Jonathan's wife desperate to rig rivers poll says Amaechi

AHEAD of the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections, the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has accused the wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, of pressurising the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to rig the governorship election in the state.

Amaechi, who observed that President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife was in Okrika, her hometown, for the governorship election, hoped that there would not be a repeat of alleged electoral malpractices that happened on March 28 in the state.

The governor, who spoke during a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday in Port Harcourt, said the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mrs. Gesila Khan, already had a mindset of delivering the state to the Peoples Democratic Party.

He said the governorship candidate of the PDP, Chief Nyesom Wike, must answer for the killings in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.

Amaechi insisted that INEC must make available original result sheets at all polling units and called on the people of the state not to allow the election to hold without result sheets.

“The reason for this meeting is to let you know that what happened on the 28th of March, 2015 may or may not repeat itself. Few days ago, I said it would not repeat itself. But as at this morning, there are enormous pressures on the security operatives by the wife of the President.

“There is also enormous pressure on INEC by the wife of the President. I hope that they will not repeat the hijacking of results that we witnessed on March 28. In most of the local government areas, if not all, there were no result sheets. This time around, I hope they will bring the result sheets to the different units. I hope they will not forget the result sheets at the collation centre.

“For me as the governor of Rivers State, what is material to me is that we want to see the result sheets. We want to ensure that as we vote, our votes will count. Most of you have been asking this question; who will take over from me? I told you that we don’t want anybody to force a candidate on us.

“We don’t want people to be made governor because they want to share our resources. That is not what we want. We want to be allowed to vote and let our votes be counted. Let the wife of the President stay in her house. She should not force a candidate on us.

“They should tell her that security agencies have assured us that they will allow votes to count. I assure you that the security agencies will not be biased and I hope that the security agencies will keep to that. I hope that the woman posted here as the Resident Electoral Commission would know that her responsibility is not to allow anybody to see the result sheets,” Amaechi said.

Calling on the electorates not to allow anybody to intimidate them, Amaechi explained that communities should use the Ubima (his community) formula by locking down their villages to ensure that nobody would steal their votes.

He warned that INEC should not endanger the lives of its members of staff by deliberately withholding the results sheets or failing to do what was expected of them according to the law.

Amaechi urged communities not to allow any INEC official to leave until the right actions were taken in order to ensure a free and fair election.

“Anywhere there is no result sheets, don’t allow the election to hold. Basically, I don’t mind the fact that almost all those employed by INEC in the state; collation officers, electoral officers, are PDP members.

“There will be no boycotting, there will be no refusal to vote. I hope only the right persons will be there to do the job and the result sheets will be available. If not, the Rivers State Government cannot determine what happens in the communities,” he added.

The governor, however, announced the ban on the use of commercial motorcycles in areas such as Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, Abua/Odual, Ahoada East and Ahoada West, described as hot spots until after the elections.

Cautioning those in the habit of fomenting trouble in the state to know that power had changed hands at the centre, Amaechi restated that those involved in politically- motivated killings in the state would face the law before the end of his administration.

He disclosed that three persons had been arrested in connection with politically- motivated killings in the state, adding that about 400 All Progressives Congress members that were arrested on trumped-up charges had been released.

PDP workers on strike for unpaid salary

Things appear to be working in the wrong direction for the Peoples Democratic Party as cleaners working at its national headquarters in Abuja have embarked on indefinite strike over unpaid salaries.

The cleaners had been complaining that the national leadership of the party refused to pay them their salaries in the last four months.

The cleaners said they had hoped that the leadership of the party would use part of the billions of naira it raked from the sale of expression of interest forms to its candidates to settle their arrears of salaries.

However, when the party paid some of those it owed on Wednesday and refused to settle the cleaners whose salaries were in the range of N14, 000 per month, they decided to embark on a strike.

It was observed on a visit to the national headquarters of the party located at Wuse Zone 5, Abuja on Thursday,that the building and its surroundings were unkempt.

One of the cleaners, who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “We have decided to boycott the cleaning activities of both the offices and the premises of this secretariat until we are paid the three months salaries the party owes us.

“We need to take this action because since the party lost the presidential election to the All Progressives Congress, we have not been seeing majority of the members of its National Working Committee.

“We don’t even know if the party will continue to function as it used to be due to the loss.”

When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, said he was in the South-East for the Saturday’s governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.

“Because of this, I may not know what you are saying,” he said, adding that he was in the zone to ensure success for the party.

Meanwhile, Metuh has said that the PDP is poised to win more states on Saturday despite the fallout of the presidential election.

AIGs, CPs redeployed to provide security during govenorship poll

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, has deployed Assistant Inspectors-General of Police to supervise the April 11 governorship election in some states of the federation.

A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, on Thursday explained that six Deputy Inspectors-General of Police had also been redeployed to coordinate police activities in the six geo-political zones.

The redeployed AIGs are, Aigusman Gwary (Abia); Olufemi Adenaike, (Kwara); Mbu. J. Mbu (Ogun); Patrick Dokumor (Kaduna); Tambari Mohammed (Jigawa); Mohammed Abubakar (Gombe); Ikemefuna Okoye (Oyo); Tunde Ogunsakin (Rivers); and Jubril Adeniji (Bauchi).

Others are, Yerima Irimiya (Imo); Adisa Bolanta (Akwa Ibom); Lawal Tanko (Lagos); Ballah Nasarawa (Benue); Musa Daura (Edo); Aderele Shinaba (Plateau ); and Bala Hassan (Sokoto).

The Commissioners of Police redeployed for election duties to states are,   Sam Okaula (Anambra); E. J. Ibine (Ekiti); Adamu Mohammed (Enugu); and Valentine Ntomchukwu (Osun).

The statement added that the IGP had also deployed a Commissioner of Police to command each of the senatorial districts of Gombe, Bauchi, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Benue, Edo, Plateau and Sokoto states.

For Rivers State, the IGP had redeployed the 32 Units of Police Mobile Force; 4 Units of Counter terrorism Units; 4 Units of Special Protection Units and 6 Crack Teams of Detectives from Force Criminal Investigation Department and complements of intelligence officers, to beef up security in Rivers State.

Meanwhile, Abba, has ordered restriction of vehicular movement in 36 states from 8am to 5pm during the elections on Saturday.

A statement by Ojukwu on Thursday in Abuja explained that the measure was to ensure safety and security during the polls.

According to the statement, “There is no restriction of vehicular movement in the Federal Capital Territory as there is no election taking place there on the said date.”

It added that the restriction excluded “vehicles on essential duty such as Fire Service, ambulances and vehicles used by the Independent National Electoral Commission and law enforcement/security agencies.’’

The statement assured members of the public that adequate security logistics and manpower had been deployed to achieve conducive atmosphere for the polls.

It said that policemen on election duty had been properly briefed on their roles as stipulated in the Electoral Act.

It said, “They are expected to be professional, non-partisan, civil but firm in their approach and relation to the public.’’

It called on the citizens to remain vigilant and report all suspicious movements or dealings to appropriate police authority.

Governor Akpabio refused APC use of stadium for campaign

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, has refused the All Progressives Congress the use of Uyo Township Stadium for the hosting of President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

Buhari was scheduled to visit Akwa Ibom on Thursday, but as the state government denied the APC use of the Uyo Township Stadium, the visit had to be postponed till after the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.

The letter denying the APC the use of the stadium emanated from the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Youth and Sports, dated April 7, with ref. No. MYS/AD/146/VOL. 11/142 and made available on Thursday.

The letter, which was signed by Mr. Nse Edem, on behalf of the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr. Akan Uko, stated that the request to use the stadium was denied because the Peoples Democratic Party in the state had applied to use it earlier.

“I am directed to refer to your letter of April 6, 2015 on the request for the use of Uyo Township Stadium and to inform you that the ministry had already approved the use of the stadium to the Peoples Democratic Party on April 9.

“You are by this letter please requested to look for any other alternative venue since the stadium had already been booked and would not be free for April 9.”

Reacting to the development, the Head of Media and Publicity, Umana Okon Umana Campaign Organisation, Mr. Iboro Otongaran, said the President-elect would not visit the state as scheduled due to the denial of the APC the use of the venue.

He said that efforts to get alternative venue had proved abortive as the party was so confident that the Uyo township stadium would be approved.

He called on the APC supporters not to worry, but to go out en masse on Saturday to vote for Umana as Akwa Ibom governor and all other APC candidates in the state House of Assembly.

Governor sabotaging the use of card readers for saturday poll says INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission has accused a governor from the North-Central geo-political zone of working against the use of card readers for Saturday elections.

The commission in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the chairman of the commission, Mr. Kayode Idowu, in Abuja on Thursday, asked the unnamed governor to stop the misleading act.

Idowu said the action of the governor could amount to electoral offence.

Apart from the governor, he said some political leaders were also in the habit of telling voters that card reader would not be used for Saturday’s polls.

Idowu said that only those with the Permanent Voter Card would be attended to by officials of the commission during the elections on Saturday.

The statement said, “INEC has received reports that some political leaders are asking members of the public to disregard its stated resolve to use PVCs and Smart Card Readers for the April 11, 2015 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.

“A particular state governor in the North-Central geo-political zone is reported to have assured voters in the state that they could come out to vote on election day with Temporary Voter Cards if they do not have the PVC, and that INEC will not be allowed to insist on the use of SCRs for voter accreditation.

“Members of the public are strongly advised to disregard false assurances that contradict the regulations INEC has outlined for the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.

“The commission reaffirms that only voters with genuine PVCs should come out to the polling units on election day, and that guidelines issued on the use of SCRs for the April 11 elections will be strictly applied.”

WATCH: The man who filmed Walter Scott Shooting Speaks with CNN

Feidin Santana have finally broke his silence and he spoke with CNN. 

WATCH HIS ACCOUNT! 

US protesters decry racism against black after Walter Scott shooting by police

A few dozen protesters gathered peacefully Wednesday morning at North Charleston City Hall in South Carolina, United States, less than 24 hours after authorities announced murder charges against a white police officer over the shooting death of an unarmed black man.
Protesters handed out signs reading, “Back turned, don’t shoot,” ”Black lives matter” and “Stop racist police terror.” One display included a wood cutout of a man in a hooded sweatshirt with angel wings.
It was originally left at the site of the shooting of Walter Lamer Scott Jr., 50. Prosecutors charge that North Charleston police officer Michael Thomas Slager, 33, murdered Scott. A video of the fatal encounter, recorded on a cell phone, shows Scott running away from Slager when the officer opens fire, shooting eight times.
Five of the bullets hit Scott, with one piercing the heart of the father of four, family members told The New York Times.
Lance Braye helped arrange the protest for the group Black Lives Matter.
“We have to take a stand on stuff like this,” the 23-year-old Braye said. “We can’t just shake our heads at our computer screens.”
Protesters say North Charleston police have a habit of harassing black people for small offenses, such as the broken brake light that started the traffic stop preceding Scott’s death.
Braye said he hopes the video of the incident, taken by a witness whose name hasn’t been released, changes the way police act.
“This needs to be the last case,” Braye said.
Later in the morning, Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon said he went to the demonstration Wednesday to meet with community members and keep an eye on what was a peaceful protest. His jurisdiction includes North Charleston.
The sheriff said his department started reviewing its policies dealing with minorities after a white officer fatally shot a black man in Ferguson, Missouri. A grand jury did not bring any charges in that case.
Cannon said he understands that heavy-handed police tactics of the past few decades have fostered mistrust of law enforcement. He said he thinks investigators would have seen through the officer’s lies without the video, but the video made their job easier.
“Once that video came out things moved quickly,” Cannon said.
The FBI and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are investigating the shooting.
The DOJ issued a detailed report last month condemning Ferguson’s city government for poor police training, practices it said contributed to the death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown. The city’s police chief and other top officials stepped down in the wake of the report.
The death of Brown, and the lack of an indictment against the officer involved, sparked months of protests in the St. Louis suburb. Demonstrations there last year saw street clashes with law enforcement, tear gassings, mass arrests and the looting of businesses in the city.
Republican Senator Tim Scott, who is not related to Walter Scott, issued a statement Wednesday morning condemning the shooting death. Sen. Scott is the state’s first black senator since 1881.
“The horrific video that came to light yesterday is deeply troubling,” Scott said.
“It is clear the killing of Walter Scott was unnecessary and avoidable, and my prayers are with the Scott family as they go through this ordeal,” he added.
Sen. Scott said the swift reaction from South Carolina law enforcement underscores “the severity of this terrible event.”
Earlier that morning, North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey and Police Chief Eddie Driggers visited Scott’s parents. The slain man’s mother and father had appeared on TV shows earlier that morning.
Judy Scott, the mother of 50-year-old Walter Lamer Scott, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Wednesday that she almost couldn’t look at the video showing the shooting last weekend. She said it tore her heart to pieces.
After seeing the cell phone video, Walter Scott Sr. said Slager “looked like he was trying to kill a deer running through the woods.”
The father said he doesn’t know if the shooting was racially motivated.