Television Nigerian

Elections observers groups, Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement, YIAGA Africa and Watching The Vote Group have been warned against comments and moves that could undermine Nigeria’s democracy.

YIAGA and WVG are part of electoral observers in the just-concluded general elections in the country.

However, the two observing group had sank during the weekend called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the military to order in the course of their assignment during the Governorship and State Assembly Elections.

National Democratic Front, NDF, while desribing the demand as irresponsible, said the demand was a shameful affirmation of partisanship that should not come from any self-respecting group that ascribes neutrality to itself.

It, therefore, warned them to must immediately put a stop to undermining Nigeria’s democracy.

Dr. Bolaji Abdulkadir, Secretary General of the group gave this warning in a statement forwarded to our reporter on Sunday.

According to the statement, “With its kind of posturing, YIAGA is apparently playing a mind game in which it wants to create a scenario whereby President Buhari would be perceived as reversing himself, after earlier giving the order to the military to deal decisively with anyone snatching ballot boxes irrespective of political affiliation.

“It appears the YIAGA’s intention was to create the wrong impression that Mr President was only interested in the credibility of federal elections while state votes can go to the dog. Had President Buhari falling for the ruse and prevent the military from performing their duties during the state elections it is apparent that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), YIAGA’s employer, would have had a field by declaring that it has found its mythical smoking gun.

“The true intention of YIAGA must be further called to question as series of incidents during the elections in question confirmed that political actors, across party affiliations, are subjecting the process to untold violence. Second guessing the professionalism of the military, which was only called in to do the needful based on security report, therefore presents YIAGA as group that is disappointed that its affiliated political party was unable to cash in on violence to earn political advantage.

“YIAGA might have based its frivolous demand to the President on a fabled “assessment” of the state elections but the reality on ground proved that the military was never the issue. Rather, the problem is the posse of unpopular politicians that are yet to accept the reality of the electorate becoming better enlightened under the current dispensation. It is not possible that a better informed people will easily succumb to the propaganda deployed by persons that have no track record of delivering on their electoral promises.

“The desperation on the part of this group has seen it accused everyone but its client for the incidents recorded during the state election. In addition to the military, it has blamed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the ruling All Progressives’ Congress (APC), other security agencies, communities and every other stakeholders but itself. This attitude suggests that the group has a sole assignment of undermining the credibility of the elections.

“The National Democratic Front has nothing against YIAGA delivering its paid services to its clients in the opposition but it is pertinent that the group gives some thoughts to the number of lives that would have been lost to electoral violence had the military not deployed to offer deterrence against those that had premised their political success on the deployment of industrial scale violence. As things stand, the blood of those killed in the recorded instances of violence already cry out against organizations like YIAGA, whose crying wolf had limited the military’s ability to robustly respond to fully curtail violence.

“Our demand to YIAGA is unequivocal. It must cease its ongoing belligerence against the Nigerian state as represented by its constant attacks on the military. The group should leave Nigeria alone so that citizens can continue with the moral restructuring of their political system, which has for instance moved away from excessive money politics with prospect of the practice further diminishing in future elections. With the knowledge that the state does not approve of violence for winning elections, future elections are likewise set to be more peaceful.”

The Kano State Police Command has warned residents of the state against celebrating unofficial results of the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abdullahi Haruna, gave the warning in a statement issued to newsmen in Kano on Sunday.

He said the command has observed with concern how some political gladiators in the state have commenced celebration of victory in some places.

Haruna said the warning is meant to forge peace, harmony and avoid breach of peace in the state.

“The command is categorically putting it clear to all and sundry that the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) should be allowed to finish collating the results and declare authentic winners before any celebrations,” he said.

According to him, any person found engaging in such celebrations leading to breach of peace will be arrested and prosecuted as provided by law.

NAN recalls that supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Candidate, Mr Abba Yusuf, engaged in celebration of victory on major roads of Kano metropolis on March 9.

APC leads in Kaduna, Lagos, Sokoto, Bauchi, Kwara, Kebbi

Prince Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress appears to be heading to victory in the governorship election held in Ogun state on Saturday, just like his counterparts in Lagos, Kaduna, Kwara, Kebbi, Sokoto and Bauchi States.

Victory is being predicted as results began coming in from the various polling booths.

However, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was ahead in Adamawa, Enugu, Delta, Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom States.

In Ogun, Dapo Abiodun held steady in the nine local governments east of the state, crushing Abdulkabir Akinlade, the candidate of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, and the PDP candidate, Senator Buruji Kashamu.

From early results declared, Abiodun won handily in Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu North East. Other early results in the zone also favoured him. The APC has already won Ijebu-Ode, the first House of Assembly election result declared.

In the governorship result, Abiodun polled 13,234 votes to defeat Amosun’s candidate, Akinlade who got 4401 votes. Kashamu of PDP came second with 7289 votes.

Unlike in the presidential election, Abiodun won with 240 votes at his Ward 3 Unit 2, Ita Osanyin, Iperu, Ikenne Local Government Area to beat his closest rival, Adekunle Akinlade, of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), who polled 71 votes.

Abiodun also won the polling unit of Oladipo Adebutu, a factional governorship candidate of the PDP who went into an alliance with Akinlade against Abiodun. The APC candidate took the polling unit at Ward 5 Unit 4 Wesley Nursery and Primary School, Iperu, Ikenne, winning 197 votes, while the APM polled 75 votes.

The PDP polled six votes and ADC 2 votes.

Prince Dapo Abiodun also held firm in most parts of Remo , Egbaland and Ado Odo.

He also did well in Yewaland although Adekunle Akinlade of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) seemed to have an edge there, being an indigene.

In Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC established a strong lead ahead of his closest rival, Jimi Agbaje of the PDP with the majority of the votes cast in such areas as Ikorodu, Alimoso, Badagry and Lagos Island.

According to The Nation, Sanwo-Olu was the preferred candidate at Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s polling unit in Victoria Garden City, Lekki.

He got 223 votes as against the 175 votes polled by Agbaje.

The ruling party lost to the PDP by a wide margin during the presidential election two weeks ago.

At PU 007, Anglican Primary School, Iworo, Badagry LGA the APC candidate got 207 while the PDP received 74 votes.

In Kwara, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of the APC appeared to have confirmed the uprooting of the PDP in Kwara State with another emphatic win.

AbdulRazaq won his polling unit at Idigba, Adewole ward with 592 votes as against PDP’s 80.

He also got 201 votes at Ode Oba Onilu, Ilorin as against the 52 for PDP.

At press time, there was a wide gap between his votes and what the PDP candidate Razaq Atunwa had garnered.

It was also clear that Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State had won in most of the polling centres where INEC returning officers had announced results.

Bagudu got 572 votes against the 7 received by Sen. Isa Galaudu of PDP at Iyan Gwandu polling unit 012, Marafa ward.

In Nasarawa 2 polling units 002, Bagudu got 526 votes and Galaudi 98.

At polling unit 008 at GRA Kindi Zauro, Nasarawa ward in Birnin Kebbi, Bagudu scored 354 while Galaudi, scored 87.

In Garkar Mai-Alelu polling unit 006, where the governor cast his vote, the APC received 745 votes against 23 garnered by the PDP.

The trend was similar in Sokoto and Bauchi State.

Official results from polling stations in Adamawa, Enugu, Delta, Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom gave it to the PDP candidates.

The PDP won the governorship election in former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s polling Unit 012 of Ajiya Ward of Adamawa North Local Government Area.

Announcing the results at the unit, the presiding officer declared that the APC polled 99 votes while the PDP scored 161 votes. The ADC candidate scored 51 votes while the SDP candidate got only one vote.

Similarly, the PDP trounced the ruling APC with a 50 votes margin at the polling unit in front of Adamawa State deputy governor’s office

According to the announced results, APC scored 63 votes, while PDP got 113 votes. The ADC got 78 votes.

In the presidential elections of February 23, APC celebrated a victory over PDP at the same polling unit with 187 votes against 167 votes.

As it was during last month’s presidential and national assembly elections, many top politicians failed to deliver even their polling units.

President Muhammadu Buhari delivered his Unit 003 s in Sarkin Yara A Ward in Daura Local Government Area of the State for the APC governorship candidate Aminu Masari, with 370 votes.

Senator Yakubu Lado-Danmarke of the PPD polled 42 votes.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State lost his polling unit to the PDP in the gubernatorial election.

The All Progressives Congress candidate, Adebayo Adelabu, scored 112 votes while the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Seyi Makinde, scored 145 votes.

A former Oyo State governor, Rasheed Ladoja won the governorship election in Polling Unit 13, Ward 10, Ibadan North Local Government Area for the PDP with 180 votes while APC received 34 votes.