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Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission

  • 980,425 PVCs collected in Kwara

    262, 823 not yet collected

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday said that between 2015 and 2018, 980,425 permanent voter cards (PVCs) have been collected in Kwara state.

    INEC added that many Nigerians are not aware of the enormous powers embedded in the voting facility.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mallam Garba Attahiru Madami said this in Ilorin, the state capital while playing host to the state Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by its Chairman, Comrade Umar Abdulwahab.

    Madami said that a total of 264,823 PVCs were yet to be claimed by their owners in the state, adding that only 50,571 voters collected the card between 2017/2018.

    He decried voter registration apathy in the state and pointed out that Kwara was at the bottom in the just concluded exercise when compared to other states.

    In spite of the challenges, the REC expressed confidence the 2019 general elections would be the best in the country, saying the commission was duty bound to conduct free, fair and credible polls.

    Madami said INEC had put in place measures to address the challenges, declaring that “I want the state to be rated best”.

    He, however, urged the media to be wary of fake news, crosscheck facts and figures and refer to the commission when need arises so as not to mislead the public.

    “Our duty is to conduct free, fair and credible election. That we will do. 2019 election will be the best in the country I want to assure you.

    INEC has put in place many things to address the challenges, we have mapped out strategies. I’m confident it would be the best.

    Read Also: 463,186 PVCs uncollected

    “Our doors are opened for any information. But let me quickly add that voter registration in Kwara is very poor. Kwara is at the bottom in the voter registration when compared to other states. Less than one million people obtained PVC in Kwara, only 50,000 added to this between 2017 and 2018.

    “Another thing is that many voters don’t know the power of PVC. We will start with that.

    I want to therefore urge the media to check fake news. We are going to give you maximum cooperation to make your job easier. We are in Kwara to conduct free and fair election in Kwara. I want the state to be rated best”, Madami said.

    In his remarks, the state NUJ Chairman, Comrade Umar Abdulwahab, said the union had enjoyed cordial relationship with the electoral umpire and added that it should be sustained especially now that the elections are around the corner.

    He, however, stressed the need to make available right information at the appropriate time if the era of fake news must be ended.

    The NUJ chairman urged the commission to allow the union handle accreditation of journalists that would be assigned to cover the forthcoming general elections in the state as exemplified in the Ekiti governorship poll held few weeks ago.

  • Kwara PDP alleges illegal PVC’s collection

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State on Monday raised the alarm over illegal collect of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s permanent voters cards (PVC).

    The party added that the PVCs were being allegedly collected from house-to-house by some staff of a radio station.

    In a statement, PDP spokesperson in the state, Mr Tunde Ashaolu alleged that staff of the said radio station have been moving round houses in Ilorin, luring people to release their PVCs in exchange for loans.

    The party said this move was aimed at using the collected PVCs to manipulate the outcome of the 2019 general elections in the State.

    “As a party, we call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the general public, security agencies, and relevant stakeholders to be aware and stand up against this dubious act orchestrated by opposition elements as it is capable of truncating our democracy,” the statement reads.

    Read Also: Kwara PDP members defect to APC

    The PDP also urged all Kwarans and residents of the State to resist every attempt by political opportunists and their agents to lure them into releasing their PVCs for pecuniary gains.

    It also charged them to see their PVC as a tool to elect representatives of their choice, and should, therefore, not release it to anybody or group.

    The party also warned politicians to stop alleged criminal and unauthorised collection of PVCs from the people, stressing that voters have the inalienable right to vote for candidates of their choice.

  • National Assembly may cut short recess

    There were strong indications that the National Assembly may have concluded arrangements to cut short its long recess to consider the controversial Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) budget.

    It was also learnt that a special session of the two chambers became necessary to allow the National Assembly reassess the Electoral Amendment Act Bill which was turned down by President Muhammadu Buhari last week.

    A source close to the National Assembly leadership told our reporters that the question of reconvening on September 25 as scheduled has been taken over by events. He noted that the likelihood of the postponement of the September 25th date of resumption is being considered due to prevailing political circumstances.

    According to him, “the All Progressives Congress (APC) fixed its governorship primaries for September 25, same day the National Assembly was scheduled to resume plenary.

    “The party also scheduled its senatorial Primaries for September 27, House Of Representatives, Saturday, September 29, State Assembly, October 2 and national convention to endorse presidential candidate for October 6.

    “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also scheduled its Presidential Primaries for October 6th.

    “It is practically impossible for anybody to expect the National Assembly to resume plenary with the political activities lined up.

    “What is likely to happen is for the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly to convoke a special session for the consideration and approval of the INEC budget.

    “I’m aware that majority of members are predisposed to cutting short the recess to enable members consider the INEC budget.

    “I am also aware that what to do with the rejected Electoral Act Amendment bill is on the table.

    “Some are saying that the Electoral Act Amendment Bill will require only a clean-up or some clerical work. But what will be done with the bill as returned by Mr. President will be decided by the two chambers.

    “What we know is that those pushing to cut short the recess appear to have upper hand.”

    The source said that the announcement for the postponement of the 25th September resumption date and a new date for resumption will be made this week, barring any other intervening circumstances.

  • Vote-buying: INEC vows to prosecute suspects in Osun gubernatorial poll

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will arrest and prosecute anyone that engages in vote-buying in the September  22 governorship election in Osun State, INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, said yesterday.

    Yakubu,speaking at the commission’s quarterly consultative meeting with political parties in Abuja, said the commission would no longer take lightly the  issue of vote-buying.

    “We are witnessing an ugly trend of vote-buying in recent elections in the country; this is giving our democracy a bad name.

    “There is difference between democracy, which is the government of the people, made by the people and for the people, and plutocracy, which is government by the rich.

    “We are going to make the Osun governorship election a big statement by arresting and prosecuting vote-buyers. We can’t carry this ugly trend to 2019 elections,”he said.

    He urged political parties to adhere strictly to the commission’s timetable and schedule of activities for 2019 general elections.

    The chairman advised political parties to ensure that their primaries were credible, saying credible and peaceful elections started with political parties which were the cornerstone of our democracy.

    He added: “Nobody can aspire for an elective position without a political party. We conduct the election, while parties produce the candidates, and that is why conducting credible party primaries is essential.”

    He said the INEC had so far received invitation letters from 60 political parties out of the 91 registered political parties to monitor their primaries.

    Yakubu added the commission would only recognise notices of primaries from parties’ national executive committees.

    “Notification should not come from branches; avoid incessant changes to party primaries and strife to eliminate rancorous primaries.

    “We incur cost in the process of monitoring party pri

    maries; we don’t have all the resources in the world to monitor party primaries.

    “Primaries should be resolved without litigations; we are still battling with litigations from party primaries conducted in 2014; we have been dragged to court 680 times over party primaries.

    “Political parties are key to our democracy; some parties change names of candidates who genuinely emerged from party primaries, while some submit names of candidates without conducting primaries.

    “Even though we have no power under the law to reject the names of candidates submitted by political parties, this time, we will name and shame political parties that do these.

    “So, we should do the right thing for our democracy.”

  • PDP faults purchase of nomination forms for Buhari

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged a shadowy group was used as a front to purchase the N45 million presidential nomination form of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election.

    Describing the development as a “worn-out stunt, smacking of fraud”, the PDP said it has the potential of worsening the image of the President.

    In a statement on Thursday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said President Buhari can no longer play the “pro-poor gimmick” which his followers have always presented to Nigerians.

    The statement said, “Already, our people are daily confronted by the flaunting of affluence and material wealth by the President and those around him, while betraying and abandoning millions of poor Nigerians who, unfortunately, put their trust in him in 2015.

    “Nigerians are aware that the very expensive personal effects, including posh jewelries daily paraded by his close relatives betrayed the gimmick of using an unregistered group, pieced together to execute  another failed pro-poor stunt to sway Nigerians.

    Read Also: Buhari not power drunk, says presidency

    “Moreover, the PDP urges the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to note that the purchase of the N45 million form by the group directly violates section 91 (9) of the Electoral Act which provides that  “no individual or other entity shall donate more than One million naira (#1,000,000) to any candidate.”

    “Since President Buhari has not publicly disowned the purchase of the form by the group, the PDP charges INEC to, within the next 24 hours, hold him culpable and make him to face the appropriate sanctions for the violation of electoral laws.

    “Finally, it is unfortunate that President Buhari and his handlers, in their desperation to hang on to power, even when they have been rejected, have reduced themselves to objects of public ridicule with their many bloopers ahead of the 2019 general elections”.

     

     

  • Harry Marshall’s son join race for House of Reps.

    Son of the late Deputy National Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, Marshall Harry, Inye Harry has joined the growing list of aspirants for the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The young Harry who is contesting the ticket for the Degema/ Bonny federal constituency said it was unfortunate that his federal constituency has been neglected even after several years of the exploitation of oil and gas resources from the area.

    He dismissed claims that Rivers State is a People’s Democratic Party strong hold, pointing out that even though the state is currently under the leadership of the PDP, that was not a true reflection of the realities on ground.

    He said, “Rivers state is not predominately PDP, Rivers State is an APC state we all know what happened during the 2015 governorship election, there was no election anywhere. The votes of the people did not count; the ruling party just sat down in one office with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and wrote the results, the peoples mandate was stolen that was what happened.

    Read Also: Marshall Harry’s son condemns violence

    “This time round, we are determined that this will not happen again. Our people are wiser and we will ensure that their votes count this time around. Something happened last month.  There was a bye election into a state constituency, the  APC won, the ruling party in the state know what they did with INEC, up till this day, they have not released the results.

    “The Rivers State APC is calling for the release of the results but the state government is arguing that the results should not be announced. 2019 will prove to the world that Rivers is an APC state, my constituency is for APC 100 per cent.”

    Speaking on the issue of direct or indirect primary, Harry said “Every state has its own peculiarity and their different circumstances.  I am with the leadership of the APC in my state, whatever position they take I will abide by it since like we were told, each state will decided which mode best suits its peculiarity.

    “If they say it is direct primaries fine, if they say it is indirect we are fine, There are no factions in Rivers State APC, what is happening is no strange in politic I can assure you that at the end of the day  we will all come together and move forward. Most of these fights you see are on the pages of newspapers.”

  • INEC registers over 5 million eligible voters in Kano

    The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Kano has registered over 5 million eligible voters that would cast their votes, in the  2019 General Elections.

    In a statement signed by the Commission’s spokesman, Alhaji Garba Lawal Muhammad and made available to reporters on Tuesday ,said,  during the recently concluded , Continuous Voters Registration (CVR)  “540, 792” newly registered voters   were captured, in Kano.

    “The results of the successful conduct of the Continuous Voters Registration(CVR) and Distribution of the Permanent Voters Card,(PVC) is as follows, total CVR 540, 792, total transfer 11,504, PVC collected 56, 405, total of uncollected PVC’s 517, 927.”

    Garba noted that, the concluded exercise also recorded 46, 258 cases that comprises of loss of voters card, defaced cards and applicants, who had approached the commission for corrections to be carried out on their voters cards.

    According to him, “Total number of voters in Kano, including the 2015 registered voters stands at 5,535,703. This figure may change, after consolidation of data and AFIS.”

    Read Also: INEC registers 600,000 new voters in Delta

    He said that, security agencies played an apparent role that ensures the hitch free PVC collection and CVR exercise in the state.

    Garba assured the people of Kano, that the commission is committed toward the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.

    “We also want to call on all those who registered in 2011, 2014, and 2017 and have not collected their PVC, to visit INEC Local Government Offices statewide to collect their PVC.” Garba stated.

    He further stated that, residents who were captured during the 2018 registration exercise would be issued with their Permanent Voters Cards, PVC,  prior to the staging of the 2019 General Elections

  • 2019: NGO worried over delay in passage of INEC budget

    A non-governmental organization, Election Monitor, has expressed concerns over delay in the passage of the budget submitted to the National Assembly for the conduct of 2019 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

    The group said the failure of the National Assembly to pass the budget could put Nigeria’s democracy in jeopardy.

    Its National Coordinator, Abiodun Ajijola, conveyed the worries of the group in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

    The statement reads: “Election Monitor is perturbed and very worried that the National Assembly has failed to pass the INEC budget since the request for virement and supplementary input to the 2018 budget was made (11th July 2018) and read on the Senate floor (17th July 2018). What this means is that the budget request has spent one and a half months with the NASS without being conclusively acted upon (approved for release).

    “The argument that the budget input came in late does not defend delaying the passage of the budget for any reason moral or political because Nigeria’s sustained democracy is greater than the interest of any person or group of persons.

    “The window to conduct political party primaries is already open and INEC has no budget to monitor these primaries which has implications in the future if these primaries are held without being monitored, especially in the event of disputed primaries.

    “It would be negligent to describe the current situation as normal just because the effects of the current delay of passage of the INEC budget have not yet been felt.

    “No responsible government should wait until there is a full blown crisis to take corrective and preemptive actions when there are clearly ominous signs ahead if the current trajectory is maintained.

    Read Also: INEC lost millions of naira to flood in Edo

    “While conducting elections is based on the electoral laws, Nigerians should remember that smart card readers have been used to conduct just under two hundred elections since the 2015 Nigerian General Elections. Some of these elections have been disputed and all possible legal options have been taken, yet none have had their results invalidated as a result of the existing Electoral Act 2010 (amended) despite the smart card readers were used in all these elections. Therefore equating signing of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2018 to passing the INEC budget is not addressing the root issue which is funding the 2019 General Elections.

    “The meaning of this is that even with the existing electoral act smart card readers would still be used as has been demonstrated in recent elections such as Edo and Ondo 2016, Anambra 2017, Ekiti 2018 etc. Saying that signing of the electoral act will determine the usability of smart card readers in the 2019 General elections is not true and incongruent with the recent and current happenings in the Nigerian electoral process.

    “It is also important to note that the National Assembly had since June 2015 to work on the current Electoral Act amendment bill but chose to only submit it for assent in February 2018 despite promising that it would be passed before the end of 2016. The Nigerian Senate passed its own version of the bill in March 2017 but in February 2018 adopted the resequencing of elections which was very controversial and not in the original bill passed by the Senate. The National Assembly had every opportunity to override the executive decision but that wasn’t done and the current bill was eventually received by the executive on 3rd August 2018. Using the signing of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2018 as a precondition to pass the budget for the 2019 Nigerian General elections is therefore unacceptable.

    “This is a national emergency and urgent steps need to be taken immediately to remedy this perilous situation. Though this is an election related issue it is also a security issue. This is because any crisis stemming from elections always has security implications. It should be remembered that much of the civil unrest across many African countries can be linked to elections directly or indirectly.

    “This is the time for bold decisions that will save Nigeria from unnecessary chaos and crisis on the altar of politics. Election Monitor does not accept any attempt to truncate the hard-fought democracy of Nigeria and therefore calls on the National Assembly to expedite action on the complete passage of the 2019 General Elections budget before the end of August 2018 which includes reconvening the National Assembly.

    “In the event of a failure to do this, Election Monitor calls on President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR to take every step necessary to save Nigeria from an impending political crisis which would certainly have grave security implications for which he has a fundamental responsibility to all Nigerians. National security is primary and every government is first expected to secure the lives and property of its citizens and delaying passage of an election budget is tantamount to delaying the elections which has a last date that it can be legally conducted. Therefore since this is inherently a security situation the President should treat it as such.

    “Election Monitor calls on all Nigerians to reject the antics of political actors who are not concerned with the impact of their actions on the average Nigerian on the street. It is therefore imperative that all Nigerians use the 2019 General elections to reject all candidates at all levels who would not serve in Nigeria’s best interest.

  • Group tells INEC to patronise local printers 

    As the 2019 general election draws near, the National Union of Printing Publishing and Paper Products Workers (NUPPPPROW) have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) to patronize local printers on election materials.

    The union lamented that while government policies have made printing costlier locally, INEC should consider patronizing the local industry instead of the foreign counterpart stating that it would help develop the printing industry.

    Speaking at the Nigeria International Print Expo 2018 organized by DCS Integrated Media Limited in Lagos which held at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island,Lagos, the National President of NUPPPPROW, Mr. John Ushie, said: “Giving such  contracts to foreigners will be jeopardizing the mandate of building local capacity and creating jobs.”

    Ushie said: “90 per cent of government printing jobs are taken abroad. The reason is that of wrong government policy that makes printing abroad cheaper than in Nigeria”.

    Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Mr. Olukayode Pitan, who was represented by the Deputy General Manager, SME, South, Mr. Ayo Bajomo, said: “At BOI, we have about N20 billion available for light manufacturing companies of which printing industry falls within the category. To access below N10 million required no collateral. All you need is a guarantor. We have set up a different loan package to help galvanise and revitalize Nigerian economy.”

     

  • Kogi West Senate: PDP insists no automatic ticket

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kogi West Senatorial district has said that no aspirant would be granted automatic ticket for the 2019 general election.

    According to the party, the decision which was reached on Saturday, at a meeting of stakeholders and party excos from the Kogi West Senatorial district, held at the Aiyetoro-Gbedde residence of Maj.-Gen. David Jemibewon (rtd), a member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), aims at checking impunity and disaffection among members.

    Those in attendance included General Jemibewon,  Chief Sam Akande, Sen. Tunde Ogbeha, Hon. Musa Ahmadu, Shola Akanmode, Chief Abiodun Ojo, Shola Ojo, Alhaji Hassan Salahu, Sam Abenemi, PDP Deputy Chairman, Mrs Margret Orebiyi, Bar. Kola Ojo, members of the Kogi West zonal exco and the seven LGAs party chairmen in the Kogi West district.

    They resolved that a level playing field would however be created for all aspirants, in a free and fair primaries.

    They said that the decision was taken in the best interest of the party, towards discouraging impunity and actions likely to create disaffection.

    Read Also: Three people burnt to death in Kogi accident

    They urged new members to be ready to slug it out with the older ones, saying a level playing field would be created for the primaries.

    The PDP advised aspirants to be ready to effectively fund their election, warning that no aspirant should expect “manna from heaven.

    While appealing to aspirants to be of good conduct, they called on them to work and abide by the party’s rules and regulations.

    They condemned in strong terms the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during the just concluded Lokoja-Kogi Federal constituency bye-election, describing it as a sham and falling below minimum standard.

    They expressed worries at the level of violence during the poll, just as they alleged the state government of engaging thugs and security agencies to impugn on the integrity of the exercise.

    They called on the Federal Government to put in place machinery to forestall future occurrence, adding that, if such measures are not taken, people would have no choice but to resort to self-help.