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Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

  • 2019: 215,000 PVCs uncollected in Ebonyi, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ebonyi State says over 215, 000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are yet to be claimed in the state.

    Professor Godswill Obioma, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ebonyi State said this at a news conference in Abakaliki on Friday.

    “The figure is composite addition to the uncollected PVCs from the 2015, 2017 as well as first and second quarters of 2018 registrations in the state,’’ he said.

    He also said that the commission, on December, received additional 97,228 non fresh PVCs representing those PVCs from transfers, mutilations and losses.

    Obioma said that out of the 47, 117 uncollected PVCs from the 2015 registration, 15, 204 PVCs had been claimed by their owners, leaving the commission with 31,913 unclaimed PVCs as at Dec. 13.

    He also said that out of over 77,397 PVCs from 2017 registrations, about 29,973PVCs were yet to be claimed while 47,424 PVCs had been collected.

    The REC also said that 153,125 PVCs were yet to be collected from first and second quarters of 2018 registrations.

    He said: “In first quarter of 2018, uncollected PVCs as at Dec. 13 stands at 27,491 PVCs while in the second quarter which ended Aug. 31, out of 138,456 registration only 12, 822 PVCs have been collected.

    “We have taken proactive steps in ensuring that all uncollected PVCs in our custody are claimed by their owners before the 2019 general elections.

    “Collection is going on very aggressively.

    Read Also: 2019: INEC reads riot act to staff

    “Collection started first at the ward and local government levels, but due to the yearnings of the people we are almost short of going from one polling unit to the other for the exercise.

    “Two weeks ago, we redesigned our strategy and aggressively set up collection points in the remote areas near the polling units.

    According to the REC, in a typical ward where there are about 10 to 15 polling units, the commission set up a minimum of three collection points.

    He said a collection point would serve about four or five polling units according to how proximate the polling units are to the collection points.

    “We may end up taking the exercise to polling units if we have more resources from our national headquarters to provide logistics.“

    According to Rec, the commission will ensure that the process of collection is simplified with minimum inconvenience to the citizens of the state.

    He, however, reminded the electorate of the commission’s policy which stipulates that “no PVC will be collected by proxy.”

    Obioma said that INEC had developed a number of strategies, including security, transport; media strategy plans and training for the INEC staff to ensure free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.

    “Recently, political parties and their candidates for both national and state elections signed a peace accord to abide by the electoral laws and make elections in Ebonyi violence free to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of 2019 general elections.

    “We hope and pray to God that the exercise will not only be symbolic but that parties will abide by the provisions of the peace accord.

    “INEC under our watch in Ebonyi will ensure that all votes must count in the elections and candidates and their political parties will be provided with equal level playing field in the elections.’’

    NAN

  • 2019: INEC unveils special app to address electoral malpractice

    The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, has unveiled a special app, to address electoral malpractice ahead of the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

    The app will provide Nigerians opportunity to give report on observations from their polling unit.

    The app which can be freely downloaded through the INEC website or google play store has geo-referencing features which can enable officials of the Commission identify wherever challenges may arise and alert security agencies to take charge in any part of the country.

    Dr Mustapha Leeky, INEC’s National Commissioner, noted that the app was developed to address the new phenomenon of “vote buying” which partly characterized recent elections in some states of the federation.

    Leeky who doubles as Chairman, Board of the Electoral Institute (BEI) stated this on Thursday, while declaring open a three-day workshop on Electoral Security Training of Trainers Workshop for State Training Officers in Abuja

    He said, “We have deployed something that most of you media men are paying little regards to, that is the fact, as at today, if you go to INEC website or google play you can download an INEC i-reporter which is something that INEC has spent a lot of money in developing.

    “It allows every Nigerian to be an observer and a reporter of events as it happens, this you can download freely and have it on your smart phones, so you can take pictures, you can also take a short video and send it to us, it is geo-reference, so we know exactly where that issue is taking place and we can easily draw the attention of police or other security agencies to make sure that matter is actually addressed”.

    Read Also: 2019: INEC reads riot act to staff

    Speaking on vote buying which allegedly characterized recent elections, the INEC Commissioner said the commission has deployed a number of measures to ensure it does not interfere with the electoral process in 2019.

    “Our take on vote buying has been well articulated at various fora like this, we abhor it, we think it is uncalled for, you do not need to sell your vote and you do not need to buy votes, INEC as an institution, we don’t buy votes and we don’t sell votes, we just count the votes.

    “So we expect people to cast their votes freely, we have deployed a number of measures to ensure that vote buying does not interfere with our election, we have reconfigured the way our polling units and the ballot box are placed, so that people cannot expose their votes, so that people can go and collect money after wards, we have also banned the use of smart phones in the polling booth so that you don’t take a picture and show to anyone,” he stated.

    He said the workshop to train security personnel was inspired by the need to ensure the 2019 election is conducted in a hitch free manner.

    Dr Umar Idris, Acting Director, the Electoral Institute(TEI) on his part said the training exercise was meant to ensure adequate preparations for the security personnel, especially on the need to stay neutral during the 2019 polls.

    “Security remains a concern for a massive process like the election which is coming due next year 2019, because without adequate security you will not have a peaceful environment for people to exercise their franchise, so security is very important, which underscores why we are having this workshop today for our state trainers who will go back and engage at different levels at state levels and senatorial district levels too.

    “They need to understand the terms of engagement for a peaceful credible election, we need to secure the environment for people to have a very happy and pleasant voting experience, security is very important, we know there are challenges across a number of places in the country, we believe the government is doing whatever it can to ensure that it is addressed, INEC is not a security outfit we can only work with the security agencies to ensure that the right thing is done and Nigeria is a very hopeful country so we believe that the atmosphere will be secured for a credible election”

     

  • 2019: We need adequate security to have a successful election – INEC

    Without adequate security, it will be difficult to have peaceful and successful elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said.

    Dr. Mustapha Lecky,  INEC National commissioner posited that for there to be peaceful and credible election, the country need a secured environment that will give the people pleasant experience.

    Lecky who represented INEC Chairman and the Chairman of the Board of Electoral Institute at The Electoral Institute (TEI) Organised electoral security training workshop for state training officers in Abuja, insisted that security remains a major concern for such a massive process like election.

    “Security always remains a concern for a massive process like the election which is coming up next year. Without adequate security, you won’t have a peaceful environment for people to exercise their franchise. So, security is sine-qua-non. It is very important. It underscores why we holds the workshop for our state trainers who will go back and engage at different levels with all DPOs and their teams to understand the terms of engagement.

    “For a peaceful and credible election, we need to secure environment for people to have a very happy and pleasant experience,” he said.

    Lecky who also admitted that there are challenges in a number of places however assured the country that the government is doing all possible to address the situation.

    He said, “We know there are challenges in a number of places across the country. We believe the government is doing whatever it can to ensure that it is addressed. INEC is not a security outfit. We can only work with the security agencies to ensure that the right thing is done. Nigeria is a very hopeful country. So, we believe that the atmosphere will be secured for credible elections come 2019.”

    Speaking on the workshop the national commissioner said INEC boast of staff who are diligent. The workshop, he therefore said is aimed at securing elections.

    Read Also: Aspirant takes INEC, APC to court for ‘imposition’

    He stressed that “This is a very important aspect of our election because without a secure election, we will not have free, fair and credible exercise. Security plays a critical role in delivering secure election.  The outcome of your performance in the cause of the training will have impact at the other levels.

    “The quality of the training and the quality of delivery will impact on the quality and understanding of security officers whom we call upon to secure our elections.

    “It is important that we have the right messages so that it can guide and refresh our security personnel on the conduct and behavior  require to secure our elections in this country. The commission is very pleased that you are here and has high expectation because of critical factor in achieving free and fair elections in 2019.  You role is very important. You will go back and impart what you have learnt in our security agencies be it the police, the army and all arms of security involved in elections to ensure they have true clarity and understand the rule of engagements to provide a very pleasant election experience for electorate. ”

     

     

     

  • INEC set for last batch distribution of PVC in Anambra

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Anambra State said it was ready to distribute the last batch of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) to the electorate ahead of 2019 general elections.

    The Commission’s Electoral Officer of Nnewi North, Mr Emmanuel Owetta disclosed this in Nnewi at a one day public enlightenment on voter education organized by the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

    He said the PVCs were those registered in June and July, 2018.

    Owetta stressed the place of voter education for active participation in the elections, advising the electorate to assist INEC towards ensuring free, fair and credible polls next year.

    One of the resource persons, Mr Hubert Oragui who spoke on, “Enhancing Robust Voter, Participation in the Electoral Process and Promoting a Clean Political Culture in Anambra state”, urged the electorate not to mortgage their future through sale of votes.

    Read Also: INEC says all PVCs ready for collection

    He described as wickedness the act of taking advantage of the voters’ economic conditions to induce them to voting against their consciences.

    Earlier, the state Director of NOA, Charles Nwoji said the event was targeted at ensuring voters make informed choices during the election, urging them to shun any form of violence at the polls.

     

  • ASUU, FG face-off serious threat to 2019 elections – INEC

    The ongoing strike action by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) poses a serious threat to the conduct of the 2019 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said.

    INEC expressed the concern as the face off between the university teachers and the Federal Government lingers as it has hampered the recruitment of over one million ad-hoc staffers required for election duties, especially, students from Tertiary institutions.

    INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye expressed the worries on Thursday at a seminar in Abuja on the theme, “Media and Gender Sensitive Reporting of Elections.

    Okoye revealed that the Commission is presently organizing ROOT training for serving youth corps members that would be deployed as presiding officers and want to commence the ROOT training of students in the various institutions of higher learning, but the continued strike has made this impossible.

    He therefore called on ASUU and the Federal Government “to quickly and genuinely resolve the lingering impasse that has led to uncertainty in the education sector.”

    He said: “It is next to impossibility for the members of the National Youth Service Corps to provide all the ad-hoc staff needs and requirement of the Commission and over 70 per cent of the ad-hoc staff requirements in some states of the federation are drawn from students of Federal Tertiary institutions, hence the lingering strike by ASUU will no doubt have  serious  impact on the preparations for the conduct of the 2019 elections.”

    Read Also: ASUU continues reconciliation meeting with FG

    “It is important that students of Federal Tertiary institutions should and must be in school at least a month before the February 16 Presidential and National Assembly elections. They are a critical resource and their absence will have adverse effect on the ad-hoc requirements of the Independent National Electoral Commission,”Okoye said.

    Barrister Okoye also disclosed that the over 1 million staff would function as returning officers, collation officers, supervisory presiding officers, presiding officers and assistant presiding officers.

    On the role of the media in the coverage of the elections, Okoye said: “For the media to cover disseminate and report election activities in an objective and professional manner, it is imperative for INEC to constantly interact with, explain and be upfront in providing information to the media to avoid speculation , suspicion and rumor mongering especially at this critical period.”

    He said “INEC is wrapped around exclusivity and believes in the doctrine of not leaving any segment of the society in elections and providing a level playing field for all stakeholders in all stages of the electoral process.”

     

  • PDP faults plan to create polling centres in Chad, Niger

    …Accuses INEC, Buhari of plots to rig election

     

    The People’s Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO), has condemned plans by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to create polling centres in Chad and Niger Republic.

    INEC had announced plans to create polling centres in the two neighbouring countries with the view to enabling thousands of Nigerian refugees taking shelter in the two countries to vote in the 2019 elections.

    Read Also:PDP accuses EFCC of witch-hunt

    Most of the refugees are persons displaced by the Boko Haram insurgents from their homes in towns and villages in Northeastern Nigeria.

    But the PDP has declared the proposed polling centres in the two countries as illegal, accusing Presidency and the INEC of plots to rig the 2019 general elections.

    In a statement Thursday by the spokesman of the PDP Campaign Organisation, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party protested the plan to create polling centres outside the shores of Nigeria.

    Ologbondiyan said it’s a total violation of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), inexcusably criminal and exposes part of the plot to corrupt the electoral system and massively rig for President Buhari.

    The statement said, “President Buhari, INEC and all Nigerians know that there are no provisions for Diaspora voting under our system.

    “By the extant laws guiding elections in Nigeria, it is very clear who is eligible to vote, as well as the centers statutorily designated for elections. There is no provision for any special arrangement whatsoever.

    “It is therefore reprehensible that President Buhari, in his desperation to rig the elections, is now trying to hide under the guise of making special provision for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) outside the country, to illegally create rigging centers outside our country and import contrived figures into the election results.

    “This clandestine arrangement further validates the alarm earlier raised by the PDP, in April this year, of INEC’s plot to secretly create 30,000 illegal polling centers in some remote areas, through which they plan to allocate millions of votes to President Buhari and the APC.

    “Nigerians can now see that the APC and its candidate are not committed to peaceful, credible, free and fair election. Having realised that there is no way he can win in a peaceful and credible election, Mr. President is now seeking means to enmesh the 2019 elections in constitutional crisis, public confusion and trigger an imminent violence that is capable of derailing our entire democratic process.

    “Moreover, by seeking to open polling units outside the country, the Buhari administration has now agreed that it does not have full control of Nigerian territory and cannot provide security for Nigerians to freely participate in the elections.

    “If President Buhari is in any way inclined towards diaspora voting, he should send an appropriate bill to the National Assembly for approval to accommodate not only Nigerians in Chad and Niger Republic, but also those in other sub-Sahara countries as well as Europe, America and other parts of the world, who have been agitating for Diaspora voting.

    “Finally, the PPCO cautions the Buhari Presidency and INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, not to set our country on fire by engaging in provocative actions in desperation to rig the 2019 Presidential election for President Buhari.”

  • INEC: We’re ready for Ekiti Assembly Bye-Election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ekiti State has expressed its readiness to conduct bye-election into the vacant Ekiti Southwest Constituency 2 seat.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. AbdulGaniy Raji, said a directive was being awaited from the Commission’s headquarters to hold the bye-election any moment from now.

    Read Also:INEC: we’ll conduct 2019 polls with existing laws

    The seat became vacant following the death of former occupant, Mr. Michael Adedeji. He was killed by suspected gunmen who opened fire on him in the early hours of October 26.

    Adedeji, who was rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti (FETHI) after being shot on the head at close range at a location in Onigari GRA, Ado Ekiti, died three days later.

    Raji, who addressed reporters in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, promised that the electoral umpire would conduct a credible poll to fill the vacant seat anytime the Ekiti office receives greenlight from Abuja.

    Speaking through agency’s spokesman in Ekiti, Taiwo Gbadegesin, Raji disclosed that he has written to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman on the vacant seat only awaiting directive to set machinery in motion for the conduct of the election.

    He said: “We are set for the election and we hope that the bye-election will be conducted by January. We have written to Abuja, I mean, to INEC National Chairman and we are expecting them to set the time table for us to conduct the election.

    “You know it is important for the constituency to have a representative to speak for them and the commission is not unaware of this. We are prepared for the poll, but we can’t unilateral decision, it has to be given from national headquarter.

    “I want to assure our people that there is no reason to be apprehensive about this, the bye-election will be held in due course, that we assure the constituents from that area.

    “The RECs all over the country are in Abuja holding meetings with INEC National leadership and I know this bye election will be tabled at the ongoing conference.

    “We didn’t disappoint Nigerians during the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State in spite of the fear that pervaded the land that the election could either be aborted or botched by threats from politicians, but we were above board and delivered.

    “This should be the expectation of our people anytime this by-election takes place.”

    The REC disclosed that the commission is battle ready for the 2019 polls in terms of logistics and personnel that would guarantee conduct of transparent polls in Ekiti.

    He stated that many of the personnel have been exposed to further trainings in Abuja, Enugu and Imo States, where they were taken to acquire new innovations  in electioneering process, particularly in the use of Information and Communication technology gadgets like smart card readers.

    “We are ready for 2019, because it is another crucial election that would chart a course for the country and we can’t afford to dissatisfy Nigerians.

    “We have resolved the issue of paucity of personnel, as we speak we have enough staffs to prosecute election.

    “Training is inevitable to the success of elections and that we have done and we will still do more for Nigerians to have elections that meet international standard,” he added.

  • 2019: INEC tasks staff on productivity, credible elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on the commission’s desk officers to develop themselves for greater productivity for the forthcoming general elections to be more credible than that of 2015.

    Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Gombe State, made the call in Gombe on Thursday during the North East Capacity Building Workshop on `Voter Education’ for desk officers.

    Ibrahim, who was represented by his Administrative Secretary, Alhaji Abacha Bukar, said the success of any election largely depended on effective voter education, among others.

    According to him, it is only when the electorate are fully informed of the electioneering process that credible election will be envisaged.

    He called on the participants to work hard toward ensuring free, fair and credible elections in their respective states and the country at large.

    Read Also: Chair: INEC ready for credible polls

    “As the 2019 general elections approach, the commission will be counting on your experience, dedication, creativity, professionalism and patriotism to accomplish these noble objectives.

    “This is even more imperative with the menace of vote-buying gaining prominence and other ills threatening our electoral system, ‘’ the commissioner said.

    In her remarks, Mrs Mary Nkem, Deputy Director, Voter Education, INEC, Abuja, said that the objectives of the workshop was to build staff capacity for effective voter education ahead of 2019 general elections.

    She said that it was also an avenue to brief the staff on key voter education activities for the elections.

    Nkem said that INEC was committed to make the elections free, fair and credible.

    She called on the participants to be free and interact for them to fully understand the purpose of the workshop.

    The participants were drawn from Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe States

    NAN

  • ‘No amount of blackmail can stop my support for Buhari’

    The governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Uche Nwosu, has restated that no amount of cheap blackmail will dissuade him and his followers from supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s reelection.

    Nwosu who left the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the controversial governorship primaries, stated that the circumstance that forced him to dump the APC has nothing to do with President Buhari.

    He said that his support for the President is beyond personal considerations or party and religious inclinations.

    Nwosu argued further that those fighting to get the attention of the President by blackmailing him cannot deliver him in their booths because “they are not popular”.

    According to him, “Whether they blackmail us or not, the truth is that we have made up our minds to support President Buhari. If I will not be supporting President Buhari, I won’t be putting his pictures on my billboards and campaign posters, otherwise who am I deceiving. We have together with the governor of the state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, made up our mind to support President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 and nothing can change that.

    Read Also: Imo APC ticket: I won’t succumb to threat – Nwosu

    “In 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari won with a wide margin in my Eziama-Obire Ward and in the 2019 election, despite being the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance, I will deliver President Buhari in my Ward but those running to Abuja to blackmail me cannot convince a single person to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “All those carrying the blackmail should come out and show us their supporters that will vote for President Buhari all they are interested in is to use the President’s name and compromise the election because they know that they don’t stand a chance in a free and fair election but that will not work in Imo State”.

    He added that those relying on rigging the 2019 governorship election will be disappointed as the people of the state will resist any such attempt.

    In his words, “We have implicit trust in the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Marmood Yakubu to deliver a credible election. So those relying on rigging and other malpractices will fail. Imolites will resist any attempt to steal their mandate, the people’s vote must count.

    “In fact anybody thinking of rigging the 2019 election is making a big mistake because we will resist it, the youths of Imo state will resist it, the women and the leaders of the state will resist, if you are not popular, you are not popular and INEC knows that it is not possible to write result in Imo state. People should know that the era of sitting at home and writing results is gone

  • Appeal Court affirms prisoners’ right to vote

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Bénin City has granted an appeal seeking to direct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include names of Nigeria citizens in prisons in the country in its voters register.

    It however refused to grant a declaration that INEC should liaise with the Nigeria Prison Service to create a registration center at various prisons across the country.

    The appeal was filed by five inmates on behalf of other inmates in Nigeria prisons across the country.

    Those that filed the appeal are Victor Emenuwe, Onome Inaye, Kabiru Abu, Osagie Iyekekpolor and Modugu Odion.

    Justice S. Oseji who read the lead judgement on behalf of Justice Helen Ogunwumiju said the appellant could appeal the ruling.

    Speaking to newsmen after the court ruling, Counsel to the appellant, President Aigbokhan of the Initiative for Rural Development, Information and Legal Advocacy (IRDILA) urged INEC to commence immediate registration of inmates across the country for them to participate in next year’s election.

    Aigbokhan said they would appeal part of decision of the Court of Appeal.

    According to him, “Prison inmates have their community. Polling units should be located there.

    “One of our clients is the inmates in prisons. We believe they have a right to vote in an election so as to decide those who ultimately decide their future.

    “When franchise is given to them, attention will be focused there. Their situation and health conditions will be improved

    “In 2014, the Federal High Court granted our prayers that prisoners can vote but narrowed it to the four applicants in the suit even though it was stated there that those applicants were representing other inmates.

    “We went to the Court of Appeal and the court agreed that the judgement represent all inmates in the country. That INEC should with immediate effect collage the names of inmates and allow them to vote in 2019.

    “The judgment has disagreed that INEC should create polling units inside the prison. In 2015, the inmates are over 550,000.  All INEC need to do is to update their voter register and liaise with NGO as volunteers to help them. It is victory for Nigeria’s democracy.”