According to him, the presidential budget request to fund INEC’s operations for the 2019 polls will be the primary agenda.
Details later…
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said on Wednesday the leadership of the National Assembly is meeting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) delegation in Abuja.
He said in his opening address at the World Press Conference in Abuja that the meeting was initially fixed for Tuesday but postponed because of the siege on the National Assembly complex by Department of State Services (DSS) operatives.
He said: “The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had started a meeting with the National Chairman of the INEC.”
The Senate President stressed that the National Assembly would support government’s efforts geared towards smooth conduct of the 2019 general election.
“We stand committed to doing our utmost as lawmakers to ensure that the responsibility and functionality of governance are met. Although we are on annual break, we are daily reviewing the situation and are alive to the responsibility to take action as necessary,” Saraki added.
Ahead of Saturday’s bye election for the Lokoja/Kogi Federal constituency, the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ), has assured of a smooth exercise.
Addressing a stakeholders’ meeting on the conduct of the election, on Wednesday, in the state capital, the Kogi State Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Prof. James Apam disclosed that materials for the exercise are ready, adding that distribution (non sensitive materials) to the designated areas will commence on Thursday (today).
Allaying the fears of many, the REC assured the people of a free and fair election conduct, just as he enjoined all to remain law abiding before, during and after the exercise.
The state Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Ali Janga said that the command will be up to its duty in providing security for all and guarding against the breech of the law, throughout the period.
Some of the stakeholders had expressed fears of alleged plans of manipulation, inducement, intimidation, disruption of process and deployment of fake National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, among others.
A fresh suit against the Osun State governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has been filed in the state High Court, Osogbo, the state capital.
Two PDP delegates, Olagboye Adedamola and Oyetunji Suredi, who accused Adeleke of forging the testimonial and statement of result he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, also dragged before the court the PDP the state Chairman, Hon. Soji Adagunodo, and his state executive council members and the INEC.
At the hearing of the case before the court on Tuesday, the plaintiffs asked for an abridged date for the respondents to appear after the service within seven days instead of 21 days and the court order to allow them to advertise all their applications in the national dailies.
The court after the submission of the plaintiffs’ counsel, Bar. Abdulrahman Okunade granted the two prayers.
In the new suit attached with seven exhibits and a 37-paragraph affidavit, the plaintiffs sought for seven reliefs and asked the court to disqualify Senator Adeleke from contesting the September 22 polls as the governorship candidate of the PDP.
They specifically asked the court to bar Adeleke from the poll “on account of ineligibility, false information and submission of false documents to the INEC as the 4th defendant in the suit.”
They urged the court to declare the first runner-up in the PDP primary conducted on July 21, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi as the party’s lawful candidate for the forthcoming governorship election.
In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice David Oladimeji, adjourned the case till tomorrow Wednesday.
Kebbi Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be neutral and ensure free, fair and credible elections in 2019.
The governor, made the call when the new Kebbi Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Ahmed Bello, paid him a courtesy visit in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday.
“Election can only be free and fair if INEC allows electorate to choose their leaders, and remains umpire in doing the right thing required in the election processes,” he added.
He urged the new REC and INEC not to bow to pressure from politicians to circumvent the process so as to ensure credible, free and fair elections.
Bagudu called on Bello to trade on the path of neutrality as witnessed in 2015 elections and guard against electoral anomalies.
“The role played by INEC in 2015 elections minimised court litigations in the country as witnessed in the 2011 elections and preceding ones.
“We have an unreserved commitment to achieving INEC’s mandate within the confines of the law,” he assured.
Earlier, the new INEC commissioner, Bello, assured the governor that the commission would conduct free and credible elections in the state.
“I have come here to formally introduce my self as the new INEC commissioner and seek the cooperation of the state government being a critical stakeholder in the operation of the commission,” he explained.
He also sought the cooperation of other stakeholders to make the exercise free, fair and credible.
“Our success will only possible if all the stakeholders cooperate with the INEC, especially the security agencies, political parties, traditional and religious leaders,” he said.
The REC called on those who had not collected their PVCs to do so, and those who are yet to register to also do so, to enable them exercise their franchise in the 2019 general elections.
A Lagos lawyer, Mr. Kabir Akingbolu, has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prosecute Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose and his deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola Eleka, for alleged electoral offences.
Akingbolu said Fayose and Eleka, with the Acting Chairman of Ekiti State Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Lere Olayinka, allegedly committed at least 10 electoral offences during the June 14 election in Ekiti State.
He made the claims in an August 6 letter to INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, polled 197,459 votes in the election to beat Eleka, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 178,121 votes.
Akingbolu urged INEC to prosecute the trio in line with Section 150 of the Electoral Act, 2010, adding that it “will go a long way to curb official impunity during elections”.
The lawyer noted that because Fayose and Eleka have constitutional immunity from prosecution until their tenure expires in October, investigation of the “serious electoral offences” ought to commence without delay.
He threatened to apply to the Federal High Court for an Order of Mandamus to compel INEC to carry out its “statutory duty forthwith”, if it “fails or refuses to commence the investigation of the serious electoral offences disclosed in the petition before August 15”.
Akingbolu said: “Throughout the campaign, the trio campaigned against Dr. Fayemi and urged voters not to vote for him, in contravention of Section 129(c) of the Electoral Act.
“The campaign of the trio was tainted with abusive language, which injured religious, ethnic and sectional feelings, contrary to Section 95(1) of the Electoral Act.
“The trio threatened to make use of force and violence, in contravention of Section 131(a) of the Electoral Act.”
According to him, the trio prevented government aspirants, apart from Eleka, the free use of the Ekiti State Radio and Television station in contravention of Section 131(d) of the Electoral Act.
Also, he claimed Fayose paid N3,000 to every civil servant on June 13 with intent that such money would be expended on bribing the electorate to vote for Eleka.
Akingbolu added: “The governor campaigned for Prof Eleka in the Governor’s Lodge on June 14, within 24 hours prior to the polling day, in contravention of Section 99 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2010.
“They prevented the Ekiti State Broadcasting Corporation from allotting equal coverage and conspicuity to all political parties, in contravention of Section 100 (5) of the Electoral Act 2010.
“In the morning of June 14, they assembled a crowd at the Ekiti State Governor’s Lodge where they prayed and persuaded voters to vote for Prof Eleka…”
SENATOR representing Ogun East Buruji Kashamu has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Police to disregard his expulsion from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Kashamu, in a counter-letter to the PDP national leadership’s letter to the three agencies, insisted that his expulsion was a stillbirth and could not stand the test of the law.
The senator’s position was contained in a letter dated August 6, which was addressed to PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus and copied to the INEC Chairman, Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ogun State, Police Commissioner and State Director of DSS, among others.
PDP National Legal Adviser Emmanuel Enoidem had on August 1 written to INEC and security agencies of the PDP’s decision to expel Kashamu, Bayo Dayo, Semiu Sodipo and Segun Seriki – all of Ogun State chapter of PDP, for alleged anti-party activities.
Kashamu, who is a major financier of the state PDP chapter since 2011, dismissed the PDP’s letters as one borne out of ignorance, deceitful and criminally contemptuous.
The senator insisted that the PDP National Legal Adviser acted outside his jurisdiction as stipulated in Article 42 of the party’s constitution.
He said only the national chairman and the national secretary that have powers to issue such correspondences as stipulated in Articles 35 and 36 of the party’s constitution.
Kashamu added that there were also pending litigations in which the courts restrained the party from taking any disciplinary action against him and others.
“Thus, I respectfully urge you to discountenance the fake letter, as it is not worth more than the piece of paper on which it was written.
“Secondly, the National Executive Committee (NEC) could not have validly expelled me and others when there are subsisting judgments and orders of court forbidding them from taking any disciplinary action against me and the others.
“If they had taught through their ill-advised step, they would have realised that it offends the provision of Article 57 (6) of the PDP Constitution.
“It should be clear to all law-abiding citizens and institutions that the purported expulsion, in spite of subsisting orders and judgments of the court, is a stillbirth, which cannot see the light of the day. It is an act of illegality that cannot stand the test of the law.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I and the others remain valid, card-carrying and financial members of the PDP. Nobody can take away our rights and privileges because the courts had forbidden the party from doing so before it purportedly moved against us.
“We will continue to operate within the law as PDP members, senator and State Exco members,” he said.
•Senator rejects expulsion from party
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Department of State Security Service (DSS) and the Police Command in Ogun State of the expulsion of Senator Buruji Kashamu and three others from the party.
Kashamu representing Ogun East, factional Chairman of PDP in Ogun State, Engr. Bayo Dayo and two others were expelled from the party weeks ago by the PDP National leadership for alleged anti – party activities.
But Kashamu and Dayo rejected the expulsion, dismissing it as a ruse and illegality that shall not stand.
They insisted they remained full – fledged members of PDP, saying a subsisting court order protects their membership.
However a letter by the PDP National Legal Adviser, Emmanuel Enoidem dated August 1 and addressed separately to the trio of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, the State Director of DSS and the Commissioner of Police in the state, said the expelled persons have ceased to be members of PDP.
The party recalled the National Executive Committee (NEC) at its 80th meeting on July 23, expelled the quartet of Kashamu, the factional state chairman and secretary, Bayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo respectively and Segun Seriki, for “various infractions and violations of express provisions of the constitution of the party 2017 (as amended).”
It reads further: “We write to bring to your notice and information that on July 23, 2018, the 80th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expelled Senator Buruji Kashamu, Mr. Semiu Sodipo, Engr. Bayo Dayo and Segun Seriki from the party for various infractions and violations of express provisions of the Constitution of the party 2017 (as amended).
“Accordingly, they have ceased to be members of our party forthwith and lost all rights and or privileges, to act or represent the party in any capacity whatsoever. The extract of the 80th meeting of the NEC is attached for your perusal,” the letter reads.
.URGES TRIBUNAL TO DECLARE HIM WINNER OF GOV POLL
Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, has dragged the governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, before the Election Petition Tribunal.
Olusola, who was the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the July 14 governorship election, urged the court to declare him winner of the poll claiming that he scored the highest number of lawful votes cast.
He urged the jury to set aside the victory of Fayemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was declared winner by the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the result declared by INEC, Fayemi polled a total of 197, 459 to defeat Olusola, who received 178, 121 votes.
Olusola, who was accompanied by his running mate, Mr. Ayodeji Ogunsakin, submitted a 700-page petition at the tribunal registry within the State High Court premises at about 5.30 pm.
The statutory 21-day grace allowed by the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) to file a petition by any candidate aggrieved with the outcome expired on Friday.
Olusola explained that the team of lawyers that will defend his petition will be led by an Ilorin, Kwara State-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Malam Yusuf Ali.
Speaking with reporters after filing the petition, Olusola said he was motivated to go to court because of what he described as the “brazen robbery” allegedly carried out by INEC in collaboration with federal security forces.
He alleged that the poll was manipulated by people he described as “political desperadoes using the instruments of the Federal Government.
The PDP flag bearer also alleged ballot snatching, ballot stuffing, gross falsification of results and the use of security forces to subvert the electoral wishes of Ekiti people.
He urged his supporters to keep hope alive noting that he has absolute trust in God and the judiciary to retrieve the alleged stolen mandate.
Olusola said: “Today, I formally filed the much expected petition against the results of the July 14, 2018 governorship election, which was openly manipulated by political desperadoes, using instruments of the federal government.
“Like I have maintained, I am challenging the election results not out of desperation to be governor, but for reasons of future and posterity, and largely on behalf of the people of Ekiti, who were taken aback by the outcome of the election.
“Without doubt, the will of the people was subverted by those who have chosen to take Nigeria back to the dark days of ballot stuffing, ballot boxes snatching and outright falsification of election results and I believe they deserve to get justice.
“I am challenging the election results not out of desperation to be governor, but for reasons of future and posterity, and largely on behalf of the people of Ekiti, who were taken aback by the outcome of the election.
“Without doubt, the will of the people was subverted by those who have chosen to take Nigeria back to the dark days of ballot stuffing, ballot boxes snatching and outright falsification of election results and I believe they deserve to get justice.
“As law abiding citizens of our country, the only path of honour to take in a situation like this is the process that we have initiated today, to seek redress against the use of security forces and other instruments of the federal government to suppress the will of our people.
“Sadly, the desperation of the APC to take over all States in the country, especially those under governors like Dr. Ayodele Fayose perceived as uncompromising has destroyed all the gains made by the PDP government regarding free, fair and credible elections.
“The mood of Ekiti people when the beneficiary of the electoral robbery was declared winner and up till today is a pointer to the resolve of the people not to accept the subversion of their will and we have answered their calls to use the judiciary to get back their mandate.
“In doing this, we have presented overwhelming discrepancies in the results declared by INEC to the tribunal to adjudicate upon and I am confident that the popular mandate of the people of Ekiti will not go unrestored. I therefore want Ekiti people to keep hope alive, remain strong and resolute in their belief in God.
“While we go through this judicial walk to exposing the electoral thievery of July 14, 2018, we urge the good people of Ekiti State, especially my teeming supporters to remain calm, peaceful and prayerful, bearing in mind that those who stole their mandate will not enjoy the benefits for long.
“I also want to use this opportunity to condemn the indefinite closure of the State Radio and Television stations. No doubt, the closure of the radio and television stations was part of the grand plan to sustain the inglorious use of naked force to rob Ekiti people of their democratic rights, but the people will triumph ultimately”.
A member of Olusola’s legal team to the petitioner, Mr. Ola Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate, said what the petitioner was asking for is outright nullification of the election that produced Fayemi and declare their client winner of the poll.
Olanipekun said: “By the time the hearing begins, we are going to prove cases of falsification of results, ballot snatching, ballot stuffing and use of powers to subvert the will of the people.
“By the time we do this, the whole world can judge whose was the actual winner. We are confident that justice will be done in this case, we are sure that our client shall get justice.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says no fewer than 71,462 registered voters in Ebonyi are yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in spite of the sustained enlightenment campaigns in the state.
Prof. Godswill Obioma, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abakaliki at the INEC’s 2018 second quarterly meeting with the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and Civil Society Organisations.
He noted that of the 77,487 PVCs released by the commission’s national headquarters of the 2017 voter registration, only 6,025 of the registered voters had collected their PVCs.
Obioma, however, added that only 400 registered voters had collected their PVCs, out of the total 47,117 unclaimed PVCs from the pre-2017 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
The commissioner, who described the development as worrisome, hoped that the meeting would come up with strategies to speed up distribution and collection of PVCs before the 2019 general elections.
He urged all registered voters in the state yet to collect their PVCs to quickly do so and pledged the commission’s readiness to partner IPAC and CSOs to ensure that all unclaimed PVCs were collected.
He said: “The rate of PVCs collection in the state from 2011, 2014 and 2016 registration has been very low.
“Out of the 47,117 unclaimed voter cards before 2017, only 400 PVCs have been collected.
“INEC national headquarters recently released a total of 77,487 from the 2017 and 2018 registrations, and out of this figure, only 6,025 PVCs have been so far collected,” he said.
Obioma said the commission had registered no fewer than 315,175 voters between 2017 and first phase of the second quarter of 2018.
Obioma explained that the ongoing CVR would be temporarily suspended in the state on Aug.17, in line with the directive from the national headquarters.
He said that the rotation of the registration machines in wards ended on July, 31.
He, however, added that voter registration would continue in all INEC local government area offices across the 13 local government areas and six centres earlier approved by INEC.
The commissioner said that collection of PVCs would continue until one week to the general elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 26 registered political parties attended the stakeholders second quarterly meeting.(NAN).