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Presidential Election Results Falsified -Atiku’s Witnesses

Published

7 years ago

July 12, 2019

Nine witnesses called, yesterday, by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the last presidential election, Atiku Abubakar insisted that results of the elections were falsified to favour the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari.
The witnesses, who said they served as local government and state collation agents of the PDP, made sundry allegations of result manipulation, voters’ intimidation and harassment, mutilation and tearing of result sheets, and cancellation of election where the petitioners won.
At cross-examination, majority of the witnesses were however unable to substantiate the allegations as contained in their written statements, which they adopted as their evidence in chief before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).
Nicholas Msheliza, who said he acted as PDP’s state collation agent for Borno State claimed that virtually all the result sheets from the various local governments in the state were mutilated.
Msheliza also claimed that accreditation of voters did not take place in over 200 polling units out of the 3,933 statutory polling units in the state.
Also alleging over-voting in the state, Msheliza said the 911, 786 declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “was well over the accredited voters across the state”.
But, under cross-examination, lawyer to INEC, Yunus Usman (SAN), the witness said he did not have the true figures of votes actually scored by the parties.
When asked by lawyer to APC, Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), if he visited all the polling units in the state during the election, Msheliza said, “I could not have visited the polling units because of the peculiar security challenges in Borno State.”
The lawyer drew Msheliza’s attention to part of his statement, where he said he “observed in the course of transmitting the results from local government result sheets to the state result sheets wrong figures were being entered by INEC officials.”
Akintola then asked the witness to reconcile his claim that the results were already collated before he got to the collation centre with his assertion, in his written statement, that he observed when the figures were being tendered; Msheilla said: “They were merely announcing the results to the hearing of people present.”
John Makama, who served as the PDP collation agent for Sanga Local Government in Kaduna, claimed that results were wrongly cancelled by INEC officials in some polling units won by his party, with the intention of reducing the votes of the petitioners.
When asked by Usman to produce the actual scores of his party, which he claimed were cancelled, the witness said he did not have them.
Makama said the result sheets containing the actual scores were submitted to his party, but that they were not attached to his statement that was tendered before the tribunal.
When asked by Buhari’s lawyer, Yusuf Ali (SAN) whether he would be surprised to know that cancellation of results is not one of the grounds of the petitioners’ case in respect of his local government, the witness kept mute.
On how he knew that the allegedly cancelled results belonged to his party, the witness said it was generally known that the PDP was popular in most part of his local government, where the results were cancelled and that the APC was only popular in three wards
Bukar Petrola, said he served as PDP’s collation agent in Dambowa Local Government of Borno State.
Petrola claimed that the APC took advantage of the series of bomb explosions carried out by Boko Haram a day before and on the morning of the election to manipulate the election results.
When asked how he knew all that happened in all the 10 wards and 100 polling units in his local government, the witness said the whole election was conducted in the LG Secretariat, because of the problem of Boko Haram.
Under cross-examination by Ali, Petrola said all the ward collation centres were also located within the LG headquarters, which made it easy for him to move around all the voting points and know witness what was happening.
When questioned further, the witness said although devoted after being accredited with card reader, the electoral process was disrupted later when explosions occurred.
He said everyone ran away when bombs exploded, “and the 2nd and 3rd defendants took advantage of the situation, with the alleged collaboration of members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).
When asked how he was able to monitor what happened during the election, even when he claimed the explosions chased everyone away, the witness said he hid and watched from a distance.
Yau Yusuf said he was PDP’s collation agent in Dass Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
He said although he was fully accredited and voted, voters were intimidated and harassed.
On why he was able to vote if his claim of intimidation and harassment of voters were that pronounced, the witness said: “the intimidation did not stop me from voting, but it altered the result after the voting process.
“The original result was torn by agents of APC in the office of INEC right at the presence of INEC officials,” he added.
When asked where he kept the torn results, he said they should either be with INEC or the police, who collected the torn results and promised to investigate.
On whether the person, who tore the results has been prosecuted and convicted, the witness said no, “because he is still moving around town.”
When asked why he excluded the information about torn result sheet from the written statement, Yusuf said he did not because the statement was a summary of what happened and that he was at the tribunal to elaborate.
The witness, who claimed to have visited most of the polling units in his local government, said under cross examination, that “there are 116 polling units in my local government. I visited minimum of three in each of the 10 wards in the local government.”
When asked why he signed the result sheet if he was not happy with the results, the witness said he signed to obtain a copy of the result sheet for the purpose of the tribunal.
Jafar Abbas Ibrahim, who said he was a collation agent in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State, also claimed the election process was manipulated against his party.
On whether the alleged vote switching, which he claimed took place in his presence, Ibrahim said he witness some and some were contained in the result sheets passed to him by the party agents at the polling unit and ward levels.

News

Odu Urges Collaboration Among Stakeholders To Improve Health Service Delivery In Rivers

Published

10 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector in the State.

The deputy governor particularly urged synergy between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board towards improved healthcare delivery in the State.

?Prof. Odu made this call during the 2026 First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.

?She stressed the importance of honesty and urged all parties to be truthful and open in addressing challenges within the system.

?According to her, transparency remains critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting healthcare delivery, noting that “if we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up.”

The deputy governor recounted a personal experience at a Primary Health Center where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCIPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to make payment for services.

According to her, intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.

Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme, thereby undermining its objectives.

“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stressed.

?While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, Ministry of Health, Development Partners as well as other supporting units, for their efforts, ty deputy governor stressed that performance should not lead to complacency.

She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and leave lasting positive impacts within the system.

News

You Can Now Print Your Exam Slips, JAMB Tells 2026 UTME Candidates

Published

11 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the opening of examination slip printing for candidates registered for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB made the announcement yesterday, urging candidates to visit its website to download their slips ahead of the examination.

“Examination Slip Printing is now available. The slip contains details of the venue, date and time of your examination and gives you access to the examination hall,” the board said.

Candidates are to visit jamb.gov.ng and click on “2026 Slip Printing” to print their slips.

The development comes after JAMB dismissed a viral press release falsely claiming the examination had been postponed.

The board described the notice as “malicious and fake” and urged candidates to disregard it.

The 2026 UTME is scheduled to hold from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026.

The examination follows a mock test conducted on Saturday, March 28, which recorded technical difficulties at some Computer-Based Test centres.

Of the 224,597 candidates who registered for the mock, 152,586 sat for the test across 989 CBT centres nationwide.

JAMB said over 20 centres were delisted for technical inadequacies.

The board also warned candidates against fraudsters on WhatsApp claiming to facilitate score inflation, describing such claims as “false and criminal”, and threatening cancellation of registration or withholding of results for any candidate found involved.

Over two million candidates, according to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, registered for this year’s UTME.

News

RSU Unveils Five-Year Strategic Dev Plan …Calls For Collective Commitment To Institutional Excellence

Published

11 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

In a decisive step towards redefining its future, the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, has formally unveiled its Third Five-Year (2026-2030) Strategic Development Plan.

The development plan is a comprehensive roadmap designed to strengthen the university’s position as a leading institution in Nigeria and beyond.

The unveiling took place during a high-level engagement with the Governing Council, Principal Officers and the university congregation, at the Convocation Arena, recently.

Delivering his remarks at the unveiling ceremony, the Pro-Chancellor of the university and Chairman of Council, Hon. Okey Wali, SAN, charged all members of the university community to align their activities with the strategic direction of the institution, emphasizing that the success of the plan depends on collective commitment.

He noted that the plan is not merely a document, but a working framework that requires discipline, accountability and unity of purpose.

According to the Pro-Chancellor, only through coordinated efforts from all stakeholders can the university fully realize its vision.

“I hereby invite the Visitor to the University, donor agencies, friends and well-wishers, and all stakeholders to support and fund the implementation of this strategic plan. We are confident that this plan will take RSU to greater heights in the comity of higher institutions,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described the Strategic Development Plan as a document that would enhance the university’s corporate strengths, mitigate current weaknesses, leverage its corporate opportunities and address perceived existential threats.

“This Five-Year Strategic Plan sets out RSU’s goals, strategic objectives, expected outcomes and impact, including intervention strategies,” he said.

On his part, the Chairman of the Strategic Development Planning Committee, Prof. Emeritus Joseph A. Ajienka, noted that the 2026-2030 Strategic Development Plan represents a bold reaffirmation of the university’s founding ideals of excellence, creativity, innovation and inclusivity, aimed at positioning the institution to respond effectively to contemporary challenges in higher education.

Prof. Ajienka, who is also a member of the Governing Council, disclosed that the plan was developed through an extensive and inclusive consultative process, which he said reflects contributions from Faculties, Departments, Satellite Campuses and Administrative Units.

At its core, the plan seeks to advance the university’s vision of becoming a “unique and uncommon” institution that is structurally and philosophically oriented towards solving practical societal problems and ranking among the top ten universities in Nigeria.

The strategic framework identifies six key challenges confronting the university, including funding constraints, infrastructure deficits, limited research collaboration, and service delivery inefficiencies.

A statement by the university’s Acting Director, Corporate Affairs, Victor G. Banigo, further stated that the university has articulated four broad strategic goals supported by eight targeted objectives.

A central priority of the plan, according to him, is the strengthening of governance and administrative systems, alongside deliberate efforts to expand the university’s funding base. Others include enhanced alumni engagement, strategic partnerships and innovative fundraising initiatives aimed at ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

“Equally significant is the commitment to upgrading physical infrastructure across all campuses. Plans are underway to modernize lecture halls and laboratories, expand student accommodation, improve campus security and deploy advanced ICT systems to support teaching, learning and research.

“Recognizing that human capital is the backbone of institutional success, the university has placed strong emphasis on staff development, recruitment and productivity enhancement. Through targeted training programmes, mentorship initiatives and performance management systems, the plan aims to foster a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

“In addition, the university is poised to deepen its focus on research, innovation and entrepreneurship. By reviewing academic curricula, strengthening industry partnerships and establishing innovation incubation centers, Rivers State University seeks to translate research outputs into practical solutions that address societal needs and drive economic growth,” he said.

The PRO disclosed that the implementation of the strategic plan is projected at ?110 billion, reflecting the scale of transformation envisioned.

“While the university is committed to funding a significant portion internally, additional resources will be mobilized through government support, donor agencies, alumni contributions, and public-private partnerships.

“This multi-channel funding strategy aligns with the university’s broader goal of building a resilient and self-sustaining financial model capable of supporting long-term development,” he explained.

To ensure effective implementation, he said, “the plan incorporates a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework, complete with performance and impact indicators. A mid-term review is scheduled within the first two years to assess progress and make necessary adjustments.

“Furthermore, the establishment of a dedicated Strategic Planning Office will provide oversight, coordination and accountability in executing the plan across all units of the university.”

According to the statement, “As the university embarks on this transformative journey, the message from leadership is clear: the Strategic Development Plan is a collective mandate.

“For staff, students, alumni and stakeholders, it represents an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the growth and advancement of the institution. For the university, it is a pathway to consolidating its legacy while embracing innovation and global relevance.

“With a clear vision, defined priorities and a united community, Rivers State University stands poised to translate this strategic blueprint into measurable progress, advancing knowledge, empowering people and shaping the future of higher education in Nigeria.”