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Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

  • 2019: N/Assembly joint committee okays N143bn election budget

    A National Assembly joint committee has okayed the N143 billion component of the N189 billion requested by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    Rising from a meeting at the National Assembly complex in Abuja Monday, the lawmakers said they chose to adopt the N143 billion as presented to the federal legislature by President Muhammadu Buhari in July.

    Read Also:Furore over INEC’s N198bn election budget proposal

    Citing funding constraint, the President had, in his letter to the legislature, asked the lawmakers to first consider the N143 and wait for the remaining N45 billion to be co-opted into the 2019 national budget.

    Going by the electoral commission’s schedule for the 2019 elections, the N143 billion ought to have hit INEC’s coffers by August 15, to meet up with a minimum of 180 days to the first round of election (February 16, 2019).

    The INEC had, during previous deliberations, pleaded with the joint committee to process the entire N189 billion at once, citing the usual delay in the passage of the annual national budget.

    But the lawmakers had countered that doing so would overshoot the 2018 budget template, stating however, that the executive could as well present the N45 billion through supplementary budget as soon as possible.

    Speaking after a closed door session that lasted about 40 minutes, the chairman of the panel, Senator Suleiman Nazif, called on the INEC to prioritise its expenditure schedule on the N143 billion.

    Nazif said, “The joint committee sat and has come up with the resolution to adopt the N143 billion presented by Mr. President.

    “It is also the wish of this committee that INEC present their budget of N143 billion as requested by Mr. President.

    “Therefore, INEC has an opportunity to prioritise its expenditure on the N143 billion and this committee is ready to receive them tomorrow.

    “This committee will be reconvening tomorrow (today) by 1pm so that we can consider the presentation by INEC”.

  • 2019: INEC to re-design polling units to curb vote buying

    Mr Mustapha Lecky, the South South Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the commission would redesign the structures of all polling units to curb vote buying during the 2019 general election.

    Lecky disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Auchi, in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo, on Monday.

    Read Also:NASS joint committee meets again over INEC 2019 budget

    “We are taking measures to ensure that it would be difficult for political parties and their candidates to buy votes.

    “We are going to re-design our polling area in such a way that people cannot exhibit their ballot and show it to people in order to collect money.

    “So those kind of structural re-design of the polling area is what we are going to do,” he said.

    Lecky urged the media to expose political parties and candidates found engaging in vote buying during the election, to enable INEC prosecute the culprits.

    “We need the media to help us reveal those who are buying votes and call them to order.

    “We are not yet apprehending them, that is the work of the police, but we can provide information to prosecute them; the needed investigation will be done by the police,” he said.

    On the establishment of more polling units, Lecky said the INEC would create additional polling units after the elections as doing so now would be misinterpreted by politicians.

    He said however that the commission would decongest polling units and create voting points close to the original polling unit.

    “Unfortunately, we are not going to create them before the 2019 election because it is very political.

    “Even before we start to gather information so that we can take a decision, people are already saying that INEC has created 30,000 polling units and distributed some to some parts of the country to the detriment of other parts of the country, so it becomes very political.

    “We don’t want to have that as part of our burden ahead of 2019 election.

    “I am sure after the 2019 election there will be sanity, we will then take time to study all the things we have collated and go about the issue of creating more polling units, but not before 2019 election.

    “We can decongest a polling unit and create a voting points not far away from the mother polling units, that is much we can do, but actual polling unit would be after the election,” he said.

    The INEC national commissioner appealed to the National Assembly to pass the commission’s budget to enable it access funds for the conduct of the general election.

    “We are praying that the National Assembly will have a change of heart and go ahead and pass the budget as quickly as possible, because we are running at a critical stage now.

    “We need the funds to be able to do what we need to do, we are now in August and it will be September very soon and we don’t have a budget that is a serious matter.

    “Nigerians should go ahead and help us appeal to National Assembly to do the best they can to pass the budget so that we can have funds to run,” he said.

  • Osun 2018: INEC presents voters’ register to political parties

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday presented soft copies of voters’ register for the Sept.22 Osun governorship election to the 38 political parties participating in the election.

    Mr Segun Agbaje, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun, presented the register to the representatives of political parties at the INEC office in Osogbo.

    Agbaje said that some political parties had approached him to collect the register individually, but he insisted that the copies must be distributed to all the parties at the same time.

    He said the presentation of the register was in line with INEC’s guidelines, urging the political parties to call the commission’s attention to any wrong they discovered after going through the document.

    He assured the parties of INEC’s neutrality, advising them to promptly report any officer of the commission found culpable of wrong doing, including himself, to the national headquarters of the electoral body.

    Agbaje gave the parties the details of the efforts INEC had made in the compilation of the register in order to ensure a successful election in the state.

    The resident electoral commissioner appealed to the representatives of the political parties to inform the electorate about the importance of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) during the election.

    “As we speak, majority of the non-sensitive materials that would be used for the conduct of the election have been received from INEC headquarters, Abuja, and distributed to INEC offices across the state.

    “Furthermore, a total of 1,152,773 PVCs have been collected by their owners out of 1,668,524 received in the state, leaving a balance of 515,751 as at Aug.17.

    “It is important for you to help us to inform the people on the need to collect their PVCs during your campaigns and rallies, because without PVC, nobody would be allowed to vote.” he said.

    Mr Adedeji Shoyebi, INEC National Commissioner in charge of Oyo, Osun and Ekiti said the presentation was to enable them verify the voters and fish out underage persons and foreigners included in the list.

    He said that it was sad that over 500,000 PVCs had yet to be collected out of the over 1.6 million produced for registered voters in the state.

    He said that meant that about one-third of voters in the state had yet to collect their PVCs and might not vote during the election.

    Shoyebi warned that the commission would not tolerate vote-buying and violence during exercise.

    The national commissioner warned that anyone caught in the act of violence or inducing voters with money would face the full wrath of the law.

    He, however, advised the political parties to call on the electorate yet to collect their PVCs to do so, urging them to also sensitise their members, especially the youths, to eschew violence during the election.

  • Eid-el-Kabir: Etsu Nupe urges District heads to mobilise subjects to get PVC

    The Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar has urged District heads and other stakeholders in the area to mobilise their subjects to register in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) to enable them exercise their right during the 2019 general elections and beyond.

    Alhaji Abubakar made the call in his Eid-el-Kabir Sallah message to the people in Bida praying ground on Tuesday.

    The Etsu Nupe and Chairman Niger state Council of Chiefs says the Permanent Voter Card ( PVC), is the only power the electorate can use  to vote the credible candidates of their choices, ”The PVC is a very potent weapon to either vote in or vote out any candidates seeking to occupy any elective offices.

    “Without it, one would not be able to exercise his due constitutional responsibility of casting his or her vote in the nation’s electoral process.”

    Read Also: Eid-el-Kabir: Peace remains most critical need – Ishaku

    The Monarch therefore admonished the people of the state and indeed Nigerians to strive to collect the PVCs as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is still distributing the cards .

    He reiterated the importance of the voter card, saying it could not be over-emphasised in the socio-economic development of the country, hence the need for eligible sons and daughters of the area to register.

    He added that “as the nation’s general elections draw closer, I appeal to village heads, district heads and other stakeholders to mobilize eligible voters to register and get their voter cards so as not to get disenfranchised in the 2019 general elections and beyond.

    Abubakar then appealed to Nigerians to shun all acts capable of breaching peace and unity calling on Muslims across the country to use the opportunity provided by the Eid- el-Kabir celebration to rebuild the fabric of national unity and reaffirm Nigeria’ s common destiny as an indivisible entity .

    The Royal Father called on citizens to build bridges of brotherhood to harness the benefits of earthly life and the ultimate purpose of the nation’s unity.

     

  • Why Buhari must sign Electoral Bill now, says Falana

    Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to “urgently” sign the 2018 Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law.

    Falana said if the president signs the bill now, whatever modifications the bill seeks to make to Nigeria’s election sequence, would not affect the 2019 elections.

    This, according to him, is because an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Protocol, to which the country is a signatory, bars Nigeria from modifying electoral laws six months to elections unless certain conditions are met.

    Early this year, President vetoed the bill passed by both chambers of the National Assembly on the grounds that it contained certain provisions which were inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.

    The lawmakers then expunged the said provisions and passed a new bill, which has been transmitted to the President for assent.

    Falana said he was compelled to call on the President to sign the bill into law in view of the fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the 2019 elections will commence in February 2019.

    He said: “In making this call, the attention of the President ought to be drawn to Article 2(1) of the Economic Community of West African States Protocol A/SP1/12/01 on Democracy and Good Governance which provides that:

    ‘No substantial modification shall be made to the Electoral Laws in the last six (6) months before the elections, except with the consent of majority of political actors.’

    Falana noted that the ECOWAS Court had ruled that all the member states of the ECOWAS are bound by the provisions of the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.

    Read also: 3rd Mainland bridge to be shut down for four days

    He added: “Since the modification made to the 2010 Electoral Act is substantial, the Bill cannot be passed in less than six months to the 2019 General Election.

    “Since Nigeria is legally obliged to comply with the said Protocol, President Buhari, who is the current Chairman of the ECOWAS, should ensure that the Electoral Bill 2018 is assented to without any further delay.”

  • Rivers by-election: APC hails electorate for defending their votes

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has applauded Rivers State electorate for bravely defending their votes despite the violence and snatching of electoral materials at last Saturday’s by-election.
    The APC in a statement issued by Mr Yekini Nabena, its National Publicity Secretary, on Sunday in Abuja, however, alleged that the violence was perpetrated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
    “Nigerians will recall how the PDP speaking through its national spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan last Tuesday vowed to deploy all means, schemes, shenanigans in all ramification and magnitude to rig all coming election.
    “While we condemn the PDP-sponsored violence and failed attempt to rig the by-election, the APC calls on the Rivers state electorate and indeed all Nigerians to continue to stand their ground,”the statement said.
    It also called on the electorates to resist any attempt to rig elections in the country, saying that votes must count and that people’s will must prevail in all elections.
    The statement called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and relevant security agencies to deal anyone involved in rigging in the forthcoming general election.

    Read also:PDP wins Taraba assembly by-election

    The  by-election to fill the vacant positions in the Port Harcourt State Constituency III had been suspended by INEC, following cases of violence and electoral malpractice that characterised the exercise.

    Mr Obo Effanga, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Rivers, who announced the suspension on Saturday night, cited widespread violence as reasons.

    The by-election was conducted by INEC to fill the vacancy left by Victor Ihunwo, now Chairman, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area.

    Effanga stated that because the exercise was marred by widespread violence, it was suspended in accordance with Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2010.

    “INEC has decided to suspend the election forthwith,’’ he had said.

  • PDP wins Taraba assembly by-election

    The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Garba Ahiya has won Saturday’s Takum 1 state constituency by-election into Taraba House of Assembly.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election was to fill the vacant seat of the late Hosea Ibi, member of the Assembly, who was kidnapped on Dec. 31, 2017 and murdered by his abductors in January 2018.

    Dr Ayuba Kwada, the returning officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced the results on Saturday night in Takum.

    Kwada said Ajiya of PDP won five of the six constituency’s ward with a total vote of 10,725 to emerge winner, while candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Mr Atem Ansho polled a total vote of 3,268 with one ward.

    He disclosed that nine political parties participated, while results from nine polling units in Chanchanji ward were cancelled due to irregularities.

    According to him, “The total number of vote cast was 14,717; total number of valid votes was 14,337 while 380 votes were rejected.”

    Reacting to the election result, Gov Darius Ishaku of Taraba, described the process as a litmus test for the 2019 general elections in the state.

    He noted that the victory margin could have been wider if all those that turned out to exercise their franchise had their Permanent Voters Cards, (PVCs).

    Read also: Police order beef-up of security in Ekiti

    Ishaku, who commended the peaceful conduct of the election, restated the need for state police to permanently tackle insecurity.

    “The country will be more efficient with pronounced secuty if it adopts state policing just like the United States of America where our democracy took it roots.”

    The candidate of the APC has, however, rejected the outcome of the by-election.

    He alleged that collation were still ongoing in some wards when hired thugs forced electoral officers to leave some polling units to other destinations and changed the results.

    Ansho, however, said he was in talks with his lawyers for advice on the next course of action.

  • I’ll restructure Nigeria – Makarfi

    Ex-Kaduna Governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi has vowed to restructure the country if elected as president in next year’s election.

    Makarfi said his commitment to restructuring is not mere political talk, insisting that there must be a way to restructure the country and its agencies including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) such that political parties are represented in the commission.

    Read Also:How PDP will win in 2019 – Makarfi

    He said as governor of Kaduna State, he was the architect of the first national conference under former president Olusegun Obasanjo, adding however that so many vital areas which were classified as no go areas, were shot out.

    Makarfi who spoke Tuesday during a meeting with Delta PDP members denied that he is aspiring to the position of president because he was once the national chairman of the caretaker committee.

    He said, “I am not an opportunist, I am not coming out to be president because you once appointed national chairman of the caretaker committee. People may have forgotten that I was to succeed Obasanjo in 2007.”

    Continuing, “After we had gone round and I was ahead on the ballot, for some reasons, somebody far behind me on the ballot was selected. Some people were not happy but I agreed to withdraw from the race in the interest of the party and the country.

    “They didn’t believe that I was withdrawing, and the president then asked for a formal letter of withdrawal which I tendered in three days. I did that to ensure smooth transition from one civilian government to the other.

    “That didn’t stop me; I became the leader of the presidential campaign for South-West. And they made a lot of promises to me but were not fulfilled; again I remained loyal to the party.”

    According to the presidential hopeful, political leaders are not associated with so much money before they emerge as president of the country from the onset.

    He said Tafawa Balewa, Shehu Shagari, Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and even President Muhammadu Buhari never paraded so much wealth before they were elected presidents at various times in the nation’s history.

    “They often underrate us but we have always performed excellently in any task given to us. That is how you know who is capable. We are focused and can never be distracted.

    “When I was running for governorship in 1998, all the big politicians were against me, saying I didn’t have enough money but political leadership is not determined by how much you have.

    “Having too much money is a distraction to the public service you are expected to render when you are elected,” he said.

    He added that he was confident that the PDP will present a credible candidate that all the stakeholders including traditional rulers, religious leaders and all class of the citizenry can feel comfortable with when voted into office.

    In addition to restructuring, Makarfi said if elected, he would address the dearth of infrastructure, noting that he has decided to be going on his nationwide consultation by road to “feel what Nigerians are feeling.”

    He also promised to address insecurity and create an environment for the economy to thrive; pointing out that education, tackling unemployment and poverty reduction will occupy top priority in his administration.

    Responding, the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa described the presidential hopeful as very grounded about the issues affecting the country having held various positions as governor, senator and national chairman of the party at a time the PDP was in turmoil.

    He said Makarfi was able to manage the turbulent era of the PDP and made it a beautiful bride that is now being sort after, just as he affirmed that Makarfi was a good and honest party man.

     

  • 2019 Elections: Commissioner urges residents to collect PVCs

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr Abdul Hakeem AbfulLateef, has urged residents to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) so as not to be  disenfranchised in the 2019 general elections.

    Addressing residents on the importance of the PVC at the Ejigbo Mini Stadium in Lagos on Sunday, AbdullLateef said that reports from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) indicated that a lot of PVCs had yet to be collected.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that continuous voter registration would end across the country on Aug.17, according to INEC election time-table.

    AbdulLateef, who is the convener of ‘Yepe Support Group’, an arm of “Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko’ Foundation, urged residents to collect their PVCs which he described as their “power to do and undo”.

    He also appealed to residents to support Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode’s bid for a second term in office.

    “Lagosians must prove to all Nigerians that we are ready to develop a common attitude toward the forthcoming gubernatorial election in 2019.

    “We have experienced a governor who has integrated execution into strategy by doing more than he says.

    “A governor who follows the tenets of good governance, rule of law, constitutional democracy, and all inclusive governance.

    “We are not ready to change a winning team. We must be united regardless of our political parties and ideological differences in coming together to allow Akinwunmi Ambode complete the massive infrastructural renewal which are visible in all sectors throughout the five divisions of Lagos State.

    “This will encourage future governors to do well, knowing fully well that Lagosians are reasonable people who will always put their political differences aside as a mark of respect for a selfless and hardworking governor like Akinwunmi Ambode, ” AbdulLateef said.

    In his remark, the Chairman of Ejigbo LCDA, Mr Monsurudeen Bello, assured residents that security operatives would be deployed to the voter registration centres to ensure orderliness.

  • APC wins Lokoja/Kogi bye-election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of Saturday’s bye-election for the Lokoja/Kogi Federal constituency.

    The Returning Officer, Prof. Rotimi Ajayi of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), who announced the outcome of the exercise in the early hours of Sunday, at the LG INEC Headquarter, Lokoja, declared the APC candidate, Haruna Isah winner, “haven satisfied the requirements of the Electoral Act”.

     

    Details of the result are as follows :

    Kogi/Koton-Karfe LG

    Registered voters: 47505

    Votes cast: 20,304

    Accredited voters: 21115

    Rejected votes: 581

    Parties and their scores

    Accord – 31

    ADC – 977

    APC -11078

    DA – 47

    MPN -10

    NCP – 39

    PDP – 7094

    SDP – 4033

     

    LOKOJA LG

    Registered voters: 10,5965

    Votes cast: 29,732

    Accredited voters: 30,554

    Valid votes: 28,442

    Rejected votes: 1,290

     

    Parties and their scores:

     

    Accord – 118

    ADC – 2,007

    APC – 15,782

    DA – 110

    LP – 76

    MPN – 40

    NCP – 75

    PDP – 7,751

    SDP – 2,483

     

    Final results for the federal constituency 

    Registered voters – 15,3470

    Accredited voters – 51,669

    Valid votes – 48,165

    Votes cast – 50,036

    Rejected voters – 1,871

    Total votes cancelled as a result of violence – 19,960

     

    Parties and their scores 

    Accord – 149

    ADC – 2,984

    APC – 26,860

    DA – 159

    LP – 90

    MPN – 50

    PDP – 14,845

    SDP – 2,916