PDP in the state, Akeem Olatunji made this disclosure in a statement made available to journàlists on Wednesday.

Olatunji in the statement enjoined the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) to brace up and not delay to congratulate Governor Makinde upon his declaration as the winner and governor-elect.

He maintained that it was already game over for any opposition still racing against Makinde.

Olatunji said it was evidently clear that the people of the state have resolved to sustain the accelerated development agenda of Makinde.

He said, “As candidates and political parties prepare for the last days before Saturday’s governorship and house of assembly elections, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state has said the game is no longer a two-horse race as speculated boasting that its guber candidate, governor Seyi Makinde would convincingly clear the votes of nothing less than 29 Local governments landslide”.