SSS detains El Rufai at Awka A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Malam Nasir el-Rufai, was in Awka prevented from moving out of his hotel room to monitor the Anambra Governorship Election currently ongoing. el-Rufai said at the `Finotel Hotel’ where he lodged that some armed men of the State Security Service (SSS) restrained him from moving out of the hotel to monitor the election. He said:“I arrived in Awka by 7 p.m. on Friday and had a brief session with the APC candidate, Sen. Chris Ngige. When I came out to have my dinner, I saw three heavily armed SSS officers at the hotel. “I asked them why they were following me; they told me that they were protecting me because Awka is not safe. “I told them that I came with my own security. This morning, as I was about to have breakfast, they blocked the corridor and tried to restrain me from going out but I pushed by and went to the restaurant to eat. “After my breakfast, I will be going to the APC Situation Room in town to monitor the election. I am being unlawfully detained here,’’ he said. One of the SSS men entered the restaurant and confiscated the reporter’s tape recorder and deleted the recorded interview before returning it to her. When contacted on telephone, the Director of SSS in the state, Mr A.U. Okeiyi, confirmed the report, saying that el-Rufai was being protected. “el-Rufai is not an ordinary person. If anything happens to him, they will blame the security,’’ he said. Heavily armed security men were seen guarding the premises of the hotel. (NAN) APGA billboard causes accreditation delay at polling unit at Aguleri APGA billboard causes accreditation delay at polling unit at Aguleri Accreditation of voters was delayed in Aguleri on Saturday as INEC officials insited that a billboard of one of the parties in the Anambra governorship election be pulled down. The billboard of the APGA governorship candidate, Mr Willy Obiano, and his running mate, Dr Okeke Chukwukaodinaka, was mounted metres away from the polling unit near the Aguleri roundabout, contrary to electoral laws. INEC regulations do not allow for campaigns or posters of candidates near election grounds 24 hours to the election. INEC adhoc officials who arrived at the polling unit before 8 a.m. for accreditation of voters, insisted that the billboard be dismantled before anything could be done. Similarly, some members of the electorate at the unit protested the presence of the billboard and insisted that it must be brought down. The presiding officer for Unit 004 said that there was no way she could allow the accreditation with the billboard just a few metres from the unit. “This billboard is so conspicous that it is against our mandate as electoral officers. I can only continue with this election when the billboard is dismantled,” she said. She confirmed that those on ground for the accreditation had appealed to her to move the polling unit to a nearby space that would not show the billboard but she had declined. “My reasons are simply because this polling unit is where we registered the voters and I cannot move to another point without superior directive. “I have spoken to my supervisory presiding officer who said I should remain at my assigned unit,” she said. The APGA agent for the unit, Mr Peter Nneli, explianed that the billboard was erected long before the election. “This billboard is not for the purpose of campaign and cannot be easily dismantled,” Nneli said. Accreditation eventually kicked off in the unit at 10.25 a.m, more than two hours behind shedule after the billborad was dismantled by youths from the town. (NAN) 2:15 – Plain cloths security officer with rifles escort APGA chairman, Victor Umeh in Anaocha LGA 2:04 – Series of complaints from voters whose names were missing from updated voters’ register. Many had 2011 voter’s cards. People are going to a corner and given N500 or N1000 and then go queue up and vote. 2:01 – Opposite the 4 voting points, money is being shared to voters by people suspected to be APGA agents 2:00 – Voting is in progress at St. Johns Anglican Church, Edoji Uruagu Nnewi. 1:55 – Voting has commenced at polling units across wards in Anambra East after accreditation which started late 1:51 – In the end it was resolved that any of their (elderly’s) children or relatives should aid them to vote. 1:45 – Senator Ngige of the APC casts his vote 1:40 – There was an argument among party agents at Ngige’s PU over whether the elderly people should be assisted to vote. 1:30 – Voting process has been free in Nnewi North. Moderate voters turnout. 1.25pm – Materials and INEC officials have just reached PUs 004 and 006 in Ward VIII, Awka South LGA 1:00 – Voting commences in Ogbaru LGA. Huge turn-out of voters. 12:40 – APGA candidate, Willie Obiano votes at Eri Primary II, Aguleri
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 13:25:48 +0000
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