The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, was on Sunday morning declared the winner of Sokoto South senatorial district election. Tambuwal, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, defeated the current serving senator, Danbaba Dambuwa, with a total margin of 4,976. Announcing the results at about 11:55 am on Sunday at the INEC office in Bodinga local government, the returning officer, Professor Abubakar Abdullahi Bagudo, said Tambuwal emerged winner with a total number of 100,860 votes. Tambuwal, having served his constitutional requirements of two terms as governor of the state, picked the presidential form of the PDP before he announced his withdrawal on the day of the primary for a fellow contestant and the eventual candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Tambuwal will, however, be returning to the National Assembly as a senator representing Sokoto South senatorial district having served as a three-term Federal House of Representatives member representing the Kebbe/Tambuwal federal constituency where he emerged as the Speaker between 2011 to 2015

  The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has raised alarm over the presence of adulterated Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel. Chinedu Anyaso, Chairman of IPMAN, Enugu depot, in charge of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states, said this in Awka on Sunday. Mr Anyaso said the leadership of IPMAN had received reports of damaged vehicles and industrial machines from members of the public as a result of suspected adulterated AGO. He said the association had set up a taskforce to unravel the syndicate responsible for the distribution of the unwholesome product in the zone. Mr Anyaso said faking and distribution of petroleum products was not just a double jeopardy for the customer but an economic sabotage which should be discouraged by all. “IPMAN wants to alert members of the public, especially those buying Automotive Gas Oil or diesel, to be cautious when buying the product because, there is a report of low density quality in circulation.   “We have received reports of possible fake products in circulation which have affected vehicles and machines negatively, so we are advising that they be more careful. “On our part as an association, we have already set up a taskforce to monitor the situation and find out those who are responsible for sourcing and distributing the product across the zone,” he said. Mr Anyaso urged marketers, especially those not buying from depots, to ensure that the products they are procuring are genuine as ignorance would not excuse anybody found wanting. He said IPMAN would work with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and relevant security agencies towards stamping the unwholesome product out of circulation.

  Operatives of Yobe State command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have sealed off the state secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Damaturu and arrested hundreds of suspected illicit drug users. Among those arrested were women. According to LEADERSHIP, Officials of the NDLEA were seen at the premises of the party and had to use three of their vehicles to block the main gate of the party’s secretariat. The newspaper said the raid was carried out on Friday night at about 9:20pm. A credible source at the NDLEA command confirmed to LEADERSHIP Sunday that the raid was carried out as a result of series of complaints received by the agency from some top government officials and residents of the area on the activities of hoodlums hanging around the premises of the party’s state secretariat. Residents alleged that the drug addicts had been using the place for their illicit drug business since 1999. The newspaper also reports that some of the suspects took to their heels on sighting operatives of the agency while some of them hid in the party’s secretariat. Another source confirmed that many of the suspects were found in possession of several wraps of cannabis, adding that those found with the incriminating substances would be arraigned. Reacting to the raid, an APC member who didn’t want his name in print denied that the suspects were members of the party but admitted that they were arrested near the party’s state headquarters.

  The plot by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to announce the Imo state supplementary elections with fake results figures above the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) accreditation, has been exposed. Exposing this aberration on Sunday, in a statement, the House of Representatives member-elect for Ideato North, South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere said that there’s an ongoing plot and directive by the INEC in Owerri to force collation officers to return to the Local Government Areas of Ideato South, Isu, Ahiazu and Mbaitolu Ikeduru, to resume collation and declare Imo supplementary election with already established fake results containing votes above BVAS Accreditation records. Ugochinyere in a statement, alongside an emergency petition to INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, warned that end to BVAS is near if the results are announced with fake accreditation figures by sending INEC collation staff back into the waiting hands of armed thugs currently at the four LGA headquarters, who are waiting for their arrival to force them to announce the result without BVAS accreditation. According to him, All Progressives Congress (APC) with verified BVAS accreditation backend records/results from the polling units have lost all the supplementary elections in Ideato South, Isu, Ahiazu, Mbaitolu to the opposition parties, Accord, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour yesterday after the evidence of BVAS accreditation showed that the total voters, who turned out and were accredited by BVAS were not enough to stop the leading margins of Vitalis Azodo of Accord Party in Ideato South, Modestus Osakwe of PDP in Isu, Rex Okoro of PDP in Ahiazu and if all the accreditation for all the polling units are reverified, Uche Oguagu of Labour Party in Mbaitolu Ikeduru. Giving a detailed explanation, Ugochinyere exposed what INEC wants to do this morning to enable the APC that have lost all the Imo supplementary elections to be declared winners with falsified results with votes above BVAS accreditation. Ugochinyere said he received the directive by the electoral body approved by Federal Commissioner, Ken Ukeagu and Imo Rec, Prof. Sylvia Agu, that all collation officers, who narrowly escaped death during Imo supplementary elections for refusing to upload fake results with fake accreditation figures should all return to declare results. Describing the development as criminal offence, Ugochinyere said, “this is criminal and a violation of section 64 of electoral act. Let INEC first collate the result at their Imo State office where Prof Sylvia and Ken Ukeagu are monitoring the election by using BVAS accredited figures to verify all the results before sending out their own staff again or give room for their Staff to be made to criminally declare fake results with fake accreditation figures outside what BVAS recorded. “Imo people and Nigerians will not forgive INEC if the mandates Imo people gave the real winners of Imo supplementary elections are taken away by APC with plan to announce fake accreditation figures. “I (Ugochinyere) has seen the BVAS figures and came to the undisputable calculation that Vitalis Azodo of Accord Party won Ideato South State Assembly election, as BVAS accreditation total was not up to his leading margin, Modestus Osakwe of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP won in Isu constituency, as the total BVAS accreditation couldn’t pass his leading margin, Rex Okoro of PDP won Ahaizu Mbaise state constituency election, as the 9 polling units is deemed cancelled as votes recorded are all above accreditation Figures and verification of earlier transmitted results will show numerous polling units with over voting against BVAS records, and Uche Ogbuagu of Labour Party won Mbaitolu Ikeduru election as his leading margin was maintained after BVAS accredited votes could not even near his already leading margin. “INEC please declare the leading candidates winners and stop the plot to send back collation officers without adequate security to the LGA headquarters which is now under siege. With Imo supplementary elections, Nigerians are watching to see the usefulness or uselessness of the INEC BVAS technology and readiness of INEC to continue to exist as an institution that can be trusted. “INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, should reach out to the Imo Rec and federal commissioner, who are all in Imo State to ensure the right thing is done this morning before shameless electoral thieves destroy INEC and our democracy. The time to act is now!”

  Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye has won the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship primaries in Kogi State. Dino was declared winner by the returning officer on Sunday. He scored 313 votes to defeat Idoko Ilonah who had 124 votes. Others, Awoniyi Sunday had 77 votes while Musa Wada had 56 votes The former lawmaker will be up against Usman Ododo, the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the election.