LIVE UPDATE: #NigeriaDecides: Shehu Sani loses polling unit to APC

As Nigeria elects leader today, DAILY NIGERIAN will be bringing you live updates of the development nationwide.

Our reports will comprise updates from our reporters, agency reports, citizen reports from party and security agents, INEC officials, among others.

DAILY NIGERIAN has also established contact with situation rooms of the two leading political parties to bring news anew as it unfolds nationwide.

The Independent Electoral Commission, INEC said 79 candidates are contesting for president in the 2019 election.

The two major candidates are 76-year-old Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress who is gunning for second term and 72-year-old Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP who has contested for the seat a number of times in the past.

THE LIVE UPDATES:

At 4:00am, in Dala Local Government area of Kano State, a shortfall of bundles of ballots was noticed by the electoral officers in some cartons of ballots for the presidential election.

Officials told DAILY NIGERIAN officials detected shortfall of six and eight bundles in the first and second cartons respectively. Each bundle contains 100 ballots.

The empty spaces in the cartons were padded with some flaps of empty cartons to fill up the gaps.

Incident was reported to the police and local INEC office.

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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, on Saturday, experienced some hiccup trying to vote at his Gwaranga primary school polling unit of Gwaranga town in Bogoro Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

A News Agency of Nigeria Correspondent reports that Mr Dogara arrived the polling unit at about 9.44 but the Card Reader failed to authenticate his finger-print, as a result of which he had to use the authentication form to vote.

His wife, Gimbiya Dogara, however, voted smoothly without any problem.

Speaking after casting his vote, the Speaker commended the orderly conduct of the elections at his polling unit.

He said that he was not aware of how the exercise was going on in other places, but added that if the situation were the same in other units, then INEC had done a good job.

Dogara expressed optimism about his chances of winning at the polls.

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Meanwhile, nine suspected cultists were arrested in Somolu area of Lagos for allegedly molesting electorate on their way to polling stations.

David Folawiyo, Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG, monitoring the general elections in Lagos State, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the suspects were molesting electorate from exercising their franchise.

The AIG, in the company of Lagos State police commissioner, Zubairu Muazu, said that the suspects were taken to Police Zone 2 Headquarters, Onikan, for further investigation.

Folawiyo said charms, a motorcycle, and other items were recovered from the suspects.

Also speaking, Muazu said the exercise had been peaceful, stressing that information from his men across the Lagos State had been positive.

The Lagos CP said all INEC materials were escorted and delivered successfully to various centres and elections had begun.

“So far so good. Everything is going on according to plan. I am receiving feedback from my men all over the state, there is no negative report,” he said.

NAN reports that the AIG, CP and some other security agencies visited Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin and other areas for monitoring.

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The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Kano state says it has dispatched its technical experts to some areas to rectify faulty card readers.

The INEC Assistant Director, Public Affairs in Kano state, Garba Lawal-Mohammed told the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Kano that the experts were deployed following complaints from the affected areas.

“We have Election Monitoring Spot Centre where we monitor what is going on. So we are going to rectify the faulty card readers,” he said.

There were complaints from some of the polling centres across the state that some card readers were faulty.

He gave assurance that the commission would address the challenges to enable all eligible voters to exercise their franchise.

“The commission has sent its technical experts to rectify the faulty card readers found in some places, “he said.

Meanwhile, the election in Kano state was peaceful as there were no reports of any violence or breach of peace from across the state.

There is large turnout of voters in Sabon-gari area of Fagge Local Government Area of Kano state with voting commencing before 9 am.

The Supervising Presiding Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, lNEC, Malam Mohammed Kabir said he slept at the centre to ensure early commencement.

A voter, Eze Collins, a painter said he was impressed with the massive turnout of people and their orderly conduct.

“INEC officials coming early will allow everybody to vote without any stress,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the electorates are casting their vote accordingly without any problem as there is adequate security in the premises.

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Governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Ganduje, has expressed optimism that all the candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, would win the elections, calling on the losers to wait for the next four years to try their luck again.

The governor stated this shortly after he cast his vote at Ganduje Cikin Gari Ward in his hometown, Dawakin Tofa local government are of the state.

Mr Ganduje, who commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for orderly and peaceful conduct of the election, called on the teeming populace to vote for the APC at all elective positions.

According to him, the new cast-vote-and-go system adopted by the electoral body had reduced congestion at polling stations, noting that, that would reduce the election violence to the minimum level.

“As the governor of Kano state under the platform of APC, I use this opportunity to call on all and sundry to vote for APC at all elective positions.

“I am very happy with the way INEC prepared this election in an orderly and peaceful manner. This is commendable. The system also adopted by the INEC has indeed reduced congestion and violence to the nearest minimum level,” said Mr Ganduje.

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A national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, has said that he would accept the result of the presidential election even if it did not go the way of the party.

Mr Tinubu spoke with journalists after voting at Polling Unit 047, Ward 3, Ikeja at 11:20am.

He said that the will of the electorate must be respected, adding that as a true democrat, free and fair elections must be protected.

Tinubu was, however, upbeat about his party’s chances of winning the elections.

“If my party is voted out in this election, I will accept it because it is the people’s verdict, that is their decision. Any democrat that cannot accept a result from a free and fair election is not worthy of that name.

“As a true democrat, you must be able to accept the results of a free and fair election.

“My hope and determination of my party is that we are winning this election because we have the support of the masses and if you look at our rallies, it is an indication of our party’s popularity that we are the populace.

“We are not talking about the elites or those that are rich, but the poor masses, farmers, traders, artisans and the common man who seek for continuity,” he said.

Mr Tinubu, however, rated the conduct of the elections as successful so far, adding that though elections were expensive, yet it remained the best way of choosing leaders.

“The election has been successful so far, so good. It has demonstrated the resilience of the people and like the President has said; we have chosen the best way in a difficult way.

“Democracy is the toughest way of selecting a leader but the best system. With the resilience of the people and strong determination we are getting there,” Mr Tinubu said.

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The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has promised to accept results of the presidential elections provided the polls are credible.

Mr Atiku stated this to newsmen on Saturday shortly after voting in his Ajiya ward polling unit in Jimeta, Yola.

Mr Atiku said as a democrat, he has no problem with accepting poll results.

“I am a true democrat unlike others. So far so good,” he said.

Mr Atiku reiterated that although he was sure he would win, he would accept defeat if the conduct of the poll turned out to be transparently free and fair.

He expressed satisfaction with the turnout of voters to exercise their right during the polls hoped all those election officials would do their jobs in all honesty.

“I am impressed with the turnout of the voters. I hope the electoral officers would be able to cope with the crowd,” Mr Atiku said.

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Citizen reports from a Facebook user, Petra Akinti Onyegbule, shows that violence and ballot-box snatching have marred election at unit 004 of Oshobane Ward in Ogori in Kogi state.

According to her, some of the state governor, Yahaya Bello’s aides were given orders allegedly by the governor to ensure that they deliver their polling units or risk sack.

She wrote: “Unable to imagine the shock of being roundly defeated at the polls, some folks have taken to polling units destroying ballot boxes, tearing ballot papers, burning ballot boxes and snatching ballot boxes.

“Appointees of Kogi State Government have been told they must either deliver or be sacked. I can tell you there’s no way those guys in my LGA can deliver free and fair. And it is not their fault o.

“On the floor are the results of people’s franchise in unit 004 of Oshobane Ward in Ogori.

“Ballot boxes in Okesi Ward burnt!

“Democracy in Kogi, sayonara!

“PS: The brigandage is ongoing.

“PSS: Dear President Buhari, the protest votes are not against you. My people want you to win your reelection as President.”

Update:

Similarly, Ms Onyegbule alleged that some agents of the government were now thumb-printing and stuffing ballot boxes themselves in Unit 002, Oshobane Ward.

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The Presidential campaign spokesman for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta state, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, has called for the total cancellation of result from the Ika south and Ika north-east local government areas of the state.

Mr Ojougboh alleged there there was incidences of multiple voting in ward 6 unit 7 in Agbor Nta and ward 3 in Ozanogo both in Ika south LGA.

According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had been massively compromised in the Ika Federal Constituency.

He said: “INEC is deliberately allowing the Peoples Democratic Party to manipulate result. Therefore, I call for outright cancellation of the results.”

However, Ogbuefi Paul Odili, the APC candidate for the House of Representatives for the Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency, has expressed satisfaction over the peaceful voting exercise in his home town, Aboh Ndokwa East LGA of the state.

Speaking with reporters in Aboh, MrPaul said the election so far had been going on smoothly in his local government and beyond, noting that materials arrived on time and voting equally commenced early enough compared to previous years.

where late arrival of materials and the cumbersome approach to voting process discouraged eligible voters from voting.

Mr Odili who cast his vote in unit 6 ward 5 in Ogwuezi Primary school Aboh sounded optimistic that APC would emerge victorious in the ongoing electoral process.

He commended the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC for the giant stride taken to reduce the incidences of electoral malpractices.

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Following reports of attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents on two Yobe communities in the early hours of Saturday, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam could not cast his vote.

According to reports, the first attack occurred in Gaidam town early in the day, which has already been brought under control and voting is now underway there.

“As things stand now, voting is going on successfully across the state and His Excellency Governor Gaidam is pleased and grateful to the people for the large turnout at polling units throughout the state,” a source told the Channels.

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Thugs dressed in military uniform on Saturday stormed Ilile Primary School, Umuonu polling booth 13 and Nkahara polling booth 7 all in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area and made away with the electoral materials.

A voter in one of the affected booths said that the hoodlums on arrival shot indiscriminately into the air before carting away the ballot boxes.

The voter who pleaded anonymity said that the development made the electorate to leave the voting points.

According to him, the snatching of the ballot boxes brought the voting process to an abrupt end.

The voter said, “While voting was going on, armed men dressed in military uniform accompanied by some politicians came and carted the ballot boxes at Ilile Primary School. They did the same thing at two other polling booths.”

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Chris Finebone, the All Progressives Congress, APC, Publicity Secretary in Rivers, has confirmed the alleged killing of a party stalwart, Monwon Etete, and his elder brother, by unidentified gunmen.

Mr Finebone told newsmen in Port Harcourt on Saturday that the party would not yet react to the development as they were saddened by the news of the killing alleged to have happened in Asarama, a community in Andoni Local Government Area.

He, however, said that the party would speak extensively on the issue later.

Our correspondent learnt that Mr Etete, a former PDP member and adviser on Political Matters to Rivers Gov. Nyesom Wike, was gunned down at about 9 a.m. on Saturday.

Mr Etete, also a former Andoni Local Government Chairman, had resigned his appointment in Wike’s administration in 2018 and defected to APC.

Meanwhile, Mr Benson Imie, the APC state youth leader who is from Ikuru Town in Andoni the local government area, alleged that other three persons were also killed in the area.

He said that of the three, two persons were killed in Unyada and one in Ajakajak, both in Andoni LGA and added that the three were PDP members.

When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Usman Belel, said he was not yet in a position to react to the incident and referred the agency to the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Nnamdi Omoni.

However, several calls and message put across to the PPRO were not answered or responded to.

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Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammadu Buhari, has defeated the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar at Atiku’s polling unit in Yola.

While President Buhari polled 186 votes, Atiku polled 167 votes.

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Sixteen people were killed on Saturday in electoral violence across Nigeria during presidential and parliamentary elections, a network of civil society organisations said.

The Situation Room umbrella group of pro-democracy groups, which is monitoring the vote, said on Twitter that “16 deaths have been recorded across 8 states”.

Violence recorded included “disruption of voting, ballot boxes and papers set ablaze by political thugs in Lagos”, it added, without giving further details.

Electoral violence has marred previous votes in Africa’s most populous country and is relatively low compared to other years. Most voting took place without incident.

Analysts SBM Intelligence said 233 people were killed in 67 incidents of election-related violence from last October to Friday — an average of two people per day.

In the southern state of Rivers, unknown gunmen shot dead a former local government leader and his brother in the Andoni area, police said.

Both were members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party.

Police spokesman Nnamdi Omoni said “hoodlums” dressed in military uniforms also invaded some polling stations in the Okrika area of the state and snatched voting materials.

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Two men suspected to be working for one of the leading political parties were caught in the early hours of this morning with over 30,000 permanent voters’ cards, PVCs.

According to reports, the men were said to be on their way to one of the polling units registered under Ovia South local government, but luck ran out on them.

The report noted that the items were found in a rice sack in the boot of the car they were using for the operation.

The men were remanded by some Nigerian Police force officials that were stationed at some checkpoints along Benin-Ore expressway.

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Three persons were killed and two others sustained gunshot injuries following shooting from suspected ballot box snatchers.

The incident took place at Amope in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State on Saturday during accreditation and voting at some units.

It was learnt that the suspected hoodlums emerged from an unknown place and started shooting sporadically to scare away voters and election officers and agents.

As they released a volley of gunshots on some units on old Eku Road, Amope, two voters died instantly and one other person gave up the ghost at a hospital where he was rushed to.

The few security personnel manning the units ran away on hearing staccato of gunshots.

However, the hoodlums’ attempt to snatch the ballot boxes was thwarted by the quick arrival of some soldiers monitoring the polls.

They (hoodlums) reportedly succeeded in escaping from the scene.

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The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has postponed elections in some parts of Lagos, Rivers and Anambra states following widespread report of violence in these areas.

Briefing newsmen in Abuja, the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said elections in Akuku Toru and Bonny local government areas of Rivers state as well as some parts of Anambra and Lagos would be conducted on a later date.

“The commission has received reports of violence and ballot box snatching in some areas leading to the disruption of the process. We have asked the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs and the Electoral Officials on ground to submit their firsthand reports in relation to some of these incidents.

“We are still receiving reports relating to incidences in some states of the federation but we have received reports relating to incidences in Akuku Toru and Bonny local government areas of Rivers state.

“So long as the commission could not deploy in these areas, the implication is that voting did not take place in those areas and the commission will hold consultations with the relevant authorities and the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs in relation to these areas and will announce the date when polls will take place in some of these areas, especially in relation to the areas as they affect the House of Representatives and Senatorial elections.

“It is not only in Rivers that we had reports of burning of electoral materials. We have such reports from Anambra and Lagos states as well as some other places”, he added.

The commission also vowed to prosecute any of its staff who failed to use the Smart Card Readers for purposes of accreditation, saying where the card readers do not work up till 6pm on Election Day, the standard procedure is to shift the exercise to the next day.

According to Mr Okoye, no staff of the commission has discretionary powers on the use or otherwise of the card readers as its usage is not a subject of negotiation.

“With regards to the challenges associated with Smart Card Readers in some polling units, most of these challenges were resolved and were resolved on time.

“However, it is to be noted that in the Regulations and the Guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC it was made very clear that the use of the smart card readers is mandatory.

“Therefore, no staff of the Commission or any ad hoc staff of the Commission is permitted in whatever guise to deliberately refuse to use the smart card readers for the conduct of elections.

“According to the Guidelines and Regulations of the Commission, it is negligent conduct for any ad hoc staff to refuse to use the smart card readers for purposes of accreditation and any of them that refused to use the smart card readers or deliberately violated the use of the smart card readers will be subject to prosecution in accordance with the Guidelines and Regulations of the Commission and the Electoral Act,” he declared.

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Anambra state police command Saturday announced the abduction of a presiding officer and a youth corps member during the presidential and National Assembly elections by unknown persons in the state.

As a result, seven suspects have been arrested by the command including two armed police personnel on illegal duty during the elections.

Briefing reporters Saturday evening in Awka, Anambra state, the new police Commissioner for the elections, Rabiu Ladodo, said the cases were under investigations

He said the seven suspects were arrested for ballot box snatching, destruction of elections and vote buying, which took place at Onuma Imeobi square ward six unit 4 in Onitsha.

He also said the youth corps member and the presiding officer were abducted in ndiokolo unit, Orumba North local government area of the state in Anambra South senatorial zone.

Ladodo, said efforts were being intensified by the command to rescue the two victims.

According to him, “I have gone round the State along with heads of other security agencies both on Aerial and Vehicular patrols, in order to assess levels of deployment by the security agencies at various polling units and to ensure that the electorates exercise their franchise without hindrance.

“The election is generally peaceful and all the places visited have witnessed significant turnout of voters amid tight security in the areas”

“However, despite the relative peace recorded so far, there are few isolated incidents recorded such as ballot box snatching at Onuma imeobi Square ward six unit 4 Onitsha, vote buying, disruption of election in some polling units, alleged abduction of a presiding officer and a youth corper in Indiokolo unit, Orumba North LGA of Anambra South Senatorial Zone”

“Consequently, the Command has arrested Seven (7) suspects in connection with vote buying and disruption of electoral Process. The Command equality arrested two (2) armed Police mobile personnel on illegal duty. All cases are under investigation at the State CIID, Awka and effort is being intensified to rescue the abducted persons and bring perpetrators to justice”

He said exhibits recovered from the suspects included, One mini shuttle bus, two Motorcycles, Sum of One hundred and ten thousand nine hundred and twenty naira (#110,920),two handbags containing dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and two knives.

“The public are equally advised to report any incident or suspected persons through the Police emergency numbers availed to the public for prompt response, please,” the new CP said.

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Shehu Sani, the senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, has lost his polling unit to his rival, Uba Sani.

Mr Sani, who voted at Polling Unit 20, Ungwar Seriki ward, in Kaduna North local government area of the state, got 51 votes while Uba Sani had 236 votes.

Mr Sani is seeking re-election to the Senate under the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, while Uba Sani is vying on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

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NiBO 1, AWKA SOUTH LGA, ANAMBRA CENTRAL SD

February 24, 2019 7:29am

PRESIDENTIAL: REG VOTERS-6924 ACCREDITED-2031

ADP-2

AGAP-1

ANRP-1

APA-1

APC-67

APGA-132

TPC-1

DPP-4

GDPN-3

NRM-1

NUP-1

PCP-14

PDP-1719

PPN-1

SDP-2

SNP-1

UDP-1

YPP-2

TOTAL VALID-1956 REJECTED-56 TOTAL CAST-2012