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By Muhammad Sabiu
Nigeria’s main opposition party, the PDP, has declared to contest the presidential election results.
Dino Melaye, a PDP representative at the national collation centre in Abuja, stated this on Monday while raising the alarm over presidential election results coming from Kwara.
Mr Melaye contended that the results are in doubt since INEC failed to promptly post the results from the polling units online.
By Muhammad Abdurrahman
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Adams Oshiomhole of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of Saturday’s election for Edo North Senatorial District in Edo.
Benjamin Adesina, the INEC Returning Officer, on Sunday in Auchi, declared Mr Oshiomhole as the winner of the polls with 107,110 votes.
He defeated the incumbent Senator Francis Alimekhena of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 55,344 votes.
“Adams Oshiomhole of APC, having scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared as the winner of the election conducted on the 25th of February for Edo North Senatorial District,” Mr Adesina said.
(NAN)
By Ibrahim Mukhtar
According to an eyewitness who was on the scene of the election, hundreds of thugs entered the Gaya town polling unit and attacked everyone who was around.
A victim of the attack narrated that “the thugs attacked us in the process of collating results in Gamarya Ward, Gaya. I had to escape through the window into the wild bush to save my life.
Thanks to Allah, I am now safely in Gaya town. It was really a terrible experience.”
Reports indicate that the Gamarya ward’s counsellor led the thugs together with some prominent politicians of the ward to disrupt the peaceful process of the collation.
The Daily Reality learnt that some people were reported to be severely injured and maimed while many others scampered and lost their valuables.
By Muhammadu Sabiu
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has suspended Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), the Senate Chief Whip, due to alleged anti-party activities and other violations, less than 24 hours before the National Assembly election.
The suspension of Kalu, according to the ruling APC, takes effect immediately.
The former Abia governor was accused of undermining and ruining the party in the state, and this caused Kalu to clash with the Abia APC leadership and people.
The former governor is alleged to have worked against Chief Ikechi Emenike, an APC candidate for governor.
Also, he has been accused of advocating on behalf of the Action Peoples Party (APP), whose governorship candidate is Prince Uzor Kalu, his younger brother.
In the meantime, Kalu officially acknowledged and defended backing and promoting the candidature of his younger brother, Mascot, by stating he is qualified to run for the state in an interview last Tuesday.
By Ahmad Deedat Zakari
The three senators from Benue State have distanced themselves from the decision of the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, to support Peter Obi in the tomorrow’s presidential election.
The senators disclosed this in a statement they jointly signed and made available to newsmen on Thursday.
According to the senators, their support is for the People’s Democratic Party’s Candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The three senators are currently representing Benue at the National Assembly. They are: Gabriel Torwua Suswam, Emmanuel Yisa Oker Jev and Patrick Abba Moro.
The statement reads in part ,”This is to inform the entire public, the citizens of Benue State and Nigeria that after due consultations with the Benue people in the three senatorial zones, Benue has resolved to cast their votes for the People’s Democratic Party. We are resolved to join the rest of Nigeria to elect former Vice President His Excellency Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on February 25th, 2023.”
By Muhammad Aminu
At least ten vehicles have been destroyed and many injured as thugs attacked supporters of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, in Kano Thursday afternoon on their way to welcome NNPP’s presidential candidate, Rabi’u Kwankwaso.
The vehicles filled with the NNPP’s Kwankwasiya movement supporters have been vandalized, among which three were burned to ashes.
An eyewitness, Tasiu Lawan, said he escaped death as hundreds of thugs attacked them and wounded many people.
Lawan further confirmed that many people had been injured while vehicles were touched.
NNPP’s presidential candidate Rabi’u Kwankwaso was billed to hold his grand finale campaign in Kano, where he enjoys a massive following.
Earlier in the morning, Kano State Police Command, through its spokesperson, Abdullahi Kiyawa, advised the trio of All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party and New Nigeria Peoples Party to put on hold their planned rallies in Kano due to the possible clash between their supporters.
Recalled that in 2019, the Kano Commissioner of Police barred Kwankwaso from holding a political rally in Kano ahead of the general elections, which his members see as clear discrimination and siding with the ruling party in Kano.
By Muhammadu Sabiu
The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has endorsed the candidature of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Saturday’s presidential election.
In a statement signed by its National Amir and released on Tuesday, the Muslim body noted that it would be a “deadly hypocrisy” for it to sit on the fence regarding the 2023 elections, adding that it would give its support to Bola Tinubu.
The statement reads, “In matters of great importance and unquantifiable consequence, at a critical point in our national history we cannot afford to sit on the fence. Where the general interest of the Muslim Ummah is at stake, silence becomes a deadly hypocrisy.
“Having said this, in view of the circumstances surrounding the general election which comes up across the nation on Saturday, it has become necessary to take a definite stand to stand firmly where we have reasons to believe, the candidate has the most coloration of our identity and capacity to bring about stability and progress in the areas of the economy, security, education, and other sectors to facilitate self-actualization for our members.
“After due consultations with leaders of the Society at various levels, members and elders, we have come to the sincere conclusion that for the presidential election Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the best candidate for the good of the Muslim Ummah and our members across the 19 states of the North. Come Saturday, February 25th, we are calling on all our members across the North, to come out en masse, to vote for the ticket that is completely Muslim – vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as President and Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, respectively.”
Mr. Tinubu, the presidential contender under the All Progressives Congress, APC, is contesting against three other major contenders, including Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian People’s Party, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
By Muhammadu Sabiu
A coalition of civil society organisations asked Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, to step aside in favour of Musa Kwankwaso, the candidate of the Nigeria Peoples Party, to prevent needless vote splitting in the North.
Bishop Godwin Abah, the coalition’s head, said in a press conference at the NNPP secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday that Nigeria’s future was in jeopardy and that, as a result, the Kwankwaso Presidency’s political sagacity and tenacity of purpose were needed to turn the country around.
Abah noted that the organisations had carefully examined the presidential candidates of major political parties, as well as their backgrounds and democratic credentials, adding that Kwankwaso stood out among the other candidates.
He was quoted as saying, “A servant-leader with milk of human kindness, Kwankwaso transformed Kano State as a two- term governor and will bring his wealth of experience as former Minister of Defence, Ambassador, Senator, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives etc., to bear on national governance as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“It was also the opinion of the rural Nigerians that the coalition interfaced with that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should set aside his presidential aspiration for a dynamic, pragmatic, energetic and resourceful Kwankwaso.
“Accordingly, the coalition calls on Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate to step down for the NNPP presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to avoid unnecessary splitting of votes in the North.
“Kwankwaso will inject fresh air in governance, restore hope to a bewildered nation that has seen more carnage than dividends of democracy and build a new Nigeria we all desire.
“Atiku has done his best for the nation, we appreciate his contribution as Vice President of Nigeria. He remains a statesman.
There are now about three days left until the presidential election, which involves four major contenders, including Bola Tinubu (APC), Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (NNPP), and Peter Obi (LP).
By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq
The United Christians Leaders Eagle Eye Forum (UCLEEF) has formally endorsed the former Vice President and People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, GCON, as its presidential candidate ahead of the February 25 general elections.
According to the group’s national coordinator, Pastor Aminchi Habu, “as the great democracy defender of Africa, we see Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the political pilot that will fly Nigeria to its promise land, the political engineer that will repair the damaged engine’s of Nigeria economy, the political architect that will redesign and take Nigeria to a glorious future and the political doctor of our nation who has the prescribed drugs that will heal Nigeria of all its security and other societal ills”.
Pastor Aminchi further stated that “we have four Million two hundred and sixteen thousand one hundred (4,216,100) registered members, which we have instructed each and every one of them to win at least one (1) vote for His Excellency Atiku Abubakar GCON at the coming Polls, so as it stands now we have eight million four hundred and thirty-two thousand two hundred (8,432,200) votes on the ground for his Excellency”.
Representative of the former Vice President, Mr Dele Momudu, thanked the group and promised that an Atiku presidency would be for all Nigerians irrespective of religious, ethnic, or political differences.
By Muhsin Ibrahim
Religion was central to Bola Tinubu’s emergence as the APC’s candidate for the 2023 presidential election. We discussed the issue as if it would not end. Since the 1993 annulled election of Abiola/Kingibe (both Muslims), no major candidate and his running mate have ever come from the same religion until now: Tinubu/Shettima (both Muslims). But, as the election approaches (we are, in fact, counting hours), only a few people talk about that. However, religion will play a significant role in the voting pattern.
The wild popularity of Labour Party’s Peter Obi on social media and his appeal to foreign media has something to do with his religion. I know this may sound controversial, but it is so. The three other front candidates are Muslims, while Obi is Christian. Besides this, I can’t see a glaring difference between him and NNPP’s Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso per se.
Tinubu and PDP’s Atiku Abubakar are in their 70s, while Kwankwaso and Obi are in their 60s. The four leading candidates are stinking rich and belong to 1% of the Nigerian elite. Interestingly, the candidates represent Nigeria’s so-called major ethnolinguistic groups of Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo, alias WAZOBIA.
Though, there is a parallel between Obi and Tinubu. Many people will vote for them because of their religious identities. I learned that many churches, especially in the North, had ordered their members to vote for Obi. Likewise, the faith-based civil liberties organisation Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) recently “reminded Northern Muslims of their promise to support a Southern Muslim [i.e. Tinubu] in the 2023 presidential election”.
Given the above, I agree with some observers and analysts that Obi may surprise his critics, such as myself, in the upcoming election. The votes from his Christian brethren and others supporting him for other reasons will make a difference. However, Tinubu has many more advantages – being APC the ruling party and his decades-old political footprints, among others.
Anyway, we hope for the best and pray for peaceful elections. But, please, stay away from violence. Your safety should be your most treasured possession. No politician or political party is worth dying for.
With love from a disenfranchised Nigerian citizen.
Muhsin Ibrahim works and lives in Cologne, Germany and can be reached via muhsin2008@gmail.com.
