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Tag: Independent National Electoral Commission

  • LG Polls: No court can stop us – Ajimobi

     

    Party holds mega rally ahead of ward congress

     

    Following the controversy trailing the court ruling on the forthcoming May 12 local council election in the state, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Friday said that no court has the power to stop the conduct of the polls scheduled to hold across the 33 local government areas, 35 local council development areas and more than 600 wards in the state.

    He made the clarification on the heels of news making the round across the state that a Federal High Court, sitting in Ibadan, had on Wednesday delivered a ruling, stopping the conduct of the poll, when the court did not.

    Addressing thousands of the members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) during a sensitization mega rally which held at the State Party Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Governor Ajimobi explained that the ruling delivered by the court presided over by Justice J.O. Abdulmalik did not stop the council poll, but only restrained the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) from conducting elections into newly created wards by the commission in Ibarapa East Local Government Area, following issues arising from ward delimitation.

    According to a Congress timetable from the National office of the party, ward congress is slated for today (Saturday) across the country.

    But the governor insisted that the council poll would be held in all the LGAs, LCDAs and wards, including the wards in Ibarapa East Local Government, saying the constitution has made it clear that no court has power over an election.

    He said, “There is this speculation spreading across the state that the council poll will not hold as a result of the court judgment. The court has not stopped us from conducting the election, except in some newly created wards.

    “But we are telling the court that it is in the constitution that no court has power over an election. We are telling you that the wards mentioned and those that were not mentioned, we are going to conduct election there.

    “We are in touch with the aggrieved members of the party that had gone to court. I want to assure you that the election will hold across the state, even in the disputed wards.”

    It would be recalled that Justice J.O Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court, sitting in Ibadan, had granted an interlocutory injunction restraining OYSIEC from conducting election into the new wards created by the commission in Ibarapa East.

    The ruling was delivered in a litigation instituted by five elders from Eruwa in Ibarapa East Local Government Area in a case with number FHC/IB/ES/47/2018 against the Independent National Electoral Commission, OYSIEC, Oyo State Governor and the Attorney-General of the state.

    The applicants had prayed the court for an order on interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants, their servants, agents or privies from using, relying on or employing the use of any electoral areas or wards and polling stations for the purpose of any elections in Oyo State, including local government elections, other than the electoral areas or wards and polling stations created by the INEC, pending the determination of the substantive action.

    They also prayed the court to declare as illegal, null and void, the creation of the electoral areas or wards by OYSIEC in Ibarapa East council area of the state. The court has, however, adjourned the substantive suit to May 28, 2018, for hearing.

    Speaking on the ward congress, Ajimobi appealed to members of APC to ensure the success of the ward congress, warning that his administration does not tolerate hooliganism and that anybody that foment trouble will be handed over to the police.

    The governor, who passionately appealed to the party’s members to go back to their local government areas and wards with a view to reconciling with their people, however,  charged the loyalists of the party to defend themselves peradventure some people want to attack them during the congress, saying: “If they slap you once, slap them back six times.”

    He also appeals to the members to show understanding with their existing executive members who might be willing to continue in office but that if a peaceful agreement cannot be reached, “go to the field. It is not automatic to be a member of the executive.”

    The rally was attended by party chieftains, members from across the 33 local governments, lawmakers, members of the state executive councils and all relevant stakeholders.

  • PVC: INEC receives 4m for newly registered voters

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received delivery of four million printed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), it was learnt.

    The PVCs according to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, is for 2017 registered voters.

    Yakubu who made the disclosure on Thursday  at INEC Campus Outreach on “Youth Votes Count’’ at University of Abuja said that the PVCs would be delivered to states over the weekend for onward distribution.

    He said: “For those who registered in 2017 between April and December 2017, all the cards of four million have been printed and will be delivered to the state this weekend.

    “`So, by next week all those who registered in 2017 will begin to collect their cards.

    “For those who registered in first quarter of 2018 and those will continue to register before elections in 2019, I assure you that your cards will be available ahead of the general elections.’’

    He also assured that PVCs for newly registered voters in Ekiti and Osun states would also be ready before the states governorship elections.

    Speaking on the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), INEC boss said the commission had registered about 8 million new voters.

    “So far, we have registered in 2017 about 4 million Nigerian; in the first quarter of 2018 we registered about 2.9 million and in the four week of the second quarter, as at yesterday (Wednesday), we registered about 1.1million more.

    “At the end of the exercise we expect about 11 million Nigerians will be registered.’’

    Yakubu, who announced the creation of a registration centre in the campus, advised students and residents of Gwagwalada closed to the campus make use of the opportunity to register.

    He also advised them to endeavour to collect their PVCs and participate in the voting during elections, pledging that their votes would count.

    “When you collect you PVCs, please on Feb. 16 and March 2, 2019, make sure you go out and vote.

    “Let me give you an undertaking that in 2019 your votes will count. In 2019 only the votes cast by Nigerians will determine who wins election,’’

    Yakubu said that the commission was working to carry everybody along, including the People Living with Disability in its preparation for 2019 general election including the provision of magnified glasses which was demonstrated in Anambra governorship election.

    The Vice-Chancellor UNIABUJA, Prof. Michael Adikwu in his goodwill message commended INEC for starting with the university in its sensitisation of Nigerian students in the electoral processes.

    Adikwu represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Edward Nwana, said that the INEC outreach to the university underscore the important of youths in the future of Nigeria.

    “INEC has scored a very important goal by getting on board the future of our country that’s the youth to participate properly in a nonviolent manner in the electoral process

    “What is happening today gives youth a lot of hope for the country that we will have elections that will be credible and defensible in every part of the world

    “I do hope that after today’s session there will be no doubt about  that we will all play our roles in ensuring that our electoral processes are credible.’’

    The President of UNIABUJA Student Union Government, stressed the need to carry youth along in the electoral process.

    “It is a great thing for INEC to deem it fit to start the pioneer program with UNIABUJA.

    “You cannot take away youths from politics. Youths in politics, leadership and governance is something that must be taken with utmost value if Nigeria must reach the great future

    “This step by INEC meant that it believed in the youths not only as the leaders of tomorrow but of today and we will lead ourselves into tomorrow.

    “Youths represent a great percentage in the nation but if we can only write on paper without practising it to ensure that the youths get ready for the future ahead by demanding and participating in who leads them then it is a waste.’’

    INEC ambassadors; Innocent 2baba Idibia, Helen Paul, Cobhams Asuquo , a Multi-award wining musician/producer with visual challenge, as well as Yakubu and Obasanjo feature at the panel session.

  • Osun Guber Poll: INEC releases timetable

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released timetable for the September 22 Osun governorship poll.

    Briefing journalists on Thursday at the INEC Office along Gbongan road, Osogbo, the state capital, the commission new Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, said the release of the timetable was in line with the provision of the Electoral Act.

    According to him  411,438 Permanent Voters Card out of 1,407,235 registered voters in 2015, are yet to be collected.

    The REC, who disclosed that notice of election would be June 23 and commencement of public campaign by political parties June 24, said the conduct of party primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from the primaries would be between June 24 and July 23.

    Agbaje said August 22 would be the last day for the submission of nomination forms by political parties, adding that campaigns would end on September 20.

    Promising a free, fair and transparent election that would be acceptable to the people of the state, he advised stakeholders to support the commission in its effort to conduct a credible election.

    He said: “We have the mandate to provide a level playing ground for all players and we expect in return the cooperation of all stakeholders. To the press, we expect you to join hands with the commission to maintain equity and justice before, during and after the process.

    “On our part, we promise to operate an open door policy and ensure the entrenchment of all the core values and standards of the INEC with zero tolerance for electoral fraud.

  • 2019: INEC seek NOA, NYSC’S support for credible election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State has sought support of the National Orientation Agency & National Youth Service Corps to enhance success of 2019 general elections.

    The spokesman for the Commission, Mr. Femi Akinbiyi made this known in a statement issued on Thursday.

    According to the statement, Mr. Sam Olumekun, the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner visited both NOA & the NYSC orientation camp in the state on Wednesday to seek collaboration towards a successful conduct of elections.

    “While I thank you for your response support for the Commission in the time past, I want to ask you for more support in mobilizing Lagos and to participate in the electoral processes ahead of 2019 polls.”

    “I want the NOA to especially join the Commission in mobilizing eligible for voters who have abandoned their Permanent voters cards (PVC) to come and claim them.”

    “I acknowledge the strength of NOA & the fact that INEC cannot do it alone. Our people must participate in electoral process for democracy to thrive”

    “The Commission is ready to partner with NOA & other stakeholders in our drive to deliver credible, transparent, free & fair elections in 2019.

    “INEC has developed an election project plan and strategic plan of action and has itemised all we need to conduct  a successful free and fair elections.

    “If the last election was rated very high by both local and international observers, we are prepared to deliver a more credible one in 2019 to spas previous achievement.

    Mr. Olumekun urged NOA to sensitized people against violence during elections, saying electoral violence could prevent people from exercising their civic responsibility.

    At the NYSC Orientation camp, the REC Sam Olumekun also commended the State’s coordinator of NYSC, Prince Mohammed Momoh and asked for the support of the organization.

    “We thank   you for your usual support, the Commission will like to improve the MOU between us, please if there is area we need to fine tune in the MOU let us know now so  as to cement the synergy for it to work better in future.

    “Because of the advancement in technology and other issues we must commence early training of Youth Corps members on the handling of the smart card readers ahead of the election.

    “We have noticed that one of the reasons these smart card readers are handled

    “This time around, we want to devote time to educate the Corps members during their Community Development (CD) activities at various Local governments”

    Mr. I shola Waheed, the State’s Director of NOA,  in his response, promised to assist INEC to publicize its activities and mobilize people to participate in electoral process.

    “We shall avail the Commission our officials across the Local government areas in Lagos State to pubilise your programmes. We have over 207 officials to assist INEC”

    Prince Momoh also gave the commitment of NYSC to support INEC in order to deliver acceptable elections in the State.

  • 2019: South West PDP tackles APC, warns INEC against meddlesomeness

    South West arm of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday urged members to channel  their energy towards wresting power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and not dissipate it on needless in – fighting.

    The party also warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to desist from  meddling in the internal affairs of political parties in the country.

    The party’s National Vice Chairman (South West), Dr. Eddy Olafeso, made this known  in his remarks at the zonal meeting of the Extended Working Committee of South West PDP in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    He said the task to reclaim the region for PDP in future elections is a task that must be accomplished, also warning the chieftains to expect a big fight from the ruling APC.

    “What is important here is not fighting ourselves but fighting the APC government so that we can free our people from the clutches of this bad governance. Within the last few months and years that they have been there, Nigeria has turned to a mystery land; it’s a killing field for everybody.

    “The economy has gone down. No family in Nigeria can say they are better off today than they were three years ago that the PDP was in power. And if that is the situation, what should confront us is the unity that we must share to deal with the APC government and the common enemy among all of us is the APC and not ourselves.

    “And winning the South West is a task that we all must do; it’s no longer a Disneyland story of happy ever after. APC government will fight us but we are ready to rewrite this ugly chapter in the Nigerian history and we’ll do everything possible to mobilize and ensure that our people are properly positioned to vote out, in the coming general elections, this government that took our country and shredded it.

    “When you talk about a renewed and rebranded PDP, this is just the beginning. Internal democracy has been strengthened and we ensure that everybody is allowed to participate. The era of impunity and self-righteousness is over in our party,’” Olafeso said.

    He expressed satisfaction with the health of PDP in Ekiti and Osun states respectively, saying the party is solidly on ground.

    He advised those aggrieved in the party to work for harmony, and refrain from inimical activities.

    Also, the PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, said PDP members should have confidence in themselves and refused to be intimidated.

    He noted that the party, through the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, had taken a very strong and irrevocable position on the situation in Ogun State chapter.

    However, in a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the South West PDP resolved to hold a mega rally in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on May 5 “to engender brotherhood and comradeship within the party in the zone.”

    It said the PDP National Chairman and leadership of the party from across the nation will be in attendance.

    The communiqué reads in part: “That we abhor INEC’s interference in the affairs of political parties and thus declare this attitude as interloping and overbearing. This we do in view of the Supreme Court declaration on the powers of Party Convention and authority conferred on them.

    “Therefore, we reject INEC’s letter to the Ogun State Executive of the Party and also solidly confirm it to be the leadership of the Party in the State, having emerged from a convention conducted and supervised by the National Executive of the Party, it is worthy of note that INEC itself attended the convention and appended signatures to the results emanating from it.

    “We also seize this opportunity to call on members of the Party to place the interest of the Party above ambitions; it is our position that we all must eschew bitterness, rancor and strife in our relationship within the Party. We emphasize that there is no enemy within, but enemy without, therefore we must concentrate every energy we can muster to vanquish our rivals.”

    In attendance at the meeting, are state chairmen of the party in Ekiti, Lagos, Oyo, Osun and Ondo, who affirmed the leadership of Ogun State executive committee led by Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele.

  • ‘INEC will not fail Nigerians in 2019’

    Mutiu Agboke is the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State. He speaks with Sunday Oguntola on plans for the 2019 general elections and electoral issues, among others. Excerpts:

    Oyo State has over 16,000 uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Have you been able to know why the PVCs remain unclaimed?

    The factors responsible include lack of general awareness on the parts of the owners of the cards. Two, the fact that some of them who were living in a place had moved from the place. I will give you an example. I called the HOD of my ICT department that we should do an experiment. We selected some cards and we started calling them one after the other to actually know whether they were still alive or not.

    Unfortunately, out of hundred, only one of them is still resident in Oyo State. If you make a call now, they all said they are far away in other parts of the country but commended INEC for the initiative.

    Some said they are now in Umuahia, others said they are in Port Harcourt and some other far parts of the country. A lady came to my office for an interview and approached me that her PVC she did in 2015 as a student in another state had not been collected.

    She has just moved to Ibadan. I requested for her TVC Temporary Voter Card (TVC) and sent it to the local government where she registered. They were able to locate the PVC and sent it to me.

    She had to come to me to come and collect. The question is: how many people would have such opportunity? Then, imagine the number of people in her category who of course their PVCs would be there and they will not be able to know that they have to go and collect.

    So, those are the things that we have identified. Not even that, where you have students’ populated areas, the more you have them and allow them to participate in the process of registration, the more you are going to have the problem of collection because it will be easy for them to register than to collect.

    One of our commissioners conducted a survey and discovered that those people who are unable to collect their PVCs in the north are mostly house wives. They were mobilised to go for the registration but nobody has deemed it fit to mobilise them to go and collect the PVCs. You can see the problem we are facing and it is a serious problem.

    Voters’ apathy is not also unconnected with uncollected PVCs. A lot of people just want to register and not vote. What are you going to do to make sure that many of these apathetic voters are more interested?

    They have to be interested. Any process we have in Nigeria, we do not expect an angel to be sent from heaven to come and do it for us. We are the ones that will do it, midwife it and ensure the process is credible and acceptable.

    The onus is on INEC because INEC by its mandate is empowered to ensure that there is regular continuous voters’ education across board. Number one, we have to instill the confidence again in the people because most people have lost interest and confidence when of course our staffers have been alleged of one atrocity or irregularities or the other in the past and as such you cannot expect the people to trust the process again.

    Also, like someone said recently that INEC has not done enough to ensure that it is where people vote that they get the results. These are the things that we know. And our duty is to ensure that we up our game in terms of putting INEC in better perspective for people to appreciate it as a credible election a management body.

    Must INEC continue to use ad hoc staff considering the many challenges it has faced with them?

    If you look at history, it was INEC staff doing the job. Across the country we made use of our staff. The ad hoc staffs were just complementary. But later, there were issues and public debates that INEC staffs were not helping matters and that was what brought about the MoU with INEC and NYSC.

    So, it is not that we are just dragging the corps members. Not only that, we have a synergy with higher institutions where we make use of senior staffs and lecturers as returning officers.

    I think whether INEC staff, NYSC ad hoc staff or even the universities personnel are not the issue. The issue is about our values system as a nation, as individuals and as organisations and that was why INEC has identified and developed two major documents for operationalisation of INEC ideas and ideals.

    The first document is called INEC strategic Programme of action 2017-2021. The second one is INEC strategic plan 2017-2012. The purpose of the document is for us all to ensure there is a regular and constant engagements as stakeholders through regular trainings and re-trainings of our staffs, which we are doing within the Commission.

    What do you see to INEC’s clamour for a special tribunal to try electoral offenders?

    If the Commission is clamouring for a special tribunal, it does not mean we are saying due process will not be followed or that we are going to jump process. Our legal system in the country is accusatorial. What that means is he who alleges must prove.

    The Commission is saying take away the burden or trial of this electoral offenders from the regular courts. Once we have a commission for it, like we have election petition tribunal, it is not somebody from somewhere that sits as a judge there.

    It is still these existing judges that sit there. What we are saying is that once we have a court and a judge is appointed for electoral matters, it is designated so and that will be his own area of adjudication.

    The use of electronic smart cards for verification was turbulent in 2015. Are we set to go that way again in 2019?

    You will always have challenges in the product of human intelligence. It is only when you are an angel or God you can be perfect. All we are doing is to ensure the process has sanity and all the challenges we have seen must be a better in 2019.

    All the bad card readers have been isolated, some are being procured and we are still going to procure more. Finance is a major one because the budget for the election is still hanging and we are still appealing to the National Assembly to do the needful.

    But for those machines we just procured to replace those that were bad, we are already test running them ahead of the elections. We made use of some in Anambra governorship election and other bye elections. We are going to use some of them in Ekiti, Osun and other bye elections.

    The National Assembly is against the sequence of elections released by INEC…

    The Commission has no big problem with anything. People don’t know the sensitivity of INEC. INEC is a creation of law and empowered to carry out all mandates according to the law. INEC has come up with a time table as prescribed by laws and ordered elections in line with our operational guidelines and framework.

    The time table has generated issues between the National Assembly and executive but that does not concern the Commission. For us, we stand by the timetable we have released. It is until when there is a clear cut direction guided by law that INEC can now say there is a new development.

    How can voters who have relocated get their PVCs?

    If you registered in a place and relocated and so yet to collect your PVC, what you do is just go and meet our officer in your new location and explain the situation to our officers. They will tell you how you can apply for transfer from the state you registered.

    You have to go to any of our offices physically to apply for the transfer because it cannot be done by proxy. You cannot send anybody. Even within a state, PVCs could be transferred from one local government to another and the process is not as difficult people think.

  • Ekiti 2018: YIAGA deploys 24 observers to monitor CVR

    Ekiti 2018: YIAGA deploys 24 observers to monitor CVR

    Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth and Advancement ( YIAGA ) said it had deployed 24 personnel to Ekiti to monitor the Continuous Voter Registration ( CVR ) ahead of the July 14 governorship poll.

    The group’s Executive Director, Mr Samson Itodo, said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja that the objective of the mission was to assess the processes of the CVR.

    Itodo said that the observers would also verify the functionality of the Direct Data Capturing ( DDC ) machine, and check the level of compliance with Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) guidelines.

    He recalled that INEC had announced that it would decentralise the CVR to the 177 Wards in Ekiti from Tuesday to April 18.

    Itodo said that the exercise was designed to update the voter register with the registration of citizens who turned 18 years after the last voter registration or those who couldn’t register before.

    “Uncollected Permanent Voter Cards ( PVCs ) will also be distributed during the exercise and issues relating to transfer of registered voters, lost, damaged or omitted PVCs will be addressed during the exercise.

    “YIAGA Africa will be deploying its “Watching the Vote ( WTV )’’ citizen-observers to observe the continuous voter registration.

    Read Also: Ekiti 2018: Britain warns politicians against violence

    “For the CVR in Ekiti, YIAGA WTV is deploying 24 accredited citizen-observers to rotationally observe the process in each of the 16 local government areas.

    “This is to cover at least 72 wards out of the 177 wards in the state where the CVR will be conducted,’’ he said.

    Itodo said that the observers would send reports via coded text message on their mobile phones.

    He explained that the reports would be received directly into a sophisticated database located at the YIAGA Africa’s WTV Data Centre in Abuja “for review, verification and analysis’’.

    Itodo said that the group would issue interim reports on the process based on reports from its observers, which would be shared with the public, INEC, political parties, civic society organizations and other stakeholders.

    He said that YIAGA would also provide timely and accurate information on the conduct of the CVR, PVC distribution and transfer of registered voters.

    He said that WTV was a citizen-led election observation initiative aimed at enhancing the integrity of elections using technology and evidence-based research methodology for election observation.

    NAN

  • Elections: ICT necessary tool – INEC Chairman

    The President, ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions ( ECONEC ), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said in spite of the challenges of deploying technology in electoral processes, its benefits had remained enormous.

    He stated this on Monday at the opening of a three-day International Conference of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) in West and Southern African countries in Abuja.

    The conference has “Opportunities and Challenges in the Use of Technology: Experiences from West and Southern Africa’’ as theme.

    Yakubu, who is also the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ), said that the deployment of technology had encouraged and empowered citizens, more than before, to participate in the electoral process.

    According to him, technology has helped citizens to organise, mobilise and protect their mandates using various social media platforms to track result transmission and undertake Parallel Vote Tabulation ( PVT ).

    The ECONEC president said that given the deficit of infrastructure and expertise in many West and Southern Africa countries, and the regularity of elections conducted, concerns had been raised about cost, choice and effectiveness of technology.

    He said that given the high stakes involved in conducting elections in developing countries, electoral commissions must understandably be worried about the twin issues of communication and security.

    “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.

    “Nevertheless, technology has come to stay and its benefits are immense.

    “`While it is true that all countries participating in this conference have deployed technology in one form or the other to improve on the electoral process, the outcome varies from one country to another.

    “However, with this coming together of election managers and experts to share experience, we shall be better prepared in making the choice of the appropriate and cost effective technology that increase the public confidence in the electoral process.

    “This will also help us further protect the sanctity and integrity of the ballot,’’ he said.

    Read Also: Group storms INEC, demands prosecution of Mantu over ‘poll-rigging confession’

    In a goodwill message, Notemba Tjipeuja, Executive Committee Chairperson, Election Commission Forum, Southern African Development Community ( ECF-SADC ), said that the introduction of ICT in the electoral process had continued to attract interest among stakeholders.

    Tjipeuja, also the Chairperson, Electoral Commission of Namibia ( ECN ), the first country in Africa to use electronic voting machine, said that one of the benefits of technology was automatic and error-free counting.

    She listed other benefits of the introduction of electronic voting machine as replacement of the ballot paper and ballot boxes.

    Some others, according to her, include the elimination of spoilt ballots, minimising of human error, speeding up the voting process, securing of votes on control units and maintaining the secrecy of the ballot.

    Tjipeuja said “today, most EMBs around the world use new technologies such as computer-based software and more complex technology in electoral processes.

    “While we all agree that as EMBs, we cannot ignore technology, we have to at the same time, be mindful of the cost associated with the management of elections.

    “This is one of the challenges for governments and all EMBs.

    “We are mindful of the need for cost-saving measures by all EMBs to curb the ever-increasing cost of elections, the need to carefully manage the use of ICT and the need to sustain the integrity of elections,’’ she added.

    Delegates from 30 countries in ECOWAS sub-region are attending the conference.

    NAN

  • INEC decries nonchallant attitude to PVC collection

    The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, has decried the nonchalant attitude of Nigerians in the collection of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) saying the atittude was not in the best interest of the country for the 2019 election.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Imo, Prof. Francis Ezeonu, made this known at a sensitization meeting with stakeholders in Owerri Municipal and Owerri West Local Government Areas of Imo.

    Ezeonu said the attitude was more prevalent in the South East.

    He said that politics was a game of numbers which required citizens to arm themselves with their PVCs as ready tools to vote in credible candidates.

    He enjoined the people to go and collect their cards and take the election processes seriously.

    He cautioned politicians against collecting’ PVCs from voters and hoarding them only to bring them out during elections to cause confusion.

    Ezeonu said the tour of the 27 LGAs in Imo was to sensitise the general public on the need for PVCs collection, registration as well as intimate them on the electoral rules and processes.

    He allayed the fears expressed by the people saying the national office is doing all possible to handle all the challenges, assuring that hijacking of ballot boxes was now a thing of the past.

    Speaking, the Electoral Officer of Owerri Municipal Council , Mr Andrew Ereforokuma,said that the commission had always believe  there was the need to partner with the people inorder to have an acceptable election,.

    “As we continue in our preparation towards 2019 general elections, we shall have more opportunities as this to share information and build the necessary trust for a rancor free election.”

    Ereferokuma said registration exercise has so far been successful in the LGA, adding that as at the end of the first phase, data of 17,913 people (9,024 males and 8,889 females) have been captured.

    The Electoral Officer of Owerri West, Mrs Ebere Orji, said the town hall meeting provided stakeholders and the commission an avenue to create the needed synergy for achieving good result in 2019.

    “INEC cannot achieve a free, fair and credible election alone. It has to work in collaboration with other stakeholders for its mission to be actualised.

    Orji said communities in the LG are faced with bad roads, collapsed bridges and swampy areas, which had hindered timely delivery of materials during the registration exercise.

    She said the LG currently has 34, 229 uncollected PVCs.

    The meeting comprised traditional rulers, the clergy, security personnels and stakeholders in the communities.

    The stateholders had complained about registration centers being far from the people, alleged under-aged registration in some parts of the country as well as appealled for creation of more polling units and wards.

     

  • INEC in Enugu investigates alleged extortion of registrants by its workers

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) in Enugu has set up of a panel to probe allegations that its workers collected money before registering voters in some centres.

    Mr Emeka Ononamadu, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu, said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Enugu.

    Ononamadu assured that the outcome of the probe and its report would be made public immediately when ready.

    He also assured that INEC would appropriately punish any staff found culpable of extorting registrants “because all materials required for hitch-free Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) have been provided’’.

    “INEC Enugu is aware of the video circulating in the social media which suggests that some registrants are asked to pay money before they are registered.

    “INEC Enugu wishes to dissociate itself from that act as there was no time or circumstance that could warrant any INEC registration officer or staff to demand money from any registrant.

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    “However, INEC has taken steps to unravel the allegations and those behind the act by setting up an investigation panel.”

    Ononamadu assured the people that CVR exercise, which included transfer of voters, replacement of lost and defaced permanent voters’ cards, remained free.

    He urged residents not to pay any money to anyone for registration as INEC was preparing to commence the second quarter of 2018 CVR on April 3.

    The REC also urged residents to call the following telephone help lines – 08098820020 and 08104066068 to report any such incidents.

    NAN