Nigeria Election: International Praise Despite Problems

Election officials started the counting process in the dark on Saturday night after delays

BBC NEWS-Africa

International observers have hailed Nigeria's elections, despite technical hitches, protests and reports of violence.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement voting had been "largely peaceful and orderly".
Voting continued for a second day in some parts of Nigeria after problems with new electronic card readers.
It is expected to be a closely fought battle between President Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.
Thousands of opposition supporters in Rivers State have protested against alleged killings of campaigners and voting irregularities.
Nigeria's election commission said its office there had been set on fire and it was investigating the complaints.

 Voters have to validate their voting cards using a fingerprint reader 

Mr Ban praised the "determination and resilience" of Nigerian voters, despite reports of attacks by Boko Haram militants and others.
He urged voters to maintain a "peaceful atmosphere and to exercise patience" throughout the process.
His comments were echoed by John Kufuor, the head of the regional bloc Ecowas, who said the process has been "quite peaceful, orderly and credible".
The election as it happened.







About 300 polling units were affected by technical difficulties, a spokesman said  
 

Mr Jonathan and at least three governors from his ruling party were among those whose biometric details could not be checked by the electronic card readers - new technology intended to reduce fraud.
Instead, they had to be processed by hand. Mr Jonathan's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called it a "huge national embarrassment" and a "vindication" of its position against the technology.
"There should have been a test-run for a smaller election before deploying it for an election of this magnitude," said Mr Jonathan's presidential campaign spokesman Femi Fani-Kayode.
About 300 polling units out of 150,000 were affected, a spokesman for the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) said.
The vote had been delayed by six weeks because of the insurgency by militants from the Islamist group, Boko Haram.
Both the main candidates had pledged to prevent violence during and in the aftermath of the elections.
But several hours after voting started, reports came in of attacks at polling stations.

Nigeria at a glance:

• Two main presidential candidates:

Muhammadu Buhari, All Progressives Congress (APC), Muslim northerner, ex-military ruler, fourth presidential bid
Goodluck Jonathan, People's Democratic Party (PDP), Christian southerner, incumbent president, second-term bid

• Years of military rule ended in 1999 and the PDP has been in power ever since

• Nigeria is Africa's largest economy and leading oil producer

• With a population of more than 170m, it is also Africa's most populous nation

Unpredictable poll

Attacks were reported in north-eastern Gombe state, including incidents where gunmen opened fire on voters at polling stations.
Mr Jonathan told the BBC's Peter Okwoche that most of the violence there was not related to the elections.
"The war against terrorists is going on, voting or no voting," he said. "There was a conflict, kind of a crossfire, between soldiers and terrorists that had nothing to do with the elections."
The PDP has dominated Nigerian politics since 1999, but Gen Buhari's All Progressives Congress is viewed as a serious challenge.
Voters are also electing members of the house of representatives and the senate. Initial results could come as early as Sunday evening.

 

Jonathan in early lead in 22 states - FRCN

 President Jonathan Voting a day ago.

Posted by Ambassador T. Brikins

Abuja - The Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria reports  that President Goodluck Ebele  Jonathan is on  an early lead in 22 states of the federation.
The incubent President Jonathan is said to be leading in Imo, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Benue, Enugu, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Lagos, Ekiti, and Ondo states, while the races in Oyo, Kwara and Kogi states are to close to call.

The Independent National Electoral Commission is yet to make an official statement concerning outcome of results across the country and warns against unauthorized declaration of election results.

INEC Explains Why Card Readers Malfunctioned

 

Posted by Ambassador T.Brikins, Sunday 29 March 2015

It is  the major caption on the front pages of Nigerian national dailies this morning.
Some read, "...Card Reader Flops", The Guardian,"Frustrated by Card Readers, Jonathan still says"I"m hopeful, Sunday  Vanguard, and "Card Reader Failure delays President's accreditation", ThisDay.

 

Nigerians Casting their Votes Peacefully Yesterday

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, today  said one of the reasons the card readers deployed for Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary elections failed was because its officials failed to remove the protective film on the lens of the equipment.
The INEC Chairman had confirmed that about 400 of the devices failed to read the biometric data of voters who turned up to vote at various polling stations across the country.
President Goodluck Jonathan was one of those unable to get accreditation with the electronic device when he turned up at his Unit 13 polling station in his hometown in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, to vote. For more than half an hour the electoral officials at the unit battled unsuccessfully to get the president accredited.
Despite about four of the devices deployed to ensure that the president and his wife were accredited, he still ended up being accredited manually to vote during the exercise after being issued the INEC incidence form.
But, speaking today in Abuja in a television program  to review the conduct of the exercise, Kayode Idowu, the spokesperson to the INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, admitted that reports that the devices may have failed to function as a result of the not removing the  the protective film on the face of the lens of the card reader may have been true.
“We (INEC) received reports that some of the card readers may have failed to function, because officials that handled the devices may have failed to remove the protective film covering on the face of lens,” he said.
He said the film may have blocked the lens of the card reader, making it difficult for it to read the biometric data in the permanent voters cards presented by voters for scanning”, Mr. Idowu added.
The spokesperson, who agreed that there may have been other reasons said the cahallenges are noted and this will help to improve the process in the future.

INEC Extends Voting To Sunday March 29, Restricts Movement

 

Mar 28, 2015 | 

INEC on Saturday extended voting in the Presidential and National Assembly elections to Sunday, March 29.
By this development, there will be restricted movement during the voting exercise.

How You Can Take Charge Voting Tomorrow

Posted by Ambassador T. Brikins

You have  authority  over the devil who  controls evil doers- politicians  and their helpers   in Jesus Name. This is  based on your rights and privileges  in Christ. 

It is time to wear your spiritual armour to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy.

Kenneth E. Hagin says, “our  authority over the devil doesn’t  depend on how long we pray and fast, but we do  need to know who we are in Christ”.

Jesus Christ appeared to him and revealed how to destroy the work of demons and this secret works in other situations too. So,  all you have to do among other revelations that  you may have is to say, 

          “you foul spirit that is operating and  manifesting yourself in the life of anybody to disrupt this election here, I command you to stop in your  operations now. I command you to cease and  desist in your maneuvers, in the  Name of the Lord Jesus  Christ”.

Take note. You are dealing with the devil and demons not human beings. Your authority is in  the Name of Jesus Christ. This is the simplicity    of the  gospel. You don’t even have to  shout.

Do this at home, do this on your  way to voting, do this  while you are  voting and declare that the  will and  choice of God prevail. Believe what you say and receive what you  expect and it become real in your hands.

Just be  conscious  that He that is in you is greater that he that is in the world (1John 4:4.)

Like Bishop David Oyedepo says in his book, The Release of Power, “It is one  thing to be in charge, and another to know that you are. Every one that has ever done exploits for God was aware that he was in charge. When I talk to sickness or  the devil, I talk to them as one in charge. I am so conscious of it that it has  become  my lifestyle".

 

Bishop David Oyedepo, "When I talk to sickness or  the devil, I talk to them as one in charge".  

First, Nigeria is your Canaan land. The  devil has positioned giants to deflate your  power and confidence  to take your Canaan land. So, you must join other responsible believers to destroy the devil's power  to do evil in this election.  You must  step into a “position  of having control or responsibility for a group of people or an  activity”.

That  means for the voting activity  that takes place tomorrow 8:00am across Nigeria to succeed,   you must be personally responsible  for it and for  those who are not as  privileged    as you to  know what to do.

Second, you must personally command  control over  the whole voting  processes and environment.

It is generally believed that voter’s card is your power. That is a partial truth, not the whole truth.

Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Governor of Delta State in Nigeria, showing his voters' card

Your real  power is in  the influence you can exert.  It  is the power  that triggers motion from a state of partial or full  inertia. Your real influence is in the spirit realm where things are commanded to happen in the natural.

"Do I have this power?", you ask.

"Yes, you do", my beloved.

“Vision defines your mission, your destination, and God’s purpose for your life, while dedication sets the pace for how far  you can ever go. But it is  faith that powers you for accomplishment from  one phase of your assignment to the other. Hebrew 11:2 says: for by it (faith), the  elders obtained a good report.”

That is the statement of Bishop David O. Oyedepo a man  who has accomplished globally in his book  "Unlimited Power of Faith".

Our vision  and mission for this election is free, fair,credible, transparent and crisis free election. 

God’s  purpose or plan for you is that “… I know the plans I have for you,” , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. Jer. 29:11 (N1).

Yes, evil  shrines are agog with demonic empowerments now, the evil ones are charging up, the air is filled with   terror in statements and actions.

This is why we must live in the reality that,

“...we are not fighting against people  made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies- the evil rulers of the unseen world, those …satanic beings and ..evil princes of darkness who  rule this world; and against the huge  numbers of wicked spirit  in the spirit world”. Ephesians 6:12.  (LP).

But your good, loving, merciful e.t.c. God has  by His grace " ,… raised us (including you) up with Christ and seated us with Him (Jesus Christ) in the  heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”, far above these wicked forces.

Even when the dispensation of  grace was not in operation, Daniel was appointed to be ruler  over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief  over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel 2:48(LB)

 

Daniel safe in the lion's den.

These wise men were magicians, enchanters, soothsayers, sorceress, diviners, astrologers, incantationists. Daniel   was head over the representatives or the physical manifestors of the “ the evil rulers of  the unseen world, those… satanic beings and ..evil princes of darkness who rule this world”.

It is instructive  that Daniel never had any special revelation that brought him to the  public domain of proininence . He got there by  positioning  himself   for  it. This he did  through  the gift of  God and the knowledge that he had knowing that there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets and  places or removes anyone from the throne.

• “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the  royal food and wine,” Daniel 1:8 (NT)

• “At this,  Daniel went into  the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the  dream for  him Daniel 2:16(N.I)

• “Then Daniel went to  Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take  me to the king,  and I will interpret his dream for him”. Dan. 2:24 (N.I).

So, how do you take charge?

You must be willing to discharge the power of God in you like Daniel did. Only God possesses power. And the power to be in charge  on the earth including make this election, peaceful has been given to you and every believer irrespective of gender, color or  age.

• “Let every soul be subject unto higher powers. For there is no power but of God..”  Roman 13:1

• “God hath spoken once, twice  have I heard;  this that power belongeth unto God” Psalm 62:11.

“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations.”

This is the power that made you a Christian in spite of  what the enemy did to keep you in  his dark kingdom. God delivered you from that dark kingdom of wickedness into the kingdom  of His dear son.

This is the power that has built and continues to build the church and satanic power has not been able to prevail  over it. And will not prevail over it.

This power worked in men that founded  modern science. They include kepler, Boyle, Pascal, Pasteur, Newton, etc.

This power impact on the value of human life, compassion and mercy, marriage and family, education, sane government of the people, free enterprise  and the  work ethnic, art, music, literature etc.

In a debate D’Souza says, ‘My celebration of Christianity’s role in shaping this great social changes comes with a sober corollary: if the  west gives up Christianity, it  will also  endanger the egalitarian values  that Christianity  brought into  the world. The end of Christianity also  means the systematic erosion of values like equal  dignity and equal rights that both religious and secular people cherish”.   

God looks for a man. Be that man. Practice what you believe.

I expect your comments on how you were among those that exercised their God given  spiritual power to ensure a successful election 2015  in Nigeria.

Nigeria:Jega Announces Procedures For Voting Release Of Results

Prof. Jega,The Chairman of INEC

 the Independent  National Electoral  Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega,  released the processes and procedures for the  elections as well as the  processes  of releasing the results during the polls by the presiding officers.

Speaking  at a  stakeholder’ summit with political parties, that accreditation of voters would  take place from 8am till the last person to join the  queue at 1p.m. is accredited, while voting would  commence at 1.30pm and  would end when  the last  person on the queue has voted.

The INEC Chairman  further  said only persons with the permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) would be accredited, stating that the card readers would be used during the accreditation process.

He  said each political party is entitled to an agent at the polling station and that the agent must be  properly accredited in accordance with the regulations and guidelines.

According to Jega, “On March 28, three ballot boxes will be used in each of the  polling/voting points. Ballot boxes with  red cover is  for  putting a thumb printing ballot paper by a voter for  the presidential  election, ballot box with a black cover is putting thumb printing ballot paper by a voter for the senatorial election and the green ballot box is for putting thumb printed ballot paper  by a voter for the House of Representative.

“Each ballot  paper has  corresponding colour stripes  to  assist voters in putting the right ballot paper in the right ballot box. For each polling/voting point, there is a designated  official called overseer, whose primary job is to  ensure that voters put the right ballot paper into the right ballot box. Political parties need to  factor this  into their  campaigns to  minimize putting the ballot paper into the wrong ballot box”.

As a result of this, he said there  shall be two sorting of voting at  the polling units, explaining  that  it was  meant  to ensure that any  wrong placed ballot papers removed  and  put back  into the  right ballot boxes and the  second  is meant to determine the votes  cast by voters for a political party/candidate.

According  to the INEC chairman, “At the end of the  sorting and  counting of the  ballot  papers, the  results are  to be  announced to the  hearing of all and  a result poster is to be completed and posted at the  polling units. Copies of the results  sheets are to  be given a accredited  party agents who are present while the original is to conveyed  to the ward level coalition centre by the presiding  officer accompanied by the  security agents and the party  agents.

“At the ward level collation centre, if  there are complaints  and/or evidence of alteration of accreditation  figures on the result sheets, the information on  accreditation saved on the card readers used would be used by the collation officer to decide on the case”.

Jega  further explained that hard copies of  result sheet  from the polling units would be scanned, converted to PDF format and put in a database, will  be made accessible for viewing and  download via the INEC website. This, he said, is to  ensure the accuracy of the collated results.

He  also used the occasion to assure Nigerians of a credible, fair and transparent election at all levels.