Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his All Progressives Congress (APC) appear to be heading for victory in Saturday’s governorship and house of assembly elections after recovering from the shock of the party’s unexpected defeat in last month’s presidential election in the state.

Early results in Kwara State are also in favour of Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRasaq and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

Same applies to PDP’s Siminilaye Fubara in River State and APC’s Prince Bassey Otu in Cross River.

The results however show tight contests in Ogun State between incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun and PDP’s Ladipo Adebutu, and in Ebonyi State between APC’s Francis Nwifuru, All Progressive Grand Alliance’s (APGA’s) Bernard Odoh and PDP’s Ifeanyi Odii. But Abiodun, in a tweet on his official handle @dabiodunMFR at about 10pm yesterday assured his supporters that there was no cause for alarm.

His words: “With the look of things, it is safe to tell our well-wishers ‘e lo fokan bale’ DA 4+4 is sacrosanct!”

Many of the results were on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal last night.

Information Minister Lai Mohammed, Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Mr Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) hailed the conduct of the polls.

Labour Party’s (LP’s) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who had hoped to cash in on the momentum of his party’s defeat of the APC in the presidential election, was roundly beaten across the state yesterday, losing his polling unit 01 at Oshifila Street, Anifowoshe, Ikeja to Sanwo-Olu.

Rhodes-Vivour polled only 18 votes to the governor’s 29 while Peoples Democratic Party’s Olajide Adeniran got only two.

An apparently disappointed Rhodes-Vivour accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police of “provoking Lagosians”. Labour Party’s (LP’s) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who had hoped to cash in on the momentum of his party’s defeat of the APC in the presidential election, was roundly beaten across the state yesterday, losing his polling unit 01 at Oshifila Street, Anifowoshe, Ikeja to Sanwo-Olu.

Rhodes-Vivour polled only 18 votes to the governor’s 29 while Peoples Democratic Party’s Olajide Adeniran got only two.

An apparently disappointed Rhodes-Vivour accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police of “provoking Lagosians”.

He threatened that “if tonight Lagos catches fire, it is not our fault.”

The APC said the LP candidate’s statement portrayed him as a bad loser.

Spokesman for APC in the state, Seye Oladejo, said in a statement that “this scaremongering is typical of bad losers who lack the spirit of sportsmanship.”

Oladejo asked the security agencies to take note of Mr Rhodes-Vivour’s “threat to set Lagos on fire as his predilection for violence and warmongering is well known to Nigerians.”

He added: “Should there be any breakdown of law and order in any part of our state, law enforcement agencies should know who to grab – Mr Rhodes-Vivour.

“We are compiling reports of how APC supporters were harassed and attacked today. Some of the reports are really scary.

“Now the LP candidate is playing the victim. This old trick won’t work. Discerning Lagosians know they are all lies deployed to attract sympathy. Our party has no need to be violent because we are sure of the glittering credentials of our candidate Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, who will never be associated with violence.

“We advise LP and its candidate to embrace peace instead of threatening to bring down the roof on everybody. It won’t work.”

Rhodes-Vivour had in a tweet alleged intimidation of LP supporters in the state, saying: “From all over Lagos, we are getting distressing reports of voter intimidation, voter suppression. The worrying thing about this is that INEC and the police have shown to be complicit in this.

“INEC still has hours to do the right thing. With the help of security agencies, the commission will be able to calm down a lot of things. A lot of areas are still under intense attacks by thugs and hooligans of the APC.

“I call on INEC, most especially, and the police not to set Lagos on fire. This is a state that houses 22 million people. Having that many people angry because of being disenfranchised is not something Nigeria needs now.”

Some of the results in Lagos:

Ibeju-Lekki local government Governorship Result: APC: 1,535; PDP: 124; LP: 226

House of Assembly results: APC: 1483; PDP: 176; LP: 218

Final Results at Ward F Agege: Governorship

APC: 3292; LP: 929; PDP: 214

House of Assembly APC: 3126; LP: 1003; PDP: 191.

Ikosi-Ejirin LCDA Governorship: APC: 6594; PDP: 1181; LP: 159

Ibeju-Lekki LG Ward A Governorship: APC: 1,535; PDP:176; LP:218

Reports from Kwara State showed that Governor AbdulRasak recorded 867 votes in Oro Ward 1 against 456 for PDP’s Alhaji Shuaib Yaman Abdullah. The governor also got 1788 votes in Oro Ward 2 while Abdullah received 600.

The results reflect the trend of voting across the state yesterday.

APC, PDP in close race in Ebonyi

The APC and PDP are locked in a close race in the Ebonyi State governorship election.

The APC flag bearer Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru appears to be in the lead in most local governments in Ebonyi North senatorial zone.

He is also getting lots of votes across all the local governments in Ebonyi South zone except in Onicha local government area, the home base of PDP’s Ifeanyi Odii.

The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Bernard Odoh, is leading in some local governments in Ebonyi Central, especially Ezza North and Ishielu. He is also doing well in Afikpo North.

Mr Odii is doing well in Abakaliki Urban and across many local government areas.

In all, it appears to be a tight race between the PDP and APC. Their performance in key swing local governments like Ịkwọ and Afikpo South may determine the winner of the elections.

Suspected hoodlums shot dead as violence, apathy rear head

Although turnout of voters was generally low across the country, there were scattered incidents of violence.

Some suspected hoodlums were shot dead while attempting to disrupt the elections.

One of such was shot dead at Ago Palace Way area of Lagos after allegedly snatching a ballot box at Jemtok.

A voter, who gave his name as Innocent Chukwudi, said the suspect had seized the phones of some journalists who were recording his action.

“The same thug seized some journalists’ phones, saying nobody should do a video of him at the scene. He was yelling that people should do ‘whatever you want to do and leave here. We do not need Red Cross or journalists here,’ Chukwudi said.

“As he picked the ballot box, the policemen shouted at him to drop the box and shot him when he resisted. The man died on the spot and he was taken away by the operatives.”

Hoodlums also struck at Oke-Afa, Surulere, Amuwo Odofin, Isheri-Osun and Ikate areas of the state.

Police arrest ‘thugs’ with five pump action guns in Anambra

The police in Anambra State arrested five suspected political thugs with guns in the state, according to online publication, The Cable.

It quoted the police as saying: “Five armed thugs (have been) arrested in Ihiala Anambra State where four pump actions (were) recovered. Further development shall be communicated.”

Briefing journalists on the development, Aderemi Adeoye, Commissioner of Police in charge of elections in Anambra, said the suspects were “brought into the secretariat” by a local government official.

“The second one is at Iyiala LGA, where a local government official brought in armed thugs to the secretariat. The thugs have been arrested. They are five in number,” he said.

“Five pump-action guns have been recovered and the thugs have been detained,” he said.

“We did warn from the outset that we will not tolerate thuggery and snatching of boxes, and we will come hard on anyone who violates the electoral act and guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of this election,” he added.

IGP storms Jos for election monitoring

Police Inspector General Usman Alkali Baba flew to Jos yesterday to personally monitor the election in Plateau State.

He commended the Police and other Security agencies for their synergy in providing adequate security for the polls.

The IGP stated this evening while briefing Journalists at the Plateau State Police Command headquarters in Jos, while on election monitoring to some states.

“I have seen compliance in terms of restriction of movement. I have seen compliance in terms of people coming out to vote in orderliness and I have seen synergy among the security agencies in trying to police the election process,” the IGP said.

2023 polls most credible, transparent – Lai Mohammed

Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed described the 2023 polls as one of the most transparent and credible ever held in the country.

The minister spoke in his home town, Oro, Kwara State while speaking with newsmen after casting his vote in the governorship and state assembly elections.

Mohammed, who voted at about 9.45 a.m. at Polling Unit 006, Oro Ward 2, said the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was a game changer in tackling the issues of multiple accreditations, voting and rigging.

“With what I have observed both in the February 25 and today’s elections, there has been a remarkable improvement in the performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

“Without any doubt, the introduction of BVAS has been a game changer in the sense that with BVAS, you are able to get the actual number of people who are accredited.

“Also with BVAS, it is now not possible for you to vote twice because your biometric and facial are captured.

“That explained why though INEC said there were 84 million voters in Nigeria, the last election showed that only about 24 million people cast their votes,” he said.

The minister said in spite of the obvious improvements in the electoral process, he was worried about the controversy that trailed the outcomes of the February 25 Presidential and National Assemblies elections.

He said most of the issues being raised about the credibility of INEC in conducting the polls were distractive.

According to the minister, the electoral law does not recognise electronic voting while the decision of a federal high court in Abuja gives INEC the power to determine the manner it collates and transmits election results.

Mohammed said he was happy that some of the aggrieved parties in the concluded elections had approached the court to ventilate their grievances.

He, however, berated the activities of some non-state actors making analysis and propositions which he said were incendiary and injurious to the harmonious and peaceful co-existence of Nigeria.

The minister said the activities of some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) had also been very unhelpful because many of them came out to unjustifiably discredit INEC and set one ethnic and religion against the other

He said the media should also be circumspect of what they report on the elections and must show professionalism in the discharge of their duties.

“What we noticed is that some media houses had taken position for one candidate and this makes rubbish of most of the analysis we see on their platforms,” he said.

Wike thumbs up INEC for improved conduct of election

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike said he noticed an improvement in INEC’s performance yesterday.

“From what I have seen, and I have not heard any complaints, I can say they’ve done very well. So, it’s just a question of percentage. They have improved more than what we had on the 25th of February,” Wike said after casting his vote in Ward 9, Unit 7, Rumueprikom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

“I’m happy with the peaceful nature of the election. It means that the security agencies are doing what they are supposed to do.”

He commended the security agencies for ensuring a peaceful election atmosphere in the area, although he said voters’ turnout could have been better.

INEC has improved, says NBA

Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Mr Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) said there was noticeable improvement on the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The NBA President spoke during a virtual news conference from Kebbi, where he observed the elections.

Maikyau said that from the reports of the 210 observers the association deployed across the country, there was an improvement in INEC’s performance in the elections.

According to Maikyau, based on the preliminary reports, 33.6 per cent of their 210 election observers nationwide scored INEC high, saying the conduct of the election so far is satisfactory.

He said that according to the preliminary reports, there was significant improvement in the deployment of polling materials and personnel by INEC.

“INEC officials arrived polling units on time and voting started at 8:30 am across many polling units and this appears to be the trend across the nation.”

NBA equally reported that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines (BVAS) functioned very well during the elections and that voting ended earlier unlike the previous elections.

The association, however, said it observed that there were pockets of violence in some states including Lagos.

His words: “Our observers on the field said there were incidences of violence in some polling units including Lagos State.

“In a certain polling unit, it was reported that thugs attacked voters who were not voting for a particular party.

“We have verified video report sent by our observers, which showed thugs openly announcing on the streets in Ajegunle that any voter who will not vote a particular political party should not come out to vote.”

The NBA president also said that cases of vote buying were also noticed by their observers.

“We also observed that there was vote buying across the country, even in some places where I observed the elections.

“There seem to be some discouragement among the political parties, knowing that it is difficult to do so without being caught. But you can also see that voters are also expecting that they will be approached for the purpose of buying their votes.”

While commending the conduct of security personnel and party agents, the association observed that some polling units were not manned by security agents.

Maikyau said that the NBA would continue to update Nigerians on the outcome of the elections as it continued to receive reports from its observers on the field.

Jonathan, Diri condemn destruction of ballot materials

Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri condemned the destruction, hijacking of ballot boxes and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices during the House of Assembly polls in parts of the state.

Four wards in Ogbia Constituency 2 in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state, Yenagoa Ward 8 and 9, Ogboloma Ward 7 in Yenagoa and some constituencies in the state were marred by snatching of ballot boxes, destruction of BVAS by unidentified thugs and burning of electoral materials.

Though the election started late in some polling units in the state, many people believed that yesterday’s polls were an improvement on the last general elections in terms of early arrivals of polling materials.

Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, while casting his vote at Ward 13, Unit 39 in Otuoke, Ogbia LGA, condemned the alleged hijacking and burning of election materials.

He called for the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators to serve as a deterrent in future elections.

Governor Diri deplored the destruction of ballot materials in four wards under Constituency 2 in Ogbia by suspected party thugs in compromise with some armed security men.

He claimed that all the voting materials meant for Ogbia wards 2, 3, 4 and 5 in the House of Assembly election in the state were reportedly carted away by the armed men and hoodlums in the early hours of Saturday.

The materials were also said to have been burnt.

Diri described the act as highly condemnable and warned those behind any form of electoral violence in the state to desist forthwith as the full weight of the law would be brought down on culprits.

The Bayelsa State governor called on the Commissioner of Police to arrest the perpetrators of the act and ensure that anyone found culpable was brought to book.

He said his administration abhors any form of criminality, especially electoral violence as it prevents the electorate from exercising their franchise.

Diri restated his position that elections should be about the ballot and not bullets, as it is not a war situation.

It was gathered that thugs launched renewed attacks on Yenagoa Constituency 2, Wards 8 and 9 with the snatching of ballot boxes and other voting materials.

LP’s Otti raises the alarm over ‘plot’ by PDP to rob him of victory

The governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, yesterday alleged that the ruling PDP government in the state was in the process of robbing his party of victory in the governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

“From virtually all the results uploaded and released, Labour Party won by landslide. Unfortunately the PDP government has refused to allow some of the results stand, and they are doing this with the active connivance of some compromised INEC Staff and some security agents,” Otti said in a statement.

“The LGs involved are Obingwa where the outgoing governor is from, Osisioma, Aba North and Aba South where we won overwhelmingly.

“Obingwa is a very interesting case, because in the majority of the wards, with the active connivance of INEC, the BIVAS was not used, so they are making effort to push in fake results.”

He asked the Federal government and INEC to ensure that “the right thing is done in Abia State. So I expect that any result that is not coming out of BIVAS accreditation will not be accepted.

“I urge the INEC chairman to prevail on the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Abia and other INEC staff to give peace a chance and ensure that the right thing is done.”

APC, NNPP in verbal war over Kano election results

The APC and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano State yesterday launched into a war of words with each side accusing the other of rigging in the elections.

The NNPP presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwanso, fired the first salvo when he accused the APC of vote-buying and rigging in the state.

But spokesman for the APC governorship campaign council , Muhammad Garba, said NNPP was sharing fake results to cover up its failure in the election.

Garba, therefore, urged the people of the state to disregard the fake results.

He said: “With the result of Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections showing the All Progressives Congress (APC) in early lead in Kano, the party has called on its members, supporters and the public to be wary of unauthenticated election results been circulated by the opposition New Nigeria People’s Party with a view to inciting violence.

“The NNPP, apparently sensing defeat, shared the fake results to deceive the unsuspecting public that the election might have been rigged.

“We called the people in the state to await the outcome of the election from official channels and not allow themselves to be used to cause trouble.”

PDP accuses INEC, APC of seeking to rig in Ogun

The Ogun State chapter of PDP claimed that the Army and INEC officials were conniving with APC to manipulate the results in the state.

Spokesman for the opposition party, Akinloye Bankole, alleged that soldiers were deployed to aides of the Governor and APC chieftains “who have been moving from one collation centre to the other, sending other party agents away and changing the results already announced at the polling units.”

He added: “We will not stand by and allow a mandate given by the people to be stolen by those who should protect the fairness of the poll.

“We are hereby calling on the Department of the State Security Services to disarm these operatives and warn the GOC to call his troops deployed for Afolabi at Oke Ilewo to pull back immediately.”