FORMER Katsina State military administrator and incumbent senator of Benue North-East Senatorial District, Joseph Akaagerger, has declared that he would re-claim his mandate at the election tribunal, alleging that the rigging of the last elections in the district was unprecedented in four local councils.Addressing journalists at the weekend at the premises of the Benue State Election Tribunal after the commencement of his case against former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), National Chairman, Barnabas Gemade, who defeated him at the polls on April 9, Akaagerger stated that the senatorial elections were allegedly rigged in Katsina-Ala, Logo, Ukum and Konshisha.He said he has faith in the electoral process, he lacked faith in the operators of the electoral process, especially workers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who colluded with members of the PDP to allegedly rig the elections.He alleged that the INEC National Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, engaged in selective justice in his treatment of complaints and petitions written by political stakeholders across Nigeria.According to him: Jega attended to the petitions written against officials in Anambra, Bayelsa and Imo, where in two states he ordered re-run and supplementary election. In the case of Benue State, Jega chose to ignore the petition of the ACN despite the overwhelming evidence we presented to him personally in his office to the effect that the Benue State Resident Electoral Commissioner was colluding with PDP to rig the elections.He expressed confidence that the election tribunal would give him justice because of the weight of evidence that he has adduced, which he said, ranged from documentary and video clips that prove the massive rigging that took place in the four councils.The senator claimed that he has asked the election tribunal to declare him the winner of the Benue North-East Senatorial election of April 9, insisting that he scored a majority of lawful votes cast. ACN petitions tribunal over defeat in Ondo legislative pollsFrom Niyi Bello, AkureTHE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and its candidate in the just-concluded April 9 National Assembly election for the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency of Ondo State, Felix Rawa, have submitted a 47-page petition to the election petition tribunal in Akure, seeking a rerun of the polls.The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Raphael Nomiye, was declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner by scoring the highest number of valid votes.But the plaintiffs in petition EPT/ODS/NAE/HR/2/2011, which was submitted last Friday at the Akure venue of the tribunal, claimed that the election was marred by violence, unprecedented irregularities, voter intimidation and various instances of ballot box snatching in the two riverine councils of Ilaje and Ese-Odo, which made up the constituency.Besides they argued that a major act against the electoral rules was committed by bringing the returns to Akure, the state capital, for collation to facilitate good returns for the ruling party in Ondo State.According to the petition, votes were concocted to reflect areas where election did not hold and these were brought to Akure to be collated in favour of the LP candidate instead of the Igbokoda Constituency Collation Centre.The plaintiffs also averred in the petition filed on their behalf by an Akure-based lawyer and human rights activist, Titiloye Charles and the ACN legal adviser in the state, Bisi Ayeni, that one Taiwo Abiodun, a member of the ACN, was murdered by alleged LP hoodlums for resisting the rigging of the election at Mahin Ward 1 of Ilaje Council on election day.The petition also included other serious acts of violence at Mahin Wards 2,3 and 4 and at the Ode-Etikan Distribution Centre, where the plaintiffs claimed that many supporters of the ACN were allegedly wounded by a rampaging mob of LP thugs, who disrupted the polls and stuffed ballot boxes with already thump-printed ballot papers.Other areas stated in the petition where ballot boxes were allegedly destroyed by political goons to reduce the votes of the ACN candidate included Olota Ward 1, Obinehin, Idigbengben, Odo Nla Ile Eri in Ugbo and Orere Ara, all in Ilaje Council.Specifically, the name of Debo Ajimuda, an LP chieftain and chairman of the Ondo State Oil-Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), was mentioned for moving around with thugs at Ugbo Ward 2, disrupting election and writing results in favour of LP, contrary to the directive of INEC.The petitioners, therefore, urged the tribunal to direct the electoral body to withdraw the certificate of returns issued to Nomiye and conduct a fresh exercise to determine the actual winner of the election in the constituency.The petition, which was filed within the stipulated 21-day time frame in the Electoral Act, is expected to be determined within a 180-day period.
Click here to read full news..
