The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ELECTION

  • INEC releases voters’ register tomorrow

    INEC releases voters’ register tomorrow

    •Flays invasion of ACN Secretary’s home

     

    The Ondo State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it would tomorrow publish the official voters’ register for the October 20 governorship election.

    The electoral body said only 55 persons requested the transfer of their voters’ cards from intra- and inter-states.

    It said INEC would use the 2011 general elections voter’s register.

    The Residential Electoral Commission (REC), Mr. Akin Orebiyi, spoke in Akure, the state capital, at a stakeholders’ forum.

    He said 30 persons had requested the transfer of their voters’ cards to Ondo State, adding that 25 others requested the transfer of their voter’s cards within the state.

    Orebiyi debunked the report that INEC had accepted over 10,000 transfers of voter’s cards, particularly from Ogun, Ekiti, Osun and other states.

    According to him, INEC is working on how to conduct the freest and fairest election in the state.

    He added that the outcome of the October 20 poll would justify the credibility of the electoral body in its preparation for the 2015 general elections.

    The REC said the INEC has corrected the errors that occurred before last year’s general elections.

    Orebiyi said: “Before last year’s elections, some of the Data Base electronic machines brought to the state were damaged. This forced us to use manual system to conduct the election. Due to this, some voters were deprived from voting. But now, we have been able to retrieve the names from the damaged machines to prevent any further prevention of legible voters to perform their constitutional rights.”

    The REC condemned the recent invasion of the home of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Secretary, Mr. Adegboyega Adedipe, by some security operatives, following false information allegedly given to the security agents by politicians.

    “We are really amazed about the recent invasion of the home of a party chieftain by security agents. He was alleged to have been conducting a voter registration in his home at Ijapo. But when the police got to the house, they could not find any criminal object. This looks embarrassing. Politicians should stop raising false alarm. This is not good for Nigeria’s politics.”

  • How INEC can conduct fair polls in 2015, by Opadokun

    How INEC can conduct fair polls in 2015, by Opadokun

    •CODER chief urges implementation of Uwais Report

     

    For Nigeria to avoid future electoral disaster, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must be repositioned, pro-democracy activist, Mr. Ayo Opadokun, has said.

    Opadokun who is the Coordinator of Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms (CODER), said INEC under the leadership of Prof. Attahiru Jega may be an obstacle to free and fair elections in the country, unless urgent steps are taken to prevent the looming disaster.

    He told reporters in Lagos that the electoral process has not been sanitised in the country.

    Recalling that the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, who acknowledged that the 2007 poll was flawed, set up the Uwais Committee to make suggestions on electoral reforms, he lamented that the report was thrown into the dustbin.

    Opadokun said: “I have my doubt about the bonafide of Prof. Attahuru Jega to preside over a credible electoral umpire. When he was nominated, despite the hailing by the leadership and their collaborators, I told Nigerians that Attahiru Jega could not be trusted and that he should not be hailed as the messiah that would conduct free and fair election in the country. This has been confirmed by what is happening in that body.

    “I was disappointed that President Goodluck Jonathan nominated him. He was a member of the Electoral Reforms Committee led by Justice Mohammed Uwais, which recommended that no sitting executive, President or governor should appoint the electoral umpire that will supervise election in which he, his party or candidate will participate. If I was part of a committee that made that such recommendation, I will not be willing to accept, even if I was offered, the appointment through the wrong procedure and that is what Attahiru Jega has done”.

    Opadokun said Jega was offered the appointment through the back door, adding that his acceptance of the offer contradicted his gentlemanliness and his claim to any principled stand. He alleged that, since he took over as the INEC boss, he had taken some suspicious steps.

    He added: “Because of the international focus on Nigeria’s electoral misfortune, European Union, United States of America and a number of development partners did a lot of capacity building for INEC. But what was the result? N80 billion for computerised voters’ register. Do we have such a register now that is foolproof? He cannot deceive us”.

    The pro-democracy crusader said INEC’s capacity to hold credible elections has been in doubt, recalling that, if non-governmental organisations and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the governor of Edo State, had not openly castigated Jega, the result of governorship election in the state would have been a  different ball game.

    Opadokun said electoral materials were not available in some places where information confirmed that majority of people were ready to vote for the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He said it would have been catastrophic, if the scenario occurred in a general election.

    The CODER chief also accused INEC of nepotism, saying that major and critical departments were being headed by people from the far North. He doubted if an agency with that baggage would be able to conduct free and fair polls.

    Opadokun added: “It has now been revealed that Jega wrote a letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation, requesting him to explain state if he was the accounting officer of INEC. The Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke replied that, given the state of extant rules and laws governing INEC, Jega as the chief executive officer is not the accounting officer of INEC.

    “Jega is lobbying the National Assembly so that he can be the one that will be appointing the resident electoral commissioners, not the President. I don’t know what that means to you. But I see it from his perspective of lust for power; power to be in charge of resources and the likes. Majority of Nigerians complained against Maurice Iwu. What is now being witnessed in that place is not different”.

    Opadokun called for the full implementation of the Uwais Report, which he described as a significant milestone, assuring that it would lead to free and fair elections inn the country.

     

  • Akeredolu accuses Mimiko of intimidating opposition

    Akeredolu accuses Mimiko of intimidating opposition

    The Akeredolu Campaign Organisation (ACO) of the Ondo State Action congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday accused the ruling Labour Party (LP) of intimidating opposition parties.

    It alerted the public to the worsening security situation in the state following the alleged arrest of a personal assistant to a monarch in Ilaje with explosives, over 100 AK rifles and other weapons by a detachment of the Nigerian Army in Okitipupa.

    ACO noted that “this is a dangerous dimension to the build-up to the governorship election in Ondo State”. The ACN had accused the LP of importing arms into the state.
    In a statement by its spokesman, Mr Idowu Ajanaku, ACO alleged that the LP had started distributing the weapons to its thugs in the local governments to intimidate opposition members and cause confusion before and during the October 20 poll.

    The statement reads: “We want members of the public to recall how the Labour Party members have been unleashing violence on the ACN such as Akeredolu’s convoy on Oba Adesida road Akure, Okeluse at Ose local government, members during ward meeting at Lafe in Akure, among others.

    “Indeed, a serving commissioner in the Olusegun Mimiko administration now goes about with a contingent of fully armed mobile policemen, who shoot sporadically into the air to create panic in the community.

    “Last week, during the community celebration at Igbaraoke, he was there with over 10 uniformed policemen and other private guards, who were armed with all kinds of weapons, thereby causing so panic during and after the event. They shot sporadically into the air. This is in a bid to intimidate members of the opposition.”

    ACO urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, to investigate the matter and fish out the security agents who work with Mimiko to cause mayhem in Ondo State.

    It reminded the governor and his co-travellers that Ondo State residents are not cowards and that no amount of intimidation would make them change their minds to vote out the LP on October 20.

    ACO said: “The people of the state are determined to vote for ACN, which has promised to replicate the massive infrastructural development of Lagos in Ondo State and provide 30,000 jobs within 100 days in office to stem the tide of the criminal neglect of the youths.

    “The ACN standard bearer is an honest man, with the pedigree and integrity. He is trustworthy. Ondo State people can trust him to fulfil his promises because he is another SAN with a sound mind.”

  • Buhari: PDP must be stopped in 2015

    Buhari

    Former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari has accused the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of making Nigeria difficult to stabilise because of what he calls its penchant for rigging elections.

    The 2011 presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) vowed to join forces with other well-meaning Nigerians to ensure free, fair and credible elections in 2015.

    Speaking with our correspondent in an interview in his Kaduna home, Gen, Buhari said opposition parties’ merger plans were on course so that they could defeat the PDP in 2015.

    Besides, he said the Boko Haram insurgency, in which many have been killed, was caused by injustice.
    His words: “The type of rigging pattern perfected by the PDP must be stopped. People must be allowed to vote for candidates of their choice. If our election processes are free, fair and credible, there will be no problem in Nigeria. But the PDP government is making the country very difficult to stabilise with its rigging pattern.

    “This is the evil that we have to fight in this country to move forward. I have said it so many times that multi-party democracy system is the best.

    “Elections must be free and fair. That is what the CPC is all about. I couldn’t get it done in the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), but God willing, we will realise this ambition.
    “The only thing that will stabilise this multi-party democracy system is to have free and fair elections. All hands must be on deck to ensure this; unless that is done, those who are in government will not sit up and ensure social justice.
    On Boko Haram, the former military ruler believes injustice is at the root of the problem. “The PDP has said that they will rule forever and I know this is not possible, Gen. Buhari said, adding: “I am sure if you go down memory lane, you will see what we have gone through. In 2010 when opposition parties tried to merge and form an alliance, there was no time. And there must be understanding from parties to accept an alliance.

    “Now, the time is on our side. The ACN, the CPC and the ANPP have realised now that to defeat PDP, opposition parties must come together. The merger is on course.”

    In a swift reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, welcomed Gen. Buhari’s call for opposition parties to form an alliance to defeat the PDP.

    Metuh, who spoke to our correspondent on telephone yesterday, encouraged Gen. Buhari and his allies in the opposition parties to go ahead and form the mega alliance against the PDP, stressing that if the PDP loses in a free and fair election, the party will accept defeat.
    He said: “We encourage as many opposition parties as possible to form alliance against the PDP to fight future elections. If they win in a free and fair election, the PDP will respect the will of the people.

    “We are not against free and fair elections. We are not against alliance against the PDP. What we are against is violence and distortion of facts. We are against inciting the people against constituted authority in the land. We are against threats and tendencies that tend to heat up the system.”

    According to Metuh, the PDP has delivered on its electoral promises and that the ruling party “would continue to deliver on its manifesto”.
    He said the party had made it clear to its political office holders at all levels that their chances of securing tickets for the 2015 elections will be based on performance.