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Tag: credible polls

  • We are interested in credible polls -UN

    THE United Nations and the international community are committed to ensuring that the 2019 general elections in Nigeria are credible, the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary- General for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, has said. Chambas spoke shortly after a meeting with Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike at the State House in Port Harcourt, the state capital yesterday.

    The UN official further said that the international community also craves peaceful polls in the country, stating that the international body is working closely with all levels of government in the country to ensure that the task is achieved. He said: “The United Nations and the international community are very interested in the 2019 elections.

    Read also: 2019: Our campaign will focus on candidates’ integrity —Oshiomhole

    We want to see how the elections can be peaceful. “We are working closely with the Federal Government, with the states and national institutions which are charged with the conduct of elections to ensure a credible process.” He stated that the purpose of the engagements was to ensure that all stakeholders contribute to the development of a credible electoral process.

    “At the end of the day, we will be able to have credible and peaceful elections, which will enable Nigeria to play her role as a leader in West Africa and Africa. “We discussed ways that we can put some confidence building measures to allow politicians, civil society organisations and eminent personalities play a role in minimizing conflicts that could occur before, during and after the elections,” he said.

    The diplomat added that they will ensure that INEC works in ways that will enhance confidence of politicians in the process. Speaking further, Chambas expressed gratitude to Wike for providing befitting office complex for the state secretariat of the international agencies in the state. In his reaction, Wike called for the discouragement of the present winner takes all attitude of Nigerian politicians, saying that it contributes to the desperation and violence at elections. According to him, “The current winner takes all attitude in Nigerian politics should be discouraged in the interest of the nation.” The governor agreed that stakeholder engagements are vital to credible polls. He, however, said that INEC should allow the votes of the people to count.

  • Okowa urges clerics to demand credible polls

    Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has urged clerics to clamour for a credible 2019 general election.

    He said credible elections would attract foreign direct investment and boost our image among democratic nations.

    Okowa  spoke yesterday when he received the executive committee of the Delta State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Asaba.

    According to the governor, “the Church should pray for our country Nigeria and the state; the Church should make its position known that we can have free and fair elections in Nigeria because, if we have credible elections, the comity of nations will have respect for us in the country and there will be direct foreign investment and the resource base of the country will develop.”

    Read also: 2019: Okowa advocates alternative source of funding for INEC

    Apostle Okorete earlier thanked Okowa for developing all parts of the state, saying the visit was to introduce the executive to the governor.

    He said “we appreciate you for the development projects going on in different parts of the state; we appreciate the security apparatus you have put in place to reduce kidnapping and crime in the state; your peaceful disposition has also quelled communal violence in the state.”

  • NBA vows to deliver credible polls

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has promised to deliver credible and transparent elections in forthcoming elections scheduled for this month end.

    Following fears caused by that one of the presisential candidates has a cross board relationship with Chams, the ICT firm engaged to man the portal for the elections, the NBA President, Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) took steps to verify the allegations, correct the impression and reinforce confidence in the process.

    At the end of the consultations, the association in a statement said: “The leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association has followed with great concern, the various issues that have arisen regarding the preparation for the conduct of the 2018 NBA National Elections as well as various allegations that have been made which have created perceptions of the lack of integrity in the electoral process and which may cast doubt on its outcome.

    “To address these issues, it became necessary for the NBA to undertake an extensive and careful review of all processes and also seek clarifications andinvestigate all the allegations, particularly with regards to the selection of the e-voting platform service provider as well the integrity and security of the infrastructure to be deployed and the capability of the service provider.

    “The review took place at the NBA National Secretariat in the course of the last two days (Thursday 19 and Friday 20 July 2018) and all relevant stakeholders were invited including the candidates, their technical advisers and some of our members who have raised these concerns or made allegations.

    “The review process was conducted openly with the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) in the presence of National officers, the Presidential Candidates and some other Candidates, their IT experts and technical advisers and other stakeholders. The e-voting platform service provider; Chams Plc., the Independent ICT Expert Adviser to the ECNBA and other observers were also present.

    “The process involved an extensive review of the selection process of the service provider, modalities for the NBA Elections, technical presentations on the e-voting platform to be deployed including its security architecture and deliberations on the alleged relationship between the e-voting service provider and one of the candidates.

    “Sequel to the review exercise, the NBA President held further consultations on July 20, 2018 with past Presidents, past General Secretaries and the Chairman of the ECNBA to which all the presidential candidates were invited and were in attendance.

    “These consultations became necessary to listen to and address all concerns and to arrive at the best decision in the overall interest of the NBA and the legal profession while ensuring the credibility of the process and the outcome.

    At the end of these consultative processes, the following observations/findings were made: “The selection process conducted by the ECNBA for the service provider of the e-voting platform; Chams Plc. was transparent and credible. The ECNBA acted independently in the above selection process and did not enter into any communication with, nor was it influenced by any elected or appointed officers of the NBA in the selection of the e-voting platform service provider for the election.

    “An introductory letter from Chams Plc. sent to the NBA National Secretariat on Friday, February 9,  was received in the normal course of business but was neither acted upon nor passed on to ECNBA and had no relevance to the decision taken by the ECNBA in the selection process.

    “The cross board membership of the chairman of board of the e-voting platform service provider (Chams Plc.) and an aspirant for theoffice of NBA resident did not constitute any material conflict of interest that would affect the credibility of the electronic voting process or the outcome of the elections.

    “The allegation that the e-voting service provider had conducted a flawed election for a similar professional association, ICAN was satisfactorily explained as the service provider has continued to conduct elections for that association subsequent to those issues;

    “The consultative meetings and the review exercise nevertheless revealed that the voter verification process was unsatisfactory and in order to address this and perception problems which have been created, it was necessary to take measures to reinforce confidence in the electoral process. The following measures were accordingly resolved to be implemented:

    “The electoral processes shall be disaggregated into three stages and each stage shall be handled by separate entities or service providers duly appointed by the ECNBA. The three stages are:

    “Pre-election: process of compilation and verification/validation of list of voters;

    “Election: the deployment of the e-voting platform for NBA elections Post-election: an audit of the electoral processes

    The ECNBA will undertake a holistic review of the voter verification process to ensure that all issues and complaints are satisfactorily resolved and may engage an independent entity or service provider for that purpose; the revalidated voter data shall be deployed on the electronic voting platform for the conduct of the 2018 NBA National Elections; and use of the validated voter data may be monitored by the ECNBA and representatives of the aspirants pre, during and post-elections.

    “The e-voting service provider appointed by the ECNBA; Chams Plc. shall be limited to the deployment of the e-voting platform for NBA elections, which it has already developed and is ready to deploy. The ECNBA will develop a post-election audit framework and process and may engage an independent entity for that purpose;

    “The ECNBA will ensure that an appropriate review of the integrity of the election portal or voting platform is undertaken and all necessary steps taken to reinforce the security and integrity of the portal/platform and the relevant applications;

    “The ECNBA will ensure that the candidates and their technical representatives are given appropriate access to all processes and given opportunity to make input/observations at all stages of the process.

    In view of the above consensus and pursuant to the powers to issue guidelines for the verification of voters and the general conduct of electronic voting, vested in the

    ECNBA under Article 2.4 (c) of the Second Schedule of the 2015 NBA Constitution, the ECNBA will review the election time table and make appropriate adjustments, ensuring that elections are conducted not later than Tuesday, July 31 as provided for in the NBA Constitution.

  • 2019: Lagos REC assures of credible polls

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun the preparation for next year’s general elections to ensure free, fair and credible polls, its Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Sam Olumekun, has said.

    Olumekun, who addressed reporters yesterday after a closed-door meeting with security agents, said the commission would adopt global best practices for the exercise.

    The REC said the meeting was part of the meticulous planning the commission putting in place to ensure hitch-free polls.

    He added that the meeting addressed issues that pre-date elections.

    Olumekun said: “Trust is very critical in elections. If there is trust, your liberty, rightx and entitlementx would not be short-changed. That is why we are planning elaborate security for the 2019 polls.

    “I want to implore our people to be law-abiding during the elections. Smaller countries conduct hitch-free elections without elaborate security.”

    Olumekun expressed dissatisfaction over what he called the poor turn-out by Lagos residents for the collection of their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs).

  • INEC braces for credible polls in Akwa lbom

    The Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Mike Igini, has said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is repositioning for credible polls in the state.

    He said INEC had taken some “far-reaching decisions” aimed at re-organising itself “for sustained conduct of free, fair and credible elections in 2019 and beyond.”

    Igini, who spoke in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, said workers who have spent almost 30 years in the same council have been transferred. He added that such personnel, having spent such length of time on their beats, were likely to have “entrenched interests, even becoming ‘paramount rulers’ in those councils.

    He said: “These administrative measures became necessary to insulate the electoral process from unwholesome influences and enhance fairness and efficiency while also building capacity.”

    The REC also announced the termination of the appointment of a security staff for “serious misconduct”, while two others were issued last warning.

    This followed the recommendation of the Junior Staff Disciplinary Committee (JSDC) which found them culpable. They were allegedly absent from duty the night of a robbery at the head office.

  • Abe urges INEC, security agencies to ensure credible polls

    Abe urges INEC, security agencies to ensure credible polls

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Rivers Southeast in the legislative rerun, Senator Magnus Abe, has urged Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure a level-playing field in the December 10 rerun.

    Speaking on Channels Television programme, Sunday Politics, Abe said APC was not asking for INEC and security agencies to favour the party, but demands that every voter be allowed to cast his vote without molestation.

    He said: “I am amused by some of the things I was hearing from the governor of Rivers State. First, let me say this: I think it is important that before anyone holds any office, he should understand what is expected of the office he holds. I believe that in all this, part of the problems we are having is that probably the governor of Rivers State has not taken time to study the Constitution and to understand his role as a governor.

    “If anything, it is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State that has received a lot of help from INEC. I have said it before, I can count the number of favours that INEC has done for the PDP. Let Wike mention one favour that INEC has done for APC. We don’t want any favour from INEC. What we want is a level-playing field where all parties can compete fairly.

    “Let me give you an example. In the last rerun, some of the seats in the election were inconclusive. The rule of the election put forward by INEC clearly says that where the margin of win is less than the number of voters that have voted, that election is inconclusive. So, those people who have not voted should be allowed to vote before those seats can be returned.

    “But in the last election, over seven seats, which were inconclusive, were returned in favour of PDP. We shouted all over, nobody responded to that.

    “In this December 10 election, the date was first pronounced by Governor Wike. He announced it when he met with some people that INEC was telling him that the election would hold on December 10. Where did he have that meeting with INEC, where that date was given to him? We were not invited to that meeting. That is not what the rule of this election says. There is no special provision for governors when it comes to electoral matters. He is an interested party in the election and he cannot have any meeting with INEC where we are not part of, where sensitive information, such as the date of the election, would be divulged to him alone.”

  • Wike criticises Buhari, APC leaders on change agenda, credible polls

    Wike criticises Buhari, APC leaders on change agenda, credible polls

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to show the impact of the party’s change agenda.

    The governor also called for credible elections in Nigeria, ahead of the December 10 legislative rerun across the three senatorial districts of the state.

    Wike, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a former Minister of State for Education, said he would not be frustrated to implement his agenda for Rivers State.

    The governor said APC’s governorship candidate in during last year’s election in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, lacked experience in governance.

    He also said the party’s candidate for Rivers Southeast Senatorial District, Senator Magnus Abe, as well as other APC candidates would be defeated during the rerun.

    Wike, who was a guest at the weekend on a phone-in programme, Viewpoint, on Rhythm 93.7 FM in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said there was relative peace in the hitherto volatile Niger Delta state.

    Peterside, who is also the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), had said based on privileged security information, Rivers had been leading in insecurity in Nigeria in the last 10 months.

    The former House of Representatives member said Wike had no political will to fight crimes, adding that having failed to ensure good governance, he should resign and return to his Rumueprikom, Port Harcourt hometown in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

    The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) chief noted that criminal activities, especially kidnapping, cultism, robbery and sea piracy, had been on the increase in Rivers State since May 29, last year, when Wike became governor.

    He said his party did not have any record of violence, unlike the ruling PDP.

    Peterside urged APC members and other Rivers residents to vote without fear of attack or molestation for APC on December 10.

    But Wike said: “President Buhari should show Nigerians what he means by change. I have not seen any change in Nigeria. I want Rivers State to be peaceful. I will support free, fair and credible elections in Rivers State on December 10. They (APC leaders) should not cause crisis in Rivers State and run to Abuja.

    “All the strategy of the APC is to rig elections. Everybody should be mobilised and come out fully. Nobody can intimidate you with arrest or detention. There will be no opportunity for APC members to rig elections on December 10. We (PDP members) have the capacity to resist rigging. I am campaigning because I want PDP candidates to win.

  • Mimiko to Buhari: give credible polls

    Mimiko to Buhari: give credible polls

    Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko yesterday said the greatest asset President Muhammadu Buhari can give to Nigeria is to promote free and credible elections.

    He said credible election is the key to the greatness of Nigeria.

    Mimiko spoke at the state Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akure , the state capital.

    At the congress conducted by PDP national delegation led by Mohammed Iman, former Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperative Services Clement Faboyede was re-elected chairman.

    Faboyode became chairman in 2014 when Mimiko joined the party from Labour Party (LP).

    The governor, who is the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, assured that the PDP would continue to win elections in the state.

    He said elections in the state, under the PDP government will continue to be exciting , violence free in line with the mantra of one man , one vote.

    Mimiko noted that “PDP in Ondo state is now a united family. It is a sign of greater thing to come to the party.

    “It is only PDP that can defeat PDP in Ondo State. Once we are united, it is evident that we will continue to rule this state.”

    Fatai Adams was voted Deputy Chairman, Oyedele Ibine (Secretary), Banji Okunomo (Publicity Secretary), Femi Akinwehinmi (Treasurer) and Kunle Akintan (Organising Secretary),  among others.