Politics

Our blurred logo denied me electoral victory, says NNPP candidate

Published

7 months ago

March 3, 2023

Mrs. Helen Mbakwe, a candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), said she lost the Senatorial election due to the blurred logo of the party.

Mbakwe, who contested for the Anambra Central Senatorial seat, attributed her inability to secure the seat to none identification of the party’s logo on the ballot paper for the February 25 elections.

She made this known at a presss conference she organised in Awka on Friday.

“The challenges of my party’s logo identification experienced by those who voted and those who intended to vote for me were too much.

“Our logo was blurred or practically non existent on the ballot papers, thereby confusing my voters,” she said.

Mbakwe condemned in the strongest terms the poor handling of the printing of the Party’s Logo on the Ballot Papers by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

She said the act frustrated her ambition and the bright chances she had to contribute to a better Nigeria.

“We all know the details of the logo of NNPP, which is ‘Basket of Fruits’ and the Party’s name, NNPP, whereas INEC presented nothing that looked like basket of fruits and the acronym NNPP on the Ballot Paper.

“The NNPP logo on INEC’s Ballot Paper confused many of my supporters and they voted any party like (LP and YPP,” she said.

She also said that the parts of Anambra Central where her strong supporters were like in Idemili North and South, INEC officials never showed up till noon and thereabouts on election day.

“This, too, disenfranchised many early birds who had trooped out to vote for me.

“I am still ready to serve my people because I believe strongly in the principles of the rule of law, equity, equality, fairness and justice.

“My patriotism is unflinching and my zeal to contribute to repairing my Country is still alive and burning,” she said.

Mbakwe alleged that the part played by INEC is worrisome and suspicious.

She said that after giving the whole scenario a deep thought, she had resolved to take a legal action against the process in a law Court.

“I am talking with my lawyers as I will be calling for a cancellation of the Senatorial Election result as I was completely left out of the voting processes after having campaigned vigorously.

“I urge our people and supporters of NNPP as well as Nigerians to be calm while the leaders of our great party chart a course for us as regards the errors perpetuated by INEC against us,” she said.

Mbakwe commended the media in Nigeria for living up to expectations before, during and after the Presidential elections.

She said they worked to keep within the dictates and norms of Journalism.

She also commended the electorate in Anambra Central Senatorial District, for defying the threat of no election by none state actors to take active part in the election.

Mbakwe appreciated the democratic spirit of the electorate to participate in the 2023 Elections.

She expressed her utmost love and appreciation to all those who voted for her, especially her community, Abatete, for their block votes.

“Despite the short period that I joined the race to campaign. I am glad to have garnered the number of votes I did.

“I want to congratulate Sen. Victor Umeh for emerging victorious. I wish him well as he works for the interest of our people in all circumstances and situations at the Red Chamber.

“To me and the other candidates, I most sincerely commend the spirit of sportsmanship we exhibited throughout the contest until a winner was announced.

“We will always let brotherly love rule,” she said.

Feature

Dollar is now the underground currency of Nigeria’s economy – Peter Obi

Published

1 day ago

October 2, 2023

Gift Oyekunmi

Businessman and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has lamented the ‘dollarisation’ of the Nigerian economy.

According to Peter Obi, the naira has faded in significance as the use of the dollar in the country has led to unproductivity.

“Dollar has become the underground currency of our economy. It shouldn’t be. We have a currency called the naira. All the things people use dollars to do that are not productive should be removed.’ Obi told Arise TV on Monday, October 2.

“I can assure you that when you remove it, it can strengthen the currency. Today, even when you want to do party primaries, people share dollars. That is not our currency.

“There should be a stiff penalty in dealing with the issue. If people earn dollars legitimately, let them spend it the way they want. However, it has now become a means of corruption and criminality in our system.”

Peter Obi added that the country should work more on exports to strengthen the currency.

Headline

Tribunal upholds Gov. Alia’s election

Published

1 week ago

September 23, 2023

Alero Danjuma

The Benue State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Makurdi on Saturday upheld the victory of Gov. Hyacinth Alia of the APC in the March 18 Governorship Election.

Delivering the judgment, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Ibrahim Karaye, held that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction to entertain pre election issues raised by the petitioners, Titus Uba and PDP.

Karaye, who read the unanimous judgment, stated that only the Federal High Court had the exclusive jurisdiction to entertain issues bordering on pre-election matters.

He further said the petitioners’ case was also an abuse of court processes because the same case was filed by the petitioners before the Federal High Court Abuja Division and its judgment was not challenged by the petitioners.

He said the petitioners lacked locus standi to challenge the nomination of the 2nd and 3rd respondents by the 4th respondent since they were not members of the 4th respondent.

Justice Karaye further said that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of forgery against the 3rd respondent before the tribunal.

He said the 2nd and 3rd respondents were qualified to contest the March 18 Governorship Election and therefore, dismissed the case.

The petitioners, Titus Uba and the PDP, had dragged the respondents, INEC, Hyacinth Alia, Dr Sam Ode, and the APC before the tribunal, challenging their declaration by the INEC.

The petitioners argued that the 2nd and 3rd respondents, Gov Alia and Dr Ode, were at the time of contesting the election, not qualified to contest the March 18 Governorship Election.

They averred that the 4th respondent – the APC – did not follow the provisions of the law in the nomination of the governorship and deputy governorship candidates.

They also alleged that the 3rd respondent had presented a forged certificate to the 1st respondent, INEC, therefore, should be disqualified.

They, therefore, prayed among other things, for the nullification of their election and declare the petitioners as winners of the election, having scored second highest lawful votes.

The also contended that having not qualified to contest the election, their votes should be declared invalid and certificates earlier issued to them by INEC be withdrawn.

NAN reports that the petitioners in the suit did not challenge the result of the March 18 Benue Governorship Election but qualifications of the candidates.

However, the respondents in their counter arguments, urged the tribunal to dismiss the suit in its entirety as it was an abuse of court processes.

The respondents stated that the Federal High Court Abuja Division, had before the election, delivered judgment on the same matter which was filed by the petitioners but they did not appeal the judgment till date.

They also said that the issues raised were all pre election matter and only the Federal High Court had the exclusive jurisdiction to entertain same.

The 2nd and 3rd respondents clearly stated that since the prayers sought by the petitioners were all pre-election matters, the petitioners case was status bar and should be struck out.

They said the petitioners lacked locus standi to challenge the nomination of candidates of other political parties as they were mere meddlesome interlopers.