Tag Archives: Iyamu

All parties must be represented at examination of ballot materials – Tribunal tells PDP/Iyamu

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Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Benin City has ordered the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the September 28 governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu to comply with an earlier order that all parties to the case must be represented in the scanning of the ballot materials.

 

At the hearing on Thursday, no less than 100 lawyers including Senior Advocates of Nigeria stormed the tribunal for the commencement of legal fireworks in the petition filed by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) against the outcome of the September 28 governorship election.

 

However, the tribunal failed to begin pre-hearing session of the petition filed by the PDP and Pastor Ize-Iyamu. Lead Counsels to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Godwin Obaseki, Adeniyi Akintola and Ken Mozia had informed the tribunal that the PDP and its candidate were carrying out scanning of ballot papers without the representatives of APC and Obaseki.

 

He said continuous scanning of the ballot papers without respondents representatives was a breach of the tribunal earlier order that all parties must be present. Chief Akintola supported Mozia saying they were not notified but lead Counsel to Ize-Iyamu and the PDP, Adebayo Adeladun told the tribunal that the respondents want to frustrate his clients effort at scanning the ballot papers.

 

The tribunal chairman said that its earlier orders were in order adding that no party should be excluded. Pastor Ize-Iyamu, who trailed behind Obaseki in the election with 253,173 votes, is asking the tribunal to declare him winner of the election. Adebayo Adeladun, had earlier informed the tribunal that he was prepared for the pre-hearing session but lead Counsels to the APC and Obaseki, Adeniyi Akintola and Ken Mozia said they were not informed about the pre-hearing session.

 

Both Mozia and Akintola said they have applications that must be heard before the pre-hearing session. Akintola said there was need for the tribunal to hear all applications before the pre-hearing session commenced while Mozia said his application is to summarily terminate the petition. In his applications, Mozia requested for orders of the tribunal to dismiss the entire petition as well as strike out some paragraphs in the main petition.

 

Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mr. Onyebuchi Ikpeazu, told the tribunal that INEC was not aware that pre-hearing session was scheduled for Thursday sitting. He said they were not in the court for pre-hearing because the commission did not receive any information to that effect.

Edo PDP, Ize Iyamu rule out involvement in Obaseki’s government.

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state monday ruled out the possibility of participating in the APC-led government of Godwin Obaseki.

Obaseki in his inaugural speech last Saturday, disclosed the possibility of his administration to extend a hand of fellowship to the opposition parties, remarking that after a hard-fought campaign, he was willing to gather ideas that have been articulated by all parties and integrate them for the transformation of Edo State.

But state PDP Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, at a press conference to x-ray the eights years administration of former governor, Adams Oshiomhole, said the party cannot be part and parcel of an administration whose tenure would terminate at the end of the state election petition tribunal.

Orbih who decried the huge debt profile legacy of Oshiomhole-led government, said the state currently rank the third highest indebted state in Nigeria.

He said not less than N1trillion accrued to the immediate past administration as federal statutory allocation and internally generated revenue in the last eight years, while the sum of N300billion was borrowed with escalating interest rate

The Edo PDP chairman also accused Oshiomhole of lavishing N500 million every month on undisclosed security challenges, adding that besides denying the judiciary and legislative arms financial independence, the former governor engaged mass acquisition of properties in and across the state.

“The only legacy Oshiomhole left behind is that he succeeded in providing students of politics and history materials on nemesis of bad government, propaganda and failed promised”

On his part, the PDP governorship candidate in the September 28, 2016 election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, re-assured the people of his unflinching resolved to recover what he termed the ‘stolen mandate’ at the state Election Petitions Tribunal in the face of present intimidation, bribe and financial inducement

“We are not asking the tribunal to cancel the election. We are saying we won the election. Not only PDP voted for me, Edo people voted for me. We are following the matter to a logical conclusion”

Edo tribunal gives PDP permission to inspect poll materials.

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The Edo State election petition tribunal yesterday granted a motion ex parte to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to inspect all materials used during the September 28 governorship election in the state.

 

Justice A.T Badamasi heads the three-man panel of judges.Though, the tribunal was yet to be officially inaugurated, an official of the court said it could only be inaugurated when aggrieved parties and their candidates who participated in the governorship election have filed petitions. They have 21 days to file their petitions.

Counsel to the PDP, Kingsley Obamogie, said the application was in line with Section 151 of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended.He said that the section empowered the petitioners to institute a motion ex parte to pray the tribunal to inspect all the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s materials used for the election.

 

The tribunal judges after studying the motion ordered INEC to make all the electoral materials used for the conduct of the election available to the petitioners.

God has asked me to recover my stolen mandate, says Ize-Iyamu

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Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Edo state governorship election, says God has told him to recover his “stolen” mandate.

Addressing some protesters in Benin, capital of the state, on Friday, Ize-Iyamu alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) robbed him of victory.

He said the alleged robbery of the Edo people’s mandate would not stand, adding that he had been seeking God’s intervention in the past few days.

Ize-Iyamu said while his supporters had refused to be violent, those who were given the victory by INEC were ashamed of celebrating.

Dan Orbih, chairman of the PDP in Edo, said the party was putting everything in place to defend democracy.

Appealing to the protesters to eschew violence, Orbih maintained that the will of the people must prevail.

Ize-Iyamu’s statement comes barely 24 hours after Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who won the election said he was dedicating his victory to God.

Edo Election: Oshiomhole Fires Back at PDP’s Ize Iyamu

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Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has hit back at the PDP for claiming that the APC won the state’s governorship election through rigging.

Speaking on Tuesday in Benin, Oshiomhole said it was the PDP and its candidate Osagie Ize Iyamu, who rigged the election, not the APC. He added that he is ready to defend his stance in court.

“I am sure we encouraged our opponents to go to court. We will be able to lead evidence to show how much they profited from electoral fraud because the Ize-Iyamu that I know is not worthy of 50,000 votes,” he said.

“So, it’s like an armed robber rushing to the police station with bullet wounds and claiming that he has been shot, whereas he was the one who opened fire on very innocent people. We will expose them where it matters in our courtrooms,” he added.

Edo Elections: My View – Inibehe Effiong

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It is clear from the just concluded gubernatorial election in Edo State that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has devised an intelligent policy in order to uphold the integrity of elections and the Card Reader. INEC has resorted to cancelling results from polling units where the total votes cast exceeded the total of voters accredited by the Card Reader.

This practically leaves those opposed to credible elections with the aid of the Card Reader with a fait accompli. By cancelling such results, the election was determined based exclusively on electronic accreditation.

In any case, the total number of votes cancelled due to non usage of the Card Reader did not impact on the election. The Card Reader has come to stay. While the National Assembly is making efforts to give the Card Reader a definite legislative backing to undo the harsh effects of the Supreme Court judgments on the issue, INEC’s policy is commendable.

My impression is that the Edo election was largely credible. I will give three reasons:

First, the margin between the two leading candidates shows that there was indeed a real contest. The APC scored 319,483 while the PDP came second with 253,173. This is in contrast to the fraudulent and arbitrary culture of allocation of phantom votes as witnessed during the 2015 governorship elections.

Second, the election was generally peaceful and devoid of violence. No single life was lost in Edo State. This is also in contrast to the bloodbath witnessed in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States during the last election. The Supreme Court upheld both elections.

Third, the fact that there was no over voting shows that the election was largely credible. Edo State has 1, 900, 223 registered voters, while 662,039 of the registered voters were accredited with 613, 244 voters casting their votes in the election.

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have up to October 19, 2016 to file a petition against the election of Mr. Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress (APC). They should ventilate their grievances in court.

Since they are raising allegations of corrupt practices and violence, they should approach the tribunal with evidence and prove same beyond reasonable doubt.

Obaseki and the APC can conveniently cite recent decisions of the Supreme Court on governorship elections. The precedents are there and known to all.

Only the courts can determine whether an election complied substantially with the law. If the 2015 governorship elections in Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Abia States complied with the law I do not know what will invalidate the September 28 election in Edo State.

Though the election was not without flaws, the process was substantially credible, free and fair.

I commend the people of Edo State for their peaceful conduct. This should be a lesson to the people of other South South States and the country at large.

I rise.

INIBEHE EFFIONG

Edo 2016: Of Afemailand, Its Politics And Legacies by Daniel Afekhume

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A video emerged last week where a dispassionate President Obama was telling the Black Community that it will be a “Personal Insult” to himself and Michelle if blacks don’t come out in their numbers to vote Hillary Clinton. His argument was that Trump was coming to destroy his “legacies” and by extension that of African-Americans.

In the same light, I wish to state the Edo Governorship election of Sept 28th is one for either the preservation or destruction of the Legacies of the people of Edo North, The Afemais  as represented by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Make no mistake about it, just like the 2015 Presidential Elections where the South-West was the tie-breaker, who becomes the next Governor of Edo will be decided by the Afemai People. This is based on my statistical analysis of the voting population, interests and voting pattern of the 3 senatorial districts- Edo South (Binis), Edo Central(Ishans)  Edo North (Afemais) with 56%, 15% and 29% of the voting population respectively.

The two front-runners; Godwin Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu are both from Edo South and hence the votes in that zone will be largely divided. Assume a hypothetical election where in a pessimistic case, Ize-Iyamu has the upper hand in the South with say 30% leaving Obaseki with 26%, the ability of the North to deliver 25% of its 29% to Obaseki will leave the 15% from Edo Central irrelevant in determining the winner. This is but a worst case scenario for Godwin Obaseki.

I strongly believe Edo North should give their block votes to the candidate of their son, Comrade Oshiomhole for obvious reasons- protecting our legacies and securing our interests.

Before Oshiomhole, (who happens to be the first Afemai to be governor), Edo North had no stake in the Edo Project even though they were the 2nd biggest people of the state. The last TRUEAfemai son in government was the late Admiral Mike Akhigbe, the 2nd-in-command to Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar. He was arguably the last person to bring development to AfemaiLand in all shades.

At the turn of this democratic dispensation, THE POWERS THAT BE in Edo made Mike Oghiadome, an Afemai  as deputy to Lucky Igbinedion from 1999 to 2007. He was a “waste” and no value to AfemaiLand. Oghiadome even rose up to become the Chief of Staff(who is like an alternate President) to President Jonathan. His ascension was still of little/no importance to his people until he was relegated to political irrelevance.

When the government of Osunbor came up in 2007, the POWERS THAT BE didn’t find AfemaiLand worthy of occupying relevant and powerful positions in that government. For 16years from 1999-2015, none of the ministers that represented Edo state was an Afemai. Not Tony Anenih, Not Godwin Abbe, Not Chris Ogiewonyi, Not Mike Onolememen. Olusegun Aganga(who has Afemai roots- from Owan) was appointed either as a “surplus minster”(not tied to any state) or represented Lagos. It is a shame that Edo has produced about 3 minister of works in the past 16 years and the major Federal Road in AfemaiLand (leading from Agbede through Auchi and terminating in Okpella) is in a terrible mess.

In fact, recently I went through Oshiomhole’s village and the Section of this Federal Road that passes through his village, Iyamho may be the worst road in the country. I am pretty sure that the last Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen (also from Edo) deliberately refused to do that road for political reasons so that Oshiomhole wont use it to score political points.

The people of Edo North must, through their votes on Sept 28th, be seen as punishing this system that refused them any meaningful development or representation while they held sway. This system with Tony Anenih and Igbinedion as ringleaders made the majority of appointments and allocated resources to projects and in their Wisdom relegated the Afemai People to the backwaters of Edo politics despite our numbers.

Incidentally, this is the same system that is throwing up Ize-Iyamu in the forthcoming elections. We must teach them a lesson that never again are we going to suffer any political class to neglect us and treat us with disdain. We are not a people who reward disloyalty. Far from it.

To further show that they don’t see Edo North as a worthy partner and show no remorse for the years of neglect, they bypassed us to pick an Uromi man, John Yakubu from Edo Central as their candidate for Deputy Governor while we have our son, Phillip Shuaibu on the Obaseki ticket.

By their antecedents, this system has shown that they don’t deserve our 29% and we must give them only the minimum allowable by human bias and differences and tell our son, Comrade Oshiomhole a big “Thank You” by voting massively for his candidate, Obaseki.

Ize-Iyamu and his backers have never done anything for Edo North, they won’t  start after the elections.

Make no mistake about it or be swayed by some of the “flaws” they use in campaigning against Oshiomhole for Edo North benefited from most of what they attack him with like:

1) The  $180m World Bank loan.

A large chunk of this was used in assisting the Edo Govt to control Queen Ede, Ekenhuan and Auchi Erosions. Growing up in Auchi, there were threats that the Gully Erosion in Auchi will swallow up the sprawling town. That has now been controlled

2) The Edo University Iyamho (EUI).

That he spent money to build another state university and neglected the present one at Ekpoma. Some time back I tried to secure admission at Ambrose Alli University, I was discriminated against because I wasn’t Esan. Nobody will discriminate an Afemai son in EUI.  When Lucky Igbinedion set up Edo State Polytechnic, Usen in 2002, he didnt see the need to take it to Edo North since we didn’t have any state govt-owned educational institutions (the Binis had College of Education, Ekiadolor while the Esans had AAU, Ekpoma). Na our share be this. Be proud of it.

All politics is local. All politics is Selfish!

Edo guber: IGP Idris orders restriction of movement

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The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has ordered restriction of movement during Wednesday’s governorship election in Edo State.

He also ordered the activation of the revised operation plan for the election.

The operation plan, according to a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by the Force Spokesman, Don Awunah, is expected to guarantee free, fair and credible election, secure electoral process, enable eligible voters exercise their franchise freely and voluntary, protect election materials and officials and ensure adequate security before, during and after the election.

The statement reads: “The IGP has directed the Commissioner of Police in Edo State to enforce the restriction of vehicular movement from 12:00 midnight Tuesday, 27th September, 2016 to 6:00pm, 28th September, 2016 except those involved in essential duties who must be properly identified.”

The Force also noted that adequate resource and personnel will be mobilized and deployed to execute the election conclusively.

“In order to achieve the expected outcome of credible election acceptable to all stakeholders, the police will deploy 25,000 conventional police officers for the election.

“Tactical teams comprising of Police Mobile Force [PMF], Counter Terrorism Unit, Explosive Ordinance Disposal, Special Protection Unit, Force Animal Branch, Police Air wing [Aerial patrol) and Marine Police Unit [Riverine Patrol) will also be deployed,” the statement added.

See How Obaseki’s Running Mate & APC Youths “Swept Out” Ize-Iyamu Out Of Edo North

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The All Progressives Congress ( APC) deputy governorship candidate in Edo State, Rt. Hon.Philip Shaibu with hundred of youths took to the street along Auchi – Jattu road of Etsako West local in a road show tagged “sweep Ize-Iyamu, PDP out”, to carry out a symbolic sweeping of the floor.

Philip Shaibu who led the sweepers said the exercise is to demonstrate to Ize – Iyamu and other PDP leaders that the people of Edo North are bent on ensuring total victory for the APC governoship Candidate Godwin Obaseki and his deputy in the September 28, election.

He said the youths came out in their numbers without being mobilized to sweep the road, adding that they came out to demonstrate that they cannot afford any reversals or slowdown in the pace of the achievements comrade Adams Oshiomhole has made in Edo state.

Another sweeper, the member representing etsako central local government in Edo state house assembly, Barr. Damian Lawani, described the symbolic sweeping of the roads as a clear indication that edo people cannot afford to go back to Egypt, the era of PDP in the state.