The Nation Newspaper

Tag: disenfranchised

  • Ohanaeze: Igbo are being disenfranchised

    The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deliberately working to disfranchise the Igbo in 2019.

    President-General Chief John Nnia Nwodo spoke when the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Emeka Ononamadu visited him.

    According to him, there is shortage of registration materials in virtually all Southeast states in the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

    Nwodo said he had visited many of the registration centres and so concluded that the Southeast is being short-changed.

    He said: “I am of the conclusion that INEC has deliberately denied this area of registration materials to ensure that we are under-registered. I say this not because I am the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, but as a lawyer who respects evidence.

    “Take for instance my home, Ukehe, in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area. Last week, I went home to check happenings. It was confirmed my voters’ card is valid. But only about three polling units has INEC officials; they were present in only one polling unit in my village, and luckily it was my polling unit.

    “That booth has between 18 and 20 polling units, which are registration booths. There was only one machine in my ward, which was in my registration area.

    “And unlike the machines I saw in the North, which captures five fingers at once, the machine in my polling unit can only capture one finger at a time. And I belive that since there two polling booths on one side, there should be two registration centers.

    “Their laminating sheet finished and everyone got a temporary voters’ card. Those who got couldn’t laminate, and those who deal with palm oil and all sorts of charcoal and firewood would have tendencies to mutilate the temporary one before the election if they don’t get a permanent one.

    “This may make it difficult to recognise their face or their thumbprint or signatures.”

    Nwodo prosised that Ohanaeze will provide logistics to INEC to register people who turned out for the exercise.

  • Sabbath Day members: we’re being disenfranchised

    Members of the Sabbath Day Observers of Nigeria (SADON) have lamented their non-participation in elections, which usually hold on Saturdays.

    They said the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and other examinations which also hold on Saturdays affected the spiritual, mental and academic well-being of their children, and urged the government to shift the exams to weekdays.

    The National President of SADON, Rev. Ifeanyi Okorie, in a statement in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while announcing the centenary celebration of Sabbath religion in the country, said there would be programme launching to mark the event at Jehovah The King Holy Sabbath Mission, Port Harcourt.

    He said Sabbath Day faithful would like to vote, adding that fixing election on their day of worship was against their doctrine.

    The cleric hailed Acting President Yemi Osinbajo for vising Niger Delta to douse tension.

  • Two million voters disenfranchised, says EU report

    Two million voters disenfranchised, says EU report

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has disclosed that the fourth constitution amendment bill would be re-transmitted to the president for assent.

    The Speaker spoke when he received the report of the 2015 Elections European Union Observer Mission in Nigeria from the Chief Observer, Mr. Santiago Fisas, in his office.

    He said the constitution alteration bill was forwarded to former president Goodluck Jonathan, adding that it was not assented to before he left office.

    Dogara said, the bill was still very much alive in the National Assembly as both chambers have provided savings for such legislation after amending their standing rules and that they will not commence afresh.

    “I wish to inform you that some of the recommendations by the Mission such as independent candidature has received the support of the National Assembly,” he said.

    Dogara told the EU delegation that the 4th Constitution Alteration Bill in the 7th Assembly, not only approved independent candidacy but was also supported by overwhelming vote of 2/3 majority of the State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria.

    He however, regretted that “it is one of the casualties of the non signing of the Bill by the former President. I want to assure you that we will definitely revisit that amendment as it increases the democratic space and more citizen participation in the electoral Process.”

    Nigeria, according to the Speaker, “is committed to the growing of a robust democracy that not only meets domestic aspirations but indeed that which stands the test of International best practices in a world that has been reduced into a global village.”

    He commended the EU for supporting the growth of democracy in Nigeria, especially through the committed participation of its Observation Mission in Nigeria’s 2015 General Elections.

  • Orji nearly disenfranchised

    Abia State Governor Theodore Orji was nearly disenfranchised, as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials did not send election materials on time to Ugba Polling Unit in Umuahia North Local Government.

    Orji, who arrived at the polling booth at 11:19 am for accreditation and noticed that there were no ballot boxes, went to the INEC office in Umuahia to complain.

    The Nation learnt that after the arrival of the ballot boxes, it took the governor two hours to vote, when he returned about 1pm. He voted about 4 pm.

    Orji complained about the poor working of the Card Reader, saying he thumb-printed twice before he was accredited. His wife, he said, did hers four times.

    In Umuahia, many Card Readers did not work. At Umuobasi Ward, Community Primary School Umuwaya Ward and others, the Card Readers developed problems.

    At Umunneochi, the lawmaker representing the area at the House of Assembly and now an All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Prince Ikedi Ezekwesili, said the Card Readers developed problems.

    He urged INEC officials to accredit voters manually.

    His words: “There are no result sheets in the 12 wards and 124 polling units I have gone to in the local government. I complained to INEC officials, they said the sheets would arrive before the start of voting.”

    The Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government, Jasper Uche, hailed INEC for its preparation.

    At Onuaku Ward, Uturu, a former governorship candidate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Uche Ogah, complained that the Card Readers did not work, delaying voting. He praised INEC officials for accrediting eligible voters manually.

    In Isuikwuato, Dr. Ejike Orji, who is contesting the Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency seat on APGA’s platform, said there were no result sheets in five polling units.

    He warned against rigging, saying the people were mobilised to vote the candidates of their choice.

    At Alayi in Bende Local Government, the PDP member representing Bende, Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, said Card Readers worked well.