Live Updates: 2019 Presidential Election Result From Different LGAs In Nigeria

Latest results for the 2019 Presidential election below:

Polls: Ayade happy with peaceful conduct, voters turnout

Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the Saturday Presidential and National Assembly elections, describing the exercise and turnout as both peaceful and massive.

Ayade accompanied by his wife, Lynda, arrived Kakum Town Hall, Ipong polling unit, Obudu with registration area code CR/09 at about 11:05 where they were accredited and later exercised their franchise.

Speaking shortly after casting his vote, Ayade said: “I am here in my own polling unit and I am happy that we have a very peaceful and massive turnout here in my ward and indeed my polling unit,” adding: “I am also very happy with the conduct, certification and quality of training that the INEC officials and ad hoc staff have received.”

The governor noted that “the process is good and I think that the fact that we are highly registered in this unit and they decided to give us additional voting points has made it a lot easier as a lot of people have already voted as of this moment, so it is clear that by 2. pm, everybody should have voted and the turnout is impressive and peaceful and I hear this is the same situation across Cross River State.”

On areas of improvement ahead of the remaining elections, Ayade intimated: “I guess it is about the technology. The inability of the card reader to actually identify my finger prints calls for worry. This is Ben Ayade, this is my face, the governor of Cross River State with my card in my polling unit. That it could not authenticate my finger prints shows clearly that if there is no alternative other than the card reader, a lot of people will be disenfranchised.”

Continuing, the governor maintained that “there is a challenge and I think it is a function of the temperature which affects the reliability of ICT base of this nature, so it is expected that as Nigeria progresses in our democracy, it should adopt a technology that will reflect our peculiar climate and the nature of our people.”

He added further that “our finger prints vary with our nature, kind of occupation and what we do because all of these come together but I believe there is a great room for improvement as well as the choice of the technology and technical support that can allow us bypass the technology that fails.”

On whether the earlier postponement of the elections has in any way affected yesterday’s exercise, Ayade remarked that “the postponement could not have made a difference in any way as the enthusiasm is high, the social media has actually expanded the understanding of the people as every person of voting age is excited and wants to exercise his or her franchise.”

On her part, wife of the governor, Dr Lynda Ayade enthused: “I am impressed as well as the crowd in this polling unit is a testimony that people really want to exercise their franchise peacefully.”

She added that “except the challenge of the card reader in some occasions, you can see that the people are happy, I expect the best and hope that my party, the PDP wins.”

Sen. Shehu Sani, representing Kaduna Central in the Senate, has expressed hope that the ongoing presidential and national assembly elections would produce better and acceptable outcomes.

Sani noted that, though the elections have been peaceful, seamless and orderly so far, its final outcome would determine the overall success of the exercise.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the senator, who spoke to newsmen shortly after casting his vote at PU 20 polling unit, Maska road, Unguwar Sarki Kaduna, noted that the atmosphere had been secure in spite of earlier apprehensions.

He however said that the major concern “is not just about people voting in the city but those in the rural areas who are remotely connected and might be faced with issue of security challenges.”

Sani added: “It is too early to give credit to the process, an election is not about starting point but its end and result of collation.

“I am old enough in elections to be careful of giving credit to election processes until it is over.

“Elections in which citizens vote for their leaders, they should also note that whoever they vote for as a representative should be someone who they would wholeheartedly and sincerely vouch their lives for.

“If this country must move forward, we must have people who are determined and committed to have the common man at heart and the progress of the nation.

“We must elect leaders that will bring us together, unite us and ensure the progress of the nation.”

Also in an interview, 82-year-old Inuwa Jibrin, commended the process, saying priority was given to old people, pregnant women and people with disabilities at the polling centre.

Maryam Sadiq, 18, voting for the first time in her life said: “I am overjoyed for having to choose a leader for the first time, it gladdens my heart.”

Nigeria Decides 2019: Moghalu, Agbaje call out INEC over failure of card readers

The Presidential Candidate of the Young Peoples Party (YPP), Mr Kingsley Moghalu has decried the non-performance of card readers in his ward at Nnewi North ward 2 in Anambra.

Moghalu told newsmen shortly after voting by 11.55 a.m that faulty card readers delayed voting in the area.

“I came out by 8 a.m to vote but the card readers were not functioning; so I went back to my house and came out by almost noon to vote.

“As you can see, some voters left out of frustration having waited for about three hours. This will affect voting pattern.

“Democracy has a lot of challenges over performance failure by INEC but when I come to power, all these will change,’’ Moghalu said.

Also the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Jimi Agbaje, on Saturday said he was concerned about the malfunctioning of the card readers during voting at his polling unit in Apapa.

The PDP candidate spoke with newsmen after he and his wife, Biola, voted at polling unit 004,Ward A, Liverpool, Apapa around 11.20a.m.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the card reader had rejected Agbaje’s fingerprints, that of his wife and those of three other voters.

They, however, eventually voted after their names and photographs were verified manually on the voter register.

The PDP candidate said cases of malfunction of card readers were not good for the credibility of elections.

He pointed out that manual verification of voters was susceptible to electoral fraud and unscrupulous elements could capitalise on it to compromise results.

“Coming to my polling unit, I am concerned that the card readers are not working; the five, six of us, that came to vote before and after me, the card reader wasn’t working.

“And that opens room to all kinds of insinuations, all kinds of mischief and for me, when you get a situation where you have to bypass the card reader, that means we haven’t gotten it right.

“It means it is now open to all kinds of human manipulation because if a card reader doesn’t work, one can collude with one or two officials there, and with the wrong information, I will bypass the system.

“That is the issue, because there is no room in that place for the agents to confirm that the person whose card did not work for the card reader is the owner of that card. So, games can be played,” he said.

On his assessment of the process generally in the state, he said the election had been fine, except in one or two places.

Nigeria Decides 2019: Card reader rejects Lai Mohammed, Dickson’s fingerprint

Card reader on Saturday rejected the thumbprint of Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa and minister of Information, Lai Mohammed

Dickson voted at Ward 2 unit 5 in Orerewari, Toru Orua, Sagbama Local Government Area at about 10.35 am after several unsuccessful trials on the card reader.

The governor was allowed to vote after his Permanent Voter Card (PVC) was read manually and his name, signature and phone number were documented, NAN reports

Speaking after voting, Dickson noted that the failure of the smart card to read his thumbprint was not new as it had occurred in the 2015 elections.

He said that despite earlier complaints to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the glitches with the card reader had persisted.

The governor expressed concerns over the reported cases of electoral violence in Nembe Basambri, Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor areas of the state.
In Sagbama Local Government Area, there was low turn-out of voters in most of the pooling units visited by a correspondent of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent.

On the other hand, Lai Mohammed was at his Polling Unit, PU 06, Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara south, earlier today to participate in the electoral exercise but failed to get authenticated because of the card reader.

He had to vote manually.

Buhari vs Atiku: Jonathan warns loser of 2019 presidential election

Former president, Goodluck Jonathan, has said that whoever loses the ongoing election must be willing to accept defeat.

Jonathan stated this on Saturday, after voting at unit 39, ward 13, Otazi Playground, Otuoke, Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa state.

He was accompanied by wife, Patience and his mother, Ayi.

“I can only encourage people that when they lose the elections, they should accept it.

“If you think you are good enough and you are trusted, you can come back. It has happened in other countries. That is the essence of democracy.

“If you are there as a governor and people misunderstood your policies and vote you out, you should realise that’s the people’s choice. We should be able to elect our leaders in a way that the world will accept them and believe we are doing what is right,” he said.

The ex-president also said if elections are marred with violence, “the wrong people will be elected and there can never be any development in a society governed by the wrong people.”

“For Nigerians, if you want to move this country forward, you must start with decent and credible elections,” he added.

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