‘US doesn’t have favoured candidate’
The United States of America has declared that it does not have a favoured candidate or political party in Nigeria’s general elections.
The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Stuart Symington, made the disclosure during a courtesy call on the Governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Umaru Almakura in Government House, Lafia.
The Ambassador said, “We don’t have a favoured candidate or party, but have one hope for the people of Nigeria to have a peaceful and credible election. We hope Nigerians come together and influence their neighbours and the world.”
Symington said freedom and democracy should prevail and Nigerians have to work for it, pointing Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has raised an alarm over the safety of voters in the state ahead of next week’s presidential and national assembly elections.
He claimed intelligence report has it the opposition party in the state is arming The National Examinations Council (NECO) says there was upward trend in the number of candidates that showed penchant for malpractices in its 2018 November/ December Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE).
In the result unveiled on Friday in Minna, the Acting Registrar of the Council, Abubakar Gana, said 12, 084 candidates were caught for different cases of malpractices in the Nov/Dec 2018 examination.
The NECO boss also revealed an increase out that peace is like freedom and like democracy, it has to be grown.
Governor Almakura said the state will adopt international best practices in the conduct of free and fair elections as the All Progressives Congress (APC) conducted its general congresses.
He called on all political parties to conduct ourselves against hate speech to move Nigeria forward.
Dickson expresses fear over voters’ safety
thugs to attack electorates.
Governor Dickson made the remarks during an interview with newsmen at the government house in Yenagoa on Friday.
He, however, assured the people that the state government, in collaboration with the security agencies, is working to ensure that all communities, waterways and creeks are well-protected.
NECO records high level of malpractice in Nov/Dec exams
in the number of candidates apprehended for exams malpractice, which shot up from 4,425 in 2017 to 12,084 in 2018.
Candidates cheated more in Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Economics, he explained.
He said a total of 59,963 candidates sat for the examinations, 48 percent got five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
He also said that 47, 031 candidates, representing 79.27 percent got five credits and above irrespective of English Language and Mathematics.