Oshiomhole expresses shock as soldiers block INEC officials

Posted by admin Edo, Election 2015, Elections, General Politics, Governors, Headlines, State News, Top Stories Sunday, March 29th, 2015

Oshiomhole expresses shock as soldiers block INEC officials

Our Reporter

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Oshiomhole expresses shock as soldiers block INEC officials

FROM TONY OSAUZO, BENIN

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has expressed shock and anger over reports that soldiers were restricting and stopping Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) officials from carrying out their lawful duties in parts of Edo North saying such should not happen on their own day.

The governor who noted that the soldiers must have got an illegal order from their commander said, “yesterday (Friday), I addressed the press and I did say that Brigadier Odidi has chosen to frustrate this exercise in Edo North. Ironically, Brigadier Odidi is from Agenebode and he is the one who is giving this unlawful order.”

INEC officials who were taking election materials to Ward 10, Unit 1 in Iyamho, Etsako West Local Government Area were stopped by soldiers who had laid siege to the home town of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

The INEC officials told reporters that they were forced to sit on the floor, alongside their police escort for several hours.

They were later allowed to go after they got calls from their superiors. The soldiers said they were acting on strict orders from above.

Even journalists were not spared the soldiers’ ordeal as the INEC accreditation cards and reflective jackets were ignored while each reporter was asked to produce his company Identity card.

The soldiers said the reporters were not permitted to monitor the exercise from one unit to another as they were only allowed to monitor a particular unit.

Poor distribution of electoral materials mar accreditation in Bayelsa, Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

Poor distribution of voting materials by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has marred the accreditation process in coastal communities in Bayelsa State.

While Governor Henry Seriake Dickson was accredited at about 9.30 am at Sagbama Ward 2, Toru Orua, INEC officials are yet to take materials to communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

Voters in Ondewari, Okpotuwari, Ubugbene, and Korokorosei are still waiting for INEC officials and materials for accreditation.

The situation is the same in Brass Local Government Area as materials were distributed at about 12. 30pm. As at 1pm, accreditation has not commenced.

In Nembe, the process went on smoothly with the accreditation of the Deputy Governor at about 10 am.

Ensure peaceful elections, IBB, Abubakar tell Nigerians

Former military President, Ibrahim Babangida on Saturday called on Nigerians to ensure peaceful and fair elections.

He made the call when he went for his accreditation at the Uphill Water Tank polling unit in Minna.

Babangida said that the election was a test for the sustenance of democratic tenets in the country.

Also, former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, enjoined Nigerians to cast their votes peacefully.

He said the politicians should be assisted in their quest to make the country a better place in the Comity of Nations.

“Nigerians should help the politicians to work for them. If this is achieved, there will be cohesion and development in the country,” he said.

Card reader hitches in Tambuwal, Wali polling units

Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Sokoto and Speaker of the House of Represntatives has been accredited for the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Tambawal was accredited around 11:14 a.m. at Tambuwal-Gari polling unit, Tambuwal Local Government.Arean of Sokoto State.

Similarly, his counterpart, Sen. Abdullah Wali of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was also accredited around 10:25 a.m. at unit 5 polling unit, Sanyinna, Tambuwal Local Government Area.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was an impressive turn out of women across the 23 local governments of the state.

However, there were hitches following the failure of card readers to recognise thumb prints of some of the voters in parts of the state.

Shehu Umar, the Chief Orientation and Mobilisation Officer, National Orientation Agency (NOA) Tangaza Local Government Area, commended INEC for the successful take off of the exercise.

Alhaji Sahabi Gidan-Madi, the Chairman, Tangaza Local Government Area, also expressed satisfaction with arrangements made by INEC for the polls.

In Rabah Local Government Area, the electoral officer, Mr Sama’ila Aliero, said the card readers were working perfectly.

The chairman of Wurno Local Government Area, Alhaji Shehu Chacho, also expressed happiness with the arrangements made by INEC and security agencies.

Obasanjo, Adeyeye, Alao-Akala happy over accreditation exercise

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed satisfaction over the accreditation process in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Obasanjo expressed his view at his Ward 11, Unit 22, Olusomi Compound Polling Centre at Oke – Sokori in Abeokuta where he was accredited for the election.

The former president, who arrived the centre at about 10. 10 a.m. was accredited between 10.16 a.m. and 10. 17 a.m.

Obasanjo told newsmen after his accreditation that he was impressed with the process and the orderly conduct of the people.

“What I have seen here is satisfactory and I have also received similar views expressed by people I have talked to.

“I do hope that the same peaceful situation that obtains here will prevail in other parts of the country.

“We must allay the fears of those people who thought there will be violence or disturbance regarding this election.

“So I appeal to all Nigerians to maintain the peaceful process that we have had so far,” he said.

Obasanjo urged those who could not obtain their PVCs to be calm, adding that such situation did not confer on them any right to be violent.

He advised them to be patient, expressing the hope that this would be redressed before the April 11 elections.

Obasanjo, who commended INEC, observed that it was not possible to have a perfect situation.

Similarly, the Minister of State for Works, Mr Dayo Adeyeye, expressed delight over the turnout for the election.

The minister, who spoke at his Ise-Ekiti country home, expressed delight over the turnout, attributing the development to massive mobilisation efforts.

The minister also commended the people of the state over the peaceful manner in which they had conducted themselves.

In Ogbomoso, a former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Alao-Akala, also expressed satisfaction with the turn out for the poll.

He spoke at his Unit 13, Sabo/Taara Polling Unit after being accredited.

But Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, the Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, lamented the slow pace of the accreditation process.

Akande-Adeola, who attributed this to the card reader, expressed the fear that it may disenfranchise some potential voters.

She, however, expressed happiness over the peaceful manner the exercise was being conducted.

-Sunwp_posts