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Tag: Inec

  • 2019: 2Baba urges youths to get their PVCs

    A Nigerian singer, 2Baba, also known as Innocent Idibia,  has called on Nigerian youths to register for their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), ahead of 2019 general elections.

    He made the call at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Campus Outreach program on `Youth Votes Count,’’ at the University of Abuja, on Thursday.

    Read Also: PVC: INEC receives 4m for newly registered voters

    2Baba, who is also an INEC Youths Ambassador, urged the youth to actively get involved in constructive political discussions, especially social media.

    “Your vote is your bragging right, so get your PVCs, so take your destinies into your hands, whatever you want to be in the next 10 years start now.

    “Let us go out and vote for our conscience. We have always been told that we are the future of Nigeria, it is our time now yet the old is still encroaching into our space.

    “This coming election is our opportunity to change things, your destiny is what you make of it so use it wisely.’’

    Another INEC Ambassador, Mrs Helen Paul, encouraged Nigerian youths to believe in themselves and in their ability to make difference in politics.

    She expressed hope in the leadership of the Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC to deliver credible elections to Nigerians in 2019.

    She urged the youth not to relent but get their PVCs to vote, and be voted to be able to participate fully in the elections.

    Also, Mr Cobhams Asuquo, an INEC Ambassador, urged youths to recognize opportunities at their disposal.

    Asuquo said that the saddest thing that could happen to anybody was not to recognize and use the opportunities at his disposal.

    “Your vote is your right. It is your power, I beg you to choose to exercise that power because it determines what kind of future we will have as a nation.

    “So I am begging you to use your vote wisely and intentionally collect your PVCs and make sure that come 2019, under rain or sunshine, you will come out to vote.’’

    He, however, appealed to INEC to tackle the issue of underage voter before the next general elections, to ensure credible elections.

    NAN

  • Kaduna: NOA begins sensitisation electorate,forthcoming LGs elections

    The National Orientation Agency ( NOA ), in Kaduna State on Thursday commenced sesitisation of electorate on the forthcoming Local Government elections in the state.

    Alhaji Zubairu Galadima-Soba, Kaduna State Director of NOA, while launching the sensitisation programme in Zaria  said the essence of the exercise was to educate the electorate toward successful elections.

    The newsmen reports that the programme is tagged: Sensitisation and Mobilisation of Electorate Towards the 2018 Local Government Elections”.

    The newsmen also reports that the sensitisation is under “Change Begins With Me campaign on conservation and protection of public assets and critical infrastructure”.

    Galadima-Soba said the programme was geared towards free, fair, credible and hitch-free local government elections across the state.

    “Our duty in NOA is to sensitise the general public on government policies and programmes and in turn we take information whether good or bad from public to government.

    “In essence, we facilitate the flow of information from top to button and from button to top, therefore, election is not an exception, hence the need for this sensitisation’’, he said.

    The director advised youths to shun political thuggery, saying that such attitude was detrimental not only to the success of the elections but also to societal growth.

    He urged parents to ensure proper upbringing of their children, advising that they should be mindful of the fact that proper upbringing lies in their hands.

    Galadima-Soba encouraged the electorate come out en masse to exercise their franchise, saying that it was their legitimate right that no one would afford to miss.

    Read Also: Kaduna: Two mechanics face trial for alleged assault

    The director lamented the menace of drug abuse especially among the youths, adding that there was need for the society to take decisive action to reduce its spread.

    “We don’t need the security agencies to reduce the menace of drug abuse, it is our responsibility as parents and members of the society to take measures to reduce this ugly trend’’.

    In his speech, the Administrator, Zaria Local Government, Alhaji Tukur Abubakar-Yero stressed the need for people to cooperate towards a hitch-free local government elections.

    He lauded the courage and foresight of NOA for taking a bold step to organise the sensitisation programme.

    The newsmen reports that the sensitisation exercise drew participants from Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission ( KADSIECOM ), INEC, security agencies and Jama’atu Nasril Islam ( JNI ), Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN ) among others.

    The newsmen also reports that questions and answers were entertained during the programme.

    NAN

  • Secondus, INEC disagree on Ogun PDP crisis

    National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected Adebayo Dayo as chairman of the party in Ogun State, following the leadership crisis in the state PDP.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised Dayo, but the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, endorsed Sikirulai Ogundele as chairman.

    The Dayo faction was denied participation in the December 9 national convention.

    INEC, in an April 12  letter, signed by the Secretary, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu, said Dayo was legally-recognised.

    It said it was complying with a judgment of a Federal High Court in Lagos.

    INEC had notified the PDP leadership of the judgment in a suit delivered on February 9, 2017, as the basis for its latest position.

    But Secondus and the National Secretary, Senator Umar Tsauri, in a reply to INEC, said the crisis in Ogun State had been resolved in favour of the Ogundele group.

    The letter, dated April 20, insisted that the Supreme Court settled the Ogun crisis and others in it’s July 2 judgment in PDP Vs. Sheriff.

    The letter quoted part of the judgment: “It is unfortunate that this internal party crisis within the appellant has staggered a lot of its anticipated progress. In any case, it is my hope this imbroglio within the appellant will serve as a big lesson to all and sundry.”

    The party leadership asked INEC to withdraw its recognition of the Dayo-led executive in compliance with the judgment.

    The party’s letter to INEC said:  “It will, therefore, amount to an unfortunate summersault if INEC were to withdraw the recogniton of the approved officials of our party in Ogun State, especially the state Executive Committee led by Sikirulai Ogundele.

    “This will certainly throw the party back into avoidable conflict. We believe this cannot be your intention or wish for our party.”

    But Dayo said Secondus should not constitute himself into an appeal court in a case already decided by a Federal High Court.

    His letter to the national chairman, dated April 24, said: “From all the foregoing, I am honestly amazed and shocked that you lent yourself to write INEC against its lawfully taken position to give recognition to my executive, out of your flagrant disobedience of subsisting court judgments  of which you were corporately (as PDP) a party to the suit.

    “Ridiculously, all your submissions in the letter to INEC were carbon-copy duplication of your solicitor’s submissions to the court before judgment was delivered to which INEC responsibly chose to obey and instructed you in polite administrative terms to comply.

    “Maybe you now wish to sit in appeal over Nigerian high court judgments to interpret to your regulatory body, INEC, which judgment to obey and which not to by your discretion?

    “Besides, your unnecessary letter to INEC bore gross misrepresentation of facts and distortion of the issues.

    “Therein it was erroneously claimed that it’s the ‘exclusive right of the NEC’ of our party to determine leaders of the various organs whereas the party constitution is clear on how the ward exco up to the state excos and even through which the said NEC were to emerge.

    “If the NEC has such powers, then what’s the essence of ward, LG and state congresses?

    “Except for the national party officer’s self-serving and undemocratic tampering with the process;  the NEC involvement should ideally be purely monitoring and not the egocentric manipulations as is now the case let alone false claims of exclusive right to determine various organs and exco leaders.”

  • ‘INEC ‘ll ransmit Ekiti, Osun polls results electronically’

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday unfolded plans to transmit the results of the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states electronically.

    INEC Commissioner Muhammed Mustafa Lecky said the agency will employ the innovative electronic transmission of results.

    He said: “ INEC has come to the conclusion that this will be done in Ekiti and Osun elections.”

    Lecky spoke at a seminar organised by the Electoral Institute in Abuja. The theme of discussion was: “Anambra governorship election: a post-mortem and lessons for Ekiti and Osun states governorship polls.”

    The chairman of the Institute, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, had requested the commissioner to give an update on the electronic transmission of results.

    Lecky recalled that INEC has discussed with the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and  the telecommunication companies, adding that they had assured the agency of the feasibility of transmitting the results electronically.

    He said: “We have begin discussions with the Nigerian Communication Commission, and we have also discussed with MTN, Etisalat and all other telecommunication companies in Nigeria. We have been having meetings with them.”

    Lecky said the companies had agreed to cooperate with the agency on the innovation.

    The commission, he said, has taken steps to ensure the functionality of the card readers, stressing that “the aperture where you do the scanning of the finger has been enlarged.”

    He said the smart card readers have been enhanced to function better in the two states elections, stressing that plans are underway for the commission to improve on them in next year’s elections.

    He said steps have been taken to “document the Voter Identification Number the Permanent Voters Cards to trace the phone numbers of owners to send them text messages informing  them about the  PVCs.”

    Lecky said despite the efforts, it is the responsibility of the owners to collect them.

    He added: “The commission is trying to make copies of the PVCs so that our registration area officers and other staff at the local government level and see how they can identify the owners for collection.

    “The commission is doing its best to ensure that the PVCs are collected. The onus is still on the owners to collect his or her PVCs.”

    A discussant from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Stella Okunna, advised the commission to prevent the late arrival of election materials and inducement of electoral officers.

    She charged the commission to ensure that its equipment are in order and compel the operators of the ICT to function ethically during the elections.

  • Melaye’s recall fails as INEC releases result

    •Senator, PDP hail constituents •APC chair: ghosts behind attempt

    THE move to recall Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) from the Senate has finally failed as only 5.34 per cent of the total 188,500 signatories to his recall petition were verified in an exercise held on Saturday.

    According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the result of the verification showed that 39,285 of the signatories were verified, out of which only 18,762 signatures were genuine.

    The genuine signatories represent a dismal 5.34 per cent of the total signatories to the petition, which fell short of 51 per cent or 98,364 signatures required for the petition to sail through.

    It was observed that the verification failed largely due to fictitious and forged signatures and names of dead persons affixed to the recall petition by its promoters.

    Some electorate in the Kogi West, on June 24, 2017, submitted a petition to recall Melaye to the headquarters of the INEC in Abuja.

    One Mr. Cornelius Olowo led the petitioners to submit the recall petition which alleged poor representation as one of the reasons for the move to recall Melaye.

    However, the INEC’s presiding officer for the verification exercise, Prof. Okente Morthy of the University of Abuja, said the number of signatures verified fell short of the number required.

    Morthy who spoke yesterday in Lokoja gave the breakdown of the results of the verification exercise which took place in 552 polling units in seven local government areas in Kogi West.

    According to him, in Kogi Local Government with 46,727 registered voters and a total number of 24,459 signatures to the petition, only 2,335 were verified out of 2,566 signatures recorded during verification.

    He added that at Kabba/Bunu Local Government with 59,319 registered voters and 27,910 petitioners , only 2,085 signatures were verified to be genuine out of 2,151 that came out for the exercise.

    Also at Ijumu Local Government, with 46, 810 registered voters and 24, 389 petitioners , 2,664 were verified out of 2, 811, the returning officer announced.

    According to Morthy, others are Yagba East, 35, 329 registered voters, 18, 229 petitioners and 3,506 were verified out of 3, 580 recorded at verification.

    At Mopa-Amuro Local Government with 18, 350 and 9, 173, signatures, 710 were verified out of the 729 recorded

    However, the Returning Officer said there was violence in six polling units at the Mopa town towards the end of the exercise, forcing the INEC to nullify the exercise in the affected wards.

    At Yagba West, which has 35, 506 registered voters and 19, 444 signatories, only 3,729 petitioners were verified out of the 4, 221 that turned up, the returning officer stated.

    In Lokoja Local Government with 109,105 registered voters and 66,266 petitioners, INEC said 3,763 were verified out of the 4, 810 recorded during the botched verification exercise.

    Kogi State Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Alhaji Haddy Ametuo said “some ghosts” initiated the recall process against Senator Dino Melaye.

    Ametuo, who stated this in a statement issued in Lokoja yesterday on the botched recall process, expressed delight that the efforts had come to a premature end through the collective will of the people of Kogi West Senatorial District.

    “Melaye , the only senator our party has in Kogi State,  won with 94.66 per cent  leaving the remaining 5.34 per cent to the petitioners.

    “The messages are very clear; that Senator Melaye is the most popular senator ever produced by Kogi West,” the statement said.

    Melaye, however, thanked the people of his constituency for “rising to his defence” by shunning the verification exercise.

    The senator, in a statement issued in Lokoja yesterday, also thanked the political leaders, elders and traditional rulers in Kogi West for “rescuing him from his political enemies.”

    He also expressed gratitude to the media, observers, civil society groups, security agents and other stakeholders “for resisting to be used against the wishes of the people of his constituency”.

    The statement was signed by Mr. Gideon Ayodele, Special Assistant on Media to Melaye.

     

    The Kogi State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called for the acceleration of the proposed bill for the establishment of the Election Offences Petition Tribunal.

    The call is coming on the heels of the wide disparity between the purported signatories to the recall petition against Melaye.

    PDP Publicity Secretary in Kogi State Bode Ogunmola,  in a reaction to the development yesterday in Lokoja, called for the arrest and prosecution of the principal actors of the recall petition.

    He warned that the issue must not be glossed over nor swept under the carpet.

    His words: “These jokes have been taken too far… Call in the accountants or auditors; let them determine how much of Kogi resources have been expanded on this so-called recall exercise.

    “Yes, it is an APC and APC thing, but as major stakeholders, we will not stand by and watch while Kogi continue to regress into ignominy.

    “At a time workers’ salaries go unpaid, and suffering mounting across the state, these are the sort of things that the Yahaya Bello administration can boast of contriving.”

     

     

     

     

    Condemning the exercise, a PDP chieftain in Kabba, Chief Ayodele Okono, vowed that no one can recall Melaye, adding that he has more than anyone else, brought development to Kogi West.

     

     

  • Election disputes: INEC advocates ADR in place of litigation

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for enhanced application of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms in the resolution of election disputes.

    INEC said its position was informed by its experience over the years and the inadequacy of existing traditional administrative and litigation methods of resolving election related disputes.

    INEC’s Secretary Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu, who identified the many attributes of ADR, said it is cost effective and ensure prompt dispute resolution.

    Mrs. Ogakwu said available options for the resolution of electoral disputes, which before now were limited to “administrative solutions and litigation, were inadequate as the underlying issues could not be handled through these rigid processes”.

    The INEC Secretary spoke in Abuja at a public lecture and mock mediation session at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the instance of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC), Abuja branch.

    She noted that most electoral disputes arise from the persistent non-adherence to internal democracy by political parties and the unwillingness of political players to play by the rules.

    The INEC Secretary said her commission, having realised the benefit of ADR, establish a unit for that purpose in 2009 “with a mandate to propagate and implement the use of ADR in electoral disputes, workplace conflicts and others.

    “These extend to aspects of the electoral process in which there is a need for quick intervention or decision that is acceptable to the parties.”

    Mrs. Ogakwu said INEC, having realised the many benefits of ADR, including being cost effective and time-saving, the commission intends to continue to employ it in its operations.

    ICMC Chairman Abuja branch, Dr. N.T.H. Dindi said it was imperative to propagate the need for enhanced deployment of ADR to electoral disputes as the nation prepares for the next season of general elections.

    Dindi added: “We wish to lend our voice to the debate on how we can use mediation as a peace-building mechanism to resolve post-election disputes.”

     

  • INEC braces for credible polls in Akwa lbom

    The Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Mike Igini, has said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is repositioning for credible polls in the state.

    He said INEC had taken some “far-reaching decisions” aimed at re-organising itself “for sustained conduct of free, fair and credible elections in 2019 and beyond.”

    Igini, who spoke in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, said workers who have spent almost 30 years in the same council have been transferred. He added that such personnel, having spent such length of time on their beats, were likely to have “entrenched interests, even becoming ‘paramount rulers’ in those councils.

    He said: “These administrative measures became necessary to insulate the electoral process from unwholesome influences and enhance fairness and efficiency while also building capacity.”

    The REC also announced the termination of the appointment of a security staff for “serious misconduct”, while two others were issued last warning.

    This followed the recommendation of the Junior Staff Disciplinary Committee (JSDC) which found them culpable. They were allegedly absent from duty the night of a robbery at the head office.

  • Full results: Dino Melaye survives recall from Senate

    The attempt to recall the Senator Dino Melaye of Kogi West flopped on Saturday following a low turn-out for the signature the verification.

    Results announced by INEC at the end of the exercise showed that only 18,742 signatories to the recall petition were verified out of the 189,870 signatories on the petition.

    The verified signatories fell well below the requirement of the law that 50 per cent and one of the signatories must be verified before the recall process can continue.

    Consequently, the embattled Senator Melaye who is in the hospital owing to the drama that followed his arrest has survived the recall attempt.

    Here is how the verification exercise turned out in the seven local government areas in the senatorial district, which has 351,146 registered voters.

    KOTON KARFE LGA
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 46,727.
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITIONS – 24,459.
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION – 2,566.
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES VERIFIED – 2, 335.

    KABBA BUNU LGA
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 59,319
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITIONS – 27,910
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATORIES AT VERIFICATION – 2,151
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNAT7S VERIFIED – 2,085.

    IJUMU
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 46,810.
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURE ON THE PETITION – 24,389.
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION – 2,811.
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES VERIFIED – 2,664.

    YAGBA EAST
    TOTAL NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 35,329.
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURE ON THE PETITION – 18,229.
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION – 3,580.
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES VERIFIED – 3,506.

    MOPA AMURO
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 18, 350
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION – 9,173.
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION – 729.
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATARIES VERIFIED – 710.

    There was violence in Mopa Amuro towards the end of the exercise. Six polling units were reportedly affected. As a result, the exercise in six out of the 10 wards in the LGA were cancelled.

    YAGBA WEST LGA
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 35,506
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION – 19,444
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION – 4,221
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATORIES VERIFIED – 3,729.

    LOKOJA LGA
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 109,105
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION – 66,266.
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION – 4,810.
    TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATARIES VERIFIED – 3,763.

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier assured the people that it was only concerned with transparency in the exercise and could not be held responsible for the poor turnout of petitioners.

    The INEC Federal Commissioner in-charge of Kogi, Kwara and Nasarawa states, Alhaji Mohammed Haruna, made the statement in Lokoja shortly after the end of the exercise.

    Haruna said that the main concern of INEC was to ensure transparency in the process, insisting that the organisation was neutral in the bid to recall Melaye from the Senate.

    “Turnout is not our problem; turnout is the problem of parties concerned, ours is to ensure transparency,” Haruna said.

    Commenting on insinuations that INEC might tamper with the wish of the people, the commissioner said that nothing like that would happen, stressing that the agency had no interest in who won or lost in the matter.

    “Nothing untoward will happen, I assure you . Whatever happened at the polling units is what INEC will announce,” he stated.

    Commenting on the mix up in the list of petitioners, Haruna said that mistakes in such exercise was normal but gave an assurance that the mistakes would be corrected.

    He lauded the peaceful conduct of the people before and during the exercise.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in Koton Karfe and Lokoja, the people conducted themselves well, although the turnout was poor.

    During the exercise, there was no case of malfunctioning of card reader machines while security personnel adequately manned the polling centres.

  • Maku calls for scrapping of state electoral commissions

    A former Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, has called for the scrapping of all state electoral commissions to ensure  free, fair and credible local government elections in Nigeria.

    Maku, the National Secretary of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), made the call in Lafia on Saturday during a political mobilisation tour.

    He said that the scrapping of the commissions would  give opposition parties hope of winning local government polls and ensure public  confidence in the process.

    Maku said that most opposition parties boycotted local government elections in the states because of the lack of transparency and trust in members of the  commissions.

    “Those in power in the state level appoint chairmen and members of their political parties as members of the state electoral commissions.

    “How can local government elections will be fair, free and credible?.

    “They will dance to the tune of their master who appointed them.

    “All the state electoral commissions have problems. All of them, that is why we suggested that all the so-called state electoral commissions should be abolished in order to have fair, free and credible local government elections in the country.

    “INEC national body should be given a mandate to run and conduct local government elections in the country.

    “INEC can have a different department for the local government elections and another department for national elections.

    “This will give the opposition parties and the public hope and confidence to actively participate in local government elections in their respective states, “he said.

    Maku urged the people of Nasawa State, especially farmers and herdsmen, to co-exist peacefully in the interest of development.

    He said that insecurity in some parts of the country were caused by political interest groups for selfish reasons and urged Nigerians to unite against violence in the interest of development.

    Maku said Nigerians should  live in peace and tolerate one another irrespective of their ethnic, religious and political affiliations.

  • Shunning of Melaye recall exercise a verdict on the APC – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the poor turn out that characterized Saturday’s bid to recall Sen. Dino Melaye (APC/Kogi West) signified a total rejection of the Gov. Yahaya Bello-led administration in Kogi.

    “`The general apathy that greeted the exercise, in spite of government efforts to mobilise people to participate, is a clear indication that the APC has lost relevance in Kogi,” PDP said in a statement signed by Mr Dickson Achadu,  Director, Research and Documentation.

    The statement was issued on Saturday in Lokoja, shortly after INEC conducted its verification exercise for the recall process.

    The Nation reports that the exercise witnessed a very low turn out with some polling units in Lokoja, Kabba, Ijumu and other local governments recording zero votes.

    In Kabba, INEC officials were threatened by youths, while some women and youth groups sang songs praising Dino Melaye and vowing to resist any attempt to disgrace him out of office.

    The PDP, while accusing Bello of trying to force the idea on the people, said that the rejection of the recall process had confirmed that he had lost value in Kogi.

    It thanked leaders and people of Kogi West senatorial district for heeding its call to shun the exercise.

    “The failure of the recall exercise is an indication that the present administration is not popular which, of course, is only natural because it has inflicted poverty, hardship and suffering on the people,” the statement said.

    The PDP accused the state government of being insensitive to the plight of the people, and condemned the Bello-led administration several months salaries and pensions.

    “It is unfortunate that in spite of the massive resources available to the present administration, no visible development has been witnessed in the last three years.

    “The failure of the recall process is a signal that the people have bid the administration goodbye.

    “We want to advise Bello to start packing his load; the red card signal is clear. It is an indication that Gov. Bello and his APC’s time in Kogi is up,” the statement said.