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Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

  • 2019: INEC raises alarm, says parties nominate underage for presidential election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has accused some political parties of submitting underage for the presidential election, thereby running foul of the electoral law, it was learnt. 

    This is as the commission confirmed that at the end of the period for the substitution and withdrawal of candidates for the Presidential election, a total of seventy-three (73) political parties have now filed their nominations. 

    The not too young to run law set the thirty-five age for the president and Vice President.

    The bill was passed by the National Assembly last year to alter Sections 65, 106, 131, 177 of the constitution. It was to reduce the age qualification for president from 40 to 30; governor from 35 to 30; senator from 35 to 30; House of Representatives membership from 30 to 25 and State House of Assembly membership from 30 to 25.

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu who disclosed this yesterday at a capacity building for reporter in Abuja revealed that some parties were discovered to have nominated names of candidates below the mandatory age of thirty-five years for  presidential and vice presidential candidates.

    The commission however noted that the attention of the parties concerned have been drawn to the breach of the constitutional requirement. 

    Read Also: INEC faces huge challenge in 2019, says Martins

    He said, ” A few parties have nominated candidates below the mandatory age of thirty-five (35) years for as Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates. We have drawn the attention of the parties concerned to the breach of the constitutional requirement ahead of the publication of the full list of presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2019 General Elections.”

    On the number of political parties that filed their nominations for the presidential election, “At the end of the period for the substitution and withdrawal of candidates for the Presidential election, a total of seventy-three (73) political parties have now filed their nominations.

    For National Assembly elections, he said a total of 1,848 candidates are vying for the 109 senatorial seats, while 4,635 candidates for the House of Representatives.

    The breakdown shows that 1,615 male and 233 female are contesting for the senatorial seats while 4,066 male and 569 female are competing for the 360 seats in the House of Representatives. 

    As for State elections, a total of 1,068 candidates are contesting for 29 governorship positions, while work is still going on for the 991 States Assembly as well as the 68 Area Council chairmen and counsellors for the Federal Capital Territory. 

    The breakdown for the governorship list shows 980 male and 88 female are contesting for 29 Governorship positions with 805 male and 263 female Deputy Governorship candidates. 

  • 2019: INEC earmarks N85b for logistic

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set aside the sum N85 bilion for logistics in the coming 2019 general elections.

    INEC’s Head of Health and Welfare, Amina Zakari, who revealed this on Wednesday at a round table discussion between the Commission and NURTW, RTEAN, NARTO in Abuja also disclosed that INEC has secured the consent of two military to enlist Navy and Air Force personnels to access the difficult terrains during the polls.

    Zakari lamented that logistic cost is enormous, pointing out that it will cost the commission at least N10 billion on logistics to conduct a single election.

    “We have earmarked N85 billion on logistics for the 2019 general elections. For a two-day election, which is the least number of days to conduct election, it cost about N10 billion on logistics. You can imagine what will be involved if we have to take the elections in more than one day like the presidential separately, National Assembly and even the cost of conducting five elections separately.

    “These costs exclude leasing of boats at the riverine areas, additional gunboats for security, hiring helicopter for other areas inflicted by insurgency and difficult terrain.

    “Moving of personnel and materials in those areas is very challenging and these must be done at the same time nationwide. It is worst because about two-third of the country’s territory is covered by difficult terrain.

    Read Also: N23b bribe: EFCC clears 15 INEC officials

    “The window for the deployment of electoral materials is too short especially as it must be delivered between 5.00am to 8.00am. You can imagine the enormity of the task, considering the size of the country, difficult terrain and poor road network where the elections have to be conducted.

    “We are not even considering the supplementary elections that may come up, the run-off elections and the possible suspension of areas that violence may disrupt the poll which we normally suspend and reschedule.

    “The logistic cost is really enormous and it will be good for the country to find a more cost efficient manner it can be conducted,” she said.

    Speaking on the arrangement to deploy the military in difficult terrains, the former INEC Ag chairman said: “Security is of paramount importance and if there is no violence, elections can be done seamlessly.

    “The commission has also enlisted the services of the Air Force and the Navy for deployment especially to these difficult terrains. Recently, a Logistics Advisory Committee was set up with membership drawn from the commission, security agencies and other partners that will help us achieve a seamless transportation of the materials from the sea or airport to the polling stations.

    “With over 120,000 Polling Units, the biggest challenge the commission will encounter is the Election Day logistics. Our problem will be transportation in terms of movement of electoral materials,” she noted.

    The representative of the commission’s chairman, Okechukwu Ibeanu, also disclosed that about one million electoral officials, comprising the staff and security agents will be deployed for the 2019 general polls.

  • Over 150,000 additional PVCs ready for collection in Ebonyi–REC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission  (INEC) in Ebonyi has taken delivery of 150,892 additional Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)  following the  recent ’ Continuous Voters Registration(CVR).

    The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Godswill Obioma, announced this  at a meeting with  the chairmen and secretaries of political parties in Ebonyi on Wednesday in Abakaliki.

    He said that the commission received 179,550 PVCs from the previous registration, adding that 69,545 PVCs had been collected by their owners.

    Obioma said that over 110,000 cards were yet to be claimed by their owners from the previous registration exercise.

    “Our office has just received additional 150,892 PVCs and the cards are ready for collection.

    “I therefore call on you all, as stakeholders, to double your efforts in the sensitisation of registered voters to come forth and collect their PVCs.

    “Collection of PVCs will not be by proxy, their owners must come forth and collect their PVCs.

    “This will guarantee earnest expectations for Ebonyi to witness a larger voter turnout in the forthcoming 2019 general elections,” Obioma said.

    He said that the commission’s contiguous polling units within each registration areas were now  PVC collection points as they were closer to the people.

    The resident commissioner also urged political parties and candidates to engage in issue-based and violence-free electioneering towards the 2019 general elections.

    Obioma said that it was imperative for candidates in the election and their political parties to conduct themselves well.

    He reiterated  INEC’s commitment to conduct transparent, credible, free and fair elections in Ebonyi, while urging politicians in the state to cooperate with the commission to achieve its objectives.

    Obioma said that INEC would monitor all the campaigns of the various political parties as well as track their finances.

    “It is our duty to advise all active players engaged or to be engaged in this segment of electionerring process to carry on with issue based political campaigns.

    Read Also: Oyo: 800,000 PVCs yet to be collected – INEC

    “Contestants and indeed political parties should avoid campaign of calumny, hate and divisiveness.

    “All manners of hate speeches should be avoided as these will only lead to violence and undue heating up of the polity,” he said.

    Obioma reminded the party leaders of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010(as amended) that prescribed acceptable code of conduct for political parties and their candidates during  campaigns.

    “We hereby draw your attention to sections 94 and 102 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and Article 3 of political parties’ code of conduct.

    “Political parties, their candidates, officials and agents are expected to conduct their political campaigns within the ambit of the law.

    “They are to work towards ensuring an environment conducive for successful, peaceful, free and fair election campaigns”.

    He said the commission, in accordance with the extant electoral laws,. had stipulated campaign spending limits for the various elective  positions and corresponding penalties for violation.

    According to him, campaign spending limit for presidential election is N1 billion, while penalty for violation is N1 million or 12-month imprisonment or both.

    Obioma said that governorship  campaign spending limit was N200 million with penalty of N600,000 or six-month imprisonment or both, while Senatorial and house of representatives spending limits were N40 million and N20 million respectively.

    He said that defaulters would pay N600,000 or risk six-month jail term or both.

    The resident commissioner said that campaign funding for candidates vying for state house of assembly was pegged at N10 million with N300,000 penalty or three months’ imprisonment or both.

    “Political parties are expected to comply with provisions of the law in this regard by reporting their financial transactions to the commission,” he said.

    Obioma urged the party leaders to sensitise the electorate on dangers  inherent in vote selling and vote buying, while appealing to them to mobilise voters  to collect their PVCs.

    NAN

  • 2019: Money politics threatening free and fair elections – IPAC

    National Chairman of the Inter Party Advisory  Council (IPAC), Chief Peter Ameh has said that the resort to money politics was threatening free and fair elections in the country as it rob ordinary Nigerians the opportunity to participate in the democratic process in the country.

    Ameh spoke just as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it was modifying its modalities for tracking campaign finances, saying individual candidates should also be encouraged to report their campaign finances to the commission.

    Chief Ameh who spoke at the opening of a two day capacity building for political party leaders organised by the Political Parties Leadership and Policy Development Centre of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) said unless money politics is completely discouraged, the nation’s multi party see democracy may be under serious threat.

    He said “Money politics has been a major issue and INEC has been on that. We must commend for coming up with forms. We need a free and fair election and with money politics play a critical role against achieving that. Politics is threatened if we have have a free and fair election.

    “We have had a lot of discussion on that and eye discovered that INEC is very concerned. It is very important that we reduce the extent of money politics in out political culture. We must be able to have a law that states how much a candidate should spend on election. We must be able to check their adverts, rallies and television campaign and how much these things cost. Our elections must not be the way it is.

    Read Also: IPAC to Nigerians: vote credible candidates

    “Ordinary Nigerian should be able to participate in because that is the essence of multi-party democracy. If you are popular with your people, you should be able to go to any party and contest. What we have now is that people just feel that they context and do anything including paying as much as N50 million for form. When you spend so much to organize convention and campaigns, where is the position of the ordinary person.

    “Democracy is supposed to be for the people, but when it exclude the people, then it is no longer democracy. So, at our level of IPAC, our agenda is to ensure that Nigerian must be allowed to work. We know that money play a critical role in politics, but our case is different because it come with thuggery. We must condemn money politics and we must be able to work together and see how we can streamline what comes out of it.”

    Director of Election and Monitoring unit of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Alhaji Aminu Idris said the major challenge facing the commission was monitoring campaign finances of individual candidates, stressing that while the law provide for the tracking of party campaign finances, individual candidates should be encouraged to report their campaign financing to the commission.

    He said the Commission has carried out a lot of training both for its staff and political parties on how to track campaign funding and expenditure.

    He said “We have done a lot of training for our staff on how to track campaign financing of candidates and political parties. We have also collaborate with donor partner to training political parties on how to report because the requirements of the lawn is for political parties to report their campaign expenses six months after their election and also report their income and the source of the income three months after the election.

    “What the commission has tried to do is train political parties on how to make these reports and we have designed forms which we will distribute to political parties and their candidates so that at the end of the election, they will report their income and expenses.

    “The commission is also tracking the visible campaign expenses of candidates, including billboards, adverts in the media and campaign rallies. At the end of the day, the objective of the reporting is not to see who is breaking the law, but to see the actual cost of running for the office of the governor in different parts of the country. Once we see that, it might be the basis for advocating for the change in the campaign funding limit.

    “The only way we know about third party financing is by reporting and that is the challenge because you cannot measure what has not been reported. We cannot base our tracking on rumours because that will not give you what is required. So, we need to encourage parties and their candidates to report the sources of their campaign funds. Even though it is only parties that are required to report on their campaign finances, candidates should be encouraged to do so.”

    Also speaking, the Chief Operating Officer of the Political Parties Leadership and Policy Development Centre, Prof. Habu Galadima said the aim of the training was to sensitive the parties about the policy and legal framework and regulations governing campaign financing.

    He said “the purpose of our gathering here is sensitive the political parties, especially their Organizing Secretaries to understand the redesigned INEC standardized finance tracking form and understand the template better so as to be able to track campaign funds of their parties so that at the end of the day, they will not be in breach of the law concerning campaign financing. The issue of campaign finance can make or Mar the entire process and so, this is key to us.

     

     

  • No room for fresh voter registration until after 2019 general elections, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has debunked the news making the rounds that the commission has commenced fresh voter registration.

    In debunking the news which has gone viral in the social media, INEC noted that the news is not true.

    Besides, the commission said voter registration will only continue after the 2019 general elections.

    In a tweet @inecnigeria, the electoral body shared by  INEC Director, Information and Voter Education, Mr. Oluwole Osaze Uzzi said Nigerians should disregard the false information being circulated on the social media.

    Read Also: 2019: We’re monitoring campaign closely, says INEC

    “Information reaching the commission that some persons have been circulating messages online that “INEC has giving another opportunity to register for your PVC, starting on the 2nd to 10th December 2018.”

    “The report is untrue and we advise the public to ignore it,” he stated

  • PDP accuses APC of instigating violence in A/Ibom, others

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over what it declined as calculated attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to instigate violence and breakdown of law and order in Akwa Ibom State.
    The plot, which the main opposition party said, was meant to be replicated in other littoral states under the control of the PDP with the view to forcefully taking over the leadership of the states in the 2019 general elections.
    At a joint media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan and the Publicity Secretary of the Akwa Ibom chapter of the PDP, Emem Obong, said the plot was being hatched in phases.
    Obong said the APC wanted to ensure that the Governor is presented as being overwhelmed by security situation in the state in order to bring in the Federal Government to aide a forceful takeover by the APC.
    Obong said, “The end point of that plan is to ensure that on the day of election, Akwa Ibom as well as other states controlled by the PDP will be selected as flash points and kept for a separate day”.
    The PDP spokespersons said one leg of the plot was to have the governorship election postponed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the day of the first ballot and a new date fixed for the poll.
    They added that the other leg of the plot was to create room for massive deployment of security agencies for the rescheduled election like it happened in the last governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
    “These are schematic attempts unfolding gradually. It first started with trying to say that the former a bullet was found in the bedroom of the former Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio even when there was no piercing on any part of his building.
    “Till today there’s no evidence of such attack. It was meant to create the impression for the security agencies to believe that they are being attacked by the state government and its agents”.

    Read Also: Jonathan pillar of democracy, says PDP

    The party spokespersons fingered the police as being part of the plot as they recalled how the state chairman of the PDP, the DG of the governor’s campaign, Speaker of the state assembly and other prominent PDP members were invited to Abuja by the Inspector General of Police over billboard issues.
    “What is the relationship between the state chairman of a party and the position of a billboard in a state? All those people were invited to Abuja on the orders of the inspector General of Police”, the stated.
    The party also linked the ongoing crisis in the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly to part of the distabilisation plot by the APC and its agents.
    Ologbondiyan lamented that the Presidency and the APC have continued to design what he described as heinous machinations and issuing threats of violent take over of some littoral states, for which they have now directed their arsenals particularly on Akwa-Ibom state.

    He alerted Nigerian to recent “volatile outbursts” by the Buhari Campaign Organization and APC leaders, with the use of violent images and outright threats of war on Akwa-Ibom state.

    The PSP spokesman said, “Nigerians are invited to recall the violent and ominous outburst by the former Governor of Akwa-Ibom state, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who vowed that the APC will take over the state the same way Hitler overran Poland, swearing that ‘war shall see Warsaw and Warsaw shall see war’ in Akwa-Ibom state.

    “Given that this statement is the policy of the APC and the Buhari Presidency against Akwa-Ibom and other parts of our nation, where they are not in control, the President, as chief security officer of our nation, never issued a reprimand nor has Senator Akpabio been pulled in for questioning by security agencies.

    “It is now clear that the statement is an approved prelude of a pre-meditated plot by the Buhari Presidency and the APC to initiate, facilitate and superintend a mayhem and bloodletting in the peaceful and developing Akwa-Ibom, irrespective of the huge human and material damage such could cause in the state.

    “Part of the plot is the forceful attempt to take over control of the Akwa-Ibom state legislature, for which the Presidency and the APC have been sponsoring the invasion of the House of Assembly complex and seeking ways to violently oust the duly elected leadership of the state assembly

    “Only recently, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, who has been under fire over allegations of corruption, threatened and directly accused the erstwhile Akwa-Ibom Commissioner of Police, John Abang of refusing to carry out APC’s orders to provide security cover that will enable three legally sacked members of the 26-member legislature to effect a change of leadership.

    “The PDP has information of how the APC hierarchy thereafter, ordered the Inspector General of Police, who in compliance, summarily redeployed CP John Abang and replaced him with a new CP, Hyelasinda Musa Kimo. It is needless to say that Mr. Abang spent just one month as CP and had to be removed for not carrying out APC’s atrocious directive.

    “Since the arrival of CP Kimo, there has been mounting tension and escalated siege mentality in Akwa-Ibom state, particularly in the state legislature where thugs, backed by the police, have been invading the premises, disrupting legislative activities, harassing staff members and hindering them from performing their responsibilities.

    “This recourse to self-help, against declarative judgment by competent court of jurisdiction sacking the three lawmakers, is a deliberate attempt to instigate violence, foist a reign of terror, cause confusion, create an impression that the state has become ungovernable.

    “This is with a view to opening the way for a declaration of a state of emergency, which will enable them dismantle all democratic structures and forcefully take over control of the state.

    “The PDP wants the Buhari Presidency and the APC to bear in mind that their plot to forcefully take over Akwa-Ibom or any other PDP-controlled state will be firmly resisted by the people of those states and such may lead to a crisis of unprecedented magnitude that has the capacity of truncating our hard-earned democracy.

    “This is because the people of Akwa-Ibom state will never allow anybody, no matter how highly placed, to overrun their state or in any way attempt to foist an undemocratic leadership over them and no amount of intimidation or force will make them change this resolve”.

    The opposition party charged President Buhari and the APC to be ready to take full responsibility for any breakdown of law and order as direct consequences of the people’s resistance to their plot to forcefully take over control of Akwa-Ibom or any of the PDP-controlled states.

  • 2019: Female aspirant calls for credible, fair elections

    A female aspirant in Bauchi State, Mrs Maryam Alexander, has called on stakeholders in the 2019 elections to ensure a credible and fair process.

    In an interview with our reporter in Bauchi on Wednesday, she said that this would boost the confidence of Nigerians and international community on the elections.

    Alexander is vying for the state house of assembly from Dass local government on the platform of Green Party of Nigeria (GPN).

    She said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies have a great role to play to ensure that key players adhere to the rules of the game.

    Alexander said that these two critical stakeholders must be strict in delivering their mandates without fear or favour during the process.

    “INEC and security agencies are critical stakeholders during elections but from the by-elections that took place recently, I want them to be credible and fair to all political parties.

    Read Also: Again, Buhari assures of credible elections

    ”The politicians and their followers also must play their part in this critical time in the country’s history,” Alexander, who is the Bauchi state Chairman of Change Women Association (CHAWA) said.

    Alexander also called on the international organisations, the media and civil society organisations to observe the 2019 electioneering dispassionately and give priority to the interest of Nigerians.

    She, however, commended media practitioners for exhibiting competence and professionalism in discharging their duties while reporting and monitoring political activities.

    NAN

  • Anxiety in PDP over presidential campaign in S/West

    The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears to be in a dilemma on how to design the appropriate campaign message to woo voters in the Southwest geopolitical zone for its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
    The various political parties will soon commence their presidential campaigns in line with the campaign timeline released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Presently, the PDP cannot boast of any of its key positions occupied by members from the Southwest at the national level within the party hierarchy.

    The highest position held by the Southwest in the party’s hierarchy is that of Deputy National Chairman (Southwest) which is being occupied by Elder Yemi Akinwonmi from Ogun State.

    Investigation by our correspondent at the weekend revealed that it was one of the key issues that dominated discussions in a meeting held by the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar with key party stakeholders in Abuja Wednesday night.

    Those that attended the Wednesday meeting included the PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus; President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Governors elected on the platform of the party, among others.
    Our correspondent gathered that some stakeholders have pointed out that the All Progressives Congress (APC) having Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari, may constitute an uphill task for the PDP campaign in the Southwest.

    On the other hand, the PDP has picked Atiku’s running mate, Mr. Peter Obi, from Anambra State in the Southeast geopolitical zone; while the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus is from Rivers State, in the South-South geopolitical zone.

    This, according to some of strategists, has stripped the Southwest of any representation in key positions within the PDP. In their submission, this makes the situation more difficult for the opposition party, considering the fact that the entire six states in the Southwest are being controlled by the APC.

    Read Also: Ayade berates PDP over primaries

    More so, the fact that the Buhari administration also parades a number of South Westerners in key positions in Buhari’s cabinet and other key federal agencies may also give the ruling party an edge in the zone.

    They have cited the Ministries of Power, Works and Housing being manned by one of the prominent sons of the Southwest, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.

    The case of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) which is being headed by another South Westerner, Mr. Babatunde Fowler from Lagos State.

    Similarly, some analysts have argued that restructuring of the country, which the PDP has projected as one of its key campaign points, is an elitist concept that does not strike any chord with the voting masses in the zone.

    “For instance, what is the Yoruba word for restructuring and how do you pass the message across to the market women, artisans and the masses that form the bulk of the voting population”, a PDP chieftain who spoke on the condition of anonymity said at the weekend.

    The source also described the positions of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SFG) and that of the Speaker of House of Representatives that the PDP promised the Southwest as uncertain, stressing that it’s only if the PDP wins the Presidency that that can be fulfilled.

    In a swift reaction however, the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, disagreed with the postulations, saying that prevailing circumstances have changed voting dynamics in the country

    Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone on Friday, Ologbondiyan said, “Nigerians are not talking about who occupies certain positions. They are interested in who can give them power and make ease of doing business available.

    “Nigerians are interested in who can save them from hunger, starvation, killings, bloodletting and all the pain that the Buhari government has imposed on them.

    “The issue is not about who occupies what positions. It is about that candidate that understands the nuances of our nation. That candidate that can turn our economy around and make life better for Nigerians.

    “Having said that, it’s important to state that the PDP is interested in the value of life. The PDP is interested in the equitable distribution of wealth in the nation. The PDP is interested in making life better for the average Nigerian.

    “As such, every group and every geopolitical zone will be well captured and well represented when we form government.

    “This is the type of division that the Buhari administration has continued to set Nigerians against one another with all manner of ethnic crises. But Nigerians have come to resent this approach.

    “It is unfortunate that even the President is so insensitive to the plight of Nigerians that he does not realise that this is not the time Nigerians will be thinking about who comes from where.
    For now, Nigerian are only keen on good governance”.

  • Group canvasses support for Buhari, Masari

    The Buhari/Masari Agenda 2019, a Katsina-based political association, has commenced tour of the 34 local government areas in the state to sensitize the electorate on the importance of possessing permanent voter cards and re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Aminu Masari in the 2019 general elections.

    Malam Lawal Adam, the Secretary General of the group, made this known in an interview in Daura on Thursday.

    He said available statistics from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) indicated that there were still thousands of unclaimed voter cards at the commission’s local government offices across the state.

    He emphasized the need for all eligible voters to collect their voter cards ahead of the election, stressing that “the voter card is the only weapon with which one can partake in a political warfare’’.

     Read Also: Buhari, Masari deserves second term

    Adam commended INEC for being very punctual and neutral in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities, saying: “We are happy at the recent display of names of those who applied for voter cards from the commission as their cards were ready for collection.’’

    However, the scribe called on the electorate to re-elect Buhari and Masari to enable them consolidate on the gains so far recorded.

    According to him, the last three years of APC administration has been very eventful, especially considering the level of infrastructural development, agricultural revolution and promotion of general security situation.

    Adam described the administration of Masari as one of the best in the history of the state considering its impact on education, health, security and youth empowerment programme, noting that over 35,000 youths had been empowered through skills acquisition and provision of seed capital.

    He added that the administration has also promoted the welfare of civil servants through regular payment of salaries and allowances as well as pension and gratuity of retired civil servants.

    The secretary added that the administration has also abolished the hitherto eight-year tenure system for directors introduced by the PDP administration.

    Political alignments and realignments, meetings and solidarity visits to politicians has commenced in earnest across the state, ahead of the 2019 polls.

  • Hope Party drags INEC, APC to court over “tradermoni” scheme

    The Hope Democratic Party (HDP) has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court over the short period given to parties to campaign in preparation for the 2019 general election.
    The Presidential candidate of Hope Party, Ambrose Owuru, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the party approached the court on Nov. 13 (Tuesday) to compel INEC to elongate the time for campaign to enable it propagate its message of “welfarism” to Nigerians.
    Owuru said that the party also wants the court to punish INEC for allowing the All Progressive Congress (APC) to indirectly lobby voters with N10,000 through the “tradermoni” programme supervised by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
    He said the action of Osinbajo through the scheme was ill-timed and should not be allowed to continue.
    “We want the court to declare the Federal Government’s tradermoni scheme illegal and breech of electoral act because it is a gimmick to financially induce voters ahead of the 2019 general election.
    “The court should reprimand INEC for failing to check the act of Osinbajo (Chairman National Economic Council) in openly giving out physical cash of N10,000 to market women.

    Read Also: INEC to close case today in Ekiti governorship poll dispute

    “The court should determine whether the disguise of tradermoni during this period of election is not a plan by the APC and Osinbajo to up-stage and disrupt Hope Party’s welfarism and wealth redistribution of N2 million grants to Nigerian families to end poverty.
    The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Newspapers Proprietors Association are also defendants in the suit.
    Owuru said NBC and Newspapers Proprietors Association were joined in the suit for not giving the party and its candidates due coverage of their events.
    “This could be targeted at denying the party rights to equal treatment and could deny Nigerians the right to informed choices at the 2019 presidential election,” Owuru added.
    No date has been fixed for the matter.