Politics
Kogi youths accuse State INEC REC, Longpet of bias, demand his immediate removal
“This step is to immediately, without wavering, remove or discipline Dr Hale Gabriel Longpet and Engr.Suleiman Tanko as the REC and Administrative Secretary of INEC in Kogi State for their roles in supporting Governor Yahaya Bello to claim that APC primaries held across all wards and Local Government Council Headquarters across Kogi State, which sparks outcry of the possible outcome of the November gubernatorial election, if the shoddy APC gubernatorial primaries can be applauded by INEC as acceptable.
“Dr Hale Longpet and Engr. Suleiman Tanko have been engaged in professional misconduct and biases, which have made mockery of elections and the democratic process in the North-Central State of Kogi State.
“Apparently, their cups are full and running over, so INEC cannot continue to turn a blind eye to their misconduct. The people of Kogi State, have totally rejected them, and INEC must immediately remove them and replace them with people who have capacity to ensure free, fair, credible and transparent polls in the coming gubernatorial election in November 2023.
“Without mincing words, we call on Professor Yakubu Mahmoud to remove Dr Hale Longpet and Engr.Suleiman Tanko, including those Electoral Officers who have served for so many years and have become landlords in the State, whose activities for the Governor give him the opportunity to boast that his already written results for the Kogi November 11, 2023 gubernatorial election will be announced in favour of his anointed candidate.
“These electoral umpires should be removed from Kogi State due to their lack of impartiality, which is unbecoming.
“We, the people of Kogi State, have, therefore, lost confidence in Dr. Hale Longpet and Engr. Suleiman Tanko’s neutrality to conduct the next governorship election in the State, scheduled to hold in November 2023.”
Continuing, the IYLA Speaker pointed out some of the distortions, flaws and aberrations which the INEC officials in the state overlooked in the February 25, 2023 National Assembly elections which made a mess of the poll to include, “manipulation of BVAS, as many voters were denied their right to vote because BVAS showed that they had been accredited, though they were not”, adding that it was clear that INEC officials had configured BVAS to prevent thousands of persons to cast their votes in the National Assembly elections.
The IYLA protesters armed with various placards
He also pointed out the electoral violence in Kogi East Senatorial District, which according to him, ‘the REC turned the blind eye and failed to take the right steps in such circumstances.”
Others, he said, were: “Snatching of ballot boxes at gunpoint in Kogi East Senatorial District. Video and photographic evidence were on display for the world to see, but Dr. Hale Long pet did not see them. He went ahead to declare winners;
“Inconclusive polls in hundreds of polling units in Kogi East Senatorial District due to disruptions by criminal elements who worked for a political party;
“Party agents were forced to sign fraudulent election results at gunpoint, in the presence of INEC officials, who still declared those results as valid;
“Alleged Electoral fraud, in the form of alteration of results in favour of Yahaya Bello’s candidates, from many polling units in Kogi East Senatorial District, carried out by INEC officials and security personnel during the collation of the results;
“Failure to call for the conduct of fresh elections (or make up polls) at polling units where violence or lack of electoral materials prevented thousands of voters from casting the votes during the elections; Declaring results under shady circumstances,” as well as the destruction of ballot papers and boxes by a local government chairman that belongs to the ruling all Progressives Congress (APC) in the state as shown in the viral video, but which the INEC failed to take necessary action.
Dr. Ojoachele further said that they have received intelligent information that suggested that thugs were being trained somewhere in Okene Local Government Area “to promote insecurity in the state ahead of the gubernatorial election.”
“This was evident in the incidence of Saturday, 3rd of June 2023, where the governor’s convoy was alleged to have attacked the SDP candidate’s convoy coming to Lokoja on a thank you visit along Lokoja-Abuja road,” he added.
The IYLA spokesman, however, called on the people of state to be vigilant and resist any attempt by dubious politicians to cause anarchy in the state ahead of the November governorship election.
….GMN challenges ruling party to publish register, accuses APC of preparing ground for 2027 rigging
The Grassroots Mobilization Network (GMN), a support group of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has dismissed the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s claim of 12.9 million registered members as “a scam and outright fraud,” challenging the ruling party to publish its membership register for public verification.
The group alleged that the membership figure was fabricated to create a false impression of massive nationwide support for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections and potentially provide cover for an alleged plan to manipulate the polls.
The allegation was contained in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by GMN spokesperson, Comrade Peter Emeka.
Emeka said the APC’s claim was an attempt to deceive Nigerians and the international community about the party’s actual strength, arguing that genuine political popularity could not be manufactured through unverified figures.
“The APC’s so-called 12.9 million membership claim is nothing but fraud and a scam by a party that has lost the confidence of Nigerians,” the group said.
“You cannot manufacture members on paper when your government has failed to deliver food, security and jobs to the people.”
GMN further alleged that the figures could be deployed as part of preparations to manipulate the 2027 presidential election.
“The main aim of manufacturing these figures by the desperate APC is to use it to support their impending rigging plans,” Emeka alleged.
“But that plan will fail. Nigerians are ready to foil whatever illegal and dubious plans to frustrate or win the 2027 presidential election.”
The group also accused the APC of attempting to create a misleading picture of its grassroots support base before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), election observers and the wider international community.
“It’s simply a gimmick to hoodwink Nigerians and the world, but it’s a mockery of our democracy,” Emeka said.
GMN challenged the APC to substantiate its claim by making its membership database available for scrutiny.
“If APC truly has 12.9 million members, let them publish the register, state by state, ward by ward, for Nigerians to verify. The party has not done that because there is nothing to show,” the statement said.
The group argued that political parties should build their support through credible leadership, performance and public trust rather than what it described as propaganda and inflated statistics.
“If APC truly wants to grow its membership, it should first address hunger, insecurity and economic hardship.
“Nigerians will join a party that gives them hope, not one that gives them lies,” it added.
GMN warned that unverified membership figures could further damage public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system and deepen voter apathy.
“Nigerians are not children. We can see the empty rallies, the deserted party offices and the anger on the streets,” the group said.
“This fake membership claim will only deepen the disconnect between the government and Nigerians.”
The ADC support group accused the APC-led Federal Government of using propaganda to divert attention from what it described as worsening poverty, inflation, unemployment and insecurity.
“Governance is not a census of ghosts. Leadership must be accountable, measurable and people-centred,” GMN declared.
“The APC should stop chasing headlines and face the real problems confronting Nigerians.
GMN called on civil society organisations and the media to demand evidence from the APC and subject its claimed 12.9 million membership figure to independent scrutiny.
The group maintained that Nigerians deserve a credible and transparent electoral process ahead of the 2027 elections, rather than what it described as “manufactured statistics” designed to create a perception of electoral dominance.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has disowned a purported announcement of a Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) under the name “OK Movement”, saying the publication credited to one John Ugulu did not emanate from the party.
The National Chairman of the party, Senator Cleopas Moses, made the position known in a statement on Saturday, stressing that only the party’s leadership has the authority to constitute and announce a Presidential Campaign Council.
Moses said the NDC “dissociates itself in totality” from the purported announcement and urged members of the public and the media to disregard it.
According to him, all candidates contesting under the platform of the NDC must recognise that they are not independent candidates but products of the party and are therefore subject to its authority and discipline.
“The party wishes to state categorically that only the party’s leadership can constitute and announce a Presidential Campaign Council, PCC,” he said.
The NDC chairman warned that no member, candidate or support group should take actions capable of undermining or demarketing the party, adding that no individual or group was authorised to announce, constitute or publish any campaign council, structure or organ in the name of the party without prior approval from the National Working Committee (NWC).
Moses acknowledged the contributions of support groups to the party, saying the NDC appreciated their efforts and remained open to welcoming more groups committed to its mission of “rescuing Nigeria”.
He, however, cautioned support groups against presenting themselves as alternative structures or parallel organs of the party.
The chairman also urged members and support groups with grievances against the party to use established internal channels rather than resorting to public attacks.
“We expect a stop to unnecessary attacks against the party on whose platform our candidates are running. If there are any differences or grievances, support groups and members are advised to refer such matters to the party through appropriate internal channels for resolution rather than resorting to public attacks,” Moses said.
On Ugulu, the NDC chairman said the party had decided to refer him to its appropriate disciplinary organ over what he described as “this act of affront and his excesses during the primary election in Lagos State” as well as his alleged repeated disregard for party authority.
He said the disciplinary action would be taken in accordance with the provisions of the party’s constitution.
Moses reaffirmed the NDC’s commitment to its issue-based campaign, saying the party remained focused on delivering what it described as “a New Nigeria that is Possible.”
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the final list of presidential candidates and their running mates for the January 2027 general elections.
The list, signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, released on Saturday in Abuja, featured candidates sponsored by 18 political parties competing for the office.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the gender distribution of the list showed that out of the 18 presidential flag bearers, 16 are male, representing 88.9 per cent, while two are female.
NAN also reports that the male contenders on the list include: Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Atiku of African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Peter Obi of Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
Others are: Adewole Adebayo of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Oluseyi Makinde of Allied People’s Movement (APM), Donald Duke of People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Chibuzor Okereke of Labour Party (LP) and Omoyele Sowore of African Action Congress (AAC).
The only two female presidential candidates, which constitute 11.1 per cent of the number, are: Okwori Fredrick of National Democratic Party (NDP) and Dr Esther Okereke of National Redemption Party (NRM).News
The gender statistics of the vice-presidential candidates also shows that a total of 14 running mates are male, representing 77.8 per cent, while only four, representing 22.2 per cent, are female.
The female vice-presidential candidates are: Ofordile Egobia (APP), Abubakar Usaku (DLA), Konto Bintu (LP) and Patience Ndidi (YPP).
NAN reports that the commission also released the final list of candidates for the senate and the House of Representatives.(NAN)
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