The Peoples Democratic Party( PDP) has said it will petition the United Nations (UN) and other international democratic institutions over the role of the Nigerian military during the February 23 presidential election.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this at the end of an expanded caucus meeting of the opposition party on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ologbondiyan said the caucus commended Nigerians for refusing the alleged harassment, intimidation and militarisation of the electoral process, and for participating in the election.
He stated that the caucus mandated that PDP leadership do everything “permissible within our legal system to get back our mandate on behalf of Nigerians.”
According to him, “Caucus further noted the role of the military in the February 23 election and resolved that we will report the action of the military through a petition to UN as well as other global democratic institution on the role of our military in the February 23 election.”
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday said that the votes of the Akwa Ibom people allegedly stolen during the Presidential and National Assembly elections of Feb. 23, would be reclaimed.
Buhari said this during a town hall meeting held in Uyo to thank the people of the state for casting their votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the elections.
President Buhari, who was represented by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo encouraged the people to defend their votes during the coming Governorship and House of Assembly Elections.
He decried the circumstances, under which Sen. Godswill Akpabio lost his re-election into the senate in spite of his popularity across the state.
He alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) robbed him and the party of victory.
He assured Akwa Ibom people that all the wrongdoings during the Presidential and National Assembly elections would be addressed.
“What happened on the 23rd of February was robbery. The votes of the people were stolen, but we are not deterred.
“The president sent me to thank you today. We are going to make sure that everything that was stolen on the February 23 would be restored.
“It is not possible that Sen. Godwill Akpabio lost. We are in no doubt that Senator Akpabio is the elected senator of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.
“I and Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the party have been in the opposition for long and we cannot be defeated anymore.
“Everyone of you should go out to vote on Saturday and defend your votes, we cannot be cheated; not only you but tell your neighbours to vote for Obong Nsima Ekere and all APC candidates.
“Wait for your votes to be counted. It is the duty of the Federal Government to provide security and we will do that. We will recover every one of our votes, ” he said.
The National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, said the party was not in the state to lament but to appreciate the people of the state for doing their jobs and voting President Buhari and Prof. Osinbajo.
He alleged that INEC colluded with some of the electoral officers to deny the state of its electoral victory on Feb 23, even though the people voted for APC.
“We have not come here to lament that our mandate was on February 23. We have come to thank you that you voted for President Buhari, and all members of the party. You did your job but some armed robbers in INEC stole your votes.
“You think that those who stole your votes will have peace? We have come to reaffirm our commitment with democracy.
“We have come to affirm that no robber will go unpunished, but when an electoral umpire is corrupt and collude with the opposition, we have the witnesses and we have lawyers to deal with that.
“On Saturday, we are not going to wait for them to steal out votes. We call on Akwa Ibom people to protect their votes. We must maintain our sanity even in this hour of provocation.
“Those who committed democratic abortion would be brought to book,” Oshiomhole said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Monday night, said the Deputy Director General (Admin) of Atiku Campaign Organization, Barr. Tanimu Turaki SAN, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
PDP warned that Turaki should be release immediately and unconditionally.
Its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement said Turaki’s arrest and detention is part of the grand plot by the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to use state apparatus of power to intimidate PDP leaders and scuttle PDP’s determination to reclaim our February 23, 2019 Presidential election victory in court.
Nigeria has overtaken Egypt as the largest rice producer in Africa, Director-General,Africa Rice Center, Benin Republic, Dr Harold Roy-Macauley has said .
Roy-Macauley, told The Nation that Nigeria is now the largest rice producer at 4 million tonnes a year.
Egypt was producing 4.3 tonnes annually but production has reduction by almost 40 percent this year, attributed to the Egyptian government decision to limit cultivated to preserve water resources.
Egypt rice cultivation requires about 1.8 billion metres of water in evaporation, transpiration and irrigation each year.
Africa produces an average of 14.6 million tonnes of rough rice annually.
He said there were efforts to increase overall rice production in Africa but expressed doubts that it will curb rice importation as population has increased across the continent.
He said consumers are looking for rice that safe and certified.
Twelve presidential candidates in the Feb. 23 presidential election on Monday in Abuja, congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on his re-election.
The Acting Inspector General of Police AG. IGP Mohammed Adamu has said that about three hundred and twenty -three (323) offenders were so far arrested for various electoral offences and sundry crimes during the February 23th Presidential and National Assembly elections in the country . Ag. IGP ADAMU He also said that two officers also paid the supreme sacrifice, while some others were assaulted and injured. Adamu speaking on Monday during post-presidential/national assembly elections evaluation meeting with strategic police managers at the force headquarters in Abuja on Monday send his heartfelt condolences to the families of officers and men who lost their lives during the exercise as he sympathized with those who were injured or assaulted.
He further warned all political actors who might be preparing to threaten the peaceful conduct of Saturday’s election to play the game of politics by the rules as stipulated in the Electoral Act as doing otherwise will attract the full and appropriate response from the Police and other security agencies.
I welcome you all to this meeting which was called to address three major issues. First is to debrief strategic police commanders and undertake a comprehensive evaluation of our performance during the Presidential and National Assembly elections which were held nationwide on 23rd February, 2019.
2. This is within the context of the Election Security Strategy of my leadership which highlighted Post-Election Evaluation engagement as one of the critical strands of our plan. It is designed to highlight our achievements, identify performance gaps, draw lessons and redirect our strategies towards sharpening our capacity to achieve our election security mandate in future electoral engagements. Riverine communities appeal for early arrival of voting materials
3. The second purpose of this meeting is to perfect our plans and allocate operational tasks towards the Governorship and State Assembly elections scheduled for 9th March, 2019, while the third objective is to appreciate personnel of the Force across all ranks for their sacrifice, discipline, and exceptional professionalism which was demonstrated during the Presidential and National Assembly elections. There is no doubt that the high sense of commitment to national duty, neutrality and courage accounted for the generally peaceful conduct of the exercise as well as the credibility of the entire process as attested to by local and international observers.
4. It is noted that updated statistics resulting from Presidential and National Assembly elections, shows that a total of three hundred and twenty -three (323) offenders have so far been arrested for various electoral offences and sundry crimes across the country. Two officers also paid the supreme sacrifice, while some others were assaulted and injured.
5. In appreciating the sacrifice made towards the advancement of the democratic journey of our country, I wish to send my heartfelt condolences to the families of officers and men who lost their lives during the exercise and I also sympathize with those who were injured or assaulted. I assure them that the perpetrators of these acts will be fished out and brought to deserved justice no matter their socio-political status.
6. For those arrested for various electoral infractions, I have directed the Special Electoral Offences Team of the Force to undertake detailed and conclusive investigations into all the cases with a view to liaising with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in ensuring their prosecution.
7, As we perfect our plans for the Governoeship and State Assembly elections, I also want to reassure the nation and the international community of the unwavering commitment of the Police to work closely with INEC and sister security agencies towards guaranteeing a peaceful and secure space for Nigerians to exercise their electoral franchise.
8. I must, however, re-emphasize that just as in the recently concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Nigeria Police shall remain civil, firm, optimally professional and apolitical in the discharge of our duties in the 9th March, 2019 elections. We shall, nonetheless, deploy all lawful assets and assert our statutory powers to deal decisively, firmly, and promptly with any person or groups that may attempt to disrupt the process.
9. Therefore, all political actors who might be preparing to threaten the peaceful conduct of the exercise are hereby firmly warned to play the game of politics by the rules as stipulated in the Electoral Act and to appreciate that national interest overrides their personal ambitions. Doing otherwise shall attract the full and appropriate response from the Police and other security agencies.
10. On this note, I welcome you all to this post- Presidential and National Assembly elections evaluation meeting and I look forward to a professionally rewarding outcome.
A federal high court in Kano on Monday nullified the primary election that led to emergence of PDP gubernatorial candidate in Kano, Abba Yusuf.
The judge, Lewis Allagoa, ruled that the PDP did not conduct governorship primary election in Kano, and declared the candidature of Mr Yusuf null and void.
A PDP gubernatorial aspirant, Ali Amin-little, had approached the court, challenging the process that led to emergence of Mr Yusuf as PDP gubernatorial candidate in Kano.
The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has appealed to security agencies and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to investigate the ‘financial dealings’ of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state. The party in a statement which was signed by the state APC publicity secretary, Barr Sylvester Imonina, tasked INEC to use her internal machineries to deal with electoral fraudsters in her midst, who the party alleged were bent on possibly selling INEC and future elections to the PDP in Delta State. The APC also rejected the results of the elections in the state describing it as “products of fraud and political brigandage perpetrated by Delta PDP in connivance with some unscrupulous elements and staff of INEC in Delta State.” The party particularly made references to elections for the Delta South and Delta North Senatorial Zones as well as the Ethiope and Sapele/Okpe/Uvwie federal constituencies citing cases of “vote buying, ballot stuffing, intimidation and harassment of APC members.” The statement reads, “We call on security agents to investigate the financial dealings between PDP and some INEC staff and her ad-hoc staff in the last Saturday’s election. “APC, Delta State, after a careful analysis of information and videos made available to her, came to an irresistible conclusion that the National Assembly election in Delta Souh and Delta North Senatorial Zones, Ethiope and Sapele/Okpe/Uvwie federal constituencies were products of fraud and political brigandage perpetrated by Delta PDP in connivance with some unscrupulous elements/staff of INEC in Delta State. “Therefore, APC, Delta State rejects the outcome of the above-mentioned shenanigans, called “election” in those areas mentioned. “APC had it on good authority that in most places in Warri North, Warri South-West, Bomadi, Burutu and Patani LGAs, there were massive election malpractices to wit, PDP thugs making away with ballot papers/result sheets, ballot stuffing besides visiting mayhem on electorate/citizens who dare challenge them. “Meanwhile, despite the protest of APC leaders and members from those areas, some money grubbing INEC staff allowed the toxic results generated from PDP thugs to be recorded and made to form part of the collated results,” APC alleged.
even people were confirmed to have lost their lives after unknown gunmen attacked Agabge village of Gwer West Local Government Area in Benue State.
Adeyemi Yekini, a Major General and Commander of the military’s Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), said this at a press conference in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, on Sunday.
Although the Nigerian Army said only seven people were killed, Francis Ayagah, Chairman of the LGA, claimed that not less than 17 people were killed in the attack.
Yekini, while corroborating the account of Flight Lieutenant, Abubakar Mohammed, his unit commander overseeing the Gwer West axis, explained that gunmen, dressed in military uniforms, had on Saturday killed innocent people and rustled cattle in the Agabge area.
Gbemisola Saraki, sister to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has vowed that the All Progressives Congress, APC, would produce the next governor of Kwara State.
While Gbemisola is a member of APC, her brother is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The former Senator made the disclosure in a statement she signed and issued over the weekend.
According to Saraki, “We can’t stop until progressives lead all states to the next level of our collective prosperity. So for each and every one of us, we must not relent, we have the elections of next Saturday, March 9 to go.
“In my state, Kwara, we are all out to ensure that AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of our party, the APC, emerges the next governor of Kwara State, Insha Allah.”
On the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari, Saraki said: “As Nigerians, we may indeed share different political leanings but we are united in our love for the greatness of our nation, Nigeria.
“To us in the APC and to our supporters, we find in President Buhari and Prof Osinbajo true leaders that have been and are still working selflessly and assiduously to enthrone a nation, where the greatness of our people and our nation remains our primary goal.
“It is my solemn belief that the wind of true change that re-elected President Buhari and Prof Osinbajo would blow across our land in our drive to elect governors and leaders that would epitomise our collective pride and aspiration of responsible, selfless and diligent leaders thus raising the bar of our development in Nigeria.”
Sen Ibrahim Shekarau MEDIA 