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PDP Raises the Alarm, Says INEC Wants to Prevent BVAS Evidence

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm that the Independent National Electoral Commission is making moves to prevent the party from obtaining evidence from the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System through obtaining a court order.

The court order, the PDP said, would reconfigure the BVAS so that the PDP and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, would not have what is required for prosecuting its case at the presidential election tribunal.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday night at the party headquarters in Abuja, the National Publucity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated that, “late on Monday at 10:10 PM, INEC in a move to prevent our party and candidate from obtaining necessary evidence as ordered by the Court, filed a motion requesting that it be allowed to reconfigure the BVAS machines and wipe off relevant information that our party and candidate require to prosecute our case at the presidential election tribunal.”

Ologunagba added that the action of INEC was reprehensible and meant to frustrate the desire of Nigerians to get redress through the court.

He pointed out that “it is a clear recipe for crisis and a deliberate design by the commission to derail our democracy and trigger anarchy in the country.”

INEC had announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, returned president-elect from the Saturday, February 25, 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections which the PDP earlier rejected the results.

The spokesperson for the PDP further maintained that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, superintended over the alleged manipulation of the results of the presidential election and hurriedly announced a winner in spite of widespread outcry and complaints over numerous evidence of malpractices and violation of several provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 by INEC and its officials.

He also said the INEC chairman bypassed all the steps and procedures provided by the Electoral Act, 2022 for the declaration of results, including to announce and declare only results that were transmitted directly from the Polling Units to the INEC server/website and to review the results in the event of disputes and objections as to the correctness and consistency of the collated result.

The PDP spokesman also pointed out that, “Instead of being guided by the law, the INEC chairman brazenly announced and declared results that were not transmitted directly from the Polling Units to INEC’s server/website while ignoring the objections and complaints raised during the collation in complete disregard to the provisions of the Electoral Act.

“Despite the provocative act of the INEC chairman, the PDP, as a law-abiding party, approached the court and obtained an order directing INEC to, among other things, grant our party and candidate unrestrained access to carry out a forensic examination of the ballot papers, data forms, BVAS/and or card readers and all other necessary information, material and evidence to get redress for Nigerians at the Election Tribunal.

“Apparently panicked by the order, INEC rushed to court to file a motion requesting the court to allow it reconfigure the BVAS devices with the view to erasing the information contained therein.

He further observed that in the motion, INEC admitted that the BVAS application stores the accreditation data for all voters accredited on the device for the presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives elections conducted on February 25, 2023 and that the reconfiguration of the BVAS devices entailed purging the accreditation data on the BVAS devices.

He maintained that the action by INEC was vexatious, provocative and only pointed to the impunity and culpability of the Commission with regard to the reported manipulations and alteration of results to deny its party and its candidate their victory at the presidential election.

According to him, INEC’s action further validates the fact that their party and presidential candidate won the February 25, 2023 presidential election, based on the actual votes cast at the polling units.

He further questioned: “If INEC has nothing to hide, why was it in a hurry to declare manipulated results without recourse to the provisions of the Electoral Act and without consideration of the disputes, objections and complaints raised by Parties during the collation process?”

He reiterated the party’s commitment to continue to pursue the matter in accordance with the law.

The Punch

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National Day Schools Competition: Aijay Media Celebrates Nigeria’s Rich Heritage

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The Aijay Media Annual National Day Schools Competition, held every October 1st, is set to hold this Tuesday.

The event, as always, is programmed to showcase the best of Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, and traditions as well as celebrate the country’s national day, with varieties of competitions, which have grown in popularity over the years, attracting participation from schools all over Lagos State.

This year’s competition revolves around the “Theme: Nigeria Will be Great If …”, with different schools competing in various categories such as traditional dance, poetry, drama, and music. Students are to display their talents, creativity, and prowess in interpreting the theme.

The CEO of Aijay Media, Mrs. Ijeoma Oka, said that the competition is an opportunity for students to showcase their talents, celebrate their cultural identity and proffer their own solutions to the anomalies in our country.

The Competition is also an opportunity for schools to win prizes, including educational materials. This Last year’s competition saw many schools taking home prizes, with Tenderhands Montessori School, Lagos emerging as the overall winner.

Mrs. Abiola-Seriki Ayeni was the Special guest of honour at the previous year’s competition. Speaking at the event, she commended Aijay Media for organizing the competition and called on well-meaning Nigerians, government, and companies to support this vision. She also urged Nigerian youths to embrace their cultural heritage, promote national unity, and work harder.

Given the success this competition is expected to attract, it is expected that more schools and organizations will participate in the future.

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NLC, TUC Declare Indefinite Strike

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The organised labour unions, comprising the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), have declared an indefinite strike effective from October 3, 2023.

TUC President, Festus Osifo declared the strike at a joint press conference also attended by the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ajaero, who spoke first, carpeted the Federal Government over what he described as lackadaisical stance to address demands raised by the unions since the subsidy removal policy took effect.

He accused the government of deliberate refusal to engage in a meaningful and constructive dialogue within the ambits of good faith during the 21 days ultimatum and the subsequent successful 2-day nationwide warning strike on the 5th and 6th of September 2023.

According to the NLC President, the National Executive Councils (NEC) of the NLC and TUC in their various meetings deeply analyzed the current situation in the country, taking into cognisance the extensive hardships and deprivation afflicting the citizens across all states of the federation.

He said both NECs unanimously condemned the government’s apparent conscious lethargy and tardiness in handling the consequences of its petrol price hike on Nigerians.

Ajaero also noted that the NLC and the TUC NEC-in-session observed that there is no disagreement between Labour and Government on the existence of massive suffering, impoverishment and hunger in the country as a result of the hike in the price of Petrol which demands an urgent need for remedial action.

He said the government totally abdicated its responsibility and had shown gross unwillingness to act, thereby abandoning Nigerian people and workers to excruciating poverty and affliction.

He went on to accuse the federal government of continuous grandstanding and forestalling all avenues to peaceful dialogue with organized labour on ways to save Nigerians from the huge hunger and suffering experienced across the nation.

“As a result of the unconscionable hike in the price of Petrol (PMS) by the Government, the Government has continued to demonstrate not just an unwillingness to mitigate the massive hardship in the country but also a complete lack of intention to take positive steps and empathy for the multi-dimensionally impoverished citizens of Nigeria.

“The federal Government has therefore not met in any substantial way, the demands of Nigerian workers and peoples as previously canvassed in our mutually agreed roadmap to salvaging the economy and protecting workers and Nigerians from the monumental hardship.

“The grace period given by the two labour centres has expired but trade unions continue to face severe threat from the State via the brutal and suppressive power of the Police and Government.

“The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) continues to be illegally occupied by the Government via the instrumentality of the police who have cloned the leadership of NURTW.

“The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) continues to be illegally occupied by the Lagos State government in total disregard to the Courts and the statutes.

“That the State has continued to blackmail and sponsor serious campaigns of calumny against trade union leaders in the social media using its buying and coercive powers instead of making efforts to lift the burden on the masses,” the NLC President stated.

When Osifo got hold of the microphone, he said, consequently, the NLC and TUC NEC-in-Session resolved as follows: “to, in the spirit of the Independence Day celebration and to demonstrate our resolve for a truly independent Nigeria to take our destinies in our own hands and rescue our nation

“To embark on an indefinite and total shutdown of the nation beginning on zero hours Tuesday, the 3rd day of October, 2023. To direct all workers in Nigeria to withdraw their services from their respective workplaces commencing from the 3rd of October.

“To direct all affiliates and state councils to immediately start mobilizing accordingly for action to organize street protests and rallies until Government responds positively to our demands.

“We enjoin all patriotic Nigerians to join hands across the nation to assist this government put the people back at the centre of its policies and programmes.”

Daily Post

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Nigerians Will Be Shocked If Chicago Varsity Releases Tinubu’s Academic Records – Obaseki

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A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and member of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) in the last election, Dr Don Pedro Obaseki, has said Nigerians will be shocked if the Chicago State University (CSU) releases the academic records of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

Obaseki who was the Director of Research and Documentation of PDP – PCC in the 2023 election explained that Atiku is seeking an open disclosure of Tinubu’s CSU documents because it is believed that the Supreme Court of Nigeria may be compelled to listen to fresh evidence in the petitions already submitted to it.

Speaking during a zoom conference hosted by Prof. Gold Emmanuel, a psychologist based in London, on Monday, Obaseki said it was because of the nature of the issue and the need for Nigerians to know that the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is insisting on the full disclosure of President Tinubu’s academic records by the Chicago State University.

He said even though President Tinubu has said the public disclosure of his CSU documents would cause irreparable damage to him, “Nigerians would even be more shocked to know more about the certificate in question.”

He said, “Even when the court of first instance and the appellate court have convicted someone to death minutes before the Supreme Court gives its final judgement and there arose fresh and compelling facts and evidence, the apex court is bound to listen to the fresh facts before making its final judgement.

Daily Trust

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