Politics

Northern group congratulates Tinubu, lauds INEC for conducting credible elections

Published

3 weeks ago

March 3, 2023

Elections

A group, Concerned Northern Forum (CNF), has congratulated the President-Elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, over his victory at the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

CNF also congratulated INEC for conducting what it described as a credible poll.

Addressing a news conference on Friday, at the Arewa House in Kaduna, Spokesperson of the forum, Abdulsalam Kazeem, said Tinubu’s victory was well-deserved, having been in the country’s political space for long time.

He stressed that as Northerners, they were pleased with his victory and pledged to work with him when he was eventually sworn in on May 29.

Kazeem explained that the fact that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a northerner, contested with Tinubu and lost, did not mean that they would join “other undemocratic groups and networks to condemn and discredit one of the most credible elections in the history of the country”.

“We are more concerned with the progress of Nigeria, and with Sen. Bola Tinubu, a new Nigeria is possible, we also salute the courage and integrity of the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu.

“He has made history by delivering an impeccable election despite the aggressive work of saboteurs and enemies of democracy in Nigeria,” Kazeem said.

He enjoined members of the opposition and Civil Society Organisations, to note that no election was completely devoid of challenges, and Nigeria, with its diverse nature, must have challenges bordering on logistics and human failures.

According to him, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, has done well by maneuvering through all the hurdles and giving a worthy election, saying that he deserved commendations and not condemnation.

Kazeem noted that in spite of widespread fears of insecurity, kidnappings, and against the judgment of many analysts that the elections would not hold in many parts of the country, INEC delivered in every part of Nigeria, including flashpoints of violent extremism and terrorism.

Speaking further, he said the Naira redesign and fiscal policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, came at a time when INEC had put finishing touches to its preparations.

“One needs not to be told that most of INECs activities, including training and logistics, are money based, still, they went ahead and surmounted the challenges without shifting the date of the elections.

“Insinuating that the just concluded elections is not free and fair is laughable because, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, Lagos state voted against Bola Tinubu and Buhari lost elections in his state.

“Similarly, about seven serving governors lost their senatorial elections. If the elections were not free and fair, then how come all the contesting political parties won in areas that were not their strongholds and even had elected representatives,” he wondered.

The Spokesperson also said that those calling for the cancellation of the election were enemies of the country and must not be given a listening ear.

According to him, calling for the cancellation of an election that has been conducted in the most peaceful and orderly manner across the country, was a call for the abortion of democracy.

“This election is the best Nigeria ever had and cannot be compared to the 1993 or even 1999 elections. Even in developed democracies, elections are never completely without challenges.

“The American elections of 2015 that produced President Donald Trump were rumoured to have been tampered with by the Russians, but that did not lead to the cancellation of the result.

“The election that produced late President Umaru Yar’Adua was equally challenging, but was not cancelled. In fact, Yar’Adua admitted the irregularities, but worked towards electoral reforms,” he said.

He called on those who lost elections to, in the spirit of sportsmanship, reach out and congratulate Tinubu, and work with him for a better Nigeria.

He said that is was not the first time candidates would lose in elections.

Kazeem called on those who feel aggrieved to approach the law courts and seek redress.

“Sponsoring protests and making inflammatory comments is unacceptable and a direct call for anarchy,”

Share on Facebook

Politics

Guber poll: We won fair and square, says Ogun APC

Published

10 hours ago

March 22, 2023

The Gleamer

The All Progressives Congress in Ogun State has maintained that it “won fair and square” the gubernatorial elections held on Saturday, March 18, 2023.

In a press statement issued in Abeokuta Tuesday evening and signed by the APC’s State Publicity Secretatry, Tunde Oladunjoye, the party posited that “the election itself was largely peaceful and the outcome was a true reflection of the wishes of the good people of Ogun State.”

The statement reads further: Despite political thuggery, vote–buying and violence perpetrated by the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ogun people stood firm and ensured their votes counted.”

“We all witnessed how these desperate politicians band their gullible followers, bent on wrestling power by force, broke all rules of civility and violated electoral guidelines with reckless abandon.

“Our party, the All Progressives Congress, not only won the election with majority votes, but also won in 12 of the 20 Local Government Areas in Ogun State. In addition, our party won 17 out of the 26 State House of Assembly constituency seats.

“In flagrant disobedience of the Electoral Act (2022) and the guidelines stipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) restricting movement on the Election Day, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, had a free reing, criss-crossing from one polling unit to the other and moving across local governments and senatorial districts. His long convoy had armed thugs, people in police uniform with guns, and others accompanying him. They harassed electoral officers, induced voters with cash, credit cards and transferred funds at will to sway voters against all known democratic norms.

“Again, the PDP candidate and his running mate, Abdulkadir Adekunle Akinlade were sighted around 12 midnight at the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Secretariat, which served as the Collation Centre for the LGA. Accompanied by well over 50 thugs, wielding cudgels, cutlasses, dangerous weapons and guns; they attempted to force their ways into the Collation Centre by impersonating the Returning Officer. A worse scenario later played out at the Oke Ilewo Office of the INEC where collation for Abeokuta South Local Government was taking place.

“There, the thugs fired several gunshots and used tear gas canisters on defenceless staff and party agents to disrupt proceeding.”

“Another unwholesome practice deployed by the Ladi Adebutu political machine was unbridled vote buying. Instances abound across all the 20 local government areas where they induced electorate to vote. Early that day, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested four PDP party agents with hundreds of thousands of money credits cards meant to buy votes at Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta. Each of these card was pre-loaded with N10,000 and meant to be activated to cash with a code.

“Another PDP agent was arrested with hundreds verve pre-paid credit cards with the name Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Memorial Endowment Scheme at Agbado in Ifo Local Government and over 300 Permanent Voters Cards were found on the suspect by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives.

“It is on record that a number of polling units and electoral materials were vandalised in some areas by these paid thugs even as security agents became helpless in those units.

“More curious is the fact that some APC chieftains were invited to Police Headquarters at Eleweran in Abeokuta 48 hours to the election for no just reason other than intimidation”.

“Despite these shenanigans from the PDP and its twin-sister, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the people of Ogun State stood firm and chose good governance over cash-and-carry candidates. We urge our politicians to exhibit maturity by conceding defeat where and when it is obvious that they have been thoroughly trounced as was the case in the last Governorship election in our dear State.

“Finally, we advise the candidates that lost election last Saturday to accept the magnanimous olive branch offered by the winner of the election, His Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun and join him in his ‘Building Our Future Together Agenda’. The Ogun State Project is everybody’s project”, the statement reads.

Share on Facebook