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Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

  • INEC braces up for Katsina bye-election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Wednesday in Kankia, Katsina state, declared its readiness to conduct the bye election for Kankia/Kusada/Ingawa federal constituency slated for Saturday, November 17th, in the three affected local government areas.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for the state, Alhaji Jibrin Ibrahim Zaraewa told a stakeholder’s electoral forum called to assess the state of preparedness of the commission to conduct the bye-election that every necessary arrangement has been made to ensure a hitch free election.

    He said “We are set to conduct the best bye election ever. INEC is committed to upholding the highest tenets of integrity, openness, laying level playing ground for a free, transparent, credible and acceptable election. We will live up to our vision, mission, and core values of integrity and impartiality’’

    Read Also: INEC list: I am not distracted, says Nwosu

    The REC further announced that four candidates including Abubakar Yahaya Kusada of the APC, Abdusalam Yusuf Abdullahi of PDP, Nasiru Lawal Aminu of PRP and Abdullahi Umar of YES party, shall contest the bye election in the federal constituency

    Zarewa further disclosed that about 193,915 registered voters from the three local government areas that make up the constituency including Kusada, Inagawa and Kankia, are expected to turn out to vote in the designated 425 polling units on Saturday, with the final results expected to be collated at Kankia local government headquarters.

    On the recruitment of ad-hoc staff, he said that the commission has already recruited 1874 number of adhoc staff from NYSC, adding that the commission has also accelerated the collection of PVC cards through area registration ward levels

    On the distribution of sensitive materials, the REC maintained that they are to be collected from the central bank and distributed through the electoral officers of the affected local government areas, in the presence of all political parties, agents, security agencies and, NGOs and observers

    He said “The presiding officers will sleep at the RACs and very earlier in the morning leave to the various poling units to commence the election process at 8.am’’

  • Ekiti governorship election dispute: APC opens case Thursday

    …INEC closes case after 16 witnesses, 31 exhibits

     

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) will on Thursday opened its defence in the ongoing hearing of a petition challenging its victory in the governorship election held in Ekiti State on June 14 this year.

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the election, Olusola Kolapo are, by their petition, marked: EPT/ EKS/GOV/01/18 challenging the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare APC’s candidate, Kayode Fayemi as winner of the election.

    INEC is listed as first respondent in the petition, while APC and Fayemi are listed as 2nd and 3rd respondents in the petition being heard by the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which now sits in Court 17, High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Apo, Abuja.

    On Thursday, APC’s lawyer, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN) indicated the party’s readiness to open its defence after lawyer to INEC, Charles Edosomwan (SAN) announced the closure of his client’s case.

    Owonikoko told the tribunal that the APC was ready to open its defence on Thursday. He said the party would make judicious use of the 10 days allocated to it to conduct its defence.

    At the resumption of proceedings on Thursday, Edosomwan tendered more documents before announcing the closure of his client’s case.

    Edosomwan tendered certified true copies of Form EC40G and Form RF40G, documents detailing where the governorship election was cancelled.

    He also tendered Form EC40G for Okemesi 3 Registration Centre and Aramoko Ward 2 in Ekiti West Local Government Area.

    The INEC lawyer equally tendered Form RF40G for Imesi Registration Area and Ilu Omoba Registration Area in Gbonyin LGA.

    Owonikoko and lawyer to Fayemi, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) did not object to the admission, as exhibits, the documents tendered by Edosomwan.

    Lawyer to the PDP and Kolapo, Rowland Otaru (SAN) objected to the admission of the documents and promised to supply his reasons for objecting at the address stage.

    Tribunal’s Chairman, Suleiman Belgore admitted the documents as exhbits, after which he invited the 2nd respondent (APC) to open its case.

    In response to the judge’s invitation, Owonikoko stood up and promised APC’s readiness to commence it’s defence on Thursday.

    Justice Belgore then adjourned to Thursday (November 15).

     

     

  • Ekiti governorship election dispute: INEC to close case Nov 14

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to close its defence on Wednesday as the first defendant in the petition by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the last governorship election in Ekiti State, Kolapo Olusola.

    Olusola and PDP are challenging the outcome of the June 14 governorship election held in Ekiti this year, which INEC said was won by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kayode Fayemi.

    INEC’s lawyer, Charles Edosomwan (SAN) told the Ekiti State Governorship Election Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, that he intends to close his client’s defence on Wednesday.

    Read Also:INEC displays Tonye Cole, Uzodinma as Rivers, Imo APC governorship candidates

    INEC, APC and Fayemi are listed as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents in the petition by the PDP and Olusola.

    On Tuesday, Edowomwan tendered certified true copies (CTC) of results from some registration centres in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti South West, Emure and Ilejemeje Local Government Areas of Ekiti State.

    Lawyers to the APC and Fayemi – Aking Olujinmi (SAN) and Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) did not object to the tendering of the results contained in Forms EC40G.

    Lawyer to the petitioners, Rowland Otaru (SAN) objected to the admission of the results, but said he would give reasons for his objection at the stage of address.

    Tribunal’s Chairman, Suleiman Belgore admitted the copies of the results as exhibits.

    At a point Edosomwan sought an adjournment to enable him get more copies of the results, which he said would be brought from Ekiti today (Wednesday.

    He said he intends to close the 1st defendant’s case on Wednesday after tendering the next set of results.

    Otaru, Olujinmi and Fagbemi did not object to Edosomwan’s request for adjournment, following which Justice Belgore adjourned to 12noon on Wednesday.

    INEC has called about 16 witnesses since it opened its defence on November 5. INEC and the other respondents are each allocated 10 days present its case.

    The petitioners, who were allocated 14 days, called about 71 witnesses and tendered documentary evidence from October 17 when they opened their case.

    At the conclusion of INEC’s defence, it would be the turn of APC to present its defence, following which the tribunal will invite Fayemi to also present his defence.

  • Buhari lists conditions for restructuring

    …Why Nigerians in diaspora won’t vote in 2019

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday gave conditions to be fulfilled before the government can go into restructuring of the country.

    He pointed out that there should be proper definition of what Nigerians want before the government can delve into restructuring the country.

    The President also noted that many Nigerians who have been calling for restructuring have been doing so without defining what the restructuring should be.

    Read Also:Jail terms no longer deterrence for illicit financial flow, says Buhari

    Buhari, who spoke during the interactive session with Nigerians living in France, was in the country for the Peace Forum attended by about 70 world leaders in Paris.

    The Nigerian community, which was made up of Nigerian Diaspora Organization (NIDO), All Progressives Congress (APC) members in France, students and friends of Nigeria, asked the President questions ranging from restructuring, security, anti-corruption, education and opportunity for Nigerians in diaspora to vote in 2019 general elections.

    The President said; “There are too many people talking lazily about restructuring in Nigeria. Unfortunately, people are not asking them individually what do they mean by restructuring? What form do they want restructuring to take?

    “Do they want us to have something like the three regions we used to have? And now we have 36 states and the FCT. What form do they want? They are just talking loosely about restructuring.

    “Let them define it and then we see how we can peacefully do it in the interest of Nigerians.

    “They are just saying they want Nigeria restructured and they don’t have the clue of what the form the restructuring should be.

    “So, anybody who talks to you about restructuring in Nigeria, ask him what he means and the form he wants it to take,” he stated.

    He also gave reasons why Nigerians in diaspora might not vote in the 2019 general elections.

    According to him, it will be very difficult for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to put in place structures to accommodate them with just about three months to the 2019 elections.

    Noting that the increasing Nigeria population in the diaspora supports the calls for their participation in electing Nigeria leaders, he said that it might not happen in the 2019 general elections as INEC had been more focused on strengthening and consolidating on its achievements to conduct credible elections within the country.

    But he said that Nigerians in diaspora would definitely participate in future elections.

    Buhari said “We want to secure the Nigeria votes first before we go foreign. We are going to strengthen the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be more independent and viable ….  so that they can recruit more committed and educated Nigerians to be in charge and use technologies to get the votes from all the constituencies.

    “So, with the way the economy is now, I think with the elections in three months’ time, it will be very difficult for INEC and the government to organize quality survey of those that are outside,” he said.

    Responding to the question on education in Nigeria, the President said that his administration is doing its best to invest more in infrastructures, education and other sectors.

    The Nigerian elites, he said, disappointed Nigeria and the Nigerian masses under the sixteen years administrations of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    According to him, so much waste has gone down the drain from the huge resources earned in during the PDP administrations in the country between 1999 and 2015.

    He said that there was nothing to show for the earnings including the $16 billion said to have been spent on power.

    He urged Nigerian elites, both at home and diaspora, to do more in contributing to the educational sector of the country, expressing surprise that the elites tolerated the fall in standards and structures of educational institutions despite the huge oil earnings.

    He said; “So, really I have seen it all and I was disappointed in the Nigerian elites. What have they done in these sixteen years?”

    “What do we have with our oil production down to half a million and the price per barrel went down to about $30, what could we have done with the infrastructure?

    “You should find out the damage done by the main opposition now to the economy and the integrity of the country.

    “So, we are now trying to improve infrastructures and do more in education and other areas.

    “We are currently reviewing investments in the entire infrastructure of the country like road, rail and power, including investing more in education. We will certainly need to do more in education,’’ he said.

    He added “I am doing my best now to utilize our resources to develop the country. We are already getting results on road, rail and power. My frustration is that some people still have plenty stolen money stashed in Europe, U S and other countries.’’

    According to him, return of stolen assets in some safe heavens will bolster the administration’s current effort of investing more in critical infrastructure that directly impact on the livelihood of Nigerians.

    He said that the war against terrorism will be reinforced with new weapons and hardware for the military

    The challenge of abduction and kidnapping in some parts of the country, he said, will receive more attention with better gathering of intelligence.

    According to him, God and technology in form of card readers and Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) won the Presidential elections for him in 2015 despite not succeeding in three earlier times.

    “We campaigned on three key issues; security, improving the economy, and fighting corruption, and we have not been controverted by anyone that we have not recorded some results,’’ he said.

    Speaking earlier, the Nigerian Ambassador to France, Dr. Modupe Irele, said that the Nigerian community in France had demonstrated high sense of responsibility, dedication and morality.

    According to her, the large number of professionals had been encouraged to also contribute to the country’s development.

    “Nigerians here are law abiding, peaceful and resourceful,’’ she said.

    President Buhari’s commitment to change, she noted, will make Nigeria the envy of other African countries.

    Speaking to journalists at the end of the interactive session, Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, said that it was very important for President Buhari to attend the Peace Forum in Paris.

    He said “President Muhammadu Buhari has been preaching for peace, especially when he came on board, he met our country religiously and ethnically divided.

    “I think it is important that he meets with other world leaders to discuss how peace can be promoted among the nations and various people of the world.

    “There is no way you can promote peace where there is massive corruption. Massive corruption deprives people of development, and if there is no development, there won’t be any peace.” he said

    Willy Obiano of Anambra State said that it is important for Nigeria to be emphasizing peace.

    In the education sector, he said that the state has invested a lot of money into the sector in the last four years.

    He said “We revamped 1482 primary and secondary schools. We have sent our teachers to Singapore and Germany for training.

    “More importantly, what my administration has done in Anambra State with respect to education is to reach the … end of Anambra State.” he said

    House of Reps member, Nasir Ali Ahmed, representing Nasarawa Federal constituency of Kano State, said that the interactive session was a very successful meeting.

    He hoped that a lot of the Nigerians living in France will come back home to contribute their quota to Nigeria’s development.

    Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, a Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs, recently nominated Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Diaspora Commission, who facilitated the meeting, said that a lot of Nigerians living in France are already doing many things at home for the economy.

    “So, we will continue to engage with them and continue to stress the positivity about our country, Nigeria,” she said

    Stressing that there are some Nigerians in prisons in France, she said that Nigerians are being encouraged to obey the laws of the land wherever they go.

    She also pointed out that the new commission is not a charity organization, but aims to tap into the enormous resources of Nigerians in the diaspora.

  • N242bn INEC budget: We acted in agreement with Executive – Senate

    The Senate Friday said that its decision to rescind and revise the method of funding of the supplementary budget of the  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for the conduct of the 2019 general elections, was done in good faith,  after due consultation with the Executive arm of government.

    Read Also:Senate in rowdy session over move to probe NSIP, Sure-P

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, gave the explanation in a statement released by the Office of the Senate President.

    The statement may have been informed by the insinuation that the Senate unilaterally reduced the budget of Ministries, Departments and Agencies with recourse to the affected MDAs.

    Senator Ibrahim, in a statement, said that on Tuesday, October 16th, the Senate had already passed the N242, 245, 050,100 virement request with the stipulation that it should be funded from the Service Wide Vote.

    He noted that the Senate had to rescind, reconsider and revise its position on the source of funding of the virement following pressure on members of the Appropriations Committee by the Executive.

    He said: “The insinuations being peddled that the Senate single-handedly and unilaterally cut the budgets of critical MDAs is false. Such actions are uncharacteristic of this 8th Senate.

    “The facts remain that on Tuesday, October 16th, the Senate approved a report that stipulated that the supplementary funding for INEC and security agencies to conduct the 2019 election should be sourced from the Service Wide Vote of the Executive through virement. This information is out everywhere.

    “However, the Executive came up with a counter-proposal that asked that the election be funded through both the Service Wide Vote and the budgets of 30 MDAs —on a pro rata basis.

    “This is why, the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Danjuma Goje, had to come up with a motion to rescind, reconsider and revise the source of funding contained in the original approval granted by the Senate.

    “So, if you take a close look at the Senate’s Order paper of Wednesday, November 7, 2018, you will see that N121, 122,525,050, which represents half of the entire supplementary budget, was sourced from 30 MDAs chosen by the Executive, while the other N121, 122,525,050 was taken from the Service Wide Vote.

    “As always, all Senators remain committed to ensuring that Nigeria has free, fair and credible general elections next year, and they will continue to collaborate with the Executive, members of the public and all other stakeholders to ensure that this happens,” Ibrahim stated.

  • Imo: APC missing as INEC publishes list of guber candidates

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Friday failed to publish any name as the governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State as the Commission displays provisional list of governorship candidates for the 2019 general election.

    Read Also:Oshiomhole apologises to Imo Catholic community over Okorocha

    INEC’s refusal to publish any governorship candidate for the APC,  may not be unconnected to a Court Order restraining it from accepting or publishing any name except the name of Uche Nwosu as the authentic governorship candidate.

    It will be recalled that the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomole had forwarded the name of Hope Uzodinma to INEC as the party’s governorship candidate, in defiance of the Court Order, which was also served on him and the party.

    Sixty seven candidates made the provisional list including, former Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives,  Emeka Ihedioha (PDP), Senator Ifeanyi Ararume (APGA), among others.

  • 238,309 PVCs still unclaimed in Nasarawa State – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Nasarawa on Thursday said 238,309 eligible voters in the state had yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards for the 2019 general elections.

    Addressing journalists in Lafia, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Uthman Ajidagba, said that the 238,309 were among the 1,436,768 registered voters in the state.

    Ajidagba said that a total of 1,198,459 eligible voters in the state had already collected their PVCs.

    He said that 370,549 voters were registered in the recently suspended Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the state.

     Read Also: Nasarawa: PDP governorship candidate picks running mate

    The REC urged registered voters to visit INEC offices in the various local government areas to collect their cards in order to be qualified to vote for candidates of their choice on election day.

    He said that the recent Osun governorship election, where the margin between two leading contenders was very slim, was an eye opener that every vote matters in an election.

    Ajidagba charged the political parties to sensitive and mobilize their supporters to collect their PVCs.

    He also appealed to all registered voters in the state to go to their various polling units to verify the names on the voters register pasted there in order to effect necessary corrections.

  • INEC resident commissioner decries menace of vote buying

    The Kano state Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Riskuwa Arabu Shehu on Tuesday in Kano decried the menace of vote buying in the country’s political setting, calling on all stakeholders to join hand with INEC to fight the ugly trend.

    Professor Shehu who briefed newsmen shortly after stakeholders meeting with political party leaders at Mambayya House ahead of 2019 general election, said INEC has devised new strategy to ensure free and fair elections in 2019.

    According to him, “The menace of vote buying I s anew phenomenon that cropped up after it is clear that it is no longer easy to rig elections in Nigeria. INEC will do its possible best to ensure that nobody buys vote in the 2019 general elections.

    “It is very disheartening that somebody would sell his civic right to vote for good leaders, just for a peanut of N5000 or N10, 000. I urge the security agencies, media and politicians to help INEC fight this menace of vote buying. The general public should understand the implication of vote buying.”

    The INEC boss also lamented the issue of selling of Permanent Voters Card (PVC), particularly in Kano, stating that, “we heard the rumour of selling of PVCs in Kano. We have reported it to security agencies and we are not taking it lightly.”

    According to him,  over 688, 972 registered voters are yet to collect their Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC), out of 5, 459, 914 eligible voters who are supposed to participate in the 2019 elections in Kano state.

    He said the uncollected PVC as at 31st October, 2018, include the number of those registered in 2011, 2015 and 2017/2018 respectively.

    Prof. Shehu added that, “for those who registered from April, 2017 to date, we have 75, 798 registered voters who have already collected their PVC.

    “However, for those who registered from the second quarter of 2018 to 31st August, 2018, their PVC will soon be ready for collection, as we are still waiting  them to arrive from the headquarters.

    “Before 2015 elections, we had 4, 994, 913 registered voters who participated in the last general elections. Presently, we have 5, 459, 914 registered and eligible voters who are supposed to participate in the 2019 general elections.

    “But I must say that this figure is tentative because we are still cleaning the register to ascertain the number of people who are no longer here as a result of death, relocation or what have you. At the end of the day, the number may reduce.”

    He added that, “already, we have prepared the list of all the eligible voters whose PVCs are ready and they are yet to collect them.

    “We have decided to decentralize the distribution—we are now doing it Ward by Ward. We have already mobilized enough staff to be stationed across the 484 Wards in the state.

    “We are also engaging traditional rulers, opinion leaders, religious leaders, as well as the media for proper sensitization of the people on the need for them to collect their PVCs to enable them perform their civic responsibilities in the forthcoming general elections.”

    He further stated that about 74 candidates from 32 political parties are contesting for the three senatorial seats in Kano, while 401 candidates from 38 political parties are vying for 24 seats of the House of Representatives in the state.

     

     

  • Senior Staff of Statutory Corporations call on restraint towards 2019 elections

    Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) ended its meeting in Enugu with a call on politicians to exercise restraint as we enter the 2019 electioneering period.

    It said no human life is worth losing in the quest for power.

    In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the association advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain unbiased ‎as the umpire and ensure that the general elections were free, fair and credible.

    The communique signed by the national president, Comrade Muhammad Yunusa and the secretary, Comrade Ayo Olorunfemi also commended government’s efforts in fighting insecurity and criminality in the country.

    It, however, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to combat “the nefarious acts of herdsmen, kidnapping and Boko Haram insurgency in the country “.

    They frowned at the non-payment of workers salaries in the states despite the release of bailout funds and Paris Club refunds to them.
    ‎
    “We hereby call on state governments to as a matter of urgency pay salaries owed workers in order to ameliorate the sufferings and hardship being experienced by workers, ” the association demanded.

    The communique further states: “The NEC in session noted clearly that the present National Minimum wage has been eroded with the current inflation in the country. We hereby call on the government to immediately forward a Bill to the National Assembly on the proposed new minimum wage so as to ameliorate the economic hardship workers have been made to go through.

    “The NEC in session noted with dismay how government at all levels had abandoned the provision of potable drinking water for her citizens, we hereby call on governments to as a matter of urgency begin to resuscitate moribund water distribution networks in the country and fund the Water Corporations in the states.

    “The current poverty in the country is alarming and the need to curb this cannot be over emphasised. We call on governments at all levels to consciously create economic policies that will genuinely alleviate poverty in the land”.

  • PDP to Buhari: Present your certificate to INEC

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to show proof of his vaunted integrity by presenting his academic documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and put to an end his certificate saga.

    The main opposition party also urged President Buhari to fulfill his obligation like other presidential candidates, by presenting his certificate, if he has any, instead of bugging the commission with affidavits.

    A statement Friday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, accused the President of seeking ways to short-circuit the system, instead of complying with set rules.

    The party said while its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has submitted his educational and other relevant documents to INEC, President Buhari has continued to insist that his secondary school certificate was with the military authorities.

    The statement said, “Indeed, a situation where President Buhari has been dodging the certificate issue raises huge questions of integrity, which demands that he makes available his credentials, or apologise to Nigerians, if he has none, so that the nation can move ahead.

    “President Buhari knows by now that Nigerians are no longer interested in his claims in an affidavit wherein he stated; “I am the above-named person and the deponent of this affidavit herein. All my academic qualification documents as filled in my Presidential form, APC/001/2015 are currently with the Secretary of the Military Board as of the time of this affidavit”.

    The PDP maintained that integrity strictly demands that President Buhari, particularly as the Commander-In-Chief write to the military authorities directing them to forward his claimed credentials to INEC, as requisite evidence of compliance with a key requirement for election into the Office of the President, under Section 131 (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    “That President Buhari and the previous INEC succeeded in circumventing the law in 2015 does not make such acceptable in our current electoral process.

    “Moreover, President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) must realise that even their followers that were beguiled in 2015, are currently not prepared to accept ‘NEPA bill’ as WAEC certificate in the 2019 elections.

    “This is particularly as the certificate scandal contributes to the erosion of Mr. President’s rectitude to check the humongous corruption, ineptitude and recklessness among his officials which has brought the nation to its knees under his administration.

    “Furthermore, President Buhari’s failure to tidy up such grey areas also contributes to his inability to cultivate and earn the productive followership of the youth and the respect of the international community, resulting in retardation in national productivity and dearth of international development partnership in the last three and half years.

    “This situation has even been worsened by the revelations that President Buhari’s ministers and aides parade forged certificates.

    No country makes meaningful progress with persons with these educational pedigrees in its leadership.

    “The PDP, therefore, urges President Buhari to do the needful so as not to cause any frictions that will put INEC under further pressure ahead of the 2019 general elections”.