POLITICS
Ondo Poll: Akeredolu in Early Lead as INEC Announces Results in 12 LGAs
Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has won in nine of the 12 local government results so far declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with a total of 166, 368 votes in the Ondo state governorship election, which held October 10.
His closest rival, Mr Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), won in three local government areas, with a total of 133, 607 votes.
The candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Agboola Ajayi garnered 32,057 votes to come a distant third.
The nine local government areas won by the APC were Ile Oluji/Oke-Igbo, Irele, Akoko North-East, Akoko South-West, Akoko North-West, Ondo East, Owo, Idanre and Akoko South-East.
The PDP won in Akure South, Akure North and Ifedore local government areas, while the ZLP did not win in any local government.
The breakdown of the results showed that Akeredolu scored 13, 278 votes in Ile Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government area to beat Jegede and Ajayi, who polled 9,231 and 1,971 votes respectively.
In Irele Local Government area, Akeredolu won with12,643 votes, followed by Ajayi, who polled 5, 904 votes ahead of Jegede, who scored 5,493 votes.
Akeredolu also won in Akoko North-East Local Government area with a total of 16,572 votes, while Jegede and Ajayi tagged along with 8,380 and 3, 532 votes respectively.
Similarly, the APC candidate won in Akoko South-West Local Government area with 21, 232 votes, followed by the PDP candidate, who polled a total of 15, 055, while their ZLP counterpart scored 2,775 votes.
The story was not different in Akoko North-West Local Government area, where Akeredolu garnered 15,809 votes, with Jegede having 10,320 votes and Ajayi 3,221.
Akeredolu also won in Ondo East Local Government area with 6,485 votes, closely followed by candidates of the PDP and the ZLP, who polled 4,049 and 3, 221 votes respectively.
It was a landslide victory for Akeredolu in his Owo Local Government area, where he garnered a total of 35,957 votes to beat Jegede of the PDP, who scored 5,311, and Ajayi of the ZLP, who scored 408 votes.
Also in Idanre Local Government area, APC won with a total of 11,286 votes, PDP 7,499 and ZLP 3,623.
The APC candidate also recorded victory in Akoko South- East Local Government area with a total of 9,419 votes over candidates of the PDP and ZLP, who scored 4,003 and 2,004 votes respectively.
It was, however, a different story in Akure Local Government area, where Jegede of the PDP recorded a resounding victory with a total of 47,627 votes to beat Akeredolu of the APC, who polled 17,277 and Ajayi of the ZLP, who scored 1,046 votes.
The the results from the remaining six local government areas were expected to be announced by INEC later. (NAN)
POLITICS
Nigeria not Ripe for Diaspora Voting – NBA Official
Mr Auta Nyada, the Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Legal Education Committee, says Nigeria is not ripe enough for Diaspora voting.
Nyada said this at the Multi-stakeholders’ Forum on Youth Electoral Reform Priorities on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that although the idea of Diaspora voting had been raised by many groups in recent times, the electoral system was not matured enough to accommodate it.
Nyada advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to concentrate on addressing the loopholes observed in the 2023 general election and the other off-cycle elections rather than delve into Diaspora voting.
“Diaspora voting is actually a good idea, but for me, I don’t think that Nigeria has reached the stage for Diaspora voting, introducing Diaspora voting will require a lot to be successful.
“Nigeria is still struggling with the operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and people are talking about Diaspora voting.
“We are witnesses to the malfunctioning of the BVAS in the 2023 general election, I think we should work toward rectifying the problem, instead of talking about Diaspora voting, ” he said.
Nyada said that Nigeria must put in a watertight technology before thinking about Diaspora voting.
“So many foreigners are getting the National Identification Number (NIN) in spite of the stringent regulations by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
“If you introduce Diaspora voting today in Nigeria, all black people in the world could decide to vote as Nigerians.
“We don’t have a watertight security system to identify genuine Nigerians from others, I think Diaspora voting is for future and not now, ” he said.
Nyada also called for the amendment of the Electoral Act to ensure that all election matters were terminated before elected officials were sworn in.
“You can’t expect me to have a control over the state power apparatus and still expect me to lose an election case in court, it is really impossible, ” he said. (NAN)
POLITICS
PDP NWC passes Vote of Confidence on Damagum
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has passed a Vote of Confidence on the party’s Acting National Chairman, Mr Umar Damagum.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said the vote of confidence was passed at the NWC’s 584th meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.
Ologunagba said the decision was based on Damagum’s efforts aimed at repositioning the PDP as the main opposition party in Nigeria.
The National Executive Council meeting of the party had be slated for Thursday to either affirm Damagum as the Chairman or appoint a replacement.
Damagum was appointed as the Acting Chairman following the suspension of the former chairman,
Chief Iyorcha Ayu in 2023.
POLITICS
We Shall Return to Aso Villa in 2027 – PDP Reps Caucus Says
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Represebtatives says it must regain the presidency it lost in 2015, as the seat of power had “become our party’s birth right”.
Rep. Chinda Kingsley, the leader of the minority caucus in the House, said this while briefing newsmen after the third meeting of PDP lawmakers in Abuja, on Tuesday.
“We are going back, as we resume the session to commence a strong, virile and purpose-driven opposition to give the people a voice in the parliament,” the Caucus said.
The lawmakers issued a three-months ultimatum to the Federal Government to normalise the security situation in the country.
According to him, government must immediately take steps to ensure that the security situation in the country is normalised.
“We x-rayed the security situation in our country and we resolved that we can no longer take this situation where Nigeria is today almost tagged as ‘one life, one minute silence’.
“After three-months, the caucus will take further steps to sensitise and mobilise Nigerians to take their security into their hands,” the legislators said.
He said the caucus also agreed to call on all party caucuses, the board of trustees, national executive committee and the national working committee of the party to embark on reconciliatory measures.
This, according to him, is with the view to resolve all litigations that are pending and have hindered the party’s quest for a substantive national Chairman.
He called on leaders of the PDP to continue to demonstrate unconditional loyalty to the party and ensure that the party is placed where she enjoyed the position of the largest party in Africa.
He said that PDP members in the House of Reps were united, indivisible, committed and out to perform their duty as the watchdog on behalf of the Nigerian people.(NAN)