Tag Archives: Taraba

APC rejects Taraba local government election results

Posted on by
Reply

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Taraba on Tuesday rejected the results of the February 25 local government elections in the state and called on the State Independent Electoral Commission, SIEC, to refund the monies it collected from APC candidates for the election that, it said, never held.

The State Chairman of the party, Sani Chul, said this on Wednesday at a news conference in Jalingo.

Mr. Chul said that the commission deceived the party by its promise of a level playing ground for all political parties and participants and collected their monies when they knew that there was not going to be any election but a mere charade.

“The chairman of SIEC, Dr Philip Duwe, had assured us of his impartiality in the discharge of his duties but as it turned out, it was only a false promise.

“What happened was a mere charade calculated more at inciting the people than the pretext for an election. The election was a theatre of absurdities and in most cases, no vote was cast at all and yet results were announced and winners declared.”

Mr. Chul accused the electoral body and the Nigeria police of working to ensure that the entire process was a failure, citing instances of ballot box snatching, non delivery of elections materials, disruption of the process by violence, and said where election were not held at all results were announced and winners declared.

He, therefore, called for the refund of all the monies the candidates were “deceived” into paying to obtain forms under the pretext that there would be election.

“In the light of the irregularities that characterised the elections and given our strong objection to injustice, we strongly condemn the conduct of the exercise and reject in totality its result. We also demand, as of right, that all the monies paid to the SIEC for the purchase of forms by our candidates be refunded forthwith,” Mr. Chul said.

The Executive Chairman of SIEC, Philip Duwe, on Monday admitted that the exercise was not devoid of challenges but called on all parties to remain calm, assuring that the commission had learnt its lessons and would work to improve on the process subsequently.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state Independent Electoral Commission had on Monday declared the PDP as the winner of the 16 chairmanship and 178 councillorship seats in the state.

 

Source: Premium Times

Taraba workers protest unpaid salaries

Posted on by
Reply

Workers in Taraba State have scheduled Thursday to protest the inability of the state and local governments to pay salaries, gratuity and pension.

The workers, under the aegis of Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, JPSNC, are also aggrieved by the non-implementation of annual increments and promotions by the state and local governments.

In a bulletin titled ‘Notice of Protest’ issued at the end of its meeting on Tuesday, the council directed workers in the state to converge at the state secretariat complex by 7.00 a.m. Thursday for the protest.

According to the bulletin signed by its officials, Tukur Taji, Yildet Bigwan and Alama Pius, the council is also demanding the immediate removal of the state government’s consultants on salary, Starter Point Consultants, alleging gross incompetence of the firm in handling salary issues of the state.

The council said removal of the consultants had become imperative because of the intractable problems and sufferings its one year operation has brought upon workers in the state.

Meanwhile, senior special assistant to the state governor on media and publicity, Sylvanus Giwa, has appealed to the workers to shelve confrontation and engage the state government in dialogue to resolve the issues at stake. He said the government’s door was wide open for dialogue.

Mr. Giwa said the problems on ground were not peculiar to Taraba State, adding that the governor deserves a pat on the back for paying salaries as at when due unlike many other states in the country.

NEMA confirms 20 killed, 10,000 displaced in Taraba communal clash.

Posted on by
Reply

The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has confirmed that 20 persons lost their lives and about10,000 others were displaced in the recent communal clash in Dan-Anacha village in Gassol Local Government area of Taraba State.

Sa’ad Bello, the Agency’s Coordinator in charge of Adamawa and Taraba Operational Offices, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Yola.

Mr. Bello said that the displaced persons, mostly children and women, were camped in four camps in the state.

“So far, 20 people were killed and about 10,000 internally displaced in the recent communal crisis between farmers and herdsmen in Dan-Anacha village in Gassol LGA of Taraba State,” Mr. Bello said.

He said that the number of injured persons had not been ascertained.

Mr. Bello commended the efforts of Taraba State Emergency Management Agency for reaching out to the affected areas.

He said that NEMA was contacting security operatives on the safety situation to enable its members reach all affected areas with additional humanitarian assistance.

Media houses reported the violence which commenced on Saturday through Sunday.

Sources from the area said the crisis started on Saturday when two corpses of Fulanis were found killed in a bush. This triggered their kingpins carrying out reprisal attacks on Tivs, mostly farmers.

” I counted about 20 corpses who were believed to have been killed early hours of today, Sunday,” a resident of the area told our reporter.

“Many people including women and children are nowhere to be found,” the source added.

Taraba Killings: Death Toll Hits 42

Posted on by
1

The death toll in weekend’s Tiv farmers’ killings in Taraba State has risen to 42, it was learnt yesterday.
The hacking to death of the farmers by suspected Fulani militia in Gassol Local Government Area has spilled to many Tiv villages, in spite of police and military presence in the area.
The meeting by Commissioner of Police Yunas Babas, State President of Tiv Cultural and Social Association (TCSA) Goodman Dahida, President of Fulani’s Miyati-Alla, the Lamdo Gassol and security agencies to broker peace was fruitless
Police, soldiers, Dahida and the Senior Special Assistant to Taraba State Governor, Hon. Jerry Tyolanga, confirmed the rise in death toll.
Tiv homes were set ablaze, with smokes still billowing when The Nation visited the troubled area yesterday afternoon.
Six persons were gunned down in Sabon Gari; 16 were slain in other villages. Among them were three women, eye-witnesses said.
Four trucks conveyed bodies, which were killed. The bodies recovered from the “bush villages”. They were being taken to neighbouring Benue State.
There was mass exodus of Tiv from Dan-Anacha –fleeing Taraba to Benue State where a bulk of their ethnic group resides.
The displaced persons looked frustrated, most of them carrying heavy loads, children and domesticated animals but without transportation fares. Some were loudly crying and wailing over the loss of their loved ones.
The renewed attack and killings of Tiv farmers began on Saturday in Dan-Anacha, whose name was recently changed to Kwararafa, as the state was busy at a “Peace Concert” in a stadium in Jalingo –the state capital – organised by Governor Darius Ishaku.
Police spokesman David Mishal, who confirmed the killings, was still being expected to brief the press on the details yesterday.
He described the incident as “undercover attacks where you invade someone’s home and attack him when there is no war going on”.
Governor Darius Ishaku is seen by the Tiv in Taraba as a peace maker. They held a meeting in Jalingo yesterday on the killings, which are raising national concerns.
The Tiv community alleged that yesterday’s killings followed a meeting between the Lamdo Gassol and the Fulani militias. “The meeting started by midnight and lasted till 4:00am when the militias began to invade Tiv homes,” one of the displaced farmers, who is injured, said.

Credit:

Taraba killings death toll hits 42

BREAKING: Unpaid footballers of Taraba teams shut down Government House

Posted on by
35

The players of Taraba State’s male and female football teams, Taraba FC and Taraba Queens, on Monday shut down activities at the government house in the state capital, Jalingo, to protest non-payment of backlogs of their salary arrears.

 

The players are demanding immediate payment of 21 months’ salary arrears from the Taraba State Government.

 

Security operatives were deployed to the government house to deny the players access into the building. The gate of the government house has since been shut.

 

Despite being tear gassed, the players vowed to spend nights there until they are paid.

 

Monday’s protest occurs barely a month after a similar one by the players.

 

More details soon.

Sahara Reporters: 20 Tiv Farmers Killed On Taraba’s Peace Day.

Posted on by
Reply

No fewer than 20 Tiv farmers were yesterday killed in Dan-Anacha, Gassol Local Government area of Taraba State by suspected Fulani militias.

The killings took place as the state was busy at a “Peace Concert” in a stadium in Jalingo –the state capital – organised by Governor Darius Ishaku.

Dozens of other farmers were severely injured in the attack.

Some sources said Fulani marauders on Saturday afternoon invaded the Tiv community in Dan-Anacha, whose name was recently changed to Kwararafa, where they hacked down people. The hostilities lasted until yesterday morning.

Hundreds of Tiv residents have reportedly fled Dan-Anacha, although soldiers and policemen were deployed in the area to keep the peace.

Taraba State President of Tiv Cultural and Social Association (TCSA), Goodman Dahida, who met with security agencies and traditional rulers, said the bodies of 17 Tiv and two Fulani were recovered. The toll is likely to rise today.

“There are more bodies said to be lying in the bush which have not been recovered,” he said, adding that the killings were done with sophisticated guns.

Police spokesman David Mishal, who confirmed the killings to The Nation on the telephone, described the incident as an “undercover attack where you invade someone’s home and attack him when there is no war going on.”

He said he would release the “real details of the number of casualties,” to the media after conclusion of investigation by the police.

He said: “Yes; some unidentified groups of people, suspected to be Fulani, attacked Tiv in Dan-Anacha. We are trying to gather more information on the number of casualties.”

Gory photographs of Tiv farmers massacred in the “undercover attack” yesterday went viral on the social media particularly on Facebook.

Tiv farmers were killed massively by Fulani herdsmen between 2012 and 2014. The coming onboard of Governor Ishaku, who sued for peace and provided security, brought a near-end to the killings.

The displaced Tiv farmers have just returned to their homes to resume work on their farms when the Fulani opened a new chapter of hostilities against them yesterday.

TCSA President Goodman Dahida urged Ishaku to “do something urgently” to save the lives of hundreds of the Tiv farmers who have become endangered species in central Taraba.

Dahida posted on his Facebook wall: “What does a Fulani man want from a Tiv man for goodness sake? What are they gaining in the killings? Mr Governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku, these people are out again in their killing spree of Tiv people. Do something urgently or…”

There was a peace meeting in Dan-Anacha involving Dahida and other security agencies, reportedly at the prompting of Governor Darius Ishaku.

At the meeting were Commissioner of Police Yunas Babas, President of Fulani’s Miyati-Alla, the Lamdo Gassol, village head of Dan-Anacha, other Tiv chiefs, the divisional police office, the SSS and other opinion leaders.

The commissioner of police called for calm and truce, and created two camps for the displaced Tiv farmers.

Babas was seen stopping vehicles and asking fleeing displaced persons to return, with an assurance that they would be protected.

N1.64 billion fraud: EFCC closes case against ex-Gov. Nyame

Posted on by
1

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday closed its case against former Taraba governor, Jolly Nyame, who is standing trial before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the FCT High Court on charges of money laundering to the tune of N1.6 billion.

Mr. Nyame is facing trial on a 41-count charge of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of state funds to the tune of N1.64 billion between 1999 and 2007 during his tenure as governor.

At the resumed hearing today, counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, told the court that the prosecution had decided to close the case against the former governor.

In response, Mr. Nyame’s counsel, Omosanya Popoola, said that he would file a “no-case submission”.

“In view of the closure of the prosecution case, we shall be making a ‘no-case submission’ pursuant to Section 303 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act,’’ Mr. Popoola said.

He said he would serve the prosecution with the written address next week.

Justice Banjoko adjourned to December 5 for adoption of written addresses on the “no-case submission”.

The EFCC had during the trial which started in 2010, called 14 witnesses.

Gov. Ishaku recruits 101 nurses across 16 local councils in Taraba.

Posted on by
1

In a bid a address shortage of medical personnel across the 16 local government areas of Taraba State, the state governor, Arc. Darius Ishaku, has disclosed that his administration since assumption of office has recruited 101 nurses.

 

Ishaku, who spoke yesterday in Jalingo through his senior special adviser on media and publicity, Mr. Sylvanus Yakubu Giwa, said the recruitment of the nurses were made to close the existing manpower gap in the health sector in the state.

 

He explained that the governor since assumption of office has also touched all sectors of the economy of the state.

“Economic wise, businesses that long ago depend on fuel to power generators now enjoy transformation as the cost of fueling and maintenance is shelve, opening up possibilities of wider profit margin” he said.

 

He noted that Ishaku in his effort to reposition the manufacturing sector further channeled resources to the Mambilla tea factory in Kakara town in Mambilla plateau.

 

“As part of the private empowerment initiative, the company took delivery of new equipments to boost the production capacity and improve the tea quality for consumption” he added.

 

He informed that the governor within short time in office has further rehabilitated long abandoned roads across the state, stressing that road infrastructure has been at the center of his administration.

Igbo group offers scholarships to 100 orphans in Taraba

Posted on by
Reply

The Taraba State branch of the Igbo Welfare Association has awarded scholarships to 100 orphans studying in various secondary schools in the state.

The President-General of the association, Mazi Nwokeocha, made the announcement in Jalingo on Tuesday while disbursing money to beneficiaries.

Nwokeocha said the 100 beneficiaries were children of the association’s dead members.

The president-general said that each beneficiary received N15,000 as assistance to continue his/her education.

Nwokeocha said the gesture was initiated by the association in 2007 to give families of dead members a sense of belonging.

He advised Igbos residing in the state to live in peace with their host communities and to continue to be good ambassadors of the Igbo race.

One of the beneficiaries, Johnson Emeka, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, commended the association for the gesture.

Emeka promised that the beneficiaries would justify the gesture by being hard working.

Man who stabbed employer in Lagos arrested in Taraba

Posted on by
Reply

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old housekeeper, Tanko Abdulateef, who allegedly stabbed his employer, Mrs. Mabel Okafor, to death in Ajah, VGC area Lagos.

DAILY POST recalls that the suspect fled the scene of the incident after Mrs. Okafor was stabbed in her apartment and stole some of her valuables including her phones which aroused police suspicion that he was behind the murder.

The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, had detailed a decoy team of the Rapid Response Squad in charge of tracking to get on the case to weed out the killer.

According to a correspondent of police, the suspect was tracked to a hideout in the Bali area of Taraba State where he was arrested.

He said, “The suspect allegedly ripped the victim’s stomach open. He also took away valuable items from the house, including three mobile phones, a trinket and a lot of clothes. All the items were recovered from him after his arrest.

“On the day of the incident, policemen went to the house and discovered that the place had been ransacked and a lot of property had disappeared.

“The housekeeper was also nowhere to be found.

“The deceased was moved to the mortuary and the policemen from the Ajah division investigated the matter and it was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.

“The suspect was arrested in Taraba State two weeks after he fled.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, who confirmed the arrest, said the suspect would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigation.

She said, “After about three days in Bali, operatives were able to recover some of the phones stolen from the victim before eventually arresting the suspect where he was hiding.

“There is no escape route for criminals in Lagos State, any crime committed in Lagos will be unravelled.”

“The suspect has been handed over to the SCIID for further investigation, before being charged to court,” Badmos added.

Scores Killed As Terrorists Attack Villages In Taraba (Viewer Discretion)

Posted on by
Reply

Terrorists in the guise of  herdsmen yesterday attacked Angai and Ndole villages in Gashak Local Council area of Taraba State, killing several persons.

Following the incident, a large number of the local population has reportedly fled to the neighbouring Cameroun Republic and nearby local council areas.

Though the exact number of casualties are yet to be confirmed by the authority, sources said that no fewer than 44 persons, have been feared killed with several numbers of houses and domestic animals burnt to aches.

Confirming the disaster, the Police Public Relations Officer, Joseph Kwaji, agreed that there was an attack by the herdsmen, but could not ascertain the numbers of persons killed.

According to him “It is true that there was an attack by the herdsmen, but for now, I don’t have the full details of the crisis, so I can not tell you the number of casualties now.”

See images of the attack below:

Report Credit: Guardian

Police Confirm Arrest Of Wanted Boko Haram Commanders In Taraba

Posted on by
1

The Taraba Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two wanted Boko Haram commanders in the state.

One of the commanders, Ali Audu, was arrested in Tella, Gassol Local Government Area while the other, Abdulmumini Abdullahi, was nabbed in Bali Local Government Area.

The Commissioner of Police, Shaba Alkali, made the announcement on Wednesday in Jalingo at a press conference.

He said the two men had been handed over to the military in Yobe State.

“We have arrested two confirmed Boko Haram commanders in Gassol and Bali Local Government Areas of the state.

“The command has since handed over the two kingpins, Ali Audu, alias Dungu and Abdulmumini Abdullahi from Yadi Burni in Yobe to the military base in Yobe,” he said.

Mr. Alkali said Mr. Audu was arrested on February 22 in Tella and transferred to Yobe the following day, while Mr. Abdullahi was arrested in Bali on March 5 and transferred to Yobe military base on March 7.

Credit: PremiumTimes

Senate Opposes Inclusion Of Taraba In Boko Haram Affected States

Posted on by
Reply

The Senate yesterday unanimously opposed the inclusion of Taraba among the states requiring special attention as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency.

The resolution was taken when a motion tagged, “ Urgent need to flush out Boko Haram insurgents reassembling in Taraba and halt the ongoing silent genocide in the state”  by Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP, Taraba South).

Moving the motion, Bwacha expressed concern that insurgents fleeing military onslaught were relocating to Taraba State where a notorious Boko Haram kingpin, Kabiru Sokoto, was recently arrested.

He said after relocating to Taraba, the insurgents changed tactics and were parading as herdsmen.

Contributing to the debate, Senator Abubakar Kyari(APC, Borno North) said the motion may lead to stereotype.

“The motion may lead to stereotype, nobody wants insurgency and when people are relocating from a place to another as a result of insurgency, what we need to do is to intensify intelligence gathering to understand those who are unfriendly and those who are in for their livelihood, “ he said.

Also contributing, Senator Barnabas Gemade (APC, Benue) said  there was need to separate criminality from genuine struggle for economic empowerment.

The senate called on its relevant committees to visit the affected states and  IDP camps to ascertain the gravity of the activities of insurgents.

Credit: dailytrust

Taraba Guber Election: Supreme Court Gives Reasons For Upholding PDP’s Victory

Posted on by
1

The Supreme Court on Monday said the All Progressive Congress and its governorship candidate in Taraba State, Aisha Alhassan, had no locus standi to challenge the nomination of Governor Darius Ishiaku by his party.

The court made the declaration while giving reasons for dismissing the appeal of APC and Ms. Alhassan in its judgement on February 11.

Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, who read details of the judgement, said the appeals and cross appeals had no redeemable substance.

The court held that the governor was duly sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party to contest in the election, adding that evidence brought before it had confirmed Mr. Ishiaku’s membership of the party.

“The matter is very simple, the apex court has ruled on matters of this nature at different occasions.

“There is no way a candidate of another political party who did not participate in the primaries of another political party could suddenly rise to challenge the conduct of such an exercise.

“It is therefore, clear that the appeals and all the cross appeals against the election of Governor Darius Ishiaku of Taraba have no redeemable substance,” Mr. Rhodes-Vivour said.

Credit: PremiumTimes

Mother Of Taraba Deputy Governor Kidnapped

Posted on by
1

Mother of Taraba state Deputy Governor Hajiya Belli Manu has been kidnapped by unknown persons.

The incident happened at about 9.30pm Monday by gunmen. She was kidnapped at her residence in Bakin Kasuwa area of Mutum Biyu town, some 70 kilometers from Jalingo, the state capital.

It was gathered that the kidnappers numbering about ten also killed a middle aged man at the front of the deputy governor’s family house before taking his mother away.

The chairman of Gassol local government area Alhaji Tukura Bashiru confirmed the incident.

The police spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Credit: dailytrust

Rustlers Invade Fulani Settlement In Taraba, Steal 600 Cattle

Posted on by
Reply

More than 600 cattle were stolen while three were herdsmen killed by cattle rustlers at Gareji village of Wukari local government area in Taraba state midnight on Sunday. This brings to 17, 500 cattle stolen in Taraba in the last three years, the chairman Miyyetti Allah Association of Nigeria Taraba state branch, Alhaji Mafindi Danbauran said.

He said the rustler about ten in number and well-armed invaded the Fulani settlement at Gareji mid night and carted away the animals.

The chairman stated that during the attack, three herds men were killed while some women were abducted to unknown locations.

He said some local tribes’ men were suspected to be behind the attack as they were responsible of similar attacks in the past.

Alhaji Danburan said the number of cows stolen in the state by cattle rustlers from 2013 to date was 17500 while over 200 herds men were killed by the rustlers.

He called on the federal government to set up special task force on cattle rustling in the state to safe guard the herdsmen and their animals.

Credit: DailyTrust

Appeal Court Ruling On Taraba Gov Election Underway

Posted on by
Reply

The Court of Appeal in Abuja sitting in Abuja is set to deliver judgement on the Appeal by the Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku against the ruling of the election petitions tribunal in the state.

The Justice Danladi Abubakar-led tribunal had on November 7 sacked the Peoples Democratic Party’s Ishaku and declared All Progressives Congress’ Aisha Alhassan the winner.

Dissatisfied with tribunal’s judgment, Ishaku filed an appeal, asking the appellate court to set it aside.

In response, Alhassan also cross-appealed the judgment

Ahead of today’s judgment, on December 21, the Justice Abdul Aboki-led five-man bench of the appeal court heard three appeals and a cross-appeal by the APC.

Taraba IDPs Send SoS To Buhari Over Herdsmen Attacks

Posted on by
38

IDPs, in Tara­ba State yesterday called on President Mo­hammadu Buhari, to stop incessant Fulani herds­men attacks on farmers in the state.

The call came on the heels of recent Fulani herdsmen attack in Dan-Anacha, Gassol Local Government Area of the state where one person was killed and two others injured while working in their farm in the area.

Mr. Iorumbur David whose two sons; Tertsea Iorumbur and Theophilus Iorumbur were among the injured in the attack told National Mirror that the herdsmen killed one per­son on a nearby farm be­fore attacking his sons who were harvesting beans.

“They were on the farm harvesting when suddenly the herdsmen came with their cattle and started eat­ing up the farm.

“My sons ran to Dan-Anacha and informed the police who accompanied them to the farm. But on arrival the herdsmen who were well armed with AK47 removed their cut­lasses and cut them down, while the police fled the scene,” he said.

Credit: NationalMirror

How Okorocha, Ikpeazu, Ishaku Won In Imo, Abia, Taraba- Report

Posted on by
14

Imo State governor and candidate of All Progressives Congress, Chief Rochas Okorocha, was early this morning declared winner of the governorship election in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Meanwhile, In the other two states where supplementary governorship elections also held on Saturday, the governorship candidates of Peoples Democratic Party in Abia and Taraba states, Dr Victor Ikpeazu and Mr. Darius Ishaku, respectively,  won, after results were collated and declared by INEC.

Okorocha scored 416,996 votes to defeat the PDP candidate, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, who polled 320,705 votes. Okorocha was declared winner by the State Returning Officer, Professor Ibidapo Obe, who is Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Ikwo, Ebonyi State.

In the senatorial election in Delta Central, Ighoyota Amori of PDP won the election, polling 115, 000 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Ovie Omo-Agege, of Labour Party, who scored 53, 000 votes. Amore was declared the senator-elect. Amori polled 2, 981 votes in Ughelli South, while Omo-Agege polled 681 votes. In Sapele, Amori got 8, 864 votes, Omo-Agege got 1, 541. In Udu, the PDP candidate got 9, 194 votes, while his LP challenger got 3, 956 votes. In Uvwie, Amori got 4, 819 votes, while Omo-Agege got 2, 366 votes. In Okpe, the PDP candidate scored 8, 613, while the LP candidate got 2, 022 votes. In Ethiope West, Amori got 172, while Omo-Agege had 12 votes. Also in Ethiope East, Amori scored 14, 142 votes, while Omo-Agege scored 7, 168 votes.

The results announced early this morning by INEC showed that Okorocha led Ihedioha in 20 of the 23 local government areas where the supplementary polls took place in Imo State. Okorocha won in Nkwerre (APC 255, PDP 164), Oru west (APC 395, PDP 129), Okigwe (APC 603, PDP 76), Orlu (APC 687, PDP 179), Ihitte Uboma (APC 131, PDP 66), Nwangele (APC 271, PDP 55), Orsu (APC 471, PDP 218), Njaba (APC 1095, PDP 236), Obowo (APC 697, PDP 505), Ow. North (APC 674, PDP 620), Onuimo (APC 412, PDP 207), Ohaji/Egbema (APC 1210, PDP 996), Owerri West (APC 1342, PDP 793), Ehime Mbano (APC 604, PDP 393), Mbaitoli (APC 3997, PDP 2422), Oru East (APC 7154, PDP 1168), Ngor Okpala (APC 416, PDP 323), Isu (APC 2773, PDP 979), Isiala Mbano (APC 1415, PDP 1000), and Oguta (APC 5030, PDP 1378). Ihedioha won in three local governments, namely, Ezinihitte (APC 213, PDP 715) and Aboh Mbaise (APC 686, PDP 939), Ikeduru (APC 786, PDP 1022).

Okorocha had polled 385, 671 votes, while Ihedioha scored 306, 142 votes at the main election on April 11. That gave a difference of 79, 529 votes between the highest scorer and the runner-up, and the number of cancelled votes was 144, 715. The election was declared inconclusive by the INEC Returning Officer in the state, Obe. After the supplementary election, APC had 31,326 votes while PDP had 13,624.

The Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) stipulates that where the number cancelled votes exceeds the difference between the number of votes polled by the candidate who comes first and the person in second place, a winner cannot be declared until the conclusion of a supplementary election in the areas affected by the cancellations.

Results, as announced by INEC, from the eight local government areas of Abia State where the supplementary governorship elections held showed that in Aba North PDP got 754 while APGA polled 857; in Ikwuano PDP 1,748, APGA 2179; Ohafia, PDP 2,479, APGA 326; Isiala Ngwa North, PDP 60, APGA 60; Aba South, PDP 722, APGA 2536; Ogwunagbo, PDP 1893, APGA polled 1289; Umuahia South, PDP 1377, APGA 4184; Umuahia North, PDP 1,899, APGA 2,376, and Osisioma, APGA 5,322, PDP 1668.

The Collation/Returning Officer for the Abia State governorship the election, Professor Benjamin Ozumba, had on April 12, announced that the governorship elections were inconclusive and subsequently rescheduled in some polling units where either did not hold or were cancelled due to irregularities. But Ikpeazu had polled 248,459 votes against Otti’s 165,406 votes after the first election on April 11, making a difference of 83,053 votes, while 177,000 votes were cancelled – which was more than the vote difference between the top candidate and the runner-up. This had necessitated the supplementary election.

In Taraba State, as results of the supplementary election continued to trickle in, the governorship candidate of the PDP, Darius Ishaku, was steadily consolidating his lead in the April 11 gubernatorial election, which was declared inconclusive by INEC. Going into yesterday’s supplementary election which was conducted in 218 polling units, Ishaku was ahead of his main challenger, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan of APC by 54, 812 votes.

Results announced from the various polling units across the 10 local government areas indicate that PDP won in Kofar Sarki in Takum local government by 588 votes against seven votes polled by APC.
In Daka polling unit in Takum, PDP polled 378 while APC scored 110 votes just as PDP scored 178 against APC’s five votes in Rafin-Kada ward in Wukari local government.

At Asibiti ward in Donga local government, PDP scored 4,412 while APC scored 604 and in Akete ward still in Donga local government, PDP polled 2,065 votes in 11 out of the 12 polling units collated while APC scored 1,506.

Also at Suntai Daaji in Donga local government, PDP garnered 1,139 votes against APC’s 74 votes, while at Nyitan ward in Donga, PDP scored 4,304 while APC scored 199 votes.  In the only polling unit where election was held in Yorro local government, PDP scored 469 while APC polled 34 votes.

At Muhammed Tukur polling unit which was the only polling unit where election was conducted in Jalingo local government, APC polled 362 votes while PDP polled 90 votes while in 17 out of the 20 polling units in Bali local government, PDP polled 5,370 votes while APC polled 750 votes.

The PDP candidate is also leading in Karim Lamido local government where the acting governor of the state, Alhaji Sani Danladi, hails from just as PDP is leading in all the four polling units in Ussa local government.

The total number of registered voters in the 218 polling units where the election was conducted is127, 125 and based on the low turnout of voters, the number of accredited voters in the election is not expected to be more than 50 per cent of the registered voters.
The local governments where the additional elections were held are Donga, Bali, Takum, Karim Lamido, Kurmi, Yorro, Ussa, Wukari and Zing.

Credit: vanguardngr

Election Re-Run: What You Need To Know

Posted on by
1

The April 11 governorship elections in Abia, Imo and Taraba states were  declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Today, INEC is holding supplementary elections in areas in those states where elections either did not take place or results were cancelled due to irregularities.

The supplementary elections will hold in 51 Registration Areas (RAs) in nine Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Abia State; 79 RAs in 23 LGAs in Imo; and 32 RAs in 10 LGAs in Taraba. Already, the electoral agency has deployed three National Commissioners to each of the states on supervisory duties. The National Commissioners will be assisted in each of the states by three Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs). These are besides the substantive RECs for the affected states.

The commission says it has also deployed three Directing staff from the Headquarters to each of the affected states to coordinate the operations, while some other staff from the headquarters have been deployed to the states as monitors. In addition, Electoral Officers (EOs) from neighbouring states will be on ground to assist the EOs of the affected LGAs.

The Commission says it is “determined to ensure that the supplementary elections are free, fair credible and peaceful; and it urges voters in the affected areas to conduct themselves peacefully and in accordance with set procedures of the elections, so that the process is crisis-free and concludes in good time”.

It added, “We also call on the Police to ensure compliance by political actors with the restriction on movement in places where the elections are holding.

“INEC reassures the public that it is investigating allegations of misconduct by some officials during the recent general elections, and will ensure that anyone proven to have violated the rules is brought to book.”

Credit: premiumtimesng

Taraba Guber Re-run : Women Groups Threaten To Protest Nude

Posted on by
1

Ahead of the April 25th re-run election in Taraba State, groups under the aegis of The Ladies of Grace and Agape Sisters have threatened to mobilise hundreds of thousands of Nigerian women to protest nude if any official behaved funny.

The Coordinator of the groups, Ms. Jane Onuh disclosed this on Friday while addressing a press conference in Abuja, alleging that there were noticeable series of intimidations  exhibited by the opponent of Sen. Aisha Jummai Alhassan, which they said included  men, military, police as well as suspected electoral officials.

Onuh stated that the women would have remained quiet and neutral but for their disadvantaged background and the clamour to sustain the goals set for Nigerian women in the post Beijing conference over two decades ago.

Her words, “We dare warn of adverse consequences should the establishment or otherwise known as Taraba Cabal insist on intimidating a female contestant in the Taraba guber race.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we will mobilise hundreds of thousands of Nigerian women to protest nude on April 25th if any official behave funny.  We will be exposing the cabals and their cohorts who are still living in the stone age that the position of woman, no matter how eminently qualified, still resides in her kitchen”.

The women urged all the agencies to remain neutral during the re-run election, while also calling on Taraba women to ignore all kinds of intimidation and come out enmasse to vote for their own.

Credit- Thisdaylive.com

Election Re-Run: We Will Protest Nude If Our Candidate Is Intimidated, Says NGO

Posted on by
Reply

Two Non-governmental Organisations, Ladies of Grace and Agape Sisters, have threatened to protest nude on April 25 the woman governorship candidate in the Taraba governorship race is intimidated.

Jean Onuh, Coordinator of Agape Sisters, issued the threat in Abuja on Friday when she  briefed newsmen on the Taraba run-off election.

Onuh said Sen. Aisha Alhassan represented the interest of Nigerian women in the Taraba governorship poll holding on April 25.

She alleged that Alhassan was being intimidated by her opponents and officials of the Independent Electoral commission (INEC). “We would have remained quiet and very neutral but for our disadvantaged background and the clamour to sustain the goals set for Nigerian women in the post Beijing Conference.”

“We dare warn of adverse consequences should the establishment known as the Taraba cabal insist on intimidating a female contestant in the race.”

“We will mobilise hundreds of thousands of Nigerian women to protest nude on April 25, if any official behaves funny,’’ Onuh said.

She called on all involved in the Taraba poll to remain neutral and urged registered voters, especially women, to ignore all kinds of intimidation to come out and vote for Alhassan.

Credit: News24

Nigeria’s First Female Governor: During Elections 2015, Taraba State Falls Short To Elect Aisha Al-Hassan

Posted on by
1

Many Nigerians thought voters in Taraba state would make history by electing the nation’s first female governor. But Aisha Jummai Al-Hassan, known as “Mama Taraba” by her supporters, lost to her main challenger, Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Premium Times in Nigeria said Tuesday.

As the April 11 election neared, Al-Hassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged as a leading candidate in the race for the Taraba governorship, making it one of the most contested polls in Nigeria this year. Al-Hassan, an attorney, defected from the PDP and joined the opposition party after she was elected senator for the Taraba North constituency in 2011. She was the Taraba state attorney general and commissioner of justice as well as the chief registrar of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

Al-Hassan, a Muslim, pooled a large number of votes from the Gasol local government area as vote counting entered its second day in Taraba, allowing her to surpass the PDP’s candidate, Nigerian newspaper Osun Defender reported.  The lead triggered early celebrations nationwide by those who expected Al-Hassan to become the first female state executive. But as the final results from all 16 local government areas in the eastern state trickled in, Ishaku regained the lead by nearly 64,000 votes and hopes of making history sunk, the Premium Times said.

Nigeria’s election commission is still finalizing the collation of results in Taraba, but is expected to announce the PDP’s victory in the predominately Christian state. President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP, a southern Christian seeking re-election, also won the most votes in the eastern state against the APC’s candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, a northern Muslim. But Buhari defeated Jonathan nationally by a couple million votes, ending the PDP’s 16-year rule.

Credit: ibtimes

INEC Fixes April 25 For Taraba Guber Run-off Election

Posted on by
Reply

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Saturday, April 25 for the run-off election between Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This is coming as normalcy finally returned to Jalingo, Sunkani in Ardo Kola Local Government Area and Gembu, headquarters of Sardauna Local Government Area.

The Head of Department, Enlightenment and Publicity, Mr. Phebian Yame, who announced the date for the election during a briefing at the head office of the commission in Jalingo, said the date had been communicated to all the parties involved.

INEC had declared the gubernatorial election in the state inconclusive and ordered that based on the fact that cancelled votes in the election were more than the margin between the votes polled by Ishaku who came top in the election and Alhassan who was runner up.

The margin between Ishaku who polled 317,198 votes and Alhassan who polled 262,386 votes was 54,812, while the cancelled votes were 127,125.

In declaring the elections inconclusive, the returning officer, Prof. Kyari Mohammad, explained that the Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act stipulate that when  the difference between the total cancelled votes in an election is higher than the margin between the first and the second person, elections should be declared inconclusive and a run-off should be conducted.
The run-off election would be conducted in all the 165 polling units of Donga Local Government Area as well as some polling units in Bali, Karim Lamido, Takum, Ussa, Wukari, Yorro and Zing.

Impeached Taraba Deputy Governor Reinstated

Posted on by
1

The Supreme Court, yesterday, voided the impeachment of the Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Sani Abubakar by the State House of Assembly.

In an unanimous judgement, a seven-man panel of Justices of the apex court held that he was illegally removed from office on the recommendation of a “Kangaroo panel”.

It ordered the appellant to resume his duties as the Deputy Governor of Taraba State forthwith.

Stressing that the appellate was denied fair hearing, the Supreme Court said it was convinced that the the seven-man panel that purportedly investigated allegations that the Deputy Governor divertee funds earmarked for Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, to his private school, Yagai Academy, “merely played out a script previously prepared and handed over to the panel”.

Credit: Vanguard Nigeria