COVER
Governorship Poll: Upset in Benue, Plateau as Oppostion Parties Win
From David Torough (Makurdi), Jude Dangwam (Jos), Dan Amasingha (Minna), Nicolas Dekera, (Kaduna) & Yagana Ali, Yola
After the declaration of 19 governorship election results, out of the 28 states where the elections took place last Saturday, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) took the lead with victories in 13 states, while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won in five states.
The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) claimed one state.Among the states won by the APC was Benue State, where the incumbent PDP lost to APC, following the declaration of Rev. Fr.
Hycinth Alia of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).Fr. Alia polled 473,973 votes to defeat his closest rival, Rt. Hon. Titus Uba of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 223,915 votes to come second position.
The winner of the governorship election was announced after results from the 22 Local Government Areas (LGAs), were collated out of the 23 LGAs in the state.
Professor Farouq Kutah, who was the Returning Officer for the election, made the declaration yesterday at the INEC headquarters in Makurdi, the state capital.
Prof. Kutah, who is also the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Mina, while announcing the result said; “This former declaration is hinged on the fact that we rely on the Electoral Act ‘section 24 sub-section 1 and the Electoral guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
“That Hycinth Iornen Alia of APC having satisfied all the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected, this day, 29th of March, 2023”.
It was a mix-fortune for the APC in Plateau State where its governorship candidate, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda lost to candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Caleb Mutfwang.
Mutfwang scored 525, 299 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 481, 370 votes.
The governorship candidate for Labour Party, Dr Patrick Dakum also got 60, 310 votes.
The state collation and returning officer, Prof. Idris Amali, the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University, Lafia, declared Mutfwang the winner of the March 18 polls, having scored the highest votes.
Mutfwang won 10 local government areas out of 17 local governments in the state.
In the state assembly lection, PDP won 16 seats, with the APC winning seven seats, while YPP won one out of the 24 State Assembly seats in Plateau State.
Mutfwang, the former Chairman, Mangu Local Government, Plateau, was born on March 12, 1965 in Wussasa, Zaria, Mutfwang had his primary education at LEA Primary School Ampang-West, Mangu from 1973 to 1977.
He later went to Boys Secondary School, Gindiri graduating in 1982.
He worked briefly with the then Federal Office of Statistics and the defunct Nigerian Bank for Commerce of Industry before continuing his educational pursuit at the School of Preliminary Studies, Keffi from 1983 to 1984.
He was at the University of Jos and graduated between 1984 and 1988 and the Nigerian Law School from 1988 which qualified him to be called to the Nigerian Bar as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court on Dec. 14, 1989.
Mutfwang served the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in Kaduna State during which he was elected by his colleagues as the President of the Nigerian Christian Corpers’ Fellowship in Kaduna State.
The Governorship candidate of the APC, Hon Muhammed Umar Bago was also declared as the winner of the March 18th Governorship election in Niger State.
The Chief Collation Officer of the Governorship Election in the State, Professor Clement Alawa, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic University of Abuja announced the result after a protracted tussle over the result from Rijau local government Area.
The Returning Officer announced that, Muhammad Umar Bago of the APC scored 469, 896 to defeat his closest challenger, Hon Isah Liman Kantigi of the Peoples Democratic party who scored 387, 476 votes.
The Labour party Candidate, Mr. Joshua Bawa came a distant third with 3, 415 votes while, Ibrahim Yahaya of New Nigeria peoples Party came fourth with 3, 378 votes.
“I professor Clement Alawa, the returning officer of the March 18th Governorship election in Niger State hereby declared that Hon Muhammed Umar haven satisfied the requirement of the law is declared the winner and returned elected,” he declared.
The APC candidate had won in twenty one out of the twenty five local government Areas of Niger State while his PDP Counterpart won in four councils namely Edati, Mokwa, Lavun and Gbako local government areas.
However, a mild drama played out as the signing of the final result sheets at the collation centre a PDP agent, Hon. Sani Kutigi refused to append his signature to the documents after the Governorship Candidate had initially conceded defeat.
In Ebonyi State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday declared APC’s governorship candidate, Mr Francis Nwifuru as winner of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
The INEC’s State Collation Officer, Prof. Charles Igwe, Vice-Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsuka (UNN) declared Nwifuru as the winner having satisfied the electoral act.
Igwe said that Nwifuru polled 199, 131 votes to win the poll.
According to him, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected by the Returning Officer.
He said that the Prof. Bernard Odoh of APGA, polled 52,189 to emerge second, while Dr Ifeanyi Odii of the PDP, polled 80,191 votes.
He said that the total number of accredited votes was 350,345, out of the 1,597,646 registered votes in the state.
He added that the total votes cast was 349,941, valid vote, 342,554, while the rejected votes stood at 7,387.
The governor-elect won in 10 out of the 13 Local Government Areas of the state, while the APGA candidate won in two LGAs and the PDP candidate one.
Nwifuru would be the fourth executive governor of the 27 year-old state. (NAN)
Incumbent Professor Babagana Zulum was declared reelected as the Governor of Borno State.
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner of the March 18 governorship election in the state having polled 545,542.
Also in Cross River State, the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Cross River State, Sen. Bassey Out, has been declared winner of the election, after winning in 15 out of the 18 local government areas in the state.
Announcing the result yesterday at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Collation Centre in Calabar, the Returning Officer, Prof. Teddy Adies, said APC polled 258,619 votes.
He said that the People’s Democratic Party got 179,636 votes while the Labour Party garnered 5,957 votes.
According to him, the total number of registered voters was 1,766,466, accredited voters 466,294, valid votes 451,933, and void votes 8,923.
“Eleven political parties participated in this election and for the results to get to us here at the state level, it had to pass through the Polling Units, the Ward Collation Centres and the collation centre at the local government levels.
“Otu of the APC after satisfying the requirement of the law has been returned elected,” the Returning Officer said.
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Sheriff Oborevwori was declared the winner of the March 18 governorship election in Delta State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
State INEC Collation Officer, Prof. Onuwari Georgewill, the Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, made the declaration yesterday in Asaba.
Georgewill said that Oborevwori polled a total of 360,234 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege of the All Progressive Party (APC) who scored 240,229 votes.
“Sheriff Oborevwori having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner of the governorship election and returned elected,” he said.
Georgewill said that Mr Kennedy Pela of the Labour Party came third with 48,027 votes, while Mr Great Ogboru of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) came fourth with 11,021 votes.
He said the number of registered voters was 3,221 687, while the total number of accredited voters was 710,829.
Georgewill added that the total number of rejected votes was 15,384 and the total votes cast was 687,121.
A breakdown of the results on local government basis, as announced by the local government Collation Officers, showed that Oborevwori won in 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs), while Omo-Agege won in four out of the 25 LGAs of the state.
Oborevwori won in Ika North East; Aniocha North; Ndokwa East; Ika South; Patani; Sapele; Aniocha South; Uvwie; Okpe; Bomadi; Ethiope East; Oshimili North; Warri South; and Oshimili South.
He also won in Isoko North; Ethiope West; Isoko South; Ukwuani; Ndokwa West; Warri North; Burutu; and Warri South West.
Omo-Agege won in Udu, Uvwie, Ughelli South and Ughelli North.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), also declared APC’s Uba Sani, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of Kaduna governorship election.
INEC’s Returning Officer for Kaduna State, Professor Lawal Suleiman Bilbis made the announcement yesterday night.
He said Sani polled 730,002 votes to defeat his closest rival, Isa Ashiru of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 719,196 votes.
The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Jonathan Asake polled 58,283 votes while the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate, Suleiman Hunkuyi scored 21,405 votes.
NEC Declares Adamawa Governorship Election Inconclusive
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has declared the March 18 governorship election in Adamawa as inconclusive.
State INEC Returning Office, Prof. Mohammed Mele, said this when he spoke with newsmen yesterday in Yola.
Mele said that the election was cancelled in 47 registration areas, 69 polling Units with the total number of 41,796 registered voters.
“The number of Permanent Voter Cards (VCs) from the affected polling units in the different Local Government Areas (LGAs) affected is 37,016.
“After the collation we calculated the total number of votes with the two leading candidates with the highest votes, APC with 390,275 and PDP with 421, 524 votes.
“So this gives us the margin of 31,249 and the total number of PVCs collected in the places amounts to 37,916,” he said.
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
As part of efforts to reposition the newspaper for optimum corporate performance, the management of Asset Newspapers Limited, Publishers of DAILY ASSET, has announced the appointment of David Torough as the Editor of the Abuja-based national daily.
A statement by the management said the appointments were part of the company’s new strategy to further penetrate the various states in the country and raise its readership and patronage.
“DAILY ASSET is widely acceptable across the country and to maintain our leadership position, we need to increase management presence, hence the need to create new Bureau offices in some locations outside Abuja and Lagos,” the statement quoted the Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief, Dr Cletus Akwaya to have said.
In a statement yesterday, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the fast-growing daily, Dr. Cletus Akwaya said the appointment was part of the new strategy to properly situate the paper for better productivity.
“DAILY ASSET has a commitment with the Nigerian people. We are determined to weather the storm and give Nigerian readers a Newspaper that satisfies their yearnings and reading pleasure and we can only do that with the right set of professionals,” the statement said.
Akwaya, a former Commissioner of Information from Benue State said the difficult times being faced by Nigerians posed a great challenge to the media as the people deserved credible information with which to make choices.
“We have a bond with the people, to offer credible information at all times in the best tradition of the Nigerian Press and on this scale of objectivity, truth and fairness, we pledge to remain steadfast no matter the challenges,” Akwaya was quoted to have said.
He said the newspaper will maiantin its daily print run and circulation to all states of the federation and urged advertisers to take advantage of the deep penetration of the Daily Asset brand to send their messages.
Torough, the new Editor has had a steady rise in the Newspaper in the last five years.
A graduate of Mass communication of the Benue State University, Makurdi, Torough joined the company in 2022 as Benue State Correspondent. He was spotted for his brilliance and redeployed to Abuja the following year and promoted to Deputy News Editor. He was subswuently named Deputy Editor of the paper, a position he held until the recent appointment.
Torough has attended several journalistic workshops and trainings to properly equip himself for the task ahead.
The statement also said the Management named Eze Okechukwu as Deputy Editor.
Before his elevation as Deputy Editor, Eze has been Deputy Politics Editor and DAILY ASSET Newspaper correspondent covering the Senate, having joined the organization in 2021.
Born on March 10, 1975, Eze holds a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Eze began his journalism career with Daily Star, Enugu and later worked with Daily Trust Newspaper, Abuja as sports reporter.
Aside from his journalistic excellence, he has a great deal of passion for sports.
From Ngutor Dekera, Kaduna and Aliyu Askira, Kano
Northern governors and traditional rulers yesterday called for the suspension of mining activities across the region for six months, blaming illegal mining for worsening insecurity in many states.
The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna. The meeting, chaired by the Gombe State Governor and NSGF Chairman, Muhammadu Yahaya, had in attendance the 19 northern governors and chairmen of the 19 states’ traditional councils.The Forum expressed concern over the escalating violence in parts of the North, including the killings and abductions recently recorded in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano states, as well as renewed Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe.“The Forum extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the governments and good people of the affected states,” the communiqué said, noting that the attacks on schoolchildren and other citizens had become “unacceptable tragedies” that required urgent collective action.It commended President Bola Tinubu for what it described as the Federal Government’s “firm response” to recent abductions and insurgency threats, especially the rescue of some abducted pupils.The governors also saluted security agencies for their sacrifices on the frontlines.“We resolved to renew our support for every step taken by the President and Commander-in-Chief to take the fight to insurgents’ enclaves in order to end the criminality,” the Forum stated.A major highlight of the meeting was the North’s renewed push for the establishment of state police, with governors and traditional rulers insisting that decentralised policing had become inevitable.“The Forum reaffirms its wholehearted support and commitment to the establishment of state police,” the communiqué added, urging federal and state lawmakers from the region to “expedite action for its actualisation.”On illegal mining, the governors said criminal mining networks were fuelling violence and providing resources for armed groups.As a corrective measure, they asked Tinubu to direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to impose a six-month suspension of mining activities in order to allow for a full audit and revalidation of licences.“The Forum observed that illegal mining has become a major contributory factor to the security crises in Northern Nigeria. “We strongly recommend a suspension of mining exploration for six months to allow proper audit and to arrest the menace of artisanal illegal mining,” it said.To strengthen the fight against insecurity, the governors also announced the creation of a regional Security Trust Fund.Under the proposed arrangement, each state and its local governments will contribute ₦1bn monthly, to be deducted at source under an agreed framework.They said the fund would help provide sustainable financing for joint operations, intelligence-driven interventions and coordinated security responses across the region.At the end of the meeting, the Forum reaffirmed its commitment to unity and collective responsibility.“Only through unity, peer review and cooperation can we overcome the pressing challenges before us,” it declared.The Forum agreed to reconvene on a date to be announced.Meanwhile, Nigeria’s worsening security crisis took a grim turn on Monday as bandits launched fresh attacks in Kano State, abducting 25 villagers, even as the Federal Government raced to secure the release of more than 300 Catholic school children kidnapped in Niger State.In the early hours of Monday, armed bandits invaded Unguwar Tsamiya—popularly called Dabawa—in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State, whisking away nine men and two women after shooting into the air and assaulting residents. The attackers also rustled two cows.A resident lamented the community’s helplessness: “We cannot do otherwise; most of us cannot leave because we have nowhere to go. This is our place, our land and everything is here.”The assault came less than 24 hours after a similar attack on Yan Kamaye in Tsanyawa LGA, a community along the volatile Katsina border.In Niger State, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has assured distraught families of St. Mary’s Co-Education School, Kontagora that the more than 300 students and staff abducted on November 21 will return home “soon.” Ribadu, who led a high-level federal delegation to the school on Monday, said the abductees are safe, though he offered no specifics on their location or the status of rescue operations.According to Daniel Atori, spokesman for the Catholic bishop overseeing the school, the NSA reassured officials: “The children are where they are and will come back safely.”The St. Mary’s attack is part of a worrying resurgence of mass kidnappings reminiscent of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction. Security analysts warn that banditry has evolved into a “structured, profit-seeking industry,” with hundreds of Nigerians abducted in November alone.The Kontagora school abduction occurred the same week 25 girls were kidnapped in Kebbi State—victims who authorities say have since been rescued through “non-kinetic” means. About 50 of the St. Mary’s hostages have also managed to escape.Ribadu’s delegation, which included the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing the freedom of all abducted citizens.As communities from Kano to Niger continue to bear the brunt of these violent incursions, the escalating spate of kidnappings underscores the urgent national demand for a more decisive and coordinated security response.
By David Torough, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said former Attorney‑General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, will face a team of interrogators at its office daily throughout December.
A credible source in the EFCC said on Monday that the daily appearance was part of an ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of an alleged 490 million dollars Abacha loot secured through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) request. The source said that Malami, who was summoned for interrogation by the EFCC on Saturday, was barred from leaving Nigeria for the next one month.According to the source, one of the conditions for his release on Saturday was that he should report daily to the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja for further interrogation.The source said Malami would have to appear daily at the anti-graft office due to the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him.”We seized his passport, it is the normal routine during investigation, but he has to report at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja every day for the next month.”He will be reporting for further investigation throughout December.”He will be reporting every day, starting from Dec. 1st to Dec. 31st.He will appear before the team of investigators for the entire month of December.”He will be reporting to EFCC for investigation for the period because of the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him,” the source added.According to the source, a fact sheet on the former minister revealed that Malami had several issues to clarify with the EFCC within the coming weeks.“We have asked him to explain the whereabouts of the $490 million Abacha loot secured through MLAT.“We didn’t say he stole money, but he should account for the loot. This is one of the issues he will clarify to our investigators.”The commission cited the large volume of documents he must review and the need for extensive interviews as reasons for seizing his passport.The source said EFCC would not engage in a war of words but would release its findings after a thorough investigation.Malami, in a statement by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, on Monday in Abuja, however, described the EFCC investigation as a political witch‑hunt.He confirmed he honored an EFCC invitation on Nov. 28, describing the engagement as fruitful and expressing confidence that the probe would vindicate him.Malami described the EFCC’s allegations as baseless, illogical and devoid of substance, insisting they collapse under factual scrutiny.
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