Author: Olamide Obayemi

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed that four party agents were intercepted in Ogun with multiple credit cards with the intent to buy votes amid the Governorship and State Assembly Elections. The NDLEA, in a tweet on Saturday, 18 March, 2023 noted that its Chairman, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (rtd.), had ordered that the suspects be handed over to the police. “Operatives of @ndleanigeria on election duty stop and search, just intercepted four party agents with hundreds of money credit cards, to buy votes at Ibara housing estate, Ogun state. Each card contains 10k and activated…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) On Saturday, 18 March, 2023 confirmed the arrest of 65 persons for alleged voter inducement in Saturday, 18 March, 2023 Governorship and State Assembly Elections. The EFCC said that the suspects were nabbed across the 28 states where governorship elections were held. In a statement issued by EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said 20 of the suspects were arrested by its operatives from the Ilorin Zonal Command, while 13 were nabbed at the Kaduna Zonal Command. “The teams monitoring the polls in the Port Harcourt Zone arrested a total of 12…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has declared Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State as winner of the election in Offa Local Government Area of the state. According to the results announced at the LGA Collation Centre, Abdulrazaq polled a total of 14,696 votes ahead of Shuaibu Yaman, his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 6,705 votes. Abdulrazaq is one of the 11 Governors seeking re-election. Below are the details from Offa LG as announced by INEC: Local Government: Offa Local GovernmentElection Type: Governorship ElectionNo of Registered Voters: 97,945No of Accredited Voters: 34,115No. of valid votes: 23,531No. of…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike President Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, 18 March, 2023 said his administration had been preaching against vote-buying and monetisation of politics, and called on politicians to desist from such acts. “If they (politicians) still give you money, collect but vote for your preferred candidates,” Buhari said. President Buhari, who voted at polling unit 003, Sarkin Yara A in Daura, Katsina State, called on the electorate to vote for their preferred candidates, even if politicians tried to offer them money. The president-elect, Bola Tinubu and his opponents, candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party…

The Chairman of Ward E branch of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ifako-Ijaye Local Government Area of Lagos State, Akin Aderinoye narrowly escaped death on Saturday, 18 March, 2023, when some aggrieved members of the party threatened to set him ablaze over alleged misappropriation of fund meant for payment of party agents and canvassers. One of the canvassers who spoke with thegazellenews.com stated that Aderinoye has refused to pay them despite having collected their money from the leadership of the party at the state level. “He has been dodging us since Tuesday that the money has been paid to him. He…

The Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Cornellius Oyefolu Ojelabi has delivered all the polling units in his town for his party and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Pastor Ojelabi proved to be a prophet loved even at his home base as his popularity shine through leading his party to win all the polling units in his town, Ese ofin in Ojo Local Government Area of the state. In Unit 003, APC polled 135 votes for both Governorship and State Assembly Elections while its nearest rival, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) polled 41 and 38…

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested four vote buyers in Sokoto and Katsina States during the governorship and houses of assembly elections on Saturday. In its election monitoring operations across the States of the Federation, officers of the anti-corruption agency encountered some vote buyers at Kauran Miyo Primary School in Bodingo Town of Bodinga Local Government Area of Sokoto State. The Sokoto State Monitoring Team of the Commission arrested the three male vote-buyers – Mahe Bello, Musa Adamu and Mustapha Mohammed, all of Kauran Miyo Bodinga. Mahe Bello was caught in possession of a…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has vowed that with the improvement in the electoral process by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the ongoing Governorship and State Assembly Elections, he will accept the outcome of the election. The Governor, who is seeking reelection for second term on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the vow during a chat newsmen won Saturday, 18 March, 2023 after casting his vote at Bakin Dutse Polling Unit 008, in Yelwan Duguri, Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state. According to the Governor, the process so…

The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to a statement made by Labour Party (LP) Governorship Candidate, Gbadebo Chinedu Rhodes-Vivour on today’s elections. He accuses the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police of “provoking Lagosians” and warning that “if tonight Lagos catches fire, it is not our fault”. He says “a lot of places are still under attack by thugs and hooligans of the APC”. This scaremongering is typical of bad losers who lack the spirit of sportsmanship. The security agencies should note Mr Rhodes-Vivour’s threat to set Lagos on fire as his predilection…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, has won the two polling units in Benue State Government House in Makurdi. Alia, the APC candidate polled 130 votes to defeat PDP’s candidate, Engr. Titus Uba, who scored 43 votes at the Arts Theatre polling unit 011. At the Protocol polling unit 022, APC scored 36 votes while PDP scored 10 votes. Governor Samuel Ortom is one of the seven governors who lost their senatorial bids. A member of the G-5 led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Ortom has been struggling to maintain his…

The Minister for Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, has that he is glad with the way BVAS machine turned out at his polling unit during the Governorship and House of Assembly polls. Fashola who cast his ballot few minutes to mid-day at Unit 023 on Itolo Street in Surulere said the entire process was seamless. According to him, Nigerians though deserves an improvement in the conduct of the Electoral process by INEC adding that casting aspersions on them may prevent the right people to seek employment there. The Minister explained that the major challenge faced by INEC during…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Palpable fear enveloped some parts of Ojo in Lagos State as suspected hoodlums disrupted voting exercise in some of the polling units, near a military zone housing the popular Ojo Cantonment. It was gathered that voting was going on peacefully this morning when some hoodlums came around and started shooting sporadically into the air to scare voters away from the polling units. As a result of this development, the military personnel from the cantonment had to wade in to bring peace back to the areas under siege of the hoodlums. A resident in the area told thegazellenews.com on phone that…

Abimbola Ogunnaike No fewer than 10 ballot boxes were destroyed across several polling units in Rimin Gado Local Government Area of Kano State on Saturday,18 March 2023. It was gathered that voting was progressing peacefully until when unidentified hoodlums went on rampage disrupted the electoral process and destroyed the ballot boxes. Some of the wards and polling units where the incident happened include: Dugurawa (4 boxes), Jujin Kosau, Jili ward; Yelwa, Kongi 009. The voters had no option but to run away from the polling units to safety. It was gathered some officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Few weeks after the largest market, Monday Market, in Maiduguri, Borno State was razed down and over 10,000 shops burnt, Biu Central Market, the second largest market in the state is currently on fire. Traders were rushing to the scene on Saturday, 18 March, 2023 as smoke billowed into the sky. Some sections of Biu Central Market were razed while voting exercise was on Vice Chairman of Civilian JTF in Biu, Aliyu Isa, said they were alerted of the outbreak around 9:00am, adding that it took the effort of good Samaritans and fire service to subdue the inferno. “It’s has…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Violence was recorded in some parts of OgunState, a hoodlums suspected to be political thugs invaded polling units and hijacked ballot boxes during the ongoing governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state. The incidents were recorded in Sagamu, Iperu, and Abeokuta, among other parts of the State. A polling unit 5 at AUD secondary School, Sagamu, it was observed that a ballot box was destroyed by the hoodlums. The thugs suspected to be loyal to a political party invaded the polling unit and snatched the ballot box. However, it was gathered that there was resistance…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike At least over 100 thugs Armed with AK-47 were arrested in Nsukka, Enugu State by the men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). It was gathered that a combined team of security operatives, acting on information, arrested the thugs in the early hours of Saturday, 18 March 2023. The Spokesman of NSCDC Enugu State Command, CSC Danny Iwuchukwu confirmed the arrest to newsmen in Enugu on Saturday. Iwuchukwu added tha the arrest was made early in the morning of March 18, the Election Day, after an intelligent tip-off, at a popular hotel in Nsukka.…

The Wife of the President-elect, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has expressed delight with the improved turn out during Saturday, 18 March, 2023 Governorship and state Assembly Elections in the state. She said it was good that Nigerians came out enmasse to perform their civic duty despite the wrong perception by some people during first leg of elections on February 25th. While speaking with newsmen after casting her ballot at unit 034 near Police Barracks, Falomo in Ikoyi, Senator Oluremi Tinubu said the nations democracy had grown beyond tribe, religion and any other sentiment.  According to her, the current democratic experience is…

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire has delivered massively for the Governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in her constituency. Princess Orelope-Adefulire was among the early voters at her polling unit 059, Egbeda in Alimoso Local Government Area of the state. Massive turn out was witnessed not only at her polling unit but also at adjoining units in her area. At the end of the exercise, and when the ballots were counted, APC won massively both the Governorship and State Assembly Elections. In the…

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire has called on Lagosians to perform their civic duty without fear. Princess Adefulire made this call on Saturday, 18 March, 2023 after casting her vote in Egbeda area of Lagos State during the Governorship and state Assembly Elections. The Presidential Aide also expressed optimism that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will be re-elected for another four year tenure noting that the Governor has done remarkably well in his first term. “The election is going on smoothly and peacefully and I want to call on our people to…

The defeated Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi still goes around inflaming passions, spreading lies as if he is still campaigning for the highest office in the land, weeks after the exercise was concluded and a winner announced. We are worried about his recent media rounds on Arise TV and Channels TV, in which he made profoundly misleading, criminally false and inciting statements about the election that he lost woefully. We call on the security agencies to caution him from further making incendiary remarks, especially after he claimed he is challenging the results of the election in the tribunal. Asked…