The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Inec

  • 2015 poll: ‘Diezani gave N264m cash to bribe INEC officials’

    2015 poll: ‘Diezani gave N264m cash to bribe INEC officials’

    The Federal High Court in Lagos was told yesterday that two Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) employees, Christian Nwosu and Yisa Adegoyin, received N264million from former Petroleum Minister Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, allegedly to change the result of the 2015 general election.

    A prosecution witness, Timothy Olaobaju, said the money was paid to Nwosu and Adedoyin in cash.

    He was testifying while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo in the trial of Nwosu and Tijani Inda Bashir before Justice Idris.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused them of receiving gratification from the former minister.

    Adedoyin had pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted following a plea bargain.

    Olaobaju, who was his bank’s head of operations in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, said he paid the Nwosu and Adedoyin the cash based on Mrs Alison-Madueke’s instructions.

    “I was the Head of Operations for Ilorin Branch. I had cause to meet Nwosu and Adedoyin. Sometime in 2015, there was a meeting between our Managing Director and the former Petroleum Minister during which she explained that some companies and individuals would come to the bank to pay some money into some accounts.

    “The companies were Northern Belt Ltd, Actus Integrated Ltd, Midwestern Company and one Mr Leno Laitan. In addition, she said certain individuals would bring some cash to be kept for her.

    “A total sum of $89million was paid into the accounts. Cash sums of $25million was brought, totalling $114million. The money was kept in the bank pending her instruction as agreed.

    “On March 26, 2014, we got instruction that the money should be converted to naira. After it was converted, it was about N23billion. There was a list of beneficiaries that was sent, to be paid across the 36 states of the federation, including Kwara. I handled the transactions in my branch,” the witness.

    He said the defendants came to his office to collect the cash payment, and that he only acted on instruction.

    “There was an instruction that Nwosu and Adedoyin be paid N264,880,000. The instruction came from the head office based on instruction from Mrs Alison-Madueke and they were paid. They signed a receipt of payment for the money they collected,” Olaobaju said.

    Olaobaju said after the defendants were paid, they left with the cash and did not pay it into any account.

    Under cross examination by defence counsel Obinna Okereke and Nelson Imoh, the witness said he did not know the purpose of the payment.

    “The only instruction we had was that they should bring means of identification and should be paid. They even waited for the money to be released to them. We did not know the purpose of the payment,” he said.

    Olaobaju said he did not hand over the money to Bashir, and never met Mrs Alison-Madueke; nor was he at the meeting where she gave the instructions.

    “The instruction we received was through our Divisional Head of Operations who reports to the MD,” he added.

    Justice Idris adjourned till today for continuation of trial.

  • No plan to shift Osun West by-election, says INEC

    No plan to shift Osun West by-election, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said it will not shift the July 8 date for the conduct of Osun West Senatorial by-election.

    INEC Chairman’s Chief Press Secretary Rotimi Oyekanmi said there was no condition to warrant the shift of the election date.

    He said the election would go own as planned.

    Oyekanmi noted that once an election date has been announced, the commission has no power to shift the date except on two conditions: a natural disaster or threat to life of INEC officials and the electorate.

    The commission was apparently reacting to a statement credited to the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that there were plans by the Osun State government to force the commission to shift the election date.

  • No plan to shift Osun senatorial election – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Wednesday it has no plan to shift the Osun West Senatorial election slated for July 8.

    Besides, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, said there is no condition that warrants the shift of the election.

    He said the election would go ahead as planned.

    Oyekanmi said once election date has been announced, INEC has no power to shift the date except on two conditions.

    The conditions, according to him, are natural disaster or threat to life of election officials and electorates.

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, had alleged there were moves by Osun State government to force INEC to shift the elections.

    Sheriff, in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bernard Mikko, warned that PDP would not succumb to any plan to move the election.

  • Diezani ‘bribed’ INEC officials with N264m to rig polls – Witness

    Diezani ‘bribed’ INEC officials with N264m to rig polls – Witness

    The Federal High Court in Lagos heard on Wednesday that two Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) employees, Christian Nwosu and Yisa Adegoyin, allegedly received N264million from former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to rig the 2015 general elections.

    A prosecution witness, Timothy Olaobaju, said the money was paid to Nwosu and Adedoyin in cash.

    He stated these while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, in the trial of Nwosu and Tijani Inda Bashir before Justice Idris.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused the duo of receiving gratification from the former minister.

    Adedoyin had pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted following a plea bargain.

    Olaobaju, who was his bank’s head of operations in Ilorin, Kwara State, said he paid the Nwosu and Adedoyin the cash based on Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s instructions.

    He said: “I was the Head of Operations for Ilorin Branch where I had cause to meet Nwosu and Adedoyin. Sometime in 2015, there was a meeting between our Managing Director and the former Petroleum minister during which she explained that some companies and individuals would come to the bank to pay some money into some accounts.

    “The companies were Northern Belt Limited, Actus Integrated Limited, Midwestern Company and one Mr. Leno Laitan. In addition, she said certain individuals would bring some cash to be kept for her.

    “A total sum of $89million was paid into the accounts. A cash sum of $25million was brought, totaling $114million. The money was kept in the bank pending her instruction as agreed.

    “On March 26, 2014, we got instruction that the money should be converted to naira. After it was converted, it was about N23billion. There was a list of beneficiaries that was sent, to be paid across the 36 states of the federation, including Kwara. I handled the transactions in my branch.”

    He said the defendants came to his office to collect the cash payment, and that he only acted on instruction.

    “There was an instruction that Nwosu and Adedoyin be paid N264, 880,000. The instruction came from the head office based on instruction from Mrs. Alison-Madueke and they were paid. They signed a receipt of payment for the money they collected,” Olaobaju said.

    The witness said after the defendants were paid, they left with the cash and did not pay it into any account.

    Under cross examination by defence counsel, Obinna Okereke and Nelson Imoh, the witness said he did not know the purpose of the payment.

    “The only instruction we had was that they should bring means of identification and should be paid. They even waited for the money to be released to them. We did not know the purpose of the payment,” he said.

     

  • Recall: Melaye alleges forgery of collected signatures

    Recall: Melaye alleges forgery of collected signatures

    Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial district in the National Assembly says the signatures allegedly collected to influence his recall and forwarded to Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) were forged.

    Addressing newsmen on Sunday in Lokoja, Melaye who said investigations had revealed that even the dead signed the recall across the seven area councils of the senatorial district, described the process as fraudulent.

    Speaking through one of his legislative aides, Malam Abubakar Sadiq, the embattled senator said names and signatures of dead constituents were on the list.

    According to him, the name of a former governorship aspirant of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, late Chief Rotimi Obadofin precisely from Iya-Gbede axis was on the list.

    “Let me also sound authoritatively that here in Lokoja Local Government Council, several others whose names and signatures appeared on the list of the signatories to this failed exercise were identified and known to us as being dead long before now.

    “Such people like late Abdullahi Abubakar, his immediate younger sister late Halima Lawal Abubakar and Ibrahim Adama of Unit Code 021, Adankolo Ring Road in Ward ‘A’, Lokoja Local Government Council.

    Also one late Salihu Black of Gegu-Beki town, Kogi Local Government Council who until his death was a biology teacher in Government Secondary School, Koton-Karfe, also appended his signature on the recall list.

    “This recall exercise was hatched in Kogi Government House due to the manner in which Senator Dino Melaye consistently challenges and engages the government over non-payment of workers’ salaries and pensioners for over 15 months; and also the constant closure of tertiary institutions ,” he stated.

    Senator Melaye also alleged that they claimed to have gotten over 188,000 signatories of electorates in Kogi West when the total vote cast, both valid and rejected, in the last senatorial election of 2015, was merely 111, 000 for all the candidates that participated.

    In a swift reaction, Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi said Senator Dino Melaye should stop worrying about INEC.

    Bello, who spoke through his chief Press Secretary, Mrs Petra Onyegbule, said facts about the constituents were with INEC which had the responsibility of verifying the signatures.

    “There is nothing for the distinguished senator to be worried about. INEC has set July 3, for the public verification of signatures and the date is around the corner; there is no point burning their energies all over the place”, Onyegbule said

    On the alleged collation signatures in Government House, the spokes person said it was absolutely false as no single signature was collated in Government House. (NAN)

  • Alleged double registration: INEC retrieves back-up machine on Kogi governor

    Alleged double registration: INEC retrieves back-up machine on Kogi governor

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has recorded a breakthrough in its ongoing investigation of the allegation of double registration levelled against Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.

    The electoral commission has succeeded in retrieving a back-up Direct Data Capture (DDC) machine on what transpired between the governor and INEC team.The machine will also assist in determining how the governor’s name disappeared from the voter register.INEC is expected to engage experts in the next few days to download the data in the back-up machine, which is being protected under heavy security.The commission had alleged that the governor first registered in Abuja in January 2011 and subsequently registered for the second time on Tuesday May 23, 2017 in Government House, Lokoja.But the governor said his ghost might have been registered by INEC because he was away to Dubai at the time he was accused of double registration.While INEC was probing the governor’s double registration status, his name disappeared from the Continuous Voters Register.A reliable source, who spoke in confidence said: “INEC management has made progress in investigating alleged double voter’s registration by the governor of Kogi State. The commission has succeeded in retrieving a back-up machine which will reveal the truth.“Those who tampered with the DDC used to register the governor don’t know that every machine has a back-up.“We will engage experts to analyse the CVR conducted on May 23 in Lokoja and how the governor’s name purportedly got missing.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “We have also retrieved the photograph of the governor, the statement of the Chief Press Secretary to the governor on the second registration by the governor.

    “We stand by the fact that the governor was allegedly involved in double registration. But we want to be scientific with our findings before we release the details to the public.

    “Our state office in Kogi State has filed a report which requires further investigation, including the review of the back-up machine.

    “There is nothing to hide; we will say the truth no matter whose ox is gored. And the law will eventually take its course.”

    Section 117 Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) recommends sanctions for voters who have registered more than once, being in unlawful possession of a voter card, selling or buying of voter card.

    The punishment for such an electoral offence is “a fine not exceeding N100,000 or imprisonment for one year or both.”

    INEC speaking through its national commissioner, INEC National Commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Prince Solomon Soyebi, first raised the alarm over the alleged double registration by the governor.

    He said: “It has come to the attention of INEC that Governor Bello of Kogi State registered as a voter for the second time on Tuesday May 23, 2017 in Government House, Lokoja, the state capital.

    “His first registration was on January 30, 2011 in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.

    “The governor’s double registration and doing so outside lNEC’s designated centres are both illegal.

    “We wish to make it clear that no INEC staff was authorised by the commission to re-register him or any citizen or to do so outside our designated CVR centres.”

    Speaking after praying at the Presidential Villa mosque on a Friday, Governor Yahaya Bello said: “I travelled on 19th to Dubai for a brief break and I saw the press release and I was taken aback, that I did double registration on 23rd.

    “Probably it is my ghost that has done the double registration.”

  • Sokoto guber tussle: Court affirms Tambuwal’s election

    Sokoto guber tussle: Court affirms Tambuwal’s election

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, affirmed the election of Aminu Tambuwal as governor of Sokoto State.

    The court dismissed the suit filed by Sen. Umar Dahiru, challenging the nomination of Tambuwal as the governor candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the April 2015 general elections.

    Justice Gabriel Kolawale dismissed the suit on the grounds that Dahiru failed to prove his claims that the APC primary elections in 2014, were conducted in violation of the party’s guidelines and constitution.

    “The plaintiff did not pin point in specific terms in what ways and manner the APC did not comply with its guidelines and constitution.

    Justice Kolawale had fixed June 23 to deliver judgment in the matter after listening to final arguments from counsel involved in the legal battle over the Sokoto State governorship seat.

    In his argument, counsel to Dahiru, Mr Roland Otaru ( SAN), urged the court to nullify and set aside the primary election that produced Tambuwal as candidate for the 2015 governorship election in the state.

    Otaru premised his arguments on the grounds that the constitution of the APC, the APC guidelines on the primary elections and the Electoral Act 2010 were “violently violated” in the conduct of the primary election.

    The counsel maintained that the primary election was conducted in breach of the relevant rules since verification and accreditation of delegates were not done in spite of the fact that they were mandatory.

    He urged the court to take a judicial notice of the list containing the names of the delegates who participated in the primary election and the report of the APC.

    The counsel said that there was no evidence of verification and accreditation in compliance with relevant laws.

    On his part, Mr Jubrin Okutepa (SAN), counsel to the APC, asked the court to dismiss Dahiru’s case on the grounds that his claims were inconsistent.

    Okutepa drew the court’s attention to the affidavit evidence of Dahiru prepared in 2015, where he admitted that accreditation of delegates was carried out.

    He said it was only in a further affidavit prepared in 2017, that he recanted his earlier position and said that accreditation was not carried out.

    According to him, a litigant must be consistent in his claim.

    He added that Dahiru failed to call delegates to give evidence that they were not accredited and that the court should as such presume that there was proper accreditation.

    “The case of the plaintiff is bereft of any evidential support to warrant any declaration to be made in his favor.”

    He urged the court to dismiss Dahiru’s case and uphold the nomination of Tambuwal.

    Mr Sunday Ameh (SAN), counsel to Tambuwal who aligned himself with the submission of Okutepa said it was too late for Dahiru who admitted that there was accreditation in 2015 to make a u-turn in 2017.

    According to Ameh, the period for primary election has expired in line with the 1999 Constitution, and as such, Dahiru’s case has become an academic exercise.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dahiru instituted a suit against the APC, Tambuwal and INEC, praying for an order of the court to nullify and set aside the Sokoto State APC primary election of 2014.

    He premised his suit on the grounds that its conduct contravened the Electoral Act 2010, the APC guidelines on the primary elections and the party’s constitution.

  • INEC to begin Melaye’s recall process July 3

    BARELY 24 hours after it got a petition to recall Senator Dino Melaye from his Kogi West constituents, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday set July 3 as the commencement date for the recall process of the senator.

    INEC has also notified the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District of the petition seeking his recall.

    In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, the electoral umpire acknowledged the receipt of the petition submitted on Wednesday by the electorate from Melaye’s district.

    The statement signed by Mallam Mohammed Haruna, a National Commissioner and member, Information and Voter Education Committee said: “INEC has set 3rd July date for the commencement of the verification exercise to ascertain the authenticity of the signatories.”

    The date for the verification, he said, was arrived at INEC’s weekly meeting where the issue was discussed yesterday.

    The statement further reads: “The independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) held its regular weekly meeting today (yesterday) and considered the petition submitted by some registered voters from Kogi West Senatorial District to kick start the proces of recalling Senator Dino Melaye.

    “In accordance with the INEC guidelines for the recall of members of the National Assembly, the Commission has formally acknowledged the reciept of the petition to the petitioners’ representatives and has conveyed a letter notifying Senator Melaye of our reciept of the petition.

    “The next step is to verify that the petitioners are registered voters in the Kogi West Senatorial District.

    “INEC will on the 3rd of July, 2017, issue a public notice stating the day (s), time, location and other details for the verification exercise.”

    The electorate at the Kogi West Senatorial District on Wednesday made good their threat to recall Melaye with the submission of signatures of about 188,588 eligible voters demanding the recall of the senator.

    The signed documents, it was learnt were contained in six bags alongside other documents. They were submitted to INEC’s headquarters in Abuja.

    The signatories represent about 52.3 per cent of the registered voters in the district.

    Constitutionally, the signatories of a simple majority of eligible voters are required in an area sign to recall a lawmaker.

    The local governments and the percentage of voters who signed the recall petition showed that Yagba West had the highest number of voters asking Melaye to return home from the Senate.

    The breakdown, as shown in the petition is Yagba West (55.7 per cent); Lokoja (54.8 per cent); Kogi (52.77 per cent); Yagba East (52 per cent); Melaye’s local government of Ijumu (51.8 per cent); Mopa/Moro (50.4 per cent) and Kabba/Bunu (46.7 per cent).

    All Progressives Congress (APC) leader in the zone, who led the petitioners, Chief Cornelius Olowo, said there was no going back in the resolve to recall Melaye.

    According to him, the petition had signatories of more than 52 per cent of voters, who were appalled by Melaye’s representation in the area.

    Olowo accused the senator of distancing himself from his constituents, rating the lawmaker’s performance below average.

    He said: “In the last two years, some senators have been meeting with their people quarterly. They update them on what has been happening and seek their contributions on issues and their aspirations to be presented at the senate.

    “For the past two years, Senator Malaye has not organised one town hall meeting anywhere in Kogi West to meet with the people to present his scorecard or stewardship.

    “He has been completely disconnected from the people. Since he won his election and the legal battle at the court, he is no longer reachable. “He has no constituency office in Kogi West as we speak, as a way to reach him on matter of interests from the people that elected him.’

    Olowo, who said that the petition had signatures of more than half of the registered voters in the senatorial district, expressed confidence that the Melaye recall would sail through.

    He said: “We have over 360,000 registered voters in Kogi West and after about one week of collection of signatures, we were able to gather over 188,500 signatures, endorsing the recall of the senator.

    “We have submitted the petition at the office of INEC Chairman. It is now left for INEC to go and do confirmation of the signatures before going on the process needed for the recall.’’

    Olowo denied insinuations that Governor Yahaya Bello was behind the recall and that people fought over the money disbursed for the exercise.

    He said that the genuineness of the demand would be confirmed when INEC would visit the area for confirmation of the signatories, expressing optimism that INEC would do what was required of it over the petition.

     

    No cause for alarm

    But the embattled senator has described the process to recall him as laughable.

    He said: “I continue to laugh at their efforts which I know is in futility. The whole exercise is a comedy of errors. Nobody should take it seriously the whole thing is shrouded in money politics and cannot stand.”

    Also in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Melaye said: “It (recall) cannot succeed. It is a hoax and absolute comedy of errors. I’m laughing at the stupidity of Kogi State Government. Many appointees will go to jail for forgery.

    “Even dead people’s names on the recall register. A governor who does not knopw what double registration is may not as well know the procedure for recall. Every lie has an expiry date.

    “This comedy of errors will end. No shaking at all. This won’t solve the problem of not paying salaries for over 15 months. No retreat, no surrender. Truth is my only defence.”

  • Dino Melaye: INEC sets 3rd July date for commencement of recall process

    Dino Melaye: INEC sets 3rd July date for commencement of recall process

    ….Notify Senator of recall petition

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set July 3rd 2017 as the commencement date for the recall process of senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Mr. Dino Melaye.

    INEC has also notified Senator Melaye of a petition seeking his recall.

    The Commission in a statement issued in Abuja Thursday acknowledged the receipt of the petition submitted on Wednesday by the people from Mr. Melaye’s district.

    The statement which was signed by Mallam Mohammed Haruna, a National Commissioner and member, Information and Voter Education Committee said INEC has set  3rd July date for the commencement of the verification exercise to ascertain the authensity of the signatories.

    The date for the verification he said was arrived at during the weekly meeting Thursday where the issue was discussed.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) held its regular weekly meeting today and considered the petition submitted by some registered voters from Kogi West Senatorial District to kick start the process of recalling Senator Dino Melaye.

    “In accordance with the INEC guidelines for the recall of members of the National Assembly, the Commission has formally acknowledged the receipt of the petition to the petitioners’ representatives and has conveyed a letter notifying Senator Melaye of our receipt of the petition.

    “The next step is to verify that the petitioners are registered voters in the Kogi West Senatorial District.

    “INEC will on the 3rd of July, 2017 issue a public notice stating the day (s), time, location and other details for the verification exercise.”

    The people of Kogi West Senatorial District has made good their threat to recall Mr. Melaye on Wednesday when they submitted signatures of about 188,588 voters from electorates in Kogi West senatorial district demanding the recall of the senator.

    The signatories are about 52.3 per cent of the registered voters in the district.

    The law requires 50 per cent of voters in an area sign to recall a lawmaker.

    The signed documents, it was learnt were contained in six bags alongside other documents and were submitted to INEC’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The local governments and the percentage of voters who signed the recall petition showed that Yagba West had the highest number of voters asking Melaye to return home from the Senate.

    The breakdown, as shown in the petition is Yagba West, 55.7 percent; Lokoja, 54.8 per cent; Kogi, 52.77 per cent; Yagba East, 52 per cent; Ijumu (Melaye’s local government), 51.8 per cent; Mopa/Moro, 50.4 per cent and Kabba/ Bunu, 46.7 per cent.

    A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress in Ijumu, Mr. Cornelius Olowo, who led the delegation, insisted that the constituents were not satisfied with the quality of Melaye’s representation.

  • INEC registers 65,915 fresh voters in Lagos

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has so far registered 65,915 voters in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Lagos State, its Administrative Secretary, Dr Mustapha Mudashiru, said yesterday.

    Mudashiru told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the CVR had been smooth in the 20 local government areas of the state.

    He said: “We have achieved so much in terms of registration of new voters; we were able to register 65, 915 eligible residents as at June 19.

    “We have been able to distribute 7, 166 of the yet-to be collected PVCs (Permanent Voter Cards).

    “We are on course as far as those who are willing to get voting power are concerned.

    “With respect to cases of transfer of registration, we have been able to take care of 1,421 cases; in terms of  PVC replacement, we have attended to 4, 228 cases.”

    According to him, the volume of uncollected voter cards is still high.

    This, he said might be due to relocation of the owners.

    Mudashiru called on residents to register for elections, adding that those yet to collect their cards should do so.

    On enlightenment of residents on the registration and collection of Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC), Mudashiru said INEC had distributed posters and fliers and created awareness through schools and parties.

    NAN reports that the commission began the nationwide CVR on April 27 to capture those who attained 18 years of age and others who had not registered.