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Tag: Inec

  • Registration: INEC records more men than women

    More men have registered in the ongoing Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, it was learnt yesterday.

    According to INEC’s update, of the over 12 million newly-registered voters, 6,856.558 million are men, while 5,832,234 are women.

    There are over seven million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) awaiting collection.

    Besides, INEC’s update showed that 998,993 applied for replacement of voter cards, while 640,796 requested for transfer of vote.

    The exercise, which was to be suspended on August 17, has been extended to the last day of this month.

    INEC argued that the exercise, which had been on for the past 16 months, was extended due to pleas by Nigerians.

    It said: “Nigerians have appealed to the commission to extend the exercise. Consequently, INEC has decided to extend the CVR to August 31. The exercise will continue in all the designated registration centres every day, including weekends, but excluding public holidays, between 9am and 5pm.”

    The commission informed the public that the ongoing collection exercise would be on until very close to the general election.

    “INEC wishes to inform the public that the ongoing collection of PVCs will not end with the CVR exercise. Collection of PVCs will continue until close to the general election,” it said.

     

  • 315,000 PVCs not collected in Kwara, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that  315,000 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) are yet to to be collected in Kwara State since 2015.

    Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at the weekend, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Garba Madami, said only 160,000 eligible voters had so far registered since the commencement of the voters registration.

    The REC said about 1.2 million eligible voters are expected to cast their vote in Kwara during the next general elections.

    Madami said INEC has mapped out a strategy to address poor turn out of residents to register.

    He said part of the strategy was to deploy officers to villages and rural areas to register eligible voters, as against local government headquarters where registration points were initially restricted.

    Madami said judging by the utterances of political actors, recent defections and the number of aspirants eying the next general elections, Kwara State is likely to be a cynosure of all eyes next year.

    He added that his mission was to achieve free, fair and credible elections that would be applauded by all stakeholders.

    The REC advised people to shun violence, saying that they should not see the coming election as a do-or-die affair.

    He added: “No politician is worth dying for. We should all join hands to sustain and maintain peace and harmony that this state has been known for. This is more so because there’s nothing that can be achieved without peaceful environment.”

    Reacting to complaints over alleged political and religious discrimination by some INEC officials at some registration centres, the INEC boss said such acts would not be tolerated, adding that the reports would be investigated.

    He also said that measures to douse anxieties over the registration exercise or collection of PVC by eligible voters have been mapped out. Madami assured that there would be improvement at the end of the day.

     

  • APC Chairman: Wike offered me N200m to throw bye-election

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), says it has facts on Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) move to scuttle the Port Harcourt Constituency 3 bye-election.

    Mr Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, State Chairman of APC in Rivers also  alleged that Wike offered him N200 million bribe to compromise the election, while over time had placed many INEC officials in Port Harcourt on his payroll.

    Flag-Amachree stated this at a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday.

    He  claimed  that the APC candidate for the bye-election, Chief Dickens Worlu was comfortably leading in most polling units before Gov. Wike mobilised his Chief Security Officer, Mr Promise Nwosu with armed men to  invade the units.

    He further alleged that the invasion of the polling units with armed men attached to the Rivers Government House was to disrupt the peaceful process and rig the election in favour of the PDP candidate.

    “In the process, several shots were fired to intimidate both voters and election officials but most of the voters in the constituency stood their ground and resisted the state of shootings and intimidation.

    “Having failed to substantially cow the voters especially APC members, Wike reached me and pleaded to have my cooperation and in return get N200m bribe, which I declined and reported same to the APC leadership.

    “In failed mission to bribe me and intimidate voters, Gov. Wike and his CSO became more determined to scuttle the bye-election, decide to undertake smear campaign against me as demonstrated in his broadcast,” he alleged.

    According to Flag-Amachree,  Gov. Wike has all the Electoral Officers (EOs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers on his payroll with the purpose of compromising the 2019 election in advance.

    “Wike has been paying a monthly sum between N1m to N3m to various officers depending on rank, and he has penciled down key security agents to compromise elections in the state.

    “We are not also surprised that INEC and Gov. Wike are working hand-in-gloves to rig elections in Rivers,” he claimed.

    The chairman said the APC believes that the recruitment and posting of a confessed PDP apologist and virulent critic of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, Mr Obo Effanga  is beyond mere accident.

    “The highly convoluted memo suspending the bye-election further attests to the fact of a well-entrenched bias on the part of the INEC REC.

    “There was an op-ed published on a national daily on the 30th of May 2016 titled: “The ‘Change’ government one year after by Mr Obo Effanga before he was mysteriously employed and posted to Rivers,” he said.

    Flag-Amachree urged INEC in Rivers to immediately conclude the process by announcing the winner of the By-Election without further delay.

    He dismissed Gov. Wike’s allegations against the Commander of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), ACP Akin Fakorede of meddling in the by-election.(NAN)

  • Accord Party faults Kogi by-election result

    Kogi chapter of the Accord Party on Monday dissociated itself from the August 11, Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency by-election alleging that the result did not reflect the votes cast during the election.

    Alhaji Alhassan Adakeke, Chairman of the party in the state, disclosed this in Lokoja at the inauguration of Ward and Local Government executive members elected at the party’s congress held on July 28.

    Among other allegations, Adakeke said voters’ turnout and the total votes cast at the election did not tally with the result that was announced.

    “Obviously, over 80 per cent of registered voters in the Federal Constituency came out for that election.

    “So, it will be wrong for us to see a result that recorded below 50 per cent. It, therefore, means that it is a cooked result and we dissociate ourselves from that report and the election.

    “As far as Accord Party is concerned, the result of that election did not reflect the performance of any party that participated in it. We have put that election behind us.

    “So, we are appealing to INEC and security officers to ensure that there is fairness in every election to be conducted in the 2019 General Elections,” he said.

    He regretted that a situation where INEC and security agencies could not guarantee security of voters and electoral materials was unhealthy for democracy.

    “We want to also tell INEC that they will have to do more to earn the confidence of Nigerians in view of recent happenings in the conduct and management of elections,” he added.

    Adakeke also urged all political parties in the country to discourage thuggery and other forms of electoral violence to minimise loss of lives and property.

    He regretted the loss of two lives in the August 11, Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency by-election and described those who died in the election as heroes of democracy.

    The party chairman said it was the belief of the deceased in democracy and struggle for enthronement of good governance that led to their untimely death.

  • INEC, Wike disagree over failed Rivers by-election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday described the violent disruption of weekend’s Rivers State House of Assembly by-election as “shameful”.

    The vote into the vacant state legislative seat for Port Harcourt Constituency 3, with only 142 polling units, was marred by violence; destruction of electoral materials, attack on electoral officers and carting away of ballot boxes from some polling units by hoodlums. Following these, the election was cancelled.

    The position became vacant following the victory and subsequent swearing in of its former occupant Victor Ihunwo as the executive chairman of the Port Harcoirt Local Government Area in June.

    INEC chiefs praised the police for preventing a slip into chaos, but Governor Nyesom Wike blamed it all on the police which he accused of “declaring war on Rivers State.” But he hailed INEC for its good organisation.

    Three INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) –  Obo Effanga (Rivers), Mike Igini (Akwa Ibom) and Cyril Omoregbe (Bayelsa) – who conducted the election, gave the account of what transpired at a news conference in Port Harcourt yesterday.

    They expressed “gross” disappointment at the display of shamelessness by politicians and their supporters.

    Effanga accused political heavyweights of openly storming polling units with thugs and armed security personnel to disrupt the well-arranged and peaceful process.

    She said: “The Commission in full readiness for the said election deployed personnel and materials to the 142 polling units involved. However, midway, miscreants and hoodlums accompanied by heavily armed security personnel in uniform stormed the various polling units and registration areas, disrupting voting activities, destroying and carting away election materials, including smart card readers and ballot boxes. In addition, many electoral officials were manhandled, injured and held hostage.

    Igini, who represented the National Commissioner (South-South), said an official of the Commission was stabbed, others beaten up and held hostage, while a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member’s leg was broken.

    Igini said reporters were attacked and voters injured by thugs in some of the units.

    He praised Commissioner of Police Zaki Ahmed for providing experienced personnel for the exercise, but wondered where the heavily armed personnel were brought from by their sponsors.

    Igini said: “What happened yesterday (Saturday) was a tragedy. It was shameful. It represents a higher level of electoral discredit and falls below the minimum expected standards. Election must be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere which will allow voters to vote and leave the centre without grumbling.

    “While election was going on, there was violence in significant areas of the polling centres. Some journalists, INEC staff, including NYSC members were attacked and held hostage during the election. An official of the the Commission was stabbed, others beaten up. Also, a Cops member’s leg was broken, individuals beaten and injured.

    “Thanks to the security personnel who worked with us, they were not part of those who disrupted the election as they were not armed according to the law.”

    In a broadcast to the people yesterday, Wike said:

    “The consistent sabotage of the electoral process by the Police amounts to a declaration of war against the people of Rivers State and their solemn rights to freely and fairly choose their leaders and representatives.

    “Clearly there are dangerous times ahead but we must not give in to intimidation lest we lose our liberties and become slaves in our own land.

    “As we had feared, the Police failed us completely once again and negated all that they promised. Instead of providing security for voters and INEC officials, the Police brazenly colluded with political thugs of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to subvert the democratic process and deny the people of Port Harcourt Constituency III their rights to free, fair and credible elections.

    “Confirmed reports from the field indicated that INEC promptly and rightly distributed elections materials to all the polling units within a record time.

    “However, while voting was underway, armed thugs from the APC moved freely from one polling unit to the other, violently assaulted voters and INEC officials and carted away election materials, including smart card readers and ballot boxes.”

    The governor added that the police aided and shielded the leader of the thugs from arrest and prosecution.

    The APC commended Rivers people for standing up and defending their votes.

    Acting National Publicity Secretary Yekini Nabena said  “the All Progressives Congress (APC) hails the Rivers State electorate for bravely defending their votes despite the violence and snatching of electoral materials perpetrated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “Nigerians will recall how the PDP speaking through its National Spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan last Tuesday vowed to deploy all ‘means, schemes, shenanigans in all ramification and magnitude’ to rig all coming elections.

    “While we condemn the PDP-sponsored violence and failed attempt to rig the by-election, the APC calls on the Rivers State electorate and indeed all Nigerians to continue to stand their ground and resist any attempt to rig elections. Votes must count; the people’s will must prevail in all elections.

    “We reiterate that the PDP’s now public rigging plans is a red flag that requires urgent attention by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and relevant security agencies.”

  • 315,000 PVCs not collected in Kwara, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that  315,000 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) are yet to to be collected in Kwara State since 2015.

    Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at the weekend, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Garba Madami, said only 160,000 eligible voters had so far registered since the commencement of the voters registration.

    The REC said about 1.2 million eligible voters are expected to cast their vote in Kwara during the next general elections.

    Madami said INEC has mapped out a strategy to address poor turn out of residents to register.

    He said part of the strategy was to deploy officers to villages and rural areas to register eligible voters, as against local government headquarters where registration points were initially restricted.

    Madami said judging by the utterances of political actors, recent defections and the number of aspirants eying the next general elections, Kwara State is likely to be a cynosure of all eyes next year.

    He added that his mission was to achieve free, fair and credible elections that would be applauded by all stakeholders.

    The REC advised people to shun violence, saying that they should not see the coming election as a do-or-die affair.

    He added: “No politician is worth dying for. We should all join hands to sustain and maintain peace and harmony that this state has been known for. This is more so because there’s nothing that can be achieved without peaceful environment.”

    Reacting to complaints over alleged political and religious discrimination by some INEC officials at some registration centres, the INEC boss said such acts would not be tolerated, adding that the reports would be investigated.

    He also said that measures to douse anxieties over the registration exercise or collection of PVC by eligible voters have been mapped out. Madami assured that there would be improvement at the end of the day.

     

  • Rivers: INEC suspends poll, as violence mars 
 bye-election

    Heavy gunshots, thuggery, violence and snatching of electoral materials marred yesterday’s bye-election for Port Harcourt Constituency 3 in the Rivers State House of Assembly.

    Soldiers, policemen and other security personnel forced residents to raise their hands on the streets of Port Harcourt, the state capital, where the election took place.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner Obo Effanga in a statement said “As a result of widespread and wanton disruption of  the electoral process reported,” the elections have been suspended.

    Thugs operated freely despite Rivers Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Zaki’s announcement that 1,500 policemen would be deployed for the poll with the Nigerian army, Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCSC) also enlisted.

    They unleashed mayhem, beating innocent persons many of whom were critically injured.

    As at press time, collation of results was ongoing at St. Andrew’s Primary School, Emenike Junction Mile One, Diobu, Port- Harcourt with the area and adjoining roads condoned off by fully-armed security personnel.

    Candidates of many political parties took part in the bye-election, but the real contest was between Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) ChiemekaMerukini and All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) Mr. Deacon Worlu.

    The then representative of Port Harcourt constituency 3, Victor Ihunwo of the PDP, resigned in June to contest as Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Council, which he won.

    The poll took place in Rumuokowu, Ihuwo-Orogbu, Rumuokara-mati, Rumuelechi, Oro-obaziolu, Rumu-enyika, Rumuopareli, Rumuobiekwe, Rumukpalukwuozu, Rumuogbarawehu and Rumuwoji communities, all in Port Harcourt with police announcing restriction human and vehicular movements from 7 am to 6 pm, which was enforced by security personnel.

    There were accusations and counter accusations between members of PDP and APC about persons involved in the violence.

    Rivers Publicity Secretary of APC, Chief Chris Finebone, blamed PDP members for the violent acts.

    He said: “The Rivers chapter of APC notes with sadness how the PDP resorted to large-scale violence across the units and wards of Port Harcourt Constituency 3, state House of Assembly, during the bye-election today (yesterday).

    “It is unfortunate that what should be a mere state constituency bye-election witnessed unprecedented voter intimidation, harassment, vote-buying and shooting activated by the PDP, in line with their usual character of rigging elections through killing and maiming of APC members.

    “It is encouraging that the people of Port Harcourt constituency 3 stood their ground and resisted the intimidation by PDP leaders in the area. It signifies that PDP will no more have its way, as was the case in the past years.

    “The talk that the Rivers State Chairman of APC, Hon. Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, was engaged in any form of activity in the constituency during the election is mere façade created to mask the evil machinations of the PDP during the bye-election.”

    Pastor Jerry Needam, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Rivers Chairman of PDP, Chief Felix Obuah, however didn’t respond to calls and text messages to his MTN line as at the time of filing the report.

    Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), also did not answer calls from 6:30 pm while text sent to the same line at 6:37 pm had not been replied as at press time.

     

  • Let’s give it to INEC: a pass mark, so far

    THE general impression amongst the reading public is that columnists tend to be social critics who appear to always harp on the ills of society. That is not correct though, and if one were to read any column religiously, one would find the columnist writing on the good, the bad and the ugly, in society.

    Today, the Princess Files is examining the performance of the electoral umpire here and straight up, the electoral commission is getting a pass mark on this space.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC is one strange outfit that is primed for hard knocks! Voters, Party Agents, Losers, even Winners knock the INEC- the APC cried foul up to and AFTER the 2015 presidential elections which the APC even won!

    Reasons for the condemnation vary; however, the focus here is on voter awareness and mobilization, as well as the drive for PVC (Permanent Voters Card) collection as carried out by the electoral commission. To underscore the good job done by INEC, one needs only to do this simple test: ask the very next person you see if he or she has collected his/her PVC. The answer will either be a Yes or a No- it will NOT be a throw-back question of: What is a PVC?

    So the same INEC that brought the concept to our awareness has also, I would say, successfully stamped it into our consciousness.

    What INEC calls the CVR which is the Continuous Voters Registration commenced on April 27, 2017 and was billed to be suspended on August 15th 2018; now extended to August 31st. On that exercise, I give INEC an A score for awareness created. For instance, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner REC for Cross River State, Dr. Frankland Briyai made it known recently that in the first six months of the year, registration of eligible voters in Cross River more than doubled the number recorded from the onset of the exercise up till about the last quarter of 2017. And unlike in the past where it seemed it was the sole responsibility of INEC to drive the mobilization for registration of eligible voters and call for PVC collection, now every stakeholder is getting involved. Women are telling women’s groups to go get registered, youth groups are engaging, and the electronic media is putting the message out free and oftentimes independently or in collaboration with INEC, to ensure mass mobilization (I am doing it!).

    Collection of PVCS has been a little tricky, and here, INEC could have taken a few more practical steps towards this completion.

    I don’t understand why the cards are not made available upon registration such that the registration exercise is a one-day process, but whatever really is, in Nigeria?

    Be that as it may, INEC could have borrowed a leaf from other similar institutions like NIN, the body responsible for issuing National Identity Cards. In their case they used to send text messages to people who had registered whenever their cards were ready. Now what they give you is a slip of paper with a serial number and a date of collection, and on presentation of this, the cards are given. For INEC, upon registration (a tortuous experience), the prospective voter would naturally ask when the PVC would be ready for collection.

    The immediate, first answer from the attendant INEC official is: I Don’t Know. When pressed for even an idea of the time, he would say something like-Come Back In October (this would be the response to those who might have registered around August). However, the tone, as well as the expression on the face of the person saying this would make one wonder-

    did the guy mean October This Year or October 2022!!

    Sadly, usually, from any particular October 2nd (October 1st being a public holiday) till December 31st such a person would be oscillating between his own office and the INEC office until in utter frustration, he or she would simply give up.

    And then you would hear INEC officials shouting all over the place that hundreds of thousands of voters cards had been ready and awaiting collection and people were not coming forward-HABA!

    INEC could be a lot more proactive on that front in order for work on the 2019 Election Project Plan (called EPP by INEC) to really be meaningful.

    I do not know the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, but I see a number of recognizable faces who are known for their uprightness. One is Mohammed Haruna, a literary icon, publisher and even a former columnist with The Nation (his column was a must – read in the Nation midweek, before he rested it to concentrate on his INEC job.

    One other INEC official has distinguished himself by his commitment to the proper conduct of elections for a free and fair outcome. That is Mr. Mike Igini, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State. A clear Six Months ahead of the 2019 general election, Igini has made a stunning, epochal yet inspiring declaration that under his watch as the REC of the INEC, no forces within or outside the state would influence or determine the process or outcome of the 2019 general election. He said only the votes of the people would count.

    At a stakeholders’ engagement meeting earlier this month Mike Igini had said and I quote, “no might or power within or outside the state under my watch as the commissioner of elections in the state, would be allowed to stir the process to aid any group unduly, as victory at the polls can only come from the votes cast by voters”.

    Hear, Hear!

    (Reactions to 07055547031)

  • N189bn election budget: NASS keeps INEC waiting again

    For the third time running,the National Assembly yesterday deferred its final decision on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) N189.2 billion budget proposal for the conduct of next year’s elections.

    The National Assembly joint committee yesterday put on hold further consideration on the proposal after its members  failed to resolve some grey areas in the proposal.

    At issue were the differences in modalities between the estimates sent to the legislature by President Muhammadu Buhari and the version submitted to the lawmakers by the INEC, even though the figures were the same.

    Buhari  had requested immediate approval  for  N143 billion, while the remaining N45 billion be  processed with the 2019 annual budget.

    But in its own proposal, the INEC asked for  the N189.2 billion in one fell swoop, a request that raised dissenting voices among the lawmakers.

    Budget and National Planning Minister Udo Udoma, who made a presentation to the committee, aligned with the position of the INEC.

    Apparently mindful of the delay in the passage of the yearly national budget, Udoma argued that shifting the processing of the N45 billion to the 2019 budget might put the INEC in a tight corner.

    For instance, the 2018 budget was passed in May, just as it was in the two preceding years.

    If the INEC has to wait for the balance until the passage of next year’s budget,it may never come until after the elections.

    The minister explained that   the N189.2 billion request, as presented by the President, was to be vired from funds already appropriated for some projects in the 2018 budget.

    He was, however, quick to clarify that such virement would not affect the N100 billion already allocated to constituency projects of National Assembly members.

    But the lawmakers were divided on whether to isolate the N143 billion meant for the INEC from the N45 billion meant for the various security agencies for election duties.

    The affected security agencies include the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Immigration Service.

    Some of the legislators argued that the processing of the budget proposal for the security agencies was outside the committee’s mandate, opting to refer that aspect to the Security Committee of the two chambers of the legislature.

    But some others canvassed that it should be accommodated in the ongoing process because the N45 billion budget for security was part of election expenses.

    Another area of disagreement was the source of funding for the N189.2 billion with the lawmakers sharply divided over the matter.

    In the course of deliberations, some of the committee members said the source of funding should be left to the Appropriation Committee of the National Assembly to decide.

    In his letter to the National Assembly, President Buhari had raised issues about source of funding for the entire election budget, reason why he requested that only N143 billion be processed for now.

    Relying on the President’s position, the lawmakers pointed out that processing the N189 billion at this point would overshoot the 2018 national budget, as passed by the legislature and assented to by the President.

    At every point the Chairman of the INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, was given the opportunity to make his contribution, he kept reeling out the deadline for the first round of elections in the commission’s timetable by counting the days, hours, minutes and seconds.

    At a point, some of the committee members jocularly said they were being intimidated by the INEC boss’ time count.

    The meeting resolved that  the committee should  limit its consideration to the N143 billion the President tabled before the legislature for immediate action.

    It also decided  to commence deliberation on the N45 billion for the security agencies as promptly as the President presents that request to them, even before the end of the year.

    On this note, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the INEC, Senator Suleiman Nazif, adjourned the session indefinitely.

    Also addressing the joint committee yesterday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate),Mr. Ita Enang, has expressed concern over the National Assembly’s silence on Buhari’s request for consideration of security agencies’ budgets ahead of the 2019 elections.

    Enang, said the focus had been on the INEC Budget.

    He sought to know why the 2019 election budgets for the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS) and National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as well as National Security Adviser (NSA) were not being considered.

    “My concern is that much is being said about the INEC budget. Mr President also submitted budgets for the office of the NSA, DSS, Immigration, Police and NSCDC.

    “These are budgets relating to the conduct of the 2019 elections and all I have heard and noticed emphasised is the budget of the INEC.

    “So, I just want to raise the question whether the other budgets have no problem and would be passed with the budget of the INEC or whether it will be considered later by your committee or another committee.”

    Enang said that there would be challenges in the conduct of the elections, if the budgets of the security agencies were not considered.

    His words:”If we pass the INEC budget now and do not pass the other related budgets, we will still have problem.

    “I plead that as this is considered, we should be able to consider the other budgets. ”

    Responding, the Chairman, Senate Committee Chairman on the INEC, Suleiman Nazif, said the committee was only concerned with the INEC budget.

    “This committee is essentially involved with INEC,” he said.

    “The budgets of the other agencies will be handled by another committee. Ours is the INEC.”

    Apart from the N189.2billion budget proposal for the INEC, government also earmarked  N4.3 billion for the Office of the Security Adviser, N12.21 billion for DSS and N3.6 billion for Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. The Nigeria Police Force got a proposal of N30.5 billion, while N2.6 billion was earmarked for Nigeria Immigration Service.

  • ‘No budgetary allocation for International Observers’

    The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Yakubu Mahmud, on Friday in Abuja, reiterated that the commission had no prepared budgetary allocation for international observers coming to monitor 2019 general elections.

    Mahmud made this known to State House correspondents in Abuja while reacting to questions on the INEC budget submitted to the National Assembly for its consideration.

    It would be recalled that some Civil Society Organisations including the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), had frowned at the INEC’s budget for the 2019 general elections.

    HURIWA described the INEC’s budget as “fraudulent, criminal and highly unsustainable.

    “The N4.614 billion classified as miscellaneous expenses is fraudulent and must never be approved just as the win components of N134.427 billion for election operation cost and N22.660 billion for election administrative cost are duplication meant to conceal the cash that would inevitably be siphoned.’’

    The non-government organisation added “the budget for payment of foreign observers lacks credibility and should be discarded.”

    However, the INEC chairman insisted that there was no such budget for the international observers as being peddled in some quarters.

    He said: “I have had this question that we have prepared budget for international observers, there is no such thing. There is no line in the budget for international observers.

    “What we have provided for are the kits, you know the jackets, caps, publication, that we give to international observers, the stickers that are fixed on their cars to be identified on Election Day.

    “This is the standard practice. Each country that organises elections provides these facilities for those who monitor elections.

    “But their accommodation, transportation will be borne by various election monitoring groups and not by the Nigerian government.’’

    On possibility of postponing the 2019 general elections in view of the delay in the passage of the INEC’s budget for the elections by the National Assembly, Mahmud said there were no conditions under which elections should be postponed.

    He said: “Under section 26 of the Electoral Act, the date is formed and fixed, February 16, 2019.

    “We issued the timetable way in advance for the very first time in the history of our nation; citizens of Nigeria know when elections will take place one year in advance. It has never happen before.

    “Secondly, also for the very first time in the history of our country, that citizens know the budget of the electoral commission, that budget has never been defended before the National Assembly, as citizens know line by line how much the commission proposed, what the money is going to be spent on.

    “I think I am very happy with this process.’’(NAN)