I Won’t Congratulate Governor Adams Oshiomhole... General Charles Airhiavbere

After several hours of silence, the Edo State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Major General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) on Sunday said he would not congratulate Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on his re-election.

Airhiavbere who polled 144,235 votes said Oshiomhole had earlier faulted the electoral process before his declaration by the same body on Sunday.

In a chat with journalists on Sunday night at his Benin residence, Airhiavbere who thanked the people for their support during the election said it could have been easy for him to congratulate Oshiomhole but that Oshiomhole pre-empted the system that brought him.

He said, 

“I won’t fully comment on the election because the acclaimed winner had earlier in the day about 1pm condemned the electoral system. He condemned the chairman of INEC for the process that has not ended".

“That process at the end of the day declared him the winner. I will observe in the next few days before I make my comment.

“The election of yesterday (Saturday) has come and gone. I want to seize this opportunity to thank all the people of Edo State for coming out en masse to make yesterday’s exercise the most peaceful election ever experienced in Edo State. I also want to thank them for keeping faith with me. I want to seize this opportunity to PDP faithful for coming to support me.” Airhiavbere stated

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President Goodluck Jonathan Congratulates Governor Adams Oshiomhole

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has congratulated Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State on his re-election saturday for another term in office.

In a statement signed by Mr. Reuben Abati, Special advicer on media and publicity to the president, Jonathan also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, its personnel and the nation’s security services for ensuring that the elections were free and fair in keeping with his administration’s commitment to continually strengthen democracy in Nigeria through the establishment of a more credible electoral system.

The President urged Governor Oshiomhole to receive the fresh mandate given to him Saturday by the people of Edo State as an endorsement of his outstanding performance in his first term and an expression of their desire for a continuation of his focused, purposeful and dynamic leadership.

Jonathan expects that the Governor will work even harder in his second term to justify the confidence in his leadership clearly expressed by the Edo State electorate and assured him that the Federal Government will continue to give all possible support and assistance for development in the state.

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Governor Adams Oshiomhole Declared Winner In A Landslide Victory

The candidate of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Adams Oshiomhole, was this morning declared winner of the gubernatorial elections held yesterday in Edo State.
In the result announced by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Osayuki Oshodin, who was the returning officer, Mr. Oshiomhole polled a total of 477,478 votes, or 73.72 per cent of 647,698 total votes cast , winning in all the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.

His closest rival, Charles Airhiarvbere of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 144,235 votes, or 22.27 per cent of total votes, while the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)candidate, Solomon Edebiri, got 3,642 votes, and Izevbuwa Roland of the Congress for Political Change (CPC), received 2,792 votes, or 0.43 per cent of the total votes,

Other results include that of Frank Ukonga of the Social Democratic Mega party (SDMP), who got 807 votes, or 0.56 per cent of total votes; Andrew Igwemoh of the Labour Party (LP), 604, or 0.09 per cent, and Paul Orumwense of the National Conscience Party (NCP), 504 votes, or 0.08 per cent.

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July 14 governorship election: INEC To Recruit 5,000 Lecturers And Students From UNIBEN And AUCHIPOLY

The Edo State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to  recruit 5,000 lecturers and undergraduates of the University of Benin and Auchi Polytechnic for the conduct of the July 14 governorship election.

INEC Head of Public Affairs, Mrs Priscillia Imoudu-Sule, disclosed this in Benin on Wednesday.

She said that the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Kassim Gaidam, would declare open the training of the selected persons at the Auchi polytechnic, in Etsako-West Local Government.

Imoudu-Sule explained that the management of both institutions was responsible for the selection of the lecturers and students to be used as INEC ad hoc staff for the election.

She explained that the school authorities were critical about the character and moral standing of those selected.

“The REC will during the training session impress it upon them the enormity of the assignment and the high sense of patriotism required of them while on the job,’’ she said.

Imoudu-Sule said a total of 10,000 ad hoc staff including the already trained members of the NYSC were expected to complement regular INEC staff to conduct the election.

She said that about 1.6 million voters captured in the voters’ list were expected to participate in the election.

NAN

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Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi Egypt’s New President

Mohamed Morsi was declared the new president of Egypt on Sunday, following the first democratic election in Egypt's history.

The announcement triggered massive cheers and celebratory gunfire in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Authorities had been on "high alert" for potential violence if his rival Ahmed Shafik won. Instead, the huge crowd erupted in celebration -- even in scorching temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius).

"What we are happy for is Egyptian people could overcome the remnants of the last regime," said one man celebrating in the square.

The White House congratulated Morsi and called on the new Egyptian government to respect "the rights of all Egyptian citizens." The statement from spokesman Jay Carney also praised Egyptian authorities for supporting "a free and fair election."

Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood, had more than 13 million votes, while Shafik -- the last prime minister to serve under ousted president Hosni Mubarak -- had more than 12 million, election officials announced.

Morsi ended up with just under 52% of the vote, while Shafik got just over 48%, officials said.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, on Facebook, called the election result a "tribute to the martyrs of our revolution." It vowed, "We will keep walking on the path."

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Today's Snapshot: Governor Adams Oshiomhole Shakes Hands With Chief Tony Anenih

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria was at the Benin Airport to receive the PDP bigwigs, along with Tony Anenih, the Mr. Fix who was among the party bigwigs that campaigned for the PDP governorship candidate, Maj-Gen. Charles Arhiavbere in the 14 July election.

I particularly like the smiles on their faces....very suggestive...

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Professor Julius Ihonvbere Dumps PDP, Joins ACN

Professor Julius Ihonvbere, a stalwart of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and two-time gubernatorial candidate in Edo State, has defected to the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.

In an address to his teaming supporters who gathered in his country home at Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area, the professor of political economy and special adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Projects Monitoring and Implementation, chided the PDP for lacking the democratic ethos and vision needed to pilot an emerging democracy like Nigeria.

Ihonvbere who has been repeatedly denied the opportunity to govern the state by the party’s acclaimed godfather, Chief Tony Anenih told the people that his coming into ACN is to show that he has been fired by the courage of his conviction, that a people driven democracy is the only solution to Nigeria’s multi-faceted problems.

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How ACN And CPC Will Merge...El-Rufai

Nasir El-Rufai, former minister of the Federal Capital territory and a top ranking member of the opposition Congress for Political Change has divulged plans for his party to merge with another opposition party, Action Congress of Nigeria.

The move, if successful, will have the CPC, a northern grass root party, coalesce with the ACN, a south west party, and other opposition parties. 

All parties in the talks are largely driven by the opposition parties’ common disdain for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

In the second part of a series of interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr El-Rufai gives an insight into the negotiations that would eventually culminate in a merger. 

The CPC, he says, envisages that the merger will be perfect this time around. 

“I do not see the reason why they formed the two parties (ACN and CPC),” Mr. El-Rufai said. “Both parties have similar ideology.”

He also elaborates on factors that led to the collapse of similar talks with the ACN shortly before the 2011 general election.

Mr El-Rufai who heads a committee reforming the CPC talks about the effort being made to reposition the party and make it a viable alternative to the ruling PDP.

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'Unlicensed Firm' Gets INEC Contract To Print N2.6Bn Permanent Voter Cards

The company that got a Federal Government contract for the printing of permanent voter cards has not been licensed by printers' regulatory body, the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria has said.

On Wednesday, the Federal Executive Council announced award of the N2.6 billion contract to ACT Technologies Limited to print the cards within seven months.

But the printer's institute CIPPON yesterday issued a statement saying the contract award was flawed because the company lacked recognition by the body, contrary to the provisions of the law.

President of the institute, Alhaji Wahab Muhammed Lawal, said the contract award to ACT contravened Printers Act 24 of 2007 which specifies that any company willing to do printing business in Nigeria must be a bona fide member of  CIPPON.

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World's Smallest Woman Becomes Idian Election Campaigner

A woman barely 2ft tall is proving that height is no obstacle by becoming a politician.Tiny 18-year-old, Jyoti Amge, is thought to be the smallest woman in the world.

At only 62.8 centimetres tall, she was officially recognised as the world’s smallest woman on her 18th birthday by Guinness World Records in December 2011.

Despite having a condition called Achondroplasia, which prevents her growing after her first birthday, the tiny teenager has started campaigning for political party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), in the local elections in Mumbai, India.

Jyoti, who dreams of one day launching a Bollywood movie career, is now the world’s smallest election campaigner.

She is shown here being lifted above the crowds by 7ft 1ins tall look-alike of the wrestler, ‘Great Khali’.

She wore a matching purple skirt and jacket and beamed with smiles, drawing cheers from her fellow campaigners.

Jyoti is measured at 61.95cm on her 18th birthday by Guinness World Record officials, making her the world's shortest woman

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