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Tag: Inec

  • INEC seeks EFCC’s collaboration on vote buying, campaign funds

    INEC seeks EFCC’s collaboration on vote buying, campaign funds

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has solicited support of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in addressing “open votes buying’’ and monitoring political parties’ campaign funds.

    Its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made the request yesterday when he received the Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, at INEC headquarters in Abuja.

    Yakubu said INEC required the support of the anti-graft agency in the two key areas, especially as the commission approached the 2019 general elections.

    He said the country’s democracy should be determined by the citizens through their votes and not through the highest bidder.

    “INEC is worried by the recent trend of open vote buying at polling stations. Some candidates have started to go to voting units with sacks of money to induce votes.

    “Votes of citizens should determine by who wins in an election. Our democracy must never be on sale in an open market. It is the will of the people that should determine who wins.

    “Therefore, Mr. Chairman, we look forward to working very closely with the EFCC to ensure that open vote buying will not affect the elections.

    “We do not want 2019 general elections to be determined by the amount of money people have or who run for elections into offices.

    “Votes are never for sale. It is the right of Nigerians to vote whoever they want.

    “The second area is about party and campaign finance. The Electoral Act places limit as to amount parties and individuals can spend and also the amount friends of candidates can contribute in any election.

    “We will like the EFCC with both the mandate and the capacity to track and trace sources of fund to work very closely with us so that we can operate within the limit of the law.

    “Our democracy is never to be on sale and will never be on sale. I believe working with the EFCC, we can achieve that,’’ Yakubu said.

    The INEC chairman said if the country got the elections right, it would also get right its democracy.

    “Once we get our democracy right, we are on the way to solving both the national and social problems bedeviling the nation.

    “I believe if we get our democracy and elections right, it will also be vital for the EFCC, because most of the big cases we hear are related to elections and EFCC,’’ he said.

    He assured Nigerians that INEC would remain an unbiased empire and would not work for any candidate or party.

    Yakubu, however, decried the working conditions of INEC workers, saying the commission was one of the agencies in the country working under severe pressure and time limit.

    “As a result of the tremendous pressure on the staff of the commission, last year alone we lost 85 staff many of them as a result of stress-related causes.

    “As we speak, one of our staff had a stroke yesterday and he is in intensive care in the hospital.

    “But we will continue to do what we have sworn to do in the interest of this country irrespective of what the pressure is.’’

    Magu said he was in the commission to reiterate EFCC support to INEC, saying the two commissions were already collaborating in areas of investigations and prosecution of election offenders.

  • CVR: INEC solicits stakeholders’ support in Niger

    CVR: INEC solicits stakeholders’ support in Niger

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) on Thursday solicited the support of stakeholders towards mobilising eligible residents to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

    Prof. Samuel Egwu, INEC Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in Niger made the appeal in an interview with the News men in Minna.

    He said active participation of stakeholders, especially traditional and religious leaders, would greatly assist the commission in capturing eligible voters.

    Egwu explained that INEC was currently rotating its personnel across the state to ensure that it registered all eligible residents.

    He said the personnel would also attend to voters seeking to transfer their voting units from where they were originally registered to other locations among others.

    Read Also:INEC  seeks collaboration with NIGCOMSAT for e-results

    “We have also reached out to leaders of political parties, development associations and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to fully mobilise their eligible members to register,” he said.

    Egwu also called on the mass media to initiate more enlightenment programmes that would help educate residents to get registered to enable them elect credible leaders during the 2019 general elections.

    The news men report that similar exercises were ongoing in other states of the country.

     NAN

  • 2019: Senate, Reps joint committee adopt reordered sequence of election

    2019: Senate, Reps joint committee adopt reordered sequence of election

    Senate and House of Representatives joint committee on Electoral Act amendment Tuesday adopted the proposed reordered sequence of elections in the country.

    The National Assembly conference committee on electoral Act (amendment) bill which met in Abuja said that reordered sequence of elections, which places the Presidential election last in the order of elections, is that best for the country.

    The House of Representatives committee on electoral act (amendment) bill had in its amendments to the 2010 Electoral Act included section 25(1) into the Act by reordering the sequence of the elections to start from that of the National Assembly, followed by governorship  and  state assembly election before the Presidential election.

    This is against the old sequence by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which slated the Presidential and National Assembly election first before governorship and state assembly elections.

    Adopting the reordered sequence of elections as contained in the House of Representatives version of the   amended Electoral Act, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Suleiman Nazif (Bauchi North), put it to a voice vote.

    The 12 members committee unanimously answered in the affirmative.

    After the adoption of the reordered sequence of elections, Senator Nazif insisted that the bill did not in any way violate any provisions of Section 76 of the 1999 Constitution which empowered INEC to fix dates and conduct elections.

    He noted that the words which empowered INEC to fix dates and to conduct elections were duplicated in the bill just as the power that confers on the National Assembly by Section 4 subsection 2 of the Constitution were exercised in relation to rescheduling of elections ..

    Nazif said, ” For the avoidance of doubt , this bill with the inclusion of Section 25(1) which makes provision for sequence of election different from the one earlier rolled out by INEC has not in any way violated any provisions of the laws governing the operations of the electoral body. ”

    The Chairman, House Committee on INEC, Hon. Edward Pwajok, on his own, said that what the House did and concurred to by the Senate was very necessary in giving credibility to the electoral process in the country.

    He said, ” The sequence of election provision in the bill is not targeted at anybody but aimed at further giving credibility to the electoral process by way of giving the electorate the opportunity to vote based on individual qualities of candidates vying for National Assembly seat.”

    Pwajok noted that if the bill was not assented to by the President, the lawmakers, would, based on national interest, “surely used constitutional provisions at their disposal to make it see the light of the day.”

    He said, “On whether it would be assented to or not by the President, as far as we are concerned remains in the realm of conjuncture for now but if such eventually happens, we will know how to cross the bridge.”

    A member of the Committee, Senator Dino Melaye ( Kogi West), noted that date for election is the prerogative right of INEC.

    Melaye said that the extant laws of the land give the schedules for such elections as sole responsibility of the National Assembly.

    He said, “So contrary to reports and comments by some Nigerians on the reordered sequence of election, National Assembly have not overlapped its boundaries.”

    Other members of the committee including Senator Shehu Sani ( Kaduna Central), Gilbert Nnaji ( Enugu East), Abiodun Olujimi ( Ekiti South), Peter Nwaoboshi ( Delta North), all spoke in favour of thh reordered sequence of elections .

    The sequence of elections adopted by the 8th National Assembly was first proposed by the 4th National Assembly in the 2002 electoral bill.

    It was later amended by merging Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    The chairman Senate committee on INEC and his counterpart in the House of Representatives will report back to their respective chambers for final adoption before the amendment will be transmitted to the President for his assent.

  • APC sets up committee to mobilise eligible voters on CVR

    APC sets up committee to mobilise eligible voters on CVR

    The All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Ebonyi State has set up a six-man committee on voter education to mobilize eligible voters to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration ( CVR ).

    The six-man committee comprised Mr Okenwa Uka as Chairman and Gibson Nnachi as secretary.

    The State Chairman of the party, Mr Eze Nwachukwu inaugurated the committee on Monday in Edda, Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi at a sensitisation to mobilize the people to participate in the exercise.

    Nwachukwu charged the committee to liaise with community leaders, traditional rulers, women groups to mobilize eligible electorate at wards, villages and communities.

    Read also: Ondo APC urges Buhari to dissolve NDDC board

    The chairman urged the committee to report difficulties that might be encountered to the state secretariat for prompt action.

    “Report issues of breakdown of INEC registration machines or any other difficulties you may encounter promptly to our office.

    “We count on you for the success of the exercise in Afikpo South and you must live up to the confidence reposed on you,” he said.

    Nwachukwu also appealed to community leaders, traditional rulers, youth organizations and political stakeholders in the state to effectively mobilise eligible voters to participate in the CVR.

    He advised the people against selling their PVCs or exchanging it for whatever reason, as the voter card remained the only power and right available to them to choose leaders of their choice.

    “Do not sell or exchange your voter card. The card is the only legal right and power you have to participate in the election.

    “Report any person or persons engaging in buying, selling or hoarding of the PVCs to the police or any law enforcement agency.

    He assured that the APC was committed to conducting free, fair and credible general elections in 2019.

    “The era of election malpractices, forceful snatching and stuffing of ballot boxes during elections in Ebonyi are over.

    “We are here in Edda today to appeal to every eligible voter, especially those who are yet to register and obtain their voter card, to go and register and collect their Permanent Voter Card ( PVC ).

    “Any eligible voter without his or her PVC is in error and not a good indigene of Edda. It is your civic right to vote and you cannot vote without being first registered and obtain the PVC which is your authority to vote.

    “The system being put in place by the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) to conduct, regulate and monitor the 2019 general elections will make rigging impossibile.

    “As party in control of the Federal Government, we want to reassure the electorate that votes will count and that only leaders freely elected by the people in a free, fair and credible process will emerge.

    “The FG and INEC have demonstrated this commitment in the governorship and senatorial elections held recently in Anambara and same will be replicated in Ebonyi in 2019,” Nwachukwu said.

    The chairman on behalf of other committee members assured the party of commitment to the task, pledging not to leave any stone unturned in effective mobilisation.

    NAN

  • Executive, NASS can’t dictate election order to INEC, say lawyers

    Executive, NASS can’t dictate election order to INEC, say lawyers

    Move by the National Assembly to influence the sequence of next year’s election is not sitting well with some senior lawyers.

    Neither the legislative nor executive arm, according to the lawyers, can dictate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the order in which the elections should hold, insisting that the commission can only act based on the Electoral Act 2010 and its guidelines without recourse to the two arms of government.

    However, the lawyers are of the view that the National Assembly can alter the elections order by an amendment of the enabling law.

    While the Presidency is in favour of INEC conducting the Presidential elections first, the lawmakers want theirs to come before the Presidential election.

    Mr. John Baiyeshea (SAN) said any attempt by the National Assembly to coerce INEC to change the order prescribed by the commission for 2019 elections is in bad taste.

    He said: “Under the Electoral Act and other enabling laws, INEC is empowered to take full charge of elections (including prescribing the Order of Elections).

    “This is how it has been over the years. Even the 2015 elections were like that. The Executive and the National Assembly respectively cannot and should not dictate to INEC how it should arrange the Order of elections.

    “I understand the National Assembly is hurriedly making efforts to amend the Electoral Act to get the National Assembly to do their bidding.

    “This seems to be a panicky measure based purely on perceived fear of losing election that is behind that move, which is rather selfish and not any genuine love for the citizens of Nigeria.”

    Former Lagos Branch chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Mr. Martin Ogunleye said “The term ‘independent’ in the name of INEC presupposes that the commission ought to be independent of and from external influence. Neither the executive nor the legislature ought to interfere in the time-table,” he said.

    Lagos lawyer and President, Crusade for Justice, Mr. Richard Nwankwo, said based on the Electoral Act as amended, the power to determine the sequence of an election is vested in INEC.

    However, he said the lawmakers reserve the right to amend the Electoral Act which would leave INEC with no choice.

    Mr. Tope Alabi said “Deciding the order in which elections are to hold are within the prerogative of INEC. The commission has the discretion and powers to decide how to conduct any elections so long as they are free and fair.

    “The law gives INEC such powers, and that law has not been amended,” Alabi said.

     

  • Executive, NASS can’t dictate election order to INEC – Lawyers

    Executive, NASS can’t dictate election order to INEC – Lawyers

    Senior lawyers said on Friday that neither the Presidency nor National Assembly can dictate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the order in which next year’s general elections should hold.

    According to them, INEC can only act based on the Electoral Act 2010 and its guidelines without recourse to the two arms of government.

    The lawyers, however, said the National Assembly can alter the elections order by an amendment order of the enabling law.

    While the Presidency is in favour of INEC conducting the presidential elections first, the lawmakers want theirs to come before the presidential election.

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome, said the National Assembly can alter the order of the election through an amendment of the Electoral Act.

    “What the National Assembly is not allowed to do is to change this law less than six months to any election. We still have 14 months before the election, so they can amend the law to change the order.

    “But, beyond it, it is more responsible and more politically correct to put lesser elections first before the biggest election. The little masquerade first dances in the village square before the biggest of them all comes out.

    “It will have a negative effect if you hold the presidential election first before others. Others like governors or senators would want to go where the president had gone so that they would not be in opposition.

    “Not only that, the person who has won the presidency can decide to muscle others and remove those they don’t want within one week. So, let the small elections come first, which will make the presidential candidate to lobby, work very hard and go down to the remotest parts of Nigeria to campaign, because he cannot take anything for granted.

    “So I think the National Assembly is right in terms of political correctness and morality,” Ozekhome said.

    Former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch, Mr. Martin Ogunleye, said INEC is empowered to act independent of executive and the National Assembly.

    “The term “independent” in the name of INEC supposes that the Commission ought to be independent of and from external influence. Neither the executive nor the legislature ought to interfere in the time-table,” he said.

    The President of Crusade for Justice, Mr. Richard Nwankwo, said based on the Electoral Act as amended, the power to determine the sequence of an election is vested in INEC.

    However, he said the lawmakers reserve the right to amend the Electoral Act which would leave INEC with no choice.

    “If the National Assembly tinkers with the enabling law and provides the sequence of election, then INEC’s hands would be tied, even though people would look at it as the lawmakers taking undue advantage of their position.

    “But, that does not detract from National Assembly’s powers to make such laws. Whether it is morally or politically right is not the issue. What is in issue is whether the National Assembly has the power to tinker with the law, and that is beyond contention,” Nwakwo said.

    Lagos lawyer, Mr. Tope Alabi, said neither the Presidency nor the National Assembly can impose anything on INEC except through the Electoral Act’s amendment.

     

  • INEC to get 26.5m euros grant for 2019 polls

    INEC to get 26.5m euros grant for 2019 polls

    The European Union (EU) yesterday  in Abuja re-affirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s electoral process with a 26.5 million Euros grant.

    The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Ketil Karlsen, made the disclosure at the launch of the EU Support Programme to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN).

    Karlsen said that the electoral process, which would be funded over a period of five years, was aimed at promoting transparent, inclusive and credible elections.

    “The overall objective of the EU-SDGN is to contribute to the reinforcement of democracy in Nigeria through building strong, effective and legitimate democratic institutions.

    “Ahead of the 2019 general elections, Nigeria is at a pivotal moment that allows the country to take important steps to consolidate democracy and strengthen the electoral process.

    “The EU continues to partner with Nigeria in the on-going reform process with a view to strengthening the capacity to conduct well-managed elections with ample participation of all Nigerians.

    “For this to happen, all must contribute, from the key institutions to the political parties, candidates, media and civil society.’’

    Karlsen said that the project would be anchored in the priority areas identified by the Nigerian government.

    He said that it would also build on the recommendations of the EU Election Observation Mission, made after the 2015 elections as well as those of the EU Expert Identification Formulation Mission to Nigeria.

    He said that the programme would focus on five areas of support, including improved quality of electoral administration in Nigeria and effective discharge of legislative function in compliance with democratic principles and standards.

    The envoy identified other areas as enhanced pluralism, tolerance, internal democracy and equality of opportunity of political parties and fair, accurate and ethical coverage of the electoral process by the media.

    He said the other area was women, youths and marginalised citizens, civil society orgainisations and other relevant agencies contributing to enhance the electoral process.

    Mr Jose Pinto-teixeira, Vice-President of the European Centre for Electoral Support, said that the programme would be implemented from 2017 to 2022.

    “Our work revolves around building on the already notable resources and tools developed to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process in Nigeria.

    “This programme is being launched, ahead of the 2019 elections knowing that for many stakeholders, including the electoral management bodies in Nigeria, elections are regular and continuous events given the many by-elections that have been taking place so far.’’

    Pinto-teixeira said that the programme had five inter-connected components, comprising support to INEC, National Assembly, political parties, CSOs and the media.

    The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the inauguration of the programme was another demonstration of the EU’s commitment to the promotion of the rule of law, good governance and democracy in Nigeria.

    Yakubu said for the 2019 elections, INEC would be conducting elections in 1,558 constituencies nationwide made up of one presidential constituency, 29 governorship constituencies, 109 senatorial districts, 360 federal constituencies and 991 state constituencies.

    He said that INEC had registered 74 million voters so far.

    The INEC chief said that Nigeria had 68 political parties with about 100 new applications awaiting registration with a proposal from the National Assembly on independent candidacy.

    Mr Samson Itodo, the Executive Director, Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement, said the gap identified in 2015 was that youths were not given support to contest.

     

  • 2019: INEC assures EU, development partners of credible elections

    2019: INEC assures EU, development partners of credible elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured the European Union (EU) and other development partners of the commission’s readiness to conduct a more credible elections come 2019.

    The commission therefore sort the support of international partners INEC welcomes the in the areas of voter education and sensitisation; training and capacity-building for Commission staff, officials of political parties and security agencies; the promotion of inclusivity with particular reference to women, youths, persons with disabilities and the internally displaced as well as election conflict mitigation.

    Yakubu spoke yesterday in Abuja during the launch of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) project.

    The EU-SDGN support programme, which was conceived under the National Indicative Programme 2014 – 2020 and funded through the 11thEuropean Development Fund (11th EDF), is aimed at consolidating democracy in Nigeria.

    INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu  said the electoral body would continue to ensure the consolidation of electoral processes as well as the integrity and credibility of electoral outcomes based on the will of the people and the rule of law.

    He said: “Once again, let me reassure the EU delegation to Nigeria that we will spare no effort in improving the credibility of our elections and the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria. INEC will continue to welcome international election observation missions. The commission considers the deployment of such missions as an important means of enhancing public confidence and trust in the electoral process. We have already released the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2019 General Elections. We hope that interested international election observation missions can commence early planning for the deployment of observers. The Commission is ready to facilitate the process in accordance with our guidelines.

    “Today’s project launch is unique. I wish to express our appreciation to the European Union delegation to Nigeria for the formulation of the SDGN project and it is my expectation that the implementing partners will continue to work in synergy to deliver the envisaged support to all targeted beneficiaries in order to further strengthen democratic institutions and the electoral process in Nigeria. We are all the more excited because the EU-SDGN Project being launched today is expected to be implemented from 2017-2022 which coincides with the implementation timeframe of our Strategic Plan and Strategic Plan of Action 2017-2021.”

  • Ekiti Guber: APGA tasks INEC on sensitisation of corps members

    Ekiti Guber: APGA tasks INEC on sensitisation of corps members

    The Ekiti State Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Rufus Alabi, has called on INEC to ensure National Youth Service  Corps ( NYSC ) members that would be deployed as ad hoc staff in the upcoming gubernatorial election in the state are properly sensitised.

    Alabi told our news reporter in an interview in Lagos that the corps members, if not well informed, could give in to inducement from political parties or politicians.

    He said that if proper sensitisation is done, INEC can rest assured that several things that can result in disagreements or inconclusive elections would have been taken care of.

    “For INEC to conduct a conclusive election, it must not support any political party; and must also sensitise the youth corps members very well for them to know that their being focused can bring sanity to the election

    “We expect also that INEC, in that election, will be free and fair; we don’t want it to be on any political party’s side; we want it to be an unbiased umpire in all its activities,’’ Alabi said.

    The party chairman said his party was hopeful of winning the election, if conducted in a free and fair manner.

    Read Also: Umeh: My election is victory for APGA, Anambra

    He said that the people were already tired of the two prominent parties and needed a true change in government and party, as the PDP and APC had tried their best, which was not good enough for the people.

    Alabi said:“We are trying our best as an opposition party to see that we capture Ekiti State, and we believe we can do that.

    “We are also aware that to win elections is a question of numbers, so we are not relenting on doing our homework which is to make the people believe in us and sensitise them to know that it is only a true government that can render dividend to the people’’.

    The chairman urged the people to come out en masse to join APGA as the only alternative party in the state.

    He urged voters to ensure that they collect their voter cards, which according to him, is their power to choose their choice leader.

    Alabi advised Ekiti residents not to sit back at home on the day of election, but to exercise their voting rights and put the right candidate in office.

    Our news reports that 18 political parties have been cleared by INEC to contest the June 21 Ekiti Guber poll.

    NAN  

  • 2019: INEC, NCC collaborate on electronic results transfer

    2019: INEC, NCC collaborate on electronic results transfer

    The independent national Electoral Commission (INEC) has initiated a collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure electronic transfer of election results beginning with the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states this year.

    Both agencies agreed on this position at a meeting on Thursday in Abuja when INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu visited the NCC Executive Vice Chairman Prof. Danbatta.

    Prof Yakubu said: “The Commission introduced and deployed the biometric voter register in the 2011 General Elections and the Smart Card Reader (SCR) in the 2015 General Elections.

    “The time has come to electronically collate and transmit election results. We are convinced that by doing so, results will be transmitted faster and more accurately from the Polling Units to the various collation and declaration centres.

    “In several re-run and bye-elections conducted since the 2015 General Elections, the Commission has deployed the electronic collation and transmission platforms on a pilot basis.

    “More recently, we conducted simultaneous electronic and manual transmission of results in some major elections. We are planning for full deployment this year in the Governorship elections in Ekiti State in July and Osun State in September. Thereafter, we intend to deploy the system in the 2019 General Elections.”

    Yakubu said it was imperative for the commission to discuss with the telecommunications operators in Nigeria.

    He noted that While INEC possesses the hardware and had already developed the software, the commission would have to rely on the operators for the transmission of the figures and scanned images of result sheets.

    “We will transmit the raw figures from the polling units, scanned images of the result sheets will also be transmitted electronically, in addition to the physical copies given to political party agents at each polling unit.

    “Therefore, there will be paper trail against which the integrity of electronically-transmitted figures can be compared and verified.”

    He said proposed arrangement would place importance on data security in the course of transmission of results in order to safeguard the security of the process.

    “This will help in the management of database and dataset of the allocated numbers. It will also help to guard against the delisting of the SIM cards when they are not active for a prolonged period of time. Doing so will also enable the encryption of information thereby providing additional security in the course of transmitting both data and image.”

    Prof. Danbatta assured the INEC that the NCC was committed to free, fair and credible elections.

    He said: “We will bring to bear, our wealth of experience in the area of information and communications technology expertise in ensuring that the 2019 elections meet with the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.

    “We are about to witness what has never happened. We will be active participants. We will offer our operational experience to ensure that we obtain the desired results.”