Politics
#NigeriaDecides: Gov Election Postponed Due To Peter Obi, Atiku Legal Battle
On Wednesday, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party, arrived at the Court of Appeal in Abuja with his legal team where a ruling was being delivered in a lawsuit requesting a modification to the previous order allowing him and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) colleague, Atiku Abubakar, to examine the election materials used in the February 25 presidential election.
He was accompanied by the Labour Party’s Chairman, Julius Abure, and former All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chairman turned Labour Party Senator-elect, Victor Umeh.
Despite coming in third in the presidential election, Obi took to Twitter to announce his presence at Wednesday’s hearing, which pertains to a motion requesting an amendment to a prior court order permitting him to scrutinize the election materials.
Obi stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has failed to comply with the court order, as he and his legal team have been unable to access the electoral materials.
Peter Obi, along with numerous supporters of the Obi-Datti campaign, arrived at the courtroom at approximately 1:45 pm.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Tuesday 7th postponed its ruling to Wednesday in a request made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to amend the court’s order for the inspection of materials used in the February 25th presidential election.
Justice Joseph Ikyegh, who presided over the three-member panel at the Court of Appeal, announced the new date for the ruling after lawyers representing the parties in the lawsuit presented their arguments both for and against the motion.
On March 4th, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) filed a request with the Court of Appeal seeking permission to reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which was utilized during the presidential and parliamentary elections, in preparation for the upcoming governorship and state houses of assembly elections.
INEC explained that the reconfiguration is necessary to enable the BVAS to function efficiently in the upcoming polls.
Mr. Inuwa Tanimu, SAN, representing INEC, assured the court that the defendants have no reason to be concerned since the information that will be erased during the reconfiguration will be stored and protected on the cloud server.
Tanimu has stated that the electoral commission is running out of time and if the previous order is not changed, it could have an impact on the upcoming governorship election on March 11.
On the other hand, Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu and Chief Emeka Etiaba, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who are representing Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar respectively, have opposed the changing of the order.
They argue that vital information required to prove their case will be lost if the order is varied.
Ikpeazu has emphasized that the authentic number of accredited voters can only be obtained from the BVAS, he warns that reconfiguring the BVAS could result in the loss of crucial information.
Furthermore, he suggests that the March 11 elections could be postponed if the circumstances require it. He urged the court to dismiss the Commission’s application.
In contrast, Ikpeazu has requested the court to permit his clients to carry out a physical/digital forensic examination of the presidential electoral materials. Additionally, he requested an order directing INEC to issue a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the registered voters and polling units results.
According to Ikpeazu, the purpose of the request was to ensure that evidence is preserved before it is lost.
He stated that information on the INEC server can vary from day to day and it was only after obtaining information from the BVAS that they were able to demonstrate that there was no over-voting during last year’s gubernatorial election.
INEC had declared candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, winner of the presidential election having scored the highest number of votes cast in the election.
Tinubu polled over eight million votes to emerged victorious, while Atiku came second with nearly seven million votes and Obi third, with a little above six million.
Similarly, both Tinubu and Atiku won 12 states each, while Obi won 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Following the announcement of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the presidential election, the opposition candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, expressed dissatisfaction with the results.
They vowed to challenge the outcome of the election and pursue their grievances through the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, which is responsible for hearing and determining cases related to the conduct of the presidential election.
According to reports, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and his commissioners held a closed-door meeting on Wednesday 8th March, 2023 to discuss the upcoming governorship election.
The meeting, which commenced at 7 PM, reportedly led to the decision to postpone the election to March 18.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of spending over N35 billion to induce voters in the recently concluded Ondo State governorship election.
The accusation came shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared APC’s candidate, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the winner.
At precisely 2:29 pm on Saturday, INEC’s Returning Officer, Prof. Olayemi Akinwunmi, announced Aiyedatiwa’s victory, with the incumbent securing 366,781 votes.
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His closest rival, PDP’s Agboola Ajayi, garnered 117,845 votes, while Adeyemi Nejo of the African Democratic Party placed third with 4,138 votes.
In a press statement following the announcement, Olaniyi Ogungbuji, the PDP State Collation Agent, criticized the APC’s campaign methods, alleging widespread vote-buying.
“This is the end result of the election, but I can tell you that APC as a party deployed over N35bn into inducing the electorate. If this is the future of this nation, we are doomed for it,” Ogungbuji said.
Ogungbuji also raised concerns about the failure of elections to take place in certain polling units in Idanre Local Government Area.
However, these concerns were dismissed during the collation process. The PDP agent hinted that the party and Ajayi would deliberate on the next steps in the coming days.
Meanwhile, APC’s State Agent, Ade Adeogun, strongly rejected the PDP’s accusations, labeling them as unfounded and an attempt to explain away their electoral loss.
“You need to understand that throughout this electioneering period, we even complained that Ondo State was over-policed. If they had any genuine evidence, they should have reported it to the security agencies. Those involved in vote buying would have been arrested,” Adeogun stated.
He also dismissed the allegations as “flippant excuses,” emphasizing that elections should be won based on merit, not claims without proof.
“Without evidence, you can’t just go around and make flippant excuses,” he said. “They lost woefully, and they’re looking for a straw to hold onto.”
Adeogun further stated that the PDP’s complaints were simply a result of their defeat, adding, “Let them weep; they lost woefully. They didn’t deserve to win.”
As tensions continue to simmer, both parties remain locked in a bitter dispute over the results of the Ondo governorship election, with the PDP considering legal action in the days to come.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the Ondo State governorship election held on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
Aiyedatiwa secured a decisive victory, polling 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr. Agboola Ajayi of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 117,845 votes.
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The APC swept all 18 local government areas of the state in a dominant performance that underscored its stronghold in Ondo.
The results were announced at INEC’s State Headquarters in Akure by the collation officer, Prof. Olayemi Akinwunmi.
“Having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the APC is hereby declared the winner of the Ondo State governorship election,” Prof. Akinwunmi stated.
Breakdown of Results by Local Government Areas:
1. Akure North: APC 14,451 | PDP 5,787
2. Akure South: APC 32,969 | PDP 17,926
3. Okitipupa: APC 26,811 | PDP 10,233
4. Ose: APC 16,555 | PDP 4,472
5. Owo: APC 31,914 | PDP 4,740
6. Akoko Northeast: APC 25,657 | PDP 5,072
7. Akoko Northwest: APC 25,010 | PDP 5,502
8. Akoko Southeast: APC 12,140 | PDP 2,692
9. Akoko Southwest: APC 29,700 | PDP 5,517
10. Ondo West: APC 20,755 | PDP 6,387
11. Ondo East: APC 8,163 | PDP 2,843
12. Ile Oluji/Oke-Igbo: APC 16,600 | PDP 4,442
13. Idanre: APC 9,114 | PDP 8,940
14. Irele: APC 17,117 | PDP 6,601
15. Ifedore: APC 14,157 | PDP 5,897
16. Ilaje: APC 24,474 | PDP 3,623 | LP 176
17. Ese Odo: APC 14,511 | PDP 7,814
18. Odigbo: APC 26,683 | PDP 9,348
The Labour Party (LP) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) trailed far behind, with LP securing 1,162 votes and ZLP 2,692 votes across the state.
Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s victory cements the APC’s grip on Ondo State politics.
The governor-elect has promised to focus on economic development, improved infrastructure, and youth empowerment.
“This victory is not just for the APC but for every citizen of Ondo State. Together, we will build a brighter future,” Aiyedatiwa said in his acceptance speech.
The election, which was monitored by domestic and international observers, was largely peaceful, with only minor logistical challenges reported.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has swept all 18 local government areas in the Ondo State Governorship Election, maintaining a significant lead over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) resumed collation of results after a recess to allow the arrival of results from the remaining local governments, Ilaje and Ese Odo.
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Collation Officer Prof. Olayemi Akinwunmi explained, “I think we can just adjourn till 12 noon please. Two remaining local governments are not here yet, so we adjourn till 12 noon. The local governments, Ilaje and Ese Odo, are very far, so we need to give them time to arrive.”
While APC recorded victories across all announced results, the collation process faced a brief dispute in Idanre Local Government.
The PDP’s agent alleged issues of vote-buying, ballot box snatching, and the absence of elections in some areas.
He urged the returning officer to reject the results from Idanre, but no resolution was immediately provided.
INEC National Commissioner Prof. Kunle Ajayi, speaking earlier in Akure, reassured citizens that the results would be concluded and announced without delay.
“I can assure you that until we declare the winner, we won’t leave here. We will wait until the last local government before we leave. I don’t have any fear that even by 6 am, maybe everything would have been over,” Prof. Ajayi stated.
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