The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

  • Breaking: INEC declares PDP winner in all Zamfara elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared People’s Democratic Party(PDP) candidates winners in the Governorship, and National Assembly elections in Zamfara state.

    The commission also declared National Rescue Movement (NRM) winner for a State Assembly seat.

    Read Also: 2019 polls: APC suffers reverses in Zamfara

    The electoral body said it will issue Certificates of Return to the Governorship and National Assembly winners on Monday.

    State Assembly members-elect will get their Certificates of Return on Friday 31st May 2019.

     

    Details shortly…

  • Bayelsa pleads for change of election date

    The Bayelsa State government and stakeholders have raised issues over the November 2 governorship election date fixed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The stakeholders stormed INEC headquarters in Abujaon Tuesday to plead with the commission to change the date because it clashes with its yearly thanksgiving.

    The delegation was led by Deputy Governor Rear Admiral John Jonah.

    INEC fixed November 2 for governorship election in Kogi and Bayelsa States. A statement by the National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said the decision was taken at the end of its April 9 meeting.

    But the Bayelsa state government said November 2 may not be convenient for the election because of the state’s annual thanksgiving programme. The programme, according to Jonah, has the backing of the law and has been held in the last seven years.

    Jonah said November 2 has been sacred to the state since its creation in 1996. He added that a bill was signed into law to make the day a thanksgiving and work-free day.

    He said: “It will not be out of place for us to plead with INEC. It is on this note that the governor selected key stakeholders to make this plea that you consider the election date. Any other day outside this date will be good for us; this is our plea.”

    INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said the request will be tabled at the commission’s next meeting within the week, and the decision taken will be communicated to the government on May 17.

    Yakubu also promised that the commission will conduct credible elections.

    Read Also: Bayelsa, NIWA bicker over wreck removal

    He said: “I welcome you all to this meeting on the request of the Bayelsa State stakeholders, led by the deputy governor. We maintain an open door policy, and stakeholders are free to request for audience with the commission on any matter they consider important for the improvement of our electoral process.

    “The commission fixed November 2 for the elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States. Shortly after the release of the timetable, we received a letter from the Bayelsa State government that November 2 of every year has been designated as Thanksgiving Day and so is a work-free day. The government has appealed to the commission to reconsider the date for this reason.

    “Today, the stakeholders are here to further reiterate their appeal. We have listened to you. At the next meeting, your appeal will be examined and the commission’s decision will be announced on Friday.

    “May I seize this opportunity to appeal to stakeholders in Bayelsa and Kogi States to ensure that the elections are devoid of hate speeches, intimidation, vote-buying, violence (bombing and arson that led to the destruction of election materials and INEC facilities in the last elections) and other sundry violations of the law.

    “I urge you to appeal to your supporters to ensure that the creeks and waterways, hills and forests, urban and rural areas, the polling units and collation centres are free of thugs.

    “For our part, the commission is committed to a free, fair and credible process. We will deploy early, adhere to our guidelines and regulations and ensure a transparent and prompt collation and declaration of results…”

  • Presidential election tribunal: Protesters ask Bulkachuwa to rescue self

    Secretariat workers at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have called on the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa to recuse herself from Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.

    The workers, who staged a protest at the party’s Abuja national secretariat on Monday, called on Bulkachuwa to withdraw from the tribunal on moral grounds.

    According to them, with her husband as senator-elect on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bulkachuwa cannot maintain neutrality as head of the tribunal.

    The workers’ call is coming against the backdrop of the ongoing election petition filed by the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar challenging the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC in the February 23 presidential election.

    Some of the placards displayed by the workers read, “Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa: You cannot preside over your own case, your husband is a senator-elect under the APC; “Justice is not for the most powerful, it must be seen to be right and done; and “On moral grounds, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa recuse yourself from the presidential tribunal”.

    Read Also: Buhari vs Atiku: Tribunal warns against comments

    The workers maintained that the inclusion of Bulkachuwa in the panel of jurists has eroded their confidence in the tribunal.

    The chairman of the PDP Staff Welfare Association, Mr. Innocent Nwankwo who led the workers’ protest, insisted that Atiku Awon the February 23 presidential election but that he was robbed of victory by the ruling party.

    Nwankwo also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of bias in the conduct of the election, adding that Atiku cannot reclaim his mandate as long as Justice Bulkachuwa remained a member of the tribunal.

    They vowed never to allow some individuals in the country to hijack the collective will of majority of Nigerians, adding that Nigerians are tired of the “misrule” of the APC and its presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Nwankwo said, “We are tired of the state of insecurity in the country; we are tired of the poor state of our economy; we are tired of this nepotic government; we are tired of the situation where majority of our citizens are living in lDP camps as if we are in a state of war. Nigerians are tired”.

  • Rising insecurity: Sack all Service Chief now, ADP tells Buhari

    Worried by the increasing insecurity across the country, the National Chairman of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Engr. Yabagi Sani wants President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack all the security chiefs for lacking ideas to end the constant killings, kidnapping and banditry across the country.

    Speaking in an interview in Abuja, Engr. Sani reminded the President that he was elected to protect the lives of Nigerians and asked whether if Nigeria his private company losing profit daily, “will he keep the manager of such company?

    He said that until the current service chiefs are sacked by the President, the insecurity situation in the country may not abate, saying “On the issue of insecurity, I think we know why it has become so embarrassing.

    “We cannot be doing the same thing and be expecting different results. You cannot retain the same service chiefs in the same positions and expect a different result.

    “This man (Service chief) has done it so many times and nothing has worked. If it were to be your private company where you recorded a low turnout, will you continue with the same manager?

    “This president (Buhari) should be somebody who should know more than all of us that to boost the morale of the Force is something that is at the bottom of commitment. They are profiteering with people’s blood. You won’t believe the amount of money going into insecurity. If insecurity is man-made then we are the ones fueling it. The President knows what to do as a former Head of State.”

    Read Also: In search of Buhari’s ‘Next Level’ cabinet

    The ADP Chairman throw his weight behind the debate to allow more political parties, saying the “multiplicity of political parties is not bad Nigeria but Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should introduce certain criteria that parties should meet before they are allowed to be on the ballot.

    “What I am saying is that multiplicity of parties is not bad for a country like Nigeria, what the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should consider is to introduce certain criteria that parties should meet before they are allowed to be on the ballot.

    “For instance, if you want to be on the national ballot it could be said that you should churn out what you have done before in terms of membership of the House of Assembly which could be used as a yardstick to enable us weed out incompetent people.

    “The issue of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the PDP commandeering the political space is because they have government either at the State or national level. Election in this country is not just what the electorate wants; it is about how much control one has over the security apparatus or people’s money. Parties like ours are not there yet.

    “That is why there is always a vicious fight if the power in the state is not at the federal level mostly between the PDP and APC.  So that is the reason it happened the way it did. But it is not to say that there is no hope. Nigeria is moving on. We are gathering more experiences regardless of what people say. People are becoming more informed of their rights.

    “I believe that what is happening in other climes today will happen here where people will rise up against the establishment of unfavorable activities.

    “On the multiplicity of parties that we are talking about, I think that for a growing democracy like Nigeria with over 200 million people according to the United Nations, with so many religious and ethnic diversities, it is okay to allow the multiplicity of parties so that those who may not be interested in the national politics but are interested in their locality can be involved.

    “The unfortunate thing is that we need to go beyond the arrangement of government. Independence should be allowed there to enable them control their resources. If they are allowed to control their resources people will focus on the state since they have their resources to use.”

  • 75 political parties pass vote of confidence on INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received a pass mark for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    The electoral body which has been receiving knocks from the main opposition party in the country, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) got the backing of 75 political parties Monday.

    Seventy-five (75) political parties rose from their two day meeting with a resolution passing a vote of confidence on the electoral body led by Prof. Yakubu Mahmood.

    The parties made this known in a communique issued at the end of a two-day National Roundtable for the 2019 General Election Review, organised by Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), held in Abuja.

    The communique was jointly signed by the Acting Director, CTA, Ms Faith Nwadishi and National Chairman, Coalition for Change (C4C) Party, Mr Geff Ojinika.

    The conference with the theme: “The Role and Performances of Stakeholders in the 2019 General Elections: Issues, Challenges and prospects,” was in conjunction with Chairmen of Nigerian Political Parties.

    Some of the political parties at the event included, Labour Party (LP), Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA), Accord (A), National Conscience Party (NCP), among others.

    According to the group, Yakubu did well in the conduct of the just concluded elections and deserved to be commended.

    “While thanking the INEC management for a well-planned and carefully executed 2019 General Elections, the roundtable passed a vote of confidence on the INEC Chairman.

    “It equally calls for a more regular roundtable discussion on the improvement of our electoral process,” the communique noted.

    The group recommended the need for INEC to strengthen the capacity of its polling staff through, training and retraining particularly on the handling of the card readers.

    Read Also: Parties seek unbundling of INEC for efficiency

    They called on the National Assembly to immediately re-present to President Muhammadu Buhari, the amended Electoral Bill and urged the President to do the needful to ensure that the amended Electoral Bill was signed into law.

    The roundtable demanded the establishment of electoral offenses tribunal to punish electoral offenders and should be structured to take off in less than a month after the conclusion of election petition tribunal hearings.

    They also said that political parties and young people should leverage on the provisions of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Act to increase political participation of youth in subsequent elections.

    The communique noted that efforts must be intensified to ensuring proper coordination of Inter Agency Committee on Election Security (ICES) and the non-partisan deployment of security personnel to all the polling units to ensure peaceful conduct of polls.

    The parties said that in order to address dwindling turnout of voters after the first election and increase the zeal to elect credible leaders, the conduct of the three principal elections should be done on the same day.

    This, they said, would curb voter apathy.

    They added that that it would also save cost, ensure emergence of quality leadership, the integrity of the ballot, large voter turnout and guarantee improved security on Election Day.

    The group also urged political parties to maintain internal democracy and engage in transparent primaries to select their candidates with less rancor, and minimise defections.

    The communique also advised parties to review their manifestoes to strengthen their ideologies and loyalties and stem intra-party conflicts that bedeviled the nation’s polity.

    “Freedom of Information Act should be given life so that media outfits and journalists will be adequately protected while carrying out their legitimate duties during elections,” it stated.

  • Court nullifies Adamawa APC Rep-elect’s election over forgery

    The Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday, sacked Abdulrauf Modibbo as member-elect representing Yola South/Yola North/Girei Federal Constituency of Adamawa in the National Assembly.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo nullified Modibbo’s election while delivering judgment in a suit filed by Mustapha Usman, challenging the election.

    Modibbo was declared winner of the All Progressives Congress’ primaries held on Oct. 7, 2018 in Yola, and eventually represented the APC in the 2019 general elections, which he was also declared winner.

    Usman dragged Modibbo to court after the election alleging that he falsified his age and was not eligible to contest the APC primaries.

    He prayed the court to disqualify Modibbo as APC candidate for Yola North/Yola South/Girei Federal Constituency.

    He joined the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants in the suit.

    Justice Ekwo in his judgment declared that Modibbo was not qualified to contest the APC primaries as well as the 2019 House of Representatives election for the federal constituency.

    The court held that Usman was the lawful winner of the Oct. 7, 2018 APC primaries and candidate of the party for the constituency.

    Read Also: Appeal Court to hear Adeleke, PDP’s appeals May 8

    The judge further held that Usman had successfully proven beyond reasonable doubt that Modibbo falsified his age severally in order to contest election.

    The court also noted that the plaintiff proved that Modibbo submitted the forged certificates for the purpose of contesting the party primaries.

    The court also held that Modibbo was a serving National Youth Corps member when he contested the primary election saying the action breached Section 4 of the NYSC Act 2004.

    “A person who is a lawbreaker cannot be a lawmaker, this illegality is one that cannot be wished away,” the judge said.

    The judge declared that in view of the disqualification Modibbo,  Usman who polled the 2nd highest votes in the Oct. 7, 2018 primary election of the  APC for  Yola South/Yola North/Girei Federal Constituency of Adamawa was the lawful winner.

    Justice Ekwo gave an order directing the APC and INEC to immediately replace Modibbo’s name with that of Usman as the lawful candidate of the APC for the federal constituency.

    NAN

  • Lagos Supplementary poll: Heavy security at INEC collation centre

    Security operatives on Saturday mounted heavy presence at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Collation centre for the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency Supplementary election in Lagos State.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that security personnel, were strategically positioned at the entrance and within the premises of the centre, located at Local Authority Primary School, Baale St., Ajegunle.

    Several patrol vehicles were also stationed at the access roads leading to the centre.

    Only accredited people including the media, observer groups, INEC officers on duty as well as vehicles with access stickers were allowed access into the centre.

    Some of the security agencies at centre include the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps, Fire Service, Department of State Security and Police Bomb Squad.

    NAN correspondents who monitored the centre observed that INEC officials and ad-hoc staff were seen bringing results from the polling units to the centre under close watch of security operatives.

    INEC in Lagos State is conducting supplementary election in 71 polling units across eight wards of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency for the House of Representatives seat.

    Read Also: Rivers polls: Mistakes INEC could not avert

    The commission had declared the Feb. 23 House of Representatives election in the constituency inconclusive due to over-voting, non-complaince with the usage of smart card readers and violence.

    According to the commission, the affected areas are: Ward 02, Awodi Ora with three polling units; Ward 03, Wilmer with six polling units; Ward 04, Olodi with one polling unit and Ward 05, Tolu with 27 polling units.

    Others are: Ward 07, Ojo Road with two polling units; Ward 09, Alaba-Oro with two polling units, Ward 10, Mosafejo with 18 polling units and Ward 11, Temidire 2 with 12 polling units.

  • Tribunal grants APC leave to serve Tambuwal through substituted means

    The Governorship and National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Sokoto has granted Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, the All Progressive Congress (APC) Governorship candidate, leave to serve Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, through substituted means.

    The tribunal Chairman, Justice Abbas Bawale Abdullahi, Thursday granted the prayers made by Lead Petitioners’ Counsel, Mr. Steve Nwoke, noting that the tribunal had carefully perused the applications and they have merits.

    Abdullahi granted the petitioners’ leave to physically inspect materials used by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on the conduct of main governorship election and re-run election, photocopy some of them, as well as obtain true certified copies.

    The court granted the leave as prayed by the Counsels of the Applicants led by Barrister Steve Nwoke, as it has been difficult to physically serve Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal his copy of the petition filed by the Applicants, challenging the outcome of the March 9, 2019  and March 23, 2019, rerun Governorship polls in the state .

    The Court therefore granted the prayer of the Applicants to allow them to serve Governor Tambuwal the petition, through the State Legal Adviser of the People’s Democratic Party  (PDP).

    Read Also: National Assembly after Saraki and Tambuwal

    In the same vein, , the Court has granted another leave to the Applicants to inspect the election materials like ballot papers, forms and card readers,  used by the Independent National Electoral Commission,  INEC, during the elections .

    Meanwhile, Justice Abdullahi also granted Governor Tambuwal and his party, PDP, to inspect same materials, as well as invite forensic experts to conduct physical inspection of materials used for the elections and obtain true certified copies of documents.

    Justice Abdullahi further granted the applicants’ prayers moved by their Lead Counsel, Barrister Muktar Mahmuda Yabo and the acceptance of the outcome of the physical inspection, statistics sought by forensic experts, among others.

    The All Progressives Congress  ( APC), Gubernatorial Candidate in the 2019 General Elections, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, as well as the Party, had filed a Petition before the Tribunal, challenging the outcome of the polls in which Governor Aminu Waziiri Tambuwal of the PDP had been declared as the purported winner by INEC.

    All efforts to physically serve him with the copy of the petition has been difficult as he was said to have been evasive.

     

     

  • APP seeks fresh guber poll in Adamawa

    The Adamawa State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Yola has received a petition from the Action People’s Party (APP) over alleged failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include the logo of the party on the ballot of the last Match 9 governorship election in the state.

    In their petition, the party asked the tribunal to order the conduct of a fresh governorship election for which the candidates of the party will be duly presented to the electorate.

    Counsels to the APP, Barrs. Obed Okwukwe Agu and Oluchukwu Nweke, filed the petition before the tribunal headed by Justice Suleiman Akanbi who promised speedy dispensation of justice.

    The APP became the first party to go to the tribunal to allege non-inclusion of party logo for the Adamawa State governorship election. Parties have until close of Wednesday to file petitions at the tribunal over the governorship election.

    Read Also: Adamawa Election Tribunal begins sitting on 19 petitions

    The Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD) had earlier gone to the state high court, while the governorship rerun was yet to be held, to make the allegation and to seek a nullification of the March 9 election. The high court dismissed the case on March 28 for lack of evidence, but it has reportedly been appealed.

    The APP in its petition, is telling the Adamawa Election Petitions Tribunal that the entirety of the Adamawa State Governorship election is invalid by means of substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (As amended).

    ”The election is invalid by means of unlawful exclusion of Mr. Bitrus Madeh as the valid candidate of the petitioner to contest the gubernatorial elections,” the petitioner said, adding that Mr. Bitrus Madeh and Audu Zanda as its validly nominated and /or replaced governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the election were unlawfully excluded.

    They asked the tribunal to declare that the Adamawa State governorship election held on 9th March, 2019 is invalid or voided “for substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.”

  • ‘Lack of trust among Nigerians responsible for border closure during elections’

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday said that lack of trust among Nigerians was the main reason for the closure of the nation’s borders during elections.

    Mr Osareti Imahiyereobo, INEC’s Head of Voters Education and Publicity in Plateau, made the disclosure in his goodwill message during a Town Hall Meeting organised by Search For Common Ground, a Non-Governmental Organisation.

    “The closure of all our borders has greatly affected the economic growth of the nation as all businesses are also always on standstill till after elections.

    “This very action is mainly due to the lack of trust among us Nigerians and which is not good for us as a nation given its negative effects on our economy because businesses are always closed down.

    “In some other nations like Zambia, borders and business premises are left open while some sensitive materials like ballot papers are always sent out to voters week before elections and their elections were not affected in any way.

    Read Also: PDP wins Rivers supplementary elections

    ” But that kind of trust and understanding can’t happen here because we as Nigerians do not trust ourselves, ’’ he said.

    The INEC official also called on residents of Plateau to accept in good faith whatever may be the outcome at be Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in the state.

    “There is need for us to support those who have been elected to represent us at whatever level and capacity so that we can enjoy the dividends of democracy, ’’ he said.

    Earlier, Mrs Niri Goyit, the Project Coordinator for Search for Common Ground, had said that the purpose for the town hall meeting was to give room for stakeholders to assess the general elections.

    “We are so happy that the civil society groups, including journalists, collaborated with us on the education and sensitisation of voters and politicians on the need for peaceful conduct before, during and after the elections, ’’  she said.

    Goyit said that the town hall meeting was aimed at sifting the views of the stakeholders on the conducts of politicians, voters, security operatives and INEC so as to come out with a communique that would help chart a new course conduct of elections in Nigeria.

     

    NAN