2023 general election
Senator Jarigbe asks IGP to probe activities of his men in Cross Rivers
***arrest state APC chair over electoral offences
Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe has urged the inspector general of police Usman Alkali Baba to immediately investigate the nefarious activities of his men in the State who he alleged are on the payroll of Cross Rivers State hence, they unable to curtail political thuggery in the state.
At a world Press Conference in Abuja on Monday, the senator specifically asked the IGP to turn his searchlight on the DCP, Operations, Mr. Francis Idu and CSP Irene Ugbo, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), so they can face disciplinary actions.
He also asked Baba to arrest the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman in Cross Rivers State Alphonsus Eba to be so charged for Electoral offences as outlined in the Electoral Act.
He said there is enough documentary evidence in form of pictures and videos to prosecute and convict him for electoral offences.
Senator Jarigbe further alleged that the security agents looked the other way while the ruling party chairman attempted to disrupt the Presidential and the National Assembly election
“It is a sad day, indeed, when our security agents will ignore tons of evidence against a political party and their purported chairman who attempted to disrupt a peaceful election.
However, he said they preferred to act on their frivolous and baseless petitions to impugn the character of a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who was re-elected by his people, fair and square, to continue representing them at the Senate.
“I call on the Inspector General of Police to immediately use his good Office to put a stop to this show of shame going on in Cross River State.
“Those who are out to defame my character for filthy lucre should be strictly warned. My silence and urbane approach to issues should not be taken for weakness.”
He threatened to deploy every legal means to defend his hard earned reputation and victory at the polls if they do not beat a retreat.
“I welcome you all to this World Press Conference; One which has become necessary in the light of the happenings in Cross River State after the election of 25th February, 2023.
“The All Progressives Congress in our State has let loose their attack dogs. This pack is being led by one decorated with a title of “State Party Chairman”.
“My initial reaction was to ignore them as the moaning of losers, but we can no longer do that since we found out that they are using some recalcitrant political elements in the Police Force, to create their mischief, against the good intentions of the IGP.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission declared my party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and my humble self, winner of the Cross River North Senatorial District Elections held on the 25th of February, 2023.
“We emerged victorious in that election with 76, 145 votes; while the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, the sitting Governor of Cross River State, H. E. Sir Benedict Ayade, came second with 56, 595 votes. “A clear difference of 19, 550 votes. Our people made it abundantly clear that I was their choice.
“After their humiliating defeat at the polls, they have gone on overdrive in expressing their pain, disappointment and frustration of their failure to steal the elections.
“Before we show you how they have been expressing their frustration at losing the election, it is pertinent to state that their attempt to rig the last election is not a baseless accusation.
“There is abundance of proof in the public domain that the APC committed several electoral offences in their bid to rig the last election in Cross River State in general, and Cross River North in particular.
“The All Progressives Congress in Cross River State, led by the Governor of the State, my opponent in the election, Benedict Ayade and Alphonsus Eba, the State Party Chairman, unleashed armed thugs to terrorize, intimidate, rob and bully voters and their perceived opponents during the election.
“The security agencies are fully aware of this. The DSS arrested one of the most dreaded of these armed thugs, one Ukpan Odey; also arrested was Goddy Ettah, the Cross River State Finance Commissioner.
“They were arrested with guns and ammunitions. These arrests struck fear in their camp and other armed thugs went into hiding.
“Sadly, these suspects have been released without prosecution, and with their release, others who went into hiding have all returned and baring their fangs publicly, daring the Security Operatives to do their worst.
“One such daredevil thug who went into hiding is one Tompolo, who has returned and was seen in broad daylight, wielding two guns and robbing several shops in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State.
“The release of these criminal suspects has created the impression that the security agencies are powerless in the face of their armed thuggery or, as some persons are already saying, the security agencies are on the payroll of the Cross River State Governor that is why they cannot arrest and prosecute his armed thugs.
“The bad perception of the public, is not unconnected with the acts of compromise, severally perpetuated by the DCP, Operations, Mr. Francis Idu
“During the election, Alphonsus Eba, the purported State Party Chairman of APC, who is also a thug, went to a Collation Centre in Yala Local Government and physically assaulted one of our agents.
“Alphonsus had to be removed from the scene by security Operatives. The Chairman of Yala Local Government Area, Fabian Ogbeche, another APC member, also attempted to force his way into the collation centre and had to be restrained by security operatives. All these were captured on video.
“A fake INEC official procured by the APC to manipulate results in Yache Ward was also arrested, with a fake BVAS machine, and handed over to Security Agents; in spite of our protests the results of that ward was collated alongside other results.
“This broad daylight electoral fraud still came to nought; we still came up victorious.
“Strangely, one DCP Francis Idu, in the Cross River State Police Headquarters, who is under the patronage of the State Government and their lackeys, is abusing his office by indulging Alphonsus Eba in his psychotic odyssey of writing frivolous petitions against me and other respected indigenes of Cross river North.
“It is surely a wonder of the criminal world, for a man who was caught on camera disrupting collation of results at an INEC collation centre to turn around and be writing frivolous petition against us, when he should be facing charges for electoral offences.
The height of this shameless alliance with Alphonsus Eba and these shameless elements in the Police, is a video my attention was drawn to, where some persons were paraded by the police in Cross River State allegedly for perpetrating election violence in the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections held on the 25th of February, 2023; during this parade, the Force PPRO, CSP Irene Ugbo, stated in a manner that borders on criminal unprofessionalism, that I have been invited to answer questions related to the arrest of those being paraded. This statement made by Irene Ugbo, the PPRO had no correlation with the written statement of the suspects.
2023 general election
2023 polls: Abdulsalami Peace Committee opens up on pressure to ask for cancellation
The National Peace Committee (NPC) has opened up on pressure it faced to intervene in the 2023 Presidential Election results. During a report presentation in Abuja, led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the committee disclosed that it received numerous requests to push the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to halt results collation or cancel the election due to alleged violations of the electoral act.
Key issues included concerns about the 25% vote threshold requirement for the Federal Capital Territory, with some advocates calling for a runoff.
The NPC emphasized its role as a moral authority rather than a regulatory body, highlighting its mandate to promote peace and compliance with the law, without the power to arrest or punish violators.
The committee acknowledged a gap in public understanding of its functions and the importance of moral persuasion in fostering electoral integrity and peace.
Before presenting the report to the public, the committee had earlier met with the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and other management staff of the commission where it was briefed on the electoral umpire’s preparation for the forthcoming Governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
Other members of the committee are Okoh Ebitu Ukiwe (Vice Chairman); Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah (Convener); Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; John Cardinal Onaiyekan; business icons, Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola; Vanguard Newspapers Publisher, Sam Amuka Pemu; Ameze Guobadia; Idayat Hassan; Dame Priscilla Kuye; Gen. Martin Luther Agwai; Mahmud Yayale Ahmed; Channels TV owner, John Momoh; Roseline Ukeje; and, Fr. Atta Barkindo, its Head of Secretariat.
Part of the report reads; “As the election day progressed, criticisms and counter criticisms became abundant. The NPC was already being faced with a flurry of phone calls and the need to call INEC to order.
“The Peace Committee was flooded with requests for intervention. Both the Chairman of the Committee, General Abdulsalami A. Abubakar, the Convener, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and the Head of NPC Secretariat, Fr. Atta Barkindo, were inundated with calls, requests, and petitions demanding the intervention of the NPC.
“Some of the requests wanted the NPC to prevail on INEC to stop collating election results because there were gross violations and lack of compliance with the electoral act. Others demanded that the tenets of the Peace Accord signed were not adhered to and therefore the Committee should call for cancellation of the election entirely.
“The most significant call was related to the 25% threshold for Abuja as the Federal Capital Territory. Some of the analysts who reached out to the committee asked that the final election result should not be announced because the resumptive president-elect did not score the required 25% as stated in the electoral act. If anything, there should be a runoff.
2023 general election
EU reports: LP says FG is feebly adopting face saving measures
***EU only hit the nail on the head
The leadership of the Labour Party has countered the Federal Government of Nigeria for discrediting the European Union’s conclusion on the 2023 General Election wherein it faulted the modalities by which the conclusion was reached.
It reiterated what it believed as the accurate testament of the European Union’s conclusion on the 2023 general elections which merely hit the nail on the head.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh said,
“Eropean Union’s Conclusion on the 2023 general elections are nit Jaundiced but accurate Testament of the outcome of the FG and INEC alliance to change the will of the electorate.”
“We see this face-saving measure by the Federal Government which is coming days after the submission of the report as feeble and medicine after death.
“It will interest the government to note that the European Union’s report is only one out of numerous submissions by other international Observers who have described the outcome of the election as a sham and an exercise that did not reflect the will of the majority of Nigerians.
“Labour Party stands by the position of the EU observation mission. We have always said that this election was massively rigged in favour of the APC and their candidate.
“What the FG is saying is just an afterthought and a shameless effort to mask the obvious. Even the blind can see, the deaf can hear and they know this election was manipulated.
“Huge pieces of evidence abound for even the deaf and the blind to hear and feel. We are only hoping that the judiciary will dispense justice without fear or favour in the interest of the nation and posterity.
“Nigerians already know the true winner of the 2023 presidential election and no amount of slandering, denial, or rebuttal can change the fact that the party in power has no mandate of the electorate.
“We must also note that whatever position the INEC has taken is with active connivance with the Federal Government to deny the electorate and it clearly shows that INEC is not in any way independent.
“The Commission’s action is at the whims and caprices of the government and we know it. But Nigerians looking to the Judiciary for justice. That’s where we stand.”
2023 general election
FG tackles EU over report on 2023 general elections
The Federal Government has countered the European Union’s report on the 2023 general elections, describing the conclusions therein as “jaundiced”.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy gave the indication in a statement on Sunday.
“We urge the EU and other foreign interests to be objective in all their assessments of the internal affairs of our country and allow Nigeria to breathe,”
According to him, the February 25, 2023 presidential election was “clearly and fairly” won by Tinubu, the then candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC).
He also advised that the EU allow Nigeria to breathe and not meddle in the affairs of the country.
“We find it preposterous and unconscionable that in this day and age, any foreign organisation of whatever hue can continue to insist on its own yardstick and assessment as the only way to determine the credibility and transparency of our elections,” he said.
He said the presidency was not unaware of the “machinations of the European Union to sustain its, largely, unfounded bias and claims on the election outcomes”.
Alake further stated that there is no substantial evidence provided by the EU or any foreign and local organisation that is viable enough to impeach the integrity of the 2023 election outcomes.
“We would like to know and even ask EU, how it reached the conclusions in the submitted final report with the very limited coverage of the elections by their observers who, without doubt, relied more on rumours, hearsay, cocktails of prejudiced and uninformed social media commentaries and opposition talking heads,” he stated.
“We have many reasons to believe the jaundiced report, based on the views of fewer than 50 observers, was to merely sustain the same premature denunciatory stance contained in EU’s preliminary report released in March.
“We strongly reject, in its entirety, any notion and idea from any organisation, group and individual remotely suggesting that the 2023 election was fraudulent.”
The media aide said Nigeria has put the elections behind, and Tinubu is facing the task of nation-building.
“As a country, we have put the elections behind us. President Tinubu is facing the arduous task of nation-building, while those who have reasons to challenge the process continue to do so through the courts.”
On June 27, 2023, the EU presented its report on the 2023 elections in Nigeria to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The EU said the election exposed enduring systemic weaknesses and therefore signaled a need for further legal and operational reforms to enhance transparency, inclusiveness and accountability.
The EU also identified six areas for improvement in Nigeria’s electoral process moving forward.
Some of the key areas listed by the Mission are ambiguities in the law, the establishment of a publicly accountable process for the selection of the INEC members, ensuring real-time publication of results as well as access to election results.
It also highlighted the need for protection for media practitioners while decrying the discrimination against women in elective and appointed positions as well as impunity regarding electoral offences.
-
Crime1 year ago
Police nabs Killer of Varsity Lecturer in Niger
-
News10 months ago
FCT-IRS tells socialite Aisha Achimugu not to forget to file her annual returns
-
Appointment1 year ago
Tinubu names El-Rufai, Tope Fasua, others in New appointments
-
News From Kogi1 year ago
INEC cancells election in 67 polling units in Ogori-Magongo in Kogi
-
News From Kogi1 year ago
Echocho Challenges Tribunal Judgment ordering rerun in 94 polling units
-
News1 year ago
IPOB: Simon Ekpa gives reason for seperatists clamour for Biafra
-
Metro8 months ago
‘Listing Simon Ekpa among wanted persons by Nigeria military is rascality, intimidation’
-
News10 months ago
Kingmakers of Igu/ Koton-Karfe dare Bello, urge him to reverse deposition of Ohimege-Igu