News

US election: Trump edging to victory but Biden marginally leading in electoral college votes

Published

3 years ago

November 4, 2020

Donald Trump is now the favourite to win the US election as results roll in across America on the most unpredictable election night in American history, the Telegraph reports.

In what could be a bigger shock than Trump’s sensational victory in 2016, the president is edging to victory after winning the key swing states of Florida and Ohio. But important states like Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia are still to be called – and counters in the vital swing state of Pennsylvania have gone home for the night, meaning the full result may not be known for hours.

In a recent address, Donald Trump claims ‘I have frankly won’.

Joe Biden has also addressed supporters, telling them “it ain’t over until every vote is counted”, while Mr Trump accused the Democrats of “trying to steal the election” in a tweet almost immediately labelled as “misleading” by Twitter.

Fox calls Nebraska’s 2nd district for Biden

This could be significant. Fox News is calling Nebraska’s 2nd district for Joe Biden, which means the Democrat could win the race to the White House without having to win Pennsylvania.

It’s only one electoral college vote, but as US statistician Nate Silver says, it is vitally important.

If you just go by what ABC News has called (we’re on the conservative side tonight)… Biden’s win probability would go from 69% to 85% based on NE-2 being called! That one electoral vote makes a huge amount of difference.

Polls close in 2020 election

The last state to close its polls is Alaska, drawing to a close the monumental democratic endeavour that is gathering the votes of almost an entire continental landmass.

The state, a Republican stronghold, shuts its polling stations at 9pm local time, five hours after the sun has gone down and where, in the state capital of Juneau, temperatures are about to dip below freezing.

Donald Trump’s projected Texas win takes the scores to Biden 223, Trump 212.

Trump wins Texas

Democrats had hoped for an unlikely win in Texas – but no dice. Donald Trump has won the Lone Star State, winning a sumptious 38 electoral college votes.

Secondly, here are the key battlegrounds – the swing states – that will decide the US election, and what we know so far.

As things stand, Donald Trump is ahead in seven of these:

Arizona – 73 per cent reported, Biden lead (8.5 per cent)

Florida – 98 per cent reported, Trump lead (3.5 per cent)

Georgia – 67 per cent reported, Trump lead (9.8 per cent)

Michigan – 43 per cent reported, Trump lead (11.5 per cent)

Minnesota – 54 per cent reported, Biden lead (14.8 per cent)

North Carolina – 92 per cent reported, Trump lead (1 per cent)

Pennsylvania – 46 per cent reported, Trump lead (13.2 per cent)

Texas – 74 per cent reported, Trump lead (4.5 per cent)

Wisconsin – 59 per cent reported, Trump lead (4.1 per cent)

Who has won what?

Donald Trump has won: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Joe Biden has won: California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

Democrats confident of vital Arizona win

Joe Biden’s announcement that he believed he had won Arizona raised cheers in the Democratic Party’s Maricopa County base camp, reports Laurence Dodds.

Biden’s claim came on top of a surprising call in his favour by the right-leaning Fox News, which is said to have provoked the ire of Trump’s campaign.

That prediction had rattled some guests at the Arizona Republican Party’s election night event, where state chairwoman Kelli Ward told supporters that she was “confident we are winning this state”.

Even so, the votes are still being counted and Trump may yet see new strength from on-the-day votes, especially in Arizona’s rural outback.

Nobody here will stop worrying until AP calls the race. Then again, in 2018, it did mistakenly call Arizona’s other Senate seat for the GOP.

It looks set to be a disappointing night for Arizona’s Republicans, according to AP.

Joe Biden is already celebrating his strong performance in Arizona.

The Grand Canyon state is traditionally Republican but for Democrats the early results are looking good – which doesn’t mean much. Early votes, counted ahead of time, were always going to skew blue.

Fox News has projected Biden will win Arizona, giving him a potential path to victory with the “blue wall” states.

Trump supporters in Arizona are beginning to fear the worst.

Trump has defied the pollsters and had a brilliant night, says Telegraph columnist Tim Stanley:

Trump: ‘They’re trying to steal the election’

Moments after Biden’s brief speech, Donald Trump has tweeted, saying the Democrats are “trying to steal the election”.

“We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election. We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Poles are closed!” Mr Trump said.

But Twitter almost immediately censored the tweet, labelling it as “misleading”.

Biden addressed hundreds of supporters in cars from a specially built stage in Wilmington. Amid honking horns he said: “Your patience is commendable. We knew this was going to go long.

“We feel good about where we are. We believe we’re on track to win this election.

“We knew because of the early vote, and mail-in vote, it would take a while. We’re going to have to be patient.

“It ain’t over until every vote is counted but we’re feeling good about where we are.

“We’re confident about Arizona. That’s a turnaround. We’re feeling real good about Wisconsin and Michigan.

“It’s going to take time to count the votes but were going to win Pennsylvania!”

He added, “We could know the results as early as tomorrow morning, but it could take a little longer.

“It’s not my place or Donald Trump’s place to declare who’s won this election. That’s the decision of the American people. I’m optimistic about the outcome. Keep the faith guys, we’re going to win this.”

Where does it stand?

After a couple of big wins for Trump, here is the list of states each candidate has won:

News

How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms

Published

3 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Trends Admin

Winifred Oyo-Ita

How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms

Hamma Bello, the eighth prosecution witness in the trial of Winifred Oyo-Ita, a former Head of Service of the Federation, has narrated how N3 billion was diverted to private companies.

The witness stated this while testifying before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday about how the defendant and her subordinates diverted public funds into their private companies.

Oyo-Ita, the first defendant, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, along with her special assistants; Ugbong Effiok (seventh defendant) and Garba Umar (fourth defendant).

Others are six companies: Frontline Ace Global Services Limited, Asanaya Projects Limited, Slopes International Limited, U and U Global Services Ltd, Prince Mega Logistics Ltd, and Good Deal Investments, on 18 counts bordering on misappropriation, official corruption, money laundering, and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of over N3 billion.

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The witness, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Faruk Abdullahi, and H.M. Mohammed, told the court that Oyo-Ita used Slopes International Limited and Good Deal Investments Limited – fifth and sixth defendants respectively, to fraudulently award government contracts to herself through the fourth defendant, Umar.

The first entry transaction of Good Deal Investment Limited. in February 2019 showed that N42,748,201.47 was paid into its Zenith Bank account.

Umar, the witness said, incorporated the company with Oyo-Ita’s full knowledge.

“We called for the account statements of these two companies, and upon analysing them, we realised he (Umar) was paid several sums of money from the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, where he is an employee.

“And upon interviewing the fourth defendant, he admitted that he was also a contractor. He also admitted to have paid the first defendant on several occasions from the proceeds of the transaction,” the witness said.

On April 27, 2019, the witness disclosed that a transfer of N20, 2027, 142 was made in the name of Ibrahim Madu to the Zenith Bank account of Asanaya Projects Limited.

The mandate card of the account bears the signature and photo of the seventh defendant, Effiok.

Investigation, according to the witness, also revealed that the seventh defendant incorporated Asanaya Projects Limited in his name with the knowledge of the first defendant and that approvals were granted and payments made to the seventh defendant either through his personal account or to the account of the company.

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The witness said, “The seventh defendant, upon interview, confirmed he had never travelled for most of the funds he received and that the first defendant was aware of and benefitted on several occasions from the funds. The account of U and U Global Services Limited was also opened by the seventh defendant.

“In summary, from 2015 to 2018, U and U Global Limited received several payments in the form of Duty Tour Allowances and estacodes. Sometimes, payments from the federal government were made directly to the account, for instance, on March 24, 2016, he received N40, 313, 453. 58. This particular payment was from the federal government.”

Further in his testimony, the witness stated that, “Exhibit O is the Fidelity Bank account of Prince Mega Logistics Ltd. On March 27, 2018, and April 6, 2018, there were four entries, N4, 950 000; N3,946,000, N4,676,000 and N1,478,000, from Thomson Titus Okure, who used to be a colleague of the seventh defendant in the Account Department.

“There were also outward payments to Ignom, Minaro Blessing, Winifred Oyo-Ita, Olarenwaju Godman Olushola and the seventh defendant is the sole signatory of this account.”

Speaking further, he said, “I also want to add that we invited the first, second and seventh defendant at different times to our office and interviewed them. In the case of the first defendant, we printed chats from her phone and saw conversations she had with contractors, subordinates, and permanent secretaries. She also voluntarily made a statement to the EFCC.”

The matter was adjourned till April 30, 2024.

(SAHARAREPORTERS)

How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms

News

Why we made emergency landing at Lagos airport – Air Peace

Published

3 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Trends Admin

Why we made emergency landing at Lagos airport – Air Peace

Air Peace on Thursday evening cleared the air surrounding its Port Harcourt to Lagos flight incident, saying that it was due to a falsely triggered fire alarm before landing.

A statement by Stanley Olisa, the airline’s Corporate Communications Lead, explained that some minutes before landing, the Captain noticed a fire warning indicator in the cockpit.

Contrary to reports that the aircraft made an emergency landing in Lagos, Olisa said that the captain had performed all safety measures and the fire indicator went off.

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“We wish to inform the flying public of an incident that occurred during our Port Harcourt-Lagos flight P47193 of today, April 25.

“Some minutes before landing, our captain noticed a fire warning indicator in the cockpit. The pilots performed all safety precautionary measures and the fire indicator went off.

“The Captain immediately notified our Operations Control Center in Lagos at 5.37 p.m.

“It was determined upon landing that the alarm was falsely triggered as there was no fire event. The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers disembarked normally,” he said.

The airline reassured the flying public that safety remains the utmost priority and is unwavering in its commitment to it.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that passengers on the flight were on Thursday evacuated after the airline’s aircraft made an emergency landing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Why we made emergency landing at Lagos airport – Air Peace

News

PDP, LP kick as US report says 2023 polls reflect people’s will despite irregularities

Published

4 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Trends Admin

PDP, LP kick as US report says 2023 polls reflect people’s will despite irregularities

The US Department of State in a report has affirmed that Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, despite irregularities, reflected the will of its people.

Published in the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour, the document scrutinizes human rights practices and violations worldwide, including in Nigeria.

“National elections, though plagued by technical and logistical challenges alongside irregularities, were broadly deemed to represent voters’ intentions,” the report asserts.

Even as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) hailed the report, the two major opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) criticised it.

Independent observers concluded that outcomes of presidential, legislative, and state-level elections mirrored voter sentiments, notwithstanding instances of voter suppression, vote buying, campaign activities at polling stations, compromised ballot secrecy, violence, and intimidation.

In the March 18 state election in Lagos, supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) allegedly intimidated and suppressed voters in Igbo-dominated regions, won by Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in the national election on February 25.

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Social media footage depicted APC supporters in Ojo menacing ethnic Igbo voters perceived to favour Obi. In Eti-Osa, APC supporters assaulted journalists and impeded non-Yoruba voters’ access to polls, with reported property damage and physical obstruction of voters in Amuwo-Odofin. Despite police presence, no intervention occurred, and no arrests or prosecutions of alleged perpetrators were documented.

The report highlights the low participation of women and marginalized groups in the electoral process. Women’s political engagement averages 6.7 percent in elected and appointed roles nationwide. Civil society organizations have noted that religious, cultural, and economic hurdles hinder women’s leadership prospects within major parties and government.

A gender-based violence survey by ElectHER NGO underscored the use of religious and cultural barriers, including double standards, blackmail, and media defamation, against female politicians.

Media outlets perpetuated stereotypes, labeling women politicians as “promiscuous” or “cunning” and, in some instances, refrained from covering their campaigns purportedly under directives from opposition figures.

Moreover, the report criticized Nigeria’s inconsistent implementation of anti-corruption laws, citing pervasive corruption across the country, including within the judiciary.

Reacting the PDP, through its national spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, said despite the outcome of the elections, the party remained committed to ensuring that Nigeria would not become a one-party state or slide into dictatorship.

The Labour Party, through Obiora Ifoh, said, “To say the outcome of such an election reflects the majority view of Nigerians is left for the people to judge. Our commitment to the development of democracy in Nigeria remains unshakable.”