Alhaji Ahmed Maiyaki, Kaduna State Commissioner for Information, says the recovered N25.9million by the security agencies for alleged vote-buying belongs to the opposition.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Police Command in Kaduna State, and other security agencies had nabbed a suspected vote buyer ahead of yesterday’s bye-elections and recovered N25.9million cash.

The commissioner was briefing newsmen in Zaria during an assessment visit for the general conduct of the bye-elections.

He said the APC was not planning to buy any votes, stressing, “what we did was to seek people’s votes and support.”

When asked about the arrest of the suspected vote buyer by the security agencies, the commissioner said the opposition was caught with the cash in the hotel, stressing that the pictures were there for everyone to see.

“Votes are not for sale; votes are meant for people to cast based on their conscience,” the commissioner said.

On the inspection of the elections, Maiyaki commended the INEC for early distribution of election materials, simultaneous voters’ accreditation, and voting.

While commending the turnout of voters in most of the areas, the commissioner said,” This level of preparation by INEC and other key stakeholders for the by-elections was unprecedented.”

Voter apathy mars Kaduna exercise

Baba Negedu

KADUNA

Despite the tight security deployed for Saturday’s bye-election in Kaduna State, the exercise was marred by low voter turnout in many parts of the state.

Polling units in areas where the election took place, like Sabon Gari, Zaria, Chikun, and Kajuru local areas, recorded very low turnout in many units.

Some of the electoral officers told journalists that even some of those who came out expressed fear, even with the heavy security operatives deployed in many units and surrounding environments.

Also, many residents defied the restriction of movement order placed in election areas by the Nigerian police, with persons of voting age and other citizens seen going about their normal businesses.

Election materials arrived very early in many of the units, but they are no electorate to cast their vote.

In some units in Ungwa Romi, Television, and parts of Sabon Tasha, all in Chikun Local Government Area, only a couple of voters came out to cast their votes, even as others, including vehicles and pedestrians, were seen going about their businesses.

A voter in Television Primary school unit, Matthew Azinta, told our correspondent that people are afraid of violence, “Some people want to come out, but they are afraid of violence, there is security, but many people think there will be violence, i don’t know why.”

He further said others were not interested, believing that their vote might not count.

Idahosa applauds voter turnout

Francis Ogbuagu

Benin

The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Dennis Idahosa, yesterday, expressed satisfaction with the conduct and voter turnout in the by-election for the Ovia Federal Constituency seat.

Idahosa, who voted at Unit 3, Old Education Board, Iguobazuwa West Ward in Ovia South West Local Government Area, described the process as smooth, peaceful, and encouraging.

“So far, everything is going well. We are expecting free, fair, and credible elections. Ovia people will be happy with the outcome. The turnout is impressive. More voters should come out and vote and shun violence,” the deputy governor said after casting his ballot. “I just voted and I am going home while I wait for the result.”

At several polling units across the constituency, including Units 1, 4, and 6 in Okada West Ward, voters were seen queuing patiently to vote.

However, there was an altercation at Ozolua Model Primary School located in Iguobazuwa East Ward, the administrative headquarters of Ovia South West LGA, where an agent of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) was assaulted by thugs. The agent, whose identity had not been confirmed, was accused of withholding Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). His safety was secured only after police officers intervened.

Despite the incident, voter turnout remained high across several polling locations in Iguobazuwa, with many arriving early to exercise their franchise.

In Esan South-East Local Government Area, at Idumu Iyasele Primary School in Ewatto Ward III, elderly voters were among those who turned out early. Seventy-year-old Pa Victor Enajie shared his experience at Unit 4, noting the timely arrival of election materials.

“Materials came early, about 7:30 am. I came and was accredited, and I have voted. It was good and smooth,” he said.

AIG Eze warns against fake news

Okey Maduforo

Awka

The Assistant Inspector General of Police Godwin Eze, who is in charge of security in the by-elections at Anambra South Senatorial District and Onitsha North 1 State Constituency, has warned against the report of fake news during the election.

Eze also warned that the Police will not take kindly to the activities of those whose stock in trade is to post old videos, which he said is tantamount to misinforming the general public about the by-election.

The warning is on account of certain videos and reports about the by-election, which he said are untrue, adding that some of those videos were incidents that occurred during past elections in the state.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement, he stated that;

“The Assistant Inspector-General of Police AIG Godwin Eze, who is the Supervising Officer for the Anambra Bye-elections, has cautioned individuals and groups against circulating fake election results, recycling old videos, or making incendiary remarks capable of misleading the public and causing a breach of peace during the ongoing Anambra bye-election.”

Local Vigilante remains barred, says AIG Eze

Okey Maduforo and Echezona Okafor

The Assistant Inspector General of Police Godwin Eze, who is supervising the by-elections in Anambra State, has reiterated that the local vigilante groups in the area remain barred from operations during the by-election.

Eze, who led a monitoring team of security operatives for the by-elections, noted that there is no change in the early directive that the local security operatives should stay away from the voting centers.

Eze and his team have so far visited Nnewi North and South Local Government Areas, as well as parts of Ekwusigo Local Government Areas in Anambra South Senatorial District.

Confirming this development, the Police Spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikega, in a statement, stated

“Police-led joint security teams have commenced the assessment of personnel deployment for the Anambra bye-election, as security forces take control of Nnewi North Local Government Area.”

NSCDC intercepts two suspected underage voters

Francis Ogbuagu

Benin

Two suspected underage voters were intercepted during Saturday’s Edo Central Senatorial bye Election intercepted by men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at Owu Primary School, Ewohimi, Esan South-East LGA.

The suspects who were visibly looking underage and with suspected fake voter cards were identified as Isoa Emmanuel and Kofi Oseibhue.

The development irked some political leaders at the school who almost pounced on officers of the NSCDC.

Leaping to the defense of the suspects, one Aimiebenomon, questioned the rights of the NSCDC to arrest the suspects, saying that there were a lot of underage voters during elections in the North.

While asking the NSCDC to take the suspects to court, they said Aimiebenomon, a leader of one of the major political parties in the election, vowed to provide a lawyer for the suspect in court.

He argued that by merely looking at the physical structure of the suspects, it is not enough to determine their age, adding that the suspects were affected by long-term hard work and poverty.

However, the suspects were later told by the officers of NSCDC to leave the voting vicinity apparently in a diplomatic move to escape being attacked by the angry youths.

Ibadan North ADC candidate, Akin-Alamu, alleges vote buying

Sola Adeyemo

Ibadan

Candidate of African Democratic Congress, ADC, in the just conckuded bye-election in the Ibadan North Federal Constituency, Femi Dexter Akin-Alamu, has alleged vote buying in some polling units and wards.

While speaking with journalists shortly after he voted, the candidate said he voted at Unit 038 Ward 11 inside the University of Ibadan, and had been informed that massive vote buying was taking place in some areas.

He said, “There is vote buying that is going on, it is not an allegation. There is vote buying that is going on in Wards 1 to 4. I have the report of what is going on in Wards 7, 8 and 12. So they are not allegations.

“It is not an allegation, it is something that is going on. It is a wholesale thing. It is as a result of the fact that they are giving people money due to the level of poverty”, he said.

NEC admits disruptions of process, as police arrest 200

Muhammad Kabir

Kano

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Kano, Ambassador Abdu Zango, has admitted that Elections in Shanono Local Government were earlier in the Morning been disrupted by Thugs, but said, “we continue the conduct shortly after”.

Zango told Newsmen in Shanono Local Government that, “it is true that some highly Armed Political Thugs have disrupted the elections in some polling units and snatched away Ballot Boxes”.

He, however, explained that, “we managed to replace those Boxes and Ballot Papers been snatched away by the Thugs and Elections, as you can see, continue without any hitches”.

Remo by-election: Police nab PDP chieftains, INEC officials with huge sums of cash

Men of the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Police, on Saturday, arrested two members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and two staffers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Iperu Remo, with huge sums of cash allegedly meant for rigging the by-election into the Remo Federal Constituency House of Representatives.

The suspects, who were arrested in the early hours of Saturday, are reported to have provided very useful information to the police regarding their respective roles in the grand plan to bribe election officials and rig the House of Representatives by-election.

In a video recording, police could be seen interrogating the suspects, comprising four males and a female.

The INEC staffers, a man who identified himself simply as Constance and a woman who identified herself as Amina, claimed to have been sent by their supervisor to collect the money from a certain PDP politician in the area.