Nigerian General Elections...the aftermath.

[Askari Kanzu]

Next round of election is April 26: State Assembly/Governorship Election!

Nigeria votes for parliament as landmark elections begin
Posted: 02 April 2011 1741 hrs


Electoral officials wait for ballot material at the distribution centre in Ibadan, Nigeria. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

LAGOS: Nigerians lined up at polling stations for parliamentary elections on Saturday, the first of three landmark ballots this month as the country seeks to overcome a history of flawed and violent polls.

The eve of the vote in Africa's most populous nation was marred when suspected Islamist sect members attacked a police station with explosives in northern Nigeria, though it was unclear if anyone was killed.

A major car accident that sparked an inferno also occurred on Friday night in central Nigeria, killing an estimated 50 people.

Meanwhile on Saturday, an electoral commission spokesman in the northern state of Gombe said the senate vote there would have to be postponed because of mistakes on ballot papers, though the house of representatives election would go forward.

Polling stations in some areas of Africa's largest oil producer had opened on Saturday morning, but others were yet to do so some two hours after the scheduled 8:00 am (0700 GMT) start time.

"This is a great moment for Nigerians to take a decision about their future," said 52-year-old plumber Funsho Akindele as he waited at a polling place in the economic capital Lagos that opened more than an hour late.

"I have been here since 6:30 am. You can now see that they are just arriving, but I have no regrets since I will exercise my franchise all the same."

Violence has occurred in the run-up to the polls, including bomb blasts and politically related clashes, but officials have pledged a free and fair ballot and sufficient security for voters.

Full Story

 

[Askari Kanzu]

Jega's speech on the postponement of N/Assembly elections
Apr 2, 2011

An address by the chairman of INEC, Prof. Jega on the postponement of National Assembly elections.

DEAR COMPATRIOTS
Since this Commission started work in July 2010, I have repeatedly promised Nigerians that in carrying out our duties we shall always be sincere and truthful with Nigerians. I have always said that this INEC will be upfront with Nigerians, telling you exactly how things are – sharing both our successes and difficulties with you.

This is one such occasion. Indeed, it is an emergency. As you know the National Assembly (House of Representatives and Senate) elections are supposed to be taking place as I speak. You would also have noticed that things have not proceeded smoothly as expected with the elections.

The reason for this is the unanticipated emergency we have experienced with late arrival of result sheets in many parts of the country. The result sheets are central to the elections and their integrity.

Accordingly, in many places, our officials have not reported at the polling units, making it now difficult to implement the Modified Open Ballot Procedure that we have adopted. Not only do we have to enter the results in the sheets, the number of accredited voters is also to be entered in the result sheet.

From Left; INEC National Secretary Alh Abdulahi Kaugama, INEC Commissioner Prince Adedeji Soyebi and INEC Chairman Prof Attahiru Jega at the nationwide broadcast announcing the postponement of the N/Assembly elections, Saturday, in Abuja.

While we could have proceeded with the elections in a few states of the country, where all the materials are available, such as Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Delta, Zamfara and Enugu, among others, in order to maintain the integrity of the elections and retain effective overall control of the process, the Commission has taken the difficult but necessary decision to postpone the National Assembly elections to Monday, April 4, 2011.

I appeal to all Nigerians for their understanding in this difficult situation. We as a Commission appreciate the profound sacrifice that you have all made not just in turning out today, but also throughout this election season. We are greatly encouraged by you and our appeal is that you remain steadfast in this last lap of this electoral process in the interest of all Nigerians and in the cause of democracy.

The Commission will immediately be contacting all political parties, as major stakeholders to explain the situation. I appeal for their support in explaining the situation to their members and supporters.

May I also appeal to all other stakeholders, particularly national and international observers and our development partners for continued understanding. I realize that they have committed enormous resources to this process, especially in deploying observers in the field. However, we think that what is worth doing is worth doing well.

Finally, while we deeply regret this situation and apologise to Nigerians for the hardship this may have created, I would like to reiterate that we are fully committed to conducting free, fair and credible elections for Nigerians. The decision the Commission has taken is weighty; but it is also a very important step in further ensuring the credibility of the elections.

Professor Attahiru M. Jega, OFR,
Honourable Chairman

Source:

 

[Askari Kanzu]

SSS Officer, 2 Others Killed in Bayelsa

Yenagoa — The aborted National Assembly elections in Bayelsa State yesterday claimed three persons in the Ekeremor local government area of Bayelsa, including personnel of the State Security Service (SSS) in the state.

The news of the killings in Ekeremor, however, did not stop stakeholders and politicians in Bayelsa from expressing their disappointment over the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the National Assembly election.

LEADERSHIP SUNDAY gathered yesterday that the gun battle that led to the killing of the three youths in Ekeremor local council area at about 11.30 am was between men of the Joint Military Task Force and some youths suspected to be loyal to Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

Sources within the council told LEADERSHIP SUNDAY on telephone that the armed confrontation between the men of the Joint Military Task Force and the armed youths occurred close to the waterside of the Ekeremor town.

While the council chairman, Hon. Eddy Julius confirmed the incident and said three persons died, the coordinator of the Joint Media Centre of the JTF, Lt. Col. Timothy Anthinga, said he was yet to get any official details on the incident.

It was gathered that the refusal of the youths to heed the order of the JTF to exit from the waterways provoked the bloody confrontation. It was also gathered that the youths were reported to have opened fire on the gun boat of the JTF which provoked a retaliation of fire from the military.

Meanwhile, politicians and stakeholders in Bayelsa State yesterday expressed concern over the anomaly noticed in the aborted National Assembly election in the state, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to put its house together and deliver free and fair polls.

While the Governorship aspirant of the Labour Party, Mr. Timi Alaibe and the Special Adviser to the President on parastatals and statutory bodies, Chief Braei Ekiye, agreed that the hiccups which led to the postponement of the polls was a major set back that could be overcome by INEC, the former state Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN), Comrade Miriki Ebikibina, said the aborted poll was a huge threat to the conduct of free and fair polls.

Mr. Timi Alaibe told newsmen from his hometown in Kolokuma that "the INEC has a serious challenge. It is a sad development in the life of this dispensation. If they had faced any problem, they would have come clear to the people," the governor posited.

AllAfrica.com

 

[Askari Kanzu]

Election dates rescheduled again!

The Independent National Electoral Commission has further rescheduled the imminent Nigerian election which was altered last week saturday.

The reschedule is as follows:

April 9: National Assembly Elections.

April 16: Presidential Election.

April 26: State Assembly/Governorship Election

 

[Ben Saanane]

Buhari is a threat to Goodluck Jonathan.But i think Jonathan and PDP is going to win this Election.Notherners most probably will back Buhari though

 

[Askari Kanzu]

Chungu kinaanza kunachemka!

Buhari Alleges Influence On Jega By Jonathan, PDP

Onyebuchi Ezigbo
5 April 2011

Abuja — The presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), has accused President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of applying undue pressure on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega.

In a statement released Monday by the spokesman of Buhari, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, the CPC flag bearer said it was becoming doubtful if the National Assembly elections were aborted because of non-availability of critical materials.

He said there are now reasons to believe that attempts by some vested interests to manipulate the elections were indeed behind what led to the cancelation of the Saturday polls.

"We had hitherto believed that the National Assembly elections that had to be aborted and postponed in the middle of voting was because of non availability of critical materials as announced by Prof Jega. However we now have reasons to believe that covert as well as overt pressures are being exerted by President Goodluck Jonathan, the ruling PDP and their agents because of their vested interests in manipulating the outcome of the elections," he said.

He said CPC was demanding a probe of the role of INEC Director of Operations, Mr. Nuru Yakubu, in relation to what led to the bungling of last Saturday's elections.

Buhari's spokesman further called on Jega to clear the air on the rumour making the rounds that two sets of result sheets with the same serial numbers were allegedly printed by the official printer of INEC.

He said an earlier rumour that senior officers in the legal and operations departments of INEC deliberately engineered the delay/non-availability of the critical materials as an act of sabotage to discredit Jega, had been confirmed with reports of surreptitious or covert moves in light of the emergency meeting of the National Security Council chaired by President Jonathan with Jega and other senior officials of INEC after the postponed elections.

"The alarm bells and ominous signs are once again available for the discerning lovers of democracy to see the duress and undue influence that President Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling PDP are exerting on the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega.

"We see no reason for the President and National Security Council meeting in the first place. We also understand that there will be more surreptitious moves in the days ahead to embark on a media campaign of calumny to force Professor Jega to resign so that one of the PDP friendly INEC commissioners can be appointed as acting chairman of INEC," he said.

Speaking on what allegedly transpired at the security meeting, Odumakin said it was reported Vice-President Namadi Sambo, National Security Adviser to the President, Ministers of Defence and Police Affairs along with other service chiefs were present at the meeting at which accusing fingers were repeatedly pointed at the INEC chairman for the problems that led to the postponement.

He said Jega was chastised for turning down the offer for the military to be involved in the election logistics and that the government should henceforth constitute a task force consisting of the military and INEC officials to take over all election logistics.

Other conditions that were put forward to INEC "was that it should not combine the postponed National Assembly elections with that of the Presidential elections on the 9th of April as demanded by a majority of the opposition parties, that the Modified Open Secret Ballot system that INEC has adopted should be changed such that there should be no accreditation of all eligible voters prior to voting".

- AllAfrica.com

 

[Askari Kanzu]

9 April 2011 Last updated at 18:16 GMT

Nigeria: Vote counting begins after parliamentary polls

Security was tight in polling stations across Nigeria amid concerns over violence

Nigerian officials have begun counting votes from the parliamentary election in Africa's most populous nation. The election, which had been postponed twice in the space of a week, was marred by sporadic violence but was generally peaceful. An EU observer said there was "almost no disorder and no intimidation" during the vote.

- Full Story (BBC)

 

[Askari Kanzu]

Rais wa Nigeria kuchaguliwa leo!

President to be Elected Today - Parties Apprehensive Over Run-Off

Ajibola Abayomi, Joe Nwankwo and Daniel Abia
15 April 2011

At last, the day is here. Today, Nigerians go to the poll to pick their 15th Head of State but fourth democratically elected President.

Those who clinched their party's presidential ticket include Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Ibrahim Shekarau, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP); Chris Okotie, Fresh Democratic Party (FRESH); Rasheed Shitta Bey of Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP), Dele Momodu, National Conscience Party (NCP); John Dara, National Transformation Party (NTP), and Ebiti Ndok of United National Party for Development (UNPD).

Whoever emerges from today's elections would take charge of the nation's affair for the next four years.

The election is the fourth consecutive uninterrupted presidential poll since 1998 election, which lead to the military handing over power to the government of former president Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 1999.

Unlike last Saturday's National Assembly poll that was postponed in some areas, today's presidential election will hold in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

AllAfrica.com

 

[Askari Kanzu]

I won't challenge election result - Buhari

As Nigerians eagerly await the result of today's presidential election, the flag bearer of the Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) retired Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has commended the exercise and restated his decision not to challenge the result in the court if he failed.

"I have already said that this time around I will not go to court but my party may decide to go to court”, he said and commended INEC for addressing most of the lapses experienced in National Assembly’s election.

Buhari made the commendation on Saturday in Daura while speaking with newsmen shortly after casting his vote at Sarkin Yara ‘A’ polling unit.

The Nation

 

[kilimasera]

Uchaguzi wa rais wa Nigeria unafanywa leo, uchaguzi mkubwa kabisa kufanyika Afrika, kutokana na idadi ya watu wataoshiriki.

Watu milioni 73 wamejiandikisha kupiga kura.
Wapigaji kura wameanza kukaguliwa, kabla ya kuanza kupiga kura mchana. Mpinzani mkubwa wa rais wa sasa, Goodluck Jonathan, anatarajiwa kuwa kiongozi wa zamani wa kijeshi, Muhammadu Buhari.

Siku ya Ijumaa na Jumaosi, kumetokea miripuko miwili ya mabomu katika mji wa Maiduguri, kaskazini-mashariki mwa nchi.

Kulitokea miripuko ya mabomu kwenye mji huo, hata wakati wa uchaguzi wa wabunge, juma lilopita.

Hata hivo uchaguzi wa wabunge ulisifiwa na wasimamizi wa uchaguzi, na matumaini ni makubwa kwa uchaguzi wa leo piya, ingawa wasi wasi ungalipo kwamba fujo zinaweza kuzuka.

Shirika la kupigania haki za kibinaadamu, Human Rights Watch, linasema karibu watu 100 wameuwawa katika kampeni za uchaguzi.

BBC Swahili - Habari - Wanigeria wanamchagua rais

 

[Kigogo]

yaani kwa idadai hiyo ya wapiga kura ccm wanatamani ndo ingekuwa hapa...waibe kura mpaka basi...hapa kwetu walijiandikisha 18m lakini walipiga kura 5m..hahaaaaa JK bwana hivi statistic zimo kweli humu

 

[Saint Ivuga]

yaani kwa idadai hiyo ya wapiga kura ccm wanatamani ndo ingekuwa hapa...waibe kura mpaka basi...hapa kwetu walijiandikisha 18m lakini walipiga kura 5m..hahaaaaa JK bwana hivi statistic zimo kweli humu

hahhahah!! idadi kama hii ccm hata wasingehhesabu kaura .

 

[kilimasera]

wanigeria marais wao wengi wameshawahi kua wanajeshi type za kina makamba hv kwani hawana raia wa kawaida wanaoweza kua viongozi wazuri?

 

[Askari Kanzu]

April 17, 2011, 7:58 a.m. EDT
Nigeria presidential vote count close: reports

By MarketWatch
TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) – The vote count from Nigeria’s Saturday election, pitting President Goodluck Jonathan against a former military leader, Muhammadu Buhari, appears close, Sunday reports say,

Tens of millions of voters from Africa’s biggest oil-producing state turned out to cast ballots. President Jonathan hails from the oil-rich Niger Delta in the south.

Buhari and another candidate, Nuhu Ribadu, former head of the nation’s anti-corruption agency, are from the heavily Muslim north of the country, reports say.

Jonathan’s People’s Democratic Party has run Nigeria since military rule ended in 1999.

A number of reports called the vote generally credible, but Bloomberg News reported, citing the observer group Nigerian Election Situation Room, that more than 50 incidents, including stolen ballot boxes, underage voting and intimidation of voters, had occurred.

The results are due Monday. To win, a candidate needs a simple majority and 25% of the vote in at least two-thirds of the 36 Nigerian states, reports say.

 

[Gad ONEYA]

japo wamekuwa na matatizo ya kura kama yetu lakini safari hii mwenyekiti wa tume huru ya uchaguzi kakubali wananchi wabakie karibu na vituo vya kura kulinda kura zao kama wanahofia kuibiwa, je bongo? kama yale ya jimbo la segerea..!

 

[kilimasera]

viongozi wetu wanapenda sana ubabe wanaongoza serikali kwa mabavu!ndiomaana hakuna kinachofanyika zaidi ya wiziwizi tu!

 

[Askari Kanzu]

Nigeria's Jonathan well ahead in vote count


Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan casts his ballot in his home village of Otuoke, Bayelsa state April 16, 2011.
Credit: Reuters/Joseph Penney

By Matthew Tostevin
ABUJA | Sun Apr 17, 2011 4:14pm BST

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan took a very strong lead on Sunday as votes were tallied from around the nation, although his main rival Muhammadu Buhari did well across the mainly-Muslim north.

Results from 18 states including the capital Abuja and commercial hub Lagos put pre-poll favourite Jonathan at over 14 million votes with Buhari on 6 million. Jonathan did particularly well in his largely-Christian south.

Results still had to come in from some of Buhari's strongholds, but his chances of closing the gap on Jonathan were diminishing in a poll described by observers as the fairest in decades in Africa's most populous nation.

Buhari, a former military ruler from the dustblown Muslim north, was hoping to at least force a second round against Jonathan, the first head of state from the oil-producing Niger Delta.

Source

 

[nyumba kubwa]

Yani Nchi nyingi za Africa hatuchekani. Nilishangaa dada mmoja (rafiki yangu) wa Nigeria ananambia wana mgao wa umeme wakati ni nchi ya sita kwa wingi wa mafuta duniani. Jamani ufisadi ni mbaya kuliko tunavyodhania. Nigeria could be among richest African countries lakini nadhani inaongoza kwa rushwa duniani na raia wanaumi sana.

 

[Kituko]

wanigeria marais wao wengi wameshawahi kua wanajeshi type za kina makamba hv kwani hawana raia wa kawaida wanaoweza kua viongozi wazuri?

mimi nilidhani utamtaja Luteni Kanali Mstahafu JM Kikwete

 

[kilimasera]

Matokeo kutoka karibu nusu ya mikoa 36 ya Nigeria yanaonesha kuwa rais wa sasa, Goodluck Jonathan, anaongoza katika uchaguzi wa rais.

Bwana Jonathan, Mkristo kutoka eneo lenye utajiri wa mafuta la Niger Delta, hadi sasa ana kura mara mbili zaidi kwa wingi kushinda mpinzani wake mkuu, kiongozi wa zamani wa kijeshi, Muhammadu Buhari, ambaye amepata kura nyingi eneo la kaskazini lenye Waislamu wengi.

Waandishi wa habari wanasema, ikiwa mtindo wa sasa utaendelea, Rais Jonathan ataweza kushinda katika duru hii ya kwanza.

Wasimamizi kutoka nchi za nje wanasema, uchaguzi wa Jumamosi unaweza kuwa wa mwanzo kuaminika, tofauti na chaguzi za miongo kadha ambazo zilikuwa na udanganyifu na ghasia.

BBC Swahili - Habari - Goodluck anaongoza sasa