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Tag: Inec

  • Recovered 4,555 national ID cards: INEC staff gave us – Witness

    Recovered 4,555 national ID cards: INEC staff gave us – Witness

    The police in Cross River on Monday arrested four suspected thieves for unlawful possession of 4,555 National Identity cards and 21 others who committed various offences, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Hafiz Inuwa, said.

    Inuwa, who made the development known when he addressed newsmen in Calabar on Tuesday, said the suspects were arrested by personnel of the Police Command in Cross on May 19.

    He said the suspected identity card thieves were arrested at a location on Eyo-Edem Street in Calabar following a tip-off.

    The commissioner explained that after a thorough search on the suspects, 4,555 National Identity cards bearing different names were found on them.

    Upon interrogation, the four suspects confessed that one Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff gave the cards to them. All the four suspects confessed to the crime and investigation is on-going in order to arrest the alleged INEC staff

    The commissioner said that the command also arrested three suspected armed robbers on May 2, shortly after they allegedly robbed Solomon Alfred of his N380,000 and three mobile phones.

    “On May 2, our men arrested three suspected armed robbers who had robbed Solomon Alfred of his N380,000 and his three mobile phones.

    “Also on May 13, our men arrested a student of the University of Calabar for being in possession of fake currencies.

    “During interrogation, the suspect claimed that a friend of his that resides at Uyo gave him the fake currencies.

    “Investigation is on-going to unravel the truth of the matter and arrest his accomplices to ascertain the source/distributor of these fake currencies,” he said.

    The police also arrested three suspected manufacturers of firearms on May 19, the commissioner said.

    He also said  the police recovered five locally made pistols; six locally made single barrel guns, one locally made single barrel long gun, among others.

    “During the period under review, the state police command has arrested 25 suspects for various offences.

    “We recovered five AK 47 rifles, seven magazines and 200 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, one battle axe, eight live cartridges, among others,” he said.

  • INEC receives applications for 95 political parties

    INEC receives applications for 95 political parties

    AHEAD of the 2019 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission has received 95 applications for new political parties, its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said.

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Kaduna after the opening ceremony of the Workshop to Review INEC Communications Policy, Mahmood said the commission received applications from various intending political parties.

    He added that the applications will be looked into at a meeting of the commission tomorrow in Kaduna and those successful will be announced soon.

    The INEC boss said: “As at last week, we had received 95 applications for new political parties. At the end of this workshop, there is going to be a retreat on Wednesday to review the ongoing voter registration followed by a meeting of the commission here in Kaduna. At the end of the meeting, we will issue a release on the issue of parties.

    “I have said we would be holding a mid-quarterly review of our activities and preparation as we head towards the 2019 general elections after every six weeks. By Wednesday, the mid-quarterly review will come up here in Kaduna on the ongoing continuous voter registration nationwide.”

  • Gov Bello: INEC is probing the following issues

    Gov Bello: INEC is probing the following issues

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to investigate the alleged double registration of th Governor of Kogi State, Gov Yahaya Bello.first in Abuja in January 2011 and reregistered on May 23, 2017 at the Government House, Lokoja.

    Recall that the commission claimed that Gov Bello first registered in Abuja in January 2011 and re-registered on May 23, 2017 at the Government House, Lokoja.

    However, the governor on Friday said his ghost might have been registered by INEC because he was away in Dubai when he was said to have registered again.

    As INEC tried to ascertain the true position of the governor’s registration status, a fresh problem has cropped up.

    Thus, INEC is probing the following issues:

    • Was there any CVR on May 23 at the Government House, Lokoja?
    • Who was registered?
    • How did the INEC team come about the photograph of the registration showing the governor?
    • How was the name of the registrant (Yahaya Bello) de-listed from the INEC register? and
    • Who were those behind the de-listing?

    Certainly, it is now our words against the governor. This is a mystery we need to unravel. The governor said our team might have registered his ghost.  The onus is on us to present the evidence, including our register – INEC

    “But we got information before we issued an official statement on the governor’s double registration.

    “INEC is suspecting foul play by some of its staff. We hope they are not dragging the commission into the dirty politics of Kogi State again.

    “If we are able to establish any shady deals, those concerned will be sanctioned. They may be dismissed from service.”

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

    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 Friday, 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.”

  • Why INEC delisted Gov Bello from voters’ register

    Why INEC delisted Gov Bello from voters’ register

    Agency probes alleged double registration 

    Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello’s name has disappeared from the voters’ register after being accused of double registration.

    Bello’s name has been delisted, but the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has a photograph showing how he was registered at the Government House, Lokoja.

    The commission has raised an investigative committee to unravel the “mystery surrounding the alleged double registration by the governor”.

    Heads may roll in the Kogi State office of INEC for the alleged “untoward activities of some of our staff”.

    INEC alleged that the governor first registered in Abuja in January 2011 and reregistered on May 23, 2017 at the Government House, Lokoja.

    But the governor on Friday said his ghost might have been registered by INEC because he was away in Dubai when he was said to have registered again.

    As INEC tried to ascertain the true position of the governor’s registration status, a fresh problem has cropped up.

    It was learned that INEC established that some of its staff were deployed in the Government House for Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) of the governor. The state has denied that it took place.

    It was gathered that although the commission had the photograph of the governor’s registration, it could not trace any Yahaya Bello on its CVR list for May 23, 2017.

    There was suspicion last night that the list of voters registered on May 23 might have been tampered with by some INEC employees.

    A source, who spoke in confidence said: “The INEC management has raised an investigative team to look at the controversy over the allegation of double registration by the governor.

    “It is, however, curious that the investigation has assumed a new dimension. The commission has the photograph of the registration of the governor but his name is not on the list of the CVR for that day in question. The name has disappeared.”

    INEC is probing the following issues:

    • Was there any CVR on May 23 at the Government House, Lokoja?
    • Who was registered?
    • How did the INEC team come about the photograph of the registration showing the governor?
    • How was the name of the registrant (Yahaya Bello) de-listed from the INEC register? and
    • Who were those behind the de-listing?

    “Certainly, it is now our words against the governor. This is a mystery we need to unravel. The governor said our team might have registered his ghost.  The onus is on us to present the evidence, including our register,” the source said, adding:

    “But we got information before we issued an official statement on the governor’s double registration.

    “INEC is suspecting foul play by some of its staff. We hope they are not dragging the commission into the dirty politics of Kogi State again.

    “If we are able to establish any shady deals, those concerned will be sanctioned. They may be dismissed from service.”

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

    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 Friday, 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.”

  • INEC probes 80 for alleged bribery

    INEC probes 80 for alleged bribery

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has started probing 70 employees who were referred to it by INEC.

    The 70 employees from three states had denied benefitting from the N23.29b poll bribery scandal.

    A source in EFCC said: “We are already looking into the alleged misconduct of the 70 employees. Despite the fact that most of them were implicated in the scandal, they have denied the allegation.

    “Our detectives are working round the clock to get more evidence to present to INEC. These 70 employees have to be suspended  by INEC before we can prosecute them. The electoral commission has asked for concrete evidence.

    About 205 INEC employees have been slated for trial over the poll bribery scam.

    Some of the indicted INEC staff had made refunds of their share of the over N3.4 billion bribe money.

  • We don’t issue recall form, INEC tells protesters

    We don’t issue recall form, INEC tells protesters

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may have dealt a blow to moves by aggrieved constituents from the Kogi West Senatorial district to recall the member representing them at the National Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye.

    INEC’s Legal Adviser in Kogi State, Muktar Bawa, told the scores of protesters who besieged the commission’s office in Lokoja, that there were laid down conditions and procedures to be followed to begin the process of recall.

    The leader of the protesters, Pius Kolawole, had after presenting their grounds for the recall to the INEC officials, requested for recall forms.

    Responding, INEC’s Legal Adviser in the state, Muktar Bawa, told the protesters that there were laid conditions and procedures to be followed to begin the process of recall.

    He advised the protesters to go back and get the endorsements of constituents across polling units in the district and present their petitions to INEC to see if they met the conditions required for a recall.

  • Allegation of double registration frivolous – Governor Bello

    Allegation of double registration frivolous – Governor Bello

    Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Friday dismissed the allegation linking him to double registration in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) voters’ portal.

    INEC’s National Commissioner, Solomon Soyebi, had accused the governor of registering twice as a voter.

    Soyebi said the governor first registered in Abuja in January, 2011 and later registered for the second time on May 23, 2017 at the Government House in Lokoja.

    The governor described the allegation, which was made public during his short break in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate, as frivolous.

    The governor spoke with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He warned INEC to desist from dragging his name into the mud over the matter.

    He said: “I traveled to Dubai for a brief break on May 19 and I saw the press release.  I was taken aback  when I heard the report that I did double registration on May 23.

    “Probably it was my ghost that did the double registration. I think INEC has earned itself a very high reputation and I am very confident that the leadership of INEC will not allow some elements in INEC to drag the name of the Commission into the mud. Surely that’s a falsehood, I did not do double registration of permanent voters’ card.”

    He also replied critics of his administration, especially Senator Dino Melaye.

    The governor said he would not join issues with critics especially when they are seen as distraction to his government.

    Bello added:  “Honestly speaking when a human being is talking, then I will respond. Surely I don’t see anything coming out of that and I don’t think I have to waste my time in responding to whatever I consider as side distraction. Honestly speaking I am too focused to be distracted.

    “Kogi State has suffered for over 25 years before I came on board and the good people of Kogi State are really appreciative of the efforts we are putting forward to make sure that Kogi State is well developed. So any side distraction is not something I should give attention.”

  • Senate confirms 15 RECs

    Senate confirms 15 RECs

    The Senate has confirmed the appointment of 15 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) out of the 27 names sent to it by the Presidency.

    The confirmation followed consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on INEC presented by its acting Chairman, Sen. Suleiman Nazif during Thursday’s plenary.

    The Senate resolved to confirm the remaining 12 nominees at a later date.

    Those confirmed include Prof. Godswill Obioma, Abia; James, Apam, Benue; Dr Nwachukwu Orji, Ebonyi; Dr Iloh Chuks, Enugu; Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, Plateau; Umar Ibrahim, Taraba; Mr Emeka Joseph, Imo and Obo Effanga, Cross River.

    Others are, Prof. Francis Ezeonu, Anambra; Dr Briyai Frankland, Bayelsa; Ibrahim Abdullahi, Adamawa; Agboke Olaleke, Ogun; Hussaini Pai, Federal Capital Territory; Ahmad Makama, Bauchi and Sadiq Musa, Kaduna.

    Nazif had while presenting the reports, informed the Senate that although all the 27 nominees had been cleared by relevant security agencies, the committee was only able to conclude the screening of 15.

    According to him, the committee had scrutinized all the relevant documents of the nominees and was satisfied with the qualification, experience and suitability of 15 nominees in the first batch.

    “The remaining 12 nominees are still undergoing screening by the committee,” Suleiman said.

    In his remarks, Senate President, Bukola saraki, wished the nominees a successful tenure.

    “They are coming at a very important time to compliment the work already being laid by the current chairman of INEC and to guide us into new reforms that we have put into the amendment of the Electoral Act.

    “I hope they will be able to do that successfully, so that we can continue to improve on our electoral processes,’’ he said.

  • Political group denies contempt case against INEC

    Political group denies contempt case against INEC

    The national leadership of the Young Democratic Party (YDP) has denied initiating any contempt proceeding against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
    Addressing a news conference in Abuja, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Khairat Animashuan-Ajiboye said the party has not initiated any court proceeding against the commission in whatever form, adding that the initiators of the suit against the commission were not members of the party.
    She said the real intention of the initiators of the suit was to create problem in the polity and have the opportunity to challenge alleged exclusion of the party from the conduct of the 2015 General election in other to claim damages from INEC.
    According to her, when INEC denied the party registration in 2014, the party challenged the decision at the federal high court, adding that the court gave a judgement in March 2015 ordering the commission to issue a certificate of registration.
    “INEC which has a right of appeal, appealed the the judgement and by 8th of December, 2015, the appeal court in Abuja dismissed the appeal and affirmed the decision of the federal high court. Consequently, INEC obeyed that court order and issued us with a certificate of registration and same was handed over to us on 15th January 2016.”
    She said further that after the court of appeal judgement, the commission did not pursue the case further, but complied with the decision and issued the party with a certificate of registration, describing those who went to court too initiate contempt proceedings against the commission as meddlesome interlopers, lovers of chaos, confusionists, pretenders and fraudster.
    She said “the court of Appeal never at any time gave an order to INEC to backdate our certificate of registration to 2014 and the Young Democratic Party did not officially initiate contempt proceedings against the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu. It was done by confusionists. Other court cases against INEC did not originate from our party.
    “According to our very first registered constitution, an amendment to a constitution can only be done at a convention, hence our very first convention held on 11th February 2017 amended and ratified one constitution”.
    She stressed that Henry Nwabuezr who initiated the contempt proceedings was expelled from the party on November 15, 2015 while Horsfal Sebibo was never a registered member of the party and therefore has no power to act on behalf of the party.
    She disclosed that the Young Democratic Party has a very good relationship with INEC and stand for the progress of the country and asked security agents to call the, to order in the interest of the nation.

  • Gov Bello illegally registered twice – INEC

    Gov Bello illegally registered twice – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has accused Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of double registration for Permanent Voter Card, as against the electoral law.

    A statement by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Prince Solomon Soyebi, said Bello’s second registration was done on Tuesday at the Government House in Lokoja, outside the designated centre for ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

    The statement reads: “It has come to the attention of INEC that Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello registered as a voter for the second time on Tuesday, May 23, at the Government House in Lokoja.

    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. For the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), INEC has designated a centre in each of the country’s 774 local governments areas, including FCT’s six Area Councils.

    RELATED: ‘Bello killing APC in Kogi’

    “We wish clarify that no INEC worker was authorised to re-register Bello or any citizen, or to do so outside our designated registration centres. The commission, therefore, dissociates itself from the governor’s action and promises to take disciplinary action against the staff who conducted Bello’s second registration.

    “As for the governor, Section 308 (l) (a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), precludes lNEC from prosecuting him while in office. However, the commission has cancelled his second and illegal registration forthwith.”

    It added that Bello’s second registration will be cancelled as the Electoral Law and the commission’s guidelines make no exception for anyone to register more than once, and to do so outside designated centres.