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I’m Being Targeted For Arrest-Atiku …Flays Alleged Plans To Lead Protest Over INEC’s Server …Says Rumour Handiwork Of Mischief Makers …EU Report Confirms INEC Rigged 2019 …Poll To Favour Buhari -PDP
The former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar, has raised alarm of plot to arrest him.
This was contained in a statement by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, yesterday.
It said due to Atiku’s insistence of the existence of a server used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), his enemies attributed a false comment on “mass protest” to him to prepare ground for his incarceration.
Ibe said: “I wish to emphatically state that such a statement did not emanate from Atiku Abubakar or his privies.
“It is the work of mischief makers who want to mar his spotless pro-democratic record and lay the ground work for their threatened actions against him on false charges of being a threat to national security.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Atiku Abubakar believes in the rule of law and in the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In his almost four decades in politics, he has never taken action or spoken words against democracy and will not start now.
“Atiku Abubakar and his team have confidence in God and thus call on those bent on mischief to have the fear of God and retrace their steps.
“Democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. The culture of fear being created now cannot rein in our democracy. Nigeria and Nigerians have a consistent history of outlasting tyranny and will continue to do so by the grace of God.”
Meanwhile, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, said he has no plan to lead a street protest in the event that the election petition tribunal ruled against him and his party on the issue of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) server.
Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, said the statement attributed to Atiku was the handiwork of mischief makers to mar his pro-democratic record, and lay the groundwork on false charges against him.
In a statement issued, yesterday, Ibe said: “I wish to emphatically state that such a statement did not emanate from Atiku Abubakar or his privies. It is the work of mischief makers who want to mar his spotless pro-democratic record and lay the groundwork for their threatened actions against him on false charges of being a threat to national security.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Atiku Abubakar believes in the Rule of Law and in the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In his almost four decades in politics, he has never taken action or spoken words against democracy and will not start now.
“Atiku and his team have confidence in God and thus call on those bent on mischief to have the fear of God and retrace their steps. Democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. The culture of fear being created now cannot rein in our democracy. Nigeria and Nigerians have a consistent history of outlasting tyranny and will continue to do so by the grace of God.”
In a related development,the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says that the fresh revelation in the European Union (EU) report has further vindicated the PDP and millions of Nigerians, in our position that the February 23 Presidential election was rigged to favour President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party noted that the revelations of manipulations as detailed in the EU report further validated queries by majority of Nigerians that President Buhari was not validly returned for a second term in office.
A statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiya, yesterday, said that “the world can now see that the PDP has not been crying wolf in insisting that the election was outrightly rigged with the cancellation of millions of PDP votes, alteration of results and allocation of fictitious votes to the APC.
“Nigerians are still in shock over the revelations by EU of how about 2.8 million votes were deliberately “cancelled without sufficient accountability” and how several returning officers gave no reason for the cancellations.
“More shocking is the iniquity committed at the national collation center, headed by the INEC Chairman, where the EU report exposed inconsistent numbers, distortions and “a large discrepancy of “1.66 million more registered voters, as announced by INEC on 14 January, compared to those announced by state returning officers during the collation of presidential results.
“Nigerians witnessed, on national TV, how professors and returning officers were unable to reconcile result figures due to heavy manipulations upon which INEC declared the APC winner.
“The EU report has further exposed the iniquity committed by the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC by listing how ballot boxes were compromised, how essential materials were missing, how “voter register was not always ticked as required” and how “manual authentication procedures were not correctly followed.
“The report also bared how figures on result forms did not reconcile, how result forms were not publicly posted, how “result forms and smart card readers were not packed in tamper-evident envelops as required”, in addition to how the APC administration used security forces to intimidate voters, aid violence against our members and muscled votes for the APC
“The PDP, therefore, commends the EU for the courage in exposing the evils committed by the APC and INEC in the 2019 general elections.
“Moreover, the report has further reinforced the confidence of millions of Nigerians in our collective expectation of justice in the quest to retrieve our stolen Presidential mandate at the tribunal.
“The PDP insists that those in INEC, who perpetrated such crime against our nation, in sabotaging the sanctity of our electoral processes to frustrate the choice of Nigerians in a presidential election, must be brought to book and made to face the wrath of the law.
“Our party therefore urges Nigerians to remain calm as the truth about the election continues to unfold while justice takes its course on the matter”, the PDP added.
Similarly, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for the sack of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Yakubu Mahmood.
HURIWA in a statement, yesterday by its Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, made the call in reaction to the European Union report on Nigeria’s 2019 elections.
The group stated that the election was so rigged to an extent that over 40 percent of the results returned by the compromised Yakubu Mahmood have been voided and rendered a legal nullity by competent courts of law and election petition and appeals’ tribunals all across the country
“What is Yakubu Mahmood still doing as Chairman when the shoddy and shabby electoral heist he supervised has been discredited locally and globally?,” it quipped
HURIWA said it was shocking that Mahmood who presided over the most brazenly manipulated and criminally rigged election in the political history of Africa has refused to voluntarily bow out and resign from office for his spectacular and historical failure to conduct a free, fair, transparent and peaceful election even when he had over 4 years to prepare for the just ended polls.
HURIWA also noted that the conduct of the Mahmood led INEC before the presidential elections petition Tribunal in which INEC denied deploying the technological transmission of results (electronic servers) which the electoral commission budgeted and got the facilities installed has shown that Mr Yakubu Mahmood has no business remaining as chairman of an agency that ought to be independent and operate as an unbiased umpire.
It added: “How come that an umpire who claims to be unbiased be the party in an electoral petition that actively undermines and is frustrating one of the parties in the matter from accessing basic evidence to help the Tribunal reach an objective and just determination? This shows that INEC was an affiliate of All Progressives Congress during and after the widely disputed polls. An independent commission ought to be focused on helping the election tribunal to reach an objective and truthfully honest determination rather than be the megaphone of one of the contending parties in the petition before a competent court of law.
“A self-respecting academic professor would on his own volition quit from office in any sane government and civilized nation the moment it becomes notorious that he has failed to discharge the public functions and duty for which the Nigerian State invested multibillion dollars of public fund to enable a constitutionally independent body like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to perform.
“But this discredited Chairman has continued to pontificate and parade about as the Chairman of an agency that was sold and bought. It’s a shame that the Chairman of INEC under whose watch over 150 potential voters and electoral officers were slaughtered by political thugs affiliated to the central government has refused to show dignity and conscientiousness by quitting his job to allow for a fresh head to steer the ship of affairs in INEC.
“This INEC that has shamelessly failed to pay the allowances and wages of youth corpers who worked as ad-hoc electoral officers is the same that is pretending to be interested in any transparent reforms of the decadent electoral system. This is comedy taken to an unimaginably farcical but offensive dimension.
“We agree totally with the conclusions of the election observations made by the EU election monitoring team that watched the 2019 polls to such an extent that the reports highlighted the state sponsored violence that marred the polls and the lack of openness and transparency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“We also accept the EU’s observations about the misbehavior of some rogue armed security operatives and their officers who were deployed by politicians to kill, maim and destroy many lives and electoral materials in the areas that the leading opposition Peoples Democratic party (PDP) was coasting home to victory in both the National Assembly, governorship and Presidential polls.
“The violence in Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom States were so well coordinated to such a level that only the Federal Government with such overwhelming federal might and control over the security forces can so abuse their powers to destroy the credibility, integrity and independence of the just ended general elections and most specifically in the Presidential election.
“HURIWA agrees with the conclusions of the final reports of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Nigeria for the March 2019 general election where it said a combination of factors, including incumbency, suspension of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, a few weeks to the election, and violence shaped the poll’s outcome but the EU did not go far enough and did not call a spade by its name may be in a bid to appear to be politically correct as most diplomatic missions would.
“The EU report said Onnoghen’s suspension did not follow due process. And it alleged that over 150 people died in the violence that characterised the elections. We had consistently maintained that the last elections became increasingly marred by violence and intimidation, with the role of the security agencies becoming more contentious as the process progressed.
“These tendencies were so noticeable that at a point in some parts of Nigeria like in Lagos the armed thugs paid by All Progressives Congress (APC) stopped voters of South East origin from accessing polling booths even as the security forces were teleguided and directed from Abuja to do nothing to stop these hired armed party thugs from stopping Igbo voters from exercising their right to vote because of widespread apprehension within the Presidency then that the Igbo block votes in Lagos will undermine the plots of the ruling party to coast to victory seamlessly but the APC adopted raw violence and bloodshed.
“The national leader of APC was seen with two bullion vans reportedly conveying raw cash on the eve of the Presidential polls which were suspected to have been deployed to influence the conduct and outcome of the Presidential poll but EFCC working for APC looked the other way but refused to act even when the money laundering law specifies the sealing or limits of cash that an individual have physically at a time”.
Also, the Supreme Court will today commence hearing in the appeal filed before it by the Gubernatorial candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 22nd 2018 governorship election in the state, Senator Ademola Adeleke challenging the declaration of Governor Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as governor.
The suit was filed following the declaration of Governor Oyetola as the winner of the state governorship election by the Court of Appeal on March 9, 2019.
The Court of Appeal judgment, it would be recalled upturned the verdict of the State Election Petition Tribunal which had declared Senator Adeleke as the winner of the said election.
The Court of Appeal held that the irregular composition of judges of the lower tribunal, where the judge who delivered the majority judgment, Justice Peter Obiorah, was absent in the proceedings of the lower court, affected the right of the appellant to fair hearing.
The five-member panel of justices, which was presided by Justice Jummai Sankey, also upheld 10 out of the 12 issues raised by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC that the lower tribunal lacked the jurisdiction to entertain some of the grounds of the petition brought by Adeleke over the September 22, 2018 governorship election.
It held that having ruled that the claims of over-voting and voiding of valid votes were unproven by the tribunal in the 17 polling units out of 3,010 polling units in the state, the non-compliance was not substantial to proceed to compute and deduct votes.
But Adeleke and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rejected the verdict and proceeded to the Apex Court, urging it to set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal which was in favour of Oyetola of the APC.
Adeleke also contended that the Court of Appeal erred in law when it upheld the appeals by APC and INEC, challenging the decision of the tribunal.
The PDP also contended that the appellate court erred when it dismissed its cross-appeal, where it challenged the improper ballot counting which cost it 3, 402 and 379 votes in 23 polling units.
Adeleke and the PDP are therefore seeking a declaration that they won the election by a wider margin than what was found by the lower tribunal in view of what they called the substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.
Meanwhile, both APC and PDP have gone spiritual over the case, seeking the face of God that the judgment will be in their favour.
Last week, the PDP called its members for prayer session over the case beseeching God to grant them favour in the matter while APC leadership in the state also summoned its leadership to party secretariat for a prayer session.
The APC prayer session was at the instance of the State Chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famodun for Monday, June 17th 2019.
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Arson: Those Behind It’ll Account For Atrocities -Fubara …Swears In Bipi, Three Others As Commissioners
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that his administration will not fold its hands and watch sponsored political thugs run berserk, committing arson in the State.
The Governor, therefore, assured that, working with the Nigerian Police Force and the Directorate of State Services (DSS), measures will be taken to unravel those behind the recent burning of council Secretariats at Ikwerre, Emohua and Eleme Local Government areas, with a view to making them account for their atrocities.
Governor Fubara gave the assurance while swearing in four new commissioners into the Rivers State Executive Council at Government House in Port Harcourt yestersday.
Those sworn in are Hon. Israel Lebura Ngbuelu, PhD; Hon. Evans Bapakaye Bipi; Barrister Otamiri John Ngubo; and Hon. Barrister Benibo Anabraba.
Governor Fubara recalled mentioning when he sworn-in newly elected Local Government Councils’ Chairmen on 6th October, 2024, that there was intelligence on planned mayhem by misguided persons, who had threatened to prevent the elected officers from resuming duties.
True to it, Governor Fubara said, the sponsored political thugs hatched their plans, and burnt valued buildings at some council secretariats.
He said, “I said it before it happened. I knew because they were unhappy, they would go extra miles to create disaffection in the minds and hearts of the good people of Rivers State.
“We want to also let the people know that what has happened (arson) after the election, we are not going to allow it to go uninvestigated.
“A similar event had happened in this manner before, and after some weeks, some of our supporters were declared wanted in order to turn the story around.
“But this time around, I strongly believe, with the support and cooperation of the Nigerian Police and the Directorate of State Services (DSS), we will unravel those behind the assault and make sure that they account for their atrocities.”
Governor Fubara expressed appreciation for the show of patience and calmness by majority of Rivers people despite the fact that they are angry with the reckless acts of the misguided miscreants.
The Governor said he has continued to show leadership, provided the climate that has engendered productive endeavours, and will not mislead those he is leading.
“As your leader; the one steering the ship, I assure you I will not mislead anyone of you. I still stand on the path of peace. We have cases of arson in some local government areas.
“But, I appreciate your calmness. I have always maintained that we are going to be the greatest losers, if we meet them force-for-force. We need to go with peace.
“So, I will encourage everyone of you not to follow them with violence. We are carrying a basket of precious eggs in our hands. So, we need to follow them with carefulness and wisdom.”
Governor Fubara reiterated what he said the previous day on what should matter most for Rivers State, which is a firm support to ensure that the progress of Nigeria is sustained.
He said, if oil theft is not checked, the country’s economy will be badly impacted, and there will not be funds to address critical issues.
“We are in a situation where the fund that is being generated from oil production is not sufficient to tackle the challenges of Nigeria, and every hand has to be on deck to make sure that there is increase in production.
“Our focus here, not minding the distractions, will be how to provide support. You have to work with us to make sure that we curb this issue of oil theft and pipeline vandalisation.
“This is the only way that the allowances (revenue) will increase and more will also come to our State, and more progress will also be achieved in this State.”
Governor Fubara explained that his administration is doing a lot for the good people of the State, that are not being seen because of the political drama that takes their attention away.
He, however, said that his administration is working out modalities, and will soon choose a day, which could probably be before the end of October, 2024, to showcase a few projects and services that have positively impacted lives in the State.
Governor Fubara congratulated the newly sworn-in commissioners for making it into the Rivers State Executive Council.
He explained that more persons whose loyalty are for Rivers people and the administration needed to be admitted into the Rivers State Executive Council to help drive the policy of government because they will not resign their appointment.
Governor Fubara said: “We want to be sure, at this point, who we are adding into the Council, so that we will not wake up one morning and see resignation letter. So, we are taking our time.
“And usually, after a normal political period, there used to be what we call balancing. So, I can also say that the new Commissioners that are coming in are coming from their zones to also balance the political equation.”
Governor Fubara charged them to be dedicated, forthright, diligent and productive while rendering quality services to the State.
The Governor said he believed in their capacity to deliver because of their exposure to the workings of government, and expressed the hope that they will contribute positively to the success of the administration.
He said, “So, let me thank everyone of you. Let me also use this opportunity to thank the good people of Rivers State for their support, and to assure them that we will continue to defend, protect the interest of Rivers people.
“I want to thank everyone of you for your support, more especially before, during and after the elections. I appreciate your doggedness, your belief in our course to salvage this State, to protect the integrity of this State,” he added.
Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, has sought media support to fast-track the implementation of the ongoing reforms in the civil service sector.
Walson-Jack made the request during a cocktail organised by her office for media executives from different organisations in Abuja.
The event, according to her, aimed at interacting with the media men one-on-one, appreciate them and implore them to continue to strengthen the bond with the office.
“I want to start by thanking each and everyone of you for honouring this invitation. I want to say that we purposely designed this grail cocktail so that we can have one-on-one interactions.
“Let me also go ahead to thank you for all the supports you have given to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) in the years past I know that the Fourth Estate of the realm has always supported this office.
“I will also go ahead to thank you for your support, especially at my announcement as the HoCSF and that support has continued, up till date.
“We, therefore, thought it fit that we should organise this event just to interact with you to strengthen the bond that this office has with the media, “ she said.
The HoCSF recalled that her office had continued with programmes she met on ground upon assumption of office, especially the ongoing reforms on Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP- 2022 to 2025).
She, therefore, appealed to the media for continuous reportage on the initiative, so as to give it the necessary publicity for proper dissemination to the citizens.
“You will recall that the office has the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP- 2022 to 2025) and that is the plan that we are still driving.
“We want to request that you collaborate more with us, we are asking that the friendship, the partnership go beyond what it is now to ensure that the reforms which this office is driving get the full publicity it requires,” she said.
Walson-Jack used the medium to announce the preparation to re-introduce the civil service national anthem officially for the entire civil servants to recite at every national programme.
“The anthem has been re-introduced to drive the reforms and it’s expected that the anthem will be sung by all federal civil/public servants and indeed Nigerians.
“And it will be an anthem that will encourage every public servants to be efficient, productive, incorruptible and citizen-centred, “ she added.
Participants at the event congratulated Mrs Walson-Jack for her uplifting to the position of the HoCSF and pledged to continue in the relationship.
In a response, Mr Ephraims Sheyin, Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), pledged the agency’s readiness to give the HoCSF the needed support.
According to him, supporting government policies has always been NAN’ priority as government’s owned media organisation.
“You can take it for granted that we are going to give the Office total support. It is part of our own mandates to support Federal Government policies, so we are going to do that fully for the head of service.
“As she said, she has her policies which are in tandem with the federal government policies, she is asking for the support in implementation of the Federal Government policies.
“She has very lofty ideas, she has lofty things that she believes that we should do. Our job is to make sure that whatever government wants to do, we have to support such policies, “ he said.
Speaking in the same vein, Mrs Halima Musa, Director News, NTA, assured her office’s partnership with the Head of service towards ensuring communicating the needed values on excellence, incorruptibility and new culture of efficiency to the public.
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LG Polls: Rogue Policemen Break RSIEC Gate, Strong Room To Steal Electoral Materials …Fubara Foils Attempt To Cart Away Materials
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has foiled an attempt by the Nigerian Police, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), to take over the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) at 1am on Friday, 4th October, 2024.
The rogue policemen were said to have attempted to scale through the gates and strong room of the Commission to cart away sensitive Electoral materials meant for the conduct of Saturday’s local government election in the State.
The deployment was said to have been ordered by the Inspector-General of Police.
However, the evil plots of the rogue policemen and DC Ops were botched when vigilant security officials alerted principal officers of the Commission and relevant government authorities, who immediately informed the Governor of the development.
The Governor immediately led a team of government officials, lawmakers from the National Assembly and State House of Assembly, top political stakeholders, and other leaders to storm the facility.
Addressing newsmen in front of RSIEC Office on Aba Road in Port Harcourt, after an encounter with the rogue policemen, the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara condemned the conduct of the policemen on illegal duty, saying that the IGP was taking his friendship with some Abuja-based politicians too far.
He restated the position that the attempt to surreptitiously withdraw policemen already deployed to protect the facility, and replace them with a detachment from a neighbouring State was unacceptable.
He reminded the IGP that local government election was the internal affairs of states, and advised him to allow the federation unit conduct its affairs without interference.
At present, the Chief of Staff, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and State and National Assembly members, alongside other stakeholders, are manning the RSIEC office to ensure that the rogur policemen in two trucks and two Hilux vehicles do not return and that elections will go ahead as scheduled on Saturday.