Siminalayi “Sim” Fubara, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for governor in the Rivers state governorship election, is currently in the lead following the announcement of five local governments. Fubura is ahead of Tonye Cole, his All Progressives Congress candidate and closest rival (APC). The Social Democratic Party came in third with 17,068 votes, closely trailing the PDP with 53,786 and the APC with 13,317.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has initiated legal action against the government of Nigeria, specifically President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), and the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed (SERAP).
The lawsuit challenges the NBC’s arbitrary use of the NBC Act and the broadcasting code to sanction and threaten broadcast stations in Nigeria over their legitimate coverage of the 2023 general elections. This was done in violation of the NBC Act and the broadcasting code. SERAP is looking for a declaration that the actions taken by NBC are unlawful and unconstitutional because they violate the rights to freedom of expression and access to information, as well as the freedom of the media.
They are also asking for a temporary restraining order to prevent NBC and the other defendants from threatening or sanctioning any broadcast stations. SERAP contends that it is a perversion of justice to threaten and punish broadcast stations while at the same time allowing those who committed acts of electoral violence to avoid responsibility for their actions.
In addition, they argue that the NBC Act and Code would place restrictions on people’s rights to freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria and international human rights treaties. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of SERAP by their attorneys, Kolawole Oluwadare, Ms. Adelanke Aremo, and Ms. Valentina Adegoke. In it, they argue that the NBC legislation and codes do not confer unfettered discretion for the restriction of freedom of expression and media freedom. SERAP’s lawyers are Kolawole Oluwadare, Ms. Adelanke Aremo, and Ms. Valentina Adegoke.
Therefore, SERAP is requesting that the court grant them the following reliefs:
A DECLARATION that it is a violation of the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom for the NBC broadcasting code to have been used to sanction some broadcast stations, threaten to revoke the licenses of others, and shut them down for covering the general elections. These actions were taken in response to the stations’ coverage of the election.
A DECLARATION that the sanctioning of some broadcast stations and the threat to revoke the licenses of others and shut them down for simply carrying out their legitimate duties of covering the general elections is a violation of the right to fair hearing as provided for in the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and human rights treaties which Nigeria has ratified. This right was violated by the threat to revoke the licenses of others and shut them down for simply carrying out their legitimate duties of covering the general elections.
A DECLARATION that the arbitrary action taken by NBC to sanction some broadcast stations and threaten to revoke the licenses of others and shut them down for covering the general elections is a violation of section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] as well as Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act. This declaration is being made in light of the fact that both of these provisions were recently amended.
AN ORDER compelling President Buhari to direct the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Mr. Mohammed to withdraw the sanction and threat against broadcast stations and to comply with the provisions of section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act. AN ORDER requiring the NBC and Mr. Mohammed to comply with the provisions of section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution.
AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION prohibiting President Buhari, the NBC, and Mr. Muhammed, whether jointly or severally, as well as any other authority, person, or group of persons, from unilaterally sanctioning and threatening to revoke the licenses of any broadcast stations and shutting down the stations on the grounds that they are covering the general elections in 2023.
The court case has not yet been scheduled for a hearing at this time.
The Nigerian Air Force launched a major attack against bandits just one day after a group of gunmen ambushed and killed a major and four soldiers in Igu village, located in the Munya Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.
On Friday afternoon, the airstrikes targeted the bandits’ hideout in Camace, which is located in Kazai Ward, Tsohon Kabula village, and is also situated in the Munya Local Government Area of the state.
After the initial assault, it was reported that the bandits were gathering their forces. Although the exact number of bandits killed as a direct result of the airstrikes is unknown, there were multiple casualties. During the ambush, the bandits had previously killed four local vigilantes, and several others, including soldiers, were injured. These individuals are currently being treated at a government health facility in Minna for their wounds. During the course of the military operation, several of those who had been kidnapped earlier were successful in evading capture.
According to a source located in close proximity to Kamace village, only seven of the thirty-five motorcycles that were observed in the area were able to flee, while the remainder were destroyed in the airstrikes.
The bandits were attacked in two separate areas. The first group was attempting to take cover at Kamace Primary School when they were struck, resulting in the death of over 30 bandits and the destruction of their motorcycles.
The second group lost their lives while they were attempting to remove the bodies of their fellow workers. It is now believed that the bandits are in disarray and have scattered to various locations in an attempt to find safety. Mr. Emmanuel Umar, who serves as the state commissioner for internal security and humanitarian affairs, has confirmed that an air raid took place but has declined to comment further.
Rotimi Amaechi, a former minister of transportation, has made allegations that Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was nominated by a member of Bola Tinubu’s camp, the president-elect. Amaechi made these allegations in a recent interview. The minister made the accusation that “INEC is a total failure,” adding that the voter apathy that was observed during the election for governorship and state house of assembly was due to the intimidation that voters experienced during the presidential election that took place on February 25. Amaechi further asserted that the chairman of the electoral commission had previously held the position of executive secretary of TETFund while working for Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers state. In addition to this, he stated that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Social Democratic Party had been arrested due to the assistance of the police by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) (SDP). After serving as governor of Rivers state for two terms, Amaechi came to the conclusion that the election process is “a total failure.”
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The results of the elections for governorship and the house of assembly have been trickling in across polling units, and Nigerians are waiting to find out who the winners and losers are in the state of Kano, which is the most populous state in the country.
It is the second most populous state in terms of registered voters, behind only Lagos state, which has 7,060,195 registered voters. The state is divided into 44 local government areas.
Major candidates for governor include Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, the incumbent deputy governor of the All Progressives Party (APC), Abba Kabir Yusuf, the candidate for the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and Saqid Walil, the candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The candidate for the APC wins the polling unit.
The candidate for the All Progressives Party, APC, in the state of Kano, Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, has been declared the victor in the voting unit in which he had earlier cast his ballot.
Gawuna garnered 98 votes in the final tally of the Polling Unit, which was enough to defeat the candidates of the NNPP and PDP, who garnered a total of two and one vote, respectively.
PU 041, which includes the incumbent deputy governor as well as the candidate for governor nominated by the APC, has been posted on the IREV portal maintained by INEC.
At the conclusion of the State Assembly elections that just took place, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had been victorious in the election for the seat in the Orsu State House of Assembly. Hon. Francis Uche Agabige, the candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared the winner of the election after receiving a total of 222 votes, while the candidate for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) received 114 votes. The election was carried out without incident, and a large number of citizens of Orsu showed up to the polls to cast their votes for the candidates of their choice. The presence of INEC officials at the polling units helped to ensure that the election was carried out in a manner that was free, fair, and open to public scrutiny. The residents of Orsu have voiced their faith that Hon. Francis Uche Agabige will be able to effectively represent their interests in the State Assembly. They have faith that he will utilize his position to the best of his ability in order to bring development projects to the constituency and thereby enhance the quality of life for the residents there. During his acceptance speech, the Honorable Francis Uche Agabige expressed his gratitude to the people of Orsu for their support and trust in him. He also thanked the people of Orsu for the opportunity to serve them. He made the promise that he would make use of his position to provide the people of Orsu with quality representation and to initiate projects that will have a positive impact on their lives. The victory of the candidate backed by the APC is evidence of the popularity and acceptance of the party among the residents of Orsu. It also demonstrates the level of trust and confidence the people have in the government that is led by the APC and its ability to deliver on the promises it has made.
The Governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, has issued a stern warning to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), advising them not to move the goalposts in such a way that gives other political parties an advantage over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ortom, who spoke after casting his vote at GSS Gbajumba, the headquarters of Guma local Government area, expressed the hope that INEC has taken note of the significant error it made during the voting exercise and transmission of results. He made these remarks after casting his vote at the location.
You are not allowed to change the position of the goal post in the middle of the game. In the previous election, INEC proceeded in this manner. I lauded, the same as I would today. In terms of the electorate, they performed admirably, as evidenced by the fact that the BVAS, the accreditation, and the voting procedure have all been completed. The problem is that they did not electronically upload the election results as required by their guidelines, which raises the question of why they did not do so.
“That is what we were working with, and you go and shift the goal post; that is how the election was rigged, and we are completely dissatisfied with what had happened,” she said. “That is what we were working with.” It is not acceptable, which is why we have taken legal action; we are upstanding citizens who respect the law, and we want everyone to be free; we don’t want a crisis.
He claims that there is peace everywhere in the process of voting, and that the opposition is tense because of this, which is why they are accusing the PDP of severally arming militia with weapons, among other things. According to him, the opposition is jittery.
“I have tried to find out in other locations in Guma local Government here and other places in the state, and there is not a crisis in any way, shape, or form,” said the governor. Everyone should be allowed to vote, but the election commission should handle everything else.
Governor Ortom stated that the people want the result to be transmitted so that they can find out who has the most votes, and that they are not going to alter it under the guise that there is a problem with the server.
According to him, the international observers have a complete and utter disagreement with the procedure that produced the winner that was ultimately chosen.
Governor Ortom has expressed his satisfaction with the level of voter participation, noting that people are more aware and are working to protect their votes until they are transmitted. He also expressed his happiness with the level of voter turnout.
During Saturday’s election for governor, the Peoples Democratic Party, an opposition party, soundly defeated the All Progressives Congress in one of the polling units located in the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House in Kaduna.
Isa Ashiru Kudan, the candidate for the main opposition party, received 77 votes to win polling unit 014, while Uba Sani, the candidate for the APC, received 40 votes.
The Presiding Officer, Mohammed Baso, who made the announcement stated that the Labour Party received 0 votes, the PRP received 1, the NNPP received 1, and there were 7 invalid votes recorded.
Details later…
On Saturday, March 18, 2023, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission made arrests in a total of 65 people across the 28 states that held elections for governorship and state houses of assembly. The arrests were made on suspicion of voter bribery and took place across the country.
operatives from the Ilorin Zonal Command were responsible for the arrests of 20 of the suspects, while operatives from the Kaduna Zonal Command who were on election monitoring duty were responsible for the arrests of 13 of the suspects.
There were a total of 12 people arrested for various offenses that bordered on inducing voters with money to vote for their preferred candidates by the teams monitoring the polls in the Port Harcourt Zone, while the Uyo Zonal Command made four arrests in Calabar. The four remaining suspects were taken into custody in the states of Gombe, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Niger.
These were disclosed on Saturday by Wilson Uwujaren, who serves as the Head of Media and Publicity for the EFCC. Our correspondent was able to obtain a copy of the statement.
He mentioned that those who were taken into custody in Kaduna included 10 males and three females, and he added that operatives who were working on intelligence were the ones who took them in.
According to Uwujaren, “A suspect who is suspected of being involved in vote buying was apprehended at School Road, Unguwan Rimi Kaduna.” However, the suspect who initially put up a fight against being arrested is currently being held in custody pending the outcome of the investigation.
Also in Kaduna, a man named Buhari Mohammed was taken into custody by a team led by Esmond Garba in the PU 002 Dogara Yaro Dagari neighborhood. He was caught with voter coupons, and he admitted that he planned to use them to track down and pay people who voted for his party. He was arrested.
In addition to this, the group that was monitoring the voting exercise around LEA Kabala Doki, Kaduna and was led by CSE Wakilu Omokide was also responsible for the arrest of two individuals who are suspected of buying votes. Upon their arrest, a total of N67,500, a list of names of voters along with their PVC numbers and other details about their bank accounts, among other things, were recovered from them.
According to the spokesperson for the anti-corruption agency, the investigation so far has revealed that the primary mode of operation of the suspects is to give eligible voters cash, transfer money, coupons, and send recharge cards in order to induce them to vote for their candidates. This information was revealed by the investigation so far.
“The majority of them had transferred money into the accounts of some voters on the lists that were recovered from them, as was discovered when a search was conducted on their persons and phones, which revealed this information. Voter registration cards, cash, and a list containing the names and account information of voters were some of the items that were recovered from the suspects. “Others are different types of recharge cards,” he explained.
Along the same lines, officers from the Kaduna Command detained two people in Niger State on suspicion of buying votes. The first suspect, identified as Umar Ibrahim, was detained at the polling unit on Peter Sarki Road after intelligence led to his arrest.
“After searching his vehicle, we discovered a letter of appointment from BOS (Bago Support Organization) as Director Liaison as well as an INEC ID tag (domestic election observer) bearing his name and photograph. The tag bore his name and a photograph. After further questioning, he admitted that a certain Mr. Usman Mohammed, who is affiliated with his political party, was the one who provided him with the INEC ID tag.
“The second suspect, Isa Salihu Bababida, was arrested at Unguwar Nassarawa with several lists of names, account numbers, and BVN,” Uwujaren added. “The lists contained names of people, account numbers, and BVN.”
Further, he disclosed that election monitoring teams in Port Harcourt, which is located in the state of Rivers, had apprehended 10 suspects who were suspected of being involved in voter inducement at Moscow Road, Elekahia, Township, Mile 2, Ward 2 polling Unit 2, and 30 Ogbum, Phalga, Port Harcourt. These locations can be found in Rivers state.
According to him, the individuals under suspicion were found in possession of A4 papers that contained the names, telephone numbers, and account numbers of individuals who were thought to be voters. Additionally, two young people who were suspected of being involved in voter inducement were detained at Ward 2 Polling Unit 2 and 30, Ogbum, PHALGA, in the city of Port Harcourt.
The Public Relations Officer for the EFCC also mentioned that the four people who were arrested at different locations in Calabar by the team from the Uyo Zonal Command led by Binta Rano volunteered their statements at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Cross River State Police Command.
He continued by saying, “The team arrested one Esther Edem, the Woman Leader of one of the political parties for Ward 11, Calabar South, Cross River State, and two others, Edet Etim and Asanwana Eyo for alleged vote buying in Calabar.” Edet Etim and Asanwana Eyo were both arrested for the same offense.
“The Woman Leader, who had a list of suspected voters, their account numbers, and thousands of Naira in cash was apprehended inside an uncompleted building beside her ward in Calabar South, while Etim and Eyo were arrested at Ward 12, Unit 11, at Kings Memorial School by Inyang Street, Abasi Obori, Calabar South.” “The Woman Leader, who had a list of suspected voters, their account numbers, and thousands of Naira in cash.”
The two individuals known as Etim and Eyo were found to be in possession of their own voter registration lists as well as the funds necessary to purchase votes.
Uwujaren also mentioned that the suspects Adekunle Ademola, Wasiu Raimi, Laaro Rasheed, Alagbe Taiwo, Boniface Victory, Kayode Toba, Adeoye Adetunji, Lawal Favour, Abidoye Moradeyo, Magaji Iliasu, Abdulkadir Abdulmumini, and Musa Olasunkanmi were among the 20 people arrested by the
Others are Marudeen Sadiq, Abogunrin Oluwasesan, Funmilayo Lawal, Olawuyi Bolarin, Garuba Ismail, Abiola Abogunrin, Amidu Tiamiyu and Usman Abdulazeez.
“The suspects who were apprehended at various polling units across the state were found in possession of evidence, including cash of various sums, a notebook containing a list of voters’ names, a POS machine, mobile phones, and voter cards, among other items,” the statement read.
“During the course of the investigation, some of the suspects admitted to working for the party in some capacity, while others admitted to passing out cash in an attempt to sway voters.” He said.
In the meantime, the EFCC PRO further added that in Gombe, the Gombe Zonal Command, which was led by Faruk Dogondaji, had made 10 arrests over allegations of voters’ inducement and had recovered 43 pieces of wrappers and N1, 923,900 in cash.
He did, however, point out that inquiries into the circumstances surrounding each suspect are still being conducted at this time.
The Centre for Democracy and Development, a political think tank, voiced concerns over the credibility of the governorship election on Saturday, citing allegations of public vote selling, violence, and intimidation as the reasons for their concerns.
According to the organization, even though the Independent National Electoral Commission performed better in the area of logistics deployment, which led to the prompt arrival of electoral officials, there were occasional issues of the Bi-modal Voters Accreditation System not functioning properly. This led to prompt arrival of electoral officials.
Idayat Hassan, the Executive Director of the CDD, issued a preliminary statement regarding the elections for governorship and the state houses of assembly. In the statement, the CDD brought up the issues.
She stated that the information gathered from the organization’s 1,500 observers stationed throughout the country revealed there were more instances of vote-buying during the election for governor compared to the presidential poll that took place on February 25.
This reality, in her estimation, was reflected across all six of the world’s geopolitical zones.
According to Hassan, “observers in all seven states in the northwestern region reported increased reports of vote trading, primarily by political party agents.” In addition to money, other materials including food items, wrappers, and something called a “credit voucher” were used, and those items would be redeemed after the results were determined.
“In a similar fashion, in the North East, political party agents in Taraba sneaked into the line, pretended to be voters, and took advantage of the opportunity to offer cash in exchange for votes.
“There were reports that APGA and LP party agents in the South-East were using materials, phones, and other souvenirs to entice voters in the state of Anambra.
“In the South-South, multiple states reported a desire for voters to show proof of their vote before being paid. According to reports, party agents in Esan Central LGA, Edo state, were compiling a list of their voters.
“This may be a reflection of the heightened political environment surrounding governorship polls, the importance of local personalities in state-level politics, and the shortages of fuel and Naira,” the author writes. “This could also be a reflection of the importance of local personalities in state-level politics.”
The pro-democracy organization commented on the violent incidents that took place and said that the incidents reinforced the heightened political environment that the elections had been carried out in.
Hassan claims that party agents and other politically motivated thugs were involved in the violent acts that were carried out.
A further statement that she made was along the lines of “a concern that has cut across multiple zones is the reduced presence of security officials.” Especially in comparison to the election for president, observers from all of the states in the south-south, south-west, and north-west regions reported a significantly reduced presence of security personnel.
“As a consequence of this, there have been a number of skirmishes and fights between voters, party agents, and officials. For instance, observers in Enugu reported clashes between party representatives, while other observers in Jigawa highlighted similar issues between self-proclaimed party members.
As a consequence of this, the think tank concluded that voter suppression is a significant factor that influences the way elections are run.
In addition, according to the CDD, thuggery was used in an attempt to disrupt the process.
“There were reports that thugs attacked a polling unit in the Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, causing voters to flee in fear. In addition, election materials were stolen at gunpoint in the Emelia Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, and the process was also disrupted in the Obio Akpor LGA of the same state, she said.
During their discussion of the role that misinformation played in the election, the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) brought up the fact that there was a spate of voter intimidation video that was widely circulating online as voters were making their way to the polls, particularly in Lagos.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the percentage of eligible voters who showed up to cast their ballots at the polls differed from one state to the next. Also speaking, the Chairman of the CDD’s Election Analysis Centre, Professor Adele Jinadu, made this statement.
He explained that states in which the incumbent was facing a significant challenge from his opponent saw a relatively higher voter turnout compared to states in which the challenge was less significant.
Jinadu added that CDD observation data indicated that in the south-south, the general sense of discouragement across the region that was due to the unfavorable outcome of the presidential election affected turnout, with voters declaring that “there is no point” in coming out to vote. This was because of the unfavorable outcome of the election for the presidency.
In addition to this, he stated that the data collected by CDD observers demonstrated that INEC officials across the southwest zone arrived on time and began the process in a timely manner in over eighty percent of the polling units that were observed.
“This pattern holds true across the board for all six of the world’s geopolitical zones. In the state of Anambra, 75 percent of polling units had officials from INEC who arrived on time, and voting began at an average time of 8:41 in the morning.
“There was even a report that INEC officials in Benue state had slept over at the polling unit in order to avoid late coming,” he said. “This was done in order to avoid late coming at the polling unit.”
