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Former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has promised to challenge his loss in the February 23 National Assembly elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Tuesday, had declared Dr. Chris Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party as winner of the senatorial election in the Ikot-Ekpene Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State.
According to the result declared by the INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Peter Ogbang, Ekpenyong, who is a former deputy governor, scored 118,215 votes to defeat the incumbent senator, Akpabio of the All Progressives Congress, who secured 83,158 votes.
The result was announced at the INEC headquarters in Uyo instead of Ikot-Ekpene because of alleged security threats in the area.
But Akpabio, who spoke on The Verdict, a live programme of Channels Television, on Wednesday, vowed to challenge the collation of the results, adding that he could not lose the election.
The senator said, “I won. It’s a temporary setback. That is why there are processes. For instance, if you feel that you were cheated or there was wrong collation, you have recourse to the courts. I did not fail; I can’t fail.
“I believe strongly that there must have been some wrong collation somewhere. Those things will be corrected. We have processes in the election. It’s from one stage; we have to do registration, vote and collate.
“As far as there is a mistake anywhere, you go to the court and get your mandate. My mandate is somewhere waiting for me. My people know that I can’t fail elections.”

The Cross River Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the results of last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly election in the state.
APC said this in a statement by the State Publicity Secretary, Mr Bassey Ita on Wednesday in Calabar.
“The rejection is justified by the gross discrepancies which trailed the conduct of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” he said.
He accused INEC of manipulating the process in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ita said that the APC was rigged out by INEC officials in the state.
He called on the INEC headquarters in Abuja to verify the results from the state with a view to addressing the alleged fraud.
The statement read: “There were cases in the Northern, Central and Southern Senatorial Districts where results were declared while the election was still ongoing.
“Some Local Government Areas (LGAs) where irregularities were noticed include- Ikom, Boki, Obubra, Biase, Bakassi, Yala and Bekwarra.
“For instance, INEC declared results for the Senate seat in Cross River South leaving out Biase which result was not ready as at the time of the announcement.
“Calabar South LGA recorded some crises during voting and Bakassi LGA was to have a rerun because INEC officials were stranded ashore for hours.
“In spite of that, INEC went ahead to announce results for the constituency in favour of the PDP,
“The APC won massively but was rigged out by the commission in collaboration with PDP, hence the hasty declaration of results.”

Source:
dailypost.ng/2019/02/27/apc-rejects-presidential-nass-election-cross-river/

Mr Emmanuel Jime, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue said the high percentage of votes won by President Muhammadu Buhari across the state has confirmed his popularity with the masses despite the campaign of calumny against him (Buhari) and the APC.
Jime told Newsmen on Wednesday in Makurdi that despite the alleged irregularities, the president polled 347,668 votes to win in 10 local government areas of the state.
“I think for us in Benue, the elections and the votes actually demonstrate that Benue has repudiated the campaigns of calumny and propaganda and has taken a pathway to align itself with national thinking of our country.
Muhammadu Buhari
“By that I mean, if you look at the pattern of voting and am more interested in the Tiv nation whether it is in the heartland of the Tiv nation; Gboko or indeed in most parts of the heart core Tivland, the president was elected with heart warming votes.”
He commended the people for turning out in their large numbers despite official falsehood and lies against the president and the APC to exercise their franchise.
“Your vote was a vote for development,” he assured.
He condemned those politicising the insecurity to score political goals in the state and advised those seeking political offices to find better ways of tackling problems rather than feasting on the misfortunes of others.
Buhari’s performance in South-East better in 2019, says VON D-G
Jime, a former speaker of the Benue House of Assembly and federal lawmaker, said he was not opposed to the anti-open grazing law but was concerned with the manner of its implementation.
He said he would strengthen the law to make it commercially viable to the state where the Federal Government would also be a partaker.
He regretted the huge political upsets suffered by the party in the last election but said that would not dampen the chances of it winning the governorship on March 9.
“My chances of winning the governorship are bright, as you can see, I am cool and calm, the person that should be worrying is Gov. Samuel Ortom; he should be having sleepless nights.
“This election is a referendum on his performance, hopefully by the pattern of voting. There can be no choice as stark as this one,” he said.

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/buharis-votes-in-benue-repudiates-ortoms-campaign-of-calumny-jime/

Awka – Chief George Muoghalu, the National Auditor of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari as “a collective victory” for Nigeria and Nigerians.
Moughalu made the remark in an interview in Awka on Wednesday, while thanking Nigerians for voting massively for Buhari in Saturday’s poll.
BUHARI
He expressed the hope that Buhari would consolidate on his first term achievements in the coming years, having appreciaited the high expectations of the citizenry.
He said: “My reaction to Buhari’s re-election is that of excitement and to thank Nigerians for the confidence they reposed in him.
“I am happy that Nigerians have renewed the mandate given to APC to manage the affairs of this country for the next four years.
“I assure Nigerians that we will not disappoint them, I have had the privilege of touring this country with the president, I saw his passion, his commitment and love for the country.”
Muoghalu, a member of APC Board of Trustees, commended the South-east for polling a higher number of votes for the party in 2019 than they did in 2015.
He expressed optimism that the next dispensation would ensure greater inclusiveness for all sections of the country.
He therefore appealed to Nigerians to continue to support and pray for the present administration.
Moughalu said: “This time, the South-East voted for Buhari in 2019 than they did in 2015. That is a demonstration that we want to be part of national politics and position ourselves for the future.
My “Oga”, we’re all winners, Manager tells Uduaghan
“Nigeria is our common goal and should be our individual and collective aspirations, let us continue to support and pray for the president.
“In politics, only one person will emerge winner, the president has extended the olive branch, let us embrace it.
“Let us support the president, I am not saying that the opposition should be blocked out, because a robust and vibrant opposition will make Nigerian a benefit more.
“The opposition only lost a contest, they did not lose Nigeria or the future because four years is just around the corner.”
The APC chieftain, therefore, urged the Peoples Democratic Party to accept the result of the presidential poll as a true reflection of the people’s will.
My “Oga”, we’re all winners, Manager tells Uduaghan
He also admonished the party to continue to play the role of a responsible opposition for the overall development of the country. (NAN)

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/buharis-re-election-collective-victory-for-nigerians-says-moughalu/

Some residents of Umuahia and Benin, both in Abia and Edo have reacted to the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari to remain in office for the next four years.
While some expressed jubilation over the re-election, others who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) congratulated the president calling on him to carry everybody along in his second term in office.
In Umuahia, Mr Dennis Okoronkwo, a trader at Isi Gate said “I thank God for the peaceful elections. I was not surprised at all that Buhari won, because I saw it coming.
“People are saying Atiku Abubakar should not accept the result, but I would advise him not to listen to them.
“Election should not be a do-or-die affair. We need to move forward in this country”.
Also, Mr Chinedu Kalu, a resident urged those who are aggrieved to sheath their swords and allow peace to prevail.
“Is it not an election? Somebody must win and somebody must also lose. So, we have to move forward in this country,” he said.
Celebrating the victory, Mr Stephen Orji, who is a supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), described Buhari’s victory as victory for the nation.
“I’m so happy that my man won eventually despite all the plots by the opposition parties. As you can see, I’m in a joyous mood,” Orji said.
He said that Buhari’s victory was a signal that APC would win in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Miss Cynthia Ugorji, a student of a tertiary institution said that she was not bothered about who won or lost, provided the country remained peaceful.
She said, “Atiku or Buhari, what is more important is the peace and stability of Nigeria as a nation.
“I would also expect Buhari to carry everybody along in his re-election irrespective of who voted for him or not”.
A commercial bus driver and supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Chidi Njoku, alleged that the election was marred with irregularities, but believed PDP would contest the result in court.
“I congratulate Buhari, but I believe PDP would challenge his victory in court,” he said.
In Edo, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benin embarked on a street parade to celebrate the re-election of the president.
The parade which was led by the Deputy Governor, Mr Philip Shaibu, also had the Secretary to State Government, Osarodion Ogie, State Party Chairman, Mr Aslem Ogiezua and other party chieftains in attendance.
NAN reports that the parade which started from the party’s secretariat, along Airport Road, moved round King’s Square, Oba Market Road, Sakpomba Road, Sapele Road and ended again at the party’s secretariat.
Addressing newsmen after the parade, Shaibu said the re-election would further improve the image of the country across the world, given the general acceptance that he was a man of integrity.
He called on Edo people to come out en mass to vote APC in the coming State House of Assembly Election.

Source:
guardian.ng/news/residents-of-umuahia-benin-react-over-buharis-re-election/

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bolaji Ahmed Tinubu, has described the February 23rd presidential election as ‘a fair and honest exercise that permitted the full expression of the sovereign will of the Nigerian people.’
Tinubu in a congratulatory message said that Nigerians have given Buhari a clear, indisputable mandate to lead for another four years, adding that the president will install peace where there is unrest, tackle corruption, among others.
He also noted that by re-electing President Buhari, Nigerians have shown that they believe Nigeria should move forward to its better future instead of returning to the mistaken ways of our past.
He said, ”You have chosen victory over defeat, hope over despair, prosperity over poverty. You have selected the path toward a greater Nigerian instead of that toward our lesser selves.
”For this collective act of courage and enlightened optimism, we can do nothing but express our most profound gratitude and thanks to the millions of APC members and to all Nigerians for their patience, and their commitment to our democratic electoral process.
Tinubu while commiserating with Nigerians who died during the election said the election represents a historic step forward.
”With this election, Nigeria signals to the world our unalloyed embrace of democracy and our unflinching determination to perfect this democracy. While this election was free and fair, we also must acknowledge the isolated incidents of violence. Nigerians were killed and injured during what otherwise was an exemplary democratic procession. Such things should never happen and do us no good.
”We must dedicate ourselves to the principle that elections are meant to better all of our lives and thus there is no reason why elections should result in the impairment of even a single life. Let us work even harder to ensure that the March governorship and state assembly elections be devoid of such unfortunate incidents.
”No doubt Nigeria has its challenges, but it stands undaunted as a nation. Nigeria is stronger today under the leadership of President Buhari who continues to lay the critical reforms that constitute the foundation for durable, broadly-shared economic development.
”President Buhari has marked progress against the terror of Boko Haram. In his second term, he will continue to install peace where there is unrest and violence and he will not cease in this task until Boko Haram and its evil brethren are no more.
”He will continue to battle corruption head-on. Given the president’s fortitude and determination, I know corruption will lose this battle and receded from being a major factor in our public arena.
”This current leadership owes our youth and all Nigerians to build a political culture of civility, tolerance and equality.
”The tasks before us are hard. We dare not underestimate the challenges that await, but the rewards that beckon are profound. The people of Nigeria are industrious and brave. The ground beneath us is fecund and it is ours. Our plans are visionary and bold. Our goals are just. And the president you have re-elected is honest and true.
”The confidence I have in this positive confluence of leadership, people, resources and ideas is an unwavering but also a glad and comforting thing. If we put ourselves to it, there is nothing that another nation has done for itself that we cannot achieve for ourselves.
”There is no aspect of national greatness and achievement that lies beyond our reach. Thus, we should look forward to the next four years with hearts filled with hope and hands ready to work.
Only God can create the Promised Land. Yet, with God’s help, we endeavour to make of Nigeria a land of greater promise and prosperity for all her children.
”With President Buhari at the helm for four more years, I know we can achieve this. Congratulations to President Buhari on your re-election.
”Congratulations to the APC for the fine showing across all the February 23 elections. More importantly, congratulations to the Nigerian people for the wisdom and courage shown in deciding that the best of Nigeria still resides in our future and that President Buhari is the man you best trust to lead us into that future. Posterity shall reward you for what you established on Election Day.
”Today the sun shines brighter on Nigeria. If we work hard, tomorrow we shall be able to say the same thing.”

Source:
dailypost.ng/2019/02/27/presidential-election-result-tinubu-lists-buhari-will-second-term/

Buba Galadima, a former ally of President Muhammadu Buhari and spokesman for Peoples Democratic Party Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has been released from custody.
Galadima was arrested by suspected security operatives during the presidential election on Saturday.
The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation had before then alleged he was plotting to announce Atiku Abubakar of the PDP winner of the election.
The PDP had raised the alarm over his arrest but Galadima was spotted at the press conference addressed by Atiku in Abuja on Wednesday.
More to follow…

Source:
www.tori.ng/news/117259/buba-galadima-finally-freed-from-custody.html

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday resumed office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after returning from the presidential election.
The All Progressives Congress politician received a briefing from Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai in State House today.
Buhari is presently leading Atiku Abubakar in the presidential race which is being cordinated by INEC. The president seems happy and full of life .
See more images:

Source:
www.tori.ng/news/117182/president-buhari-resumes-office-after-election-bre.html

The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Justice Reform, Mrs Juliet Ibekaku, who is the APC candidate for the Enugu West Senatorial District, has rejected the result of Saturday’s election for the zone.
“I reject the result announced by Enugu State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in its entirety and will contest it,’’ Ibekaku told a news conference on Tuesday in Enugu.
“I call on well meaning Enugu people that have evidence that will assist us to please do so.’’
She alleged that Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in Enugu State were fraught with irregularities and outright hijacking of ballot boxes and ballot papers.
Ibekaku said that apart from the non-usage of smart card readers, there was indiscriminate thumb printing of ballot papers by individual who disguised as INEC officials, adding that there was also vote buying.
She, however, assured her supporters in the zone that their votes would count.
Ibekaku said she had joined the state chapter of All progressive Congress (APC) in “rejecting the outright stealing of the people’s votes by Sen. Ike Ekweremadu and his thugs who disguised as INEC officials.’’
Ibekaku accused Ekweremadu of snatching ballot boxes because of his desperation to return to the Senate for the fifth time.
She also alleged that the Deputy Senate President deployed the “people’s stolen wealth to brazenly compromise electoral officials, using thugs’’.
She said the PDP in Enugu and Ekweremadu “presented the sad past where results of elections are written in the bedrooms of local government chairman’’.
She however thanked the people of Enugu west senatorial zone for their support throughout her campaign and during the election.

Source:
dailypost.ng/2019/02/26/pdp-vs-apc-buharis-aide-rejects-election-result/

Former Governor of Delta, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, has called for the cancellation of last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly election in the state.
He made the call in a statement issued by his Media Assistant, Mr Monoyo Edon, on Tuesday in Warri.
Uduaghan, who contested for the Delta South Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the election was marred with irregularities.
Uduaghan
“I wish to state that the election was fraught with a lot of electoral malpractices and ballot stuffing.
“It was also crippled with electoral violence in some parts of Burutu, Bomadi, Patani, Warri North and Isoko North Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
“I have already petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the irregularities during collation and final announcement of result at the Senatorial Collation Centre in Oleh, Isoko South,” he said.
Senate 2019: Orji Kalu says his popularity will give him victory
Uduaghan, however, appealed to APC supporters and the people of Delta South to remain calm as further directives would be communicated soon.
He thanked them for their loyalty throughout the electioneering period.
According to the result announced on Tuesday by INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Oladipupo Adesina, Sen. James Manager polled 258,812 votes to defeat Uduaghan, who scored 125,776 votes.

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/uduaghan-faults-delta-south-senatorial-election/

The Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed concern over the result of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the presidential election.
The opposition party is accusing the ruling APC and the President of influencing the votes in the states announced so far.
The former governor of the state, Gabriel Suswam disclosed this to journalists while celebrating the victory of Mr. Orker Jev who defeated the APC candidate, George Akume to win the Northwest senatorial district.
READ ALSO : PDP’s Orker Jev Defeats APC’s Akume To Win Benue North West Senatorial Seat
Orker Jev polled 157,726 votes to beat Akume who polled 115,422 votes which were declared by the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nicodemus Ochai.
The state governor, Samuel Ortom, said that the victory means the PDP is fully back in control of the Benue politics, but the former governor of the state says they are worried about the APC’s results in the Presidential election.
The PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar polled 355,255 votes against President Muhammadu Buhari who got 347,668 votes in Benue state.
Source:
www.channelstv.com/2019/02/26/benue-pdp-worried-over-apcs-result-in-presidential-election/

By Dirisu Yakubu
ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to discontinue the ongoing collation of the results of the Presidential election which held on Saturday.
Polling station workers prepare card readers, ballot and boxes to start the Election Day at Unguwar Sarki polling station in Kaduna on February 23, 2019, as Nigeria votes to elect its new president. – Nigerians began voting for a new president on February 23, after a week-long delay that has raised political tempers, sparked conspiracy claims and stoked fears of violence. Some 120,000 polling stations began opening from 0700 GMT, although there were indications of a delay in the delivery of some materials and deployment of staff, AFP reporters said. The presidential contest will see incumbent Muhammadu Buhari (APC) seek to win a second four-year term against former vice president Atiku Abubakar (PDP). (Photo AFP)
This is even as the party called for outright cancellation of the results in Borno, Yobe and Zamfara states.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, Deputy Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Tanimu Turaki, said the party’s over 157, 000 votes rendered invalid in Nasarawa state must be restored.
Election at six polling units in Ambode’s home town cancelled
Details later…

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/just-in-pdp-demands-end-to-results-collation/

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Nigeria’s opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has asked Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to discontinue the announcement of the presidential election results.
“The PDP demands the immediate discontinuation of the announcement until data from the use of card readers are made available,” Kabiru Turaki, deputy director-general of the PDP presidential campaign organisation said on Tuesday evening.
Twenty-eight states have so far been announced by INEC at the national collation centre in Abuja.
PDP said votes cast it in its strongholds were cancelled, “particularly in Yobe, Nasarawa, Zamfara and Plateau.”
“The data are being reconfigured to align with the manipulations carried out in various polling units across the country.”
Details later.

Source:
guardian.ng/news/pdp-asks-inec-to-halt-collation-of-presidential-election-results/

Uyo – Mr Bassey Etim, the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North/East has called for the cancellation of the results of the just- concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
Officials count votes in front of voters during the presidential and parliamentary elections on February 23, 2019, at a polling station in Port Harcourt, southern Nigeria. – Nigerians began voting for a new president on February 23, after a week-long delay that has raised political tempers, sparked conspiracy claims and stoked fears of violence. Some 120,000 polling stations began opening from 0700 GMT, although there were indications of a delay in the delivery of some materials and deployment of staff, AFP reporters said. (Photo AFP)
Etim made the call while speaking with newsmen in Uyo on Tuesday, where he alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) manipulated results of the elections.
He accused the PDP of mobilising thugs to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the elections.
He said that no election took place in the area as all election materials were destroyed by thugs.
He also alleged that in Itu Local Government Area, an official of the state government took away election materials, having colluded with INEC officials to give victory to the candidate of the PDP.
He said that the same incident happened in Uruan LGA, claiming that though the incident was reported to INEC and the police, but nothing was done about it.
He said that in other local governments which were strongholds of APC, card readers were destroyed, election materials hijacked and the electorate harassed by hoodlums.
He called for a new date to be set for the conduct of elections in the affected areas.
INEC dismisses PDP’s allegation of hoarding election materials
“I believe that what happened in Akwa Ibom and in particular Uyo Senatorial District on February 23 with regards to the election conducted by INEC is nothing but a charade.
“Judging from what happened that day, where I witnessed irregularities, fraud and violence in the election.
“I forwarded a petition to the chairman of INEC, the State Director of SSS, the Commissioner of Police and the Presidential Campaign Committee, calling for an outright cancellation of the elections in the senatorial district.
“I wish to also bring to your attention, the high level of fraud, violence and other irregularities perpetrated by INEC staff, ad-hoc staff of INEC and members of the PDP during the elections.
“I also call for the change of the third Resident Electoral Commissioner in view of the perceived bias, miscalculation and various utterances made by the REC which was against the interest of the APC in Akwa Ibom.
“I wish to state categorically that no election known to law took place in all the local government areas making up the Akwa Ibom North East senatorial district.
“And it is my prayer therefore that this election be cancelled and a new date be set for the conduct of the elections into the Senate and the House of Representatives, particularly the Uyo Federal House in respect of these areas,” he said.
Presidential polls: Katsina PDP reject results over alleged irregularities
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sen. Bassey Akpan of PDP polled 147,731 votes, while Mr Bassey Etim of the APC scored 60, 930 votes.
Reacting, Mr Ini Ememobong, the Publicity Secretary of PDP, said that APC had failed in its initial plot to frame up and arrest certain key members of the PDP to avert their imminent defeat.
Ememobong alleged that it was the opposition party members who were snatching ballot boxes during the elections.

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/apc-senatorial-candidate-seeks-cancellation-of-results-in-aibom/

It was drama on Tuesday at the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, as some persons accused of electoral
offences publicly protested against the army for parading them over what they described as false allegations.
The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, who addressed a press conference, claimed the people were arrested for alleged involvement in election malpractice during the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday.
During the briefing, which was televised live on national television, the suspects who included some officials of the state government, cried foul and faulted the army for parading them as criminals.

The army also alleged that some persons, including the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, attempted to induce them financially during the polls, a claim Governor Wike has denied, describing it as baseless.
According to the governor, the army is struggling to find a way out of the allegations of political killings leveled against them, as well as his allegation of an assassination attempt on him by the army.
INEC Electoral Officer of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Mrs. Mary Imawuya, said that the military personnel did not allow the ad hoc staff to carry out collation in their wards.
She said, “Between 7pm and 8pm on Saturday, February 23, 2019, the military invaded INEC office at Isiokpo and they walked out every ad hoc staff that were there to present their results to the Collation Officers.
The evidence is still there. We took recordings.”Also speaking, INEC Electoral Officer for Emohua Local Government Area, Kenneth Etah, blamed the disruption of the collation process in the area on the shootings by the military.
“As I speak, I do not have any results to present for Emohua Local Government Area because collation did not take place,” he said.

Source:
www.channelstv.com/2019/02/26/army-suspected-electoral-offenders-trade-words-in-rivers/

Kano – The Pan African Women Project, an International Election Observer Group, has described the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections in Kano state as free, fair and peaceful.
The leader of the Group, Ms Belinda Maduna made the remark at a post-election press conference held in Kano on Tuesday.
A staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) carries ballot papers at a local office of INEC in Port Harcourt, southern Nigeria, on February 22, 2019, a day before postponed voting day. ( AFP)
She said the election in Kano state was not only free and fair, but peaceful while eligible voters were allowed to exercise their franchise.
“We want to use this opportunity to tell you that the election in Kano was peaceful, free and without intimidation because everybody was calm on the day of the election,“ Maduna said.
She said that there was adequate security at all the polling units, adding that there was no reports of violence or ballot box snatching during the election.
“The security personnel did a great job during the election because there was no violence or ballot box snatching. Kano is a model despite its large population.”
She commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff for their dedication and commitment to duty during the exercise.
Maduna also noted that there were adequate election materials, only that voting was delayed due to late arrival of election materials and officials.
“In spite of the challenges there was very high voter inclusion as no voter was disenfranchised.
“The observation made by our group was that 67 per cent of the polling units in Kano began accreditation of voters between between 8:30am and 9:00am,” she said. (NAN)

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/intl-observers-laud-inec-for-free-fair-election-in-kano/

The vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, has alleged that there was an orchestrated plan to disfranchise voters in the South-East region of the country in last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
During a press briefing in Onitsha on Tuesday, Mr. Obi questioned why Anambra State with 2.4 million registered voters had only about 600,000 votes cast, while some states in the troubled region of the North recorded far more, even less registered voters.Mr. Obi also alleged that there was the absence of a level playing field in the run-up to the polls, as characterised by high level of intimidation and harassment of the opposition.

He also faulted INEC for insisting on the use of card readers in some parts of the country, especially in areas considered as PDP strongholds, whereas manual accreditation was allowed in some other parts of the country during the elections.
“I noticed on the day of the election that several card readers were not working. I also noticed that during the voting, the process was clumsy because card readers were not functioning and where they worked they were slow,” he said.
The former governor of Anambra State also alleged inflation of votes in some areas where the APC won, adding that the country had failed to build on the success achieved in the 2015 general elections.

Source:
www.channelstv.com/2019/02/26/obi-faults-conduct-of-elections-accuses-apc-of-intimidation/

A combo picture shows Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari and main opposition party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar addressing supporters during campaign rallies ahead of the country’s presidential election in Lagos, Nigeria. Pictures taken accordingly on February 9, 2019 and February 12, 2019. REUTERS/Luc Gnago /Temilade Adelaja/File Photo
Incumbent Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday maintained a lead over his main rival in the race to become Nigeria’s next president, with more than half of all states declared but signs of low turnout across the country.
The death toll from election-weekend violence meanwhile jumped from 39 to 53, according to the Situation Room, an umbrella group of civil society monitors.
Buhari, 76, who is seeking a second term, has so far won 14 states, including Kaduna and Jigawa in his northwest heartland, according to the latest results from Saturday’s vote.
He also secured the country’s two most-populous states, Lagos and Kano. In the former, he won by nearly 133,000 votes and by just over 900,000 in the latter.
Former vice president Atiku Abubakar, 72, has notched up 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Four states, including Abubakar’s native Adamawa in the northeast, swung back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.
To win the presidency, a candidate needs a majority of votes nationwide and at least 25 percent of support in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT.
With 25 states and the FCT declared, Buhari, a former military ruler, was just under 1.6 million votes ahead, with 10,504,191 to Abubakar’s 7,909,541.
Results are not official until declared by INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu but a number of local media outlets indicated that Buhari was on course to be returned to office.
They correctly predicted Buhari’s win in Lagos and Kano.
Voting took place after a week-long postponement, which INEC blamed on difficulties in distributing ballot boxes and materials.
The APC and PDP have accused each other of conspiring with the electoral board to rig the result, against a backdrop of wider concern about transparency and a credible vote.
The PDP on Monday said the APC was trying to “manipulate the result”, which could be a prelude to a legal challenge of the outcome.
– Voter apathy –
Some election observers have reported instances of vote-buying, intimidation and violence towards voters and officials, which have been a problem in previous polls.
The issues will likely prompt calls for electoral reform, including the introduction of technology capable of directly transmitting results from polling units.
Several international monitoring bodies have warned that repeated postponements could undermine confidence in the electoral process, after similar delays in 2011 and 2015.
Yemi Adamolekun, from Enough is Enough Nigeria pro-governance and transparency group, which is part of the Situation Room, said the levels of rigging and violence were “disturbing”.
She said some INEC staff were forced to release results under duress and they were investigating claims that 120 volunteers were also intimidated into declaring winners.
A total of 72.7 million people were eligible to vote in the presidential poll as well as parliamentary elections held at the same time.
The parliamentary poll claimed a number of high-profile victims, including Senate president Bukola Saraki, who lost his seat in the north central state of Kwara.
Saraki, who stood against Abubakar for the PDP presidential ticket, has been at loggerheads with Buhari and the government for several years.
There were signs of a low voter turnout, blamed on a combination of apathy because of the delay, organisational and logistical problems, as well as unrest.
In some places in the southwest, where pro-Biafran separatists had called on supporters to boycott the election, turnout was as low as 18 percent.
Only one in six registered voters — just over one million people — cast their ballot in Lagos, which is home to 20 million.
In other places, just one in four registered voters turned out. The low levels of participation could have a longer-term impact on the legitimacy of the new government’s mandate.

Source:
guardian.ng/news/buhari-maintains-leads-with-25-states-fct-declared/

Nigeria’s main opposition party (PDP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to immediately halt the ongoing collation and announcement of results at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.
Addressing journalists at the PDP secretariat annex in the nation’s capital, the Deputy Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization, Tanimu Turaki, insisted that the results as announced by INEC so far had been tampered with.
“We have evidence from the smart card reader accreditation data that what is being announced by INEC has been seriously tampered with and manipulated,” he said.
The party has also demanded outright cancellation of results from Zamfara and Borno States while demanding a restoration of votes which it claimed were allegedly cancelled from the party’s votes in Kogi and Nasarawa States.
He said, “The PDP predicates its demand on available evidence to the effect that data from the card readers are being reconfigured to suit the manipulations, rigging, and over-voting already carried out during the election in some states by the All Progressives Congress (APC)

”Mr. Turaki said that already, the PDP National Chairman, Mr. Uche Secondus, has communicated the party’s position to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, saying that “In Yobe, the total number of votes submitted as cast was more than the number of accredited voters.
In the FCT, the PDP demands the restoration of 27,000 valid votes unlawfully and arbitrarily cancelled by INEC and a declaration of the authentic result, inclusive of our restored 27,000 votes
“This is a clear case of over-voting which, by the provisions of the Electoral Act, renders the election null and void.
In such instance, the law provides for another election on a day to be fixed by INEC.
He called on Nigerians “to disregard the results until INEC provides the data from the smart card reader accreditation at the polling units, and conducts fresh election in Borno, Yobe and Zamfara states as well as restore our votes in Plateau.
Source:
www.channelstv.com/2019/02/26/pdp-demands-stoppage-of-collation-of-results-by-inec/

lagos—Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, senatorial candidate for Lagos Central, Chief Adesunmbo Onitiri, has rejected the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the senatorial district, saying that he will go to court to restore the mandate given to him by people of the district.
Members of the PDP
Insisting that what was announced by INEC in favour of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Remi Tinubu, was not the results as announced at the end of the exercise at the five local governments that make up the senatorial district, he said “I am planning to go to court. We have to go to court. We can’t allow this day light robbery to go unchallenged.”
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, yesterday on the result announced by INEC for Lagos Central and faulting the results, he said “We have all the evidence to support my case that I was robbed of my well deserved victory. I won in four out of the five LGAs in the senatorial district, but the APC, in collusion with compromised INEC and men of the Nigerian Police, doctored the original result.
A-Ibom PDP demands adequate security for INEC offices
“The election was free and fair, though in lots of places, APC thugs in collusion with INEC and the military started tempering with the results. Even the one they are relying on was mutilated as figures were changed. It was signed by APC party agent, Wahab King. We didn’t see the returning officer and INEC did not announce the result in the open, it was sneaked to INEC.
“How can somebody announce an election result based on this mutilated result sheet (displaying the result sheet)? After the elections at the five local government areas, namely Lagos Island, Apapa, Lagos Island, Eti-Osa and Surelere, our agents were turned round on where the collation was.
“Furthermore, this is the most fraudulent, crooked and compromised election Nigeria ever had since the history of democracy in our country. This is totally unaccepted and a total disgrace to our polity and psyche. Nigeria never had it so bad that the present government is desperate to remain in power by all means by subverting the wishes of Nigerians people. The will of the people for change must be respected.
“Will advice this government to take a cue from the former President Goodluck Jonathan who surrendered power freely before the process was concluded Nigeria is greater than any individual or office holder.
“The will of the people of Lagos have been tampered with and altered altogether. The result being announced is totally different from the mandate of majority Lagosians. This Presidential and national assembly elections held on Saturday is no longer free, not fair and not credible.”
“We, therefore, call on INEC to produce the good desires and will of the people of Lagos central senatorial as freely expressed on February 23, at various polling units. The victory of any candidate does not deserve the blood of Nigerians.”

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/lagos-central-pdp-candidate-onitiri-rejects-results/

By Egufe Yafugborhi
PORT HARCOURT – AFTER four days of tardy collation, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has concluded collation of the Presidential election results for Rivers state with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar taking the lion share.
Atiku and Buhari
In the results announced by Chief Collation Officer, Prof Eneffiong Essien, Tueaday, Atiku of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, polled 473,971 of 666,585 total vote cast with closest All Progressives Congress, APC amassing150,710 votes.
The commission said it has no result for Ikwerre Local Government Area, LGA, where Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi hails from, just as there were no results from Ahoada West, Emohua, Okrika, Bonny and Akuku Toru LGAs due to various cases of violence.
The result indicated profound apathy to the election among the Rivers electorates as only 666,585 of over three million registered voters came out to cast their ballots on the exercise.
Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Rivers PDP Agent at the collation blamed the low turnout of voters on “deliberate excessive militarisation of the voting space to scare people away and deplete Rivers vote in an election PDP could have captured more than a million vote.”

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/presential-election-atiku-takes-rivers-as-inec-cancels-amaechis-lga-polls-5-others/

To be candid I am highly impressed with the method Independent National Electoral Commission ,INEC, used in conducting this year’s polls. It was free and fair in Epe Local Government area of Lagos State. The National Assembly, NASS, final results have been announced here. On the presidential poll, I wish anyone who will emerge the winner well.
Mr. LawalAfeez Lekan, Activist
Ohanaeze Chieftain alleges Nwodo’s tenure has expired
I appreciate the almighty God for the successful election. It was peaceful amidst tight security in the area where I voted. I believe the process was eventful and I hope subsequent elections will bear some marks of improvement. I am looking forward to future elections whereby vote buying and snatching of ballot boxes will be nearly eliminated.
Mr. Femi Adelaja, Senior
It was a shameful exercise given the incidents of violence that marred the election.
It is sad that people were being flogged and intimidated to vote against their choice. What we witnessed yesterday in Lagos was shocking. Is that how Nigeria would be taken to the next level?
Mr. Chukwuma Tony
Mechanic
Ohanaeze Chieftain alleges Nwodo’s tenure has expired
I monitored the election as an observer in Lagos.
What happened in Lagos yesterday across some polling units was a reflection of the kind of leadership we have and the type of leadership we may get if APC leaders are re-elected. However, I am happy that Buhari has been rejected by Nigerians.
Mr. Rufus Obomenfo
Worker
I have to congratulate Nigerians for refusing to be intimidated by all the arsenals employed to frustrate the election. Nigerians were disappointed that despite the postponement, there were technical challenges with the voting process. No matter how people look at it, this election is the worst to be conducted since the 2011 election.
Mr. Emmanuel Otobo, Businessman
People voted amid fears. The election could have been better than what we had if the actors with federal might had played according to the rules. The military should be congratulated for not responding to the cases of ballot box snatching with reckless killings. I don’t think a lot of people found the exercise pleasing.
Mr. Morka Chukwuka, Businessman
By Bose Adelaja, Ebun Sessou, Yinka Latona, Sophia Ogu & Chiamaka Uba

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/what-is-your-impression-about-conduct-of-presidential-nass-polls/

The Bayelsa state Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal SARS, Kola Okunola has been abducted by thugs on Sunday.
A statement, Sunday, signed by the Secretary to the State Government of Bayelsa state, Barr. Kemela Okara, said Okunola, was taken hostage and stripped naked by the thugs of the opposition party.
Okara, said that the thugs mounted pressure on the Deputy Commissioner of Police to accept fake results from Brass.
He added that the Deputy Commissioner of police refusal to sign the fake result caused disagreement between the police officer and a Major of the Nigerian Army and his men.
According to him, the DCP who insisted on submitting the right results to INEC was taken hostage in the waters and stripped naked by the thugs.
The situation has caused serious tension in Brass
d**kson crying wolf to cover up violent disposition of poll – Bayelsa APC
However Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Frank Mba when contacted he he was not aware of the kidnap of the Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/thugs-kidnap-strip-dcp-fars-in-bayelsa

About seven persons have been arrested with fake army and Department of Security Service fake stickers while on their way to Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The suspects were apprehended by members of the Special Anti-robbery Squad attached to the local government area.
Sunday Punch gathered that the Siena bus which the suspects came with had been impounded and its four tyres deflated following the order of the state governor, David Umahi.
The matter, our correspondent learnt, was reported to the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Awosola Awutunde, by the state governor after he had cast his vote at about 10:16am.
Speaking on the exercise, Umahi commended the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmoud Yakubu, for conducting credible elections.
“The exercise has been excellent. I must commend the INEC chairman, the card reader malfunctioning is the fault of the RACTEC not INEC”, he said.
Umahi however explained that there were minimal cases of electoral malpractice in the state.
“There have been cases of thuggery and other related matters in the state, but these are minimal because the people are not on the ground.
“Another is the report that some people with a Siena bus were caught with fake army and DSS stickers in Onicha local government.
“I have directed that those suspects whom I learnt came from Enugu to Onicha should be arrested and bought to the state police command for further investigation”, he said.

Source:
www.tori.ng/news/116983/seven-arrested-with-fake-army-dss-stickers-in-ebon.html

INEC has announced Official results for four of the nine local governments in Oyo South Senatorial District. The senatorial candidate of the ruling APC in the state, Abiola Ajimobi, has lost in all four announced so far.
Gov Ajimobi
Mr Ajimobi, the incumbent governor of Oyo State, seeks to return to the Senate to occupy a seat he held before becoming governor.
The PDP’s Kola Balogun won in all four local governments announced so far.
Results
In Ibadan Northwest local government, APC had 8,916 votes, while PDP scored 12,144 votes.
In Ibarapa North and Ibarapa East local governments, APC’s respective votes were 5,837 and 6,951. Both were inferior to PDP’s 8,083 and 9,982.
Also, in the Ibadan North local government result, APC scooped 17,946 votes. It was, however, edged by PDP’s 18,690 votes.
However, in Ibadan North, according to the Returning Officer of the senatorial district, Wole Akinsola, results of three polling units are missing. They are PU 001 in Ward 008 and Agbowo Ward (Ward 012) in PU 025. In the latter, security operatives were said to be interrogating the officials involved.
The other polling unit is Unit 019 on Taiwo street in Sango area of Ibadan. The presiding officer of the PU was said to have absconded.
Collation of results from other local governments was still ongoing at the time of this report.

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/ajimobi-loses-all-four-announced-lgas-in-oyo-south/

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly Elections in Ikorodu Federal Constituency of Lagos State.
Dr Musa Obalola, the INEC Returning Officer for the Feb. 23 House of Representatives poll for Ikorodu Federal Constituency, declared the result on Sunday at INEC’s collation centre in Ikorodu at 6:22pm on Sunday.
According to him, Mr Babajimi Benson of APC, who represents the constituency in the House of Representatives, is returned as the winner.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, with the result, Benson has won for the second term.
According to Obalola, the APC candidate polled 42,563 votes to beat his closest rival, Mrs Omotolani Popoola of the PDP, who got 19, 825 votes.
He added that AD got 180 votes, ADC, 360 votes and CAP, 11, out of the 66, 875 total votes cast in the federal constituency election.
In the same vein, Dr Prof. Abidemi Akindele, the INEC Collation Officer, who announced the result of the senatorial poll in the federal constituency, declared that APC candidate won with 42,770 votes against PDP’s candidate, who got 20,382 votes.
He said that AD got 204 votes and DPP, 147 votes, out of 66,768 votes cast.
Mr Bayo Osinowo is the APC Candidate, while Mrs Abiodun Oyefusi is the PDP Candidate for Lagos East Senatorial District, which Ikorodu Federal Constituency is part of.
The Collation Officer for the presidential poll, Prof. Ilupeju Akanbi, announced that the APC defeated PDP by polling 40, 719 votes against PDP’s 21,252 in the president poll.
Akanbi also announced that AAC scored 410 and PCP, 375 votes out of the 63, 658 total votes cast in the election.

Source:
dailypost.ng/2019/02/24/nigeria-decides-inec-reveals-winner-ikorodu-federal-constituency-lagos/

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered a thorough investigation by the Special Election Investigation Team (SEIT) of all security-related offences during the elections.
In a statement, Police spokesperson, Frank Mba, said: “a total of 128 persons were arrested across the country for various electoral offences ranging from homicide-related crimes, vote trading, ballot box snatching, impersonation, malicious damage, amongst others; while 38 assorted weapons and a cache of explosives were also recovered.”
The police chief hailed the conduct of the polls, describing them as generally successful, notwithstanding the loss of lives recorded in some areas.

He expressed concerns over continuous use of hateful and inflammatory comments by politicians and their supporters which he said were capable of inciting Nigerians against one another.
“While the Force is not in the business of censoring Nigerians or abridging their constitutional rights of freedom of speech, it will not hesitate to rein in the full wrath of the law on any person(s) found wanting in this regard,” the IGP stated.
While commending Nigerians for turning out in their numbers and their orderly conduct during the elections, the IGP also lauded the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies for their sacrifice towards the successful conduct of the polls.

Source:
www.channelstv.com/2019/02/24/igp-orders-investigation-of-security-related-infractions-during-elections/

By Ndahi Marama
Maiduguri – Despite the Saturday several missiles fired in the capital city of Maiduguri on the morning of presidential election by the Boko Haram terrorists, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari is defeating his closest rival for the election, Atiku Abubakar with wide margin of votes in the 7 local government areas so far collated in Maiduguri.
buhari
In the results which has been so far collated from the 7 out of the 27 local government areas, President Buhari polled 71,944 to beat Alhaji Abubakar who scored 3,348 votes.
Breakdown of the results is as follows: Mobbar local government area; Total registered votes, 44,619 , accredited votes , 14,030 , total valid votes , 13,540 , rejected votes 490 . Party scores : APC 13,112 , PDP.
Gubio local government area: Registered Voters; 38,849 , accredited voters, 11,346 , total votes cast, 11,346. Party scores, APC 10,207, PDP 510.
Nganzai local government area: Total valid votes ; 8058. Party scores; APC 6804 , PDP 975 .
#Electionday: Collation, counting of votes commence
Magumeri local government area: Registered Voters; 50,991 ; accredited voters 14,364 , total valid votes 13,738 , total votes cast 14,364 . Party scores APC 12,739 , PDP 692.
Dikwa local government area: Registered Voters; 51,793 , accredited voters 18, 298 , total valid votes , 17,989 . Party scores, APC 17, 805 , PDP 100.
Guzamala local government area: Registered Voters ; 38, 805 , accredited voters 6,284 , total valid votes , 5971 . Party scores ; APC 5,370 , PDP 521.
Abadam local government area : Registered Voters 45, 707 , total votes cast 6, 554 . Party scores , APC 5,907 , PDP 521.
Speaking during the collation at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim College of Education centre, the Minister of State for works , Power and Housing, Mustapha Baba Shehuri said he is not surprised with the landslide victory of the president in Borno state.
Shehuri said Buhari having fulfilled the three cardinal principle of his administration which is tackling Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges facing the nation prior to his administration, improvement of the battered country’s economy as well as his doggednes in the fight against corruption, the victory is clear for him.
In the power sector , Baba Shehuri said from 3,000 megawatts , the administration met it in 2015, the megawatts,have been improved between 6000 to 7000 megawatts.
” Jobs has been created , the N Power is a typical example where thousands of Nigeria youth have been engaged , with others empowered with entrepreneural skills,” the Minister said.
However, the PDP Presidential collation agent for Borno state, Mr Nicholas Msheliza protested the the results so far collated, saying they are not true reflection of what was sent in by the various party agents.
He added that most of the results presented were not countersigned by the PDP agents as displaced , which he has pointed out at the collation centre.
General elections: INEC pledges speedy collation of results, declaration of winners

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/despite-boko-harams-threats-buhari-floors-atiku-in-borno/

Elections were not conducted in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State following violent attack on INEC officials who went to conduct the elections on Saturday Feb 23rd 2019.
Disclosing this on Sunday while presenting the report to INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Calabar, the local government returning officer, Prof Chris Chukwurah said the crew narrowly escaped being lynched by suspected thugs.
He said the attack was from all fronts, hence the possibility of conducting elections was impossible as INEC staff and ad hoc workers had to run for the safety of their lives and property.
The returning officer said, “We were manhandled, the suspected thugs pursued us up to Ikom but we were rescued from the hands of our attackers by the soldiers and other security agencies.
“Because of the violent attack, we couldn’t carry out elections in the area, hence the elections were cancelled in the local government area,” he stated.
At Bakassi local government area, elections were not conducted in four wards, Archibong Town, Amoto, Efut Inwang, Akwa and two units, Odiong Atai Ema in Ikpa Nkayang.
Prof Asira Inyang Asira attributed the none conduct of elections in the four wards to logistics problem, stressing “We were stocked in the mud for over five hours.
“We were in the river for several hours and we narrowly escaped death as we were in the river up to 10pm.”
He, however, announced the results for the six wards, which included registered voters 13, 373, accredited voters 4, 262, valid votes 3, 911, SDP 95, APC 780 and PDP 3,019 while rejected votes was 79 and total votes cast 3, 990.
Since there was no elections in four wards in the local government area, the elections was declared inconclusive.

Source:
dailypost.ng/2019/02/24/inec-cancels-elections-etung-council-area-cross-river-declares-bakassi-inconclusive/

The Bayelsa state Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal SARS, Kola Okunola has been abducted by thugs on Sunday.
A statement, Sunday, signed by the Secretary to the State Government of Bayelsa state, Barr. Kemela Okara, said Okunola, was taken hostage and stripped naked by the thugs of the opposition party.
Okara, said that the thugs mounted pressure on the Deputy Commissioner of Police to accept fake results from Brass.
He added that the Deputy Commissioner of police refusal to sign the fake result caused disagreement between the police officer and a Major of the Nigerian Army and his men.
According to him, the DCP who insisted on submitting the right results to INEC was taken hostage in the waters and stripped naked by the thugs.
The situation has caused serious tension in Brass
d**kson crying wolf to cover up violent disposition of poll – Bayelsa APC
However Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Frank Mba when contacted he he was not aware of the kidnap of the Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/thugs-kidnap-strip-dcp-fars-in-bayelsa/

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Akwa Ibom state has debunked what it called the fake results making the rounds online and in the state.
The party dismissed the results as fake in a press release made available to the media by the Akwa Ibom APC chairman, Ini Okopidio, on Sunday..
Part of the statement read: “Our attention has been called to the malicious intention by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) within the state and their recent spate of the release of fake election results. While it is not surprising, it must be stopped at its root.
“Our usual source within the party has informed us of further plans to hold emergency meetings to consolidate on the already released fake results.
“Having disrupted the peaceful conduct of the electoral process in several polling units across the state, it is evident that the PDP are desperate and are grabbing at straws.
“However, they should be mindful that release of fake results is a punishable offence as it misleads the public and can go on to instigate violence.
“Our call is therefore to INEC, Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and all law-enforcement agencies to continually warn the PDP and their followers within the state that anyone who flouts the law on announcement of official results and violence will be made to face the law.
“We have reported cases of missing result sheets and election materials that never left INEC office to polling units.
“We therefore urge all well-meaning citizens of Akwa Ibom, Nigeria and even reasonable members of the opposition not to be bought by these cheap antics of the PDP.
“Let’s restrain our wards from being used by these unscrupulous elements.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission is the only authorised commission that can release trusted and certified results.
“We enjoin everyone to discard every other form of result as we anticipate results,” he said.

Source:
dailypost.ng/2019/02/24/nigeria-decides-akwa-ibom-apc-speaks-election-results-state/

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu has urged security agencies to investigate violent incidents that sought to mar the elections on Saturday.
Professor Mahmood made this call in his address on Sunday, February 24.
Mahmood said that the Commission has taken an in-depth analysis of the situation of things around the nation, with a major focus at the hitches encountered during the conduct of elections.
He stated that voting took place nationwide on Saturday, stressing that the Commission is happy with the generally peaceful conduct of citizens as they went to the polls to elect their next President and National Assembly members.
He, however, noted that there were cases of election violence that sought to mar the conduct of the elections, one of which led to the death of an ad-hoc staff in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The INEC boss said the staff, Amakiri Ibisaki, female, was hit by a “stray bullet,” on her way back from electoral duties.
He noted that the Commission condemns the killing and will furnish security agencies with comprehensive reports to enable proper investigations.
“We condemn this attack and will forward a comprehensive report for security agencies to investigate.”

Speaking about the general conduct of the elections, the chief electoral officer noted that on Saturday night, the Commission met and reviewed the processes and challenges arising from the conduct the electoral exercise, based on the information obtained from its state offices nationwide as well as the information harvested from various citizens contact platforms.
He noted that there were some hiccups in getting some of the ad-hoc staff and materials to the polling centres, thereby leading to the late commencement in certain units, a situation which he said was put to check by extension of the voting duration.
Prof Mahmood also said that the INEC is not unaware of the violence that stifled the conduct of elections in certain areas, noting that re-conduction of the polls have been considered and to this effect, smart card readers were reconfigured to enable elections to take place in those units.
According to the INEC chairman, the Commission’s report suggests that many citizens who would have otherwise been disenfranchised were able to cast their ballots.
He, however, noted that in spite of the INEC’s best efforts, to enhance the functionality of the smart card readers, the commission encountered technical glitches in some locations.
“Through the deployment of 8,809 registration area technical support that we engaged as ad-hoc staff, many of these glitches were rectified, which enabled voting to take place seamlessly in some of the affected areas”.
He, however, noted that despite the interventions there were places where voting could not be conducted due to the failures of the smart card readers and other issues but assured that the situation has been placed under control.

Source:
www.channelstv.com/2019/02/24/live-inec-chairman-prof-yakubu-mahmood-briefs-stakeholders/

The Presidency has dismissed media reports that the convoy of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was attacked on Thursday in Ilorin, capital of Kwara.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Office of the Vice President, ‘Laolu Akande described the media and social media as false.
He also explained that VP Osinbajo did not make his scheduled trip to Abia because of time constraints. “Let me clarify two issues,” Mr. Akande tweeted on Friday.
“VP Osinbajo’s convoy was not attacked yesterday in Ilorin, Kwara. The reported gunshots were after the VP left the venue.
“Secondly, due only to time constraints yesterday, VP couldn’t go to Abia from Kwara as earlier billed. He will surely make the Abia State trip soonest,” he added.
Prof Osinbajo was in Kwara State on Thursday in continuation of the Next Level engagements after the Independent National Electoral Commission had lifted a one week ban on campaigns across the country.
This is the second time in two days that the Vice President had had to dismiss fake news peddled against him.
On Wednesday night, speaking at a meeting with young Christian leaders in Lagos, Prof. Osinbajo debunked the fake news of his purported resignation being circulated on some social media platforms.
The VP emphasized that he has not resigned his position in the Buhari administration, and described the false information as “deliberate propaganda.”
He said, “Today (Wednesday), they’ve been spreading some information around that I’ve resigned. They said I didn’t attend a security meeting yesterday. I was too busy in my office.
“The same security people were meeting with me that same evening. Must I attend every meeting? Can’t the President hold a meeting with the security chiefs without me? They said I was so angry that they didn’t bring me to that meeting, that I was excluded, then I resigned! I have not resigned.”
Source:
dailypost.ng/2019/02/22/nigeria-election-osinbajo-speaks-thugs-attacking-convoy-ilorin/

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has promised automatic employment to members of the National Youth Sevice Corps, NYSC, who are outstanding during the general elections, starting from Saturday.
INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu gave the assurance during a briefing on Wednesday in Abuja.
Answering questions on the welfare of corps members seen sleeping on the floor the night before the postpones elections, Yakubu said assured that the welfare NYSC Corps members would be adequately taken care of during the conduct of the elections.
He said: “The youth corps members are among the most educated, most reliable, most patriotic, and most readily available ad-hoc staff we have… so we don’t joke with the wellbeing of corps members.
“Arising from my interaction with DG NYSC yesterday, they are looking at how they can mobilise mattresses, used by the youth corps members in camp to places where the youth corps members are going to stay the night so that the layover before we open the polling units on Saturday can be more comfortable for them.
“I am waiting for the DG NYSC to submit the details to the commission, but I want to assure you that anything that the commission can do to make the corps members comfortable, and all other staff, including their welfare and security, we will do.
“Those who do exceptionally well during elections are accorded automatic employment by the commission.”

Source:
www.tori.ng/news/116805/2019-election-inec-to-offer-automatic-employment-t.html

The Abia Government has dissociated itself from the fake election result sheets allegedly caught with an N-Power beneficiary in the state.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr John Kalu, said this during an interaction with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.

He described as wicked and mischievous attempts by some politicians in the state to link the incident to the state government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a man, identified as Felix Obisike, an N-Power beneficiary in the state, was reportedly caught with fake election result sheets in Abia shortly before the postponement of Feb. 16 elections.

Subsequently, a viral video of the incident has been circulating on the social media.

Kalu, however, insisted that the incident was stage-managed by some opposition politicians while calling for proper investigation and arrest of those behind it.

“It is important to note that the video published online was edited to make it look like Felix (Obisike) confessed to being the one who owned the fake document whereas he never accepted ownership even under duress.

“Elementary review of the published purported INEC result sheet shows that the entries were typed out as against the usual practice of writing out results in long hand with ink.

“Only a candidate who has never contested general elections before will attempt to pass such a poor forgery as INEC result sheet,” he said.

He warned that if the situation was not properly handled, it could negatively affect the N-Power scheme, especially in the state.

“I am sure that Mr President will be very angry that some politicians are trying to politicise the N-Power programme because of political desperation,” he added.

Mr Anthony Agbazuere, lawyer to Felix Obisike, has however called for the release of his client, insisting that he was framed up for political reasons.

He said he had written to the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS) for their intervention in the matter.
Source:

dailypost.ng/2019/02/20/nigerias-election-abia-govt-speaks-n-power-beneficiary-caught-fake-result-sheets/

As we, the good people of Delta South go out to cast our votes this Saturday, we urge all our ever vibrant constituents to bear in mind that nothing short of the very soul of our Senatorial District is at stake in this election.

We simply cannot afford to vote for another person if not Uduaghan in Delta South.

Our Senatorial District does not belong to James Manager and his family as their private property and the four terms he has already spent is more than enough for anyone.

Leadership style: Biukeme advises Governor Okowa

Manager does not represent the interest of the Ijaws. If he did, he would have groomed another Ijaw man to take over from him by now. Instead, he insists, it must be Manager forever.

It is now time for all of us in Delta South to say to him that he is not a god over us and we are going to show him the door, this time around.

Manager has brought nothing to our Senatorial District. Even when our brothers in Gbaramatu and other areas were being threatened, he kept quiet and did not say anything while claiming to be busy.

We can no longer vote him as our senator again. He should go and answer to the EFCC charges against him and stop politicking.

Unless someone just wants to be unreasonably ethnocentrist, it should be crystal clear to all and sundry by now that if indeed, Manager ever truly loved his fellow Ijaws, he would surely have found another Ijaw person qualified enough to replace him as a Senator by now.

Similarly, his professed love for the Isokos whom he claims to be part of is highly questionable. This is because if indeed he has any genuine love for Isoko, he should have found a full blooded Isoko man fit to replace him as Senator by now.

The whole ethnic card Manager has been playing is just a scam to hoodwink the Isokos and Ijaws to keep voting for him.

Court asks INEC to make Kabba, collation centre for Kogi West

We just have to take our destiny in our own hands this time around by liberating Delta South from the stranglehold of this man.

Thankfully, for the first time since 2003, we now have an opposition candidate in the person of Former Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan who can beat Manager at his own game, give him a run for his money and lead us in the liberation of Delta South from perpetual one-man rule.

While Uduaghan can be relied upon as a true, tried and tested performer and undeniable achiever, Manager, on the other hand, is nothing.

Despite all the blackmail and propaganda deployed against Uduaghan, most Deltans have finally come to the conclusion that he is one of the very best administrators the state has ever seen, especially since the complete disaster of the present Okowa administration came on board.

This Saturday, Deltans have resolved to bring change to their lovely state and Delta South cannot be left out.

We are voting in Uduaghan and voting out Manager!

By Priye Love-Owei

*Love-Owei, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Warri.*

Source:

www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/why-we-should-vote-uduaghan-this-saturday/

South African Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni delivers his 2019 Budget Speech in the South African Parliament, on February 20, 2019, in Cape Town. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP)
South Africa’s Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announced Wednesday a $1.6 billion-a-year bailout for the country’s electricity utility in a bid to stave off further downgrades to Pretoria’s credit rating as he unveiled a new budget.

Credit ratings agencies have warned that state power utility Eskom’s $30 billion debt crisis could spark credit rating downgrades which would embarrass President Cyril Ramaphosa as he prepares for nationwide elections on May 8.

“We must prune and pluck away at the rot until there is growth,” said Mboweni, brandishing a South African bitter aloe plant in the parliament chamber in Cape Town to illustrate his point.

“It will not be easy, there will be no quick fixes, but we are ready.”

Maintenance issues at Eskom’s power plants plunged swathes of the country into darkness this month as the utility implemented rolling blackouts and struggled to restore supplies.

The crisis has quickly become a leading election battleground issue, with the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) calling for Eskom’s privatisation.

“Instead of taking bold and decisive action it was a lipstick budget… it looked pretty on the outside but we need a plan. We should be selling (Eskom),” said DA leader Mmusi Maimane after the speech.

‘Very serious risks’
Mboweni also hiked taxes on cigarettes and beer by seven percent and increased duty on a litre of fuel by roughly $0.02 per litre in order to plug an expected 15.4 billion rand ($1.08 billion) shortfall in tax revenue for the past year.

Money for infrastructure projects, including provincial schools and agriculture projects that will appeal to the ruling African National Congress’ (ANC) rural electoral base, were also announced.

Mboweni delivered his maiden budget wearing a blue and white checked shirt, red tie and blue jacket, often pausing to quote the Bible.

Analysts had warned ahead of the speech that tensions may emerge in the ruling ANC-led coalition if he had announced job cuts at Eskom.

But Mboweni stopped short of calling for lay-offs, instead pleading for reductions in the state wage bill.

“Reforms at Eskom and other state-owned enterprises such as South African Airways (could unite opposition) against Ramaphosa. The faction still has significant representation,” said Darias Jonker, an analyst at the Eurasia Group think-tank.

Ramaphosa announced this month that the electric company will be divided into three separate companies, which unions rejected insisting it would lead to job cuts.

Mboweni said state-owned companies, including Eskom, “pose very serious risks to the fiscal framework”.

‘What should we do?’
“Isn’t it about time the country asks the question: do we still need these enterprises?” he said. “If we do, can we manage them better? If we don’t need them, what should we do?”

Fears are mounting that if Eskom defaults on its massive debts, lenders would be entitled to call back other loans to different parts of the state including the troubled national carrier.

Only the Moody’s credit ratings agency still has the country at investment grade, while Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Group rate South Africa’s debt as junk status.

Fraud, corruption and incompetence have gripped public sector businesses and compromised their credibility while mounting debts have spooked investors.

Net debt currently stands at around 2.28 trillion rand, or 48.6 percent of GDP, according to the treasury. It will costs 2.2 billion rand to service the debt this year, Mboweni said.

Mboweni, who replaced former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene when he was forced to resign over meetings with the scandal-tainted Gupta brothers, took office in October.

Source:

guardian.ng/news/south-africa-announces-1-6bn-bailout-to-keep-lights-on/

Nigeria is one of the youngest countries in the world – not in terms of when it was founded but in terms of the age of its population. According to the 2017 revision of the World Population Prospects, there are 19.9 million children in Nigeria and 44% percent of the population is below the age of 15. To put this in perspective: 11 out of every 25 Nigerians are children.

UNICEF cites more than 20,000 children are born every single day from Borno to Lagos; that come to make up the massive below age ten population of this country. And for all 20,000 births, 821 women die during childbirth.

Currently, Nigeria is the highest contributor to maternal mortality in Central and Western Africa and accounts for 14% of the global maternal mortality rate.

The country is currently ranked 187th out of 191 countries in healthcare delivery. It is also the second largest contributor to maternal mortality worldwide, after India. One Nigerian woman dies every 13 minutes – that is 109 women dying each day – from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Add that to Northern Nigeria’s increasing child marriage rate and you have an atomic bomb.

According to GirlsNotBrides, a non-profit organization trying to eradicate child marriage, 17% of girls are married before the age of 15 and 44% are married before the age of 18. UNICEF predicts, in the North-West, figures are as high as 68% for child marriages. As a result of such high child marriage rates, pregnancy-related complications are the leading cause of death among young women aged 15-19 years in Nigeria.

Adolescent mothers are at particular risk for maternal conditions such as anaemia, obstructed labour and fistula. They are also less likely to use skilled maternal health services than mothers over age 20. UNICEF accounts a third of 15-19 year-olds in Northern Nigeria have delivered a child without the help of a health professional, a traditional birth attendant, or even a friend or relative. Less than half of women attend the recommended four or more prenatal care visits when pregnant. Only a third of women seek the recommended care during the postnatal period, a proportion that has remained low over the past decade. Only 6 in 10 mothers receive antenatal care from a trained medical professional.

Good antenatal care can prevent the major causes of neonatal mortality in Nigeria — neonatal tetanus, malaria, and maternal anaemia — but with such damning figures, few women get access to good healthcare. Barriers to seeking optimal maternity care include the cost of services, distance to health facilities, and long waiting times for those seeking care at public health facilities. Abuse and mistreatment of care-seekers by health care providers at public health facilities is also widespread.

Other barriers to seeking and receiving appropriate care by women include insensitive providers, a lack of information on the importance of care and illiteracy, inadequate and perceived poor quality services, and negative socio-cultural practices.

With the current government, it seems things might not change for the better. The 2018 budget for Nigeria has just 3.9% allocation to the health sector, which is a drop from 4.16% and 4.23% allocated in 2016 and 2017 respectively. This means only N1,888 will be spent on each citizen the whole year. And with the current proposed budget, there’s no way that rating can improve positively. Details on the budget proposed, revealed that health came 12th as power, housing and works got the highest capital, almost eight times that of the health sector.

However, considering the election period, the potential for change remains.
Source:

guardian.ng/features/maternal-mortality-in-northern-nigeria-still-at-an-alarming-rate/

The alleged deployment of $111 million for vote-buying across the states under by the opposition party has caused jitters in the ranks of the APC.

The All Progressives Congress said it is bothered by the leaked security report of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) plan to deploy $111 million for vote-buying across the states under the pretence of “logistics” during the General Elections.

APC said the plan raises new fears ahead of the forthcoming polls.

“It is now clear that the PDP has no plans to win the elections through legitimate votes, but through illegally procured votes”, Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC national publicity secretary said.

“Again, in the aftermath of the configured card readers recently recovered from PDP agents in some states, the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has gone to town with face-saving conspiracies that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has imported slow-working card readers from China which will be deployed to the South South and South East which Atiku considers his “stronghold”.

“Atiku also alleges a plan to shut down communication on Election Day. How illogical that a party that is in a contest with clear superior numerical support would shutdown communication on Election Day. Will the communication shutdown affect only the PDP while leaving APC supporters and agents? Nigerians can see through the infantile lies.

“Nigerians will recall that the APC had earlier reported the PDP’s plot before last Saturday’s postponed elections. The recent arrest of several armed PDP political thugs and recovery of INEC card readers and arms from PDP agents in some states points directly to the PDP’s plan as revealed by the security report.

“Atiku has called on the president to retract his instruction to security agencies regarding violence, ballot box thieves, and other electoral malpractices. The question is how such instruction disturbs anyone that is truly interested in free, fair and credible elections.

“We reiterate the resolution of the Monday’s meeting of the APC expanded National Caucus which urged the security agencies to step up their activities by ensuring that all those involved in violence, ballot box snatching, falsification of results, vote-buying and other election illegalities should face the full weight of the law. It is a shame that PDP is kicking against this. We are not surprised because PDP has marshalled plans to get to power by all means possible. The option of one man one vote is not on the PDP’s table.

“Atiku has admitted what we already know that he is not popular by claiming he has two geopolitical zones while the APC has the four other geopolitical zones. On Election Day, Atiku and the PDP should prepare for the shock of their lives. The South South and South East are not oblivious of the unprecedented developmental achievements recorded in the zones under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration, compared to the PDP’s wasted years. The good people of the South South, South East and indeed all the geopolitical zones will speak through their legitimate votes, not the procured ballots planned by the PDP.

“The PDP’s illegal plot requires improved surveillance by our security agencies particularly the Department of State Services (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and allied agencies to check illicit financial flows and movement in the lead-up to and on Election Day.

“On INEC’s part, following the unfortunate last-minute postponement of the election, the electoral body must realise that it has a lot to prove to the Nigerian electorate that it is still able to conduct credible elections. A first step will be that the electoral body identify and change its officers who have now beyond doubt become partisan and are actively working for partisan interests.

“Finally, PDP Tuesday’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting has achieved only one thing: Atiku and PDP sank into a new low of rudeness and incivility. They showed acute disrespect to the office of the President with the choice of words employed. This is the same office they intend to occupy”.

-NAN

The Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, has cautioned political gladiators to desist from further heating up the polity with unfounded allegations against officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and security agencies.

INEC

ONDO: APC hired thugs to attack us in Idanre — PDP

The group, in a statement yesterday, by its chairperson, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, expressed concern about attempts to damage the credibility of some of the national commissioners of INEC.

According to Akiyode-Afolabi: “TMG is concerned about attempts to damage the credibility of some of the National Commissioners of INEC who over time have proved themselves as worthy ambassadors of Nigeria.

“We are more concerned in particular, about the petition submitted by the Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Akwa Ibom chapter, calling for the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, for alleged partisanship and other sundry offences ahead of the general polls in the country”, said TMG

The group further stated that Igini had since refuted the allegations, saying that the allegations deserved scrutiny from the authorities if Nigerians were to get a sense of closure from the terrible events of the recent past when politicians subverted the democratic choices and aspirations of Nigerians.

“The current INEC has a reputation of having some of the finest brains in the country in their midst and this should be appreciated by all Nigerians. Of course, the postponement of last Saturday’s election may have affected the perception of Nigerians, but we must support INEC to deliver a credible electoral process. Any attempt to rupture its credibility will affect the democratic journey of this country.”
Source:

www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/poll-shift-dont-tarnish-image-of-inecs-reputable-officials/

UYO— In desperate bids to win at all cost, some candidates in Akwa Ibom State have stepped up the game, wooing ad-hoc staff engaged by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

INEC

Yobe Assembly loses Deputy Speaker

Vanguard gathered that some of the politicians and candidates were making frantic efforts to reach out to the ad-hoc staff billed to superintendent over the polls in their respective units and local government areas and been negotiating with them.

The categories of staff they are targeting include the Supervisory Returning Officers, Registration Area Center Managers and Presiding Officers.

Two university dons who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed shock over the desperation by the politicians over the polls and wondered how they were identified even before the commencement of the exercise.

‘’Before I left my house, I asked God to protect me and not allow me to be posted to where I would not be asked to compromise my principle, because that is the one thing I would never do”, said a university don, who is a returning officer in one of the local governments.

Meanwhile, a staff of the commission who did not want his name on print quoted Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini as saying that the sensitive materials of the commission were intact after the postponement of the polls.

In promising to be fair, the REC was quoted to have said: ‘’We promise that INEC will be give level playing field to all the contending parties in the elections and I state that no politician would write result at home and no one will rig this election. The votes of Akwa Ibom people must count.
Source:

www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/candidates-woo-inec-adhoc-staff-in-akwa-ibom/

The Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State has raised the alarm over the alleged desperate move by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State to frame and implicate candidates in the state and have them arrested before the Saturday, 23rd February, 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The party through its State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom in a statement claimed that the uncovered plot involves the branding of some vehicles in the names of PDP’s Senatorial candidates for zones ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’, Gabriel Torwua Suswam Emmanuel Yisa Orker Jev and Patrick Abba Moro, respectively.

According to him, “PDP’s candidates for the House of Representatives in Gwer/Gwer-West, Mark Gbilla; Makurdi/Guma, Benjamin Mzondu; Gboko/Tarka, Bernard Nenger, and Logo/Ukum/Katsina-Ala, Richard Gbande are also listed to be implicated in the plot.

“The evil plot involves the branding of some vehicles to be stock-piled with fake ballot papers thumb-printed in the favour of the identified PDP candidates, and those vehicles are to be parked at strategic locations in Makurdi, Guma, Anyiin, Otukpo, Gboko and Ukum as if they truly belong to the targeted PDP candidates.

“The sources further revealed that top APC leaders in the state who are behind the plot have already earmarked huge sums of monies with which to bribe the police to impound the branded vehicles and address a press conference at which they will accuse the PDP candidates of being electoral offenders and subsequently effect their arrest.

“The obvious objective of this nefarious plot is to get those targeted PDP candidates out of circulation during Saturday’s polls to pave way for an easy victory for APC, as according to our sources, the party considers those PDP candidates as being too strongly rooted on ground, and anchoring an imminent PDP victory in the Saturday poll.

“The Benue State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hereby calls on its teeming members and all lovers of democracy across the state to be vigilant in the face of the mounting desperation of the APC which having failed so abysmally and irredeemably in governance is resorting to all manner of voodoo tactics to rig their way back to power.

“Regardless of the rescheduling of the elections from 16th to 23rd of this month, and the failed attempt by the APC to blackmail the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Benue PDP observes with immense satisfaction that our people have remained firm in their resolve to kick out of power APC which as a party has become synonymous with nothing but blood, toil and tears to Nigerians.

“Saturday, 23rd February, 2019 is only but a few days away, and we must maintain due diligence and vigilance until victory is achieved.”
Source:

dailypost.ng/2019/02/20/benue-elections-apc-planning-frame-suswam-jev-moro-pdp-raises-alarm/

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, has said that contrary to reports making the rounds, the ruling All Progressives Congress has no intention to boycott the forthcoming elections.
During an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Enang explained that the APC will not fail to tell the truth as it is, and will never shy away from the polls with all the stats pointing at the party’s victory.
READ ALSO: Melaye, Keyamo In Heated Argument Over Buhari’s Directive On Ballot Box Snatchers
He said, “What we are doing is building the confidence, our party will tell the truth as it is, but we decided to go in for the elections because the people are there, the voters are there, majority of the people are with us and the tide is in favour of the APC”.
Reiterating the APC’s stand on the elections, Enang said the party is has taken a decision to go in for the elections regardless the stage.
The President’s aide said though there was a level of what appeared to be compromise and an unholy alliance between INEC and some governments, still there is a needs to be cloaked with some confidence as the nation heads to the polls.
He said that the APC has chosen to ensure that its comments and actions would be able to calm the polity and allow people to vote.

Source:
www.channelstv.com/2019/02/20/we-will-not-boycott-the-elections-ita-enang/

The Coalition of Political Parties in Akwa Ibom has condemned calls for the redeployment of the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Mike Igini.
The group under the aegis of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), said this while briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Uyo.
The parties said that the opposition in the state, the APC, never raised concerns about the REC’s integrity but only resorted to blackmail when attempts to make him compromise failed.
“We are however, worried that the opposition just like other parties should be glad that there is an umpire in Igini’s mould who is committed to ensuring credible, free and fair elections.
“By seeking ways of multiplying such reputation in the commission rather than working to have him conform especially in this era when Nigerians have grown an all-time-high electoral consciousness,’’ the parties said.
Mr Aniebiet Emmanuel, State chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) said that the protest staged by the opposition in the state was an attempt to blackmail the electoral umpire.
He said that the parties and their governorship candidates had resolved to defend the nation’s democracy and principles of free choice by ensuring that nothing untoward was imported into the conduct of the forthcoming elections in Akwa Ibom.
According to them, they have promised to abide by the rules of engagement and would oppose and frustrate every plot aimed at derailing the peaceful conduct of the 2019 polls in the state.

Source:
dailypost.ng/2019/02/20/nigerias-election-cupp-condemns-calls-redeploying-rec/

THE former governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Adamu, and the Governorship Candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the State, Labaran Maku, have appealed to the electorates and other stakeholders in next Saturday polls not to abandon the elections as a result of the postponement by INEC.
election
According to Adamu, though the postponement of the election was painful, the aftermath of the postponement should not be allowed to overshadow the credibility of the elections slated for this Saturday nationwide.
Adamu emphasised that the policy trust of Buhari administration would ensure that credible, transparent, fair and acceptable elections are conducted in the country.

Adamu admonished the people of the state not to be discouraged with the postponement of the elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, but to keep the faith, noting that the outcome will be in the best interest of the nation.
He urged citizen, not to lost hope but to see the postponement of the election by the INEC as the will of Almighty urging citizens and supporters of APC to remain resolute and take the pains by coming out en masse next Saturday to vote for president Muhammadu Buhari and all APC at all levels.
The two-time governor of the state, however, called on the people of the state and Nigerians not to be deterred with the development but continued to pray for INEC to overcome its challenges.
He maintained that though the postponement of the election was painful and shocking, there was the need for all to accept and reflect on the gains by Nigerians at the end of the day.
Also speaking while addressing his supporters in Keana local government of the state, the APGA Governorship Candidate called on Nigerians not to lose confidence in INEC for rescheduling the general election but they should see it as positive steps towards improving the electoral process.
Maku who assured that his first one hundred days in office as governor would focus on a policy thrust centered on tackling insecurity, poverty, women and youth empowerment, also promised to set up a Special Scheme aimed at engaging youths in skills acquisition for empowerment if elected governor of the state.

Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/elections-postponement-adamu-maku-beg-nasarawa-not-to-abandon-polls/

The Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said that there would be no military escorts for politicians especially retired military during the general elections.
He directed Commanders to ensure the restrictions of movement within their commands and also carry out a stop and search, anyone found culpable should be handed over to the police.
The Army Chief stated this at a meeting with principal officers and commanders of the Nigerian Army.
He said the Army is taking a proactive approach to stop election crimes such as ballot box snatching and violence.
He further directed Commanders to deal decisively with anyone caught doing anything that will be inimical to the success of the election.
President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier ordered security operatives to “deal ruthlessly” with anyone who attempts to snatch ballot box during the rescheduled general elections on Saturday, February 23, 2019.

The President said he had ordered security agencies to prepare to crack down on potential trouble makers during the rescheduled elections.
He said that he had briefed the law enforcement agencies and the military, who have identified the hot spots and flashpoints.
Gen. Buratai, however, warned that should any officer have any doubt as to his or her loyalty to the Nigerian state such a person has until February 22, 2019, to resign.

Source:
www.channelstv.com/2019/02/20/general-elections-no-military-escorts-for-politicians-says-buratai/

Members of staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Adamawa State were yesterday sworn to an oath of secrecy to be neutral in the conduct of the 2019 elections in the state. Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Kassim Gaidam, who addressed the staff before the administration of the oath, said they were expected to be neutral in their dealings.
Gaidam, said “We are gathered here today to administer this oath on me, management, electoral officers and other staff of INEC in the Adamawa office of the commission.” INEC, he pointed out, would endeavor to conduct the 2019 general election in the most efficient and professional manner, based on global best practices.
He assured his audience that INEC was interested in ensuring due process in the election and was not concerned with who emerges winner, provided the mandate of the people was guaranteed and reflected in the outcome. Gaidam stressed further that INEC shall avoid and resist undue external interference or influence in the conduct of the elections.
“The commission shall be transparent; and carry along all stakeholders equally,” adding that the commission shall be equitable in dealing with all stakeholders and shall strive to create a level playing field for all contestants.
The REC also conveyed the commission’s sincere apologies to all residents of the state on the rescheduled elections, which he said may have dampened their spirit. He urged the people to come out in their numbers on the scheduled dates. Efforts he said were being made to address logistic challenges that necessitated the postponement.
The REC chairman also assured that INEC had since reconfigured all the smart card readers to reflect the new dates for the elections and also stressed that ad hoc staff were being retrained so as to enhance service delivery. He assured that all sensitive materials deployed to the 21 local government areas had been returned to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Source:
www.nationalhelm.co/2019/02/inec-staff-swear-oath-ahead-of-2019-elections.html

Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested 10 persons alleged to be involved in the burning of 11 buses close to the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Obot Akara Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko Mcdon, paraded the suspects on Tuesday on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Bashiru Makama, at the police headquarters in Uyo, the state capital.
He said the suspects committed the offence on Friday, hours before INEC announced the postponement of the general elections.
The command’s spokesman disclosed that weapons recovered from the suspects included two locally-made shotguns, 25 live cartridges, substances suspected to be Indian hemp, two machetes, and charms among others.

According to him, the suspects will be transferred to the Force Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
Mcdon urged politicians to abide by the rules and advise their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully during the elections.
He also revealed that the police seized 179 Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) and 27 temporary voter cards in two different operations.
The command’s spokesman added that 41 people claiming to be elections observers with no proof of their claim were arrested by the police.
He denied reports that 400 political thugs were arrested in the state, noting that only 20 persons were arrested, and they had not yet been linked to any political party.
Mcdon said the police in the state were non-partisan and would act professionally at all times, as well as remain neutral and committed to free, fair and credible elections in line with international best practice.
He called on political stakeholders in the state to play the game according to the rules.

Governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom Tuesday said the people of Nigeria are prepared to spill the last pint of their blood to defend the hard-earned democracy of the nation.
He also said the security agencies should have a rethink while carrying out the order of President Muhammadu Buhari to deal ruthlessly with the electorate at the poll.
Ortom said this at the PDP National Secretariat, Abuja while reacting to the controversial order by Buhari to the army and police at the poll.
In his words, “The military and other security agencies should respect their rules of engagement.
“Anything short of that will not be acceptable by Nigerians.
“It is unfortunate that a President who was elected under a democratic setting is becoming dictatorial.
“We are prepared to spill the last pint of our blood to defend our democracy”.

President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that he has ordered security agencies, to ensure the general election goes on smoothly.
Speaking at the party’s caucus meeting on Monday, Buhari made it clear that anyone who tries to disrupt the electoral process, will be doing so “at the expense of his own life”.
“I will warn those who have planned to disrupt the peaceful elections to desist from their planned actions.
“Anyone who tries that is doing it at the expense of his own life,” President Buhari said.
The general elections are scheduled to hold this Saturday, February 23, after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), moved it by a week, citing logistics issues.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Monday has said that anyone who attempt to snatch ballot paper during election will do so at the expense of their lives.
“I want to warn anyone who thinks he has enough influence in his locality who tries to lead thugs to snatch ballot boxes or disturb the voting system will do so at the expense of his own life,” Buhari said during the ruling All Progressives Congress caucus meeting in Abuja on Monday.
Buhari, who had earlier expressed disappointment in commission over the postponement of the general election,s said there will no be room for election riggers to carry out their acts.
The President, who is also seeking re-election, said Nigerians believed in INEC after the Commission assured of “complete readiness for the elections.”
The president, however, said he was not afraid of losing the election despite the election postponement and that he was optimistic has the support of Nigerians.
“I am not afraid, I went around 36 states to campaign. I think I have gotten enough support across the country,” Buhari said.

Cardi B arrived at the 61st Grammy Awards last night accompanied by her on and off husband Offset and they had a moment that everyone's talking about.
The 26-year-old rapper had on an eccentric oyster vintage gown by French designer Thierry Mugler from 1995. The gown required four handlers plus her husband.
While on the red carpet, Cardi and her estranged husband put on a display of affection that saw them touch the tip of their tongue with their own tongues.
The red carpet display and the fact the pair were seen together during the Big Game Weekend Party in Atlanta, Georgia last weekend suggests the parents of 6-month-old Kulture have reconciled.

Millions of Nigerians went to bed on Friday evening hoping to wake up on Saturday to cast their votes. By the time they woke up on Saturday, a familiar story had played out: the elections had been postponed. For the third successive general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to keep its oft-repeated promise of “we’re ready”.
Immediately, theories started pouring forth from various factories. Uche Secondus, the national chairman of the the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accused INEC of working hand-in-glove with the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), because of imminent defeat. The APC, in return, accused INEC of acting out PDP’s agenda. Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, said it was “hand of Esau and voice of Jacob” — accusing APC of being behind the poll shift. On social media, APC supporters wondered why PDP fans already tweeted that the elections would be shifted at a time other Nigerians did not have any inkling. And so on and so forth.
After sifting through the various conspiracy theories, TheCable has consolidated them into three major categories.
THEORY NO. 1: INEC WAS PRODDED BY FOREIGN POWERS
This theory, suspected to be coming from the PDP, says APC wanted INEC to conduct “staggered elections” in which only 26 states would vote on Saturday while elections would be postponed in 10 states. The presidential poll would be declared inconclusive. Based on the pattern of results, APC, using federal might, would then deploy full security and financial resources to the remaining 10 states to suppress PDP’s votes and claim victory. This strategy, according to the conspiracy theory, was used effectively by APC in Osun state whereby the governorship election was declared inconclusive and voting was allegedly suppressed in the run-off and APC carried the day. This theory says the US, UK and EU, sensing what APC wanted to do, mounted pressure on Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman, not to stagger the elections but shift them to a date on which every state could vote simultaneously.
THEORY NO. 2: PDP COLLUDED WITH INEC TO AVOID DEFEAT
Faced with the reality that most pre-election opinion polls did not favour them, PDP decided to collude with INEC to postpone the elections and buy time — according to another conspiracy theory propounded by some APC supporters. It is alleged that most of the personnel at INEC were appointed or recruited when PDP was in power and they still owe their allegiance to the party. Therefore, the theory goes, the INEC personnel decided to sabotage the elections at the prompting of PDP so that there would be more time to gain support for Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate. PDP supporters have countered this claim, asking why the same INEC staff did not sabotage 2015 elections in favour of the PDP government. Meanwhile, some APC supporters are asking why PDP fans knew beforehand that the elections would be postponed if indeed their party was not working in tandem with INEC.
THEORY NO. 3: APC, SENSING DEFEAT, SABOTAGED LOGISTICS
There is yet another theory — that APC leaders met in Abuja on Wednesday and concluded that the elections were not looking good for them. Security agencies and other government agencies were directed to sabotage the election, thus paving the way for INEC offices and card readers to be burnt, the theorists allege. They further claim that working with INEC insiders, the APC made sure materials did not get to some locations ahead of Saturday so that elections would not hold simultaneously across the country. Those who believe in this theory also link it to theory no. 1 above, concluding that but for the international community, INEC would have gone ahead with staggering the elections. APC supporters have a counter-argument: why would they want the elections moved when they were the favourites to win?
CONCLUSION
No matter the conspiracy theory that you believe, there is a consensus that INEC was right to have postponed the elections as a result of the issues it highlighted. Many commentators have blamed the electoral body for poor preparations, but Yakubu, in his address to stakeholders on Saturday after the postponement, said there was sabotage, although he did not point his fingers at any particular direction. Whatever theory is right, the indisputable conclusion is that the postponement has created room for conjectures and allegations. It would be difficult to persuade the purveyors that there was no political motive behind the postponement, either in favour of APC or PDP.

The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on Sunday insisted the weather was good for flight operations on the eve of the elections, contradicting claims made by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
Yakubu on Saturday, blamed the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections by one week, on bad weather which affected flight operations.
But speaking via his Twitter handle, Sirika said that cannot be INEC’s excuse.
The Minister also disclosed that all airports were directed to open 24 hours during the election period.
“INEC should say something else as weather was good for flight operations on the eve of elections, similarly all airports were directed to open 24 hours during the election period,” Sirika tweeted.
The Presidential and National Assembly elections have since been rescheduled for Saturday, February 23.

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 25, 2015 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at the F8 summit in San Francisco, California.Facebook shares plunged March 19, 2018 as the social media giant was pounded by criticism at home and abroad over revelations that a firm working for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign harvested and misused data on 50 million members.Calls for investigations came on both sides of the Atlantic after Facebook responded to explosive reports of misuse of its data by suspending the account of Cambridge Analytica, a British firm hired by Trump’s 2016 campaign. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar and Republican John Kennedy called for Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to appear before Congress, along with Google and Twitter’s CEOs. / AFP PHOTO / Josh Edelson
A scathing British parliamentary report on Monday branded Facebook “digital gangsters” who failed to fight the spread of fake news and violated data privacy.
Lawmakers’ 18-month investigation into technology companies and disinformation also accused the world’s largest social media platform of trying to hide the extent of Russian interference in foreign elections.
Facebook is coming under attack over its response to Russia’s alleged use of misleading stories and targeted ads to sway the 2016 US presidential election and a series of European votes.
Its executives have further been accused of trying to either hide or suppress emerging evidence of foreign meddling flagged by its engineers.
Parliamentary committee chair Damian Collins said Facebook “deliberately sought to frustrate our work by giving incomplete, disingenuous and at times misleading answers to our questions”.
Facebook co-founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg turned down three requests to appear before the committee.
“Companies like Facebook should not be allowed to behave like ‘digital gangsters’ in the online world, considering themselves to be ahead of and beyond the law,” the 108-page report said.
Code of ethics
The committee urged a compulsory code of ethics for all tech companies that would be overseen by an independent UK regulator.
It said Facebook should be obliged to take down “sources of harmful content”.
“We further recommend that the Government launches an independent investigation into past elections — including the UK election of 2017, the UK Referendum of 2016, and the Scottish Referendum of 2014 — to explore what actually happened with regard to foreign influence,” the report said.
Russia has denied either backing Britain’s decision to leave the European Union or covertly backing pro-Brexit leaders during the 2016 referendum campaign.
Facebook spokesman Karim Palant said executives at the California company “share the committee’s concerns about false news and election integrity.”
“We are open to meaningful regulation and support the committee’s recommendation for electoral law reform,” Palant said in a statement released to AFP.
But Collins said Facebook has only adopted incremental policy changes that were mostly aimed at fending off regulation making it liable for the spread of malicious stories.
“They have taken a step, largely I think, to offset legislation,” Collins told BBC radio.
“It shouldn’t be down to Mark Zuckerberg to determine what the code is for election advertising in the UK through Facebook.”
Russian interference
The committee had earlier found that Facebook’s engineers had flagged potentially malicious Russian activity as early as 2014 — long before it became public.
Monday’s report said the two Facebook officials who did testify “deliberately misled the committee or they were deliberately not briefed by senior executives at Facebook about the extent of Russian interference in foreign elections”.
The committee further accused Facebook of offering Netflix and other popular apps preferential access to people’s data even after it had tightened its privacy rules.
The British government has eight weeks to respond to the parliamentary report.
It is also expected to release a “white paper” next month that Collins said should form the basis for new legislation governing social media companies’ behaviour during election campaigns.
Britain is coming under pressure to follow Germany and France’s example by introducing rules governing how Facebook collects user data and fights fake news.
Germany’s competition authority said this month it will impose limits to how Facebook hoovers up data from its WhatsApp and Instagram subsidiaries.
And France has introduced laws requiring social media giants to take down malicious stories during election campaigns.
Collins said it would be up to parliament to determine what rules and punishments to impose.
“There should be clear legal penalties in place — they could be fines, they could be something more serious than that,” he told BBC radio.

A Human Rights lawyer Dr Kayode Ajulo, on Monday, faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the ban on campaign.
Kayode Ajulo
The two leading parties, All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday argued that the commission’s restriction has no basis in law.
Ajulo in an interview on Monday in Ilorin, said that the chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu could not by mere pronouncement amend the provisions of Section 99 of the Electoral Act.
According to Ajulo, Section 99 of the electoral act allows political campaign till 24 hours to election.
He said he would continue to campaign for the candidate of his choice in accordance with the law of the land.
Ajulo said that INEC’s directive should be ignored, adding that he would be having a solo road show for his candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari to activate the above statutory provision and test the efficacy of the illegal ban.
READ ALSO: INEC uncovers 22 illegal polling units in A-Ibom
According to him, as it is now, many people have been canvassing and mentioning section 100 of the electoral act which says INEC can make any rule.
” There is one thing about rule of specific and all those provisions they mentioning did not specify.
“One thing we should understand is that if that section 100 had section 99 in mind, it would have say notwithstanding section 99, it would have been specific,” he said.
He said that those backing INEC on the no campaign issue also gave credence to section 160 of the constitution, regarding the power of INEC to stop campaign 24 hours to the election.
The lawyer who also double as the secretary of Forward With Buhari (FWB) said that such power in section 160 of the constitution would not help INEC to make such order.
According to him, what that section is talking about is political parties and candidates, I am not a political party and I am not a candidate
“All those laws they are saying is addressed to political parties and their candidates, this order did not stop any independent campaign organisation to go on campaign.
Ajulo stated that anything INEC said to that effect would not affect his campaigning for his candidate and would embark on a road show to canvass vote for President Buhari.
INEC had, in the early hours of Feb. 16, postponed the presidential and National Assembly elections to Feb. 23 and also banned political parties from campaigning.
Meanwhile, following the opposition of the APC and PDP, INEC is due meet to review the restriction.
INEC, according to its national chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, would meet to review its position and decide whether or not to reopen campaigns. (NAN).

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI), both NGOs, joint international observation mission have thrown their weight on INEC’s postponement of the Feb. 16 elections, to ensure credible polls.
This was expressed in a statement on Monday in Yola by Mr Tony Awesu, Head of Media of NDI, for the mission on Nigeria’s 2019 election.
According to Awesu, NDI/IRI fully endorsed the postponement of the 2019 elections in Nigeria and will continue to support Nigeria’s democratic development.
“IRI and NDI mission appreciates INEC’s commitment to hold credible elections; we understand it is better to delay the elections than to disenfranchise voters due to logical obstacles.
Election postponement: Calls for resignation of INEC chairman unfair-NANS
“NDI and IRI regret that INEC underestimated the challenges associated with the administration of the elections, leading to the decision to postpone them.
“As we have done in past three pre-election statements issued between July and December 2018, we urge INEC to ensure transparency and better communicate electoral processes, to build trust of Nigerians.
“Moreover, we encourage the Commission to take sufficient steps to secure materials and apply lessons learned for these and future elections.
“The mission urges Nigerians to continue to remain calm and patient as the electoral process unfolds,” he said.
He described the electoral period as a time for Nigerians across all spectrum to unite for peaceful and successful elections on Feb. 23 and March 9.
He said that the observation mission delegation would remain in the country for the rest of the electoral process to achieve the desired goals.
He noted that in spite of repeated assurances that logistic arrangements had been made, it was wrong for the Commission to have waited until morning before announcing postponement of the election.
He, however, advised Nigerians to remain calm and patient as the electoral processes unfolded, adding that there should be caution as whatever happened in Nigeria could impact negatively across Africa.
NAN reports that NDI is a nonpartisan organisation that supports and strengthens democratic institutions globally through citizen participation in electoral process.
IRI is a global organisation established to advance freedom of information and help citizens participate in governance process.

The Blancos' seven-game unbeaten run came to an end after an abysmal performance as Sergio Ramos also saw red
As quickly as Real Madrid’s title hopes reignited, they were extinguished.
All the momentum and hope Santiago Solari’s side have generated in recent weeks was quashed by a diabolical second-half performance against Girona on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu.
A 1-0 lead became a 2-1 defeat in two easy steps, with veteran duo Marcelo and Sergio Ramos both to blame.
The Brazilian left-back will take most of the flak, deservedly, after a shambolic performance which shows why Sergio Reguilon has taken his place in the first team.
With Girona having suffered six consecutive defeats in all competitions and without a win in 13 matches, Solari figured he could rotate.
So Marcelo came back in, along with Marco Asensio on the left flank in place of Real Madrid’s man-of-the-moment, Vinicius Junior.
Dani Ceballos replaced Luka Modric in midfield too and all the changes seemed to upset Madrid’s rhythm.
Even in the first half when they moved ahead through Casemiro’s header, they weren’t playing well.
Like Barcelona on Saturday in their narrow win over Real Valladolid, Madrid were playing badly but Girona were even worse, and that’s how Los Blancos took a one goal lead in at half-time.
The match was a scrappy, bitty affair, with both sets of players looking like the midday kick-off had left them short of a few hours’ sleep.
But Girona coach Eusebio Sacristan got to work at half-time and earned his money.
The experienced manager decided to target Marcelo’s flank and switched winger Portu over to their right, and it paid dividends.
However it was Ramos to blame for the first goal, ending a bad week for the skipper.
After his controversial comments revealing he deliberately picked up a booking against Ajax in the Champions League - in order to miss the second leg and be clear to play in the quarter-finals - he was forced to back-track, under the threat of an extra game ban being added.
Then he conceded the penalty which saw Girona level in the 65th minute, a deliberate handball as he blocked a shot.
Cristhian Stuani slotted home from the penalty spot, his 13th goal of the season.
Curiously the Uruguayan was a transfer target for Barcelona in the winter window, before they eventually settled on loaning Kevin-Prince Boateng from Sassuolo.
It was a money saving endeavour from Barcelona and there is no doubt that Stuani would have been a better purchase, but as fate would have it, it may end up working out better that he stayed at Girona.
After all, the forward remained ice-cool to beat Thibaut Courtois from the penalty spot and pull Girona level.
Eusebio’s half-time substitutes Aleix Garcia and Anthony Lozano changed the dynamic of the game and, along with Portu and Stuani, suddenly the visitors were crawling all over the hosts.
Solari, who is still a novice despite his excellent start at Madrid, didn’t know how to react and change the game.
He threw on Vinicius and Gareth Bale, but it didn’t help the European champions, who were increasingly suffocated.
Marcelo, floundering increasingly as the minutes went by, was nowhere to be seen as Portu strolled into the area and cracked a shot against the post.
And when Courtois parried Lozano’s shot back in to the danger zone, Marcelo was not close enough to Portu, who rammed home. To make matters worse, Ramos was sent off for a second yellow card in the final minute.
An intense lesson in in-game management for Solari, perhaps the final nail in the coffin for Marcelo, and another slap in the face for Ramos.
Madrid, meanwhile, having got themselves somewhat back into the title race, now find themselves nine points behind Barcelona once again. How swiftly things can change in football.

The All Progressives Congress APC in Rivers State has served contempt proceedings on Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to ensure the inclusion of its candidates in the forthcoming elections in the state.
The move follows INEC’s insistence not to include the APC upon the judgment of the Supreme Court. “He is to appear in court to explain why he should not be sent to jail for disobeying subsisting court orders and excluding APC in Rivers state”, a statement by Prince Tonye Princewill, director, Strategic Communications, Tonye Cole Campaign Organization said yesterday.
He confirmed that “proceedings were served yesterday because INEC has shown us that it is no longer independent. How else can you explain the speed they acted after a judgement by Omotosho that said we should not only be removed from the ballot, but we should also be barred from campaigning? People should learn to fear God.
“Now, that same Omotosho order has been stayed, yet two weeks later, we’re still waiting for our rights to be restored and INEC is comfortable that it has not been given to us. To make matters worse, the Supreme Court last week, threw out the appeal against the stay judgement. So, what is still holding INEC? They can not exclude us. But if they do, they will face the legal consequences. We can either do this election once or they will conduct it twice. The law is on our side.”
Continuing, he said: “It will be recalled that despite several pleas and multiple court orders, INEC has continued to stay mute on the matter of Rivers state, offering no details as to why the numerous judgements in favour of the APC have not been abided by, whereas judgements in favour of the PDP are more readily attended to. It appears that forces unseen have an interest in not seeing APC in Rivers state thrive.
This no doubt is not the end of the matter”, he alleged. While noting the efforts the party had made to be listed on the ballots, he warned that “if APC Rivers state continued to be treated with disdain, the said election will still not hold”. “Even though the postponement of the elections did not come to me as a total surprise, I was still expecting the INEC Chairman to stubbornly push on and try to force through the elections regardless.
“I still see disaster come Saturday. Unless we’re on the ballot, the election won’t be smooth anywhere. The God of Rivers state wants justice and He will get it. We have not even had so much as an explanation from INEC”, said Princewill.

The Senator representing Zamfara Central, Kabir Marafa has accused the Zamfara State governor, Abdul-aziz Yari Abubakar of sabotaging the now postponed presidential and National Assembly elections in the country.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Marafa alleged that Governor Yari should be held responsible for the sabotage that led to the postponement of the nation’s presidential and federal legislative elections.
The senator, while describing the postponement as unfortunate, said Yari should be held responsible for it “having boasted that if his candidates are not included in the ballot paper, there won’t be elections in the country”.
According to the senator, “during the grand finale of his illegal campaign rallies in his hometown, Talata Mafara, Zamfara on Friday, February 8, he rained abuses and said unprintable things on the person of INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood, and swore that unless his candidates were enlisted to contest, there won’t be elections in Zamfara State and the entire country. Now it has come to pass; what next?
“I’m calling on the authorities to hold Yari and his accomplices responsible for this treasonable sabotage against the country, Nigerians and humanity in general.
“Just search on the internet, including YouTube, you will see the stories and videos of where Yari stated emphatically that unless his candidates were accepted, elections won’t hold in zamfara State and Nigeria.”