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Tag: Inec

  • INEC seeks fresh approach to security personnel deployment

    INDEPENDENT National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakabu has emphasised the need to institute fresh approach for deployment of security personnel for the conduct of 2019 general elections.

    The electoral body is scheduled to hold the presidential and National Assembly elections on February 16. Governorship and Houses of Assembly elections will hold on March 2.

    Yakubu, who expressed his displeasure with the previous uncoordinated approach, which makes it looks as if the security agencies are running a parallel arrangement with the commission.

    Consequently, in the forthcoming general polls, he said the armed forces would only be used for the securing of the distribution and delivery of election materials and protection of election officials.

    The INEC boss added that the police force would be playing the leading role while other security agencies play supportive role.

    Yakubu, who backed his stance with the provisions of the Electoral Law, said the security architecture for the 2019 elections must be consistent with Section 29 subsection 3.

    He spoke yesterday during the Regular Consultative meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

    ICCES include the security agencies and INEC.

    The committee oversees the security of both personnel and materials during and after elections.

    It is co-chair by the commission chairman and the National Security Adviser.

    Yakubu, who informed the various representatives of the security agencies of the INEC level of preparedness for the elections, said the meeting shall discuss modalities for actualising the provision of the law as it relates to deployment of security personnel.

    He said: “Learning from the experience of the 195 off season elections conducted since 2015, it is pertinent to draw our attention to the need for a different approach to the deployment of security forces during elections. The Nigeria Police Force remains the lead agency for election security. Other security agencies will play a supportive role to the Nigeria police.

    “However, we need a new security architecture for 2019 consistent with the provision of section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), which provides as follows:  ‘Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law and for the purposes of securing the vote, the commission shall be responsible for requesting for the deployment of relevant security personnel necessary for elections or registration of voters and shall assign them in a manner to be determined by the commission in consultation with the relevant security agencies.

    “Provided that the commission shall only request for the deployment of the Nigerian Armed Forces only for the purposes of securing the distribution and delivery of election materials and protection of election officials.”

  • Group set to launch grassroots campaign for Buhari

    As the presidential election gets closer,  a new political group has emerged to add value to the already electioneering campaigns being held by the Buhari presidential campaign.
    Report says there are plans to unveil a massive grassroots Campaign Platform for the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of the 2019 Presidential election.
    The Campaign Platform according to our investigations is being coordinated by some Professionals, Human Rights Activists with well funding stature from top politicians drawn from within and outside the All Progressives Congress, APC.
    According to a reliable source, the group, which is set to be launched soon, is planning to mobilise Nigerians across the Civil Society, Professional Bodies, Faith based organizations and other political parties from all the States of the Federation including the Federal Capital territory FCT, for the reelection of President Buhari.
    The group according to our source, says it is currently recruiting independent volunteers across all polling units in the country, to serve as canvassers for President Buhari.
    It also said he is promising its support on the massive achievements recorded in the areas of the fight against corruption, infrastructural transformation, Human Rights, which it said climaxed with the administration’s recognition of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola.
    It is not clear if the new group has the backing of the Aso Rock Presidential Vila,  but the glamour and the steam of the campaign dominated mostly by the human rights activists from across the states with some APC and PDP Governors suggests that they meant business and will make it a grassroots base.

    Read Also:Campaign: Buhari departs for Lokoja APC Rally

    The new group among whom its arrowhead is an Ondo State Born, Abuja based Human Rights Lawyer, and who recently bagged a controversial Chieftaincy title in Yorubaland, also among the arrow heads are Former Governor, Deputy governors, Former National Chairman of Alliance for Democracy (AD) and leading political office holder of Buhari Government, but according to our source, the group enjoys the backing of some Private Sector Chieftains, Governors of the ruling APC  and some of their counterparts in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
    Besides, former and serving Political office holders, Media practitioners and Civil Society actors are not left out as they are presently making contacts Nationwide, ahead of the official launch of the group.
    No date has been fixed for the debut,  it was  gathered in Abuja that the steam of work to be done to check the fast moving opposition PDP might have given birth to this new group.
    The president who has already kicked off his campaign in a few states,  need more hands to cover the remaining states which could require at least two states per day before the official close of electioneering campaign as contain in the electoral guidelines by the Independent National Electoral Commission,  INEC.
    When contacted to explain his role in the emerging Pro Buhari Campaign Organisation, the popular Human Rights Lawyer declined to make comments. He also said he has not made any categorical political decision in recent time, and that whenever such decisions are to be taken, He would naturally make such public.

  • 2019: INEC seeks new approach to deployment of security personnel

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has stated his desire to have a new approach to deployment of security personnel for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    The electoral body is scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for 16th February, while that of states is scheduled for 2nd of March 2019.

    Yakubu who expressed his displeasure to the previous uncoordinated approach, which makes it looks as if the security agencies are running a parallel arrangement with the commission.

    Consequently, in the forthcoming general polls, he said the armed forces will only be used for the securing of the distribution and delivery of election materials and protection of election officials.

    The INEC boss also posited that the police force will be playing the leading role while other security agencies play supportive role.

    Yakubu who backed his stand with the provision of the Electoral law,  said the security architecture for the 2019 elections must be consistent with section 29 subsection 3.

    He spoke on Wednesday during the Regular Consultative meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). ICCES consist of all the security agencies and INEC. The committee over sees the security of both personnel and materials during and after elections. It is co-chair by the chair of the commission and the National Security Adviser.

    Yakubu who informed the various representatives of the security agencies of the INEC level of preparedness ahead of the 2019 election said the meeting shall discuss modalities for actualizing the provision of the law as it relates to deployment of security personnel.

    Read Also: 2019: 84.004m eligible to vote, says INEC

    He said, “Learning from the experience of some the 195 off season elections conducted since 2015, it is pertinent to draw our attention to the need for a different approach to the deployment of security forces during elections. The Nigeria Police Force remains the lead agency for election security . Other security agencies will play a supportive role to the Nigeria police.

    “However, we need a new security architecture for 2019 consistent with the provision of section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which provides as follows:  “Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law and for the purposes of securing the vote, the commission shall be responsible for requesting for the deployment of relevant security personnel necessary for elections or registration of voters and shall assign them in a manner to be determined by the commission in consultation with the relevant security agencies.

    “Provided that the commission shall only request for the deployment of the Nigerian Armed Forces only for the purposes of securing the distribution and delivery of election materials and protection of election officials.

    “Accordingly, this meeting shall discuss modalities for actualizing the provision of the law. In particular, we are committed to ensuring that elections are organised a such a manner that the security agencies are not perceived to be running parallel arrangement with INEC. Rather, it should strictly be INEC’s plan for the election that should be implemented.

    This meeting, he therefore said ” is convened primarily to update members of the ICCES on our preparations for the 2019 General Elections. It is also an opportunity to hear from the security agencies on your preparations so far.”

  • Fake News may cause 3rd world War- Soyinka

    Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has said that fake news may cause 3rd World War.

    Speaking at the ongoing conference on fake news, the erudite professor warned that fake news should be treated as a crime.

    INEC representative, Festus Okoye, a National Commissioner, posited that fake news constitutes a danger to the forthcoming general elections and therefore stressed the need for the security operatives to be watchful.

    Okoye also noted that the country has an army of angry people with different agenda. The way out, he said as a people, we should be able to draw a line between what to believe and what not to believe.

    Read Also: ‘Fake news may affect 2019 elections’

    On the side of the security, he urged them to be watchful and be proactive as space is amorphous.

    He also urged INEC as a  commission to interact with people through regular press briefing so as to address issues as they come up so as not to create space for peddlers of fake news.

     

  • INEC to recruit 24,000 ad hoc staff for general elections

    The Plateau office of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ), is to recruit 24,000 ad hoc workers to handle the forthcoming general elections, according to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Malam Halilu Pai.

    Pai told the News Agency of Nigeria, on Wednesday in Jos that a bulk of the workers would be serving NYSC members, while others would come from federal tertiary schools, ministries and departments.

    Those to be recruited, he said, would serve as Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers, Supervisory Presiding Officers, Collation Officers and Returning Officers.

    He said that the ad hoc staff would undergo rigorous training after which oaths would be administered on them to guide against compromise.

    Pai said that INEC had also engaged security personnel to check the background of applicants to ensure that people with links to politics and politicians were not engaged.

    He said that non-sensitive materials were already being received, with 232 cartons of ballot boxes brought to Jos on Tuesday.

    “We expect 464 cartons of ballot boxes; we have so far received half. The rest will arrive in Jos very soon,’’ he said.

    The official said that 17 7.5 KVA power generators had also been received and would be deployed to each of the 17 local governments in Plateau, while 207 5.5 KVA power generators had also been received for the Registration Area Centres.

    He said that contracts had been awarded for the repair of the “heavily dilapidated’’ INEC offices in Kanke and Mangu, while another contract had been awarded for the construction of a central collation centre at the INEC state headquarters in Jos.

    Pai said that trainings were already being organised for security personnel that would be involved in the election exercise, adding that emphasis was on effective crowd handling, integrity and impartiality.

    He said that INEC had met with stakeholders, including religious, traditional, community and youth leaders, to seek their cooperation toward free and credible polls, adding that their response had been “very impressive’’.

    “All the stakeholders appear ready to support us and offer maximum cooperation. Everyone appears keen and ready to play his or her own role to ensure a free and fair election,’’ he said.

    Read Also: NSCDC recovers N31.5m debts in Jigawa in 2018

    According to him, meetings with INEC permanent workers have also become more regular because of their crucial role toward the success of the elections scheduled to hold Feb. 16 and March 2.

    “We try to admonish the INEC staff against compromise. We have tried to motivate them and also let them know that those found to have compromised standards will face severe sanctions.

    “We have also tried to ensure that the workers are well cared for so that they will not be tempted by politicians,’’ he said.

    Pai, however, regretted that many Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs), had not been collected, saying that the distribution, which was hitherto limited to the 17 local government headquarters, would commence at the 207 wards from Jan. 16.

    “From our findings, 355,000 PVCs have not been collected. This is not good. We feel that such non-collection will lead to a very low turnout. That is why we are taking the cards to the wards,’’ he said.

    On the fate of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS), currently in various camps in Riyom and Barkin-Ladi, Pai said that a special arrangement had been designed to ensure that they were not left out.

    “We are moving to the IDPs camps to ensure that they all receive their PVCs. We have also established IDPs voting points. When they vote, we shall merge such votes with their mother polling units,’’ he explained.

    Pai said that INEC would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Plateau chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), to ease the transportation of men and materials during the exercise.

    The INEC commissioner appealed to politicians to play the game by the rules of the electoral process to ensure a smooth, simple and credible exercise, and promised that INEC would be fair to all.

    He expressed gratitude to the political parties in Plateau for eschewing violence in the campaigns, noting that no “evil development’’ had been reported in the ongoing electioneering so far.

  • 2019: Lagos, Kano dominate registered voters

    Lagos and Kano States still maintain the lead in the register of voters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which was presented to registered political parties by the commission, on Monday.

    INEC said a total 84,004,084 Nigerians will vote in the elections, after carrying out automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) on persons who registered during the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise.

    Out of the over 84 million voters, Lagos State accounted for 6, 570,291 million while Kano has 5, 457,747 million voters.

    In 2015, Lagos and Kano States recorded 5.8 million and 5.0 million respectively. This represents 11.30% and 8.51% respectively.

    The analysis of the voter register presented to the parties by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, showed that North West has the highest number of registered voters with over 20.2 million. This was followed by South West with 16.3 million voters.

    The South East has the least with slightly over 10 million voters. North East recorded 11.3 million; North Central, 13.4 million; and South-South, 12.9 million.

    Further analysis showed that male registrants was 44, 405,439 million while female accounted for 39, 598,645 million voters.

    Prof. Yakubu disclosed that INEC disclosed that the commission had stayed strictly with the electoral timetable and programme of activities earlier released.

    He reassured the party leaders that there was no change in the number of polling units and voting points used for the 2015 general elections and the 2016 Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The INEC boss also denied that the card reader has been enhanced to recapture voters’ fingerprints at polling units and automatically overwrite the biometric record on the commission’s database.

    He assured that smart card readers would be used to accredit voters for the 2019 Genyeral elections.

    “For clarity, I wish to stress that the function of the smart card reader during accreditation is to confirm, verify and authenticate the voter.

    “First, it shall be used to confirm that the PVC is genuine and issued by INEC. Cloned cards or cards that do not match the codes for a particular polling unit in which the voter is registered will be rejected by the card readers.

    “Secondly, the card readers shall verify that the voter who presents the PVC is the actual owner of the card by ensuring that the personal details on the card reader are consistent with the manual register for the polling unit.

    “Thirdly, the card reader shall be used to authenticate the fingerprint of the voter as an additional confirmatory procedure.

    “If the fingerprint is not authenticated by the card reader but the PVC is confirmed as genuine and the voter’s personal details are consistent with the manual register, he/she shall be allowed to vote,” Yakubu stated.

    He added that the incident form used in previous elections “which is only completed by the presiding officer without the involvement of the voter,” has abolished.

    According to him, “where the biometric authentication fails, the voter will be required to thumbprint a box next to his/her picture on the register and to enter his/her mobile telephone number before proceeding to vote.”

    On the permanent Voters’ cards (PVCs), he said they  printed and delivered to all the states for collection by registered voters, but regretted that millions of cards were still yet to be collected.

  • 2019: 84.004m eligible to vote, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has released the final register of voter ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

    According to the final voter register which was issued to the 91 political parties in the country, 84.004 million eligible voters have been cleared to vote in the 16th February and 2nd March 2019 polls.

    Besides, INEC insisted that the smart card readers will be deployed for accreditation of voters during elections, despite the fact that the president refused to assent to the 2019 amended act which would have given legal teeth to the deployment of the smart card readers.

    INEC Chair, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu who presented the register to parties in Abuja on Monday at the 7th regular quarterly consultative meeting with political parties said: “After the mandatory display of the register in all polling units nationwide for claims and objections from 6th- 12th November 2018, the final register for the 2019 General Elections stands at 84,004,084 voters. This is the register that will be presented to each political party at today’s meeting. It is also the same register that will be available at each polling unit nationwide on election day.”

    He also revealed that the printed Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) have been delivered to states for collection; urging all registered voters who have not collected their PVCs to approach any of the Local Government Area offices or designated collection centres.

    According to him: “Similarly, the Commission has printed and delivered the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) to the States for collection by registered voters. I urge all registered voters who have not collected their PVCs to approach any of our Local Government Area offices and other designated collection centres nationwide to pick up their cards. While we are encouraged by the response so far, millions of cards are still yet to be collected. I wish to reiterate that the Commission will not allow the collection of PVCs by proxy. Registered voters should endeavour to collect their cards personally without which no person can vote on election day.”

    Yakubu also insisted that the Smart Card Readers will be deployed for the accreditation of voters; while announcing an amendment to the incident form that will be deployed I case of any hitch with the card readers.

    Read Also: 2019: INEC presents voters’ register to political parties

    He said: “On this note, let me re-emphasise the Commission’s policy that the Smart Card Readers will be used for the 2019 General Elections for accreditation of voters. For clarity, I wish to stress that the function of the Smart Card Reader during accreditation is to confirm, verify and authenticate the voter. First, it shall be used to confirm that the PVC is genuine and issued by INEC. Cloned cards or cards that do not match the codes for a particular polling unit in which the voter is registered will be rejected by the Card Readers. Secondly, the Card Readers shall verify that the voter who presents the PVC is the actual owner of the Card by ensuring that the personal details on the Card Reader are consistent with the manual register for the polling unit. Thirdly, the Card Reader shall be used to authenticate the fingerprint of the voter as an additional confirmatory procedure. If the fingerprint is not authenticated by the Card Reader but the PVC is confirmed as genuine and the voter’s personal details are consistent with the manual register, he/she shall be allowed to vote.”

     

  • 2019: Court upholds Enoh’s election as APC Governorship Candidate in C/River

    An FCT High Court, Apo, on Monday upheld the election of Senator John Enoh as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the March 2 governorship election in Cross Rivers.

    Mr Uguru Usani, Minister of Niger Delta Development, who lost out in the governorship primary, had dragged APC, INEC and Enoh to the court to contest the outcome of the exercise.

    Delivering judgment, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, held that the plaintiff had failed to adduce evidence to substantiate his claims.

    The judge said documentary evidence before the court indicated that the APC governorship primary was conducted on Sept. 30, 2018.

    The judge also held that the court was satisfied with evidence that showed that APC conducted the exercise in collaboration with the state executives of the party.

    He further said the court admitted in evidence a proof that officials of the INEC were at hand to monitor the exercise.

    Adeniyi, therefore, said the action ought not to have been instituted as the party had satisfied all requirements as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act in the conduct of the exercise.

    “In the final analysis, the judgment of this court is that the case lacks merit and the court lacks the jurisdiction to undo what has been done rightly. The suit is hereby dismissed.’’

    Read Also: Man in court over alleged diesel theft

    The recalls that Usani had claimed that the exercise was conducted solely by the state executives contrary to the provisions of Para. 14 and 20 of the APC Guidelines.

    The plaintiff had averred that he participated in the process, adding scored the highest number of votes,

    “I was shocked to find out that my name was fraudulently replaced with that of Enoh,’’ he said.

    Usani had therefore, sought a declaration of the court to hold that he was validly elected as the governorship candidate of the party in the primary.

    He also sought amongst others, a declaration that forwarding Enoh’s name by APC to INEC as its candidate in Cross River was illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.

    NAN

  • 2019: INEC presents voters’ register to political parties

    Ahead of the 2019 general elections, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has presented the National Register of Voters to Political Parties.

    Yakubu did the presentation on Monday at the Quarterly Consultative Meeting with Political Parties in Abuja.

    Read Also: INEC takes PVCs collection to registration areas in Plateau

    According to him, the official total number of registered voters is 84,004,084. ( Eighty Four Million, Four Thousand, and Eighty Four).

  • Zakari’s appointment: INEC has bowed to Buhari’s pressure – Ezekwesili

    The presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesil, wants the Chairman of the Independent

    National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mamoud Yakubu, to reverse the recent deployment of Mrs. Amina Zakari, as chairperson of INEC’s Results Collation Centre in next month’s presidential election.

    Ezekwesili, in a statement yesterday said “The INEC chairman appears to have bowed to pressure from the Presidency.”

    She described Zakari’s appointment as political corruption, “considering that having a relation of the President who is a contestant in the February 2019 presidential election amounts to an apparent Conflict-of-Interest situation.”

    She said that such “repugnant deployment of Zakari to the collation centres suggests a brazen attempt to ease rigging for the APC’s candidate in the elections.”

    To ensure peace and give all the candidates a level playing ground, the ACPN presidential candidate asked the INEC to restore confidence in the management of the collation process by reversing the appointment of Zakari as chairperson.

    “Zakari can be assigned another task farther away from tasks that can hinder electoral integrity,” Ezekwesili added.

    Continuing, she said:”The INEC chairman has obviously bowed to President Buhari’s visible and increasingly brazen determination to not just rig but to steal the 2019 presidential election and throw the country into crisis. Or how else can one describe this repugnant action of placing the President’s niece, Mrs Amina Zakari, at the head of the centre for collation of election results?

    “The President and INEC chairman should know that this extremely repugnant and provocative act of political corruption that seeks to undermine our democracy and destabilise the country shall be resisted by all patriotic Nigerians.

    “I caution the INEC chairman and the Presidency to reverse this shameful posting immediately and safeguard the integrity of the 2019 elections.”

    Ezekwesili said that the latest development compounded doubts about the President’s interest in presiding over a credible 2019 elections when he refused to assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill 2018.

    “The President should lead a discussion among candidates and parties to set the rules that will guide the security forces in the 2019 elections. Ideally, the military and police establishments should be pulled out of the involvement in our elections, considering the damning evidences of how their personnel disenfranchised voters in Osun and Ekiti governorship elections.