Electoral College Vote Seals Trump Victory As US Next President

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Staff Reporter

President-elect Donald Trump has received a majority in the US Electoral College as votes from Texas electors put him over the 270 threshold.

Monday’s result confirmed as expected Trump’s election as the 45th president of the United States.

The Electoral College appeared unswayed by a last-ditch bid by die-hard opponents to bar the Republican’s path to the White House.

Six weeks after his upset victory over the Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump sailed past the 270 votes needed to make his victory official, clearing the way for him to succeed Barack Obama on January 20.

Trump victory provokes global shock and angst.

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Donald Trump’s improbable victory in the US presidential election provoked global shock and angst on Wednesday over the implications for everything from trade to human rights and climate change.

The bombastic billionaire defeated Hillary Clinton in a result that few predicted, as millions of American voters shrugged off concerns over his temperament, lack of experience, and accusations of sexist and racist behaviour.

Trump’s rise has been keenly watched abroad as he campaigned on a platform of trashing trade agreements, questioning alliances, restricting immigration and dismissing climate change.

In often hushed scenes, many attendees at election-watching events around Asia expressed deep misgivings about Trump taking the reins of the world’s most powerful nation and economy.

Dianita Sugiyo, 34, a university lecturer in Indonesia — the world’s most populous Muslim country — said she was concerned by Trump’s calls to temporarily ban Muslims from countries with histories of terrorism.

“He has always been anti-Muslim and I am afraid he will discriminate against Muslims,” said Sugiyo, a member of a leading Indonesian moderate Muslim organisation.

“The United States is a multicultural country and there are a lot of Muslims there, so this is very terrifying,” she added, speaking at a US embassy event in Jakarta.

The election of an opponent of free trade caused financial markets across Asia to plunge, with Tokyo’s main index tumbling more than 5 percent, while stock futures on US and European markets also fell when they opened.

“The world is globalising and if the US, which is one of the economic powerhouses, is going to put up walls, I don’t see that as good for the world economy,” said Clarita Carlos, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines.

“They can practically slow down economic growth for everybody. He is a businessman. He should know better.”

– ‘Dangerous’ for the planet –

Trump has vowed to ditch the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, perhaps President Barack Obama’s main diplomatic legacy in the region.

Tang Siew Mun, head of the ASEAN Studies Centre at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said such moves would severely damage the US in a region where China is posing a growing leadership challenge.

“For us in the region, we ask these questions: does America still stand for free trade as far as TPP is concerned? Will America stand for and engage internationally as a global leader?” he said, speaking on Channel NewsAsia.

Environmentalists also recoiled, as Trump has threatened previously to “cancel” the historic UN pact struck last year to address climate change.

“What have we become?” asked Greenpeace Southeast Asia’s Executive Director Yeb Sano.

“On climate change, clearly this is a massive blow to our prospects of progress and hope that the Paris Agreement had given us.”

At election events around the region, American Democratic supporters gradually deflated as Trump’s victory materialised, while Republicans were buoyed.

Bradley Jordan, a retired 59-year-old Californian in Bangkok, said a Trump win would “throw the whole world upside down.”

“It’s dangerous for the planet. If Trump wins, we will do nothing about climate change and the planet will be screwed. I just can’t believe this is happening right now,” he said, adding he was contemplating renouncing his US citizenship.

Even some Republicans expressed surprise at Trump’s win.

“To be honest we didn’t really think he would win,” Kym Kettler-Paddock, a US Republican, said at an election event in Hong Kong.

She said the panic over Trump would subside as he makes it known what sort of leader he would be.

“I think after that transition period (the uncertainty) would settle down,” she said.

Others, however, pointed to Trump’s friendly comments toward the likes of Russian President Vladimir Putin as indicating America may no longer carry the torch for human rights.

“The fact that authoritarian leaders around the region find hope in the possible election of Donald Trump as president is a telling indicator of what they think his policies on human rights will be,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch.

APC Victory In Edo Not Negotiable- Aisha Buhari

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Progressives Congress (APC) women across the country led by Nigeria’s First Lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari, on Tuesday stormed Edo state to give their support to the governorship candidate of the party, Mr Godwin Obaseki, saying that victory for the party in the forthcoming governorship election in the state is non-negotiable.

Shortly after paying a courtesy visit to Obaseki, the women also visited the internally displaced persons camp at Uhogua community, Ovia North East, where they donated food stuff, writing materials and toiletries.

Represented by the APC Woman leader in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Mrs Hailmary Aipoh, Aisha Buhari said they were in the state in solidarity with the Obaseki campaign organization and to equally remind the candidate that he must remember the women and children when he wins because his victory is already assured.

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

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Staff Reporter

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

I Made A Huge Sacrifice To Ensure APC Victory – Tinubu

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, says he made a big sacrifice to ensure that the All Progressives Congress did well in the last elections.

Tinubu, who is a former governor of Lagos State, said this at the 70th birthday anniversary of social commentator and National Democratic Coalition chieftain, Prof. Segun Gbadegesin, in Lagos on Monday.

The APC leader said the Peoples Democratic Party ruled Nigeria for 16 years because opposition parties failed to unite.

He recalled that in 2011, his party, the Action Congress of Nigeria; Congress for Progressive Change and the All Nigeria Peoples Party presented separate presidential candidates and the PDP leveraged on the small size of these parties.

Tinubu said there was also a tendency for the leaders of smaller parties to make themselves the presidential candidates of their respective parties thereby causing division within their parties.

He said ahead of the 2015 election, however, leaders of the legacy parties (ACN, CPC and ANPP) that formed the APC, including himself, had to suppress their personal ambitions to be able to “chase away the PDP government led by former President Goodluck Jonathan, because in the past those who float political parties end up as its chairman and presidential candidate.”

Tinubu, who was also part of the NADECO campaign from exile, told the audience that progressive politics was the answer to the problems of Nigeria and that the hope and confidence Nigerians had in the APC before the elections would not be dashed.

Also speaking at the launch of Gbadegesin’s book, titled “All The Way: Serving With Conscience”, a former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, praised the contribution of Gbadegesin to the pro-democracy struggle, with the programmes he anchored in Yoruba Language on the defunct Radio Kudirat.

Osoba described Gbadegesin as a peacemaker saying, “He visited me the other day, to plead that I should reunite politically with my estranged APC family.”

Gbadegesin, a Professor of Philosophy, was the Head of Department of Philosophy and Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Howard University, Washington DC, United States, who worked as an undercover operative in the dark days of the Gen. Sani Abacha military dictatorship as one of the main anchors of Radio Kudirat; the propaganda organ of NADECO.

Tribunal Upholds El-Rufai’s Victory As Kaduna State Governor

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna State has upheld the election of Nasir El-Rufai of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the elected Governor of the state.

The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate in the April 11 Governorship election, Polycarp Gankon, had on May 28, 2015 approached the tribunal, asking it to set aside the election because of non-compliance of the Electoral Act, exclusion of his party from form EC8 in several polling units and wards in seven Local Government Councils of the state.

The petitioner also alleged that there was massive ballot box stuffing and exaggerated results by the APC during the election, thereby asking the three-man tribunal to nullify the election in the affected local councils.

But in an unanimous judgement that lasted for six hours, Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Adebayo Adebara, held that the petitioner had not mustered enough evidence to prove his allegations of electoral malpractice and irregularity.

Read More: channelstv

Tribunal Upholds Adeyemi’s Victory, Dismisses Labour Party’s Petition

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Ibadan on Wednesday upheld the election of Rep. Akeem Adeyemi representing Oyo East, Oyo West, Atiba and Afijio Federal Constituency.

Kamil Akinlabi of Labour Party had challenged the declaration of Adeyemi of APC as the winner of the March 28 election.
Also joined in the petition were the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The petitioner had informed the tribunal through his counsel, Mr R. Akinloye, that Adeyemi was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast, adding that the election was marred by irregularities and malpractices.

Akinloye also said that Adeyemi did not have National Youth Service Corps certificate and prayed the court to declare his client as the winner of the election or order re-run in the affected local governments.

Read More: leadership

Tribunal Upholds Akpabio’s Victory

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Akwa Ibom State senatorial election tribunal has upheld the election of Senator Godswill Akpabio as the duly elected senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District in the March 28 senatorial election in Akwa Ibom State.

Justice Goddy Anuichi held that the petitioner, Mr Inibehe Okorie, failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt, the allegations of malpractices at the polls.

According to the judge, the allegation of noncompliance during the elections ought to be proved substantially in all the over 1,300 polling units in the senatorial district but the petitioner only called 17 witnesses.

He said that the petitioner’s witnesses testified based on hearsay, which in law cannot be relied upon to decide a case.

Read More: channelstv

Oliseh, Musa Not Carried Away By 3-0 Victory Over Cameroun

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Although the Super Eagles were imperial in their 3-0 defeat of eternal rivals, Cameroun, in a friendly game on Sunday, the team’s coach, Sunday Oliseh, and Captain Ahmed Musa say a lot still has to be done to get the team to the desired level. But they agree that the signs are good.

The team on Thursday lost 0-2 to Congo DR before bouncing back on Sunday with an emphatic 3-0 defeat of Cameroun.

Speaking after Sunday’s game in Belgium, Musa said the players showed they had the quality to achieve greatness, adding that they would gel as long as they continued playing together.

“It was a very good game for us. We did well and it served the purpose because we are gradually coming back to the team Nigerians want us to be, which we also want to be, we understand ourselves better being a new team. We all put in our best to achieve the result,” Musa said.

Read More: ngrguardiannews

APC Cancels Sylva’s Victory In Bayelsa Primary Election, To Reschedule Another Election

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The All Progressives Congress has cancelled the Bayelsa State governorship primary election held on Tuesday.

The National Chairman of the party, John Oyegun, who disclosed this to journalists on Wednesday, said a new date for the election would be announced soon.

The election held in Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa, the state capital, was purportedly won by a former governor of the state, Timipre Sylva, in a controversial manner.

Mr. Sylva polled 726 votes to emerge victorious. His closest rival, Timi Alaibe, a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, got four votes.

Read More: premiumtimesng

Shekau’s Audio Is Fake, Military Insists On Gaining Victory Against Boko Haram

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Nigerians should dismiss the purported audio message from Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau and draw more confidence from the military’s continuing success in the fight against insurgency, the Nigerian military has said.

In a statement issued on behalf of the armed forces by the Acting Director Defence Information, Colonel Rabe Abubakar on Tuesday, he urged citizens to go about their normal business as all areas liberated from Boko Haram sect’s control can now be freely explored.
“The military viewed as irrelevant and fruitless effort the motive behind the recent audio clip presumably released by Shekau, the acclaimed leader of Boko Haram sects.

“The Armed Forces is using this medium to appeal to the good citizens of Nigeria not to lose sleep over the concocted audio rhetoric of the waning terrorist sect which is a usual antic of a drowning person struggling to hold on to anything to remain afloat.

“The Nigerian Armed Forces is not considering any particular person in the terror group to be much relevant in the ongoing onslaught against insurgency in the North East. Shekau or any of his cohorts would not deter the spate of the military operations to rid the country of criminals hiding under strange religious ideology to kill innocent Nigerians,” he stated.

Read More: thenationonlineng

I Worked For APC’s Victory, Ex-Gov Admits

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Staff Reporter

former Governor of Plateau State, Amb. Fidelis Tapgun, has said though, he is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, he worked for the success of the All Progressives Congress in the 2015 general elections.

Tapgun said his decision to work for the opposition party in the recent elections was as a result of the injustice meted to party members and the impunity of state governors, who imposed their surrogates as candidates for elections at various levels.

The former governor, who spoke to newsmen at his Jos country home on Tuesday, said the PDP worked against itself in the election, adding that the victory of APC at the federal and in the state was not a surprise because the PDP members saw it coming.

Tapgun explained that he and some of the governorship aspirants in the state warned President Goodluck Jonathan about the impending fall of the party, a warning he said was ignored. He accused Jonathan of allowing the governors to hijack the party.

He said, “I contributed to the success of APC in the state because my party failed. My party failed to zone the governorship to the South and that’s the greatest error made by the party. APC fortunately zoned the governorship to the South, and quite naturally, it won. “Contributing to APC victory was not because we were gratified, it was not hidden at all; it was not anything we did behind the scene. We openly said we were going to work against the PDP in Plateau State and we did to the end.

“We are PDP; we are not going out and we did it to the end. So the success of APC is on the platform of PDP and it was not anything we are ashamed of. It is good to show people that whenever you don’t perform, you will be kicked out.”

Tapgun, while carpeting PDP members, who defected to APC, expressed optimism that PDP would bounce back and provide a formidable opposition to the APC.

He added, “We are determined that the party will not die. We are reformed PDP and Jang’s party or Raymond Dabo (PDP chairman in Plateau) party. There are no two factions, there is only one and we are going to reform it.”

Credit: punchng

Street Turnt For Lalong’s Victory. Who Says Democracy Is Not For Poor People? PHOTOS

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Tudun Wada, a street in Jos has been celebrating the victory of APC’s Samuel Lalong, who has been declared winner of the Plateau State Guber poll.

Here are photos of the street crowd, who came out en masse regardless of tribe and religion to celebrate the “Change” in the Plateau State government.

Reacting to the outcome of the guber poll result, some commuters expressed great joy and said, “They said Democracy is not for poor people, but we proved them wrong”.

Okorocha Claims Victory, Says Supplementary Election Unnecessary

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has faulted the independent Electoral Commission for declaring the state gubernatorial election inconclusive and announcing supplementary elections in some wards across the state.

Mr. Okorocha, who spoke to journalists at the Government House in Imo State early Monday, said the supplementary election would have been unnecessary if INEC had considered the number of Permanent Voters Card distributed in the affected areas instead of the number of registered voters.

INEC Returning Officer of the State, Ibidapo Obe, announced that the election was inconclusive because the margin (79,529) between the frontrunner, Mr. Okorocha and his contender, Emeka Ihedioha of Peoples Democratic Party, was less than the number of registered voters (144,715) in wards across the state where elections did not hold or were cancelled due to violence. He said a new date would be announced for a supplementary election.

Though Mr. Okorocha recognised the provision of the electoral law in respect of the number of registered voters, he said INEC should have considered distribution of PVC in the affected areas instead of registered voters as only voters with PVC can vote.

“The electoral act has talked about registered voters and in the workings of that act and in the spirit of the law, you cannot not make use of number of registered voters, you have to make use of number of PVC collected…”

Read More: premiumtimesng

Buhari Extends Hand Of Fellowship To Jonathan

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Staff Reporter

BRIEF PRESS STATEMENT BY GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI,GCFR, PRESIDENT ELECT ON THE PLATFORM OF THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS, APC. MARCH 31ST, 2015

At exactly 5:15pm Yesterday evening President Jonathan called to congratulate me on my victory. For this I want all Nigerians to join me in congratulating and appreciating Mr President for his statesmanship.

President Jonathan engaged in a spirited campaign and was a worthy opponent. I extend my hand of fellowship to him. I look forward to meeting him soon as we plan the transition from one administration to another. He will receive nothing but understanding, cooperation and respect from me and my team.

The good people of Nigeria, answered the call of history. When the account of this fine moment is written, it will be said that it was the people themselves who led this nation to democracy.

You stood in line patiently for hours in the sun, rain and then in the dark to cast your ballots. Even when the vote was extended to Sunday in some places, you still performed your civic duty. You did so peacefully. You voted with your heart. Your vote affirms that you believe Nigeria’s future can be better than what it is today.

You voted for change and now change has come.

INEC has released the official results of the Presidential election. INEC has declared that I gained the most votes with the required spread and thus won this election. In a more profound way, it is you, Nigerians that have won. The people have shown their love for our nation and their belief in democracy.

The declaration of INEC accurately reflects the will of the people. Whilethere might have been some logistical obstacles and irregularities associated with the exercise, the result shall stand as what the people want.

I thank all Nigerians who have made this day possible. Our country has now joined the community of nations that have used the ballot box to peacefully change an incumbent President in a free and fair election. To me this is indeed historic.

Most people will welcome the result because it is the one they voted for. Others will naturally be disappointed. I ask that we all be circumspect, respectful and peaceful in these times.

This was a hard- fought contest. Emotions are high. We must not allow them to get the better of us. This is not the time for confrontation. This is a moment that we must begin to heal the wounds and work toward a better future. We do this first by extending a hand of friendship and conciliation across the political divide. We hope and pray our friends in other parties reciprocate.

I thank all the members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for their commitment and their hard work through the formation of the party, the campaigns and the Presidential elections. Let me equally extend my appreciation to the MEDIA, Civil Society and the Security agencies for their selfless service.

The International press and our friends abroad deserve special commendation for their support throughout the process. We promise a robust and dynamic engagement with your countries in matters of mutual interest to nations.

In the interim, I call on all Nigerians to be law abiding and peaceful. The eyes of the world were focused on us to see if we could vote in a peaceful way and carry out a representative election in an orderly manner. You have proven to the world that we are a people who have embraced democracy and a people who seek a of government by, for and of the people.

We have put one party state behind us. You have voted for a party and president that will serve and govern but never rule over you. Change has come. A new day and a new Nigeria are upon us. The victory is yours and the glory is that of our nation – Nigeria
I will make a more formal address to the nation tomorrow after receiving the certificate of return from INEC.

May God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR,
President Elect,
Federal Republic of Nigeria

APC Not Happy With Jonathan’s Victory Over Terrorism- Fani-Kayode

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, said yesterday that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is apparently unhappy with the victory of the nation’s military and the Federal Government over Boko Haram insurgents.

Fani-Kayode, in a statement he issued in Abuja, said “what is really giving the APC a headache is their failed expectation that President Jonathan’s government would be unable to subdue the deadly activities of the Boko Haram insurgents in the north-eastern part of the federation.

“The APC had field days attacking the government on the issue of insurgency, hardly aware of the determination by our Presidential candidate, President Jonathan to end the problem once and for all…”

Read More: dailypost

Troops From Chad, Niger Retake Town From Boko Haram

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Waving a captured black and white militant flag, soldiers from Niger and Chad on Wednesday celebrated their liberation of a Nigerian town from Boko Haram extremists. It is another victory in a regional campaign to wrest back swaths of northeast Nigeria from the Islamist militants.

Damasak, just a few miles over the border from Niger, was liberated over the weekend, Col. Michel Ledru, a spokesman for Niger’s army, said Wednesday.

In heavy fighting, 228 militants were killed and one soldier from Niger died, Ledru said. Vehicles and motor cycles riddled with bullets littered the streets. An Associated Press photographer in the northeastern town said it was largely deserted of civilians on Wednesday. Four people, including an old man, came onto the street to wave at a convoy among 2,000 troops from Niger and Chad in the town.

There were still signs of the town’s occupation by the militants. Their writings were scrawled on every wall and the extremists’ black and white flag still flew above some buildings.

As two Chadian helicopters landed with supplies, soldiers on the ground started chanting and displaying their catch: A Boko Haram flag torn down from a nearby building.

On the outskirts of town, hundreds of troops have set up camp. Some soldiers hid from the 45-degree (113-degree Fahrenheit) heat in the shade to their tanks. Some used their helmets to grind grain for a meal. A few did laundry while others cooked food.

It was all work for a group of Chadian troops who transferred weapons captured from Boko Haram to a pickup truck that drove it to the helicopters for transport back to Niger: AK47 assault rifles and 50-caliber guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortar shells. “Boko Haram is far now, very far,” said one soldier.

Read More: Yahoo

Oba of Benin Assures Jonathan of Election Victory

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Oba of Benin, Omon’oba Erediauwa, has assured President Goodluck Jonathan of victory in the forthcoming election slated for March 28.

The Oba gave the assurance Thursday in Abuja through his son and a chief in the Benin Kingdom, Ada Erediuwa, who led a delegation of princes and chiefs of the Benin Kingdom on a visit to a former Minister of Information and elder statesman, Edwin Clark.

Prince Erediuwa recalled that his father had met with Mr. Jonathan three times adding that while the first meeting was a private affair between the two leaders, the second meeting was a public function when the president went to Edo to commission the refurbished Benin-Lagos expressway.

Boko Haram Violence May ‘Stifle’ Buhari’s Winning Chances By Betha Madhomu

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Boko Haram’s continued attacks on three-north eastern states may stifle the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) party’s presidential Muhammadu Buhari’s chances of winning the upcoming elections, an analyst has said.

South African Institute of International Affairs political analyst, Ola Bello, told News24 that the three states in the north east – namely Bono, Yobe and Adamawa – were an opposition bastion and they remained a target for Boko Haram.

Bello said a presidential contestant needed to win majority votes in two thirds of the country’s 36 states for him to be “properly” elected.

“To be properly elected, a presidential contestant needs to win majority votes in two thirds of the 36 states. Boko Haram violence on three north-eastern states – an opposition bastion – makes the arithmetic more difficult for the challenger, Muhammadu Buhari of the APC,” Bello said.

Rigged elections

At least 13 000 people have been killed and more than a million forced from their homes since Boko Haram launched an insurgency in 2009.

Bello said there was also the “traditional concern about rigging and other electoral malpractices”, which he said could lead to a “de-legitimisation” of the election result.

Bello said rigged elections risked exacerbating the existing insecurity in the country.

He said although it was difficult to be sure about a peaceful acceptance of the election result by both sides, a smooth transition of power, in the event that the opposition wins, could work positively for the development of the country.

“I’m optimistic that peaceful acceptance of an outright win by the APC opposition – or even APC’s success in capturing a greater number of states in the gubernatorial elections – will help strengthen and mature Nigeria’s democracy,” said Bello.

The country goes to the polls on 14 February.

As Seen On: News24

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