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Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

  • 10,294 staff for Saturday Rivers rerun election – INEC

    10,294 staff for Saturday Rivers rerun election – INEC

    10,294 staff will be deployed to conclude the re-run National and State Assembly elections in Rivers scheduled for Saturday.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which stated this in its daily bulletin issued on Tuesday in Abuja that 14 categories of staff would be deployed to make up the 10,294 figure.

    The categories according to the commission, will include three Returning Officers for the three Senatorial Districts (DC); eight Returning Officers for Federal Constituencies (FC) and 10 Returning officers for State Constituencies (SC).

    INEC added that the categories include 23 Local Government Areas (Collation Officers; 221 Registration Area (RA), Collation Officers; 57 Collation Officers (for Collation only at RAs and 231 Supervisory Presiding Officers.

    Also to be deployed it said were 1,840 Presiding Officers; 6,609 Assistant Presiding Officers (I, II and III) and 661 Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs).

    Others are 363 Reserve APOs; 21 Constituency Supervisors; 24 LGA Supervisors and 223 RA Supervisors.

    The elections will take place across 21 constituencies which include three senatorial districts; eight federal constituencies; and 10 state constituencies.

    The three senatorial districts are Rivers East Senatorial District; Rivers West and Rivers South-East.

    The eight Federal Constituencies are; Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru; Degema/Bonny; Okrika/Ogu-Bolo; Etche/Omuma; Ikwere/Emohua; Khana Gokana; Eleme/Tai/Oyigbo and Opobo/Nkoro/Andoni.

    The Bulleting said that State Constituencies where the election would also hold were Eleme, Gokana, Asari-Toru I, Asari-Toru II, Andoni, Khana II, Etche II, Ikwere, Bonny and Degema.

    The elections were, however, disrupted by violence as a result of which they were suspended on March 19.

    As at the time of the suspension of the elections, the exercise was at different stages.

    The elections had been concluded in some constituencies with the declaration of results and return of winners by the respective returning officers.

    In some areas, collation had been concluded but no declaration or return made.

    In yet some other areas, voting had been concluded and collation was on-going but yet to be concluded.

    In some places, voting had been concluded but collation yet to commence, while in some other places, there was no voting among other challenges.

  • Lagos by-election: Low turnout based on poor awareness-INEC

    Lagos by-election: Low turnout based on poor awareness-INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday blamed the low turnout of voters for the Ifako/Ijaiye Federal Constituency by-election in Lagos to poor awareness.

    The election resulted from the death of Mr Elijah Adewale, who represented the constituency in the House of Representatives.

    Adewale died in Abuja on July 20.

    Alhaji Abdullahi Kaugama, Supervisory Resident Electoral Commissioner
    for the Ifako/Ijaiye Federal Constituency By-election, made the observation in an interview with journalists during the election.
    He said that although the commission did its best to create awareness on the exercise, awareness of by-election generally in the country was low.

    ”Actually, awareness of by-election in Nigeria is low because people don’t know much about it.

    ”It may also be because political parties did not carry out enough campaigns, but generally, the conduct has been peaceful, ” he said.

    The commissioner said that poll officers and materials got to polling units in time.

    Also speaking to journalists during a routine inspection to the polling units, Mr Fatai Owoseni, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, said that the low turnout was because political parties and their candidates did not carry out adequate campaigns.

    ”INEC will not go and bring voters out to vote. The parties did not campaign enough for this by-election. Out of six political parties, only about two printed posters.

    ”Adequate campaigning was not done. So the people did not really know who they are voting for, ” he said.

    Owoseni confirmed that the electoral process had been without any violence.

    ”It is almost 2p.m. It has been peaceful, and I am advising the contestants to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship – election is just like a football game. There must be a winner,” Owoseni said,

    The Administrative Secretary of the commission in Lagos State, Mr Clement Oha, said: “We have been going round; we have visited 90 per cent of the polling units so far.

    ” I will say I am very impressed except that the turnout is very low. The process is peaceful.

    ”Our card readers are working 100 per cent; we have not got any complaint whatsoever”.

    On the low turnout, Oha said that INEC did its best to sensitise the people in the constituency.

    ”We went round the nooks and crannies of the constituency for two days to create awareness; so, we cannot explain why people did not turn up.

    ”But generally, I am impressed with the whole process and the conduct of voters and parties.
    “There is no violence, thuggery, ballot box snatching. All our registration area centres are in top form and ready for collation, ”Oha said.

    Mr Babatope Akinyele, the PDP candidate for the election, said that inadequate campaigns caused the voter apathy.

    NAN reports that voting had been concluded in most polling units and voting points at Iju, Fagba, Ogba as at the time of this reports, while counting had started.

  • Ekweremadu advocates staggered primaries for Nigeria’s electoral system

    Ekweremadu advocates staggered primaries for Nigeria’s electoral system

    The Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, on Thursday, advocated staggered or phased primaries by political parties to deepen the country’s democracy.

    Ekweremadu made the submission at a forum on credible electoral processes organised by the FCT branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja.

    The forum has as its theme: “Credible Electoral Process in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects”.

    “By staggered primaries, I mean, for instance, holding primaries in different states on different dates for presidential aspirants.

    “This has been an enduring practice in the USA. In Ghana also, primaries are often phased countrywide in recent times,’’ he said.

    According to Ekweremadu, such idea will assist in the efficient utilisation of resources , including managing  security agencies, monitors from the Electoral Management Body (EMB) and enhancing better scrutiny of candidates.

    He said that the idea would also help in achieving higher transparency and better management of the primaries.

    Ekweremadu calls for the idea to be replicated for gubernatorial primaries where the primary election would hold in different local government councils on different dates.

    He said that the idea “is however not a constitutional or electoral requirement but an initiative by political parties to promote ease of management and transparency of processes for the emergency of their candidates”.

    The Deputy president of the Senate also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to work on a  time frame of every election that would accommodate the conclusion of litigation before the substantive election.

    “Early primaries allow the candidates enough time to raise adequate campaign funds for the bigger contest and avail candidates and their parties’ sufficient time to campaign in every part of the constituency or country and sell their manifesto.

    “The people are also in a better position to initiate and define national conversations and debates about the identity, direction, defining ideologies, manifesto, and character of the candidates and political parties

    “In Nigeria, primaries are rushed, campaigns are shallow, and conversations are mundane, while some parties and their candidates shun debates outright.

    “In such circumstances, the electorate are unable to sound candidates out on their mouth-watering campaign promises, especially how they intend to fulfil them. The people realise their mistake after such candidates assume office.

    “Pre-election litigations also constitute serious impediments to the electoral processes. Early primaries will help the judiciary to conclude all pre-election lawsuits,’’ Ekweremadu said.

    Also speaking, Mr Oluwole Ossaze-Uzi, the Director of Voter Education , INEC, called for attitudinal change among Nigerians to guaranty credible election in the country.

    According to Ossaze-Uzi, to bring about a credible election, the electorate must change their mind toward certain things.

    “Democracy does not buy some issues we try to inject into our electoral system, political history has opened windows of prospect, the introduction of card reader device has helped us to improve our electoral system not minding the challenges with it.

    “Legal impediment, social impediments are all man-made, we need to change our do-or-die attitude during the election; outright bribe of voters is a big challenge to Nigerian election, it is an offence.

    “Lack of internal party democracy is also a big challenge to the electoral process in Nigeria, all these must be corrected to make progress, ‘’ he said.

    The Chairman of the FCT branch of the NBA, Mr Ezenwa Anumnu, attributed the present challenge in Nigeria’s electoral system to lack of technology to put the process on the right track.

    According to him, “if the technology is deployed to assist the country’s  electoral system, it will reduce the challenges confronting the system.”

    Anumnu called for more voter education and engagement of stakeholders in the country’s electoral system to achieve credible election.

  • Senate pegs 14 days for replacement of dead candidate

    Senate pegs 14 days for replacement of dead candidate

    In its continuation of the amendment of the Electoral Act, the Senate Thursday resolved that fresh primary election should be held within 14 days to replace a presidential of governorship candidate who dies before the announcement of the result of the election.

    The resolution may have laid to rest the controversy over who succeeds a dead presidential or governorship candidate who dies before the announcement of the result of an election.

    The upper chamber also adopted the proposal that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) shall suspend the conduct of a new election for 21 days when the death of a candidate is recorded after the commencement of an election and before the announcement of result.

    The new provisions were provoked by the sudden death of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Audu, at the November 21, 2015 governorship election in Kogi State.

    Audu died before the announcement of the election result.

    The development generated legal tussle which was contested from the high court to the Supreme Court as Audu’s running mate, Hon. James Faleke, insisted the he was the right person inherit the votes of the deceased principal.

    Following the lacuna, a new Section 3 (a-c) has been inserted into the proposed Electoral Act which provides:

    “If after the commencement of poll and before the announcement of the final result and declaration of a winner, a nominated candidate dies, (a ) the Commission shall, being satisfied of the fact of the death, suspend the election for a period not exceeding 21 days; (b) the political party whose candidate died may, if it intends to continue to participate in the election, conduct a fresh direct primary within 14 days of the death of its candidate and submit a new candidate to the Commission to replace the dead candidate; and (c) subject to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection, the Commission shall continue with the election, announce the final result and declare a winner.”

    The new bill also provides a legal backing for the use of manual voting in situations where card readers malfunction during election.

    Although the manual option has always been adopted as an alternative to the malfunctioning of card readers, the new provision is meant to make the action legally valid.

    The card reader which is mainly used for accreditation of voters, the amendment provides that once the presiding officer at the election is convinced that the intending voter is the owner of the voter card, he should go ahead to accredit him.

    Section 49(1-4) of the Electoral Act being amended provides: “The Presiding Officer shall use a Smart Card Reader or any other technological device that may be prescribed by the Commission from time to time for the accreditation of voters, to verify, confirm or authenticate (a) the genuineness or otherwise of the voter’s card; (b) that the voter’s card presented by the voter is registered at the polling unit in the constituency in which the card is presented; (c) the biometric connection or otherwise of the intending voter with the voter’s card; and (d) the number of duly accredited voters in the polling unit.

    “(3) An intending voter shall not be accredited to vote in an election if the voter’s card presented by him to the Presiding Officer is not (a) a genuine voter’s card issued by the Commission to the intending voter; (b) registered at the polling unit in the constituency in which the card is presented, and (c) biometrically connected to the intending voter.

    “(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (3) (c) of this section, the Presiding Officer on being satisfied that an intending voter is the owner of the voter’s card, may accredit the intending voter to vote in the election.”

    The Senate did not pass the bill yesterday because it did not conclude its clause-by-clause consideration.

    The bill was deferred for further consideration next week.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki pleaded with his colleagues to read the remaining provisions of the bill to ensure its seamless passage.

  • INEC presents certificate of return to Akeredolu

    INEC presents certificate of return to Akeredolu

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Wednesday presented the Governor-elect, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN his certificate of return.

    Akeredolu was accompanied to the event which was held at the INEC headquarters in Akure, the state capital by his wife, Betty.

    Other dignitaries at the event include the State Chairman of the party, Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, his deputy, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, former deputy governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, Director-General of Akeredolu’s campaign platform, Hon. Victor Olabimtan, Femi Agagu, Hon. Kehinde Henry Bello, Oladunni Odu among others.

    Akeredolu, said the victory is not for him or APC alone but for the good people of the state.

    He said “it is a victory for the people of Ondo State, irrespective of which side of the divide you stood during the election.

    “For me it is a call to service and a challenge to perform. Although we all had different point of view before the election but today, as members of one strong, vibrant and indivisible Ondo State family, we are all united and resolute with one single objective to save our beloved state.

    “I cannot thank enough, my fellow compatriots during this election, who had a separate conviction and voted elsewhere.

    “They took the guts to answer the call of democracy to make a choice. I believe it is these resounding voices that have created this worthy moment which is making this victory real and refreshing.”

    “With this new dawn, it is now time to rediscover and reinvent ourselves. It is time to find what we lost, to rescue this land and its people from the myriad of poverty and pains which daily assail their lives.

    “As patriots, it is now time to unit and revamps our fortunes. As governor, we will take deliberate and decisive steps to optically harness our overall potential for greatness, prosperity, peace and stability”

    The governor, however commended the INEC and the security agencies for organising what he described as most credible, transparent, free and fair election.

    The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Olusegun Agbaje denied that the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying “this is not only untrue, but highly embarrassing.

    On why he could not postponed the election despite the complaint of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede SAN, Agbaje said there was no justification to do so.

    He noted that it is most unlikely that the West African Examination Council (WAEC) would postpone any of its scheduled examinations simply because of its candidate in a secondary school was sick or wounded.

  • INEC clears six parties for Lagos Rep by-election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared six political parties and their candidates for the Ifako Ijaiye Federal Constituency of Lagos State bye-elections scheduled for Dec. 3.

    The commission disclosed this in a statement issued by its Secretary, Mrs Augusta Ogakwu on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The statement also disclosed that four political parties and their candidates were equally cleared for Garki Ward Councillorship of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), FCT, fixed also for the same day.

    The parties and candidates cleared to contest the vacant Ifako/Ijaiye seat of Lagos state in the House of Representatives are Akinwunmi Olaitan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) , Babatope Akinyele of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Others are Ajiboye Olorunnisomo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Yusuf Fatai of the Action Alliance (AA), Adebayo Akanbi, Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Olugbenga Owolabi of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    The seat became vacant following the death of the member who represented the constituency in the house, Mr Adewale Oluwatayo, in July.

    The candidates and political parties also cleared for the Garki Ward Councillorship, AMAC, were Hamza Lima (APC) and Danladi Jezhi (PDP).

    Others are Ikechukwu Nwabuaja, All Progressive Ground Alliance (APGA) and Sidiku Emmanuel of the National Conscience Party (NCP).

     

  • Oke concedes defeat, congratulates Akeredolu

    Oke concedes defeat, congratulates Akeredolu

    The Gubernatorial Candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke Monday congratulated Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) of the All Peoples Congress (APC) who won last Saturday’s election.

    However,he decried the ‘heavy monetization’ of the election process which produced him.

    Oke who addressed reporters in his Ijapo Estate, Akure residence commended both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agents deployed to the State for being fair in the handling of their duties but regretted that the open and free use of money to purchase votes during the election by the ruling parties remains a sad commentary on the nation’s electoral process.

    This development, according to him, required the urgent intervention by government if the much publicized anti-corruption agenda of the Federal Government must have meaning to Nigerians.

    His words: “in the last seven years, the policy direction of the government of the day (in Ondo State) has resulted in the growth and circulation of poverty to our people.

    “The resultant effect is the debilitating poverty that had made the people so vulnerable. Therefore, trading away dignity in the face of excruciating hunger during electioneering process requires little or no considerations for morals and values that defined us as a people.

    “The open and free use of money to purchase votes, during the election by the ruling parties remains a sad commentary on our electoral process. This requires urgent intervention by government if the much publicized anti-corruption agenda of the Federal Government must have meaning to Nigerians.

    “Offer of money for votes is worse than looting the government treasury. Apart from compromising the dignity of the people, it provides a fertile training ground for future looters of government treasury. The consequence of it is to render the anti-corruption fight a farce.

    “There may be no economic matter more urgent, difficult to unravel and more sensitive to the pursuit of the average person in Ondo State than the current indignity foisted on the people by poverty orchestrated by maladministration and priority misplacement by the current administration. We hope the incoming administration will address the problem of poverty so that the integrity of our electoral process will be restored.”

    While noting that from the observation of the people of Ondo State, they appear confused and unsure of what would follow the immediate satisfaction from the naira handout received in consideration of the votes cast.

    “They appear wondering whether the votes they delivered Saturday would restore light, revive dead industries, complete the uncompleted ones, give hundreds of thousands of unemployed graduates employment, pay arrears of salary to workers and guarantee regular payment of salary; whether their votes will make water to flow again in their unused and rusted water pipes, reduce dust on our roads, revive our education and health sectors and so on,” he stated.

    Oke, who recalled the event leading to his and his followers’ movement to the AD, said the movement was necessitated by the need for “us as democrats and conscience of the people to shun the in-built perfidy and organized deception in APC as revealed during its primary election.

    “We moved to AD less than six weeks before the gubernatorial election. We knew it was a big challenge and the greatest challenge was time. But we were determined in the pursuit of our dream.

    “We know how bad the situation is and we are aware that the art of governance is difficult and complex, especially during trying times. The steep reduction in global oil prices from over 120 dollars per barrel to roughly 30 dollars and the huge debt profile of Ondo State present a hard challenge that requires a prepared mind and experienced hands in the saddle. We are convinced that we can no longer afford past practices.

    That was the compelling re-occurring issue that defined our struggle. We thank the people of Ondo State who believed in the struggle of Alliance for Democracy and its candidate, Chief Olusola Oke.

    “Ondo State requires economic re-engineering, creative reform, materially changing the substance of its economic policy as well as the objectives of that policy in a way that the economic well-being of the people will be restored again. Therein lies the essence of progressive democratic governance and that is what our party, the Alliance for Democracy stands for.

    “ The incoming government therefore must urgently address the issue of ravaging poverty in the state through: Industrialization; Job/Wealth Creation; Rural Integration; Infrastructural Development; Security,”

    He, therefore, assured that as members of the opposition, the AD shall continue to contribute to the process of governance and would not hesitate to point, in a civilized manner, the attention of the incoming government to any area where the masses seem not to have been considered in the policy framework of governance.

    “We shall voice our opinion whenever we believe any member of the incoming government strayed from the progressive calling required of the administration,” he posited.

    Oke congratulated the governor-elect, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN and wish him success and praying to God to guide him “as he directs the affairs of our dear state.”

  • We are ready for e-voting – NIMC

    We are ready for e-voting – NIMC

    The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Monday, declared that the commission was ready for an electronic voting system if approved by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant legislation.

    The commission said the current National Identity Card has an inbuilt platform to accommodate electronic voting and make its take-off in the country a huge success.

    The Bayelsa State Coordinator, NIMC, Mr. Stephen Inokoba, spoke in Yenagoa when he led a team of the commission to present the card to the state’s Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Desmond Agu, in his office.

    Inokoba explained that the provision for electronic voting was one of the 13 security features embedded in the new card.

    He said once the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other policy-makers opt for electronic voting, the card will be an effective launching pad for a smooth system.

    He said: “The card has been fashioned in such a way that it can be used for electronic voting. Once Nigeria is set for that we have the platform already for electronic voting to commence.

    “We are ready. The platform is on. It is left to INEC and the policy-makers. Once they do what they ought to do, our platform is already there, it has been developed”.

    Agu, who was elated at some of the card’s benefits, hailed the Federal Government for the initiative and appealed to people of the state to obtain theirs.

    He said the government was working hard to open a chapter of easier and better living for citizens describing the card as a testimony of the government’s good intentions for the country.

    “Initially it sounded like a mirage but you can see that it is true. I have completed the process and obtained my card.

    “With what I have seen, the Federal Government has good plans for all the citizens. So, let’s take advantage of this initiative to better our lives”, he said.

    He appealed to the people of Bayelsa and employees of the NSCDC to quickly commence the process of getting their cards to enjoy all their benefits.

    “There are many privileges attached to the cards. These are the things obtainable in advanced countries where you can use similar cards to enjoy subsidies in services offered by the government”, he said.

    Highlighting some of the benefits of the cards, Inokoba added: “When you have the card, there are 13 benefits that you will get. The first one is you have an opportunity if getting a card to yourself alone through the Match-On-Card (MOC).

    “It means that the card will not be given to somebody that it doesn’t belong to. You name will be matched with your fingerprints. So, there is not card by proxy.

    “Over 80 per cent of Nigerians are unbanked based on figures we got from the Central Bank of Nigeria, but by the time you register for this card, you will also have a financial transaction with a particular bank in Nigeria. You can deposit and withdraw money from the bank”.

    Inokoba noted that through a feature of the International Civil Aviation (ICAO), the card could be used to travel within the West African region without international or ECOWAS passports.

  • Ondo guber: Early results from Polling Units

    Ondo guber: Early results from Polling Units

    Although the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to declare the final result of the governorship election held in Ondo state, results declared at the polling units, as compiled by our reporters indicated that the contest may have thinned out into a two horse race between Eyitayo Jegede of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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  • BREAKING: Court reinstates Jegede as Ondo PDP candidate

    BREAKING: Court reinstates Jegede as Ondo PDP candidate

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday set aside the ruling of Justice Okon Abang that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish Jimoh Ibrahim’s name as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming Ondo election.

     

    Details shortly…