•BVAS glitches, ballot snatching reign
The three leading presidential candidates were optimistic of victory in yesterday’s poll, the seventh in the Nigeria’s Fourth Republic that was marred by violence, delayed voting, Bimodal Voters Accreditation System, BVAS, hitches and snatching of ballot boxes in many locations across the country.
The trio of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC; Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; and Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, who spoke after casting their ballots, expressed confidence that they would win.
Senator Musa Kwakwanso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, who was showing massive strength in his Kano State home base at press time, spoke in like manner.
Early results of the election showed Obi as making huge impact, beating Tinubu and Atiku in eight of the 13 polling units in Aso Rock.
The former Anambra State Governor, who said he is preapred for Nigeria’s challenges, also reportedly won the polling units of some APC top shots such as House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of State Labour & Employment and APC, Campaign Spokesman, Mr. Festus Keyamo; and APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
Tinubu, the APC standard bearer, also pulled off interesting results winning the polling booths of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Ogun State and Governor Seyi Makinde in Oyo. Tinubu also won his polling unit in Ikeja where Obi came second.
Atiku, the PDP flagbearer, beat the LP Vice Presidential Candidate, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, in his Kaduna polling unit.
Violence, BVAS glitches, late arrival of materials
Polls recorded mixed fortunes in terms of voters’ turnout ranging from low to impressive in many locations.
However, the conduct of the exercise left a sour taste in the mouth of some voters who trooped out and waited patiently in the scorching sun to exercise their franchises. While voting was seamless and INEC officials arrived on time in most locations, the story was markedly different in many others. Voting started as late as 3pm in some polling units. There were places where INEC officials did not show up at all. There were also incidents of malfunctioning of the BVAS, which failed to accredit voters, of which Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State was a victim in his first attempt before he succeeded later. Cases of snatching of voting materials by gun-wielding hoodlums who scared voters and electoral officers with gun shots were also reported in parts of Lagos and many other locations.
Tinubu confident
of victory
Tinubu voted at polling unit 085, Ward C, located at Kaffi Street, Alausa in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State at about 10 27 a.m.
He was accompanied by his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who had earlier voted in Lagos Island.
An optmistic Tinubu told a mammoth crowd that besieged him after casting his ballot that he would revive the nation’s economy and ensure good governance, if voted into power.
However, Tinubu said he would congratulate the winner if the result did not turn out in his favour provided the poll was free and fair.
On his chances of winning the poll, the APC presidential candidate said, “I’m so confident of victory.”
He added, “I look forward to a progressive and transformative Nigeria. It has arrived. Democracy is here and here to stay.”
INEC cancels
141 polling units in Bayelsa, postpones Esan North/South/Igueben constituency poll
Meanwhile, INEC cancelled elections in 141 polling units in Bayelsa State after the process was disrupted in Wards 4, 6, 8 and 14.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this at a news conference, yesterday.
According to him, the decision was taken following the omission of a party logo on the ballot paper.
He said; “I will also like to say that in Edo State, we have a situation that we handled yesterday. One of the parties whose acronym is on the results sheets but the logo is not on the ballot paper in a federal constituency, after a meeting with the stakeholders, the decision was taken, since the materials are intact, to countermand the election.
“So, I have suspended the election for Esan North/Esan South/Igueben
The ballot papers will be reprinted and the election will now hold along with the state constituency elections on March 11, that is in the next two weeks. We are determined that no Nigerian should and would be disenfranchised. We have been responding to some of the situations as they arise and we are going to do so overnight.
“But we have a situation in Bayelsa State, particularly in the capital in Yenagoa, where in four wards – ward 4, 6, 8 and 14 involving 141 polling units, the process was disrupted.
“We remobilized security, the situation is calm for us to proceed, but the Youth Corps members expressed some apprehension of going back. So we met with the security agencies, and we have decided that voting in these 141 polling units where the materials are actually intact will take place tomorrow morning (Sunday).
“Remember, we are not only doing presidential election, but we are also doing senatorial federal constituencies. So, it is good, as much as possible, to recover and conduct the election so that we can conclude the process. So, the Youth Corps member members who are going to serve as presiding officers and other categories of ad hoc staff are agreeable to the election holding in these locations tomorrow.
Complaints
in Lagos
“In Lagos, we have been closely following the situation in Okota, Mafoluku, Oshodi and Elegushi. We have been able to normalize the situation in a number of places including Ikate where voting is ongoing. So, we keep our eyes on the processes in the other areas I have mentioned.
“Polling units in a large number of areas have closed and we started the counting of ballot papers. Between the last briefing and this one we have taken a proactive step by meeting with the Inspector General of Police, the National Security Adviser and the Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC. The idea is to strengthen security as we move to the next stage of the process which is the collation of results in places where voting has been concluded in the polling units.”
Terrorists attack in Gwoza
On the terrorist attack in Gwoza, Borno State, Yakubu said no damage was done to INEC facilities.
“The first one is the attack in Gwoza. Gwoza is in Borno State. And I want to report that the military has confirmed that it was an 1881 millimeter mortar attack on two facilities, including a filling station near INEC office. But no damage to any facilities and no casualties.
“Some people who were injured are in a hospital. We wish them a speedy recovery, but no destruction of INEC and no disruption of the electoral process.
Loss of BVAS
“Unfortunately, we continue to lose some of the BVAS devices. I reported in the morning, the loss of devices in Delta and in Safana local government area of Katsina State.
“But unfortunately, we also lost three BVAS machines in Ayamelu in Anambra State, but we have recovered from all these losses because we have contingency arrangements to respond to any such attack.
Situations in
Imo, Abia, Katsina, Kebbi
“There were issues arising from the commencement of the process in Abia, in Imo and in Kebbi among other places. I am happy to say that the process is right now ongoing in Abia. The polling units will remain open well beyond the appointed hour until the last person on the queue before 2:30pm votes.
“In Imo, the process is ongoing except a few areas or polling units marked by this insecurity and thuggery spread across seven local government areas.
“The situation in Kebbi State is stable, voting is going on, mainly in Birnin Kebbi. But earlier it affected Birnin Kebbi and a part of Argungu.
BVAS functioned optimally
“In earlier briefing I said that the technologies actually optimally performed generally speaking. Nationwide, this is the first deployment in a major national election and the technology has given a good account of itself. Yes, we have lost ballot boxes here and there but it appears that the target of thuggery is now the BVAS but we will continue to protect the process and we will continue to proceed courageously to ensure that we conclude this in a very free, fair and credible manner.”
NLC flays violence, late arrival of voting materials
In its assessment of the elections, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday, raised the alarm over cases of violence and late arrival of electoral materials.
NLC, in a statement by its President, Joe Ajaero, said: “As Nigerians went to the polls to elect a new President and members of the National Assembly, we had high hopes that this election cycle will be far better than the previous ones given the huge lessons learnt from past elections by INEC but thus far, we are far from being convinced.
“The NLC had hoped that the ills of electioneering in Nigeria would have been largely dealt with and corrected in this year’s election so that we can have a more credible and valid election.
“The experiences of yesterday ought to have prepared INEC to conduct a better election this year. We had hoped that voting materials would reach their destinations on time so that the various time frames would be strictly adhered to prevent the disenfranchisement of potential voters. Report reaching us paints a rather frightening picture that in many areas around the country, as late as 12 noon; voting materials were yet to get to the polling units.
“We are worried of the reports of manifest incidences of violence in some polling units and areas where activities of thugs are pronounced even in the presence of Security agencies. INEC ought to ensure that voters perform their rights in secrecy to avoid exposing them to the violence that has been reported.
“The sanctity of the ballot must be protected and this will not be the case if the Police and INEC officials fail to perform their duties to Nigerians.”
Mbeki worried over hitches
Similarly, former President of South Africa, Mr Thabo Mbeki, who is leading the Commonwealth Election Observation Mission to Nigeria, expressed concern over the hitches he noticed at various polling units in Abuja.
Mbeki, who gave his assessment of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, at the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, decried the late arrival of polling materials and INEC officials at the polling units he visited.
He noted that whereas officials of the electoral body got late to the respective polling units he visited, he said it took over an hour before electorates were eventually allowed to cast their ballot.
He said: “We arrived at the second polling unit around 10am, the same time as the INEC. When we got to the third one, they just arrived and that was around 11:30am. When we left, only two people had voted.
“Part of what was the issue was that the officials had to stamp the voters papers and sign them, but their ink was dry. He had to make a call. As we were there, another official came and said their pad for the thumbprint was also dry.
“At that point, a police officer that was standing next to me said it was too early for the ink to dry up. Hopefully, they would sort out the problem.
“The point we are making is that where we went, the officials arrived late and it took a lot of time for people to vote.”
Abdulsalami urges contestants to accept outcome in good faith
In a related development, a former Military Head of State, and Chairman of the National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, retd, urged candidates in the various parties to accept the outcome of the election in good faith.
Speaking to journalists after casting his vote at the Uphill Water Tanker Polling Unit 020, Abubakar said: “I commend the INEC and of course Nigerians for coming out en mass. I really applaud the peaceful conduct. Nigerians have voted for their consciences.
“I have been able to perform my civic responsibility, I am happy we have peace in the Country during the elections.
From what I have seen here, it is very comfortable, the moment they (INEC) see you, the BVAS captures you and give you your ballot papers for you to cast your vote
“And from all that has been going on, it is so glaring that everything is going on smoothly and peacefully. I thank God for how things are going on in Nigeria and in Niger State in particular.
“I want to also appeal to contestants to accept the outcome of the elections when the results are announced.”
Why I voted for Tinubu —Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari, in a rare show of loyalty, in his country home, Daura, Katsina State, displayed his ballot paper, with thumb print for Tinubu, the APC candidate, saying after campaigning for the political leader in many parts of the country, he had reaffirmed his preferred successor.
Buhari, who voted alongside his wife, Aisha, and other family members, at Ward A, Sarkin Yara Polling Unit, 003, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, assured that he had always supported the candidature of Tinubu, and the show of his ballot paper to the media and the public further showed his commitment to the party and the national leader.
“I am very impressed because I have seen how the people turned up. I am very impressed and very happy. Well, the candidate I voted for I have already mentioned him in many states in Nasarawa, Katsina and Sokoto. “All over the places I mentioned my favourite candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu, and I believe my constituency will elect him 100 percent,” he said.
According to the President, “APC will win, from Daura to Lagos.’’
Buhari advised Nigerians to ensure that their rights to vote were always respected.
“”Nigerians should make sure that they are respected; that means that the candidate they want to vote for they are allowed to vote for him,” he said.
The President’s family members and staff also voted at the polling unit.
VANGUARD
