Election: INEC Failed Nigerians, Aggrieved Parties Should Go To Court –gumi

 Controversial Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi has slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for allegedly failing to follow proper procedure in the conduct of the just concluded presidential elections.

DAILY POST reports that there have been series of protests across the country following the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner of last Saturday’s poll.

The Labour Party and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had vowed to challenge the results, alleging that the electoral body was compromised by the ruling party.

According to the aggrieved party, INEC violated the new electoral law by failing to uploaded results before collation.

Reacting to the controversy, Gumi in a statement on Thursday posted in his official Facebook page, asked the aggrieved parties to seek redress in court.

He, however, warned against violent protest, citing the country’s challenges and the fact that the polity is tensed up already.

The statement reads, “I implore the opposition parties as an obligatory national duty to go to the election tribunal and up to the Supreme Court to reestablish the supremacy of law and to teach our younger generation the value of resolving disputes through legal means rather than violence.

“The polity is already very tense, and any government that lacks credibility cannot suppress the people, especially at this troubling time when every region has armed agitating groups that are willing to exploit political instability to augment their rebellion.

“Let the entire litigation process run its course. It has a great deal of importance for our national health.

“The I.N.E.C has failed the nation by sowing more distrust and suspicion because it failed to follow its own guidelines in conducting last week’s elections.

“Fortunately, that is the first step in seeking legitimacy; therefore aggrieved parties should go to court.

“We sincerely hope the courts of law this time will also prove its worth and uphold the truth. It’s the last hope that Nigerians can resort to, otherwise, it will lead to chaos that no other force can contain as the nation is already polarized along religious and tribal fault lines.

“Nigeria is our only country; we have to save it from calamity by acting bravely, honestly free from political hypocrisy that requires putting thorny issues under the rug.

“May Allah protect us from all tribulations and give this nation peace and tranquility. Amin”.

Kelechi Iheanacho Has Been Nominated For Premier League Player Of The Month - European Football

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Pastor Enoch Adeboye Is 81-Years-Old

 

Tinubu’s Election, Greatest Legacy Of President Buhari – Governor Oyebanji

 Ekiti state Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has said that the election of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as President-elect of Nigeria is the greatest legacy President Mohammadu Buhari would bequeath on Nigeria as he leaves office in May. 

Governor Oyebanji who stated this on Wednesday while addressing a mammoth crowd of artisans, drivers unions, traders associations, students, youths and AapC supporters, who thronged the office of the Governor, Ado- Ekiti in celebration of the declaration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as President of Nigeria, called on Ekiti people to maintain peace and decorum as they celebrate the victory.

The crowd, which came in their hundreds were chanting APC slogans and songs eulogizing Governor Oyebanji and supporting the mandate of the President-elect.

The Governor described the election as a hard fought one and congratulated Nigerians and Ekiti people for voting the man who he described as “highly competent and well prepared for the herculean task of leading Nigeria to the next stage of soci- economic prosperity”.

He added that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a unifier whose regime would ensure national peace, development and prosperity for all and sundry.

While stressing that the process of the election was free, fair and credible, Governor Oyebanji assured Nigerian youths that the incoming administration and priorities their welfare and productivity. 


He used the occasion to solicit support for APC candidates in the March 11 House of Assembly election, urging the people to ensure a landslide victory for the party.


The Governor also called on aggrieved members of APC who were not happy about the outcome of the last primary in the state to re-unite with the party to have a more formidable and winning team.

“We give God all the glory, it was a hard- fought process and my immediate reaction to this is to congratulate Nigerians, to congratulate the Country and to congratulate the people of Ekiti State for a very peaceful elections and the process has been adjudged by the observers to be very free, very fair and to assure Nigerians that they have elected the best of all, a man that is prepared for the job, a man that is competent, a man that knows where the shoe pinches.

“As far as I am concerned, the election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and by the special grace of God, his subsequent swearing in will be the greatest legacy of President Mohammadu Buhari. I’m extremely excited that finally we have picked a man that can continue from where President Buhari drops the baton come May 29.

“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a unifier, he’s going to provide all necessary leadership to bring all the sectors together. Our strength is in our Unity as a nation, I support one Nigeria. I also recognize the fact that each of the sectors has a right to the presidency, but this has to be done within the prisms of the democratic norms and that is what last Saturday offered all the candidates, they presented themselves to the people and the people made their choice.

“Well, this is a youth-friendly government, the President-elect told them that he has heard them loud and clear. They have made a very loud statement and am sure that any aspiring leader must actually engage with the youth and thank God we have done that in Ekiti State, one thing we have done in Ekiti State is to ensure that we are going to have a ministry dedicated to youth development. 

“The President-elect said he has heard them and he’s going to walk his talk, they should be expectant, they should be hopeful and I advise them to build on this, they should not allow this momentum to recede, they have to build on this, they have to seize the moment and ensure that they hold government accountable, am with them in this.”

How Foreign Press Agencies Reported Tinubu's Election Win

 Following Wednesday’s declaration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria’s President -elect and the controversy that trailed it, some foreign media organisations have given adequate reports on it with varied headlines which might shape the future of Nigeria.

Tinubu, candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner of the tightly contested race by the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof Mahmoud Yakubu having scored the highest number of valid votes cast in Saturday’s election. He polled 8.8 million votes to beat his two closest rivals, Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) both of who polled over 6 million votes.

From the Aljazeera comes this headline: “Tinubu Wins Controversial Nigeria’s Presidential election”. It also has another headline: “ Tinubu Wins Nigeria’s Tight Presidential election”.

And from the BBC comes this screaming headline: “Tinubu Wins Nigeria’s Disputed Presidential Election.”

The CNN puts it this way: “ Opposition Vows Challenge As Tinubu Wins Nigeria’s Presidency.”

Yusuf Datti: We Won This Election, We’ll Reclaim Our Mandate

 The vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, Wednesday, vowed to reclaim the party’s mandate, noting that he and the LP candidate, Peter Obi, won the election.

He made this known in a statement he signed on Wednesday, hours after the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, winner of the presidential election.


He noted that since election results were unable to be transmitted electronically, there was no election.

His words: “It’s our position that the results of the purported election did not meet the minimum standard of elections-Datti Baba-Ahmed, Labour Party Vice Presidential Candidate

“Irrespective of the low level of confidence that we have in the system, we appeal to Nigerians to move out and vote for the Labour Party in the forthcoming governorship and state assembly elections.

“The Electoral Act 2022 provides that election result shall be electronically transmitted, this was not done it means the election did not hold.”

“We ask Nigerians to continue to exercise their civic duties like they did in the last exercise.

“We won this election, they refused to upload the results on IREV, the Nigerian people are winners, Nigerians are waiting for Peter Obi and I to get the power.

“We won the election as Labour Party, we are going to claim our mandate as Labour Party, we are going to rescue Nigeria as Labour Party.“

Police Convene Meeting Of Critical Stakeholders Towards Ensuring Peace In Lagos

 POLICE CONVENE MEETING OF CRITICAL STAKEHOLDERS TOWARDS ENSURING LASTING PEACE IN LAGOS

- Call on political/traditional/religious leaders to preach peace

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, today convened a meeting of political parties, traditional rulers, religious/youth/market leaders, media influencers and other opinion moulders at the POWA Hall of the Command Headquarters, Ikeja Lagos.

The meeting which was convened to address security concerns within the state following the Presidential Election and in view of the coming Gubernatorial Election provided the opportunity for Lagosians to ventilate their concerns, point out areas of security needs and recommend strategies that would help curb any form of violence within the state.

The Commissioner of Police reminded influential people that, they have an important role in setting an example and can help ensure that peace is maintained by speaking out against any form of violence or aggression.

CP Idowu Owohunwa also charged stakeholders in the state to eschew violence and preach peace, tolerance and rule of law to their teaming followers. He equally gave the assurance that the Command will not hesitate to protect law-abiding citizens and deal with trouble makers in accordance with the law.

Some attendees at the stakeholders meeting include:

Barrister Femi Falana SAN, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, Barrister Monday Ubani (NBA Chairman Ikeja), Eze Ndigbo of Alimosho, Igwe Lawrence, Eze Ndigbo of Ikeja, Eze Uche Dimgba, Alhaji Suleiman Baba, representing the Arewa Council of Chiefs, Barrister Yinka Oguntimehin, Mr. Mobolaji Olusegun, Chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council, Mr Folarin Falana aka Falz, Debo Adedayo aka Mr Makaroni amongst others.

SP BENJAMIN HUNDEYIN, anipr, mipra,
Police Public Relations Officer,
Lagos State Command,
Ikeja-Lagos.

March 1, 2023.