ACN raises alarm over polls’ materials for A’Ibom – The Guardian

THE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has raised alarm over an alleged absence of Form EC8 and lack of serial numbers in the ballot papers brought to Akwa Ibom State for today’s governorship election.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party also alleged an on-going mass arrest of Ibibio chiefs and clan heads to intimidate and arm-twist them to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Soldiers to escort NYSC members to polling units

There were indications on Monday that soldiers would join policemen in escorting election materials and National Youth Corps members to the 120,000 polling units across the country for today’s governorship and state assembly elections.

A top source in the Independent National Electoral Commission said many state governors had approached the Army high command to assist in protecting election materials and beefing up security around the corps members as well as other officials of the commission.

The source, who declined to have his name in print because he was not mandated to do so, said, “ I confirm to you that all staff of INEC that will be involved in tomorrow(today) elections will have soldiers and policemen escorting them to their designated places of work.”

He explained that the measure was specially aimed at ensuring that the corps members, who are ad-hoc staff of INEC, were adequately protected during the polls.

President Goodluck Jonathan had during a nationwide broadcast on Thursday directed state governors to take personal responsibility for the safety of the corps members.

INEC staffs threatens to boycott poll

KANO, Nigeria, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of adhoc staffs of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have expressed fear of attack by mobs during the elections prompting many to threatening not to participate in the election.

The INEC recruited thousand of Nigerian university graduates on one year mandatory service under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program as adhoc staffs for conduction the election. The graduates of the south are usually deployed to the north, while those from the North deployed to the south as a way of forging a national integration and cohesion.

Scores of the university graduates members from the south deployed to the north were killed in mob attacked in violence that followed the presidential election last week in many parts of the north.

The Lagos state government on Monday evacuated 84 serving students from northern states of Kano and Jigawa state ahead of the Tuesday's government and state legislative election for the safety of their lives.

Official of the election body in charge of Kano Ahmed Umar Danyaya said there is total arrangement to ensure the safety and security of the serving youth graduates employed as adhoc staffs for the exercise.

Police arrest journalists in Akwa Ibom

The police yesterday arrested some journalists during a morning raid on a printing establishment in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

In what some people have described as the effort of the state government to muzzle media establishment known to be strong critics of government ahead of today’s state elections, policemen numbering about 12 were said to have stormed Aswill printing press ,located along Akpan Etuk Street, in Uyo at about 12am on Monday.

Managing Editor of Pivot Newspapers, Clifford Thomas, who was one of the persons arrested by the police at the printing press, said the men came in fully armed and asked to see the manager and director of the establishment.

The manager, the director and some other staff of the press were taken away by the police. Mr Thomas and his staff were subsequently released when no incriminating evidence against the government was found in their publication.

During the raid, Mr Thomas and his men were ordered to sit on the floor, their phones and other communication gadgets were seized. Narrating his experience to NEXT, Mr Thomas said the leader of the police team told him that the deputy commissioner of Police instructed them to come to the printing press and check for anything that might be construed as an attack on the state governor.

Post-election violence: State govts evacuate corps members from troubled spots

By Kenneth Ehigiator, Kolade Larewaju, Chidi Nkwopara, Jimoh Babatunde, Emmanuel Ebeleke and Daniel Etegbe
In what appears to be ademonstration of being their brothers’ keepers, state governments in the Southern part of the country have been responding to distress calls from members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, from their various states who are serving in the north and were trapped in the violent protests that greeted the announcement of the results of the last presidential election.

LAGOS

In Lagos, the State government commenced evacuation of its youth corpers from Kano and Jigawa whose parents and guidance are resident in the state.

See photos of evacuated corps members here

The 84 corps members who constitute the first and second batches of the evacuation, arrived the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Sunday aboard Arik Air flight from Kano, and were received by the state’s Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Mr. Tunde Balogun,

General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Osanyitolu, told Vanguard yesterday that the state government was targeting to evacuate no fewer than 350 corps members from the troubled areas.

The corps members, who lamented the ordeal they were put through in their states of deployment, said the intervention of the governor save them from being slaughtered by the anarchists.

They also expressed their appreciation to the military who provided a safe haven for them in Kano, pending their evacuation, adding that were it not for the military, they would have been killed, as the police had given up on them.

“Daddy, what will I say than to say thank you. When I thought there was no hope, God used you for me. I pray God will surprise you and reward you bountifully,” said Miss Simiat Afe-Ire, one of the corps members evacuated from Kano.

Explaining the circumstances surrounding the evacuation of the stranded corps members, LASEMA General Manager, Dr. Osanyitolu, said the agency received an emergency call from the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, asking for help, adding that this prompted Governor Fashola to issue a directive that the corps members be evacuated to prevent harm from coming their way.