Former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for not transmitting the election results electronically as promised during the 2023 presidential election.

He described INEC as a monumental disgrace for reneging on its promises to use digital transmission of results.

Chidoka said this in an interview with Channels TV on Sunday, adding that it was shameful to be associated with the electoral umpire as a Nigerian.

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The former minister said this days after the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal upheld the victory of President Bola Tinubu.

The presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) – former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi respectively had challenged Tinubu’s victory.

They prayed the court to nullify his win on the basis among others that INEC did not do a real-time transmission of results to the election portal.

However, the five-man panel PEPT led by Justice Haruna Tsammani while giving its ruling on the petitions filed by Obi and Atiku last Wednesday, ruled that INEC is at liberty to transmit results in whichever way it deemed fit.

Reacting, Chidoka said, “INEC is a monumental disgrace. INEC is an organization I am ashamed to be associated with as a Nigerian.

He made the criticism because of “the promises INEC made with the Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun [governorship] elections”.

“I came on this programme and called for third-party verification of the INEC system so that we are sure that on election day what is going to happen that day would not lead to a glitch. On election day, INEC said there was a glitch.”

According to him, despite INEC’s inability to test the election results portal on a large scale, the electoral body’s defence was a “shame.”

“Despite not testing the system, it is a shame that INEC went to court to argue that not complying with its regulation does not make it a ground to cancel an election,” he added.

Parties in the petitions filed by governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress APC, and the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, will on Monday September 11, 2023 adopt their final written addresses at the Election Petitions tribunal sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Pastor Umo Eno and the the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Bassey Akpan of YPP are listed as first, second, third and fourth Respondents in the petition by Akan Udofia of the APC.

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Both Obong Akan Udofia and Senator Akpanudoedehe, like other pending petitions before the tribunal are seeking the disqualification of Pastor Umo Eno of the PDP as duly elected governor in the March 18, 2023 election conducted in the State.

Interestingly, each of the governorship candidates are seeking to be declared the winner of the said election.

Obong Udofia and the APC in their joint petition are seeking the relief of the Tribunal that it be determined that at the time of the governorship Election of Akwa Ibom State the 2nd Respondent and the 4th Respondent were not qualified to contest the election.

Also the petitioners are seeking that it be determined that the votes purportedly scored by the 2nd and 4th Respondents in the election were wasted votes owing to non-qualification of 2nd and 4th Respondents.

The petitioners are equally seeking the relief of the Tribunal “that it be determined that on the basis of the remaining valid votes (after deducting the wasted votes credited to the 2nd and 4th Respondents, he (first petitioner) scored the majority of the lawful votes cast at the election, and satisfied the constitutional requirements to be declared the winner of the said election.

“That it be determined that the Certificate of Return wrongly issued to the Second Respondent by the first Respondent (INEC) is null and void and be set aside.

“An order compelling the first Respondent to issue the Certificate of Return to the first Petitioner (Udofia) as the duly elected governor of Akwa Ibom State”

The main challenger in the governorship election in the State, Senator Bassey Akpan and his party the Young Progressive Party (YPP) are also asking the court to order INEC to declare him the lawful winner of Akwa Ibom governorship Election.

Recall that parties in the Akpan and YPP joint petition adopted their final written addresses on the 16th day of August, 2023.

Other governorship candidates in the March 18, election seeking the disqualification of Pastor Umo Eno as duly elected governor of the state are Ezekiel Nya-Etuk of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and that of the

The Governorship candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) withdrew his petition sometime in the month ofJuly.

Meanwhile according to the results declared by INEC on the 19th of March Umo Eno scored 356, 348 votes to defeat seventeen (17) other governorship candidates participated in the disputed election.

Pastor Eno’s main challengers Bassey Akpan (YPP) and Akan Udofia of the APC 136, 262 votes and 129, 602 votes respectively, while Senator John Akpanudoedehe of the NNPP scored 12,509 votes, Arch. Ezekiel Nya-Etuk of ADC scored 1, 685 votes and that of the Action Alliance scored 181 votes.

By Nnamdi Ojiego,

As the administration of Governor Alex Otti of Abia State clocked 100 days in office, Abias and political watchers have described as unprecedented, the gradual and steady positive changes that are taking place in the state.

State of Emergency;

The governor in a haste to put the state on the path of recovery, declared a state of emergency in all the critical sectors of the state economy. He introduced a new dynamic to leadership while laying a solid foundation to recover the state from the mess it was plunged into over the years.     

To many Abians, the task to rescue God’s Own State, specifically, Aba, from its stinky, decrepit and ignominious past commenced on May 29, 2023, when Otti entered into a new social contract with the people and pledged to use every attribute that God has given him to serve them.

Otti had in his inaugural address declared a state of emergency on the clearing of heaps of waste that littered the streets of Umuahia, the state capital and Aba, the commercial city. To achieve this, the governor immediately set up a Taskforce for the emergency cleanup of both cities.

The Taskforce had made a lot of progress in evacuating tons of refuse that had hitherto taken over many streets in the state. While men slept, the task force team headed by Mr. Ogbonnia Okereke, were working. The two cities are today cleaner and more conducive for people.

The governor also declared a state of emergency on Education, Health and Security and earmarked appropriate funding to match the commitment. He knows that the present and future of Abia depend on the quality and scope of education provided by the state. Given this, 17 schools across the 17 LGAs of the state have been marked for reconstruction and renovation.

“Education for us is the future and it is our goal to see that every child gets the opportunity to be taught and mentored to take advantage of the opportunities that abound in the 21st century economy which favours mostly the skilled and properly educated.

“We will intentionally prepare our children to be skilled participants in the global village, where science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are used as productive tools for work and play”, he assured.

Free Medicare;

The new administration came in when doctors working in the public health facilities in the state were on strike and the system was in a state of general collapse as the hospitals were shut down for months and patients, even those in very critical conditions, were turned away. Before declaring a state of emergency in the health sector, the governor appealed to the striking doctors to call off their strike and gave them his word that it would be an anathema for any health worker in the state to be refused their legitimate entitlements under his watch.

The government commenced free medical services across selected general hospitals in the state last July and this, according to the governor, would continue until the end of the year. This exercise covers free medical checks and examinations, provision of drugs and medicated glasses for eye patients at no cost, subsidized surgery and a variety of other medical services as part of efforts to give the population, especially the indigent, an opportunity to access quality care for themselves and their families.

Since the exercise commenced, thousands of people across all demographics, pregnant women, nursing mothers, newborn babies, infants under the age of five and several other groups with varying medical conditions have all benefited and thousands more will still be reached in the weeks and months ahead.

Operation Crush;

The security challenges facing some parts of the state, especially the prolonged cases of kidnapping at Lokponta in Umunneochi LGA, have been contained. Otti is leaving no stone unturned, he was aware that all that he intends to do could only come to fruition if the state is secure and open for business. Therefore, the government put measures in place to ensure that criminals are flushed out of the state. It collaborated with security agencies internally and adopted a more robust approach, “Operation Crush” to nip the activities of criminals in the bud.

Operation Crush is a joint task force comprising various security formations to swiftly address threats and make Abia unsafe for criminals and their cohorts. “I made it a priority to work with major stakeholders across frontiers to set up a robust system for tracking and smoking out criminals from their hideouts. By committing significant resources to set up the taskforce, we are boldly telling residents and investors in the state that we are determined and ready to keep them safe”, the governor stated.

Fulfilling promises;

In Abia, the condition of so many important roads had been terrible for years and on assumption of office, it became clear to the governor that he would be failing the people if he did not make those roads a priority. In fulfilment of his electoral promise to fix dilapidated roads and create more access routes to ease traffic, Otti attacked the roads with the seriousness they deserve. He engaged reputable construction companies, such as Craneburg, FCC, and MCC to handle the road projects. So far, the governor has delivered Emelogu Road in Aba, ABSUTH Road Junction, Shalom Road Aba and Obehie Road. Work has commenced, and at different levels of completion, on over ten roads across the state including the abandoned Umuimo Road, Owerri Road, and College Road, among others.

Decayed Value System;

To serve as a catalyst for driving change in Abia, departing from old norms and a decayed value system that has hindered progress, the governor has launched the Abia State Orientation Agency, ABSOA. Speaking during the launch, Otti said: “Our goal is to bring about disruptive and transformative changes in our dear state.

“With ABSOA, we envision a vibrant and tech-driven public service, a robust economy, a clean and green environment, strong and functional institutions, an employable youth population and an investor-friendly Abia State. We are confident that with ABSOA spearheading the move towards achieving these goals, Abia will take its rightful place among leading states in Nigeria.”

A New Aba;

Speaking during the Abia Day celebration, the governor said: “Our plans and programmes for Aba are far more strategic and as the days go by, you will be seeing demonstrable proof that indeed, Aba’s time has come. From business digitization processes that would put Aba on the global enterprise map to structured real estate developments, urban renewal programmes and investments in energy and power infrastructure for improved industrial output, you will, before the end of the year appreciate that indeed, we are going somewhere. I am pleased to report that in the last two months, we have got hundreds of very interesting proposals from national and global conglomerates that are seeking to do business in the state”.

Building partnership;

In the last 100 days, the executive branch of government has continued to forge special but respectful relationships with the other arms to strengthen the democratic experience. The state chief executive has met with the National Assembly lawmakers from the state. The meeting was aimed at consolidating what could be described as a bipartisan relationship. All three senators and eight House of Representatives members were in attendance and pledged their cooperation and support to the government to build a united and progressive Abia.

The new administration is also partnering with relevant agencies, organisations and businesses in realizing its vision and mission of rebuilding the state. The governor has interfaced with the heads of various security agencies in the state; World Bank Country Director, Professor Shubham Chaudhuri and his team; Nigeria Medical Association led by the state chairman, Dr. Isaiah Abali; a team of senior management staff of MTN, led by the Chief Enterprise e-Business, Lynda Saint Nwafor; Management team of Access Holding Plc., led the CEO, Mr Herbert Wigwe; executive of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners; Association of Retired Permanent Secretaries, and Association of Abia State Traditional Rulers.

Governor Otti also hosted renowned business tycoon and investor, Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, and his brother, Ike, where he promised to set up a major part of his business in Aba. He also hosted the top management of Zenith Bank plc; the UNICEF team; former Minister of Power and Chairman of Geometric Power Limited, Prof. Bartholomew Nnaji, and his team, and former Treasurer and a Vice President of the World Bank, Arunma Oteh.

Digital system;

In line with his campaign promise to sanitize methods of revenue collection and stop all kinds of extortion, intimidation and harassment of motorists, the governor introduced a revolutionary digital tax system that is designed to curb fraud and augment revenue. This system incorporates a free medical insurance scheme for all commercial vehicle operators, enabling the government to fuel entrepreneurial growth and progress within the state.

The digital platform will simplify tax compliance and unlock substantial revenue for development projects, thereby strengthening the state’s economy. It offers easy payment options for both transporters and traders and promotes transparency.

TSA;

Furthermore, the government has concluded plans to transition to a Treasury Single Account, TSA, system. This move will centralize all state revenue and payments, enhancing transparency and efficiency. This system will fight fraud, streamline tax payments, empower our citizens, generate employment and attract investors.

As Governor Otti pledged to continue to do his part in repositioning the state, it is incumbent upon every Abian to do their part because getting it right is a collective obligation.

The National and State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi has affirmed the election of Senator Abba Morro, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing, the Benue South Senatorial zone, otherwise known as Zone C.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, who was not satisfied with the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) declaration Senator Morro, had filed a petition before the tribunal.

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The chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Ory Zik-Ikeorha, who delivered the lead judgment on Sunday, September 10, said the evidence adduced by the petitioners is weak, porous, and lacking in substance and hence can’t sustain the petition.

Onjeh had on March 17, filed the petition, which is predicated on three grounds that Senator Morro was at the time of the election not qualified to contest, that Morro was not elected by a majority of the lawful votes cast as well and that his election was invalid by reason of noncompliance with Electoral Act, guidelines and manual for the election.

Although Senator Morro raised an objection as to the competence of the petition, the objection was dismissed and the petition was heard on its merit.

According to the judgment, which was concurred by the three members of the panel, the petitioners failed to call credible and reliable evidence to get a judgment.

It was further held that in the issue of non-compliance, the petitioner must not only plead the relevant act under which they are complaining but also adduce sufficient and tender compelling evidence to prove that such non-compliance took place.

The Tribunal further stated that such noncompliance affects the case of the petitioners but has failed to call a credible and reliable witness.

It said: “Reliefs sought are hereby refused. The petition stands dismissed in entirety.”

Senator Morro’s counsel, R. O. Adakole, Esq, said: “The pronouncement by the Tribunal is a victory for democracy. It’s a victory for democracy because democracy is where the majority has a voice.

“Given the judgment, it’s clear, even to the blind that the people of Zone C (Benue South) voted for Sen Moro.”

But Onjeh and his team of lawyers, said they’ve rejected the decision of the court.
He is optimistic that he will win at the Court of Appeal.

The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Jigawa State, has declared the outcome of the House of Representatives election of the Birnin Kudu/Buji Federal constituency as inconclusive.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Adamu Yakubu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 39,998 votes as winner of the poll.

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Yakubu defeated the APC candidate, Magaji Da’u, who scored 36,735, but Da’u challenged the outcome of the election at the tribunal.

The election petition tribunal said the election ought to have been declared inconclusive at the first instance because the margin of canceled votes outnumbered the winning votes.

The chairperson of the tribunal, A. Okeke, ruled that INEC did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, in declaring the result.

“INEC did not follow regulations and guidelines, and the manual for Election officials for the 2023 election in conducting the election, and the noncompliance substantially affected the outcome of the election,” Okeke said.

The judge then ordered a re-run election on eight polling units both in Birnin Kudu and Buji local government areas within 90 days.

Reports indicated that the number of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) collected for the eight polling units was 6, 351 and the APC candidate., Mr. Da’u was trailing behind with 1,926 votes.

The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Kano state on Sunday voided the election of the member representing Kura/ Madobi/Garun Malam at the House of Representatives.

The tribunal hinged the sack of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) representative’s failure to resign from Bayero University, Kano 30 days before the election.

The three man panel headed by Honourable Justice Ngozi Azinge consequently ordered Independent National Electoral Commission to set aside the certificate of return earlier issued to Datti and declare Musa Ilyasu Kwankwaso of the All Progressives Congress as winner of the election.

Kwankwaso scored the second highest votes during the election of Kura/ Madobi/Garun Malam Federal House of Representatives, held on 25th February 2023.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate has that about 400,000 health workers in Nigeria are insufficient to cater to the healthcare needs of Nigerians.

Pate made the statement while addressing newsmen on Saturday in Abuja, after his three-day briefing session with departments and agencies under the ministry.

The meeting was organised by the ministry to chart a blueprint for Nigeria’s healthcare system.

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According to Pate, the 400,000 workforce comprise community health workers, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, physicians, lab scientists, technicians, and auxiliaries working in the Nigerian healthcare system.

“They are not enough if you think that this number can take care of 220 million people. Our doctor-to-population ratio is lower than what the World Health Organisation expects.

“So there’s still room to produce more. In fact, to produce excess because globally, there’s a shortage of health manpower, there is almost a shortage of 18 million people.

“In developed countries where they are aging, they are retiring so they need more people to provide services.

“So if we think about it, we can produce for our own needs and if some leave then they go and earn resources and they come back with some experience, ” he said

Pate, however, said that if infrastructure was improved, and people were treated with respect, some of them would come back to serve the country.

“So I don’t want to undervalue the contribution of the workers that we have.

“We have to acknowledge them, celebrate them, make life easier for them even as we train more or re-train the ones that we have even as we work to resolve their issues.

“We really value the Nigerian health workforce and will continue to support and develop that going forward,” he added.

Speaking on ending medical tourism, Pate said that the trend was present in almost all countries whether developed or developing as people leave the U.S. to East Asia to have surgical procedures because it is more affordable there.

“However, what seems to be an issue is using public financing to fund it and missing the opportunity to keep some of the resources used in engaging in medical tourism back in the country.

“When I mentioned unlocking the healthcare value-chain, it includes mobilising private capital to invest in the physical infrastructure and the human resources so that some of the services that people go to India for, we will have them here.

“We have begun discussing mechanisms or models where we’ll go on that path as part of expanding the value chain so that it’s not necessarily publicly financed.

“So if you want to have plastic surgery, there’s no need to use government money to pay for your plastic surgery but if we have a facility that will do that here for you, we will keep your dollars here and employ a few attendants here to do the procedure for you,” he noted.

The minister added that because people had options as to where they would seek healthcare, medical tourism might not be completely eradicated.

He, however, assured that the Federal Government would use the opportunity of human capital, private sector capital, and innovation to provide services that people could use in the country.

On getting financing from development partners for the sector, Pate said that the team had met with some of the partners to give them the direction Nigeria needed their support.

According to him, the bulk of the health budget in Nigeria is from the government at different levels, while a smaller portion is what the development partners bring to the table.

“Let’s get to a point whereby we have a programme and the government’s budget is put on the table and you are contributing to that and there’s transparency on both sides.

“Government needs to know more about how the external parties deploy their resources, just as it also needs to open up a little bit more on what is coming from its own side,’’ he said.

The Imo state Governorship candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Senator Athan Achonu, on Sunday, warned that manipulators of election results would not have their way in the November 11, 2023, Imo governorship election.

Achonu spoke to newsmen in Owerri while reacting to the battle ahead of the Imo governorship election.

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He was of the view that the Imo governorship election was going to be a stand-alone election and all eyes would be on the Imo state, on the security, INEC, and others. Therefore, it was the thinking of Achonu that Imolites should expect something new in the forthcoming governorship election in Imo.

According to Achonu, “This is a stand-alone election. It has never taken place before so expect something new to happen and nobody will rig us out. Labour Party has won without firing a shot. Also, It is an insult to say that Hope Uzodimma gave me money to sponsor me in this election how can that be? I have invested billions of naira so how can Hope sponsor me?

“I have invested billions in this state and the government frustrated it. The 10-story hotel building has been stopped by the government. I obtained a license to build a refinery and industrial layout in Imo and the government constructed a road to block my investment and many more.

“My partners are saying that before they can come into Imo state, they need a governor who is development oriented. Just like we have gotten it right in Abia state, we need it in Imo state and I am development oriented. I am right person for this job.”

He continued by saying: “On the issue of security, immediately I become governor, I will introduce local security because every security is local, and with that, our people will be involved in the business of securing their lives. And another thing, we must do away with this siege mentality. At every junction you see security checkpoint is not the best way for us.”

On how he wants to protect his votes, Achonu said: “You saw what happened in the last election, if not the amount of money shared by the government in the last election and even at that, you saw they lost. The labour party won. They shared thousands of dollars. I told our people to collect the money and vote according to their conscience. They listened to me and it happened that way.”

The Imo Sate National and State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal has sacked a member of the House of Representatives, Ikenga Ugochinyere, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

In a unanimous decision on Sunday, a three-member panel of the tribunal which conducted its proceedings in Nasarawa State, held that Ugochinyere was not validly nominated by the PDP to contest the Ideato North/South Federal Constituency election that held on February 25.

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Consequently, it ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to within 90 days, conduct a supplementary election in the constituency.

The tribunal, in its lead judgement that was delivered by its Chairman, Justice Anthony Olotu Akpovi, specifically directed the electoral body to conduct the supplementary poll in 55 polling units where elections did not hold on February 25.

It held that the PDP and its candidate should be excluded from the supplementary election.

The judgement followed a petition that was lodged before the tribunal by candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Abazu Chika Benson.

Cited as 1st to 5th respondents in the petition marked: EPT/IM/HR/10/2023, were; INEC, Ugochinyere, PDP, candidate of the Labour Party, Obi Paschal Chigozie and his party, the LP.

It will be recalled that INEC had declared the PDP candidate, Ugochinyere, as winner of the election with a total of 13, 026 votes.

Whereas the candidate of the LP, Chigozie, came second with 5,696 votes, the petitioner who was sponsored by the APC, came third with a total of 2, 368 votes.

However, dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, the APC candidate filed a petition wherein he contended that Ugochinyere was not qualified to participate in the House of Reps contest.

The petitioner, among other things, argued that all the votes that were credited to the PDP candidate, amounted to wasted votes.

He told the tribunal that contrary to the express provision of the Electoral Act, the PDP, conducted its primary election in a venue that was outside the constituency.

In its judgement, the tribunal stressed that documentary and oral evidence that was laid before it, established that the primary election the PDP conducted on May 25, 2022, which produced Ugochinyere as its candidate, was held at Aladinma Shopping Mall, a location that was outside Ideato North/South Federal Constituency.

Relying on the provision of section 84 (5) (c)of the Electoral Act 2022, the tribunal held that PDP’s primary election was invalid.

It held that a valid candidate could not have emerged from an invalid primary election.

“Failure of the 3rd respondent (PDP) to abide by the sacrosanct provision of the Electoral Act invalidated its sponsorship of the 2nd respondent,” Justice Akpovi held.

The tribunal maintained that for a primary election to be valid, it must be done in compliance with section 29 (1) of the Electoral Act.

It held that in view of the fact that Ugochinyere was not validly nominated, he was, therefore, not qualified as at the time the House of Reps election held.

More so, the tribunal held that owing to the principle of margin of lead, candidate of the LP, Chigozie, could but be declared the winner of the seat, since INEC admitted that it could not hold election in 55 polling units in the constituency, owing to activities of unknown gunmen.

It, therefore, directed INEC to conduct supplementary poll in the remaining polling units with a the parties participating, except the PDP.

Other members of the panel that concurred with the lead judgement, were; Justices Usman Kudu and Ibrahim Mohammed.