By Thompson Yamput

Cancellation

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has threatened to cancel election results of crises ridden areas during the presidential and NASS election in Kogi.

Dr Hale Longpet, Kogi Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), sounded the warning while reacting to the crises that erupted in some Local Government Areas while Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja.

There were reports of thugs interfering with some polling units in Anyigba and Dekina in the Kogi East and Mopa in the Kogi West as well as parts of Kogi Central, where voting materials were allegedly carted away by thugs.

“You know the electoral Law says that where there are disruption to the process, the result will be cancelled, the very particular units’ results will be cancelled.

“The issues, initially were only in the Kogi East and Central but I can’t tell exactly where and where in the state have been affected until the results are brought by the electoral officers.

“We understood that because of the violence those affected areas couldn’t conclude election there.

“I’m shocked that people can go to that level and disrupt something that everybody should have enjoyed.

“Election is a peaceful and willful thing that people are offered to freely participate.

“Again, If people are given assurance that everyone will enjoy a pleasant experience, why then should we have thugs invading the whole town or the local government, disrupting the conduct of the elections?” he asked.

According to him, his is very sad and shocking, when you look at the loss of lives involved.

He explained that “election is not war,” so If you were standing in for election to provide services for your people, you don’t need to engage in these distructive activities.

He said anyone feels he does not want to be part of the elections, he or she does not have go out there to vote.

According to him, People who have interest to bring good things to their communities do go out to positively engage and vote or exercise their franchise and they should not be stopped or denied the opportunity.

He disclosed that he went out with heads of the security operatives in the state in a motorcade to monitor the elections starting from Adankolo to Crucial, through to Kabawa and Falele.

He said, “yet in all these places, we didn’t see anyone angry but people were all smiling and casting their votes peacefully”.

The REC expressed happiness that everywhere inside Lokoja was very peaceful, not even a voice was raised. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will commence the collation of 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday at midday.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced this at a news conference on the 2023 general elections on Saturday in Abuja.

Yakubu said results were expected by the commission from the states starting from Sunday.

“I will like to invite you at midday tomorrow (Sunday) for the official opening of the National Innovation Centre for the 2023 general elections.

“We hope that by tomorrow, we expect to have some of the election results coming from states, particularly for the presidential election.

“So, the collation centre for the presidential election will open midday tomorrow,” Yakubu said.

He added that there won’t be need to address Nigerians before Sunday (Feb. 26), except if there was need to do so. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Abdulfatai Beki/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

By Adeyemi Adeleye

About 24 hours after the opening of polls in Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in Lagos State, no single result from the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) has arrived at the State Collation Centre.

Prof. Adenike Oladiji, the State Collation Officer and Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) disclosed this during the official opening of the centre for final collation of election results in Lagos State at about 12:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Oladiji, who described the collation as a serious assignment, said that the centre was still awaiting results from all the 20 LGAs as at midnight.

The professor said: “This is a serious national assignment that has brought us together here.

“It is also an assignment that is of international importance, and that explains why we have international observers here with us.

“Our job is simple. If we follow the well laid out procedures of INEC, we know it is very simple and easy.

“It is a call to duty, it is a national assignment and we hope that we will not fail our country. As we can all see, the result are not here yet.

“So that we wont keep ourselves just waiting expecting the results, we are proposing that we reconvene tomorrow (Sunday) at 10.am.

“We know that by that time some of our results will be here and we will be able to process them all in this hall.”

Earlier in his opening address, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, who commended the state collation officer, said that collation was at various stages in the state.

According to Agbaje, at the end, Nigerians will be happy that INEC has done a lot to ensure that people are allowed to vote in spite of few hitches.

“We want to assure Nigerians that their votes will count,” the commissioner said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the State Collation Centre for the 2023 Presidential Election in Lagos State is situated at INEC Media Centre at the commission’s headquarters in the state.

The Presidential and NASS elections were held simultaneously across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday.

Journalists, observers among other stakeholders, awaited the commencement of the collation on Sunday.

Collation of results was still at various stages, some at the registration areas, federal constituency, senatorial district and local government collation centres.

NAN reports that some security agents were sighted at the centre. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Dianabasi Effiong/Idris Abdulrahman

By Rotimi Ijikanmi

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has admonished Nigerians to resist the temptation of posting or sharing  unverified election results on social media.

The minister gave the admonition on Saturday in his home town, Oro, near Ilorin after casting his vote in the Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister voted at Polling Unit 006, Oro Ward 2 in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara.

Mohammed who arrived at the polling unit at about 10.05 a.m. joined the queue, waited till about 11.15 a.m. (about one hour thirty minutes) before exercising his franchise.

Speaking with newsmen after voting, the minister appealed to media houses to act responsibly in publishing or broadcasting election results.

“You don’t have to post election results without checking the source and the best way and most authentic is to hear from INEC

“The media houses should abide by the National Broadcasting Commission’s regulations regarding the announcement of election results.

“What we have noticed in the past 20 years is that election violence does not start during voting but it is at the point of collation or announcement of results that violence starts.

“False news is a fuel of this kind of violence because if you post false results from a particular unit and it is at variance with the authentic result by INEC, that would lead to violence,’’ he said.

Mohammed enjoined eligible voters and party agents to wait patiently until the presiding officer announced results and they should cross-checked same before transmission.

He said that party agents should be vigilant and show a lot of responsibility.

Speaking on how the election went in his polling unit, the minister said the process was peaceful, there was massive turn-out of voters and he was satisfied.

“What struck me most is the turn-out, the young, old, strong, the physically challenged men and women, they all came out to cast their votes.

“You can see the determination and resolve on their faces in an atmosphere of conviviality.

“I hope that it will be the same atmosphere and ambience in every other polling units,’’ he said.

NAN observed a huge turn-out of voters at the unit particularlyyouths from age 18 to 22 who came to exercise their voting right for the first time.

One of them, Eric Ogala from Anambra, but schooling in University of Ilorin and living with his parents in Oro said he felt fulfilled attaining voting age and casting his vote for the first time.

“So far, so good the process has been peaceful and different from the news of election violence and bloodshed we do hear when I was growing up,’’ he said.

An 85-year-old Mrs Felicia Otuneye also commended the peaceful process of the election and the preference given to her to vote immediately she got to the polling unit by the electoral officers. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

ROT/EEE

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Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams

By Reporters

Voters in Owerri West and North Local Government Areas of Imo have expressed worry over the absence of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and voting materials at the various polling centres in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reporters monitoring the polls report that there was large turnout of voters at the various polling units visited but voting could not begin as at 8:30 a.m. as scheduled by INEC.

Some of the voters interviewed at the polling centres expressed frustration and disappointment over the development.

They decried the failure by INEC to ensure timely distribution of materials to ensure timely commencement of the elections.

At Orie Uratta polling unit, a voter, Mrs Onyinyechi Iwunze, said that while the INEC officials had arrived at the Owerri North Local Government headquarters, officials were yet to arrive with voting materials at the polling units in Ward 12.

In Ward 006, Health Centre, Ihiagwa, Mrs Peace Iwuagwu, also lamented the delay in the arrival of officials and materials at the centre.

At Aladimma Ward 1, polling units at Aladimma Primary School and Aladimma Police Station in Owerri Municipal, voters were seen waiting for both INEC officials and materials as at 9:27 a.m.

Also, at Polling Units 006 and 002, Central School Omuma, Oru East Local Government Area, there were no election officials and materials as at 10.54am, when NAN visited the centre.

Speaking on the development, Rev. Fr. Kenneth Agwaigbo, a native of Omuma, who said he traveled down from St. Joseph Major Seminary, Ikot Ekpene, to be able to vote, expressed concern over the absence of INEC officials and materials.

“As a citizen, I left my seminary yesterday to come and exercise my right to vote.

“I took the risk, in spite of cash crunch and fuel scarcity.

“Objectively, the elections are yet to hold here.

“I have not seen any sign of election starting now maybe due to one problem or the other.

“Hopefully, they will still come because I know government prepared adequately for the election,” the cleric said.

At Polling Unit 010, Ozuh Umuokpala Omuma, where Gov. Hope Uzodimma was expected to vote, there were no presence of security and INEC officials on ground as at 9:54 a.m.

“Since morning we have been waiting for INEC with no sign,” a resident, Mr Emeka Mbah, said.

A NAN Correspondent, who visited Oru East Local Government Area, reports that INEC officials were still sorting materials for distribution to various polling units as at 9 a.m.

At Umuorii/ Umushioke village, Polling Units 021, INEC officials were present, while voters turned out in large numbers but there was no security personnel on ground.

At Afor Orogwe ward 006, Owerri West Local Government Area, turn out of voters was also impressive with security operatives present, but INEC officials and materials had yet to arrive at the centre as at 9:15 a.m.

In Aladinma ward 013, Customs Quarters Ward 016, there was a heavy presence of eligible voters, but INEC officials and security personnel had yet to dhow up as at 9:30 a.m. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Sam Oditah

By Gami Tadanyigbe

Many voters were stranded as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) BVAs machine developed technical hitches in some polling units in Abaji Area Council, FCT.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN reports y some polling units like Ayaura, Onas palace 007 and Maisaje saw voters stranded while lamenting over failure of the machines.

At about 12 noon, voters who were seen on queue, waiting to be accredited at Ona’s palace polling unit were yet to start voting due to technical hitches from the BVAs machine.

An NYSC member, Ade Muyiwa, who is a Presiding Officer, said since they arrived at the polling unit around 8:00 a.m., the BVAs machine could not function.

“And we immediately forwarded the complaint to the INEC and until now, we are yet to get another BVAs machine to commence accreditation of voters,” he said.

A voter, Ibrahim Usman, said he came to join the queue since around 8:48 a.m. but was yet to be accredited due to technical hitches from the BVAs.

Also at Ayaura polling unit, some voters who were seen under the tree, complained that they were yet to cast their votes because of technical hitches from the BVAs machine.

Mrs Zainab Yakubu, a middle aged house wife, also said she was yet to cast her vote due to the technical hitches from the BVAs machine.

An INEC official at Ayaura polling unit, Mr Sayeed Umar, said a complaint had been forwarded to the office in the area, adding that they were waiting for another BVAs machine to enable them to commence accreditation of voters. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

By Chimezie Anaso

Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) has voted in his 019 Polling Unit in Umudimakasi Square, Amatutu, Agulu in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra.

Obi who was accompanied by his wife, Margaret was accredited at 11:39 a.m. and voted at exactly 11.44a.m.

Speaking shortly, Obi said he was hopeful of victory, saying that he had solutions to Nigeria’s challenges as he was prepared for the task.

“If you look at this election, if there is anybody people should step down for, it is me.

“I have the solution, I have the physical and mental energy. I am ready for it, l am prepared for it.

“I have articulated what will happen from day one. It will be clear, measurable and people will feel it,” he said.

Obi said that the voting process was smooth and wished it was the same across the country.

On the serenity and peaceful security environment in the locality, Obi said “anybody close to me knows that I am friendly with everybody. In my village, we live like a family.

“Nigerians should come out and vote, it is about our country, we need to come together as a people to start building this country,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng) www.nanews.ng

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Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Ali Baba-Inuwa

By Ahmed Ubandoma

Voting commences at President Muhammadu Buhari’s Polling Unit 003 about 8:40a.m. at Kofar Baru in Sarkin Yara Ward of Daura town.
 
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the polling unit is where First Lady Aisha Buhari and other members of the first family are is expected to cast their votes.
 
Malam Nasiru Mansur, who is the second person to cast his vote at the polling unit, expressed confidence in the system.
 
He commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for introducing the new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), saying it would ensure accuracy in the process.
 
NAN observed that INEC sensitive and non-sensitive materials arrive the venue on time while security personnel, anti-graft agencies including EFCC and ICPC operatives were on ground to monitor the process.
 
NAN also observed that the voter’s turnout was high.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Funmilayo Adeyemi/Ismail Abdulaziz