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Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission

  • Remembering Orubebe

    Classical. First of its kind. Wow. Or how best can one capture a situation where a serving minister tried to truncate the announcement of the result of the last presidential election? It is really difficult to forget. So, I was not surprised that President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday remembered Elder Godsday Orubebe, a former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, at the 2018 Democracy Day lecture.

    Buhari said the ex-minister should have been invited to listen to Attahiru Jega, a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who was the lecturer. Orubebe had harassed Jega that day, saying: “Jega you have been compromised, we are no longer confident in you.”

    “Here, I must digress to raise an observation about the programme organisers because I did not see Mr. Orubebe who ought to have come and listen to Prof. Jega deliver his lecture. This is a major observation.

    “That instance, for those of us who were lucky that there was light and we had the television to see the confrontation between Orubebe and Prof. Jega, it will remain a life impression to many of us.”

    Orubebe’s action led to a new lexicon being added to our local dictionary. I remember a friend sent me  a BlackBerry message, which read: “New word now in the English dictionary: ‘Orubebe’ (noun): The process of trying to disrupt a smooth running process, especially through a fraudulent and dishonest means”; (verb): “to make an attempt to disrupt a gathering/smooth running process…” : E.g. Noun: The birthday party resulted in an Orubebe before the police intervened. Verb: Every time Liverpool FC is winning Manchester United, they always want to Orubebe the match.”

    Orubebe, who is founder of the Glory Sanctuary Christian Centre (GSCC), Ogbogbagbene, Burutu Local Government, Delta State, really danced naked in the market square without being ashamed.

    Because defeat was staring the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the face, he enjoyed his naked show being beamed live on national television stations. He thought it was good for the cameras to record him; so he moved forward before making his point. He spurned the advice that he could be heard from where he sat. He wanted his face to be seen and ended up being the worse for it.

    He cut a pitiable sight as he sat on the red rug close to where Jega and other senior officials of the electoral umpire were. His request: the process must be stopped. He had started his theatrics first standing and when he seemed to be making not much sense to Jega, he sat on the red rug and for close to 30 minutes, he held everyone hostage and no plea could make him leave the stage. He screamed, shouted and giggled like a man desperate to have his way. His eye balls bulged as though they would jump out of the socket as he shouted: “No, we will not take this.”

    His eyes also spoke volume about the pains he was going through at the suffocating fate of his darling party under whose platform his dream of governing Delta State crashed like a pack of cards. He kept jumping up and down and raising his hands to drive home his point. All he wanted was for Jega to return to his office and empanel a body to investigate his party’s petition.

    He said Jega was biased against the PDP and deliberately not investigating the complaints about events in some All Progressives Congress (APC) stronghold. Orubebe, an Ijaw man from Ogbobagbene, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, who was born on 6 June 1959, could not stand the coming fate.

    The elder later apologised in an interview with reporters, saying he regretted his naked dance in the market square. He said his emotion got the better part of him. He begged Nigerians and the youths who look up to him to forgive him, adding that as an elder in the church he went beyond bounds. President Goodluck Jonathan’s commendable act of conceding defeat even before official declaration of Buhari as the president-elect must have made him feel like a fool. The man he thought he was fighting for knew it was time to leave the stage.

    That incident was not Orubebe’s first ‘public show of shame’. His quarrel with boxer Bash Ali while he was Minister of Niger Delta was messy. The contents of text messages between the duo became public knowledge and the sort of language Orubebe deployed put a question mark on his person.

    The crux of the matter between Orubebe and Ali was whether or not the Ministry of Niger Delta promised to sponsor Ali’s championship bout. Orubebe said he never committed his ministry to sponsoring the proposed Guinness Book of Records bout of the ex-World Boxing champion.  Orubebe, in a telephone interview with this newspaper at the time, said his ministry had nothing to do with sports. He added that all he did was to recommend Ali to the National Sports Commission (NSC). Ali, however, insisted he had a commitment from the ministry, through the minister, to sponsor the bout.

    Ali’s claim, said the minister, showed that he needed psychiatric help. Orubebe said:  “That man came to me with his proposal and I said these are things that can be done by the National Sports Commission (NSC). I gave him a recommendation note to see the Minister of Sports at that time.

    “Later he came to me that some people told him that the programme will be included in the budget of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

    “I said if other people are lying, I will not lie. The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has nothing to do with sports, the programme could not have been part of our budget. So, it is not in our budget.

    “This agitation of Ali is dated back to the tenure of ex-President Umaru  Yar’Adua. At a point, he was so impressed with my assistance that he wrote a letter to Yar’Adua telling him that I am the only minister who speaks the truth. I still have a copy of the letter with me.

    “Sometime this year, he sent me a text that is it because he insisted on a transparent deal that the budget for the programme was not released? I asked: What has my ministry got to do with Sports?”

    “Bash Ali is a big fool. He is good enough for the psychiatric hospital in Uselu. I think it is a mental case and I want to advise his family to take him there. I am not bothered about what he is saying about me.”

    However, documents obtained by this newspaper at the time showed that Ali had a deal with Orubebe’s ministry to sponsor the bout. The ministry also championed the setting up of a Local Organising Committee (LOC) to stage the fight. Orubebe’s ministry, in a letter, asked the NSC to nominate one of its senior officials to serve on the LOC.

    In the August 27, 2009 letter, the Ministry of Niger Delta, wrote the Chairman of the National Sports Commission on its readiness to support Ali’s fight. The letter, signed by Dalhatu Sule on Orubebe’s behalf, reads: “I am directed to inform you that the ministry is in the process of supporting an International Boxing Tournament between Bash Ali of Nigeria and John Keelon of Britain.

    “We are therefore seeking for your nominee to serve as member of the committee that will work out the modalities on how to arrange and finance the tournament.

    “Your nominee should be an officer of not below the rank of Assistant Director.”

    In another letter, also signed by Sule on Orubebe’s behalf on September 8, 2009, Ali was assured that “a committee has already been set up to work out the modalities for the great fight.”

    But, after some months, Orubebe changed his mind. So, in a December 15, 2009 letter Sule, on Orubebe’s behalf, wrote the fighter that the ministry had no money to sponsor the bout, which it had earlier set up a committee to organise.

    The letter reads: “I write to refer to your letter of 24th November, 2009, on the above subject matter and to inform you that we are just a fledgling ministry that barely took off this year and as such, extreme budgetary constraints has been a problem to grapple with. In this regard, the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry would not be in a position to sponsor the historic boxing defence bout between Ali of Nigeria and Keeton of Britain. Please accept the warm assurance of the Honourable Minister’s highest regards.”

    It is not in doubt that Orubebe actually gave Ali the hope that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs would support the fight. Why he had a change of mind is hazy. Ali claimed it was because of his refusal to part with some of the $14.2m allegedly budgeted for the fight under skill acquisition in the ministry’s budget, an allegation the ex-minister denied. The ex-minister said the fight was never budgeted for by the ministry.

    My final take: For Orubebe, the ghost of his naked dance will roam the earth for years to come. Already, his Wikipedia entry has recorded it. This happened minutes after the dance. I am sure some books have also recorded this, making it something that will be talked about years after those of us still around would have gone to the great beyond. The lesson in this is that we must always think before we leap. Orubebe did not that day.

    • Parts of this piece first appeared on this space on April 3, 2015

  • INEC laments poor participation of women in elective process

    The National Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Hajia Amina Zakari on Wednesday in Kano lamented the poor participation of Nigerian women in occupying elective positions in the country’s democratic process.

    Zakari, who is the National Commissioner representing North West zone, stated this at the North west workshop on “Enhancing Women’s Participation in the Continuous Voter Registration and Collection of Permanent Voter cards, said that women constitute a good percentage of Nigeria’s voting population, they only occupy 5.8 percent of the political offices in the country.

    She said despite the global statistics on gender parity which placed Nigeria at 152 out 188 countries, Nigeria women under the human development index still suffer gender inequality.

    According to her “ I don’t know the miracle we need to perform but a lot still need to be done by stakeholders to ensure that the situation improves before 2019 general elections and one of the strategies include ensuring women register and collect their permanent voter’s cards to vote for their preferred candidates.

    “Since the CVR commenced on April 27, 2017, over 4 million Nigerians have so far registered across the country. The gender distributions of the fresh registrants, according to the commission’s CVR reports for first quarter 2018, was 1,362,293 for women and 1,560,823 men. Only very slight increase in women registration was recorded since the commenced of the exercise.

    Read Also: INEC gives out 156,969 PVCs in Cross River

    “That is the essence of the workshop, organized by INEC, in collaboration with the European Union to work with variety of partners and stakeholders, including the political parties, the media and civil society organizations to implement elections related activities, in which CSO’s are important instrument for election process to ensure more women register and pick up their PVC’s”.

    The project director, European Center for Electoral Support (ECES) Mr David Le Notre, who was represented by the Gender Program officer Mrs. Cathy Latiwa Amato also decried the low rate of women in the country’s parliament which stood at 5.9 percent, compared with other sister African countries like Rwanda 61.3 percent, Uganda 34.6 percent, South Africa 43.2 percent, Ethiopian 27.7 percent and Cameroon 20.1 percent, according to United Nations reports, 2017.

    According to her “The current CVR provides women with the opportunity to participate actively in the political process not only by ensuring that more women are registered but also translating this numerical strength into electing more women into elective positions”.

    She assured ECES commitment towards promoting improved participation of women in political process in which a bridge training to enhance capacity building of INEC gender desk officers from the 36 states, adding that plans to hold roundtables on voter education and mobilization with gender focus CSO’s, continue enhancing women participation across the six geopolitical zones ahead of the 2019 elections.

  • INEC commences distribution of over 100,000 PVCs in Nasarawa

    In preparation for the 2019 general elections; the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the distribution of over 100,000 permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) in Nasarawa state.

    The commission disclosed that the available PVCs currently being distributed are for those that applied for it across the state in 2017.

    Resident Electoral Commissioner in Nasarawa state, Dr. Uthman Abdulrahman Ajidagba, stated this during the flag off of the distribution of the PVCs in Lafia, the state capital on Monday.

    Read Also: Nasarawa gets new CP

    According to him those that registered for PVCs in 2017 and applied for transfer of such PVCs were also captured in the current distribution.

    He said: “We have more than 100,000 PVCs to be distributed across the 13 local government area of the state for those that registered in 2017″.

    “So I am imploring all those in this category to go to their various local government areas of registration to get theirs”, he added.

    He noted that those that registered this year will get theirs before the 2019 general election and called on those yet to apply for their PVCs to do so before the elections.

  • Fears over 2019 elections

    Stakeholders are expressing fears over the outcome of 2019 General Elections. Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports on some of the issues eliciting concerns

    AS the 2019 General Elections draw near, more Nigerians have expressed fears over the likely outcome of the exercise. While some observers and stakeholders wonder if the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would allow the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free and fair general elections, others expressed fear that the elections may either be marred by voter apathy or be rigged through surreptitious use of technology, among others.

    Just this week’s Wednesday, the National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, expressed misgivings over INEC’s willingness to conduct free and fair election in 2019.

    Speaking when the United Nations assessment team paid the leading opposition party a courtesy call, in Abuja, Secondus said what President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government owes Nigeria is to conduct free and fair elections.

    He pointed out that free and fair election would only guarantee the unity of the country, adding that the 2019 election would make and mar the togetherness of the nation.

    “This visit is timely because of the unfolding event in our country and the political situation; I believe this is the time for intervention.

    “We have fears since APC came on board, if election is not in their favour, there is a rerun.

    “There must be election that is free and fair and when there is no free and fair election it breeds crisis and we are witnessing what is happening in Kenya.

    “What is happening in the West should happen here. There is a great fear whether INEC will conduct free and fair election. Free and fair election will guarantee the unity of this country and we are afraid if INEC will conduct a free and fair election.

    “Take this to New York for all the necessary actions required. Election is coming in 2019; the election that will make and mar the nation. What this government owes this nation is to conduct free and fair election. The National Assembly and the judiciary are important arms of the government, but the judiciary is not respected.”

    The leader of the team, Mr. Serge G. Kubwimana, had said earlier that they were meeting with political parties to form assessment on how to support them ahead of next year’s general elections.

    Voter apathy

    Besides the fear of influence of the ruling party on the electoral umpire, another fear that has been expressed is the fear of likely voters’ apathy. Just last week, the Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji, said the major headache the commission faces in the state is voter apathy.

    The fear, according to some sources has led to speculation that INEC’s verification exercise is aimed at de-registering some political parties.

    Speaking during the stakeholders meeting with leaders of political parties in Anambra State at the INEC headquarters in Awka, Orji said the commission had no power to deregister any duly registered party as that was not part of the mandate of the commission.

    He said the exercise was “primarily for administrative purposes which included verification of the authenticity of the existence of the various political parties in the state.”

    On the preparation for the general elections in 2019 in the state, Orji said the Commission had already commenced stocktaking of all equipment and other infrastructure, including the smart card readers, vehicles, among others.

    As he puts it: “We are riding on the back of the last governorship election in the state in activating the process.

    “The equipment tested so far indicated that most of them are in good condition,” he said.

    Describing voter apathy as a major challenge of the electoral process in the state, he attributed it to “irregularities in previous elections.”

    Our investigation shows that the fear of possible voter apathy is not limited to Anambra. In fact, there is fear that in some states where violence has reigned for some time now, voters may shy away from the exercise, except more concrete arrangement are made to reassure the people of their safety.

    Electronic rigging

    Another fear which even INEC has admitted is the fear of possible attempt to employ electronic tools and modern technology to rig the election.

    Early this year, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, openly expressed fear over the increasing incidence of election meddling through the use of technology in many countries.

    He said there was the need for African countries to tackle it in order to protect democracy.

    He made the call at the opening ceremony of a conference attended by the Electoral Management Bodies of the ECOWAS member countries and the South African Development Community member states.

    Speaking at the event titled, ‘Opportunities and Challenges in the Use of Technology in Elections: Experiences from West and Southern Africa,’ Yakubu said “Given the high stakes of conducting elections in developing countries, electoral commissions must understandably be worried about the twin issues of communication and security, especially in situations where data reside with and is directly transmitted to the tallying centres through offshore vendors rather than exclusively controlled within national boundaries by election monitoring bodies.

    “In addition, we have to contend with the disturbing but rapidly increasing incidence of election meddling through the deployment of counter-technology on a global scale by state and non-state actors.”

    He however said that since technology had come to stay, election management bodies must learn to use it for the benefit of the people.

    Allocation of polling units

    Another fear that has generated controversy is allegation that INEC may have concluded plans to allocate more polling units in some selected areas as a smart way of rigging the 2019 elections.

    Responding to the allegation, Rotimi L. Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, said such reports not only misrepresent the facts and intentions of INEC in its bid to respond to legitimate demands of the citizens of Nigeria, but also made unwarranted insinuations capable of creating confusion in the minds of the general public.

    The elections are a few months away.

  • Fayose, FUOYE VC trade words over alleged “rigging” plot

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose and the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Kayode Soremekun on Friday traded words over alleged plot to rig the July 14 governorship election.

    Fayose alleged that Soremekun has lent himself to be used by ruling party in Nigeria, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by recruiting students of his institution to serve as ad hoc staff at the poll rather than youth corps members.

    The governor alleged that Soremekun is a card-carrying member of the APC and a close ally of the party’s governorship candidate in the forthcoming election, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. He alleged that the VC had rigged elections for the APC in the past.

    Fayose who spoke with reporters in Ado-Ekiti on Friday alleged that over 2,000 FUOYE students had been registered as ad hoc staff under Soremekun’s watch and allegedly ordered to supply bank details of their close relations so that payments would not be directly linked to them.

    But Soremekun who denied involvement in any plot to rig the forthcoming election described Fayose’s allegation as a “blatant falsehood” said INEC is the agency in charge of recruiting ad hoc staff for the purpse of elections.

    The Ogun State born university administrator who also denied being an APC card-carrying member said this would not be the first time that Fayose had attempted to blackmail him.

    The FUOYE boss said Ekiti governor had attacked him over his refusal to do assist his (Fayose’s) party (PDP) at the September 2016 Edo State governorship election where he (Soremekun) served as the chief returning officer.

    Soremekun also recalled that Fayose had cried to the whole world that he (Soremekun) would be used as the chief returning officer for the November 2016 Ondo State governorship election and released his phone number to the public to occupy his line adding that he did not serve in that capacity eventually as the governor had alleged.

    Fayose said: “The idea behind this plot is to recruit APC members from neighbouring States, arm them with FUOYE students Identity Cards and use them as INEC Presiding and Returning Officers to perfect the planned rigging of the election. This will fail.”

    Read Also: Fayose is very abusive, lacks decorum, says Oyegun

    “Today, we are beginning to receive signals to the effect that clandestine moves are being made to subvert the will of Ekiti people.

    With the failure of their “Ondo Option”, other evil means are now being devised.

    “Despite that we have over 9,000 Youth Corps members in Ekiti State and it has been the general practice to engage the NYSC members in elections across the country, the APC in collusion with INEC have asked that students of FUOYE be recruited as INEC ad-hoc staff for the election, instead of youth corps members.

    “We are in possession of an Internal Memorandum from the office of the Dean of Students Affairs, FUOYE seeking registration of students of the University as INEC Presiding and Returning Officers for the Election.

    “As I speak, over 2,000 supposed FUOYE students have been registered; with a curious condition that they should provide Bank Account details of their close relations, apparently to avoid tracing any payment into their own accounts.

    “The question is; with over 9,000 Youth Corps members in Ekiti State, what is the need for FUOYE students in an election that is holding in less than 2,200 polling units?

    “Our counsel is that parents, guardians and families of FUOYE students should prevail on their wards to shun this Greek gift and avoid being used by desperate politicians.

    “INEC, too, must come clean on this. The electoral umpire must tel the public the rationale behind the plot to jettison Youth Corps members for supposed FUOYE students.”

    Soremekun fired back: “What Governor Ayodele Fayose has accused me of is a blatant falsehood. In a post colonial setting like Nigeria and especially Ekiti State, elections are like war and in any war, the truth is usually the first casualty.

    “Having said that, am I the one to recruit students for elections or the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “I am not in charge of recruiting adhoc staff for INEC, they are the one in charge of that. Politics is the only industry in Ekiti land here.

    “I also heard that governor Fayose said that two days ago (Wednesday) I was in Abuja with ex Governor Fayemi on this same matter.

    “But again, I have concrete proof to the effect that two days ago I was in Oye trying to put down the fire occasioned by student’s unrest. You know about this and it was even in the papers.

    “So, how could I have been in Oye and in Abuja at the same time. Let me also say that this is not the first time that Governor Fayose would be treating me like this.

    “In the run up to the last Ondo governorship election, you will recall that Governor Fayose said I would be the returning officer foe INEC wanted for the election and that I had a rigging template because I was the returning officer in Edo State.

    “It is true I was the returning officer then but the loser of that Edo election went to the court, the tribunal, Appeal and Supreme Courts and he lost.

    “As much as possible politicians should not try to drag me to their mess. Governor Fayose will win or lose based on his prior performances in office.”

  • 70,000 voters now registered by Kwara INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kwara state on Tuesday said that it has registered about  70,000 eligible voters from April last year till date

    The state Administrative Secretary Paul Atser spoke this in Ilorin at at a meeting with IPAC members. Mr Atser, said that PVC of the registered voters were on the way to the state.

    The INEC boss also said that about 4,000 PVCs were collected out of the 242,000 unclaimed cards.

    On the On-going Continuous Voters Registration CVR exercise, the Administrative Secretary said that the exercise was going on peacefully in the state adding that the Office had not witnessed any ugly incidence.

    He assured that the newly printed PVC for registrants who registered since 2017 would soon be ready for collection and that the stakeholders would be adequately informed; he added that cards owners would have to come by person to collect the cards.

    Read Also: Ekiti 2018: INEC promises not to compromise standard

    Mr. Atser, who appreciated peaceful and serene political environment existing in Kwara state, noted that the political parties had been conducting their activities in peaceful manner devoid of any major rancor as witnessed in several other states and appealed that such should be sustained.

    The Administrative Secretary added that the meeting was called to intimate political parties with the developments that had taken place since their last meeting was held.

    Mr. Atser urged IPAC members to feel free to come to the Commission’s Office on any issue that is not clear to them as his Office doors were widely opened.

    Also speaking, chairman of IPAC in Kwara State, Comrade Abdul-Mumeen Onagun who is also the Labour Party Chairman, commended openness of the state office of INEC in handling all issues relating to political parties and creating level playground all the time.

    He also said that despite INEC efforts on the increased numbers of the registration centers, the centres were still grossly inadequate and the centres were still very far to the registrants. He therefore called on INEC to give more centres so as to ensure no one was disenfranchised.

  • Ekiti 2018: INEC promises not to compromise standard

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has promised not to compromise standard in the conduct of the governorship election in Ekiti State.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. AbdulGaniy Raji, stated this at a Town Hall meeting organized by a Civil Society Organization, Democracy Vanguard in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    He identified poverty, voter apathy and illiteracy, greed and thirst for power at all cost, corruption as factors that hinder free, fair and credible elections.

    Read Also: INEC registers 70, 000 prospective voters in Kwara

    Raji said the agency is “committed to conduct a free, fair and credible election for sustainable democracy in Ekiti State.”

    He said:”INEC is not equally prepared to compromise core values of autonomy, transparency, integrity and excellence among others.”

    The State Coordinator Democracy Vanguard of the group, Mrs Yetunde Adeoluwa said: “Never again shall political killings, financial inducements, do-or-die politics, violence, ballot snatching, and political hallelujahs be heard in Ekiti State.

    “We shall embark on aggressive community sensitization in all the 177 wards with our One-Man-One-Vote Campaign message. Our Votes must count.

    Democracy Vanguard’s National Coordinator, Comrade Adeola Soetan assured the voters that all resources shall be deployed to ensure that the choice of the people come 14th July is sworn-in by 16th October
    2018.

  • Youth group to collaborate with INEC on PVCs collection

    An NGO, Young Leaders Empowerment Forum on Monday said it was making arrangements with the  INEC on collaboration with the  Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to enable them to fully participate in the 2019 general elections.

    Mrs Oluwafolake Kolawole, Lagos Coordinator of the Forum, told the News men in Lagos that it was important for the youth to utilise the opportunity of the ongoing continuous voter registration to obtain their PVCs.

    Kolawole said such move would enable the youth to actively get involved in constructive political discussions and governance.

    “The forum is in talks with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to work out how more youths will get registered before the end of the current phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

    “Many youths who are in the middle class category, are usually at work when the CVR is taking place; they have no time to go and register. Even those who have registered are not able to get their PVCs due to lack of time.

    “Our forum is working out how to address this challenge so that many youth will be actively involved, vote and be voted for.

    Read Also: Alleged Kano underage voters: INEC not culpable

    “We have always been told that the youth are the future of Nigeria, and the only way to secure this future is to get involved in electoral process; get our PVCs and take our destinies into our hands.

    “This coming election is our opportunity to change things,” she said.

    Kolawole said the forum would also be organising a public lecture on Electoral Participation of youth with the topic – ‘Politics of Sustainable Development in Nigeria, Exploring the Inclusion of the Middle Class in the Dominant Discourse’.

    “The event which will hold on May 19 in Ikeja will feature political analysts who will educate the youths on the need to be actively involved in electoral processes.

    “Your vote is your right. It is your power, we are appealing to our youth to choose to exercise that power because it determines what kind of future we will have as a nation,” Kolawole said.

    NAN

     

  • INEC, CSOs urges parties to give more opportunities to women, disabled, youths

    The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Civil Society Organization, CSOs, have stressed the need for women, youths, disabled individuals and other marginalized section of society to be allowed to participate in party politics during the 2019 general election.

    The representatives of these groups stated this in Abakaliki during a one day programme tagged: “Ebonyi Party Engagement with Marginalized Groups” organized by United States Agency for International Development, USAID and International Republican Institute, IRI at Monabliss Hotels and Suites, Abakaliki.

    Welcoming the participants who were drawn from various political parties across the 13 local government areas of the State, the Resident Programme Officer of IRI, Husan Hassan stated that essence of the programme was to place responsibility on political parties towards ensuring that they include women, youths and disabled individuals in governance and running of party affairs.

    Hassan called on political parties to go beyond the outcome of elections and connect with the citizenry through the implementation of constituency programmes and projects that would better the lot of the people.

    According to her, marginalized segments of the society should be allowed to take decision through their occupation of executive positions in political parties across the State.

    In her remarks, INEC gender Desk officer, Ebonyi state, Mrs. Idam Esther stated that the Commission had stressed the need for women to be allowed to actively participate in politics as an all-inclusive arrangement  would help to reposition and reenergize the political

    The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Civil Society Organization, CSOs, have stressed the need for women, youths, disabled individuals and other marginalized section of society to be allowed to participate in party politics during the 2019 general election.

    “INEC is working hard to ensure that the election in 2019 is all inclusive; INEC is saying that women should be active in politics; there is need for women, youths and disabled to be included both in election and decisions within the party.”

    Presenting a paper titled: “Improving the participation of marginalized groups in political party processes”, the Programme Officer of IRI, Sunday Alao, emjoined political parties to create platforms within their parties where issues surrounding the welfare and political future of the youths are discussed and enforced so that the youths can be carried along in active politics. Alao called on the marginalized groups to take the opportunities provided by political parties and get involved in party affairs so that they can emerge as flag bearers of their parties in the 2019 general election.

    Meanwhile, the All Progressive Congress, APC represented by Pastor Victor Elemnnali and KOWA party, Comrade Adibe Nwafor Jenifer announced free nomination forms for women and youths in the 2019
    general elections.

  • Senator Bukar’s death: NASS yet to inform us – INEC

    30 days after his demise, the National Assembly is yet to officially inform the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, about the death of the Senator representing Katsina North Senatorial District, Senator Mustapha Bukar (Madawakin Daura), as required by law

    The Head of Department, Voter Education of the Katsina state branch of INEC; Alhaji Albani Takai told the Nation in an exclusive interview that the failure of the legislators to perform this statutory function is affecting the electoral umpire’s plan to conduct a bye-election in the senatorial district

    He said ’’we are yet to receive official notification from the senate concerning Senator Bukar’s death and we cannot do anything at the moment until that happens. Statutorily we have 90 days from the death of the Senator and 30 days on the official receipt of his death from the senate to conduct a bye –election’’

    On the current voters registration exercise in the state , he said the exercise has entered into the second quarter of 2018 and that it is still on-going with some modifications from mobile residential areas ,to the rural areas though not involving the polling units

    Alhaji Abani further denied incidents of registration of under aged children adding that there were strict security arrangements to prevent that from happening

    Meanwhile the Katsina state INEC is expecting the bulk delivery of 2017 PVCs for distribution and collection by eligible and qualified voters in the state, the head voter education, Alhaji Albani Takai called on those who registered last year to patiently wait to collect their PVCs