- …as Buhari, Atiku round off campaigns
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it is ready for the Presidential and National Assembly elections slated for tomorrow.
The INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, told Daily Trust last night that everything necessary to ensure the success of the elections has been put in place by the commission.
“We are airlifting election
materials for both the Presidential and National Assembly elections. Some of the airlifts were from Abuja to Port Harcourt and Kano. And some of the contingents were conveying their materials from Kano. For instance the materials for Jigawa and Kano and other areas there were taken from Kano airport. The Central Bank gave them truck to transport them from Kano airport to the various destinations.
“The materials for the South-South were delivered to the Port Harcourt Airport. It is massive operation. Most of these materials were heavy and it is only cargo airplanes that can airlift them to their various destinations. As at today (yesterday) the Nigerian Air force were using their C-130 and Hercules aircrafts.
“So we are engaged in massive operations for the past three days till this night (last night). Our hope and prayer is that we will complete the airlift of the materials to all the states of the federation by tomorrow (today) morning so that the distribution to the local governments can be completed too,” Okoye said.
According to him, the Smart Card Readers (SCR) and the ballot boxes have gone to the local governments, even as the cubicles and others have been deployed and all the electoral officials are ready to go.
He said what remains is the complete airlift of the ballot papers to their destinations.
Okoye said one aircraft went to Maiduguri and could not land due to bad weather and had to return to Abuja. He said the materials were later taken to Kano and were on their way to Maiduguri by road.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, according to Okoye, was meeting the Chief of Air Staff for more aircrafts to compete the airlifts of materials, as this was same procedure adopted for 2015.
“So we are strongly partnering with the Nigeria Air Force as they are the ones with most of the aircraft that can do the shuttles,” Okoye said.
He said the chairman was also in constant consultation with the Central Bank of Nigeria governor where the commission was depositing materials, and the Nigeria Custom Service as some of the aircraft were landing at airports and had to be cleared to land and take off.
On the recent fire in the commission’s office in Awka, he said the Anambra State REC has reconfigured the SCR in 14 local governments and others would be completed by today.
Okoye told Daily Trust that the commission has also re-printed virtually all the PVCs burnt in its offices in Abia and Plateau states.
Buhari vows to consolidate gains if reelected
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday rounded off his campaign tour with a grand finale rally at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina.
Addressing the mammoth crowd, Buhari said money that would have gone into rice importation is now being channelled to the provision of Infrastructures across the country.
The president said since assumption of office in 2015, his three cardinal promises of insecurity, corruption and improved economy have been substantially achieved.
“My seeking for re-election was to consolidate on our earlier gains,” he said, adding that the people of North East are in the best position to tell Nigerians about the relative peace they now enjoy.
“I assure you I will not betray your trust and will not allow anyone that has done that to go scot-free nor allow anyone presently to do that,” he said
In his address, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, said the energy and agility exhibited by the president in going round the country is a manifestation of his good health and has put to shame enemies of the state who claimed he couldn’t campaign across the country.
He said the electorate should be wary of the opposition who want to “take us back to dark era of structural adjustment programmes, devaluation and unattractive privatisation for their selfish interests.”
Earlier, Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari described Buhari as a true and worthy son of the state whose quality attributes of honesty, trustworthiness endeared him to all.
Daily Trust reports that upon arrival in the state around 7pm, the president paid a royal homage on the Emir of Katsina Abdulmumini Kabir Usman.
In his remarks, the emir assured the president of support and prayed for his success at the polls.
Later in Daura, hundreds of residents trooped out to receive President Buhari who arrived the town, ahead of tomorrow’s presidential and national assembly elections.
Residents took to the streets, chanting ‘Sai Baba’, ‘Sai Baba Buhari’, ‘4+4’, among others.
The president, who came to the town by road, after his campaign rally in Katsina, went to the palace of the Emir of Daura Alhaji Umar Farouk Umar, before going to his residence.
The president spent about an hour at the palace with the emir and other traditional rulers.
The Daura emir urged Nigerians to reelect President Buhari to sustain the current level of development across the country.
“I am certain that Nigeria would continue to witness unprecedented transformations in the economy, politics, security, infrastructure and agriculture, if President Buhari is reelected,” the emir said.
Our correspondent reports that the president entered his residence at GRA area of the town around 8.15pm.
The president’s wife Aisha Buhari had earlier arrived Daura ahead of her husband, where she conducted door-to-door campaign for the reelection of the president.
The last time the president visited his country home was in August during the Eid-el-Kabir Sallah celebration.
Elect president from N/East, Atiku tells Adamawa voters
In Yola, Adamawa State where Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, ended his campaign, his wives begged the electorate not to reject their husbands, assuring them that he will not steal.
Rukayya, the daughter of the late Lamido of Adamawa, Aliyu Musdafa, who ruled for more than 50 years, urged the electorate to remember the legacy of her late father and vote for his son-in-law. Rukayya is a sister to the present Lamido Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Mudafa.
Atiku’s senior wife, Titi, also assured the electorate that her husband would not steal public funds because he had enough money, adding that Adamawa should rally behind its son this time around.
The PDP candidate, who holds the traditional title of Waziri in Adamawa Emirate, also paid homage to the Lamido of Adamawa, who urged the politicians to play politics without bitterness.
Speaking at a rally in Yola yesterday, Atiku urged fellow Adamawa people to show appreciation to other Nigerians who picked him as presidential candidate by massively voting for him.
“Today is my last day (of campaign). I have not come here to campaign but to say I have come home. The rest of Nigeria has campaigned for you by giving your son a ticket. What I want to say on your behalf is that we are grateful to all Nigerians for giving us the opportunity to elect the president from Adamawa State, from the Northeast,” he stated.
Atiku accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of mismanaging the economy and failing to protect citizens, warning voters against casting votes for President Buhari.
“Don’t vote for the APC, because they brought hunger, poverty and insecurity. So don’t vote for them on Saturday,” he said.
In his address, the National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, said the PDP would resist any attempt to postpone the polls, warning INEC against rigging the elections.
He charged the people to sack the APC government both at national and state levels to bring about rapid transformation of the economy.
