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NIGERIA’S ELECTIONS: Massive Turnout across the state wth pockets of violence, Posted by Meosha Eaton
By Williams Ekanem, MACTV News
THE aborted April 2 National Assembly election did little to dampen the enthusiasm of Nigerians to perform their civic responsibility yesterday in the rescheduled exercise.
Indeed, against the prediction of possible voter apathy, the people turned out in large numbers in most urban and rural areas across the country. There were also reports of low attendance in some areas.
However, the dampener came in the form of violence and snatching of ballot papers and boxes in several places.
For instance, bombs were exploded in Borno State capital, Maiduguri, injuring five persons while an ANPP local chairman and his son in Jere council of the state were shot dead by unknown assailants. In the same vein, a bomb blast was, around 6.15 pm yesterday, reported from a collation centre in Maiduguri.
As at press time, there was sketchy details regarding the magnitude of casualties recorded.
Also, there were reports of election officials preventing people, who did not queue to be counted after being accredited, from the actual voting. Many were thus disenfranchised.
Nonetheless, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, described the turnout for the election as impressive. His assessment came on the heels of the poll’s eve bomb explosions in Suleja, Niger State, which killed many officials of the INEC, particularly members of the NYSC, who are serving as ad-hoc staff in the election.
Similarly, prominent Nigerians and local and international observers have hailed the election as successful. President Jonathan, along with his wife, Dame Patience, voted at his Otuoke community in Bayelsa State.
Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, said the election was the shape of things, and called on the voting public to come out in larger numbers in subsequent polls.
Accompanied by his wife to the voting centre at the State Grammar School, Surulere, the governor said: “This is what we have all asked for. We have all asked to participate; we have all asked to be given the opportunity to choose our leaders. Now that the opportunity is in our hands, let us make use of it.”
Kwara State governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, was satisfied with the poll, noting that the large turnout of voters was an indication that Nigerians were no longer politically docile.
Ogun State governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, after voting at Isote Sagamu, saluted Nigerians for the resilience shown so far in the democratic process.
He said: “From what we have seen today, there appears to be a marked improvement over what happened last week. We pray that this will be conclusive.
What would have become a relatively peaceful National Assembly elections after two successive postponements by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday threw up new concerns, ranging from pockets of violence in a few states to late arrival of electoral materials in some others.
Most of the polling centres in Lagos, Ondo and Abia States, for example, recorded impressive turnout as INEC officials reportedly started accreditation of voters as early as 8am, while the real voting began at 12.30 pm as stipulated in INEC’s election programme. In Ikorodu and Isolo areas of Lagos, there was “massive” turnout of voters who came out as early as 7.30 am to get accredited. They waited until 12.30 pm when real voting commenced in most of the polling centres.
osNIGERIA: Electoral Body to prosecute senator for electoral malpractices, Posted by Meosha Eaton
By Williams Ekanem
A senator is to be prosecuted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for electoral malpractices, Prof. Attahiru Jega has said.
According to the INEC chair, the senator “commandeered corps members and election materials to his house.
“We are discussing with security agencies about having him apprehended and prosecuted,” he said.
Jega spoke at the INEC headquarters yesterday while reviewing the National Assembly elections. He said the turnout was more than 75 per cent.
According to him, but for some isolated cases in parts of the country, the elections were peaceful. “We had reports of people trying to hijack ballot boxes in places like Delta. In Bayelsa, there is an unfortunate situation where a serving senator in Bayelsa commandeered corps members and election materials to his house. We are discussing with security agencies about having him apprehended and prosecuted,” he said.
According to Jega, a violent incident was reported from Biu in Borno State on Friday while a bomb explosion at a polling unit in the state injured several voters on Saturday.
Jega was at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada to see victims of the bomb explosion at INEC office in Suleja where 13 corps members died.
He said: “When such things happen, some people will be scared. We received reports that some parents told their children not to do the work again and we had to get replacements,” Jega stated.
However, he said in spite of the dastardly act, “more than 75 per cent of Nigerians went to various polling units to cast their votes,” adding that such legislative houses’ elections tend to record only about 65 per cent voter’s turnout in most countries.
Speaking on the reactions that followed last week’s botched polls, he said vested interests have been disseminating disinformation against the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but all those holding top positions in INEC are prepared to give account of every decision or act they did, INEC chairman Professor Attahiru Jega has declared.
He said about 25 injured victims of the Suleja bomb blast are being treated. He decried what he called the aggressive disinformation being sponsored by influential political elite. He said it would not succeed in creating the division that such persons envisaged at INEC.
Jega who gave assurances that INEC will take very good care of dead and injured youth corps members who work as ad-hoc staff, said that the group life insurance policy arranged by INEC covers all of them against disability, accidents or death.
He also said that comprehensive details of all incidents of electoral violence and arrests made in various parts of the country will soon be released, adding that INEC has continued to learn lessons that would facilitate the continuous improvement in the conduct of electoral processes, adding that the leadership of INEC has nothing to hide.
“We are fully in possession of all the materials we need and there will be no problem with the presidential election; the adjustment of election dates has given us more time to prepare more adequately for the presidential election.
Jega further expressed regrets that “some people out there who are highly placed in politics and can get always get some of you to print whatever story without corroboration”, adding that the list of companies that INEC was said to have given contracts for the printing of ballot papers is false.
“So many things have been happening… a lot has been made about re-run ballot papers arriving before that of the main presidential election. We identified one of the best companies in the world and gave them the contact for the main and rerun presidential ballot papers.
“We changed some of the security features that we wanted on the ballot papers; although they assured us that they will be able to do that, subsequently, they could not. They got another company in South Africa that said it could do it and eventually that South African company later said that they couldn’t meet the deadline of the presidential election.
“So we had to cancel the contract for the main presidential ballot papers and they were able to supply the ones for the rerun and we had to get the main presidential election done by another company. Those who knew this and wanted to cause further confusion and division along with the impression that everything is wrong and that INEC cannot do this job were now making it appear as if we did the contract for rerun papers first because we are anticipating a rerun to take place.
“In a situation where there are so many vested interests looking for so many things to accuse us of, some newspapers get information from certain sources and they do not corroborate or give the other party the chance to respond.
Everything the say are sometimes half-truths and conjectures because they got information from vested interests and they want to please such interests by publishing the stories.
“We are prepared to defend ourselves and everything we have done as a commission because we have done everything honestly and sincerely; we have not been partial to anybody. Some reports try to project us as if we are working for candidates; we feel terribly insulted and people who know us know that there is no way we can bring partisanship to this job that we are doing,” he said adding that some people have concocted stories alleging secret meetings with some political parties.
Speaking further, Professor Jega disclosed that a mob burnt down the house entered by some persons who snatched ballot boxes in Zaria even though soldiers prevented the lynching of the ballot box snatchers who are now in police custody.
He said that while a high profile arrest is expected in Bayelsa, incidences of violence have been recorded in four states.
A senator is to be prosecuted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for electoral malpractices, Prof. Attahiru Jega has said.
According to the INEC chair, the senator “commandeered corps members and election materials to his house.
“We are discussing with security agencies about having him apprehended and prosecuted,” he said.
Jega spoke at the INEC headquarters yesterday while reviewing the National Assembly elections. He said the turnout was more than 75 per cent.
According to him, but for some isolated cases in parts of the country, the elections were peaceful. “We had reports of people trying to hijack ballot boxes in places like Delta. In Bayelsa, there is an unfortunate situation where a serving senator in Bayelsa commandeered corps members and election materials to his house. We are discussing with security agencies about having him apprehended and prosecuted,” he said.
According to Jega, a violent incident was reported from Biu in Borno State on Friday while a bomb explosion at a polling unit in the state injured several voters on Saturday.
Jega was at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada to see victims of the bomb explosion at INEC office in Suleja where 13 corps members died.
He said: “When such things happen, some people will be scared. We received reports that some parents told their children not to do the work again and we had to get replacements,” Jega stated.
However, he said in spite of the dastardly act, “more than 75 per cent of Nigerians went to various polling units to cast their votes,” adding that such legislative houses’ elections tend to record only about 65 per cent voter’s turnout in most countries.
Speaking on the reactions that followed last week’s botched polls, he said vested interests have been disseminating disinformation against the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but all those holding top positions in INEC are prepared to give account of every decision or act they did, INEC chairman Professor Attahiru Jega has declared.
He said about 25 injured victims of the Suleja bomb blast are being treated. He decried what he called the aggressive disinformation being sponsored by influential political elite. He said it would not succeed in creating the division that such persons envisaged at INEC.
Jega who gave assurances that INEC will take very good care of dead and injured youth corps members who work as ad-hoc staff, said that the group life insurance policy arranged by INEC covers all of them against disability, accidents or death.
He also said that comprehensive details of all incidents of electoral violence and arrests made in various parts of the country will soon be released, adding that INEC has continued to learn lessons that would facilitate the continuous improvement in the conduct of electoral processes, adding that the leadership of INEC has nothing to hide.
“We are fully in possession of all the materials we need and there will be no problem with the presidential election; the adjustment of election dates has given us more time to prepare more adequately for the presidential election.
Jega further expressed regrets that “some people out there who are highly placed in politics and can get always get some of you to print whatever story without corroboration”, adding that the list of companies that INEC was said to have given contracts for the printing of ballot papers is false.
“So many things have been happening… a lot has been made about re-run ballot papers arriving before that of the main presidential election. We identified one of the best companies in the world and gave them the contact for the main and rerun presidential ballot papers.
“We changed some of the security features that we wanted on the ballot papers; although they assured us that they will be able to do that, subsequently, they could not. They got another company in South Africa that said it could do it and eventually that South African company later said that they couldn’t meet the deadline of the presidential election.
“So we had to cancel the contract for the main presidential ballot papers and they were able to supply the ones for the rerun and we had to get the main presidential election done by another company. Those who knew this and wanted to cause further confusion and division along with the impression that everything is wrong and that INEC cannot do this job were now making it appear as if we did the contract for rerun papers first because we are anticipating a rerun to take place.
“In a situation where there are so many vested interests looking for so many things to accuse us of, some newspapers get information from certain sources and they do not corroborate or give the other party the chance to respond.
Everything the say are sometimes half-truths and conjectures because they got information from vested interests and they want to please such interests by publishing the stories.
“We are prepared to defend ourselves and everything we have done as a commission because we have done everything honestly and sincerely; we have not been partial to anybody. Some reports try to project us as if we are working for candidates; we feel terribly insulted and people who know us know that there is no way we can bring partisanship to this job that we are doing,” he said adding that some people have concocted stories alleging secret meetings with some political parties.
Speaking further, Professor Jega disclosed that a mob burnt down the house entered by some persons who snatched ballot boxes in Zaria even though soldiers prevented the lynching of the ballot box snatchers who are now in police custody.
He said that while a high profile arrest is expected in Bayelsa, incidences of violence have been recorded in four states.
Speaker of Nigeria's House of Representatives Accepts defeat, Posted by Meosha Eaton
By Williams Ekanem
The speaker of Nigeria's House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole has accepted defeat in last Saturday's Parlaimentary elections.
Bankole of the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party lost in his constituency to the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN).
He accepted defeat in a statement he issued today in his constituency.
Also, a former Governor of the ruling party in one of the States in the South-West, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola who contested for a senate seat accepted defeat.
Oyinlola was defeated by the opposition ACN candidate Prof. Sola Adeyeye.
UK says will act in Libya to protect civilians, Posted by Meosha Eaton
LONDON, April 11 (Reuters) - Britain said on Monday that any ceasefire in Libya must be genuine and that it would continue to take military action as required to protect civilians.
"We will continue to take military action as required to protect civilians," a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said in response to comments by South African President Jacob Zuma, head of an African Union peace mission, that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had accepted a peace 'road map'.
"Any ceasefire deal needs to be a genuine ceasefire. That can only be judged by Gaddafi's actions rather than his words or the words of anyone else for that matter," the spokesman said. (Reporting by Adrian Croft; Editing by Matt Falloon)
"We will continue to take military action as required to protect civilians," a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said in response to comments by South African President Jacob Zuma, head of an African Union peace mission, that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had accepted a peace 'road map'.
"Any ceasefire deal needs to be a genuine ceasefire. That can only be judged by Gaddafi's actions rather than his words or the words of anyone else for that matter," the spokesman said. (Reporting by Adrian Croft; Editing by Matt Falloon)
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