Headline

Protests Rock Bayelsa As PDP Demands Cancellation Of Suspicious Results

Published

5 years ago

February 25, 2019

Editor

The Bayelsa State Capital, Yenagoa, was on Monday locked down by a massive protest by members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP demanding the cancellation of the fake results from Southern Ijaw and Nembe Local Government areas of the state.

Chairman of the state PDP, Moses Cleopas who led thousands of the party faithful, called on INEC to reject the contentious results and conduct a rerun of the elections in the seven wards in Nembe Bassambiri and Wards 12, 14 15 and 16 in Southern Ijaw Constituency 4.

Cleopas said that it was shocking and unfortunate that INEC accepted results from an election that did not involve the use of the Permanent Voters Card as required by the Constitution and the Electoral Act guiding the operations of the commission.

He said that it was a bizarre show of desperation for INEC to declare fake results of an election in the crisis ridden arrears of Southern Ijaw where a PDP leader, Seidougha Taribi, was murdered and a Government House Photographer, Reginald Dei, was shot with voters scared from the polls by gun wielding men in Army uniforms.

The PDP Chairman said that it was equally sordid that INEC accepted results from Nembe Bassambiri where electoral officials and materials were taken to Darius hotel for thumb printing and made to produce results under duress.

He added that the same thugs backed the Army supervised the orgy of violence unleashed on Brass Local Government Areas where a Deputy Commissioner òf Police, Tope Okunola was abducted and beaten up by thugs under the supervision of an Army Officer òf the rank of a major.

According to Mr Cleopas, members of the PDP were pained that the commission could ignore by the wanton destruction of lives and property by security forces sympathetic to the interest of the APC in the last election to endorse fake results.

Mr. Cleopas said the protest was to register their displeasure over the tragic incident as well as the brazen rigging of the election.

His words:” In Nembe Bassambiri, elections didn’t hold because materials were carted away to Dairus Hotel with the aid of military personnel and suddenly its all over the place that election results from the 7 wards are being collated by INEC.

“This is unacceptable to us because they are all concocted results. In Southern Ijaw Constituency 4, wards 14, 15, 16 and even in 12, materials and results were carted away to Ogboinbiri where the results were collated and have been brought to INEC office for collation.

“Our party cannot watch that happen and that is why we are embarking on this peaceful protest as a party that believes in the rule of law.”

Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Konbowei Benson, who was part of the protesters described what happened in Bayelsa as a clear rape of democracy.

He said that it was a glaring case of terrorism for voters to be scared away by gun wielding thugs and soldiers.

He also accused the military of conniving with the APC thugs to cart away election materials and falsified results in Southern Ijaw.

The Speaker who is also contesting the Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency seat, wondered why the military would indulge in such brazen display of bias and lawlessness.

“This is a civilian era, we ought not to experience the militarization of our electoral process. It’s an abuse of democracy.”

Also in his remarks, Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Kemela Okara stressed the need for INEC in the state to strictly adhere to its guidelines in the conduct of elections.

Barr Okara urged the electoral umpire to properly address the issues raised by the PDP and other political parties to avoid a break down of law and order.

In their separate remarks, the PDP Senatorial candidate, Chief Blessing Izagara and his House of Representives counterpart, Mrs Marie Ebikake, appealed to INEC not only to cancel the fake results but also provide a level playing ground for the electorate to choose their leaders.

Responding, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Pastor Monday Tom Udoh, commiserated with the PDP over the murder of their members during the election, describing it as unfortunate.

Represented by the Commision’s Administrative Secretary in the state, Mr. Lebari Samson Ndom, he assured the protesters that the Commission would look into the issues raised with a view to addressing them within the ambits of its guidelines.

Headline

Breaking: Wike Plans to Attend Thursday’s PDP NEC Meeting

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, may have concluded plans to attend the much advertised National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), billed to hold on Thursday, in Abuja.

Impeccable source, who is in the know, told The Boss that the minister, whose membership of the PDP is yet to be revoked even as he frolicks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and serving in the President Bola Tinubu government as a minister.

The Source told The Boss that Wike’s impending presence at the NECeeting on Thursday is not unconnected with plans, already hatched with some governors, to weaken the opposition PDP.

“Yes, we have on good authority that FCT minister, Wike is planning to attend the NEC meeting tomorrow all in a bid to weaken the fabrics of the PDP, and pave the way for the continuation of the Tinubu administration come 2027, and by extension, relapse Nigeria to a full blown one party state.

“From every indication, Wike and his co-travellers, are bent on unleashing the same crisis ravaging the third force, Labour Party, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Nigerian National People’s Party (NNPP) on the PDP for the APC to remain the only political party in the country, and ensure that Tinubu has no challenger, come 2027,” the Source said.

It would be recalled that Wike has boasted over and again that there’s no opposition against Tinubu’s re-emergence in 2027, and that they have made sure of that. He has been compensated with the Ministerial job after he withdrew support for his party, and supported the APC and Tinubu to emerge as national government.

The Source further revealed that in the attempt to actualize the intended one party state, a lot of funding is ongoing to ensure that concerned stakeholders are ‘settled’ handsomely.

Wike, prior, during and after the 2023 general elections, has been floating in between the two major political parties; the APC and the PDP. While he claim to still be a member of the PDP, he is functioning as a minister in an APC government, mocking the inability of his party to discipline him.

Political stakeholders have concluded that the outcome of Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting will determine the path Nigeria’s political trajectory will take, and that it may portend the end of multi-party system and political democracy if Wike succeeds in his plan.

Headline

Bribery, Corruption: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

Published

4 days ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The All Progressives Congress ward in Ganduje, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The party ward legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, announced the suspension while addressing newsmen in Kano State on Monday.

Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje levelled by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the APC National Chairman, Mr Edwin Olufo, failed as his mobile phone was unreachable.

Headline

Akpabio Commits to Collaboration with Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno

Published

1 week ago

April 12, 2024

Admin

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated his commitment to working closely with Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Umo Eno to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio stated this in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, while briefing his constituents on the journey so far as their representative in the red chamber.

He assured the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of his commitment to their welfare in appreciation of their total support for him, President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in last year’s election.

The Highpoint of the constituency briefing was the distribution of over 10,000 bags of rice and other essentials for his constituents from the wards, to the local governments.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying, “I am here once again, to thank you for standing by me, our President and the party, before, during and even after last year’s elections. I have come to say thank you and also bring Renewed Hope to you all.

“As the President is doing his own, the Senate President is also doing his bit and being complemented by the state governor, Akwa Ibom would be the better for it. We have finished elections and politics, we are now into governance. The governor of the state must touch you, because he is the governor of all the people in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

” As I am touching you now from the political angle, I will also touch the state without any political party affiliation. Most of the projects we are putting in place would be used by people resident in the state. Relax, things are getting better.”

The former Governor of the state, assured his constituents that his current position as the Senate President would be used for the development of the state in collaboration with the President and the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Hear him: This Senate President is not the one that would be fighting the state government. I will collaborate with , I will collaborate with , to make the state better for us all. We cannot be out of government for a long time. You have to go to a government that carries you along”

Akpabio promised to work for his constituents and Nigeria with all his strength, noting that, “as the President of the Senate, I am for the Southern region and the entire country. I may not come here regularly to tell you what I have been doing for you, but you will be feeling the impact on way or the other. Our unemployed youths would be gainfully employed. I will construct a mini stadium in all the local governments in the district, for our youths to develop their sporting potentials. ”