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APC/PDP Battle For The Soul of 6 States

Published

6 years ago

March 23, 2019

Editor

By Ajibade Morakinyo

After declaring elections of six states- Bauchi, Kano, Sokoto, Plateau, Benue, and Adamawa ‘inconclusive’, citizens and residents of these states are back at polls today to elect their Governors and House of Assembly elections.

The supplementary election were ordered for a number of combination of reasons by the Independent Natonal Electoral Commission but this decision has no doubt triggered a controversial debate in the polity because the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party recorded higher number of votes in five of the six states, while the ruling party, All Progressive Congress leads in one state.

However, it would be recalled that ills like discontinuation of use of the Smart Card Readers midway into the elections or the failure to deploy them, over-voting, and widespread disruption in many polling units, made the election vulnerable to the ‘inconclusive’ syndrome.

Although the move to conduct a supplementary election was never out of the dictates of the law. Since the “Margin of Lead Principle” stated in Sections 26 and 53 of the Electoral Act and paragraph 41(e) and 43(b) of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines, stated that the commission cannot declare a winner if the number of cancelled votes can mathematically affect the outcome of the election.
Hence, no winner can be declared if upon final collation, the margin of victory between two parties with the highest numbers of votes is less that than number kf cancelled votes abdand thus the need for the reruun

BAUCHI STATE
In Bauchi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Bauchi state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) stated that the supplementary poll will hold in 36 polling units spread across 29 wards in 15 Local Government Areas of the state because the margin of lead between the two candidates is 4, 059 votes.
He however said election would not hold in Tafawa Balewa local government – one of the three Local Government Areas Speaker Yakubu Dogara represents in the House of Representatives, which has 139, 240 registered voters, pending the decision of the Court.
KANO STATE
In Kano state, elections will be conducted across 28 affected local government areas, which have 75 Registration Centres, 207 polling units and 279 voting points with the total number of 128,324 registered voters.
The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Riskuwa Arab-Shehu, disclosed that the governorship election was cancelled across 15 LGAs due to violence and 116 polling units were affected, adding that in these affected areas, the total number of voters is 73,173.
SOKOTO STATE
In Sokoto state, election will take place in 22 Local Government Areas across 136 polling units, respectively.
Professor Fatima Muktar, the INEC Returning Officer, said the number of cancelled votes exceeded the margin between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congressives (APC), which is 3,413 votes.
Meanwhile, PDP’s Aminu Tambuwal is currently leading in the race for re-election, polling, 489,558 votes, while the APC polled 486,090 votes.
Additionally, the number of rejected votes is 30,082, while the total votes cast is 1,018,024.
PLATEAU STATE
In Plateau state, election will be held in 14 local government areas, out of the 17 in the state. These include Jos East, Jos North, Jos South, Kanam, Langtang North, Langtang South, Mangu, Panshin, Kanke, Mikang, Quanpan, Riyom, Shendam, and Wase.
The returning electoral officer, Richard Kimbir, said the reasons why results in some polling units were cancelled were due to over-voting, manual voting, and violence.
BENUE STATE
In Benue State, the election was declared inconclusive because the total number of accredited voters in areas where election was not held, was more than the margin of lead.
State Returning Officer for the Benue state governorship election, Prof. Sebastien Maimako, revealed that the 81,554 margin of lead and the total number of cancelled votes which stood at 121,019, the election could not be declared as conclusive.
Prof. Maimako said: “By the first maximum votes of 410,576 scored by PDP and the second maximum votes of 329,022 scored by APC, 81,554 is the margin of lead. Therefore, the total number of rejected votes in the areas where election was not held is above the margin of lead which is 121,019.
ADAMAWA STATE
In Adamawa state, INEC declared the Adamawa governorship race inconclusive because the lead margin was lower than the total number of votes cancelled in certain areas.
However, a High Court in Adamawa on Thursday ordered the indefinite postponement of the governorship election in the state. This came after an ex parte motion filed by the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD) that claimed that its logo was excluded from the ballot paper for the March 9 election.
The judge, Abdul-azeez Waziri, said the polls should be put on hold until he rules on an application for an interlocutory injunction barring INEC from conducting the polls.
The judge then adjourned the matter to Tuesday to give the ruling.
Obviously, the contest is usually between the top two candidates which in these states are between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but all the candidates involved in the elections are still legible to participate in the supplementary elections, and not just the top two as it would happens in a runoff election.

For sure the die is cast and whatever happens, winners must surely emerge.

Headline

Tinubu Presents N47.9trn 2025 Appropriation Bill to NASS

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Eric

President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, presented the proposed 2025 federal budget to a joint session of the National Assembly.

The N47.9 trillion budget saw a whopping N3.5 trillion allocated to the education sector.

Other sectors that got higher allocations include defence and security – N4.91tn, infrastructure – N4.06tn and health – N2.4tn.

“It is with great pleasure that I lay before this distinguished joint session of the National Assembly, the 2025 Budget of the National Assembly of Nigeria titled, ‘The Restoration Budget’ security peace, building prosperity,” Tinubu said as he concluded his 30-minute presentation at 1:10pm.

This budget highlights the government’s focus on improving education, healthcare, and infrastructure, in line with its ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ aimed at boosting the economy and addressing key national priorities.

The live broadcast of the budget presentation today revealed the government’s plans for the next fiscal year. With a strong emphasis on human capital development, the president highlighted the budget’s commitment to improving the nation’s economic foundation.

Education sector receives major funding

A significant portion of the 2025 budget is dedicated to education, with N3.5 trillion allocated to the sector. President Tinubu stated that part of this funding would be directed toward infrastructure development, including support for Universal Basic Education (UBEC) and the establishment of nine new higher educational institutions.

“We have made provision for N826.90 billion for infrastructural development in the education sector,” Tinubu said.

This allocation aims to improve educational facilities and support ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s educational system.

Focus on human capital development

During the presentation, the president emphasized the importance of investing in Nigeria’s human capital. “Human capital development, our people are our greatest resource. That is why we are breaking record investment in education, healthcare, our social services,” he remarked.

Tinubu also pointed to the N34 billion already disbursed through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to assist over 300,000 students.

The budget includes continued investments in healthcare and social services as part of the broader goal of enhancing the quality of life for Nigerians.

Strengthening the economy and national security

Tinubu highlighted that the 2025 budget is designed to build a robust economy while addressing critical sectors necessary for growth and security.

“This budget reflects the huge commitment to strengthening the foundation of a robust economy, while addressing the critical sectors essential for the growth and development we envision; and secure our nation,” he said.

The budget aims to tackle key challenges and foster long-term economic stability by prioritizing infrastructure and development in key sectors.

Healthcare and social services allocations

In addition to education, Tinubu focused on the allocation for healthcare and social services. The government plans to increase investments in healthcare infrastructure and services to ensure broader access to essential healthcare for Nigerians.

These investments are part of the administration’s strategy to improve overall living conditions and enhance public health across the country.

President Tinubu’s proposed 2025 budget is said to reflect the administration’s commitment to achieving its development objectives, with a focus on economic growth, human capital development, and infrastructure improvement.

As the National Assembly reviews the budget, the president reiterated his administration’s resolve to address the nation’s most pressing needs.

Source: Nairametrics

Headline

Ghana’s President-elect Mahama Visits Tinubu in Abuja

Published

5 days ago

December 17, 2024

Eric

Ghana’s President-Elect, Dr. John Dramani Mahama, a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu at his residence, Presidential Villa, State House on Monday.

Mahama won 56 percent of the votes in this month’s presidential election, compared to the ruling party candidate and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who secured 41 percent.

The landslide comeback for former president Mahama ended eight years in power for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under President Nana Akufo-Addo, whose last term was marked by Ghana’s worst economic turmoil in years, an IMF bailout and a debt default.

Headline

I Stand by What I Said, Kemi Badenoch Replies VP Shettima

Published

1 week ago

December 12, 2024

Eric

The leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has lashed back at Vice President Kashim Shettima over the latter’s reaction to her comments about Nigeria.

Badenoch was born in the UK in 1980 to Nigerian Yoruba parents.

Badenoch, who attained age 16 in Nigeria before departing the country for the UK where she was elected Conservative Party’s leader, described Nigeria as a nation brimming with thieving politicians and insecurity.

However, Shettima, while speaking at the 10th Annual Migration Dialogue at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, December 9, 2024, accused Badenoch of “denigrating her country of origin” with her remarks.

The vice-president listed influential people whose families had migrated to other countries, commending former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as a “brilliant young man who never denigrated his nation of ancestry.”

Reacting on Wednesday, Badenoch lashed back at Shettima, saying she doesn’t do “PR for Nigeria”.

Her spokesperson, as the Tory leader, according to UK Express, said: “Kemi is not interested in doing Nigeria’s PR; she is the Leader of the Opposition in the UK.

“She tells the truth; she tells it like it is; she isn’t going to couch her words. She stands by what she said.”