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  • Oyo 2019: Alao-Akala says INEC, APC conniving to rig election

    Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, former Oyo governor and governorship candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP), has alleged that some INEC officials were coniving with ruling party to rig 2019 elections.

    He made the allegation in Ibadan on Tuesday while being presented alongside Prof. Abideen Olaiya as ADP governorship candidate and deputy governorship candidate respectively, in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Alao-Akala was governor of Oyo State from 2007 to 2011 on the platform of PDP.

    He alleged that the ruling APC and INEC were conniving to disenfranchise thousands of voters across the state.

    “May I inform stakeholders in the Nigerian electoral system and the world at large that information reaching us from competent sources reveals INEC and APC are conniving to disenfranchise thousands of voters.

    “This action is aimed at weakening the leading opposition candidates in their strongholds by engaging in state wide illegal relocation of voters from their units/local government of origin to another,” he said.

    The ADP governorship candidate called on INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mammud and security agencies to put a stop to this advanced rigging method.

    “Let me also tell the people that I am healthy and mentally fit for the rigorous tasks of governance.

    “Holding a public office is not a function of age, but mental capacity, experience, maturity, sensitiveness, responsiveness, credibility, popular acceptability, good vision and mission,” he said.

    The former governor declared that he was in the governorship race to reposition the state for the betterment of the people, saying 90 per cent of the outgoing government’s policies, programmes and projects were anti – people.

    Alao-Akala promised that if elected to govern the state once more, he would hit the ground after inauguration on May 29, 2019.

    He pledged to declare state of emergency in the education and health sectors as well as implement policies that would transform the state.

    “My administration will also improve the welfare of the residents and create conducive environment for business growth. We will also improve the security network of the state,” he said.

    Alao-Akala said his running mate is a devout Muslim from birth, saying he was not an emergency Muslim who adopted name to falsify religious leaning and appeal for pity.(NAN).

  • Buhari to INEC: put Nigeria first in 2019

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to put Nigeria first in organising free, fair and credible elections next year.

    He also noted that building on trust in any election was the collective responsibility of all citizens in the country.

    Buhari spoke during the signing of peace accord for the 2019 elections by presidential candidates and their political parties in Abuja.

    The President, who noted past elections have been marred by violence perpetrated by political leaders and the followers, said without trust, the country cannot strive on its quest for achieving any meaningful growth and development.

    He said: “I wish to call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all arms of security agencies to put the nation first in their conduct.

    “The world is watching us and the task of building or institutionalising trust in our political system and institution is fundamental to the growth and development of our country.” he stated

    Former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar underscored the essence of peace towards ensuring credible polls.

    He thanked Buhari for his commitment to ensuring peace and credible election as well as being present to sign the peace agreement and advised him to lead by example.

    He however noted security should be a source of worry to everyone, especially the leaders and cautioned their acts of commission or omission could make matters worse.

    He urged them to temper their utterances and action with responsibility and patriotism.

    “We have now entered the electioneering period, proper keeping of peace becomes the overriding objectives.

    “The election itself will not hold in the absence of peaceful atmosphere. Disharmony among political parties hinders all peaceful efforts,” he said.

    He also condemned the subtle incitement coming from some religious houses, saying that they do not portend well for the country.

    He appealed to all participants to endeavor to stick to the contents of the peace pact they signed and appealed to INEC to carry out its mandate as expected of it.

  • 2019: I am on a rescue mission, says Alao-Akala

    A former governor of Oyo state and the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the forthcoming 2019 elections, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala has said he is seeking another opportunity to govern the state on a mission to rescue and re-position the state for the betterment of the people and investors.

    He lamented that his heart aches because of what he described as the anti-people policies of the outgoing government of Governor Abiola Ajimobi, saying at least 90 percent of the government programmes and projects are not in the interest of the people.

    Alao-Akala spoke on Tuesday while delivering his address at the official presentation of the Alao-Akala and Olaiya as the ADP candidates for the 2019 gubernatorial elections cum official inauguration of the Akala-Olaiya campaign organization.

    The event which held at Jogor Centre, Liberty Area, Ring Road Ibadan was attended by his running mate, Prof Abideen Olaiya, party candidates for the National Assembly positions, party leadership and members from different parts of the state.

    The former governor who noted that instead of criticizing, he made himself available to guide the incumbent government on how to best run a proactive and pro-people governance but that the driver lacks the required goodwill.

    He further alleges that the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) is conniving with some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to engage in what he described as advanced rigging method.

    Read Also: Why I want to be Oyo governor again – Alao-Akala

    Alao-Akala said, “As a bonafide citizen, I’m seeking another opportunity to govern the state from May 29th 2019 with a rescue mission to reposition the state for the betterment of our people and investors.

    “Service to humanity especially holding a public office is not a function of age but mental capacity, experience, maturity, good vision and mission, sensitiveness, responsiveness, credibility and popular acceptability of a person. I am offering myself again to serve the good people of Oyo state because I am healthily and mentally fit for the rigorous tasks of governance.

    “My heart aches because 90 percent of the outgoing government’s policies, programmes and programmes and projects are best described as anti-people which leave our people in pain and despondency.

    “Instead of criticizing, I made myself available to guide the incumbent government on how best to run proactive and pro-people governance but the driver lacks the required goodwill. Today, the major sectors of our economy, which are education, health, agriculture and environment, have been either neglected or bastardized. Oyo state is in a serious mess.

    “When a serious duty of overhauling government calls, experience counts. On July 4th of this year, I responded to Oyo State Patriots’ clarion call to contest the 2019 governorship elections, so that succor, humane posture, robust economic activities, even and equitable infrastructural developments that were once entrenched in governance of the state during my past tenure could be repeated and improve upon with renewed vigor.

    “Immediately after the inauguration of our government come May 29th, 2019, we shall hit the ground running by declaring state of emergencies in the education and health sectors of Oyo state. Our dying LAUTECH, EACOED, The Polytechnic Ibadan and other state-owned tertiary institutions will be rescued and their pride statuses in the comity of educational institutions will be restored.

    “Also, we are determined to initiate and implement policies and proagrammes that would transform the state, improve the welfare of the residents and create an environment conducive to business growth and security as well as wealth and employment.

    “May I use this occasion to inform the stakeholders in the Nigerian electoral system and the world at large that information reaching us from competent sources is that some bad elements in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are conniving with the ruling APC to disenfranchise thousands of voters across the state and weakening the leading opposition candidates in their strongholds by engaging in state-wide illegal relocation of voters from their units/local government of origins to another units/LGAs.

    “We call on the INEC chairman and the constituted security agencies to put a stop to this advanced rigging method.

  • PDP to INEC, security agents: don’t help APC to rig

    THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agents against helping the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig to avoid the wrath of Nigerians.

    Its National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus spoke in Ilorin  during the Northcentral presidential rally of the PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar.

    Secondus accused INEC of rigging the governorship election in Osun State in favour of the APC.

    He said: “Don’t bother about the INEC, they can no longer rig. I want to warn INEC that it rigged and escaped all the previous elections. The 2019 elections, you cannot escape if you rig unless you want to cause crisis in Nigeria.

    “Let us warn the INEC chair that he should not cause crisis in Nigeria by rigging 2019 elections. If INEC wants peace in Nigeria, elections must be free and fair. If INEC likes, it should ignore the card reader, manipulate the machines to do whatsoever INEC wants it to do but Nigerians will not accept rigged elections. So, you better be warned.

    “And we salute the courage of the patriotic security agencies. Our Army is the best in Africa. Our police, some of them are very good, but this time around in 2019, the police and the Army cannot be used. As all voters are Army and Police. So, you must police your votes and be by the side to make sure that your materials are not carried away.

    “There will be no postponement of elections because part of strategy of APC is to cause crises in some states, postpone the elections and come with Army and Police to prevent some people from voting just as they did in Osun State. It cannot work.”

    Senate President Bukola Saraki lamented that the insecurity situation in the country had degenerated, especially in the Northcentral and Northwest states.

    He added that Nigeria’s corruption ratings by international organisations had plummeted.

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed told the gathering that the state is wholly PDP’s.

  • NYSC Lagos to provide 20,000 corps members for election

    The Lagos State Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Prince Mohammed Momoh, has said the scheme would present a list of over 19,000 corps members to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to participate in election duty today.

    In an interview at the closing of the orientation programme for Batch C Stream II corps members yesterday, Momoh said once corps members who apply for redeployment to Lagos are settled, the list would grow to over 20,000 that would work as ad-hoc staff of INEC for the 2019 elections.

    “INEC has said we should send the list of corps members on December 14th but we are sending it tomorrow (today) because we worked well ahead of time.  Before the election we will have well over 20,000 that can be deployed for the election.  Even those that are being relocated to Lagos, the moment they settle down, we will upload their names and send to them,” he said.

    The NYSC Coordinator said during the camp, the Batch C Stream II corps members got preliminary training on the roles they would play during the election, including how to use the card reader.  He said more training would follow soon, assuring the corps members of their safety during the elections.

    Read Also: NYSC DG, 229 others promoted by Army

    “Here on camp, you have been given preliminary training by INEC on the conduct of electoral processes and the use of the card reader.  As soon as you settle down in your different places of primary assignments, you will be given further detailed training to equip and enhance your capacity in delivering a hitch-free and credible election in 2019.  I want to assure you that the election secruty committee headed by the Commissioner of Police, has put in place specific and strategic plans to ensure your safety and security during the elections,” he said.

    Highpoint of the ceremony was the presentation of awards to corps members and camp officials who distinguished themselves during the three-week orientation programme, notably Dr Anya Onyedikachi and Dr Olawale Ogedengbe.

    Momoh said the corps medical doctors helped save the life of a fellow corps member whose heart stopped beating after a seizure on their way to the hospital.

    “They went above the call of duty by volunteering to accompany the corps member to the hospital even though they were not on duty.  During the trip to the hospital in our ambulance, they said he had a seizure and his heart stopped.  One of them had to apply the mouth to mouth resuscitation while the other pressed his chest.  That saved the corps member’s life,” he said.

  • We can’t return to Egypt again, Tinubu tells PDP

    …. says Saraki sold APC mandate for pot of pottage

     

    Former Lagos state governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that Nigerians must not allow the nation to return to part of destruction and retrogression which the People Democratic Party (PDP) led government subjected it to for 16 years but aim to move forward in building a nation that every citizen will be proud of.

    Tinubu who spoke at a National, consultative forum organised by the National Committee of Buhari Support Groups in Abuja accused the Atiku Campaign Organisation and the People Democratic Party of trying to blackmail the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Police with the accusation of plots to rig the 2019 elections because “they knew that they will not win”.

    Read Also:2019 poll: Why Buhari must continue, by Tinubu

    He also accused Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki of using the mandate of the APC to negotiate and give lifeline to the opposition, saying “he left the PDP, joined us, got elected, got our mandate, our majority and sold it for a pot of pottage. God is honest, Saraki is not”.

    The former Lagos state governor also recalled how the rigging machineries of the PDP almost denied him his re-election in 2003 when INEC published what he described as fake results of the governorship election in Lagos state on its website, saying it took the then Resident Electoral Commissioner’s courage to insist that what was published was not the real results for his election to be validated.

    He said: “Come February, we will re-elect Buhari. It is not easy to put together a National Committee, but we are in the same family. As free minded people, you are all free to be doing other things this morning, but you are here because you have the vision and the determination that Nigeria must continue the foundation and the progress of the future.

    “Working together to re-elect Buhari is a task that must be achieved. Why are they complaining? Buhari is too busy to exchange words with them because he is building foundation of a prosperous Nigeria that will magnify the economy and provide employment for everyone regardless of the status in the society.

    “A fervent man like him will not have time for the nonsense being thrown at him. I give you one message for them and there will be many such messages. Their candidate who is supposed to beat Buhari has been in our party and many other parties. He has more party members to build a house.

    “All you have to do is to go out there and tell him that a house built on cards will be collapsed with a single stroke of broom. He said they are reformed, but reformed what? Reformed PDP. No. Tell them as you go out that we accept the admission of guilty that they were vagabond before and now being reformed.

    “But they have not served enough probation. You can only be reformed if you are an ex-convict, a drug addict or a political prostitute. It is because Buhari has not temperament and no tolerance for corruption, he is vigorously ridding the nation of blemish and looting, a bad reputation.

    “I can see them celebrating the visa. What a shame? Yet you want to lead this country with the most vibrant economy in Africa? Why should we allow them?

    They ran this country from 1999 till 2015. They were planning for 60 years of doing nothing, lack of direction and concern for the citizens.

    “Are we still in this nation where visionary leadership is required? If yes, then they are not competent and not qualified to be leading Nigeria again and say they want to come back to government. If they left our schools in such dilapidated condition, left out hospitals without Medicare, they don’t deserve to come back.

    “They say we should not talk about their past anymore because they are ashamed of it, but we cannot go without talking about it because a nation has no history if there are no reference. If you give me an application for Employment which is the application of Atiku Abubakar, I must look at what you have done before, you experience.

    “We have to look at Halliburton and why they left Nigeria. Go and ask those questions. They spent 16 billion dollars of NEPA money and what they give us is darkness and when they knew that we were kicking them out, they shared the company through irregularities called privatization which I called personalization of the wealth of Nigeria.

    “We won’t allow that to happen again and I will recommend that we Campaign on that. We should find a way to technically dissolve those companies they shared among themselves. There is no way you can industrialize a nation without providing electricity.

    “So many industries in Kaduna, Ikeja and other parts of the country. What were they doing for 16 years? That is why we believe that President Buhari is the best person to lead us and got him elected in 2015.

    “They said he will die, but he did not die and is back hale and healthy and when they saw seriousness on his part, they now said he was cloned. That is because they know so much about forgery. I am glad he told them he is real. They exist to lie.

    “Take their new found Jehovah Witness, former President Obasanjo. After they disgraced the office of the President, fighting in public and abusing each other, telling us how they stole money and dancing naked in the market square, Obasanjo said he has spoken to God never to allow Atiku to become President.

    “Which God is he now talking to, to say Atiku should be President? I believe he is not telling the truth and not to the God we know. He is just talking to himself.

    We have sacrificed too much under the PDP and we cannot go back.

    “People must ask you why you belong to this support group. Tell them that you are members of a very committed rescue mission that started in 2015. I remember how things were. So, remind them of what happened because they can’t shut us up.

    “They had the best opportunity for prosperity, but they are now complaining. They were there for 16 years and never added one barrel capacity to the refineries in Nigeria. They didn’t even pay counterpart funding for our rail, electricity and we cannot industrialist a nation without the power source.

    “I stand before you as a very proud individual. When I introduced Independent power generation to fire the industries at Ikeja industrial estate, they killed it because there was bribe under the table.

    “Imagine what Buhari is doing today in rail and in feeding our children which creates opportunity for the farmers, it creates small scale business for those cooking the food and a lot of people involved are doing better and we are battling poverty with the best weapon which is education.

    “They are busy changing parties and that is why they are confused. Atiku is now PDP Aladdin. He is going to create 14 million jobs and I say how? They will turn Atlantic into fuel to crash the prices without the refineries working and the population is expanding and people must move around. He just talks of crashing the prices of fuel. They are lying again because a leopard cannot change its skin.

    “They had 16 billion of unprecedented resources and yet, they didn’t bring power to Nigeria. They invested that money in their personal industries. They bought turbines from General Electric and did it add one pipe line to bring gas to the plant.

    “They can say anything now about Buhari. I agree with Okonjo Iweala that it is difficult to fight corruption. The agents of destruction are there fighting us, but we will win with strong determination.

    “Don’t let them sweep things under the carpet that when we came in as a government, before then they had too much resources in their hands, but Buhari funded states to pay salaries. In that period, 27 states were unable to pay salaries as at May 2015. The states and local economy would have collapsed long time ago.

    “If PDP members truly love this country, those should humbly step aside and allow Buhari continue with the work of addressing the ills in our nation. However, since they seem to obstruct and remain focus as applicants, we say no job for them.

    “No matter what they say, don’t listen to them, don’t kind them. What they want is to continue to distract with the talk of rigging because they know that they are losing. They want to blackmail INEC and the police. I remember my own election for my second term.

    “On the website of INEC, they announced a funny result, but a woman of great character who was the State Resident Electoral Commissioner said no, the result she got from the field are the valid results and not the fake ones published and upheld our election. They know they cannot win.

    “That is why all the noise from either Saraki, a man who used our mandate to negotiate and give lifeline to the opposition. Leadership is about character. How can he now ask us to vote for PDP. he left the PDP, joined us, got elected, got our mandate, our majority and sold it for a lot of portage. God is honest, Saraki is not.

    “They talk about farmers and herders clashes. If they are honest, they should know that it also happened during their time, but they have no way of thinking; they have no capacity to convert tragedy into economic prosperity. We have the capacity in this country to do irrigation and utilize our water resources, to create pastures and ranches so that we can convert those miseries, that tragedy to opportunity for our people. Livestock is economy.

    “It is not about intellectual talent alone. There are so many unrewarded talents across the world. It is about character, determination, the love of a country and our commitment to nation building. That is what PDP is opposed to and APC is determined to continue as a progressive entity and the man to lead the nation on that part is President Buhari. Tell Nigerians that after Moses crossed the Red Sea, he is not going to return to Egypt.”

     

  • 2019: INEC warns incumbents against using state resources

    INDEPENDENT National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has warned incumbent office holders against using state resources or apparatuses for their campaigns or against their opponents.

    Yakubu sounded the caution yesterday in Abuja at a lecture: “Political corruption and other emerging issues for the 2019 elections”,  organised by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) in partnership with Christian Voice to the People (V2P) and Hope Givers Initiative (HOG-I).

    He noted that the commission has the power to monitor campaign financing and sources of funds according to the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

    Yakubu, who was represented by a National Commissioner, Prof. Antonia Okoosi-Simbine, noted that the commission, in line with its powers as provided in Section F(15) in the Third Schedule of the Constitution, is well-positioned to, among others, monitor the campaign and finances of political parties for the 2019 general elections.

    He added: “Another interesting area of campaign finance spending to watch out for is the use of state administrative resources by incumbents, particularly now that the campaigns have fully kicked off. Section 100 (2) of the EA provides that ‘state apparatus shall not be employed to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate at any election’.”

    TMG Chairperson Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, in her remarks, expressed worries over the developments around the 2019 elections, saying experience from the off-cycle elections have shown widespread manifestation of political corruption, possibilities of widespread electoral violence, vote-buying and voters’ inducements.

    “The implication or impact of vote-buying on Nigeria’s maturing democracy is well-traversed. There cannot be free or right choices of candidates with such ominous practices in such an environment. Such elections are simply for the highest bidder or the candidate with the deepest pocket without regard to competence or merit. Such electoral system has been observed to be incapable of producing a transparent government,” she said.

    She said the TMG plan to release a report, titled: “‘Market place democracy and Nigeria’s electoral process: An analysis of the dimensions of political corruption and its implications on Nigeria’s democratisation process”, which will bring to fore how these tendencies manifest in the nation’s electoral system by the middle of December.

    On her part, the Executive Director, HOG-I Mrs. Onyeka Udegbunam urged politicians and other stakeholders place national unity above personal interest to ensure the success of the 2019 elections.

    A security expert and lecturer from University of Ibadan, Prof. Albert Olawale, however, warned that Nigeria’s present structure requires that the country has to be careful going into 2019 elections.

    He said Nigeria is presently conflict-genic and that if care is not taken, the 2019 elections might be the trigger.

    A Senior Fellow at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, who spoke on “2019 General Elections and the threat of transactional politics and other related matters”, warned electorates against vote-buying under any disguise, saying this would continue to worsen the situation.

    Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris said the increasing rate of vote-buying, rigging, act of thuggery, flash points of electoral violence, ballot box snatching small arms and light weapons, militant groups as potential threats to the 2019 elections.

    Idris, who was represented by the Commissioner of Police, Federal Operatives, Force Headquarters, Keneth Ebrisem, however, assured that to checkmate the activities of thugs, profiling of their leaders, sponsors, sympathisers and their locations is ongoing.

  • 2019:NYSC warns corps members against electoral offences

    Brig.-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, the Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has warned corps members against electoral offences as 2019 general elections approach.

    The NYSC boss gave the warning during inspection visit to the 2018 Batch ‘C’ stream II orientation course at Kusalla in Karaye Local Government Area of Kano state.

    Kazaure was represented by the Scheme Director of Community Development Services (CDS) and special projects Mr Yusuf Steve.

    According to him, the electoral act has provided serious punishment for any of its officials or ad-hoc staff caught violating it.

    He said it became necessary, therefore, for the corps members to avoid acts capable of tarnishing their image, the scheme and eschew being used negatively by politicians during the 2019 general elections.

    Earlier, the NYSC Coordinator in the state, Alhaji Ladan Baba, said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had requested for the use of 44,000 corps members as adhoc staff during the election.

    According to him, the scheme can only provide the electoral body with over 15,000 ad-hoc staff to conduct the 2019 elections in the state.

    Baba also disclosed that the Kano NYSC has fished out the best three in each category of camp officials to be honoured.

    The coordinator said the decision to honour the best camp officials was due to their dedication, determination, honesty and commitment since the beginning of the exercise.

    Read Also: 2019: NYSC DG urges Corps members to be neutral

    “The NYSC officers and collaborating agencies have so far proved to be hard working, loyal and dedicated team players.

    Therefore, we have chosen the best among them to be honoured during our traditional award night,” he said.

    The coordinator commended the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, for introducing the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED), during the orientation exercise.

    “Unemployment is one of the major challenges in the country; therefore, the introduction of the skills acquisition programme will help in reducing the challenges.

    “As a graduate, you must not wait for white collar-job, you can be the self reliant when you learn hand work, through which you can be the boss of yourself and even others”.

  • 2019: INEC raises alarm

    The Independent National Electoral Commission has warned that it will not tolerate any breach of the electoral laws and programme.

    The warning came on the heels of the discovery of underage nominations made by some political parties, thereby running foul of the electoral law, it was learnt.

    Political parties have till midnight today for the substitution or replacement of candidates ahead of  2019  elections.

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at a capacity building for journalists, said  the commission had religiously followed the timelines and had so far executed seven of its 14 scheduled activities.

    He said: “In the next 77 days, Nigerians will go to the polls to elect their representatives in government. Campaigns for Presidential and National Assembly elections started 12 days ago on  November 18. Campaigns for Governorship and State Assembly elections begin today, December 1. We can say that the 2019 general elections are truly around the corner. Let me once again seize this opportunity to reassure the country that INEC is ready and committed to free, fair and credible elections

    “So far, INEC has successfully implemented seven out of the 14 activities strictly on schedule, including the conduct of party primaries for all elections and the processes of nomination of candidates. We did not, and will never tolerate any breach of the strict timelines provided for in the timetable for the elections.”

    He revealed that at the end of the period for the substitution and withdrawal of candidates for the presidential election, a total of 73 political parties had filed their nominations.

    Read also: Secondus demands resignation of IG, INEC chair

    On the nomination of candidates below the stipulated ages, he said “ it runs contrary to every existing law which stipulates 35 years for persons vying for the positions of President and Vice President.

    He said the attention of the political parties concerned had been drawn to the aberration.

    ”A few parties have nominated candidates below the mandatory age of 35 years for presidential and vice presidential candidates. We have drawn the attention of the parties concerned to the breach of the constitutional requirement ahead of the publication of the full list of presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2019 general elections,” he said.

    For National Assembly elections, he said a total of 1,848 candidates are vying for the 109 senatorial seats, while 4,635 candidates are for the House of Representatives.

    As for state elections, a total of 1,068 candidates are contesting for 29 governorship positions, while work is still going on for the 991 states assemblies as well as the 68 area council chairmen and counsellors for the Federal Capital Territory.

  • 2019: We will never tolerate any breach of the law, INEC warns

    As the Independent National Electoral Commission wind up activities on the submission and withdrawal of candidates for the 2019 general polls, the commission has warned that it would not tolerate any breach of the timelines provided for in the timetable for the elections.

    The warning is coming at the heel of the closing date for the substitution of candidates for the governorship, states Assembly and council polls. 

    Political parties have till midnight today 1st December 2018 for any substitution or withdrawal of candidates ahead of the 2nd March, 2019 states elections.

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja noted that the commission has religiously followed the timelines and has so far executed seven of its fourteen scheduled activities.

    Read Also: 2019: Sokoto youths endorse Tambuwal, Atiku’s bid

    He said: “We did not, and will never, tolerate any breach of the strict timelines provided for in the timetable for the elections.

    “You would recall that on 9th January 2018, the Commission released the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2019 General Elections. For the first time in our history, the date for General Election was announced over a year in advance.

    More specifically, the timetable lists fourteen (14) step-by-step constitutional and other legal and other statutory activities required of the Commission ahead of the elections beginning with the formal Publication of Notice and ending with the election day.

    So far, INEC has successfully implemented seven (7) out of the fourteen (14) activities strictly on schedule, including the conduct of party primaries for all elections and the processes of nomination of candidates.”