Three corp members arrested in Edo for electoral fraud

Three members of the National Youth Service Corps who served as ad-hoc staff during the April 11 House of Assembly election in Edo State have been arrested for allegedly selling ballot papers and other sensitive materials. They were alleged to have sold the electoral materials for N40, 000.
 The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, who disclosed this while reviewing the 2015 polls said 15,000 workers were used for the conduct of the elections.
Mike Igini said the three corps members sold two packets of ballot papers. He stated that two staff of the commission who could not account for election materials given to them were suspended.
The REC said investigations have commenced to determine the culpability of the two INEC staff in the incident. “The ongoing investigations will determine whether their act was deliberate or out of sheer negligence. “With respect to the NYSC members, they were given ballot papers of which they sold two packets and were nabbed,” he stated. Igini, who described their offences as severe, said they would be dealt with ruthlessly.

DSS arrested 16 INEC staff for electoral fraud

Men of the Department of State Security (DSS) in Imo State last night arrested 16 members of staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for altering the result sheets of the governorship election to suit the figures that were “dubiously allotted to political parties”.
Among those arrested is said to be the head of operations and other Electoral Officers, who presided over the governorship and House of Assembly elections.
Confirming the arrest, a DSS official, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the INEC officials were caught while thumb printing ballot papers in favour of an opposition political party. According to the reliable source, the suspects were detained at the DSS State headquarters.
 The All Progressives Congress (APC) had demanded the redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Gabriel Ada for allegedly working for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The party also passed a vote of no confidence on the leadership of the INEC in the state and called for a new team to conduct the rerun.

Eligibility Suit: Plantiffs discontinue case

Justice Adeniyi Ademola, the judge presiding over the eligibility suits against the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, Wednesday, stopped further hearing on two separate suits after plaintiffs filed notices of discontinuance before the court.
Three persons had asked the court to stop Buhari from contesting the March 28 presidential election.
The motions for discontinuance were filed by the plaintiffs’ lawyers on Wednesday.
Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), counsel to one of the plaintiffs, Chukwunweike Okafor, told the judge that his client decided to withdraw his suit to enable the incoming government to focus on the task of governing the country effectively.
Dr. Chike Amobi, representing Max Ozoaka, also confirmed that his client has withdrawn his suit.
The pending eligibility case is filed by one Ayakeme Whiske.

Impeachment crisis turns Ekiti to a laughing stock says Ekiti elders

Elders in Ekiti State are unhappy with the raging impeachment crises which they said have turned the Fountain of Knowledge to a battlefield.
Rising from an emergency meeting on the political crisis on Wednesday, the elders under their umbrella body, Ekiti Council of Elders, said those who don’t wish the state well in Yoruba land and the entire country “are laughing at us.”
The body chaired by Prof. Tunde Oluwasanmi promised not to rest on its oars until the crises are resolved, adding that plans are on to bring warring parties together through peace talks.
Addressing reporters shortly after the meeting held in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Chairman, Standing Committee of Ekiti Council of Elders, Chief Oladeji Fasuan, said the group believes that the crises could still be resolved if the parties could make concessions.
Fasuan, who is also the Chairman of Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State, said the elders have resolved to summon Governor Ayo Fayose and the Dr. Adewale Omirin-led 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the House of Assembly to meetings to ensure the resolution of the impasse.
Other prominent Ekiti elders at the meeting include former governor of old Ondo State, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua; the Odoba of Ado-Ekiti and former Registrar, University of Ife, Chief Alex Olu Ajayi; former Ado-Ekiti Local Government Chairman, Chief Ojo Falegan; former Chairman, Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Bayo Orire; former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Ekiti State University, Prof. Olorunfemi Olaofe and former governorship aspirant, Biola Olasehinde, among others.
Fasuan explained that the council had launched several attempts to intervene in the situation but such efforts did not yield fruit “due to the apparent refusal of our difficult sons and daughters who are operating in the political space.”
He disclosed that a suit filed by Omirin and his deputy, Adetunji Orisalade, against their impeachment limited their intervention in the crisis, noting that the council is still determined to get to the root of the matter with a view to finding solution.

Goodluck Jonathan will handover May 29 says Information minister

The Minister of Information, Senator Patricia Akwashiki , on Wednesday maintained that May 29th is the date for the handover of governance from President Goodluck Jonathan to President-elect, Gen. Muhammudu Buhari.
She made the clarification at the end of Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Jonathan.
According to her, May 28th is just for the inaugural dinner.
She said: “28th May is not the date for handover. 29th May is for handover and Democracy Day.”
“The President is still the President till 29th May till when the President-elect will take over.”
“28th May is just for inaugural dinner.”
On the sack of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba, by President Jonathan, she said that the President acted within his power to appoint and sack personnel.

Chibok Girls: "If Obama can find Osama then Jonathan can find the girls' says Oby Ezekwesili

The campaigner for the "BringBackOurGirls" Oby Ezekwesili have said that the chibok girls can still be find if the government is willing and steadfast.
Furthermore, she said since Obama find Osama then Goodluck Jonathan can find those girls.

Suleiman Abba sacked, Solomon Arase in

Police chief Suleiman Abba lost his job yesterday, becoming the first major casualty of President Goodluck Jonathan’s electoral loss. He was immediately replaced by Mr. Solomon Arase.
No reason was given for Inspector-General Abba’s sack.
It was learnt last Saturday that Dr. Jonathan was under pressure to give Abba the boot—for alleged security and protocol breaches.
A statement signed by presidential spokesman Dr. Reuben Abati said: “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has relieved the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba of his appointment and duties with immediate effect.
“President Jonathan has also appointed Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase as Acting Inspector-General of Police, also with immediate effect.
“Until his appointment as Mr. Abba’s replacement, Mr. Arase was the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.
“Mr. Arase holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Law, as well as  Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Political Science and Strategic Studies.
“He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College.”
Presidency sources said First Lady Patience Jonathan played a pivotal role in the events leading to Abba’s sack.
Abba, it was learnt, had earlier been summoned by the President to defend himself against allegations by some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and security chiefs regarding his role during the March 28 and April 11 elections.
Abba got the push because he rebuffed a presidential directive to make some “strategic moves” that would have favoured the ruling party in the two elections, the sources said.
One of them specifically mentioned Abba’s reluctance to redeploy the Assistant Inspector General in charge of Zone 6 Tunde Ogunsakin, from Rivers State to Cross River on the eve of the gubernatorial and Houses of Assembly elections.
The aim, it was gathered, was to enable the ruling party perfect what was described as its ectoral heist in some states in the Southsouth.
A source said when it became apparent that Abba was “using delay tactics” in carrying out the order, the First Lady, who was with some of her aides in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, instead of Bayelsa State where the President had gone to vote, called  Dr. Jonathan demanded an immediate implementation of the directive, it was said.
Miffed by what she considered to be an affront, said the source, the First Lady said Abba would regret his tardiness.
Said the source: “I can categorically tell you that Abba would have saved his job but for what happened on the eve of the governorship election when we were in Port Harcourt. Could you believe that despite an initial signal from the authorities that Ogunsakin should be moved to Calabar, Abba was playing games with the directives? He was apparently not in the mood to comply. The President had to call him directly before the order was carried out, following a complaint made to him by the First Lady.
“I am also aware that the authorities are not happy with his conduct during the presidential election, especially his seeming closeness to the president-elect and his presence at presentation of Certificate of Return to Gen. Buhari in Abuja.
He would have been allowed to stay on till the inauguration of the new government but for ignoring the wishes of the wife of the President.”
Asked if Abba explained his alleged reluctance to obey the order when he was summoned, the source said it would not have mattered as the President considered his action an act of disloyalty to constituted authority.
He said some of the security chiefs had also complained about Abba’s aloofness and “uncooperative attitude” during the presidential election in which he allegedly told his officers, including Assistant Inspectors-General (AIGs) and Deputy Inspectors-General (DIGs), to obey only orders emanating from his office.
Another source said Abba’s conduct since Buhari was elected showed evidence of disloyalty.
He was said to be behaving as if Jonathan’s tenure was over without minding the transition in place.
“His behaviour, especially his appearance at the presentation of certificate to Buhari, was described as ‘officially intolerable’,” the source said.
“There was no evidence that Abba was officially invited to the ceremony by INEC chairman to have warranted his presence. The Presidency felt he brazenly slighted the president and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“By shifting loyalty to the  president-elect, the IGP was alleged by the Presidency to have exposed other Service Chiefs’ careers to a ‘grave risk’ as it would appear to the President-elect as if they are disloyal.
“Jonathan was displeased that the IGP did not show much commitment to the team spirit with which all Service Chiefs went into the just-concluded general elections.
“By the sack, Jonathan offered to show Abba the exit way to prevent him from benefiting from any restructuring by the new administration.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “The sack of Abba was not about refusal to act a script during the general election because the President was magnanimous to concede defeat but it was sheer lack of loyalty to the system.
“Why will the IGP chart a partisan course? No government can condone this.”
Another source, who spoke in confidence, said the leakage of the redeployment of AIG Tunde Ogunsakin from Rivers State angered the President.
The source said: “When there was security alarm from Rivers State on the eve of April 11 governorship poll, the President invited IGP Abba to compare security notes. The interaction was only witnessed by the Special Adviser to the President on Domestic Affairs, Dr. Dudafa.
“It was shocking for the President to read about a ‘presidential directive’ in some newspapers on the redeployment of Ogunsakin.
“The President was taken aback and he asked who could have leaked the information to the press. Neither Abba nor Dudafa claimed responsibility for the leakage.”
It was gathered that the President decided to wield the stick to prove that he is not “ a weak leader”.
A source said: “The President initially chose to ignore Abba but he changed his mind to show that he is not a weakling.
“And Jonathan has demanded loyalty from all Service Chiefs  till he leaves office on May 29.”