MARCH 18 ELECTION: STORIES TOWARDS THE UPCOMING NIGERIAN STATE ELECTION 2023

 

Labour party urges supporters to resist thugs and ensure their votes count

The Labour Party (LP) in Delta has urged party faithful to resist political thugs and ensure their votes count in the March 18, Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

The Chairman of LP in Delta, Mr Tony Ezeagwu, gave the advice on Thursday at a Day Unity Summit organised by the party in conjunction with the Nigeria Ministers in Politics.

Addressing the teeming party supporters in Ughelli, Ezeagwu said that the country had been mortgaged by some political parties on the guise of having leadership experience.

He added that LP did not believe in experience but in candidates that had the capability to change the current narratives in the country.

He urged the people to vote for all LP candidates in the state to liberate Delta from the shackles of oppressions.

The party chairman decried the current monetary policy in the country describing it as unfortunate.

According to him, citizens are now buying Naira notes with the Naira.

“LP is only providing candidates that will change the system unlike the parties that believe in experience.

“We must try and liberate the country and Delta from those who have “experience”.

“I encourage you to take the bull by the horn. Be serious with whatever you are doing. If they give you huge money, collect it because it is our money.

“However, vote your conscience so that at the end, they will be ashamed that even with their money, they could not win,” he said.

Ezeagwu, however, urged the people to remain steadfast and warned them against collecting miserable money so as not to mortgage their future.

“Build your spirit and mind that this peanut you are collecting cannot help you. Have the confidence that we are already at the Osadebe (Government House) in Asaba,” he said.

Earlier, the convener of the summit, Mr Benjamin Jakpor, urged the people to vote massively for the LP candidates in the Governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Jakpor said that the essence of the gathering was to bring the LP candidates and their supporters in Delta Central together to forge a momentum ahead of the March 18 elections.

He noted that it would be better to tackle the election in group than approaching it individually.

“We sent a clear message to the Federal Government that were tired of the government, of the All Progressive Congress (APC) at the top and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta.

“We gave them a deadly blow in the Presidential and National Assembly elections and we are going do it better in the Governorship and House of Assembly elections.

“We are tired of corruption and debts in the state. Go to the poll and vote for LP candidates, so that we can have a new Delta.

“Every indigene of Delta is owing about N150,000 debts caused by the state government.

“Who will pay it, we are the ones that will put an end to that on Saturday through vote so that we can reclaim the state from the oppositions,” he said.

Jakpor said that the momentum the party garnered in the Feb. 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections still lives on, adding that the people were ready to replicate the same in the March 18 polls.

He urged them not to allow APC or PDP to win Delta otherwise the state would be thrown into perpetual bondage in the next four years.

The summit convener assured that a new Delta would start on March 18 with LP Governorship candidate in the state, Mr Ken Pela emerging as a winner alongside other candidates of the party in the House of Assembly.

On their part, the LP candidates representing both Ethiope West and Ughelli South, Mr Lawrence Egodotayire and Mr Joshua Omorere respectively in the House Assembly election thanked the people and appealed for their support in the poll.

Election: No politician allowed with armed security men – Police warn

The Kogi Police Command says on no account should any politician go about with armed security during the March 18 House of Assembly elections in the state.

Mr Yekini Ayoku, the Kogi election security Commissioner of Police, gave the order on Thursday in Ilorin during a stakeholders meeting on Saturday’s polls.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports in Lokoja that the directive came at the heel of complaints that some big shorts and politicians do go about polling units with armed security men and intimidate voters.

“On no account should any politician go about with armed men to polling units during Saturday’s House of Assembly elections in Kogi.

“Any politician who flaunts this directive or order will be seriously dealt with in accordance with the law of the land.

“Although there wouldn’t be a governorship election in Kogi this time around until November, we are however not oblivious of the intense interest and passion that election into the state House of Assembly being the direct representatives of the people could generate.

“It is in view of this that I solicit your support and cooperation in working with the Police and other security agencies to ensure the election is conducted in an atmosphere of peace devoid of rancour and violence,” he said.

Ayoku said that as leaders and stakeholders, “we owe it a duty to educate our people on the imperative of peaceful conduct before, during and after the election”.

He said that all residents and security operatives must work together and be focused on the urgent need to redefine the Kogi electoral make-up hitherto characterised by violence to a more decent and civilised process.

According to him, there is need to build on what was achieved with Feb. 25 Presidential and National Assembly election to ensure that the past negative narrative was changed and improved upon.

“Therefore, March 18 House of Assembly election should therefore be a litmus test of our resolve not to let our dear State be defined by the actions of a few lawless people but emplace a culture of peaceful and orderly elections.

“All the security agencies in the State are working in close synergy and are uncompromising in providing the conducive security environment for the conduct of a free, fair and hitch-free election by INEC and for voters to exercise their franchise freely.

“The Police Command under my watch, leading other security agencies in election security management, is determined to remain neutral, apolitical, professional and will provide the level playing ground for all political parties and actors in the State,” Ayoku pledged.

Also speaking, His Royal Highness, the Olu of Apata, Oba Fredrick Balogun, enjoined all residents of Kogi to go into Saturday’s polls with love for one another in heart for a hitch and violent free conduct of the election.

The traditional ruler said that the state belongs to all and that “until we work as brothers and sisters in our political struggles, the desired growth and development will elude us”. 

MARCH 18 ELECTION: INEC INSIST ON USE OF PVC

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has approached the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, praying it to set aside the judgement that ordered it to allow electorate with Temporary Voter Cards, TVC, to vote in the governorship and National Assembly elections billed for Saturday, March 18.

In the legal process it filed through a team of lawyers led by Mr. Taminu Inuwa (SAN), the electoral body applied for “an order of injunction against execution of the judgement delivered 9 March 2023, directing the applicant to allow the plaintiffs/respondents to use the Temporary Voter Cards, TVCs, in lieu of the Permanent Voter Cards, PVC, for the 2023 general elections,” pending the determination of its appeal.

INEC, in its three grounds of appeal, maintained that the Federal High Court in Abuja erred in its judgement, when it dismissed its position that allowing use of the TVC would amount to usurpation of the powers of the National Assembly under Item II of the concurrent legislative list.

It faulted the trial court for declaring that PVC was not mentioned in the Constitution or the Electoral Act as a condition to be allowed to vote or as the only means a voter would be entitled to be verified, accredited and to vote.

According to INEC, “by combined provision of Section 47 (1) & (2) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Paragraph 5(IV) of INEC Regulations & Guidelines for the conduct of elections 2022, a person is eligible to vote at an election conducted by the Commission, if he or she presents a valid PVC at the polling unit in which he is registered as a voter.”

It further argued that by virtue of section 18(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, “the intendment of the lawmakers is clear for the effect that a PVC is the only valid instrument for voter accreditation at polling unit with the use of BVAS machine in elections”.

“The whole essence of the Manual & Guidelines was defeated by the decision of the trial court when it embarked on judicial legislation and jettisoned the relevance and import of the said Manual & Guidelines which prescribed in detail, accreditation and voting procedure with the exclusive use of PVCs,” INEC added.

THE JUDGEMENT

It will be recalled that Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the high court had, in his judgement, ordered INEC to allow two aggrieved registered voters, Kofoworola Olusegun and Wilson Allwell, to participate in the elections with their TVCs.

The plaintiffs had in their suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/180/2023, lamented that despite their effort and repeated visits to INEC office, they were unable to obtain their PVCs, before February 6 which the electoral body fixed as deadline for collection of the cards.

The trial court held that evidence before it established that the plaintiffs were duly registered with their details captured in INEC’s database.

It, therefore, issued an order compelling INEC to allow them to vote during the forthcoming elections, using the TVC issued by the electoral body, having been duly captured in the National Register of Voter’s database.

PLAINTIFFS REACT TO APPEAL

Meanwhile, the plaintiffs, on Thursday, confirmed service of INEC’s appeal on them, even as they accused the electoral body of attempting to breach their constitutional right to participate in the elections.

Speaking through their lead counsel, Mr. Victor Opatola, the plaintiffs said they would challenge the appeal.

“We have only just received their notice of appeal and application for stay of execution of the judgment and we have five days (starting from today) within which to reply to them and be heard in court.

“It is the law that stay of execution and filing of notice of appeal does not invalidate the existing judgement of Federal High Court in this matter.

“We will respond within time and they would have their day in court to move their Motion for Stay.

“However, INEC is mandated by law to comply with the subsisting judgment of court until the court of appeals decides otherwise.

“It is also trite law, that the judgment of Court is valid until set aside and takes effect immediately upon pronouncement by the Court, and that as soon as the Court makes the order, that order takes immediate effect,” counsel to the plaintiffs added.

VOTES DISTRIBUTION BY STATES - PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2023

Candidates APC PDP LP NNPP

Abia - 8,914 22,676 327,095 1,239

Adamawa - 182,881 417,611 105,648 8,006

Akwa Ibom - 160,620 214,012 132,683 7,796

Anambra - 5,111 9,036 584,621 1,967

Bauchi - 316,694 426,607 27,373 72,103

Benue - 310,468 130,081 308,372 4,740

Borno - 252,282 190,921 7,205 4,626

Bayelsa - 42,572 68,818 49,975 540

Cross River - 130,520 95,425 179,917 1,644

Delta - 90,183 161,600 341,866 3,122

Ebonyi - 42,402 13,503 259,738 1,661

Edo - 144,471 89,585 331,163 2,743

Ekiti - 201,494 89,544 11,397 264

Enugu - 4,772 15,749 428,640 1,808

Fct, Abuja - 90,902 74,194 281,717 4,517

Gombe - 146,977 319,123 26,160 10,520

Imo - 66,171 30,044 352,904 1,536

Jigawa - 421,390 386,587 1,889 98,234

Kaduna - 399,293 554,360 294,494 92,969

Kano - 517,341 131,716 28,513 997,279

Katsina - 482,283 489,045 6,376 69,386

Kebbi - 248,088 285,175 10,682 5,038

Kogi - 240,751 145,104 56,217 4,238

Kwara - 263,572 136,909 31,166 3,141

Lagos - 572,606 75,750 582,664 8,442

Nasarawa - 172,922 147,093 191,361 12,715

Niger - 375,183 284,898 80,452 21,836

Ogun - 341,554 123,831 85,829 2,200

Ondo - 369,924 115,463 44,405 930

Osun - 343,945 354,366 23,283 713

Oyo - 449,884 182,997 99,110 4,095

Plateau - 307,195 243,808 466,272 8,869

Rivers - 231,591 88,468 175,071 1,322

Sokoto - 285,444 288,679 6,568 1,300

Taraba - 135,165 189,017 146,315 12,818

Yobe - 151,459 198,567 2,406 18,270

Zamfara - 298,396 193,978 1,660 4,044

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