Plot Uncovered To Announce Election Result Before INEC

As the political campaigns draw to an end, the Department of State Service has uncovered plots by “mischievous” people to announce results of the elections being held on Saturday, March 28, before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does.

This was disclosed in a statement released yesterday, March 26, and signed by the Service spokesman, Marilyn Ogar, Leadership reports.

Ogar warned Nigerians and international observers to disregard any such announcement of election results that is not from the electoral body.

She also warned Nigerians who have no business with the elections to stay away from polling units.

Ogar said: “Information at the disposal of this Service has revealed that certain mischievous persons or groups have concluded plans to announce election results before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concludes its collation exercise.

READ ALSO: SSS Releases Security Tips For Voters During Elections

“This statement therefore is to advice all citizens of Nigeria, election observers and the International community to disregard election results which are not announced by INEC, as the commission remains the only authentic body authorized to do so.

“Once more, we reiterate our call on all eligible voters to come out and exercise their franchise as security is guaranteed. We also want to seize this opportunity to remind voters to remain vigilant and to warn all those who have no business with the electoral process to keep away from Polling Units and Collation Centres.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign organisation had about a week ago raised the alarm over an alleged plan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to announce fake presidential election results on Radio Chanji.

Meanwhile, the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday alleged various plans by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig Saturday’s presidential election at all costs.

READ MORE: http://www.naij.com/410084-plot-to-announce-election-result-before-inec-uncovered.html

'Buhari Is A Gamble That Is Not Worth Taking' — GEJ

Ahead of the Saturday’s presidential election, President Goodluck Jonathan has described Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a gamble that is not worth taking by Nigerians.

Jonathan issued his warning in an interview with online news medium, The Cable, which was published on March 26, 2015.

Speaking with a correspondent, the president stated that although he could not claim to be perfect, majority of Nigerians would still prefer him to Buhari.

“I don’t think Nigerians will make the mistake of voting for Buhari.

“Gen. Buhari, with due respect, is not the right option for Nigeria at this time. It is a gamble that is not worth taking.

“I may not be perfect as nobody is perfect. But I believe that come Saturday, the majority of Nigerian voters will choose me as the best candidate to lead the nation forward.”

READ ALSO: Elections: UK Prime Minister Warns Jonathan

According to the president, the APC was being overrated, and only Saturday’s election would test its popularity against the PDP.

“You should remember the Ekiti governorship election last year. Before the election, many people were saying APC would win by a landslide. But we in the PDP were busy mobilising the grassroots, going from village to village, from town to town.

“The result shocked everybody, apart from us at the PDP. I am not underrating APC, but I think they are grossly overrated.

“We shall meet on the field. That is where we will test our true strengths. We are fully ready. You will soon see,” the president stated.

Goodluck Jonathan said that Lagos State remained the real battlefield between the two parties in the South West, adding that recent development had shown him that the PDP was taking a new shape in the state.

READ ALSO: Jonathan, Buhari Renew Peace Accord At The 11th Hour 

“Ekiti and Ondo are already controlled by PDP. I don’t see APC winning Oyo and Ogun.

“And from the last governorship election in Osun, you could see that the gap between PDP and APC was very narrow, judging from the figures.

“Other factors will still be at play and the best you can say for now is that Osun is a tossed-up state, as Americans call it.

“The real battleground is Lagos, and if you have been following events closely, the PDP is reborn in Lagos. Wait and see how Lagosians will vote,” the president concluded.

A day before the election Goodluck Jonathan used his last chance to ask Nigerians to vote for him. In his Facebook statement the president President Jonathan in his statement via official Facebook account stressed the key achievements of the PDP-led government and explained why Nigerians should cast their votes for his re-election bid.

Meanwile, the president’s main opponent, Muhammadu Buhari, also took the last opportunity to address electorate.

READ MORE: http://www.naij.com/410065-buhari-is-a-gamble-that-is-not-worth-taking-gej.html

Graphic Photos: Robbers Invade Five Banks In Owo, Kill Six

Dare devil armed robbers on Wednesday invaded five banks in the ancient city of Owo, headquarters of Owo, Local Government Area of Ondo State, and killed six people including the Bank Manager and his assistant.

Skype Bank after the robbery

THISDAY reports that the robbers killed the manager of a branch of Wema Bank and his assistant during the operation after they allegedly refused to co-operate. The identities of the bank officials killed could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.

READ ALSO: See Why These 13 Young Men Were Arrested In Lagos

It was gathered that the armed robbers stormed the town at about 4.00p.m. and shot sporadically into the air till they got to the heart of the town where they robbed five branches of new generation banks in the town where they injured many staff.

It was also learnt that the armed robbers carted away an undisclosed amount of money from their operations in all the banks.

Further findings revealed that no fewer than four residents of the town were shot dead, while others sustained serious injuries.

One of the dead victim

The robbery sparked a protest as residents of the town took to the street alleging political affiliation to the development.

A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the armed robbers stormed the town through Owo-Abuja express road and moved straight to the heart of the town where major commercial banks were situated.

The source who is an indigene of the town said the armed robbers escaped arrest despite the presence of Police officers at the scene of the incident.

READ ALSO: Man Gets Death Sentence For Stealing Phone In Delta

When the state police spokesman, Wole Ogodo, was contacted, he confirmed the incident, saying: “last night men of the state police command had been deployed to the town to enforce orderliness. Details of the incident are still sketchy. I can only give you details of the robbery incident when our man deployed to the town communicates with me,” he said.

customers shot during the robbery

Another victim

Meanwhile, Lindaikeji reported that it was three commercial banks that were attacked.She listed the banks to include  First Bank, Wema Bank and Skye Bank.

A yet to be identified customer

Armed robbers seems to have switched their attention to Banks. Not quite long men dressed in army uniform stormed the First City Monument Bank in Lekki, Lagos, late in the afternoon of March 12, shooting sporadically and killing many people.

Oyedepo’s Church, Winners Chapel Burnt Down Over Purported Support For Jonathan

A branch of the Living Faith Church, popularly called the Winners Chapel, in Giwa, headquarters of Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has been set ablaze.

The church, founded by Bishop David Oyedepo, was reportedly set ablaze by two unidentified arsonists.

During the incident that happened on March 20, 2015 at about 2:30pm, nothing was saved from the church.

The burning of the church came a few months after the reported endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan by Oyedepo.

A terse statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the President of Tarayyar Masihiyawan Nijeria (Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri Christians), General Ishaku Ahmed Dikko (rtd), and the Director of National Issues of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Sunny Oibe, entitled: “Presidential Elections 2015: Signs of what to expect,” called on security agencies to act fast to avoid violence in the area.

According to Dikko and Oibe, the Christians in the North, particularly the Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri speaking Christians, who are indigenous in these states and live within and among their kith and kin, “are in serious jeopardy”.

The statement reads in full: “Giwa is the Headquarters of Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State. On Friday, 20 March, 2015 at about 2:30 pm, two (2) unknown hoodlums on a motorcycle drove into the premises of Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) and set it ablaze.

“The Church was razed to the ground and nothing was saved from the Church including the building. This action surprised the Christian Community especially the Church members, as there was no tension or any sign of it between Christians and Muslims in the town.

“It is, however, a known fact that the people of the Local Government have not been friendly with the Christian Community even though over 90 percent of them are of the same Huasa-Fulani indigenes.

“The incident actually became more worrisome when no effort was made by a passersby to assist in putting out the fire. In fact, it was a Fulani herdsman that saw the fire and reported to the Police Station. Only one Policeman and a Christian volunteer that ran to the scene and attempted to put out the fire but of course could not achieve anything.

“This situation and the circumstances surrounding the incidence are a cause of serious concern. If this can happen more than a week to the Presidential Elections, what shall we expect during or after the elections? Is this a sign of what to expect or a dress rehearsal of a repeat of 2011 Post – Election Violence? This is a wakeup call to the Federal, State and Local Government Authorities,especially the Security Agencies. 

No Plot To Rig For APC, But… - INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, addressed reports of an ongoing plot to rig the widely anticipated March 28 election for the main opposition party, The All Progressives Congress (APC) as alleged by the ruling party, The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the electoral body, the reports that it had hatched plots to the rig tomorrow’s Presidential and National Assembly polls for the All Progressives Congress (APC) are baseless. However the commission assured that the polls will be free, fair and credible.

Indeed, to ensure that voting begins early tomorrow, the electoral commission, yesterday, moved sensitive election materials like ballot papers to the local councils, which in turn would be moved to the wards today. Tomorrow, the materials will be moved to the polling units and voting points.

READ ALSO: PDP Planning Trouble In 6 States – APC

Vanguard reports that, at the INEC Lagos office, yesterday, electoral officers were at hand to collect the materials amid tight security. Hordes of Mobile police men were at hand and two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) were strategically parked in front the commission.

Dismissing the rigging allegation and reacting to a front page advertorial ‘Exposed: How Jega plots to rig election for APC’ on some national newspapers on Wednesday,  Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Robert Idowu, in a statement said the allegation is baseless.

Stating that the advert was placed by a faceless group, which  cited the constitution of a presidential election result collation committee by the INEC chairman as the basis for its allegation that a plot to rig the election has been hatched, Idowu said ‘’INEC would not have bothered to respond to such patently cynical and malicious allegation, but for the fact that the elections are days away and otherwise respectable national newspapers have lent themselves to be used as platforms to disseminate such falsehood. Any misinformation, – even as baseless as in this particular case – unless corrected could mislead innocent or undiscerning members of the public and cause unnecessary apprehension about the credibility of the electoral process.’’

He said: ‘’The Commission affirms that the allegation to manipulate or rig the election is completely false and baseless. The Chairman of the Commission as the Chief Electoral Commissioner of Nigeria and the Returning Officer of the presidential election has statutory and legal powers to constitute administrative committee(s) to facilitate the performance of his duties.

READ ALSO: Buhari Vs Jonathan: Will They Ever Answer Our Questions?

“The constitution of an in-house committee to assist in the collation process after the presidential election is purely an administrative arrangement to assist the Chairman. Members of the committee are officials of the Commission. They work as professionals and non-partisan technocrats and have sworn to the oath of neutrality in the execution of their official duties. They are drawn from the Operations, ICT and Legal departments of the Commission as well as the Office of the Chairman. This arrangement is not new and was the same as during the 2011 general elections.

‘’INEC condemns these sinister and unpatriotic attempts to create unnecessary controversies aimed at discrediting the Commission through dissemination of falsehood.

“The Commission assures Nigerians of its commitment and resoluteness to conduct free, fair and credible elections. The Commission will not hesitate to institute legal action, where necessary, to protect its members from malicious and libelous allegations.’’ 

INEC’s response comes hours after the PDP raised an allegation of a conspiracy involving INEC and the opposition party, the APC in a move to rig the upcoming 2015 general elections in the country.

Security Tips For Tomorrow's Election

1. As at today, the Nigeria Police Force and other
relevant security agencies have been put on high
alert and they are expected to conduct periodic and
random searches on people, vehicles and various
hotspots. Thus, we are therefore advised to
cooperate with them during this period; do not abuse
security agents, obstruct their work, or resist them
unnecessarily to avoid unfortunate repercussions. We
have been informed that the Show of Force exercise
also authorizes a Shoot-at-Sight order, if necessary


2. There will be restricted movement of people in
the hours leading to, and during the March 28th
Presidential elections and April 11th Gubernatorial
elections. Thus, we are advised to observe and
comply with these directives for our personal safety


3. We are advised to adequately stock our homes
with required food items during the election period, in
case of emergencies, imposed curfews or other
threats that may arise after the elections


4. If you are registered to vote and have your
Permanent Voters Card, you are advised to go early
to the Polling Centers, get accredited, cast your
votes and leave the vicinity immediately for your
homes to await the results


5. Please do not cluster around polling centers and
stay away from groups and bunch of people, no
matter the discussion or incident that may have
attracted them together


6. Begin now to gather information about your
environment and feel the pulse around your intended
voting center. Study your polling unit, and if it's
packed with miscreants, thugs and unknown faces,
steer clear; remember that your life matters more
than the vote


7. Dress responsibly and avoid adorning any political
attire, party logos etc. to prevent mistaken identity
and possible victimization. Please remember that no
campaign is allowed during elections. Avoid wearing
politically branded T shirts, caps or bearing handbills,
posters, pamphlets and banners of candidates. This
can pose as a risk.


8. Avoid joining in on inciting discussions at the
voting center which may be capable of fanning the
embers of political discord amongst the political
parties and their agents


9. Stay away from parked cars and abandoned
packages, luggage etc.


10. Do not buy drinks, snacks, etc. around polling
centers, nor should you share/receive consumables
or gifts from anyone at the polling centers. If you
sense danger or suspect any foul play, report to the
approved Security Agents. Don’t take the law into
your own hands!


11. Avoid taking your vehicle, kids or expensive
jewelries and other personal belongings to the polling
centers


12. As part of security arrangements, church halls
should be vacated after every church service within 1
hour. Brethren should not be allowed to hang or
cluster around the church hall or entrances after
services or programs


13. Vehicles should not be allowed to park close to
the entrances of the church facilities for pick up or
drop off


You are encouraged to be extra-vigilant and law-
abiding during this period.
Further information will be provided as the elections
draw near.

Take this information very seriously.

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Buhari’s Friend Produced INEC Card Readers, APC Has ‘master Key’ – Fani- Kayode

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday called to question the integrity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing it of working for the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP specifically alleged that the INEC not only awarded the contract for the supply of Master Card Readers to an APC apologist, but also handed the master key to the man whom it identified as Sani Musa.

Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, who disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, accused INEC of putting in place in its preparation for the Presidential election programmes specifically meant to benefit the APC with a view to ensuring victory for the opposition party.


Fani-Kayode, however, expressed confidence that the PDP would win the elections irrespective of what happens, saying with confidence that Nigerians in their millions would vote for President Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking on the controversy surrounding the debate of whether voters should stay behind after voting to protect their votes or not, the PDP asked voters to stay back at the polling units and ensure that their votes are not rigged in favour of the opposition.

“We cannot sit by idly and remain silent when a desperate group of ruthless and greedy little men, in collusion with their friends in the APC, rob the Nigerian people of their historic opportunity to elect a President of their choice.

“This they intend to do this by sitting in a dark room somewhere and rigging the election in the most sophisticated manner even before it holds.


“We shall share this information in good faith and we shall then leave the matter for necessary action by the relevant security agencies and authorities,” he stated.

“Our concerns stem from the fact that the moving spirit and a major shareholder and board member of the company that supplied the Card Reader system and machines to INEC is not only a friend of but also an ardent and keen supporter of General Mohammadu Buhari and the APC.

“That man’s name is Sani Musa and he is indeed the main force behind the company. The company’s name is Act Technologies Ltd. and the Chairman of the company is one Engineer SK Danladi.

“How and why INEC would give the contract to supply the Card Readers to a fanatical APC supporter and to a man whose other company was officially blacklisted by INEC a couple of years ago for sharp practices, needs to be explained,” he stated.

He said Sani Musa has expressed his undying support for the APC and General Buhari and his hatred and virulent opposition to the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan openly and publicly on his Facebook wall.

“Some of his comments on Facebook read as follows: ‘I stand with him (Buhari) for whatever reason” and “Imagine the kind of people given spaces in our nation’s news tabloids. Hoodlums are having field day in Nigeria since the inception of GEJ’s administration. Mad men, hooligans and vultures have taken over decency of the society. May Allah save us from the torments of this (sic) rascals and expose their intentions on our nation state be it the Boko Haram, killer militants or by extension those in authority with wicked intentions – Amen.’”

He also alleged that certain aspect of and electronic components within the Card Reader system which would be used in Saturday’s election had not only been compromised but that the encryption codes and so-called ‘’master key’’ may have been made available to the opposition or their friends and agents.

“This will enable them to access the system, fabricate and generate fake votes and manipulate the voting patterns to their advantage. This constitutes a very serious breach of security and it is a criminal offence,” he stated.

“If the conspiracy is not exposed, if the Nigerian people do not rise up and demand answers, if the plan is not intercepted and aborted, if the Chairman of INEC does not answer the relevant questions and take the necessary steps and if the relevant individuals, including Sani Musa and his collaborators and co-conspirators in INEC and the opposition, are not called to order, arrested, interrogated and prosecuted, their plan may well succeed,” he further said.

Raising further allegations, Fani-Kayode said specifically that, “The Master Encryption/Decryption Key that can “unlock” and simulate the PVC data processed by the Smart Card Reader had been compromised.

“There is only one copy of the Master Key in Nigeria and it is in the possession of an individual who is a known APC sympathiser/supporter (and also the contractor responsible for the production of PVCs and manufacture of Smart Card Readers for INEC who was already blacklisted by INEC following his inability to deliver ballot papers during the 2011 elections).

“The Master Key should rightly be in the possession of INEC, as the neutral umpire, under the most stringent access control protocol imaginable and not freely in the possession of a partisan actor,” he stated.

Proffering solutions to the identified problem, the PDP said, “INEC should be officially requested to immediately produce the Master Encryption/Decryption Key (before it has the opportunity to cover up this monumental act of negligence).

“Failure to carry out Independent Security Audit of its IT Infrastructure: Contrary to what the average political commentator thinks, the critical IT infrastructure for the use of the Smart Card Readers by INEC is not necessarily the actual device itself, but the back-end IT infrastructure comprising INEC servers, database, network, personnel and processes.

“Given the critical nature and purpose of this infrastructure, the standard global best practice is for the organisation to enlist the services of an independent third-party IT Security Audit firm to carry out a comprehensive (and indeed, periodic) Security Audit of its entire end-to-end IT infrastructure and prepare a Security Audit Report which forms the ONLY basis upon which INEC can certify its proposed technology as secure and safe from vulnerabilities that can be exploited by rouge persons/systems.

“There are various internationally-acceptable information security standard certifications that a reliable back-end IT infrastructure like INEC’s should pass in order to command public confidence, such as ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 27018, etc.

“The lack of such security-related certifications simply means that INEC cannot confidently assert that its systems have not been “hacked”, compromised or otherwise illegally accessed by unauthorised persons.

“INEC should be officially requested to immediately produce a copy of any Security Audit Report independently authored by a reputable and certified third party (before it has the opportunity to cover up this monumental act of negligence).

“If INEC fails to produce a satisfactory Security Audit Report, then it should be compelled to conduct a fresh Security Audit of its entire IT infrastructure which can even be extended to its production/manufacturing facilities in China (indeed the only other copy of the Master Encryption/Decryption Key is in the possession of the Chinese Manufacturers) – this process of auditing cannot possibly be completed before the general elections,” he stated.

“Compromised back-end Personnel: Contrary to standard industry practice, INEC opted for the engagement of relatively inexperienced, “suitcase” IT Consulting Companies for the development of its back-end collation and transmission systems and other core server and database applications, using predominantly open source software characterised by publicly-available source code – another major security vulnerability.

“While significant budgets were made available for this purpose, INEC’s choice of “greenhorn” consultants was due to the ridiculously low contract sums paid for these consultancy contracts.

“The unfortunate consequence of this indiscretion, however, is that the personnel associated with these firms are poorly motivated, ill-equipped, poorly supervised and easily compromised,” he stated.

Despite the identified challenges, Fani-Kayode expressed confidence that President Jonathan would win the elections.

“The PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation and our candidate President Goodluck Jonathan are not in the least bit worried about what the outcome of Saturday’s election will be.


“We believe that we have the backing and full support of the Nigerian people and we believe that we shall not only win but that we shall win convincingly,” he stated.