17th April, 2011
Uyo
President Goodluck Jonathan has won the presidential election in Akwa Ibom State with 1,165,629 votes out of the 1,251,751 votes cast by voters in the state.
ACN candidate, Nuhu Ribadu came second with 54,149 votes while CPC came third with 5,348. ANPP had 2,000, FRESH 137, ADC 882, NCP 229 and PDC 1,221.
A breakdown of the result showed that PDP won in all the 31 Local Government Areas of the state pocketing over 94.5 per cent of the total votes cast in the state.
Of the 1,232,395 valid votes in the state, 19,356 was rejected while 1,251,751 votes were considered valid.
Speaking with journalists immediately after the collation of the results, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state Mrs. Maria Owi said the election was generally peaceful.
She added that the commission was able to rectify some lapses noticed during the National Assembly Election which helped to improve the outcome of the election.
— Henry Ojelu
Ekiti
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, last night, looked set to sweep Ekiti State, southwest Nigeria, as results trickled in at the collation centre in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
The election, adjudged to be free, fair and peaceful by local and international observers who monitored the electoral process, was almost marred by low turn out, with only about 20 per cent of registered voters showing up in most of the 2,195 polling units in the state.
At the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Ado Ekiti, where results were collated and announced by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Hussaini Halihu Pai, President Jonathan, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, was far ahead of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, in all the local governments declared last night.
Early in the day, residents in the 16 local governments in the state defied the scorching sun as they queued up for hours for accreditation and voting in dusty atmosphere of Ado Ekiti. In Isan-Ekiti, Oye Local Government, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the state governor, voted at 12.32 pm.
Fayemi told journalists at Ogilolo Polling Unit in his native Isan-Ekiti that election was peaceful in all the 16 local governments areas in the state. He, however, decried the low turn of voters, saying that voters did not see yesterday’s election as a local one.
“The turnout is low and discouraging; I think people are not attaching the same level of importance to a local election probably because they believe this one does not affect them directly.
“Everything has gone on smoothly except one or two areas where there are problems but generally, people are law-abiding.
“All evidence suggests a hitch-free election because registration went well and voting went well also.
“If there is anybody that wants to disrupt the election, the security agencies are there to take care of such.â€
Accreditation of registered voters started in most polling units at about 8.30a.m. in the capital city and villages across the state.
In Fajuyi, Ekute, Okeinda, Bashiri, Irana, Okemeji, Adebayo, Awosin or Moferere areas Ado Ekiti, accreditation, voting and counting of votes were peaceful and orderly.
The low turn out was more noticeable in the state capital, Ado. In Ward 7, out of 581 voters registered at polling unit 7, only 114 had showed up for accreditation 15 minutes to the end of the exercise. At the polling unit of ward 10, 1,343 had registered but only about 300 came for accreditation. It was a similar trend at polling unit 12 of ward 10 where 564 voters were registered but only 158 had come for accreditation, minutes to the end of the pre-voting exercise.
In ward 10, polling unit 07, out of 830 voters who had registered, only 114 had showed up at about 11.15. At 11.30 am at ward 9 and polling unit 9, out of 1253 registered voters, only about 200 came for accreditation.
At noon when accreditation ended, out of 287 voters who had registered at ward 10, polling unit 9, only 96 voters had come for accreditation.
At polling units visited by our correspondent where results were counted by electoral officers who were mostly Youth Corps members, PDP won in all of them.
At ward 9, unit 9, along Adebayo road in Ado Ekiti, when votes were counted at about 3pm, PDP got 101 votes while ACN got 28 votes, CPC got only 4 votes.
At ward 9, unit 9, PDP scored 158 votes against ACN’s 74 votes. CPC got 7 votes and ANPP scored only 4 votes.
At ward 9, unit 19, PDP scored 123 votes, ACN scored 46 votes, CPC got 11 votes.
Other parties such as Rev. Chris Okotie’s Fresh Democratic Party, was yet to bag a single vote after votes were counted in 50
— Simon Ateba/Ado Ekiti
Lagos
It is not news again that the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, got the highest number of votes in the presidential election yesterday in Lagos State, but what is news is that Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, lost to PDP in Abike Dabiri-Erewa’s Isele ward in Ikorodu. The party got 61 against PDP’s 85 votes.
The counting of votes started in Isele Ward 1 some minutes after 2.00pm immediately the last accredited person voted. The party agent of ACN attributed the loss of the party to low turn out of voters in the ward.
He said over 1, 000 people registered in the ward but only 192 came out for accreditation while 169 voted. Congress for Progressive Change got 10 votes.
Meanwhile, an ACN stalwart in Ikeja Local Government, Alhaji Adekunle Adedokun, said ACN is now the leading opposition party, he said the party will consolidate for the future. He is very optimistic that 2015 will be a different ball game.
The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, lost in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the presidential election held yesterday.
Findings revealed that ACN lost in virtually all the wards of the local government, which is the stronghold of the party.
P.M.NEWS gathered that ACN scored 1,751 votes against PDP’s 3,946 votes in Iju Obawole Ward which has 16 polling units and five satellite units.
In Unit 005, Iju Obawole zone, ACN recorded 114 votes while PDP has 162 votes.
Other wards where ACN lost include Ward A, which comprises 22 polling centres. In the ward, ACN had 1,281 votes while PDP got 4,484 votes.
— Femi Anjorin, Wole Adeboye & Ayodele Lawal
Ogun
As predicted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the People’s Democratic Party has won the presidential election in Ogun State with 309,177.
ACN came second with 19,955. General Muhammadu Buhari’s CPC scored 17,654 while ANPP scored 2,969.
An INEC official at the Magbon, Abeokuta headquarters of the commission confirmed that the results of the presidential election had been collated and sent to INEC headquarters in Abuja where the overall results will be announced and the winner declared.
PDP’s victory in the presidential election in Ogun State can be attributed to the fact that most supporters of Governor Gbenga Daniel backed PPN voted for President Goodluck Jonathan, the PDP candidate. Daniel had earlier asked all supporters of PPN to vote for Jonathan in the presidential election. Supporters of PPN interviewed before the election had indicated their intention to vote for Jonathan based on Governor Daniel’s directive. So it is not surprising that they teamed up with PDP to vote for Jonathan.
Another explanation for PDP’s victory can also be attributed to the low turnout of voters during yesterday’s election. It was like most members of the ACN did not turn up like they did during the 9 April National Assembly election. Some of them told P.M.NEWS that the 26 April governorship election is the ultimate and that they are going to vote massively for the ACN candidate, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun.
So far it has been peaceful in Abeokuta and people are going about their normal activities.
— Lanre Babalola/Abeokuta
Kaduna
Palpable tension has enveloped sections of Kaduna State as yet another bomb explosion on Saturday night rocked the Kabala West area of Kaduna city when results of the presidential poll which was generally peaceful were trickling in from across the state.
Although details of the explosion remained sketchy as at the time of filing this report, our correspondent gathered that the bomb was planted at Gina Hotel located along the road in the area. Another report, however, said the explosion occurred at Happy Night Hotel in the same area.
Although there was no report of any death, two people said to have been seriously injured in the explosion were taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
Earlier in the day, during the conduct of the presidential election, supporters of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, had clashed in the area over who among them were the authentic agents of the party at the various polling units.
Eye witnesses who pleaded anonymity said that the person suspected to have planted the bomb at the hotel was arrested by the police after the explosion which occurred while he attempted to set the object.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Aminu Lawan, confirmed the bomb explosion.
Aminu who said the police authorities in the state had gone into an emergency security meeting over the incident declined to mention if anyone died in the explosion but said that those injured had been taken to the hospital.
“I can confirm to you that the explosion occurred but I cannot give you the details now. We are in a meeting now, please,†the police spokesman said.
It could be recalled that on Friday, 8 April, the police in Kaduna told newsmen that it had intercepted over 100 strands of dynamites which they claimed were to be used to blow up specific areas within the metropolis and disrupt the elections in the state. Also on that same day, explosions in the state left two people dead and many injured.
— Desmond Utomwen/Kaduna
Anambra
For daring to mobilise and campaign for President Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, during yesterday’s presidential election, All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA’s candidate in the 9 April National Assembly election, Prof. Dora Akunyili, has incurred the wrath of youths of Awka and its environs, which she wishes to represent at the National Assembly.
Prof. Akunyili, who is contesting the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to announce Chief Chris Ngige of the Action Congress of Nigeria as winner of the Anambra Central Senatorial District last Saturday led a sizeable number of youths to drum up support for the incumbent president and it didn’t go down well with some of her party supporters.
The youths and some APGA supporters frowned at the decision of the former Minister of Information and National Orientation to support the president, who is not a member of their party.
They said it is appalling for a candidate, who is challenging her stand to be mobilising for a candidate of a rival party.
They reasoned that it would have been better for her to remain at home instead of coming out to show allegiance to a rival party.
Some contended that she was only doing that to seek the favour of President Jonathan, so that if the president won the election and she finally doesn’t get elected to the National Assembly, she might get a ministerial appointment.
Though some of them, who spoke said she has a right of expression and association, they argued that she is not bigger than the state and it would have been best for her to remain at the background instead of being at the forefront of the campaign for President Jonathan.
A particular polling agent of her party, who craved for anonymity carpetted her for supporting the PDP while calling on the leaders of APGA to punish the former Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC. Another APGA member , who happens to be a youth leader threatened to mobilise the youths to lynch the former minister, if she continues to drag the name of the party in the mud.
The youth leader, who was later identified as Chidiebere, who spoke with journalists said: “Thank goodness that I didn’t meet her here, I would have told her that what she did was wrong. If she wants to become a minister, she should leave Awka and go back to Abuja to drum up support for the president. The jornalists should tell her that we are angry with her action and we are ready to take decisive decision on her.”
Many others also had a similiar message for her but they didn’t want their names mentioned becasuse they feel she holds enormous powers.
— Adebolola Alawode/Awka
Osun
The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, presidential candidate, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has won the majority votes in yesterday’s presidential election held in Osun State.
In the result announced early this morning at Gbongan Road, Osogbo headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by Professor Saburi Adejimi Adesanya, the state Collation Officer, ACN’s candidate, Mallam Ribadu, polled a total votes of 299,711 to defeat President Goodluck Jonathan, the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP who scored 188,409 votes, Congress For Progressive Change, CPC’s Gen. Muhammadu Buhari who polled 6,997 votes and All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP’s Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau who polled total votes of 3,617.
The election, which was peaceful and violence-free, but marred with a low turnout of voters, saw ACN candidate won in 27 of the 30 local governments in the state.
The other results are as follow: ADC-5,172, APS-513, ARP-513, BNPP-267, Fresh Democratic Party-219, HDP-217, LDPN-116, MPPP-267, NCP-378, NMDP-323, NTP-321, PDC-1,268, PMP-965, PPP-1,285, SDMP-614 and UNPD-1,755.
Osun State has 1,342,289 as total registered voters. The total number of votes cast yesterday was 534,256, while the total valid votes was 512,714 and rejected votes tallied 21,542.
Yesterday’s presidential election was peaceful and violence-free in the state. In various towns visited by P.M.NEWS like Osogbo, Ede, Ikirun, Iree, Ila-Orangun, Ile-Ife, Otan Ayegbaju, Oke-Ila and Gbongan, voters generally conducted themselves peacefully, while the security agencies patrolled every area in a relaxed atmosphere. While both the accreditation of voters and the voting proper were conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.
Speaking with P.M.NEWS in his hometown Ora-Igbomina in Ifedayo Local Government, Professor Sola Adeyeye, the Senator-elect for Osun Central lauded Prof. Jega for the smooth conduct of the election across the country, while frowning at the low turnout of voters in the presidential election.
Professor Adeyeye, however, put the blame on the order of the election which placed national elections ahead of the local elections and people’s little understanding of the importance of the national politics.
“If the order has been such that a local election comes second, then you would have likely seen a high turnout of voters. But right now, people feel that they don’t have much at stake in Abuja. And let us face the fact, the Federal Government in Nigeria, down the history of Nigeria, has been largely irresponsible and does not cater to people at the grassroots. And you can see why people don’t feel so much concerned about national politics, but whether we like it or not, a president is the president of the republic and every state, local government and community is part of the creation and so, people should still endeavour to turn out and cast their votes for their Mr. President.”
Also commenting on the conduct of the election, Professor Olu Aina, former executive secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, said the lessons from the first and second elections have now become the strength of the following polls.
He commended the INEC chairman who he described as a lucky man.
“I’m very impressed with the people and INEC for the success recorded so far. It is obvious that Nigerians are ready for credible elections. Jega is a very lucky man as he is receiving the cooperation of every one in the country,” Aina said.
— Funsho Arogundade/Oshogbo