The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ELECTION

  • Mark seeks peaceful election

    Mark seeks peaceful election

    • Young Alhaji leads coalition of parties for ex-Senate President

    Ahead of tomorrow’s rerun in Benue South Senatorial District, former Senate President David Mark has counseled his constituents to come out en masse to exercise their civic duty.

    He also urged the electorate to comply with the rules of the game by being law abiding.

    Mark, however, asked those fanning the embers of discord to think otherwise in the overall interest of the Idoma nation.

    In a statement in Abuja by his Media Assistant, Paul Mumeh, Mark said: “Being in politics is a call for service and not a do or die affair,” because the paramount interest is the welfare and well being of the people.

    The Senator decried a series of unprovoked attacks on his supporters in the build up to the election and urged the people of Benue South not to be deterred by the antics of the opposition, but to demonstrate their civility by conducting themselves properly.

    Mark warned his supporters to beware of the antics of the opposition. It said: “The opposition may deliberately provoke them to disrupt the election, but you must stand tall and exercise your franchise within the ambits of the law.”

    The former Senate President also reiterated that the rerun election is about the welfare and interest of the Idoma/Igede people of Benue State and that only the people have locus standi to decide.

    “What we shall not accept is for external forces to decide who represents us. This is an election that affects the political destiny of our people. No outsider should decide for us. We must take our destiny in our hands.”

    A former opponent to Mark in Benue South, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, popularly known as “Young Alhaji”, has led a coalition of political parties in the zone to rally support for the re-election of the former Senate President.

    Young Alhaji told the people of the constituency, at a rally in Otukpo recently, to vote for the former Senate President “because he is the only political figure that can save the Idoma/Igede people from political extinction.”

    Otukpo, the traditional headquarters of Benue South, stood still as the stakeholders rallied support for Mark’s re-election.

    The rerun election is between the former Senate President, who is contesting on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Daniel Onjeh of the All Progressive Congress ( APC).

  • Ekiti election ‘fraud’ debacle: What hope for even-handed justice?

    Ekiti election ‘fraud’ debacle: What hope for even-handed justice?

    The dust raised by the June 21, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State will take more time to settle. In this article, Lagos-based public affairs analyst ADESEGUN OMOLEWA is urging the international community, especially the United States (U.S.), to review their judgment of the poll in view of the report and recommendation of the Army Panel that probed the role of military personnel drafted to monitor the elections and the recent revelation of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Dr Temitope Aluko on the integrity of the poll.

    No election crisis in the history of Nigeria’s political contest has lingered for so long and generated controversies and landmarks like the June 21, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State between the then sitting Governor Kayode Fayemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Cutting an image of June 12, 1993 presidential election in reverse order, June 21 election still looms large with the main protagonist of June 12 not able to live to fight for his victory while that of June 21 election is still alive with APC insisting that its resolution remains an essential element in the growth and sanitisation of democracy in Nigeria.

    In what has been described as a magic electoral contest between a man who was impeached over alleged sundry crimes, including alleged multiple murders and sleaze, involving N1.3 billion poultry project fraud, and a United Nations award-winning Governor Kayode Fayemi in administrative style and performance, electoral victory for the former was a new political paradigm in political contest anywhere in the world.

     

    Between organised campaign and shoddy preparation

    Besides coming from this baggage of moral deficit and shoddy campaign strategy, Fayose’s victory in that election caught political analysts napping, unable to come to terms with the political sociology that could have explained preference for a man earlier impeached over alleged crimes and with a tattered political camp that could not find its voice among the critical stakeholders during the processes leading to the electoral contest.

    While Fayemi had a comprehensive campaign itinerary, spanning the 177 wards in all the 16 local government areas of the state, Fayose adopted a guerrilla campaign strategy, in which case there was no campaign tour plan, but chose to visit some towns at random and skipped days before visiting other communities.

    At the end of the day, Fayose did not visit one quarter of the state. Neither did he have any manifesto to create election campaign appeal in the few towns he visited in contrast to Fayemi, who was armed with his election campaign manifesto, and flaunting his achievements in each of the community across the state. Fayose’s trump card was the assurance that he would win in all the 16 local government areas, insisting that belonging to the mainstream politics at the federal level would give him victory to enable Ekiti benefit from the Aso Rock largesse. He also called himself the friend of the poor, but what he would do for the poor, he did not tell them.

    With this background of a serious and performing governor and an opponent that had nothing to show to convince the electorate for victory, it was thought that the coast was clear for a landslide victory for Fayemi.

     

    Orchestrated compromise

    But, few days to the election, signs that Fayose had a trick under his sleeve began to manifest.

    In his campaign trail were armed policemen, led by MOPOL Commander Gabriel Selenkere. Selenkere was the officer who led the assault against Governor Fayemi on the streets of Ado-Ekiti a day after former Vice President Namadi Sambo, graced Fayose’s rally at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado-Ekiti. He commanded his men to tear-gas Governor Fayemi and even threatened to “waste” him.

    During Fayemi’s campaign grand finale, Governors Adams Oshiomhole and Rotimi Amaechi of Edo and Rivers states were prevented by security agents from entering Ado-Ekiti to attend the rally. Amaechi was barred from entering Ekiti State through Ondo State and Oshiohmole’s chattered flight was prevented from taking off at the Benin Airport.

    Prior to the campaign, Fayemi’s research team had conducted several opinion polls on the expected outcome of the election. Their results supported similar independent polls results conducted by research groups, giving victory to Fayemi in the final tally, thus creating optimism in Fayemi’s camp that the election was a walk-over for the sitting governor.

    As earlier hinted, this was not without basis: Fayose had his name in red ink in the hearts of Nigerians, including Ekiti people, over an unedifying past, laced with alleged crimes, including N1.3 billion poultry project fraud and the murder of Dr. Ayo Daramola. Kehinde Fasuba, Tunde Omojola, Ikere College of Education students, include Gbenga Jayeola and several others who lost their lives to the bullets of state-sponsored attackers.

    But, few days to June 21, 2014, signs that book-makers might be wrong in their assertions began to emerge. Precisely on June 19, 2014, around 10am, there was a red alert call from Akure Airport by a certain Fayemi’s sympathiser in PDP hinting of a comprehensive scheme to rig the election in Fayose’s favour.

    On phone, he told Fayemi’s media campaign team consisting of Dimeji Daniel, Wole Olujobi, Hakeem Jamiu, Wale Adeoye, Mojeed Jamiu, Segun Dipe, Ifedayo Sayo and Tunde Adeleke that two cargo planes, loaded with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) materials in crates were in Akure Airport. Inside the plane also were the then Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro; Police Affairs Minister Jelili Adesiyan; Senator Iyiola Omisore and Chris Ubah.

    The caller also confirmed the presence of a bullion van belonging to Zenith Bank and another truck packed close to the planes. The contents in the crates marked “INEC”, according to him, were being off-loaded into the truck and the bullion van. The media team ceaselessly took to the social media calling Nigerians’ attention to this suspicion of the evil plot.

    Late in the afternoon of same day, the same truck, sighted at the Akure Airport, was arrested along Efon-Alaye road by a team of soldiers on routine patrol. The military patrol team was led by Brig.-Gen. Aliyu Momoh, the officer now at the centre of the election fraud facing dismissal from the military over his roles in the poll that returned Fayose as Ekiti State governor.

    While Gen. Momoh told reporters about the arrest of a lorry loaded with 2014 election materials, another set of people were arrested by the Department of State Security (DSS) agents thumb-printing ballot papers at a hotel owned by Fayose’s ally, Dipo Anisulowo, at Are-Ekiti. Anisulowo, who, became Fayose’s Chief of Staff, admitted that he was surprised by the margin of difference between the APC and PDP tallies in the overall results.

    Both Momoh and the DSS promised to hand over the lorry and the men to the police. But, that was the end of the matter as INEC kept sealed lips, even as a more daring plot to rig the polls was in the offing by PDP and security agencies without Ekiti people knowing it.

    On the eve of the election, thousands of soldiers and DSS operatives were unleashed on APC leaders and supporters. Fayemi’s Campaign Manager, Bimbo Daramola, was harassed and forced to flee his Ire-Ekiti country home. But, this was not before his father was arrested in lieu of the son with the policemen pointing gun to his head asking him to disclose the whereabouts of his son.

    Hundreds of APC leaders and supporters arrested were not released until after the end of the election. Several others fled their homes for fear of arrest by soldiers while APC campaign officials were also arrested and party agents’ money on them confiscated by soldiers.

    Also on the eve of the election, armed soldiers were moving from polling unit to polling unit tampering with voting materials, scaring party agents that kept vigil at the centres where voting materials were kept.

    On election day, people went to vote without any incident, but the results that shocked not only APC members, but also PDP members alike, who marvelled at how a candidate that had been deserted by his own party leaders and members, and who scarcely campaigned in one quarter of the state could win election in all the 16 local government areas in the state against a performing governor, supported by his party leaders and supporters.

    Anger was boiling in the perplexed and evidently disoriented APC members. Sensing danger, Fayemi, who was already in possession of intelligence that Ekiti State was meant for forceful take-over by PDP with consequent flow of blood by the Federal Government deployment of the military, quickly made a conditional concession of defeat to avert bloodbath. He had said: “If indeed this is the will of the Ekiti people, I stand in deference to your will”.

    Soon, it emerged that it was not through Ekiti people’s wish that Fayose became the governor, as Capt. Sagir Koli released a secretly recorded audio tape of how President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration used the military to criminally remove a sitting governor from office through a means other than those prescribed by the constitution.

    In the tape were voices of Fayose, Obanikoro, Omisore, Gen. Momoh, Jelili and one Abulrahman, a member of the House of Representatives from Oyo State.

    In the tape, Fayose was heard speaking of how he collected INEC soft copies that he printed to win the election. He also spoke about the seized lorry loaded with INEC materials two days to the election. In the tape, he accused Gen. Momoh of arresting the lorry loaded with INEC material on its way to the collation centre at Efon-Alaye, meaning that the results of an election that had not been conducted were being collated two clear days to the day of election.

    In the tape, Obanikoro threatened Gen. Momoh, saying that he sat on the Army Council responsible for his promotion and so, the Army General must cooperate to enable him get promotion. Obanikoro had said: “General, you know that I sit on the Army Council that approves your promotion. If you make me happy tomorrow night, the sky is your limit….”

    Upon the exit of the man allegedly behind the electoral heist, President Jonathan, the Chief of Army Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Buratai, opened the books to probe the military complicity in the treasonable act of illegal toppling of a sitting governor in Ekiti. Findings at the probe panel confirmed Capt Koli’s allegations contained in his secretly recorded tape. The Army Panel raised to investigate the matter found several officers and soldiers guilty. According to the panel’s recommendations, some are to lose their commands; some will lose their jobs; some will face the EFCC and several others were recommended for further investigations.

    More shocking now are the revelations by the State Secretary of the PDP, Dr Tope Aluko, detailing with documents, how the election was rigged in Fayose’s favour.

    He provided documentary evidence, detailing the names and staff numbers of the officers and soldiers involved in the operation, including the army’s operational details that were clearly in Fayose’s support. He also revealed that state INEC was paid N1 billion to post FUTA lecturers, sympathetic to the PDP to work as, returning officers during the election.

    Though, Lere Olayinka (Fayose’s aide), who also appeared on the same Channels Television programme, sought to reduce the matter to personal issues, he cleverly dodged the questions on evidence of Army’s culpability in the entire election fraud saga.

    Now that some military officers will face sack and imprisonment, the question is: will a ‘small thief’ suffer for the crime committed jointly with a ‘bigger thief’ in the Ekiti epic election fraud that has set tongues wagging since last year? Will the course of justice be served if the prime suspect in a treasonable offence is allowed to enjoy the benefit of his crime while those who only assisted through official complicity of the Federal Government are to bear the consequences of this crime against the Nigerian Constitution?

    It is on this note that necessary actions must be taken by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to ensure that no man, or a set of men, constitute themselves as a threat to the integrity of the constitution and democracy.

     

    Validity of US endorsement of Ekiti poll

    It is also a signal to the international community, notably the American State Department, to withdraw their approval of the election that was tainted with fraud and criminality as revealed in Ekitigate tape and PDP scribe’s testimony, as they will never accept such election under any circumstances in their countries.

    The urgent international community repudiation of their earlier vote praising the conduct of the election has become imperative in the face of Fayose flaunting international reports in the media houses and on the streets justifying his electoral fraud just because the international community approved the election in error.

    Failure to address the Ekiti election fraud squarely to ensure justice is a declaration that the constitution is open to abuses by desperate politicians, who consider themselves bigger than the law of the nation.

  • A student’s solution to election fraud

    A student’s solution to election fraud

    An Engineering student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Augustine Obele, has developed a computer programme for preventing multiple voting in students’ elections. The software has been used to conduct the institution’s Nigerian University Engineering Students Association’s (NUESA) chapter’s election. KINGSLEY AMATANWEZE (Corps member, NYSC Makurdi) and CHUKWUEMEKA AJAH (300-Level Mechanical Engineering) report.

    Engineering students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) have achieved a breakthrough with the help of the Internet. Last Friday, the institution’s chapter of the Nigerian University Engineering Students Association (NUESA) organised the first electronic voting on the campus, which enabled students to vote online.

    Augustine Obele, a 200-Level Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering student, became the hero of the innovation. The computer whizz-kid developed Notepad++, a software that allowed the students choose their leaders in a rancour-free process.

    The software made it possible for bonafide students of the faculty to cast their votes from the comfort of their hostels, classrooms and anywhere they may be within the stipulated period for the election.

    The innovation eliminated the long queue and physical accreditation, associated with elections. The electoral body, chaired by Godwin Nwangele, a 400-Level Electrical Engineering student, said it opted for e-voting to curb irregularities, rigging and other malpractices.

    Augustine designed a website, www.4elections.com, on which the software was launched. He ensured the webpage was up and running throughout the exercise. He also monitored the e-voting and managed visitors’ traffic on the website.

    To prevent multiple voting and ensure that only students of the faculty voted, the electoral committee  got the list of students and asked class representatives of the faculty’s departments to submit information of students in their classes. The information included students’ names, registration and phone numbers. Augustine used the information to generate dissimilar passwords, which were sent to  the students via text.

    The computer software detected some doctored names and phone numbers in the list submitted by the class representatives of the Department of Civil Engineering. It was alleged that  class representatives attempted to sabotage the e-voting by supplying information, which did not tally with that of the faculty management.

    The electoral committee sanctioned the erring department and its students from the voting for this anomaly. The sanction was approved by the Head of Department of Civil Engineering, Prof F.O. Okafor, and the Dean of Faculty of Engineering Prof S.O Enibe.

    On election day, the data of candidates were updated on the website and the list of eligible students was displayed. The website was opened for voting from noon to 4pm. The software ensured that the registration numbers of students that voted were instantly indicated on the website for public view. But, the candidates voted for by each student could only be seen by the website administrator.

    At the end of the exercise, the results were presented to the Dean  before they were announced.

    Miracle Nebo, a 200-Level Civil Engineering student and vice presidential candidate, described the  exercise as transparent and successful. She regretted the disenfranchisement of her department, saying it affected her chance at the polls.

    She said: “This e-voting method is a good development in the history of the school and the Engineering faculty. Many students had initially registered their opposition to this brilliant innovation, but the process turned out to be transparent and successful.”

    Miracle urged the electoral committee to address some of the loopholes, saying: “Some students who submitted their phone numbers never got text messages for their password to enable them vote.”

    Anthony Asadu, a 400-Level Metallurgical and Materials Engineering student, who voted outside the campus, described the process as simple, fair and successful.

    The 400-Level Civil Engineering class representative, Malachi Ugwoke, denied that the department’s students conspired to sabotage the exercise. He, however, admitted that a presidential candidate from the department tampered with student’s information submitted to the electoral committee.

    He said: “There was no conspiracy among the class representatives of Civil Engineering Department to sabotage the process. What happened is that, a student, who was vying for president from the department, was handed the list of all students from Civil Engineering to submit to the electoral committee. But, he went to doctor the list to make it possible for his supporters to vote so many times by putting unknown phone numbers against other names on the department’s list.”

    Malachi described the process as “a huge success.”

    Godwin the electoral umpire said he was fulfilled that students accepted the outcome of the exercise without rancour. He urged the Dean of Students’ Affairs to prevail on members of University of Nigeria Electoral Commission (UNECO) to adopt the e-voting method for the forthcoming Students’ Union Government (SUG) election.

    Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Prof  Enibe, said he was “highly delighted” on his students’ innovation. He described the process as a welcome development and asked other faculties to emulate the Engineering students.

    He said: “This is a wonderful development from the Faculty of Engineering. When students came with the idea, we sat to analyse it properly and discussed its feasibility. Some people expressed doubt, but the outcome of the election has convinced all of us that the process is efficient.”

    Augustine told CAMPUSLIFE how he came about the innovation. He said: “The e-voting idea was initiated to make the electoral process hitch-free and transparent. People thought the process would fail, because of Internet connectivity. But, it came out successful and many students had the opportunity to vote at the same time.”

    He said the faculty recorded highest number of voters in its elections in recent time. He added that disenfranchisement of Civil Engineering students was in order to make the exercise credible.

    Augustine said the major challenge against the innovation was the scepticism among students on the feasibility of the method and the poor Internet connectivity on campus. He promised to address the loopholes  in the subsequent process.

    Over 1,000 students participated in the exercise. Joshua Dike, a 500-Level Mechanical Engineering student, garnered 443 votes to beat  Kingsley Ugwu and Johnson Ochiaka, to become the president-elect.

    Others elected include Vice President, Laura Amajuoyi; General Secretary, Nzubechukwu Odenigbo; Assistant General Secretary, Daniel Omeke; Financial Secretary, Maxwel Micheal; Treasurer, Chiemerie Anaebo; Director of Sport, Chiedozie Udaegbunem; Director of Socials, Chinweizu Uwanna, and Public Relations Officer, Ikechi Ozor.

    Joshua hailed his colleagues for electing him their president, promising to deliver on his campaign promises. He said projectors would be installed in faculty classrooms. He also promised to organise excursion for the engineering students to learn from industry professionals.

  • Still on the Bayelsa election

    SIR: The Bayelsa governorship election has been won and lost but the tragic stories and deaths it left behind is still haunting us. I was stunned into disbelief on hearing what transpired in Bayelsa and the ugly stories it left behind. What went wrong that we shed so much blood in an election in just one state out of 36 states in Nigeria with just eight LGAs? What did our security agencies do to forestall violence knowing fully well the terrain they were  going into? Did any sector fail to be proactive by doing the needful?

    Can we take it that the thugs overpowered all the security personnels attached to Bayelsa for the purposes of that election? What role did the two leading governorship candidates play in instigating violence in the course of the election? What role did the traditional rulers play in instigating violence during the elections proper? What of the leadership of both parties and their followers? What role did they play in the whole saga?

    Do we have video evidence of what transpired in the course of the elections? Can the election monitors and international observers help to unravel what went wrong? Can INEC officials, NYSC, Civil Defense, police, Army, and other security personnel help in getting to the root of what went wrong? Can we evaluate the pre-election utterances and conducts of all parties, candidates and supporters in the Bayelsa election to find out why so much violence was unleashed during the exercise? Most importantly, can we rightly situate the origin and growth of violence in Bayelsa State to forestall such ugly growth in the future?

    All said and beyond an euphoria and gloom of who won and lost the Bayelsa election, President Buhari must dig deep to uproot the taproot of the kind of violence we witnessed in Bayelsa election. There is no gain shying away from the fact that the violence has its root in the predominance of armed militants and all shades of criminals in Bayelsa State. It is only certain that their negative influences will come to play in any election in the state but I feel the government must move in to ensure that such dangerous deployments to elections are forestalled in the future. It is my candid view that nothing allows for criminality and blood-shedding hence the government must move in and effectively disarm the militants, not only for political or election reasons but chiefly to ensure the citizens are secure and protected to carry out their lawful duties; be it electoral or any other civil duty.

    I commend INEC and the presidency for showing a rare maturity in handling the entire election. Despite the flurry of unprovoked attacks and unfounded allegations against these institutions, which certainly led to the upsurge of violence during the election, the presidency and INEC bent several steps backward to ensure that they managed the dangerous situation even when their alleged preferred candidate felt cheated in the entire exercise.

    Now, having concluded the election, it is my fervent prayer that the entire election be investigated to ensure we don’t have a repetition. I want both sides investigated to know who did what in the violence that attended the election. I want an impartial probe to not only find out who did what in the high incidence of violence we witnessed in Bayelsa but to ensure that the perpetrators of the violence and sponsors are punished for us not to experience such ugly case in the future. This is time for the President to show that the business as usual mantra we witnessed in sixteen years of PDP is not about to take over the centre stage again.

    The nation must send clear signals to all that we have moved away from the era of do or die elections. The one in Bayelsa is a great rebuke to the our insistence that elections should not only be free and fair but must be devoid of excessive blood shedding.

     

    • Joe Igbokwe,

    Lagos.

  • Bayelsa election

    •Faulty either in terms of due process or outcome

    The  Bayelsa State gubernatorial election does not give Nigerians much cause to cheer. Whether in terms of its process, or in its outcome, mayhem and controversy have been the hallmark, and that is regrettable. At the December 5, 2015 main election, several lives were lost before and during the election, leading to the cancellation of results in Southern Ijaw Local Government and some other wards. Again, at the supplementary election on January 9, violence once again led to the cancellation of several ward results, despite the concentration of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and security agencies in the restricted area where the supplementary elections were held.

    The result announced by INEC is also somewhat controversial. With over 53,000 registered votes in the wards cancelled, more than the over 48,000 vote difference between the declared winner and his main rival, INEC this time took a different position from the Kogi State election, as it went ahead to announce a winner instead of ordering another supplementary election. While INEC has issued a certificate of return to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the incumbent Governor Seriake Dickson as the winner, the candidate who came second in the election, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has already decried the double standard by the commission, and has vowed to challenge it in court.

    This dissimilar positions taken by INEC for similar electoral outcome needs an explanation from the body, so as not to erode its integrity. Surely, with the proximity in the two elections, INEC officials cannot claim ignorance of the position taken by its officials in Kogi, when similar circumstance led to an order for a supplementary election, despite the protests by active participants in the process. While not justifying either of the different positions taken by INEC, as the courts are better positioned to do that, it is a matter for regret if the new INEC leadership is setting a benchmark for inconsistency for relatively smaller elections. How would it then handle even bigger elections?

    We are also appalled at the level of violence that took place in Bayelsa, and we urge the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to justice, regardless of their positions in the state. It is shocking that despite the concentration of security agencies in the single election, first throughout the state, and later, mainly in one local council, armed thugs and miscreants were able to wreak as much havoc as was reported. With election materials violently seized and diverted, voters scared away from the voting centres, and many officials allegedly compromised, we appreciate why the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), a local election observer team, questioned the validity of the election result.

    According to its chairman, Ibrahim Zikrullahi, “a total of 135 critical incident reports were received from a combined 55 mobile and stationary observers deployed by TMG quick count in Bayelsa State”. In the opinion of the election monitoring group, “all of these grave infractions clearly show that the Bayelsa governorship election grossly falls below the global standards for elections as enunciated in international instruments on human rights and credible elections”. The group also called on INEC “not to relent on its mandate of bringing to book all the electoral offenders in the Bayelsa gubernatorial election”.

    Going forward, the new leadership of INEC, led by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, must show its capacity to improve on the above average performance of Professor Attahiru Jega, if democracy is to endure in the country. The controversies arising from the conduct of election in Bayelsa, and not long ago, in Kogi, should be avoided in future elections.

  • Nagging question on NASS election

    SIR: The dust raised by the election of Senator Bukola Saraki and Honourable Yakubu Dogara as President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively is yet to settle. Some of the beneficiaries of the outcome are still gloating, while the losers remain angry. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sees it as a boost to its flagging destiny, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) is still struggling to put its house in order. And there have been overt and covert reference to the development being a plan to cut Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to size.

    As I pondered over the happenings particularly in the Senate on June 9, 2015, one question that bothers me has not been raised in the discourse so far. The question is when the APC Senators present in the Senate Chambers found that 51 of the 59 members of their party were absent at the point of election of senate, why did they not behave as their ‘brother’s keeper’ and request that things wait until the members came, or even call for their colleagues who they knew were in the same city and would only require a few minutes to join them?

    If you think this question is stupid or naïve, then consider a football match in which one of the teams just found only three or four of the players present. Will the four of them opt to start the game, only to play against the opposing team consisting of 11 players? I think not. The only way the game will end is a major trouncing by the opposing team. I am sure the four team members would rather prefer a walk-over if the game cannot be rescheduled. If Saraki and his APC colleagues had refused to cooperate, my take is that the Clerk would not have had the boldness to continue with the election when, as we being made to understand

    This is why whichever way you look at it, the event of that day will not pass a morality test, and I doubt if it will pass legal test in spite of what anyone says. It is also the reason that treachery cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand.  APC needs to be vigilant in the interest of millions of Nigerians who expect so much.

     

    • P. O. Olatunji,

    Sagamu, Ogun State.

  • Election, cash crunch hurt insurance business in 2015

    Election, cash crunch hurt insurance business in 2015

    The insurance industry in 2015 witnessed low patronage both from the government and the general public, as a fallout of the general elections and a dwindling economy, Omobola Tolu-Kusimo writes.

    The insurance sector in 2015 had a fair share of the fallout of the nation’s dwindling economic fortunes and the impact of the  elections that year resulting in lull in business. Activities did not pick up until mid-year after the election and the emergence and swearing in of President, Muhammad Buhari.

    This according to experts is because insurance thrives only when the economy of a country is booming. In other words, there is a connection between economic growth and insurance, and the sector is the engine room of growth of most developed economies and pivotal to infrastructure development, such as roads, healthcare and electricity, among others.

    Among the few major events that took place in the industry, was the change of baton at the industry regulatory office, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), first insurance mega conference and the inauguration of insurers committee by NAICOM.

    According to a special report by A.M. Best, an international rating agency titled “2015 Issue Review on Nigeria’s Non-Life and Life,” Nigeria’s insurance market is being confronted by a difficult operating environment as fluctuating oil prices threaten the country’s economic expansion.

    The agency stated that despite this uncertain backdrop, the sector is considered to offer significant potential, with foreign investors attempting to build a profile in the market. A sense of optimism is prevailing the new political era instilling a greater degree of confidence in Nigeria’s future.

    The report read: “Domestic insurers, particularly those that maintain insurance portfolios weighted to the oil and gas segment, are likely to feel pressure from the decline in oil prices. This reflects delays, or in some cases, cancellations of infrastructure projects as a result of negative investor sentiment relating to the stability of the economy, and therefore lower premium revenues.

    “Furthermore, for insurers that maintain foreign-currency denominated obligations and utilise a weak asset liability matching framework, the decline in the naira relative to the U.S. dollar will increase liquidity constraints, owing to the need to increase domestic-denominated assets to meet their foreign-currency denominated liabilities.

    “This would in turn have negative implications for the capitalisation levels of these insurers and hence their financial strength. In addition, with inflationary pressures set to increase amidst the rising cost of goods in the economy, the higher cost of importing spare parts also places insurers at risk from inflated claims costs, particularly within their motor accounts.

    “In spite of such challenges, there appears to be some signs of renewed confidence in the economy following the accession of the new government led by Muhammadu Buhari. On March 28, 2015, Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), garnering over 54 per cent of the 26 million votes cast.”

     

    Evolving regulations enhance insurance expansion and     improve market confidence

     

    The report stated that in line with growth in the broader economic environment, Nigeria’s insurance sector has expanded significantly, although largely driven by inflation, which is reported to have fluctuated between eight per cent and 14 per cent over the past five years.

    A.M. Best report further said: “Market participants have reported double-digit rates of expansion in nominal terms, supported by the rise in infrastructure projects and an increasingly wealthier population, which in turn has more valuable goods to insure and residual earnings to save. Growth to some extent has also been supported by the introduction of compulsory insurance, although enforceability of these mandatory lines of business remains a problem for the industry as a whole. Nonetheless, despite these positive drivers of growth, total insurance penetration rates remain low at just 0.3% in 2013.

    “Although Nigeria’s population is growing, high levels of poverty and unemployment remain the reality for the majority of the country, as the benefits of economic growth have not sufficiently reached swathes of the poorer segments of society. Furthermore, a distrust in financial institutions, perceived weak oversight of regulators, or even a low-level of awareness regarding the benefits of insurance, are factors continuing to dampen the attractiveness of the sector to the majority of the population. Without addressing these issues or introducing innovative products and appropriate distribution methods to attract the various segments of Nigeria’s demographics, insurance will continue to be viewed as a luxury product only available and necessary to the well-off.”

    The rating agency added that NAICOM continues to be proactive in its attempts to advance the Nigerian insurance market.

    “Over the years, the regulator has implemented numerous reforms to improve the perception of the sector and expand the contribution of the industry to the country’s economic output, to varying degrees of success.

    “In particular, the ‘Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act’ has yet to successfully deliver on its objective of effectively domesticating the majority of oil and gas business in Nigeria. The Act, established in 2010, mandated that insurance companies must participate in 70 per cent of the local energy business arising from the sector before these risks could be transferred internationally. A.M. Best has previously commented on the uncertainty regarding the practicality of this legislation, as Nigerian insurers lack the adequate levels of capital to support their exposures to these high-value risks. This uncertainty is enhanced by the absence of expertise and technical know-how to support the underwriting of oil and gas business.

    “A.M. Best is aware that despite the legislation, significant amounts of high-value insurance risks continue to flow into the international markets. However, it estimates Nigerian insurers are currently retaining between 25 per cent and 40 per cent of the country’s oil and gas related business, compared to the less than five per cent written prior to the 2010 legislation.

    In a further attempt to increase the retention of oil and gas profits in the country, NAICOM supported the Nigerian Insurance Association’s establishment in January, 2015 of a new initiative, the Energy and Allied Risks Insurance Pool of Nigeria. Managed by African Reinsurance Corporation, the pool consists of 14 members and has capacity to underwrite $4million of oil and energy risks. The pool is expected to assist in the sharing of knowledge and expertise of insurers underwriting oil and energy business, although in reality the capacity of the pool remains very small in comparison to the scale of many of the large oil and energy risks underwritten.

    “While the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act has enjoyed marginal success, in comparison, the ‘No Premium, No Cover’ provision enforced since 2013 has put an end to the practice of delays in premium collection by market participants.”

     

    NAICOM

     

    The industry got a new sheriff in the person of Mohammed Kari following the expiration of former Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel’s two term of four years tenure.

    Kari came in singing the change mantra. At the Chartered Insurance Institute Insurance (CIIN) 2015 Professional Forum, Kari said, for this Government to succeed in achieving the change agenda, all relevant sectors, organizations, householders and individual must be prepared to make impactful contributions to the desired outcome.

    Insurance practitioners must begin to reflect professionalism both in their words and deeds by upholding the tenets, ethics and principles of the Profession.

    Kari said: “We have seen unbridled, unsustainable and technically unsound rates being offered by supposedly insurance professionals more out of the need to meet a target than to properly underwrite. Professional Brokers takes business from contraptions called “sub-agents” who by the way are not registered by anyone.

    “Premiums are loaded, discounted, retained or returned with impunity. Market indiscipline among practitioners, Boards and Management conflicts may degenerate to threatening the stability of some of our Companies. The implication of such practices on the industry in this new Nigerian business environment is the gradual diminution of our professional relevance as a veritable shield for the financial sector of the economy.”

    He stated that they must all as professionals have zero tolerance for these unethical vices.

    “Most of the actions of our professionals today are actually criminal. The Institute has a role to play in addressing the identified need of the industry. It is therefore my expectation that the Institute ensure that the Code of Ethics is reintroduced and strictly implemented. The disciplinary committee of the Institute must be hungry for work.

    “The Commission is empowered in law to enforce a Code of Ethics. If the Industry does not, then the Commission has no option then to criminalise the enforcement. The Industry certainly cannot achieve the success it craves in an atmosphere of distrust, chaos, unprofessionalism and suspense without unity of purpose.

    “Suffice it to say that the changing Nigerian business environment offers insurance industry the opportunity to re-adjust its governance, portfolio management, operational structures and leverage on regulatory direction of the Commission. It is my expectation that we learn from our past, be realistic with our present “Change Rhythm” and project into the future with calculated assumptions, simulations, forecasting that secures the future of our business.”

    Also recently at the 2015 Champion Newspaper Insurance Day/Luncheon, Kari also said on the part of the regulator, and beyond providing leadership and a sane regulatory environment for insurance entities to operate, NAICOM has continually introduced market developmental programmes and initiatives aimed at increasing penetration and assisting insurance institutions enhance their premium revenue generation and, by so doing, increase the industry contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    In our efforts to forestall the insistent poor cash flow position of most insurance operators and the attendant inability to settle claims and other operational liabilities, the Commission embarked on the full implementation of the No Premium No Cover as enshrined in the Insurance Act 2003 at the beginning of 2013.

     

    Industry chieftain comments

     

    CIIN President and Managing Director, Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation, Lady Isioma Chukwuma in an interview with The Nation said year 2015 has been a very challenging period for them. She said they are however, hopeful that year 2016 will be better.

    She stressed that government needs to insure their properties adequately and increase spending for the economy to improve. “The year 2015 has been a very challenging period. Generally, things were slow as there was no business and less money in circulation. We are expecting that if all government properties are adequately insured, it will translate into improved premium income for the industry.

    “If the economic policy is made in such a way businesses get the money that they require, people will have money to spend to be in business. I am hoping that money will be in circulation so that people can do their businesses as usual and if they do their businesses, there will be need to insure and when they do so, money will come into the insurance industry,” she said.

    Managing Director, NEM Insurance Plc, Tope Smart said the year has been more challenging. According to him, there were so many issues to contend with in the year under review. “It was an election year and it took time for the Federal Government to put in place the machineries and people that would drive the economy. This impacted on the economy and the industry. It affected business a lot.

    “The issue of fall in price oil affected so many things. Many manufacturers were unable to import products, which resulted in the insurance element of some of this businesses to be affected. Many of the banks are not able to give out credits and as such, the insurance element in some of these transactions too has been lost,” he added.

  • A’Court nullifies House of Assembly election in Cross River

    A’Court nullifies House of Assembly election in Cross River

    The Appeal Court sitting in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, Friday nullified the April 11, 2015 House of Assembly elections for Yakurr 2 State Constituency in which Mr. Jonas Eteng William of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged winner.

    Justice Onyekachi Otisi, who delivered the ruling, ordered that a rerun be conducted within 90 days.

    The candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Captain Eno Utim Inah had proceeded to the Appeal Court on a 12-ground appeal after losing at the Tribunal.

    Inah’s lawyer, Mr. Egere Osim, among others had argued against the issuance of the certificate of return, Exhibit 24 RE10, to the first respondent, Williams, on the 13th day of April 2015, when elected was yet to be concluded.

    According to Osim, “Elections were concluded in 55 per cent of the constituency on the 25th day of April but yet, certificate of return was issued on the 13th. So we now said that the certificate of return is evidence of substantial non-compliance with the electoral act and the election manual.”

    “The Tribunal said no and what we should have done was to prove and give evidence that election in the polling unit and ward was marred instead of harping on the certificate of return, but we said no, that the certificate of return being evidence tendered by the respondent supported our case and based on it the Appeal Court should nullify the election and based on that the court now agreed with us and nullified the election and called for return in 90 days.”

    The ousted Williams did not object to the judgment.

    He said he was prepared for the rerun and was certain he would still win.

  • UN provides electoral support in Central African Republic

    UN provides electoral support in Central African Republic

    The UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) has distributed some 6,500 election observation kits to candidates and political parties over the weekend.

    The spokesman office of the UN Secretary-General confirmed in a statement on Tuesday in New York that electoral materials were delivered to all 16 prefectures, as well as to the diaspora and refugee host countries.

    It said the delivery from the prefectures to the polling centres were ongoing.

    Meanwhile, the office added that the training of polling agents has been completed in 15 prefectures and in Bangui.

    “Political parties and candidates continued campaigning in Bangui as well as other provinces, with few electoral related incidents reported.

    The support follows the training of political party monitors carried out earlier in the month by MINUSCA and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

    The country is set to hold legislative and presidential elections on Dec. 30, after a December 13 referendum that favored a new constitution.

    The new constitution limits the president’s tenure to two terms and reins in armed militias.

    Central Africa Republic has been rocked by violence since a mainly Muslim rebellion in 2013. MINUSCA was set up in 2014 to help bring peace in the country after a breakdown of governmental authority and vicious inter-communal fighting.

  • What manner of local govt election?

    What manner of local govt election?

    The recent local government election in Ekiti State was marred by poor turnout of voters.  In this report, Odunayo Ogunmola examines the controversy surounding the election and factors responsible for the voter apathy.

    The people of Ekiti State were aloof during the recent local government elections. They shunned the polling booths across the 16 councils.

    Few days to the December 19 date, there was nothing on ground to show that an election was about to be conducted. There was no serious campaign by the parties.

    The five parties on the ballot are: the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the United Progressives Party (UPP), the Kowa Party, the African Peoples Alliance (APA) and the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPA).

    Fayose went on air few days before the poll to appeal to the people of the state to come out and perform their civic responsibility of choosing their leaders at the grassroots level.

    A major hurdle standing between the conduct of the poll was a suit filed by the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the composition of the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC).

    The APC in the suit alleged that EKSIEC members are card-carrying  members of the PDP and associates of Fayose who could not be relied upon to conduct and deliver an election that is transparent, credible, free and fair.

    The suit created anxiety in some quarters as the judgment was delivered on the Monday preceding the election. Justice Bamidele Omotoso dismissed the case for lacking merit holding that the plaintiffs failed to adduce evidence to prove that the state electoral agency are PDP members and Fayose’s associates.

    Save the restriction of vehicular movement leading to streets bare of traffic, commercial and social activities, there was no life at majority of the 2,195 polling units across the state as eligible voters stayed away.

    The poll recorded an unprecedented low turnout of voters in virtually all parts of the state as majority of the eligible electorate chose to stay at home while others went to their farms. Some other residents were seen drinking at beer joints.

    Only the electoral officials, security officers and agents of the ruling PDP were present at all the polling units opened for voting at the election. The presence of only PDP agents at the election was contrary to the claim of EKSIEC that five parties are participating in the election.

    Apart from the state capital Ikere, Ikole, Otun, Ido, Ifaki, Omuo, Ise, Igede, Aramoko, Okemesi, Ayetoro, Iworoko, Iyin, Efon and Ilawe, voter apathy was apparent.

    Some presiding officers confirmed the low turnout of the electorate at their units with the polling officials and security agents idle.

    The directive of EKSIEC that voting should commence at 1.00 pm after accreditation, expected to have taken place between 8.00 am and 12 noon was violated in many polling stations in the state capital where voting had commenced as early as 10.00 am.

    In Ado  Ward 9, Unit 008 opposite Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), only 20 voters have been accredited out of 1,450 voters registered at the unit at about 11.30 pm.

    At Unit 006, Ajitadidun Ward 9 in Ado, only 16 voters have been accredited and voted  out of 1,471 whose names appear on the register as at 11.41 am while 18 voters out 1,046 have been accredited and cast their votes as at 11.49 am.

    At Unit 016 Ward 5 in Okeyinmi area in Ado, only 11 voters have accredited and voted out of 626 registered voters as at 11.17 am.

    At Unit 007, Ward 4 in Ijigbo area of Ado, 105 persons have voted out of 581 accredited with the presiding officer, while in Unit 17 Ward 10 in Basiri, only 18 persons had voted out of 1, 046 accredited voters.

    In Ikere, the second largest town in the state, virtually all polling stations were boycotted by voters

    At  Agbado/Oyo Ward, Unit 003, only 35 were accredited out of 426 registered voters as at 10.10 am , while a total of 32 were accredited at unit 004 out of 405 in the same ward.

    The same situation was witnessed at  Oke Iruku Ward  , unit 005,54 out of over 500 were accredited as  at 10.30am.

    EKSIEC Chairman, retired Justice Kayode Bamisile, absolved his agency from blame over early voting recorded in many parts of Ado and absence of agents of the four other political parties cleared to participate at the poll.

    Speaking on the poor turnout, Bamisile said: “It is very easy to take the horse to the river but you cannot force the horse to drink water”.

    Bamisile explained that EKSIEC had written to the affected parties to forward their list of agents saying such agents are expected to be on the field to represent their parties.

    Governor Ayo Fayose described the council poll as free, fair and credible contending that the turnout was ‘impressive.’

    Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, Fayose also commended voters for turning out to cast their votes.

    He said: “The information we are getting have been impressive. The turnout was impressive. In some places, the turnout  were very impressive , while people came out late in some areas. But  the turnout has been impressive.

    “I have been contacting those on the field what we are getting were quite impressive and I commend our people for that”.

    In a statement issued later in the day, Fayose, said the conduct of the local government election by his administration is a promise kept.

    He said he was glad that he was the first governor in the South-West geo-political zone to conduct local government election in the last few years.

    The governor, who described the use of caretaker committees to run local government as an aberration, said the hallmark of a genuine democrat was allowing people to express their choice on who governs them.

    “It is an electoral promise by my administration and we have fulfilled the promise. Today, we stand out as the state that has conducted local government election. We did not expect the unpopular APC to take part in the election.

    “It is important that we do not usurp the rights of our people. Despite APC’s plan to use court to stop the election, the people came out to vote.

    The APC people are afraid because they did not want to suffer huge electoral loss again. We won all seats in the general elections and we are winning all the 16 chairmanship and the 177 councillorship seats. The APC are not on ground and they have failed woefully in the state,” he said.

    The governor added that to assist as many people as possible, the incoming councillors would use N20,000 out of their monthly salaries to empower two persons in their wards.

    The APC in its reaction hailed voters for boycotting the local government poll saying “ the people behaved honourably for staying away from the election boycotted by all political parties except the PDP”.

    In a statement by Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party said the widespread apathy observed across the state was evidence that Ekiti people had rejected Governor Ayo Fayose and his PDP.

    The party described the exercise as a mockery of democratic election, saying an election with a single party participating while also raising PDP members to pose as candidates of obscure parties would never pass the test of representative poll.

    The party added that across the state, Ekiti people spoke with one voice by staying in their homes and watched from distance as PDP members engaged in multiple thumb-printing to give the impression that there was massive turn-out of voters.

    “To cover their shame in most of the empty polling units, PDP members and Fayose’s political appointees engaged in multiple thumb-printing to give a false impression of a large turn-out of voters,” he explained.

    Berating Fayose for holding the election despite pendency of the election case at the Court of Appeal, the party also accused the governor of wasting N300 million of taxpayers’ money on an election that would not stand the test of legality.

    He said: “Fayose is playing games with Ekiti people by voting N300m of the state’s money to his party for his kangaroo election.

    “We know that the money allocated for the exercise is more important to Fayose than the actual election because we know that more than half of the N300m will end up in private pocket.

    “But we, are sure that just as PDP leaders at the national level are now accounting for the money they spent on President Goodluck Jonathan’s election, Fayose will also account for the N300 million taxpayers’ money he has just wasted for this illegal election.”

    The party also frowned at the governor’s directive asking political appointees to be deployed as election observers as announced on state radio and television, saying the council election was a “contest between PDP and PDP”.

    “The council election was a PDP affair with PDP contesting against itself. It is purely a contest between PDP and PDP.

    “We sympathise with his so-called candidates who just wasted their time and money to participate in an illegal election that cannot stand the test of constitutionality and integrity.

    “Just like what is happening to the states controlled by PDP over the last general elections, Fayose will have his days in courts where he will pay for all his constitutional infractions and financial misappropriation over illegal council poll,” Olatunbosun concluded.

    The governorship candidate of the Accord Party in the last governorship poll, Kole Ajayi, has condemned the weekend local government election.

    He said the poll was fraudulently organised by Fayose, who understood that the exercise was patently illegal, but still went ahead to conduct the poll after allegedly voting N300m, half of which would be misapplied for selfish reasons.

    Ajayi also cautioned the governor over imposition of frivolous levies on poor market women already burdened by current economic woes that made it difficult to take care of their families.

    The former governorship candidate listed tipper contractors, butchers and petty traders as the alleged victims of Fayose’s obnoxious tax policy.

    Accusing the governor of imposing hardship on the common people in the name of revenue generation, the legal practitioner said “taxes are normal, but that it is always done with human face”.

    He frowned at the desperate ways the governor is employing in raising revenue and called for caution “because the downtrodden masses are being unduly levied in an unprecedented manner in the history of Ekiti State with its attendant pains”.

    He also faulted the re-introduction of school fees and WEAC fees, stating that all these were direct war against the masses already decimated economically “hence, they are helplessly and quietly crying for help”.

    EKSIEC has declared the PDP winner of all the 16 chairmanship and 177 councillorship seats in the local government election held on Saturday.

    EKSIEC chief Bamisile, who spoke after the results were declared said the polls were credible, transparent, free and fair.

    He urged parties dissatisfied with the result of the election to ventilate their grievances at the Local Government Election Tribunal to be constituted in due course.

    “There was no case of ballot snatching, violent conduct or hooliganism during the election,” he said.

    The state secretary of EKSIEC, Mrs. Bolanle Awe, commended all stakeholders that worked together to ensure the success of the election.

    The results declared by Bamisile areas follows: Ilejemeje LG:  APA 53, KP 103, PDP 6993, PPN 59, UPP 29. EFON LG:  APA 124 , KP 156, PDP 9661, PPN 151, UPP 60. Ise/OrunLG:  APA 40, KP 156, PDP 9661, PPN 151, UPP 60. Emure LG: PDP 14,853, Other political parties, NIL.

    Others are Ado LG:  APA 440, KP 456, PDP 47,120, PPN 590, UPP 299. IKERE LG:  APA 167, KP 226, PDP 19,750, PPN 191, UPP 83. Gbonyin LG:  APA  248, KP 253, PPN 154, PDP 22,456. Ekiti East LG:  APA 151, PDP 17,373, PPN 134 (no candidate), UPP 72. Ikole LG: APA 218, KP 219, PDP 207, UPN 175. Ekiti West LG: APA 855, KP 191, PDP 17,815, PPN 163, UPN 79.

    The rest are Moba LG: APA 187, KP 133, PDP 11,247, PPN 96, UPP 65.  Ijero LG: APA 247, KP 281, PDP 22,612, PPN 287, UPP 152. Oye LG: APA 128, KP 174, PDP 18,899, PPN 129, UPP 170. IDI/OSI LG: APA 94, KP 158, PDP 14,856, PPN 98, UPP 53. Irepodun/Ifelodun LG: APA 416, KP 477, PDP 32,298, PPN 397, UPP 259.

    The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) in Ekiti State attributed the low turnout to the alleged partisanship and shoddy preparations by EKSIEC.

    The CNPP, in a statement by its Chairman, Tunji Ogunlola, said the state electoral agency failed to carry other parties along but was only dealing with the ruling PDP.

    He said the refusal of the majority of the electorate to stay away from polling booths at the council poll was an indication that the people of the state lacks confidence in the ability of SIEC to organize a credible, free and fair poll.

    Ogunlola said: SIEC displayed crass dishonesty in the preparations for the election. It had earlier made a public declaration that only PDP signified and certified to be the sole party for the election later changed that public statement that other political parties were participating.

    “We marvel at this inconsistent and dishonest conduct by SIEC, which first declared PDP as the only party contesting the election only to later clone other four parties to make it five to give a semblance of credibility to a clear charade and fraud on the people of Ekiti State,” he said.

    “It is not by coincidence that many polling units recorded zero vote as at 1pm. Even though it is only PDP members that participated, they still did not come out to vote for their candidates, a situation that confirms that ruling PDP has alienated many of its  own party members who daily complain of neglect.”

    The Senator representing Ekiti North  District, Duro Faseyi, said the election was conducted in line with the best practices of electoral standard.

    Addressing a briefing in his hometown, Iludun Ekiti in Ilejemeje Local Government Area barely 24 hours after the polls, Faseyi praised Fayose for exhibiting the courage to conduct the council poll for the first time in seven years in the state.

    The Senator said: “But whichever way you view the conduct of the polls, Fayose deserves accolade. This will serve as a challenge to other governors who have been operating caretaker arrangement for like eight years”.

    He reasoned that the conduct of the council poll and emergence of new chairmen and councillors would guarantee a level of independence for the third-tier of government in the state.

    Faseyi, who is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Air Force, urged other governors who have not conducted council election in their states to emulate Fayose and allow democracy to flourish in the grassroots a d bring governance nearer to the people.

    He criticised the main opposition party, the APC for boycotting the election saying the party was afraid of a repeat of defeats suffered since the 2014 governorship poll.

    The new council chairmen were sworn in on Monday by Fayose who charged them to make the welfare of the people their priority and look for alternative ways to generate revenue.

    Speaking on behalf of her colleagues, the Chairman of Gbonyin Local Government, Mrs Folashade Akinrinmola, thanked the governor, party leaders and people of the state for the opportunity given them to serve.

    Other new chairmen are: Kazeem Ogunsakin (Ado), Bolaji Jeje (Efon), Adekunle Adeniyi (Ekiti East), Olanrewaju Omolase (Ekiti Southwest), Omotunde Kolawole (Ekiti West), Taiwo Oguntuase (Emure), Ayodele Arogbodo (Ido/Osi), Abiodun Dada (Ijero), Ola Alonge (Ikere), Yemi Adeyanju (Ikole), Oladapo Olagunju (Irepodun/Ifelodun), Olumide Falade (Ise/Orun), Adeniyi Adebayo (Moba) and Omotayo Ogundare (Oye).

    With the way it turned out to be, the December 19 council election has thrown up questions begging for answers.

    Was EKSIEC prepared for the election? Was the electoral body well mobilized with funds and needed logistics? How much was EKSIEC given and how much was spent? Did the electoral body carry all parties along? Did it carry out the needed public enlightenment and voter education? Are the figures declared by EKSIEC in consonance with the poor turnout of voters?

    Have the electorate reaped dividends of democracy from the Fayose administration since it came to power on October 16, 2014? Did it meet the expectations of the masses? Are the people happy with some policies executed by the administration?

    Between June 21, 2014 and December 19, 2015, a lot of water has passed under the bridge in Ekiti State and this reflected largely in the voter behavior witnessed at the LG poll.

    But indications emerged less than 48 hours before the election that voter apathy would mar the poll.

    A good number of eligible voters who spoke with The Nation said they won’t vote at the election because of the prevailing economic situation in the state.

    Many civil servants, teachers, local government workers, artisans and market women who form the bulk of the voting population said voting at the council poll is not compulsory for them unlike last year’s governorship poll.

    A civil servant, Paul Arowosafe, said many of them are still owed two-month arrears of salaries and “the morale is still low” hence lack of interest in the council poll.

    “My brother, local government election is not a priority for me and my family now because there is no money in town and we are still being owed arrears of salaries.

    “Although some workers received alerts on Wednesday (December 16)  for their October salaries, many of us are yet to receive alerts and you cannot tell a hungry person to go out and vote.”

    Another civil servant who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “This local government election cannot be like the 2014 governorship election in which we sacrificed ourselves and endured many inconveniences to vote in the current government.

    Fayose enjoyed a massive goodwill on assumption of office and expectations were high after being sworn in but a little over a year after coming to power, the goodwill is on the decline and this could be traced to some factors.

    The factors include various category of taxes imposed on the people of the state some of which triggered public protests recently.

    Hoteliers, market men and women, commercial motorcycle riders, private school owners, butchers, tipper owners, owners of small and medium scale businesses, just to mention a few are groaning under taxes slammed on them by the Fayose administration.

    Other policies which have triggered discontent in the land include the demolition of Ado Ekiti Main Market which has displaced thousands of market women, N10,000 fine slammed on owners of vehicles parked in wrong places, scrapping of free education policy enjoyed under the previous government and abrogation of free WAEC fees of final year secondary school students among others.

    Government workers and teachers are not happy with irregular payment of their salaries and non-payment of fringe benefits and they are not ready to listen to Fayose’s explanation that the problem could be traced to reduction of allocations from the Federal Government.