Alleged political thugs, Sunday stormed the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Oriade local government area, Osun state, and set all the ballot boxes on fire.
Reports have it that the hoodlums opened fire to scare away officials of the commission and party agents before seizing ballot boxes, thumb-printed ballot papers and setting them on fire.
Details later....
The All Progressives Congress has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of sponsoring thugs to attack Chief Mowan Etete, an APC chieftain in Asarama, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Etete was a former council chairman. Also killed was his elder brother and another victim said to be his cousin.
This was disclosed in a statement by Senibo Chris Finebone, the Rivers APC Publicity Secretary, who added that “It’s instructive to note that PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, is from Andoni LGA in Rivers State.”
He also noted that Ignatius, an ex-official member of APC Rivers State Executive committee, was also shot to death in Ajakaja in Andoni LGA.
“Shooting by PDP thugs reported in Unit 3, 11, 6 and 7 in Ubima, Ikwerre LGA. Voters have been chased away,” he added.
INEC boss, Prof Mahmood Yakubu
The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has announced the postponement of the elections in some parts of Lagos, Rivers and Anambra States following disruption of the exercise due to violence.
Specifically, INEC said elections in Akuku Toru and Bonny local government areas of Rivers state as well as some parts of Anambra and Lagos would be conducted on a later date, saying mostly affected is the contest for the federal legislative seats.
“The commission has received reports of violence and ballot box snatching in some areas leading to the disruption of the process. We have asked the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs and the Electoral Officials on ground to submit their firsthand reports in relation to some of these incidents.
We are still receiving reports relating to incidences in some states of the federation but we have received reports relating to incidences in Akuku Toru and Bonny local government areas of Rivers state. So long as the commission could not deploy in these areas, the implication is that voting did not take place in those areas and the commission will hold consultations with the relevant authorities and the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs in relation to these areas and will announce the date when polls will take place in some of these areas, especially in relation to the areas as they affect the House of Representatives and Senatorial elections.
“It is not only in Rivers that we had reports of burning of electoral materials. We have such reports from Anambra and Lagos states as well as some other places”, he added.
The commission also vowed to prosecute any of its staff who failed to use the Smart Card Readers for purposes of accreditation, saying where the card readers do not work up till 6pm on Election Day, the standard procedure is to shift the exercise to the next day.
According to Okoye, no staff of the commission has discretionary powers on the use or otherwise of the card readers as its usage is not a subject of negotiation.
“With regards to the challenges associated with Smart Card Readers in some polling units, most of these challenges were resolved and were resolved on time. However, it is to be noted that in the Regulations and the Guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC it was made very clear that the use of the smart card readers is mandatory.
Therefore, no staff of the Commission or any ad hoc staff of the Commission is permitted in whatever guise to deliberately refuse to use the smart card readers for the conduct of elections.
According to the Guidelines and Regulations of the Commission, it is negligent conduct for any ad hoc staff to refuse to use the smart card readers for purposes of accreditation and any of them that refused to use the smart card readers or deliberately violated the use of the smart card readers will be subject to prosecution in accordance with the Guidelines and Regulations of the Commission and the Electoral Act”, he declared.
President Muhammadu Buhari emerged victorious at the polling unit of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the presidential election held on Saturday. At Obasanjo’s polling unit in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 87 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came far behind with just 18 votes. Obasanjo had supported Buhari in the 2015 election, but chose to pitch his tent with Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the PDP for the 2019 presidential election
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has cleared the All Progressives Congress, APC, to participate in the general elections starting on Saturday.
The court set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which affirmed the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to bar the ruling party from fielding candidates in the State.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had in a judgment delivered on 25th January 2019, held that INEC was right to have delisted names of candidates.
The court ruled that the APC failed to conduct a valid primary within the period scheduled by the electoral body.
However, a 3-man panel of the Appeal Court, led by Justice Abdul Aboki, held that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to have entertained the suit, adding that it was an abuse of court process.
The judge further stated that the suit at the Federal High Court was filed out of time.
He said that the Electoral Act provides for 14 days to institute a suit after the cause of action had arisen.
The Appeal Court noted that the suit was filed 15 days after, and therefore rendered the action incompetent.
UN Women – Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
Job Description
UN Women - In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. In doing so, UN Member States took an historic step in accelerating the Organization's goals on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system, which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.
UN Women is recruiting to fill the positions below:
1. Programme Analyst, Women, Peace and Security
Location: Abuja
Application Closing Date: February 27, 2019
2. Programme Specialist, WPS
Location: Abuja
Application Closing Date: February 27, 2019
3. Spotlight Initiative Intern
Location: Abuja
Application Closing Date: March 4, 2019
4. Women’s Economic Empowerment Intern
Location: Abuja
Application Closing Date: March 4, 2019
5. Women’s Peace and Security/Humanitarian Intern
Location: Abuja
Application Closing Date: March 4, 2019
6. Communications Intern
Location: Abuja
Application Closing Date: March 4, 2019
7. Operations Intern
Location: Abuja
Application Closing Date: March 4, 2019
8. HeForShe Programme Intern
Location: Abuja
Application Closing Date: March 4, 2019
Prince Tony Momoh
Prince Tony Momoh, a former Minister of Information on Wednesday said President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to security agencies to deal ruthlessly with ballot box snatchers ahead of the 2019 general election is in order.
Speaking in a chat with correspondents, Momoh, one of the national leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) said Nigerians do not expect the President to give national honours to those who committed crime by declaring war on due process and free, fair elections.
He said “What is snatching of ballot box? Snatching a box is a crime. It is declaration of war on due process and free, fair election. Anyone who declares war on due process is committing treason against due process.
“Those condemning Buhari, are they suggesting that anybody who snatches a box on Election Day should be given a national honour?
“I don’t know what Nigerians are talking about. In America, if you attempt to subvert due process, you can pay for it with your life.”
A mother and her daughter have been nabbed by the police in Anambra State for allegedly stealing a four-year-old girl.
It was learnt that the woman, whose name was given as Ngozi Ede, and her daughter, Kosiso, arranged and sold the baby for N250,000.
The incident happened at Awada, Obosi, in the Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the story to Southern City News.
Mohammed said the baby had been recovered and handed over to her mother in good condition.
He stated, “Police detectives attached to the Awada Division arrested one Ngozi Ede, female, aged 42 years, and her daughter, Kosiso Ede, female, aged 17 years of No. 4 Ukaegbu Junction, Awada.
“The suspects conspired and stolen one Mesoma Ikoko, aged four years, from the custody of her mother, one Nneka Ikoko, of the Mammy Market, Army Barracks, Onitsha.
“Preliminary investigation further led to the arrest of one Ifeoma Okeke, aged 45 years, who collected the child from the above mentioned suspects and handed her over to one Ifeoma Okonkwo of Eke Nkpor.
“The stolen baby has been recovered in good condition and handed over to her mother. Consequently, the sum of N250,000 suspected to be part of the proceeds of the illicit transaction was also recovered as exhibit.”
The PPRO added that the case was under investigation after which the suspects would be charged to court
Secondus
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council, has raised alarm over alleged massive deployment of soldiers to Abonnema, headquarters of Akuku-Toru local government area of Rivers State, ahead of the rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections.
It accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to disrupt the February 23, 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections and the March 9, 2019 Governorship and State Assembly elections in no fewer than nine local government areas in Rivers State.
Chairman of the PDP Campaign Council in the state, Chief Ferdinand Anabraba, who spoke at a press conference in Port Harcourt yesterday, alleged that the APC is behind the deployment of the soldiers, which it intends using to wreak havoc in communities in the state during the rescheduled general elections.
Anabraba said: “This press conference was called to let Nigerians and international observers know of the evil plans of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in conjunction with security agencies to disrupt and destabilize the election. The desperation of APC knows no bounds; they are ready to do anything to scatter all the elections in the state.
“To tell you the level of their desperation, just this morning, I got information that the Nigerian Army had forcefully occupied my property in Abonnema and brought in soldiers who stationed there to cause havoc and crisis in Abonnema and Akuku-Toru local government area.
Speaking at the press conference, Director-General of the PDP Campaign Council, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, listed Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City, Khana, Gokana, Tai, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Etche, Abua/Odual and Akuku-Toru local government areas as the areas the APC allegedly want to frustrate the elections all cost.
“These actions by the APC, INEC, the security agencies and the Federal Government clearly point to the undisputable conclusion that the plot by the APC to scuttle the general elections in Rivers State is real and must be taken seriously and prevented by all well-meaning Nigerians and the international community before it degenerates into major crisis.”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army says it has uncovered a plot by some political actors within the command of its 6 Division to arm miscreants who will dress like military personnel so as to wreak havoc in the forthcoming general elections.
The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Division, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday, said the Nigerian Army and its sister agencies are making efforts to track down the sources of the weapons and the agents involved.
The statement reads in part: “Credible intelligence available to Headquarters 6 Division Nigerian Army (NA) has uncovered an unholy plan by some political actors within its Area of Responsibility (AOR) to arm and sponsor miscreants in addition to using military-like fatigue dress for deception to cause pandemonium at polling stations for their political gain.
“To this end, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division and Land Component Commander (LCC) OPDS, Maj Gen Jamil Sarham wishes to reassure the good people of Niger Delta of providing adequate security in conjunction with other security agencies before, during and after the 2019 General Elections.
