The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

  • ‘Join hands with Fayemi to develop Ekiti’

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Prince Adesola Gold, has charged the newly elected members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly to partner Governor Kayode Fayemi for good governance.

    Adesola, a House of Representatives aspirant in the last APC’ primaries, said harmonious relationship between the executives and legislature would guarantee speedy and quantum socio-economic development.

    He further urged them to refrain from any crisis that could derail governance in the state, saying the current administration was aptly determined to bring dividends of democracy to the people.

    In the House of Assembly election conducted on March 9, the APC won 25 of the 26 seats while that of Ekiti East constituency II, was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    A new assembly will be inaugurated by Governor Fayemi on June 6, the day the tenure of the present one will elapse.

    Speaking in Osun Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area of the state, Gold assured that with the calibre of governor like Fayemi, that the lawmakers can’t be reduced to mere rubber stamps in the discharge of their duties.

    He added that the alleged suppression which characterized the assembly under former governor Ayodele Fayose won’t dog the assembly that will be constituted in June.

    “Under the immediate past government, lawmakers voices were subjugated, nobody dares looked the governor in the eyes.

    “Those lawmakers who tried to assert themselves were suspended indefinitely and some were expelled from the party despite being members of the PDP.

    Read Also: Ekiti elders greet Fayemi at 54

    “But with the kind of refined governor like Fayemi that we have, I am sure that there would be mutual respect and there will be partnership that will make Ekiti great in all spheres.

    “I want to also charge the lawmakers to come with the determined mindsets to serve Ekiti and not to engage in any battle with the executive”, he said.

    Speaking about the patterns of voting, which predominantly favoured APC; Gold added that the electorate in Ekiti are now better informed about how to make the right choices for good governance.

    “Our people decided to vote for real governance and moved away from stomach infrastructure at the detriment of Infrastructural development.

    “The four Local Governments of Efon, Ikere, Emure and Ado-Ekiti, won by PDP in July 14 Governorship Election were not left behind, they all moved with the moving train of the  Next Level.

    “In less  than six months in office, governor Fayemi has opened our eyes to how a globally recognised government should be and I applaud our people for believing in APC and took the right choices”.

    He, however, urged the elected officials to work hard and carry their constituents along , in order not to betray the confidence reposed in them by the electorate.

     

  • PDP optimistic of success in supplementary polls

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says it is optimistic of victory in states where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is to hold supplementary governorship elections on March 23.

    The party’s National Working Committee (NWC), expressed the optimism in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, after the committee’s emergency meeting held on Thursday in Abuja.

    Ologbondiyan expressed the party’s readiness for the supplementary elections.

    He said that the hierarchy of the party was not happy that INEC declared elections inconclusive in states where PDP had popular support and had defeated it’s opponents.

    “In states where PDP was leading, elections were declared inconclusive, whereas in states like Ogun, where the All Progressives Congress (APC), was in the lead, a winner was announced even when the lead margin was below the number of cancelled votes,” he alleged.

    He said that the PDP was ready for the supplementary elections and was sure of resounding success.

    “In Sokoto state, a stronghold of our party and where the PDP is already in a clear lead, our victory at the March 23 supplementary election is guaranteed.

    “In Benue, the people have expressed their readiness to go into the supplementary election and they are prepared to vote for the PDP candidate, Gov.  Samuel Ortom.

    “They are also aware that by PDP’s current leading margin of over 81,000 votes, it is manifestly clear that there is no way any other party will defeat the PDP in Benue.

    “In Adamawa, the PDP observed the mischievous calculation of the opposition in sponsoring someone, who did not participate in the election, to go to court and claim that the logo of his party was omitted in the ballot.

    “This is a desperate bid to get the election already won by the PDP cancelled. The PDP, however, notes the failure of the opposition to achieve its mischief in Adamawa state.

    “In Bauchi State, it is known to all,  that the Tafawa Balewa Local Government has always been a home to the PDP since 1999,” he said.

    Ologbondiyan said that in Kano state, the APC would be confronting the strong will of the people to elect a new governor.

    “Already, the people of Kano State are standing shoulder to shoulder with the PDP in their pursuit of bringing a government that will be representative and purposeful.

    “On no account must Nigerians allow a culture of impunity, where those who failed in any election, will compromise our electoral arbiter and force themselves on the people,” he said.

    Ologbondiyan said that the party had directed all its members to resist any attempt by anybody to tamper with the will of the people in their states, during the supplementary elections.

    He said that the party, after proper review of various states where elections were declared inconclusive, advised INEC to release the results and declare the winners.

    “In Rivers state, the PDP restates its demand that INEC should release the results already collated on the governorship election in which PDP clearly won, and declare Governor Nyesom Wike as winner,” he said.

    Ologbondiyan expressed worry over the involvement of the military in politics, saying that the situation was affecting public confidence on the revered institution. (NAN)

  • I will perform far better than Saraki, says Oloriegbe

    Senator-elect for Kwara Central, Dr Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, on Thursday declared that his performance in the ninth Senate will far outweigh the performance of Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

    Saraki, the current Senator representing Kwara Central, has represented the Senatorial District since 2011.

    Oloriegbe assured that his output for his constituents and the state in general will surpass Saraki’s performance for the eight years he would serve as a Senator.

    He spoke in Abuja alongside two other Senators- elect from Kwara State after collecting his Certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He insisted that Saraki notwithstanding that he attained the position of Senate President did not set any standard of performance for any successor to study.

    He added that Saraki did not also leave any average for any successor to meet.

    Oloriegbe noted that Saraki by his brand of politics and ambition focuses more on national politics and not responsive and quality representation of the people of Kwara Central, his constituents.

    He said, “It is God that gives and takes power from whosoever He wishes. I thank the Almighty Allah for granting me the grace of being overwhelmingly elected as Senator for Kwara Central in the coming 9th Senate.

    “I have the pedigree of service to people and humanity as a trained medical doctor who has spent decades working with World Health Organization (WHO) and years on the political field also in rendering selfless service to people and humanity.

    “I was the majority leader of Kwara State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2003 under the late Governor Muhammed Alabi Lawal.

    “My focus in the Senate will squarely be on how to through legislative engineering, quality and responsive representation,  improve the lots of my people in Kwara Central and collaborate very effectively along with other federal lawmakers from the state with the State Governor-elect, Abdulrahaman Abdulrasaq in giving the state a new direction with regards to wealth creation and genuine development.

    Read Also:  Saraki, a legacy doomed to crash

    “The responsive representation I will put up for Kwara Central people within the next four years coupled with the required legislative engagements to be made on both the floor and at committee level for good governance in the country , will surpass whatever performance Saraki had rendered in the past.”

    The Kwara South Senator-elect, Architect Lola Ashiru on his own assured that the new set of elected political office holders in Kwara State at all levels will collaborate to give the greatest good to the greatest number of Kwarans in months to come.

    Ashiru said, “We are aware of the expectations on the ground and enormous challenges at hand but as people who are out to serve and not lord it over the electorate, Kwara will surely be better off with the change that had taken place in the state.”

    He said further that they would not disappoint the people of Kwara State.

    The Senator-elect for Kwara North, Umar Sadiq, said that he has the strong conviction that marginalisation that had been the lot of his area in the past under successive governments, would be a thing of the past.

     

  • INEC fixes March 23 for Bayelsa Assembly supplementary poll

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says it would hold House of Assembly supplementary election on March 23 in Bayelsa State, in areas where election was declared inconclusive in Feb. 23, poll.

    Mr Wilfred Ifogah, Head of INEC Voter Education and Publicity in the state, disclosed this in a statement issued on behalf of the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Monday on Thursday in Yenagoa.

    “The election will hold in five wards in Ogbia Local Government Area(LGA).

    “It will also take place in two wards in Southern Ijaw LGA and one ward in Brass LGA,” he said.

    Read Also: INEC issues Certificates of Return to senators-elect

    According to him, the places where election will hold are: Otuokpoti, Ologi, Ayama and Okodi polling units in Ogbia constituency II, Ukube and Koluama units in Southern Ijaw constituency IV and some units in Cape Farmoso in Brass constituency I.

    “INEC wishes to inform the people of the state, especially the critical stakeholders of the date for the conduct of supplementary election in the constituencies were election was declared inconclusive,” he stated.

    NAN

     

  • Gunmen kill DPO, expectant police officer, others

    Gunmen have attacked the Divisional Police Command and office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), at Afuze, Edo State, with Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).

    The IED at Afuze Police Command exploded, but the one at INEC office did not explode.

    Four police officers, including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ojo Kosenami and an expectant policewoman, Sergeant Justina Aghomon, were shot dead.

    Others killed were Inspector Sado Isaac and Corporal Glory David.

    Sources said the gunmen burnt a police van parked at the INEC office.

    The incident reportedly occurred about 8pm on Tuesday when many of the officers had gone out for duty.

    An eyewitness, who gave his name as Mr. Godwin Ikpekhia, said:  “We heard gunshots. Nobody knew what happened until this morning.

    Read also: 18 die, 41 injured in Lagos Island building collapse

    “The divisional police officer and three other officers, who were on duty, were killed inside the police station.

    “The hoodlums didn’t stop at that. They went to the INEC office and shot sporadically in order to attack officials on duty.

    “Election materials and the police van at INEC office were torched by the hoodlums.”

    The Secretary to the Local Government (SLG), Mr. Godwin Imoudu, described the incident as politically-motivated “since the gunmen did not steal guns or cars.

    He said: “The gunmen can be described as terrorists. They simultaneously attacked the police station and INEC office.

    “They came in groups. The IED at INEC office did not explode. They shot sporadically. One man was shot in the stomach. The act was politically-motivated because they wanted to demobilise the police before going to INEC office.”

    Police Commissioner Mr. Muhammed Danmallam, who visited the scene, said investigation would begin immediately.

    He vowed to arrest the perpetrators.

    “Urgent steps will be taken to curb increasing crimes in Owan area of the state,” Danmallam added.

  • Okorocha: INEC can’t withhold my Certificate of Return

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday faulted a decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withhold his Certificate of Return (CoR) as the senator-elect for Imo West District.

    He described the move as unfortunate and unconstitutional.

    The governor also accused the INEC of allowing itself to be used by those he claimed, were fighting him ahead of the 2023 presidential election by stopping him from going to the Senate.

    According to him, “only the court has the power to nullify any election after a winner has been declared. The electoral umpire does not have the power.

    “In my own case, my Certificate of Return has not been issued and I wonder why INEC will withhold my certificate for a frivolous reason, without hearing from me.

    “I am not a violent person and those who know me know that. This is why we have peace in Imo State. The Returning Officer could not have done that under duress under the watchful eyes of the Police, DSS and party agents.

    “I am not unmindful of the facts that those who are fighting me from Abuja are anxious to see me removed as a senator. I urge INEC to do the right thing immediately by releasing my certificate.

    “Let me tell every Nigerian that I fought no one and no one should fight me. If anyone fights me, he will be the loser at the end of it all. My INEC certificate cannot be touched or seized; doing so is belittling democracy in Nigeria.

    “It is only the tribunal that has the right to say otherwise once a result is declared. INEC cannot seize my Certificate by mere petition written by somebody in a case I was not given the opportunity to present my own side of the story.”

    Okorocha, who addressed thousands of youths, who came on protest over the conduct of the 2019 elections in the state, Wednesday, at the Government House, accused the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof Francis Ezeonu, of bias with the worrisome manner he has handled the Conduct of the 2019 elections in the state.”

    He added: “The REC has shown that he was brought to Imo after the 2015 election to return PDP to power in the state.

    “The REC had acted illegally by ignoring the provision of the Constitution that makes it mandatory for a candidate to have 25 per cent in 2/3 of the Local Governments in the State by announcing the PDP candidate, Emeka Ihedioha who only met the requirement in 9 Local Governments instead of 18 local government areas, which is 2/3 of 27 councils winner”.

    He wondered why the REC accepted the figures from the three Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise and Ezinihitte local government areas.

    According to Okorocha, the 64,219 votes secured by the PDP from Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area alone, constituted 50 per cent of the total votes polled by Ihedioha from the state’s 27 councils.

    As far as he was concerning, Uche Nwosu, the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), who he backed against his All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, won the election.

    By his calculation, Nwosu got the required spread by having 25 per cent in 21 out of the 27 council areas.

  • INEC issues certificates of return to 102 senators, 338 Reps on Thursday

    Winners in the last National Assembly elections will be issued with certificate of returns on Thursday.

    According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the 102 Senators- elect will be issued with their certificate at 10 am while the 338 Members of House of Representatives-elect will be issued theirs by 2pm.

    Going by the list of candidates elected in the February 23rd and March 9th polls, APC has 63 seats in the senate while PDP has with 38 with YFP securing one.

    Seven seats have been declared inconclusive and will be contested for on the 23rd March supplementary poll.

    For the lower chamber, the ruling party also has the majority.

    According to the results of the election, APC has 211 members-elect to PDP’s 111.

    Other political parties picked 16 seats with APGA securing 6, ADC 3, Action Alliance 2, Peoples Redemption Party -two, African Democratic Party- one, Allied Peoples Movement -one and Social Democratic Party-one.

    There are 22 seats still up for grabs.

    The 22 are declared inconclusive and supplementary elections have been fixed for 23rd March except for Rivers state that the commission is yet to take action.

    INEC has fixed 23rd March for all outstanding polls except that of Rivers.

    The two major parties will be slugging it out in Sokoto, Adamawa, Bauchi, Kano, Plateau and Benue states where polls were inconclusive.

    In all, there are 526,892 votes for grasp in the six states.  In Sokoto state, where the PDP is leading with 3,413 votes, there are 75,493 votes to fight for.

    In Adamawa, PDP with 367, 471 as against APC’s 334,995 is leading with 32,476.

    Read Also: INEC vows to conduct free, fair gov rerun in Kano

    There are 40,998 votes to fight for in the state.

    In Bauchi, it is also a close call as PDP leads with 4,059 votes.

    There are 139,240 votes at stake come 23rd March. The PDP has 469,512 while APC has 465,453.

    In Benue, PDP leads with 81,554 votes and the outstanding votes to contest for is 121, 011.

    The APC is leading in Plateau with 44,929 votes. APC and PDP will be fighting for larger share from 49,377.

    In Kano, PDP is leading by 26,664 votes. The outstanding vote is 100,873.

    On Rivers state, the commission is yet to receive the report of the investigation panel into the disruption of polls, it was learnt.

    Though the committee, which was given 48 hours to turn in its report, has not been able to do so as a result of many factors, it has however met with critical stakeholders in the state, including the governor and other governorship candidates.

    The committee was set up on Sunday to review the situation that led to disruption of the electoral process in the state.

    Responding to an inquiry from our Correspondent, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the commission, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, said that the committee may have been bogged down by flight delay and others.

    He however assured that immediately the committee turns in its report the commission will met to take decision in respect of Rivers state.

     

  • APC wins four seats in Bayelsa House of Assembly

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won four of the 24 seats in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly from the results so far announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 17 and the remaining three – Brass 1, Ogbia 2 and Southern Ijaw 4 – were declared inconclusive because of hijack of electoral materials, over voting and other irregularities.

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan hails from Ogbia constituency 2.

    APC candidates who won are Wilson Ayakpo (Ekeremor constituency 2); Edward Irigha (Nembe constituency 2); Douglas Samson (Nembe constituency 3) and Ominous Ayonatimiyo (Brass 2).

    Head of Department, INEC Voter Education and Publicity Mr. Wilfred Ifogah said elections in Brass 1, Ogbia 2 and Southern Ijaw 4 constituencies were declared inconclusive because they failed the test of the commission’s regulations and guidelines.

    He said: “Twenty-one results were fully declared and winners returned while three were declared inconclusive with due reference to INEC regulations and guidelines for the conduct of the general elections.

    “Clause 10 (10) harps on the mandatory use of smart card readers. Clause 28 (b) is on collation at ward level and clause 43 (b) is on careful review of activities by the Management Team, informed by the reports as stated by the Collation Officers and Returning Officers duly appointed.”

    He noted that the commission would in due time inform stakeholders of the new date for supplementary elections.

  • INEC fixes 23rd March for supplementary elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed 23rd March, 2019 for supplementary elections in states where elections were declared inconclusive.

    INEC announced the date in a press statement signed by the National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye.

    INEC noted that it acted in compliance within the ambit of the Electoral Act.

    Okoye also noted that in the case of Bauchi state, an investigation team has been set up to look into the matter in a bid to resolve whatever the issue is.

    The statement reads: “The Commission met today, l2th March 2019 and reviewed the conduct of the 29 Governorship and 991 State constituency elections held on 9‘h March 2019. In all, the Commission declared winners in the Governorship elections in 22 states.

    “However, the Returning Officers in Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Plateau and Sokoto States declared the Governorship elections inconclusive.

    Consequently the Commission will conduct supplementary elections on Saturday 23rd March 2019 to conclude the process.

    Supplementary elections will also hold in polling units in all States where State Assembly elections were declared inconclusive and winners could not be declared. Details of the constituencies including number of polling units and registered voters will be published on our website tomorrow Wednesday 13th March 2019.

    “The elections were declared inconclusive for a combination of reasons, mainly the discontinuation of use of the Smart Card Readers midway into the elections or the failure to deploy them, over-voting and widespread disruption in many polling units.

    “In compliance with the Margin of Lead Principle derived from Sections 26 and 53 of the Electoral Act as amended and paragraph 41(e) and 43(b) of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of elections, the outcome of these elections could not be determined without conducting polls in the affected polling units.

    Hence, the Commission’s decision to conduct supplementary elections in line with this principle.

    “Furthermore, the Commission has considered a Report submitted by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Bauchi State on the disruption of the collation at the Tafawa Balewa LGA collation centre, which led to the cancellation of results for the entire local government”.

    “The Commission found that there are issues that need further investigation and has set up a team led by a National Commissioner to resolve them”.

  • Ganduje promises PDP shocker during rerun

    Kano State Governor Dr Abdullahi Ganduje has vowed to give the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) a shocker during the rerun of governorship election.

    He also declared his victory is guaranteed.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the Kano governorship election inconclusive following allegation of irregularities in Nasarawa local government area.

    A statement by the Commissioner for Information, Youth and Culture and Chairman, Publicity 2019 Election, Malam Muhammad Garba said: “Ganduje is unperturbed by the wishful thinking and slapdash deportment of the PDP candidate considering what happened in the inconclusive election widely characterized by alleged vote buying and voter intimidation by the party”.

    He said the All Progressives Congress and its candidate remain upbeat and sure of victory as Kano remained an APC state.

    The governor assured he remained committed to the conduct of free and fair election, stating all loopholes that led to rigging, vote buying and intimidation of voters have been blocked.

    ‘’APC as a party has also re-strategised and very confident of victory because the local government areas where the rerun will take place remain the APC stronghold and the electorate in these areas have made up their mind to vote massively for the Governor they trust.

    ‘’The modest achievements recorded so far by the Ganduje Administration have touched the lives of the people in all sectors of development and also remain determined to continue if returned,’’ the statement added.