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Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

  • No extension of voter registration beyond Aug. 17 – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the Aug. 17 deadline for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will not be extended.

    The commission said the exercise would resume after the 2019 General Elections scheduled from Feb. 26 and March 2.

    Mr. Mohorret Bigun, Public Affairs Officer of INEC in Gombe told our reporter on Wednesday that the exercise would henceforth include weekends and public holidays to allow for more people to register beginning from Aug.1.

    Read Also:EFCC arraigns PDP chief, INEC officials for alleged N179.8m fraud

    He said INEC was not planning to extend the exercise beyond Aug. 17 as being anticipated in some quarters.

    “There will be no extension of ongoing registration beyond the Aug. 17 deadline. Those who are anticipating extension should go and
    register.

    “From Aug. 1, we are going to operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Sunday. This is to give room for those who are yet to turn up
    for the exercise.

    “We have been directed to suspend the registration of voters until the 2019 general elections are concluded,’’ Bigun said.

    He said the commission decided to suspend the exercise till next year to enable it to produce the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)
    for distribution.

    “The commission would not want to deny anyone the right to vote; hence the need to suspend the exercise temporarily to prepare
    for the general elections in 2019.’’

    According to him, 141,345 persons, comprising 55,407 (39 per cent) females and 85,947 (61 per cent) males have so far registered as at July 30.

    He appealed to those who were yet to register to take advantage of the adjustment in the timetable.

  • Election observer group okays Fayemi’s victory

    A local election observer group, Democracy Vanguard, has described last Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election as a better improvement over the previous ones conducted in the Fountain of Knowledge.

    It congratulated the Governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the good people of Ekiti for being violence-free while exercising their franchise.

    Read Also:I won’t disappoint Ekiti people, says Fayemi

    In a statement on Thursday signed by its State Coordinator, Yetunde Adeoluwa, the organization commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a free, fair, credible and conclusive election with an improvement over previous ones.

    Adeoluwa said: “The peaceful conduct of the INEC and Security agencies during the 14th July 2018 governorship election shows that our democratic process is improving.

    “There was no record of ballot snatching, rigging, violence or electoral malpractices, as it was experienced in 2007, while there was no security clampdown compared to 2014. This is highly commendable.

    “Despite the fact that the political situation was charged for violence during the campaign, the security agencies were highly coordinated and prevented attempts by some hoodlums to truncate the electoral process.

    The deployment of the 30,000 joint operatives of the Nigeria Police, DSS, Civil Defence, Military and other paramilitary was very effective.

    Adeoluwa advised the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, to accept defeat in good faith noting that “there is nothing to challenge in court.”

    She added: “We at Democracy Vanguard encourage the PDP candidate Prof. Kolapo Olusola to accept the result in the spirit of sportsmanship. There is nothing to challenge in court because the election was free, fair, credible, and conclusive.

    “Similarly, we congratulate the Governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi on his victory at the polls and also call on him to use his profound pro-democracy background in offering the good people of Ekiti state good governance, devoid of pauperized stomach infrastructure and
    restore the values of the state.”

    The Civil Society group reiterated the need for INEC and the police to “prosecute every electoral offender arrested during this election period in line with the law so as to serve as deterrent to others.”

  • 2019: Don wants INEC address vote buying

    A don, Dr Ehiyamen Osezua, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to put in place mechanisms to stop vote buying and other electoral malpractices ahead the 2019 General Elections.

    Osezua, an Associate Professor of Public Administration, University of Ilorin, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that unduly influencing voters’ choices contradicted ethics of democracy and good governance.

    He added that vote buying was contrary to the tenets of participatory governance.

    Read Also:INEC set to fill Senate, other vacancies, says Yakubu

    “He who buys your vote is likely to replenish the source of the funds expended to sway these votes in his favour before thinking of the needs of the electorate and that of society.

    “Vote buying is a crime that should be eradicated from our political system, else our democracy will never be able to guarantee delivery of good governance.

    “By now, almost 20 years of democratic rule in this republic, politicians ought not to have the temerity to buy votes, and voters, the impudence to collect for votes,’’ he said.

    Okezua told NAN that governance failure had roots in the tendency of political parties to sway voters through monetary inducements and empty promises.

    He said that the psychology of members of the electorate had also been to believe in selling their votes, in the thought that good governance might not be a priority for election candidates.

    “The Electoral Tribunal needs to make an example of a party that indulges in vote buying if the person challenging its victory establishes that.

    “It will serve to make others avoid giving money to get votes which is wrong by every standard,’’ he said.

    NAN reports that many political commentators and election observers alleged that vote buying characterised Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Ekiti.

  • Fayemi gets certificate of return

    Ekiti State Governor-elect Dr Kayode Fayemi has promised not to disappoint the people of the state who gave him the mandate in Saturday’s governorship election.

    Fayemi made the promise on Wednesday shortly after he was presented with the Certificate of Return as the governor-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    National Commissioner in charge of Oyo, Ekiti and Osun States, Prince Adedeji Soyebi, presented Fayemi with the Certificate of Return at a ceremony held at state INEC Headquarters, New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti.

    Read Also:Fayemi will justify confidence reposed in him – Ondo APC

    Deputy Governor-elect Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi also received his Certificate of Return at the event. Fayemi and Egbeyemi were joined by their wives, Bisi and Margaret, respectively.

    Other dignitaries who witnessed the presentation are Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, Senator Fatimat Raji Rasaki; state APC Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe; Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bello
    Ahmed; State Director of DSS, Mrs. Promise Iheanacho; Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. Solomon Iyamu and heads of federal agencies in the state.

    The certificates presented to Fayemi and Egbeyemi were signed by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. The governor-elect and the deputy governor-elect also signed the documents.

    APC leaders and members chanted their party slogan: “APC Change! APC Change!! APC Change!!! as Fayemi collected his certificate at 11.30 am.

    Speaking after he was presented with the document which authenticates his status as governor-elect, Fayemi said the people of Ekiti State will enjoy the benefit of good governance as from October 16 when he takes over the reins of power.

    The governor-elect commended the electoral agency for doing what he described as an “excellent job” of conducting the governorship poll.

    Contrary to the claim of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Fayemi affirmed that the election which returned him as winner was “seamless, free, fair, credible and violence-free.”

    There was a massive security build-up along New Iyin Road and the vicinity of INEC office as people streaming to the place were frisked before being allowed entry.

    Security was provided by officers and men of the Nigerian Army, the Police, the Department of State Services (DSS).

    A Police helicopter was hovering over the INEC office throughout the time the ceremony lasted.

    The governor-elect noted that INEC should be commended for conducting a process of 14 steps which culminated in the presentation of the Certificate of Return.

    Fayemi stressed that INEC did a yeoman’s job in delivering the election in a credible and professional manner despite fears being expressed in the build-up to the poll.

    The former Minister of Mines and Steel Development also commended the security agencies for providing security back-up which gave the electorate confidence to come out and exercise their franchise.

    Fayemi hailed the APC National Working Committee (NWC) led by the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the State Executive Committee led by the State Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe.

    He also expressed his appreciation to the traditional rulers for the stabilizing roles played in the run-up to the election and everybody that contributed to the success of the election.

    He said: “For INEC, the work has just ended and for us, the work has just started. We have a responsibility not to disappoint our people.

    “Ekiti people will see the benefit of good governance by the grace of God as from October 16.”

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. AbdulGaniy Raji, expressed delight that the election was held despite the tension that preceded it.

    Raji commended the people of Ekiti State for the maturity displayed before during and after the election which he was successful.

    He said with the conduct of the poll, Ekiti is moving higher and expressed hope that futures elections to be conducted in the state will be successful.

    Speaking earlier, INEC National Commissioner Soyebi noted that the presentation of Certificate of Return marked the end of the process of the Ekiti governorship election.

    Soyebi who described Ekiti as a homogenous state urged the people of the state to continue being one another’s brother’s keepers.

    He said: “Today marks the end of the (governorship) election in Ekiti State on the part of the Commission which is the presentation of Certificates of Return to the governor-elect and the deputy governor-elect.

    “If there are issues arising from the election, there is another arm of government that will take care of that. This is another important day in the history of the state.

    “On behalf of the Commission, I congratulate everybody. Ekiti has pointed the way forward in conducting elections in Nigeria.”

  • Ekiti politicians were clever in vote buying, INEC

    …says Osun electorates more sophisticated

     

     

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that politicians in Ekiti developed several clever means to buy votes in last Saturday’s governorship elections.

    It however stated that security agents did well to respond to several issues sent to them during the conduct of the elections.

    Read Also:Ekiti election: INEC dares Olusola to head for court

    National Commissioner of INEC and Chair, Legal Services Committee, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, who spoke to journalists in Bénin City, said the commission is taking the issue of vote buying very serious.

    Mrs. May stated that the electoral body was already looking at ways to curbing vote buying during elections.

    May however said adequate enlightenment and education of the electorate should be carried out to make them understand on the need to make their counts and not about money.

    She said the Osun governorship polls would be smooth because ‘Osun electorates are more sophisticated that Ekiti.’

    According to her, “INEC is taking issue of vote buying very seriously. I am just coming as part of the Supervising National Commissioner for Ekiti and these things occur.

    “We are having another conference on electoral offences. Vote buying is another electoral offence and we are looking at ways to curb it. Politicians keep trying their best. Politicians were clever in Ekiti. They have ingenious ways to sort themselves out. We will go back and review it and see how we can stop vote buying with the best of our ability.

    “Security agencies were not involved in the two local governments I supervised. Security agencies did well in Ekiti.

    “We have to continue to enlighten and educate our electorate. It is to educate our people for them to realize that their votes count and not all about money.”

  • Ekiti election: Motor parks busy as passengers travel home

    Motor parks in Ado-Ekiti on Friday became beehive of activity with eligible voters travelling out of the state Ekiti state capital to travel to their different homes to ‎cast their votes in the July 14 governorship election in the state.

    It was gathered it that the popular Ilesa Park, Old Garage Park, and Ikere park all located in Ado-Ekiti were filled with passengers, most of who are voters.

    Investigations showed that few buses were available to convey voters and other passengers as most of the buses had been booked by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Read Also:Ekiti 2018: Voters receive cash, gifts from ‘politicians’

    One of the commercial drivers, Mr. Omololu Gbenga who spoke to the media, a lot of people had been traveling to their ‎ homes to vote in the exercise as early as 8 a.m.

    He explained that the voters were traveling because most of them registered in their towns.

    “I have been travelling ‎to Oye, Efon and Aramoko since morning and most of my passengers are those clamouring to visit their towns to vote.

    “I pray this election is conducted free and fair because our people are suffering and we need to vote for the right leader,” he said.

    Another commercial driver, Mr. Omolade Tayo, said most of the passengers were interested in traveling to their towns to vote and collect money from some of the politicians.

    He said virtually all the motor parks in Ado-Ekiti had been busy ‎but that transport fare had not increased.

    Mr Ogundare Bisi, also a commercial driver, said he had more passengers traveling to their various towns to participate in the election either as observers or as an electorate.

    A passenger, Mrs Owolabi Folasade, who also spoke with NAN, said she decided to travel to her hometown to cast her vote for the governorship candidate of her choice.

    Other passengers said they decided to travel to their homes to participate in the exercise because they did not want to be disenfranchised.

    NAN

  • Breaking: Court nullifies Imo APC Ward, LG Congresses

    …orders fresh congress

     

    A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital Thursday nullified the Ward and Local Government Congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State.

    The presiding Judge, Justice Lewis Allagoa, in his ruling that lasted for about two hours, held that APC Ward and Local Government Congresses were never held in the state in the first place.

    He therefore ordered the party to conduct fresh Ward congresses in the state in line with the guidelines of the party, “they should go back and conduct fresh Congresses in accordance with the constitutions of the party; they should be responsible and save our democracy.

    Read Also:Imo APC Ward Congress characterized by confusion, controversies – INEC

    The Judge in his ruling observed that The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which is the body mandated by the Electoral Act to supervise primaries and Congresses of political parties in their report attached as exhibit by the Plaintiffs, affirmed that APC Congresses were not held in the state.

    Justice Allagoa in his ruling dismissed the argument of Counsel to the Defendants that the Plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to challenge the conduct of the Ward Congresses in the state.

    He ruled that the Plaintiffs having established the fact that they are members of the party and Ward Chairmen have the locus standi to challenge the outcome of the Ward Congresses.

    Justice Allagoa in also dismissed the argument by Counsel to the second and eight defendant, Kelvin Nwufor (SAN) that the Plaintiffs did not get leave of Court to serve the defendants outside the jurisdiction of the Court, stating that the Federal High has one jurisdiction.

    He therefore granted the Plaintiffs’ prayers that the Court declare as null and void results purported to have emanated from APC Ward Congress in the state as the Congress never held across the state.

    The Plaintiffs who are APC Ward Chairmen in the Originating Summon in the Suit with Suit No FHC/OW/CS/69/2018 had prayed the Court among other reliefs to issue an Order of injunction restraining the defendants by themselves, agents, or privies from announcing or declaring or making reference to non-existing results of the ward congress purportedly claimed to have been released by them as results of the inconclusive ward congress.”

    The defendants in the Suit include the immediate past APC National Organizing Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, the State Chairman of the party, Chief Hilary Eke, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others.

  • INEC expresses worries over 7m uncollected PVCs

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed worries over the number of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    According to Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, there are seven million (7million) PVCs yet to be collected, while about ten million (10million) fresh registrants have just been added to the voter register.

    Read Also:563, 051 PVCs collected in Ekiti – INEC

    Yakubu fear that by the time the PVCs of the fresh registrants are available, there will be about 17 million waiting for collection.

    He therefore challenged the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to focus on how to mobilize the people to collect their voter card.

    “We need to focus attention on the collection of the available PVCs. We have about 7 million uncollected and the ongoing registration is going about 10 million, so we would end up with17 million PVCs.

    “So we should focus attention at this point on the collection of the PVC,” he added.

  • Ekiti 2018: PDP, APC overheating Ekiti ahead of poll, Says SDP candidate

    Says party will transform Ekiti

    The candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ekiti State, Mr Akinloye Ayegbusi has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of overheating the state ahead of July 14 governorship election.

    The SDP candidate noted that the two parties have engaged each other’s  in war of attrition raising false accusations and counter accusations rather than tell the electorates what they have in stock for them.

    Ayegbusi caution the APC and the PDP to stop dragging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into their messy war, and face their campaign based on issues.

    Ayegbusi who stated this as the ward-to-ward campaign of the SDP moved to communities in Ekiti East Local Government Area, said that the mandate he is seeking is not for self, saying that God has blessed him already.

    He said that he threw his heart into the political ring to help to liberate the people from poverty and untold hardship occasioned by the misrule of the APC and the PDP administrations.

    Some of the communities the campaign team of SDP reached included Omuo, Isinbode and Ilasa where Ayegbusi canvassed for votes.

    The first port of call was Isinbode where the SDP candidate paid homage to the monarch, the Onisin, Oba Emmanuel Adeyemi. He appealed to the royal father to support the SDP for the much desired dividend of democracy to reach the community.

    Read Also: Ekiti 2018: INEC distributes non-sensitive materials

    He charged the people of the area to think of their future before casting their votes, noting that their future lies in the SDP government which will bring back prosperity to Ekiti state.

    The Onisin later prayed for Ayegbusi success at the coming poll. He urged his followers to embrace peace before and during the election.

    At Omuo, huge crowd welcomed Ayegbusi from Kota axis of the town. The SDP candidate immediately moved to the palace to paid homage to the Olomuo, Oba

    Noah Omonigbehin. He expressed happiness with the show of support by the crowd.

    At Ilasa, the residents converged in front of the palace of the Alasa to welcome Ayegbusi who urged them to vote SDP which has come with a rescue mission. He said a vote for SDP is a vote for employment, poverty reduction and social welfare for elderly.

    “That the  people of Ekiti East local government trooped out in large number to welcome us today, is a testimony to the fact that people are ready to liberate themselves from the bad governance foisted on them.

    “Our plan for this community, as a border town, if you vote for us in July 14, is to create infrastructures that will aide trade between this community and the neighboring states.,” he said.

  • My detention was dirty politics, says Abaribe

    The Senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe has said that his arrest and detention by the Department of State Services (DSS) was part of the “dirty politics” being played by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Abaribe, who was at the national secretariat of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday, observed that the entire National Assembly was under siege, adding that members are being hunted by the executive arm.

    Saying that the 2019 election will be a decisive factor for governance in the country, the senator warned that the actions and inactions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will have effect on whether Nigeria will continue to exist after the elections.

    The Senator was released on Tuesday after spending five days in DSS detention.

    Read Also:Abaribe gets bail, says lawyer

    According to him, the government will always find a reason to detain its political foes as a result of loss of confidence among the Nigerian people.

    Abaribe said, “All that they are doing now is nothing but intimidation and trying to make sure those strong voices and voices that are saying that enough is enough, they will like to silence.

    “The National Assembly, of which I am a very proud member, is now besieged. Yesterday it was the Senate President sponsoring armed robbers, the other day, it was Dino Melaye sponsoring some gun runners, the other day it was Shehu Sani sponsoring murderers.

    “Today, my own is sponsoring terrorism. And so everybody should get ready. They will find something that they will hang on your head”.

    The lawmaker thanked the leadership of the PDP for the support he received during his ordeal.

    “Where we are today in Nigeria, I can only make one recommendation to Nigerians. And that recommendation is: get your PVCs ready because we have to vote out this government.

    “There is no other way we can do it because as you can see, this government is descending into tyranny.

    “And when I was arrested and I was taken to my house for it to be searched, in the warrant of arrest for the search of my house, what they said was that I was a sponsor of terrorism.

    “And I wanted to know subsequently how I would sponsor terrorism and they put there in bracket that I was aiding and sponsoring a proscribed organisation ‘IPOB’.

    “And so, everybody in Nigeria knows that I signed the bail bond for Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB. And if signing the bail bond means that I am now a sponsor of IPOB, what it means also is that every Nigerian should be ready.

    “And so, I believe that when people are challenged and confronted historically at defining moments for the nation like we have today, they will rise up to expectation”.