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Tag: Inec

  • INEC begins deployment of sensitive materials in A/Ibom

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has commenced the deployment of sensitive electoral materials to the 31 local governments in Akwa Ibom State.

    Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Mike Igini, who disclosed this while addressing to party agents, international observers and security agencies said the commission will everything within its power to conduct a hitch-free exercise.

    Read Also: INEC begins deployment of electoral materials in Ekiti

    Igini said: “We have commenced the continuation of what we have been doing in the last few days in preparation of our re-scheduled elections. What you are seeing here is what is left of the materials for the conduct of the rescheduled elections.”

    He regretted that the commission could not move all the materials as at last Friday, February 15.

  • How States stand in PVCs collection

    …Lagos, Kano top list

     

    Ahead of Saturday’s general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has released full list of Permanent Voter Cards collected with Lagos State topping the list.

    According to the list, 5,531,389 people collected PVCs in Lagos State, while 4,696,747 registered voters in Kano State collected their PVCs.

    In Kaduna State, 3,648,831 persons picked up their PVCs followed closely by Katsina State with 3,187,988 million cards collected. Rivers State rounds up the top five with 2,833,101 PVCs collected.

    In terms of percentage of registered voters that collected PVCs, Lagos is not in the top 10 with 84.19 percent of the 6,570,291 registered voters in the state collecting their PVCs. 1,038,902 million voters (the highest for any state) did not collect PVCs in Lagos State.

    According to INEC statistics, Katsina State has the highest percentage of PVCs collected with 98.69 percent of registered voters in the state collecting their PVCs.

    It was followed by Taraba State with 97.30 percent of registered voters getting their PVCs, while 95.76 percent of Nigerians registered to vote in Gombe collected their cards.

    Kebbi State and Bauchi State followed with 95.13 and 94.84 percent of registered voters getting their PVCs in both states, respectively.

    See full list below:

     

     

     

  • Just in: Katsina, Taraba, Kebbi, Zamfara lead in PVCs collection

    Katsina, Taraba, Kebbi and Zamfara states have the most number of collected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    The PVCs will be used for voting in the 2019 general elections.

    Katsina, according to INEC data, records 98 percent collection of PVCs followed closely by Taraba state with 97 percent.

    Kebbi has 95 percent while Kebbi and Zamfara boast of 94 percent collection rate.

    Also, Yobe recorded 92 percent collection.

    Details shortly…

  • I have no plans to resign, says Yakubu

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has declared he is not contemplating resigning from his position.

    “I see no reason why I should resign,” he stated.

    He was reacting to calls for his resignation following postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections last Saturday.

    Yakubu stressed the idea of resigning has not in any way crossed his mind.

    Ahead of the Saturday polls, he said over 72 million Permanent Voters Cards(PVCs) have been collected so far.

    There are over 84 million registered voters in the country.

    Read Also: INEC begins distribution of sensitive materials in Edo

    Updating the media and observers ahead of Saturday’s polls, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu also said 19 states have fully deployed electoral materials to all their Local Government Areas.

    Yakubu also assured that before the end of Thursday, all the states would have done the same except Bayelsa state, which will deploy on Friday.

    He assured that there will be no more postponement of elections, saying last Saturday’s incident would never happen again.

    On participation of Rivers and Zamfara All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the polls, he said INEC stands by its earlier position on their disqualification for not emerging from primaries within the stipulated time.

    He stressed that the commission as a law abiding institution will always obey court orders.

    Details shortly…

  • Umahi alleges plot to bomb Ebonyi lNEC offices

    Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi on Thursday alleged plans by some desperate politicians to import thugs to bomb some local government offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Umahi disclosed this during a live security situation briefing to the people of the state.

    He said: “I have been told that there are plans to bomb lNEC local government offices.”

    He said security agencies have been informed and have beefed up security in all INEC facilities in the state

    The governor frowned at the outbreak of violence, characterised by burning houses and killings at Mkpuma Akpatakpa in Abaja community of Izzi local government area, promising that perpetrators would be fished out and brought to book.

    He further condemned the attack on Ikwo local government area Vice Chairman, Mrs. Regina Iteshi who was attacked by hoodlums.

    According to the governor, the thugs inserted objects into her private part and cut the tendons of some of the people with her.

    He promised that the perpetrators must be punished.

    “My major concern is that we have free and a fair election on Saturday. There were few things we noticed on 15th February that were not in the character of Ebonyi people.

    “Inserting objects in the private parts of the vice chairman of Ikwo. Justice may be delayed but the law must take its full course.

    “Yesterday, I visited Izzi and saw the faces of defenseless father and mother whose son was killed and their houses burnt down.

    “All those who participated in the killing of the young man and burning of houses will never go scot-free.

    “Politicians are behind the killings and burning down of houses. My promise to all the victims, the young man that was killed and six others injured, all those behind it must be brought to book.

    “I appeal that there should be no reprisal attack. I have ordered that anybody that wants to kill our people should be shot at sight.

    “People must be allowed to exercise their right and vote for whom they want to vote for. I promised that if there is no reprisal attack, after the election, I will start the process of building the burnt houses.

    “Lives of Ebonyians are very important to us than positions and election. And anyone that takes the lives of others such will follow them to their fifth generation. Ebonyians must be alert and demobilize anybody that is parading thugs with police escort.

    The governor also had some warnings for INEC officers in the state.

    “Let me also warn INEC. I learnt that certain political party wants to cancel election. That they will go from polling booth to another killing people.

    “If you are INEC worker, discharge your duty according to the electoral law. I have asked the youths and Ebonyians to resist any INEC officials that wants to compromise. I learnt that collation officers are meeting, saying they nominated this and that.”

  • Falae writes INEC chairman over retirement as SDP chairman

    Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and presidential candidate of the Alliance for Democracy in 1999 elections, Chief Olu Falae has officially written to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, on his retirement as Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

    According to the letter dated February 19, 2019, and made available to The Nation on Thursday by the SDP’s Director, Media and Publicity, Hon Yemi Akinbode, Falae said the Deputy National Chairman 1 from his Zone, Prof. Tunde Adeniran assumes the position of National Chairman in an acting capacity for the rest of his tenure which expires in March 2020.

    The letter reads in part: “I write to inform you that I have retired voluntarily from active partisan politics with effect from February 8, 2019, and therefore ceased to be the chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), from that date. In accordance with the provision of Section 13.2 (ii) of our party’s constitution, Professor Tunde Adeniran, the Deputy National Chairman 1 from the chairman’s Zone, assumes the post of National Chairman in an acting capacity for the rest of his tenure which expires in March 2020.

    “I wish to thank you, your fellow commissioners and other staff for the courtesies you always extended to me while I served as the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party.”

  • Breaking: Police arrest three persons with card readers in Lagos

    Police operatives in Lagos State have arrested three persons with stolen card readers.
    Details shortly…

  • We’ve completed Card Readers’ configuration 100 per cent, says INEC

    THE Independent National Electoral Commission  (INEC) has completed 100 per cent the configuration of the Smart Cards Readers  (SCRs), which will be used for voters’ accreditation for elections on Saturday and March 9, its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said yesterday.

    Yakubu, who stated this while updating the media and observers on the preparedness of the commission for the polls, said the deployment of voting materials to the 774 local government areas will be completed today.

    The INEC boss added that the deployment began yesterday in 10 states.

    He also acknowledged that there were report of missing materials in some states.

    The commission, he assured, has made good progress in the areas of logistics and is set for the rescheduled polls.

    Yakubu said: “At Tuesday’s briefing, we reported that we achieved 95 per cent configuration of the Smart Card Readers (SCR) nationwide. The Card Readers were introduced in the 2015 general elections to facilitate the accreditation of voters using the PVCs.

    “They are configured to specific polling units and only open for use at 8am on election day. They automatically shut down by 10 pm to forestall any illegal use before the appointed time of elections. I am pleased to report that we have now achieved 100 per cent completion of the configuration. We are good to go on this score.

    “Similarly, I briefed you on Monday that our state offices had commenced the process of inviting stakeholders to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to examine the retrieved materials deployed last week and to witness the batching of materials according to Local Government Areas (LGAs). Reports from the states indicate full compliance.

    “Similarly, I said that having moved the sensitive materials to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the forward deployment to the 774 LGAs nationwide commenced on Wednesday February 20, 2019 and will be concluded Thursday February 21, 2019.

    “Already, Adamawa, Anambra, Benue, Ekiti, Jigawa, Katsina, Osun, Ogun, Oyo and Taraba states have commenced the movement of materials to LGAs today. Other states will do so and conclude Thursday.  We will give a full rendition of movement to LGAs across all states of the Federation Thursday.

    “We have been making good progress on logistics. Similarly, all other arrangements for the movement of personnel from the LGAs to the wards are on course. We will fully brief you tomorrow at 3pm.”

    On restriction of movement, Yakubu said only accredited diplomats would be allowed to move about as there is restriction on movement.

    On the cost implication of postponement of the elections, he said it would be done after the process.

    “It is impossible to put a finger to the cost. But after the elections, we will know,” he said.

    Yakubu also noted that the commission is not under any kind of pressure ahead of the general elections.

    Assuring that it was almost impossible to penetrate the commission’s system, the INEC boss, however, said it would continue to strengthen facilities around its Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

    On the readiness of the commission to safeguard the voting materials from tampering, the INEC boss assured that the commission has mechanism in place to fully protect its facilities from any unauthorised assess as most of them are offline.

    “But, I want to assure you that much of our ICT facilities are offline. It is almost impossible to attack something that is offline. You can only attack something that is online. So, much of it is actually offline. But, I have taken note of what you have said and we will continue to strengthen security around the ICT. But, at the moment, we have no reason for any panic about any possibility of attack on the facility or compromise on our ICT facilities,” he assured.

    The INEC Chairman also added that the commission was not under any pressure from any quarter to conduct the election, promising to announce the result of the election as soon as possible in line with the procedure used in announcing the 2015 presidential election.

    “I said so before but let me also repeat that now we have more presidential candidates than 2015. We have more registered voters than we had in 2015. The size of the result sheet is bigger than we had in 2015. But, we are committed to concluding the process for the presidential election roughly around the same time that we concluded the last general election.

    “I understand that there is greater urgency, but keenly following the extension and particularly for those who are covering the commission that they don’t extend their stay more than is expected for the outcome of the election. We will do whatever we can to speedily conclude the election consistent with the provisions of the law. We won’t sacrifice due process on the altar of speed. But, we will make sure we balance speed and what we are supposed to do under the law,” he assured.

  • INEC and our suicidal political elite

    INEC chairman and his men have been going through severe stress and strain since last week’s postponement of the presidential election. Leading the attack on INEC are politicians, the cause of INEC failure and the source of our nation’s nightmare. In their blind fury, they ignored the fact that INEC is just a symptom of a dysfunctional system foisted on Nigeria since 1964 by dishonest, anti-democratic and self-serving governing political elite that periodically undermine the democratization process by sabotaging successive electoral bodies. There is no evidence the political class ever wanted an independent electoral empire.

    It is on record that while grandstanding, Obasanjo, the self-appointed perennial kingmaker  was using the late Tony Anenih, ‘Mr. Fixer’, to undermine the democratization process across the country, he was blaming cheated aggrieved victims and  the electorate claiming, “Nigerians would complain even if Jesus came down to conduct election”. But that was before the judiciary retrieved stolen mandates from his boys in Edo, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun and with the late Umaru Yar’Adua, the embarrassed winner of the 2007 presidential election, going on to set up the Uwais commission to prevent the repeat of the 2007 tragedy.

    INEC as a product of its environment is but a reflection of the discredited political class to which free and fair election has never been an attraction. That was why when Humphrey Nwosu successfully broke the jinx in 1993, the election was annulled even before he could announce the official result. The anti-democratic kingmakers, led by Generals Babangida and Obasanjo who have held the country to ransom since the end of the civil war jointly foisted an interim contraption headed by Ernest Shonekan on the country.

    It was Obasanjo who as president in 2003 declared election as “a do or die” affair, a euphemism for war. Sadly almost 20 years into the fourth republic, both PDP and APC have not demonstrated they see election beyond Obasanjo’s “do or die affair’. Not a few Nigerians must have come to this sad conclusion after their last week  television  appearance during which they threatened the peace of the country after blaming INEC and everyone else except themselves and their members that have done everything to undermine the integrity of INEC. They spoke not as leaders of political parties, the 17th century ingenious creation of intellectuals for deeper reflection on how to confront societal problems, but as leaders of factions working for warlords.

    Oshiomhole, accused INEC of colluding with PDP claiming “From all we have now known, I can put my hand on the Holy Koran that INEC leadership knew that they were going to postpone the elections. They shared this information with the People’s Democratic Party and advised them not to waste their resources, while pretending to us that they are on top of the situation”. On the other hand the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign council alleged the commission’s action was ‘a vindication of its earlier position that the electoral body is working with the APC-led federal government to truncate the country’s democracy.’

    In spite of INEC’s “We promised Nigerians that we shall be open, transparent and responsive”, both PDP and APC leadership have continued to incite their supporters who look up to them for direction against INEC.Their representatives who appeared in a segment of the media owned by their principals, interested only in dragging Nigeria to their levels, pontificate about the civilized world, membership of which we have been denied since 1962. By saying they have no faith in INEC, Secondus and Oshiomhole   seem to be preparing the nation for an apocalypse since one party has to win and one has to lose.

    Yet both PDP and APC cannot wash themselves clean of INEC’s claim of possible sabotage by the politicians. In a space of two weeks, they had to deal with serious fire incidents in three of their offices in IsialaNgwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, Qu’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State and Anambra State Office at Awka where fire destroyed over 4,600 Smart Card Readers which took at least six months to procure.

    Both Secondus and Oshiomhole could not admit they preside over an undisciplined political class. There are 91 registered parties with 79 presidential candidates including many who cannot even articulate our crisis of nationality. For that reason, INEC will be “printing ‘421.7 million ballot papers for six scheduled elections, as well as 13.6 million leaves of result forms for the 79 Presidentialcandidates alone” whereas in order to get on the ballot in the US, a presidential candidate must meet ballot access requirements  -”a variety of complex, state-specific filing requirements and deadlines” well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election. In the US 2016 election, perhaps because of the stringent condition, only about 28 including six independent candidates were on the ballot.

    But in Nigeria, INEC has been sued or joined in over 640 court cases, while as at February 15, the eve of the postponed election, there were 40 different court orders against the commission on whether to add or drop candidates. In Rivers and Zamfarawhere APC  have no candidates because INEC was obliged to obey court orders following disputed party primaries, members of the ruling party  are now threatening to disrupt next Saturday’s election. In Imo and Ogun, elected governors who were restrained from imposing their successors by party guidelines are sponsoring opposition candidates while contesting for senate seats on the platform of APC.

    INEC has other challenges. Besides anti-democratic mischief makers as godfathers and king-makers, we also have errant elders who are in the main driven by other considerations other than love for the free and fair electoral process. In the Niger Delta where it is said votes are allocated because of the terrain, the elders and political leaders are driven more by consideration for resource control than a desire for free and fair election. The Middle Belt Forum and their elders are driven by fears of herdsmen. Ohanaeze says it is supporting Atiku/Obi ticket because Obi is their own. The confused Yoruba Afenifere elders probably on account of blurred vision  are casting their lot with Atiku/Obi in the believe that where Buhari who enjoys a cult-like followership in the north has been unable to risk  removing feeding bottle from the mouth of northern LGAs who depend on revenue from the federation account to survive, Atiku will. And more bizarre, they believe Obi will forgo the current unstructured anarchy that work for the interest of Igbo as itinerant traders all over the country especially in the north where according to a northern governor, they occupy an area larger than the five southeast states put together.

    Since Nigeria political class, the self-appointed kingmakers and chieftains of ethnic groups are not particularly interested in free and fair elections, marginalized and impoverished ordinary Nigerians whose future is at stake must help INEC succeed on Saturday. They must vote for candidates of their choice as advised by the president without fomenting trouble if only to put to shame PDP combative leaders who have taken up arms against the president for warning would-be armed ballot box snatchers who in the past killed, maimed as in Rivers and in Ekiti where they cut-of the leg of an opposition party agent.

  • The bewildered INEC

    It is to the consternation of Nigerians at the early hours of February 16 that the presidential and National Assembly elections were postponed for another seven days. Who does that? I don’t know of any country that has ever rescheduled elections for one week at the twilight of that degree of five hours to the commencement of the scheduled aforesaid elections.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had almost four years to prepare and deliver fair, free and credible elections.There is no alibi to absolve INEC umpires and managers of this all important exercise to a positive and acceptable state.

    All necessary tools,instruments and logistics were sought by INEC and delivered in return sufficiently and timely by the executive organ saddled with this responsibility.

    I’m particularly exasperated that INEC misled and chagrined the president by giving the assurances of its readiness to conduct the elections without rancour which invariably made the president to address Nigerians on Thursday evening approximately 36 hours before the scheduled elections. On the same day, the presidential candidates of the parties signed the peace accord which had in attendance eminent Nigerians and international observers. Up till that moment, the INEC electoral commissioners were so confident that all logistics were already in place and that the elections will proceed as scheduled.

    The amount of resources and sweat already deployed may not be quantified but are nonetheless enormous. Of course,the voting apathy is looming. There is anger out of frustration in all nooks and corners.

    I’m not a fan of bad practice and the philosophy I embrace always is not to undertake or do what I cannot defend. I wholeheartedly expect anyone holding this exalted office of the chairmanship of INEC to espouse this always.

    Let me state here lucidly that it is time for us to stop having the conviction that only professors can deliver a credible election. Where did we get this impression from? A professor is expected to impact knowledge and engage in research or design policy and by extension to possess oratory or, eloquent prowess. I’m not swayed that they are the most efficient managers of men and resources. All we need is a non-partisan, apolitical and credible individual with unquestionable character. In other words, a person of high integrity with proven record of managerial skill and with no moral turpitude.Above all, someone with valour for the assignment. It’s a serious albatross to always zero down to a professor as the number one qualification or prerequisite to be the INEC chairman. Let’s jettison this archaic choice.

    Further to my dismay is the comparison of failing areas of Professor AttahiruJega’spostponement of elections and that of Professor Mahmood Yakubu. That’s flagrantly disappointing and odious to be making such comparisons. In 2011, it was the National Assembly elections that Professor Jega postponed at this much twilight not the presidential, and in 2015 he gave sufficient notice and reason of insecurity as National Security Adviser was the proponent.

    I have empathy for President Muhammadu Buhari as his imminent triumph will invariably be attributed to the postponement apparently because there is this belief that the presidency remotely controls INEC.  Many people actually think that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government is behind the postponement. Even though the president and APC national chairman have both distanced themselves from this unfortunate and sad development, and in fact utterly condemned it, still a good number of our citizens considered their actions theatrical and a charade. A way forward regarding this false impression is to remove the word ‘independent’ from INEC. In real sense, how independent is INEC? INEC is in presidency. It is the president that recommends the appointment of the chairman and members of INEC to the National Council of States which is ordinarily an advisory body before the confirmation of the Senate. I believe INEC should just become National Electoral Commission NEC. This will give the body a real sense of independence in mental disposition. The National Judicial Council (NJC) is independent whereas it is NOT known as the INJC.

    I’m privileged to be the agent for President Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos, hence I had the opportunity to be present at the Central Bank of Nigeria in my locality in Lagos and waited around the vicinity to ascertain the effective distribution of materials till wee hours of the night preceding the election and vehicles were loaded and left for different locations. I believe strongly that we have too many candidates on the ballots. It is time to review the Electoral Act regarding the number of candidates. My position on this is, in order to minimize the number of presidential candidates, we need to enshrine in our Electoral Act that for any party to field a presidential candidate, it should have been able to win a seat in any state of our federation or a seat in the National Assembly. This will prune the number of unserious candidates with little or no national appeal. Too many unserious candidates actually made logistics cumbersome. A party ought to have presence in a state or National Assembly in order to earn a spot for presidential candidacy at the General Elections.

    Simultaneously, a party must have a councillor at the local government election before it may earn a place to contest in the gubernatorial election. The plethora of candidates for gubernatorial and presidential elections has made logistics very difficult hence efficacy may not be met. I hereby appeal for ease of enabling laws to be well enshrined in our Electoral Act.

    Meanwhile, the INEC chairman claimed logistics as the reason for postponement. That’s unacceptable. It’s rather tantamount to incompetence. In a civilized country, the chairman will voluntarily resign by taking responsibility because the buck stops on his table. I’m glad to know that the president said further findings would be made on why the postponement took place.

    Going forward, let’s re-examine our stance on INEC’s composition in particular the chairmanship and the entire ease of operations in order to carry out an effective election exercise. We are in a better position to avert and prevent an encore of such plight in the future before it erupts. We have to continually be ambitious to deliver a credible election at all times but ambition without knowledge and vision is like a boat on a dry land.

     

    • Seriki is a former minister of the federal republic.