The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Inec

  • We’ll accept any superior judgment–INEC

    We’ll accept any superior judgment–INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday expressed its readiness to abide by any superior judgment that emanates from the current legal battles between the two factions jostling for the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State.

    Justifying INEC decision to recognise businessman Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the PDP in the forthcoming governorship election in the state, the commission’s Director Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Oluwole Uzi, said Jimoh Ibrahim was on the list by the virtue of a court order reaffirmed on Thursday.

    He said: “In one sense, the Ondo State Court order came on Wednesday but the Federal High Court reaffirmed its order on Thursday. And so for now, the commission is waiting for the judiciary to guide its decision on the candidate.”

    He added: “Now if you say we did not accept it, if we had put Jegede’s name, you will say we did not respect the central High Court order. You draw the conclusion for yourself.

    “We have said that we placed him there by the virtue of Court Order, and if a superior Court order comes tomorrow, we will obey that court order.

    “Whatever the Appeal Court comes up with, we will abide. We still have some days to the election.

    He also noted that even when the commission puts one person and the person wins the election, and the court says he is not the person, he will still be unseated.

    “It is out of our hands now; it is whatever the court says.”

    The Eyitayo Jegede camp, however, disagreed with INEC in its claim that it relied on the last court order in placing Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim on the list of candidates for the Ondo governorship poll.

    According to Jegede’s camp, an order was served the electoral body on Thursday afternoon, restraining INEC from replacing Jedgede as PDP candidate in the November 27, 2016 poll.

    Senator Ahmed Markafi-led committee and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff faction of PDP presented different candidates for the election.

    While the Ahmed Markarfi-led committee’s primary, monitored by INEC, threw up Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), the Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff faction, whose primary was initially stopped by an Akure High Court, necessitating its being moved to Ibadan, Oyo State, also nominated Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim.

    INEC on Thursday, however, confirmed Ibrahim as the party’s candidate, though with a provisio “by Court Order” in front of his name.

    But the Eyitayo Jegede camp disagreed with INEC, alleging that the commission’s decision must have been influenced by extranous forces.

    A source in Jegede camp noted that INEC’s claim that it only obeyed the most current court order was totally wrong.

    The source said: “It is a bit curious that INEC got two different orders from Court of coordinate jurisdiction with Justice Abang Court asking INEC not to touch the name of Jegede on the list.

    “INEC, obviously under pressure from extraneous forces, went ahead to remove the name of Jegede and put the name of Jimoh.

    “The first judgment was served on INEC on Wednesday in Akure. That was the same same day Abang gave his ruling in Abuja. And it was after Abang gave his ruling that INEC was served.

    “Because the chronological order is clear. It was now served on INEC in Abuja on Thursday morning.

    “The second order came yesterday afternoon. From the information we have, it was served around 2 pm or thereabout on INEC. So they cannot argue correctly that Abang judgment was the last. That is not true.

    “So if they say they obeyed the last court ruling, then it is clear the High Court in Ondo and the Federal High Court in Abuja have coordinate jurisdiction. No one of them is higher than the other. These are facts.

  • INEC lists Ibrahim as Ondo PDP candidate

    INEC lists Ibrahim as Ondo PDP candidate

    Businessman Jimoh Ibrahim was yesterday named as Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the November 26 governorship election.

    In the final list of candidates posted on its website last night, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised Ibrahim and his running mate Alabi Ebenezer Omotayo,  with a caveat: court order.

    An INEC official explained that there could still be a change of candidate and running mate if a superior court makes a contrary pronouncement. “We obeyed the last court pronouncement in the matter”, he added.

    Other major candidates on the list are Olusola Oke for Alliance for Democracy (AD), Rotimi Akeredolu for All Progressives Congress (APC), Olu Agunsoye for Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Bolarinwa Aidi for Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

  • INEC denounces Oyo Accord faction

    INEC denounces Oyo Accord faction

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State has denounced a break-away faction of the Accord Party.

    Two factions of the party held parallel state congresses in Ibadan, the state capital, on Saturday. The faction led by former Governor Rashidi Ladoja held its congress at the Green Springs Hotel on Old Ife Road, while the break-away faction held its election at the Olubadan Stadium.

    The latter had claimed that the congress was attended by staff of the electoral umpire.

    But the commission said none of its staff attended the Olubadan Stadium congress, because it was not recognised.

    INEC’s spokesman Ayodele Folami said it recognises only the Ladoja faction, because State Chairman, Bashir Lawal, wrote to the commission about the congress held at the hotel.

    According to him, Lawal is the only recognised party official who writes to the commission, pointing out that he did so at the appropriate time.

    Folami said no other individual is recognised by INEC as the state chairman.

    Though he pointed out that the second faction submitted the list of new state officers to INEC office, he said the list and the faction are not recognised by INEC.

    The unrecognised faction is being led by a team of party leaders who are opposed to Ladoja’s leadership. They held the former governor responsible for the party’s woes in the last year general elections.

  • ‘INEC must accept me as Ondo PDP candidate’

    ‘INEC must accept me as Ondo PDP candidate’

    In this interview with the Deputy Editor, Nation’s Capital, Yomi Odunuga, the factional candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Jimoh Ibrahim, argues that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is bound by law to accept him as the candidate for the November 26 poll. He also speaks about other issues. 

    With what the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said about the purported judgment obtained by you, would you say you are at a crossroads?

    Well, that should not be. INEC has no option than to obey the law of Nigeria. If they don’t obey the law of Nigeria, then we take them up on that to the highest court in the land and ensure the system is straightened in such a way that we can add value to our democracy. If you are given a court judgment and you sit as appeal in your wisdom over the majesty declaration, then you are taking the state towards anarchy. The trajectory is very clear. During Prof. Attahiru Jega’s tenure, INEC was known for obeying court orders. That was never compromised and that is why we could get democracy to where we are. In certain cases, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu obeyed the court order instantly. In the removal of two House of Assembly members, the order was obeyed instantly. But in Jimoh Ibrahim’s case where the order is specific; the first thing I heard was that once we have it, we would obey it. So, we made sure they got it and then the next thing we heard was that we have not been served, so we made sure they were served, and then the next thing we heard was we are studying it, now we have been served. Then the next thing we heard was, we are studying it but we give them till 27th of October to reconcile. Reconcile what? Are you an arbitrator? What are you reconciling? Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has warned that you don’t interfere in the internal affairs of political parties. Truthfully speaking, making that statement that they would give us up till 27th of October to reconcile smacks of nothing but corruption.

    Are you suspecting that the INEC is supporting the other group?

    I don’t care what INEC wants to do with its own life. What is important to me is that INEC must comply with the judgment making me the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Governorship election in Ondo State. It is not about Jimoh. It is about the system. What has brought our democracy to this level is the courage that Jega had to tell former President Goodluck Jonathan that he did not win the election and that the winner of this election was President Muhammadu Buhari and he gave him certificate of return. That was courageous. What took Jega to that level was running away from impunity, obeying court judgment and ensuring that there was a total compliance with court judgment till date. If he didn’t do that, Nigeria would not be enjoying democracy now, maybe we would have been at war.

    Does that mean we are progressing?

    Well, we cannot progress in one day. This is a less than 60-year-old country. This country gained independence in 1960. It is not even as old as University of Oxford whic was established in 1209 and that is about 800 years ago. Nigeria is just a baby; you cannot get it the same way the US is getting now. In other words, University of Oxford has been awarding degrees 750 years before Nigeria was discovered. We would get there, it is gradual. The key thing is to establish democracy and strengthen the institution. Institutional void is what prevented people from doing business in Nigeria. Part of it is my own case where, with a court order, INEC is still thinking whether to obey or not. Nobody would want to do business in that kind of country.

    You have threathen to go to court. Do you still have confidence on the judiciary?

    The government is strengthening the judiciary. Institutional void is one complaint that the World Bank would give to you about Nigeria. You go to IMF you want to borrow money, institutional void. You go to International Court of Justice; you talk about Nigeria, institutional void. Institutional void means unpredictable institutions that cannot stand on their own and do the right things at all time. You cannot be too sure they would do what the law asked them to do. So, the government is strengthening the judiciary, it is strengthening other systems, and departments of governments, state institutions. INEC should also be strengthened and purged of all the bad eggs. I am talking about one or two people in INEC that I had personal encounters with and you know, at my level, if I write the first petition in my life after 50 years, 26 years in the bar, you should know that I have evidence to say what I am doing. In fact, I have not said one-tenth of what Mrs. Babalola told me about INEC. If I say it, INEC would go on fire. So as a holder of the OFR National Honours, I keep that to myself until the DSS would investigate the matter. I can release that information to them but I just decide not to say it to the press. If I say it, you would lose credibility in the entire system because she said a lot of things to me and I do not work in INEC, all in a bid to persuade me to play the ball which I did not. Actually, she advised us about this court order. It is not for INEC to say they did not say so, when they do the investigation then they would know whether they say so or not. You can go and defend yourself there. I have said what I have said because that is what I was told and that was very clear.

    Why does your name often come in Ondo State governorship election?

    Mimiko, the incumbent governor, is afraid of my name and I do not know why. He is afraid that he has collected over 1 trillion naira in the last eight years and there is no development in the state. What we have is hopelessness, hunger, unpaid eight months’ salary, eight months of unpaid pension. I mean this is very bad in an oil producing state and what we are saying is that, this should not be so. They say there is recession, which recession? Buhari has sent to Ondo state more than180 billion naira since he came to office. Salaries from the period of two years even if you adjust the Buhari government to be two years old, the combined salaries of civil servants is less than 80 billion naira. You collected 180 billion; there is a hundred billion surplus. We are talking about recession and yet people have not collected salaries from the beginning of the year. They owe them eight months. That is completely rubbish.

    People would say it is easier said than done. What exactly do you hope to do differently?

    For me, a lot of things would go into turning around the state. It is a state in comatose, it needs to be turned around. That’s the first thing. So, we are going to diagnose the place, and we are going to develop human capability. That is what Mimiko neglected. Mimiko just finished from central-central district and they want to bring a governor that would spend another eight years in central-central district. Is that possible? Assuming he is able to do it, how would the governor have support of the people to run Ondo State? Where would he derive his legitimacy from? The governor should either come from the north or the south. I am from the south, if I finish, I give it back to the north. That is why you must be able to build a structure, a strategy and a system, to drive economic growth. If you don’t have a synergy, if the synergy is return power to yourself and the structure is to take it to where you are coming from, central-central district then you know the system would collapse. Like I said, he is a black swan in Ondo State and I think he is just afraid for nothing. He needs to come to the reality of the plight of the people of Ondo State. Regrettably, he is on his way out, he has just few days to go.

    How would you react to the general assumption that you are not that popular in Ondo State?

    I do not need Mimiko’s support. What do I need Mimiko support for? Mimiko is a liability. If Mimiko take you to campaign at the podium, you are going to lose the election. Somebody who has not paid eight months’ salary, what support would he give me that would translate to reality. What do you mean by I am not popular in the state? In 2003, you were there when I ran for election in the state; Adefarati beat me with about 5,000 votes. That was an incumbent governor. I was 34 years old then and I was able to make that giant effort. What are talking about? That is to tell you that I was almost there. If the incumbent could have beaten me to about with 5,000 votes, what are we saying? In 2003 to now, is a lot of years, I have played a lot of roles in politics in Nigeria from ANPP to PDP. Mimiko has moved from AD to PDP, from PDP to Labour party, from Labour party to PDP, and there from there. I don’t know where he is going to tomorrow. Maybe PDM.

    Are you confident that this fight to get INEC to put your name on the voter’s list would be realisable before the election?

    There is nothing stopping INEC from putting my name because, like I told you, it is an order from the court. It is not something that INEC has an option. This is not a choice. When you go against the law, it has its consequences and that is exactly what we have said. We need to really be transparent in Nigeria. You can imagine Mimiko, the equipment donated to him from Ondo state doctors in diaspora, one of those doctors was from Irele, they met in America and then medical doctors decided to look for medical equipment and give it to Ondo state. Mimiko went there to collect the equipment in the ceremony, brought them to Ondo and said that he bought it for several millions of dollars. It is so terrible and those guys are very annoyed. They had to call me from America that what kind of nonsense is this; they used their name and reputation to go to the manufacturer of the equipment to collect the equipment which they donated to Ondo State. I mean 1 trillion is a lot of money, what did he use it for?

  • INEC approves 47 observer groups

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved 47 domestic and international observer groups for the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State.

    A breakdown of the approved groups shows 40 domestic organisations and seven international groups.

    The commission has advised the groups to obtain, complete and return Form EPMC 002 for the election from the Elections and Party Monitoring Department, INEC Headquarters, Maitama, Abuja between 9am and 4pm (Monday-Friday).

    Approved observer groups are also advised to ensure that photographs of their members for deployment to the state along with their names are to be submitted in hard and soft copies (using CD drive, in JPEG format) to the Elections and Party Monitoring Department, INEC by November 11.

    The Commission stressed that late submission will not be entertained.

    Accredited groups were also requested to note that the date for distribution of observer kits in the state will be communicated to them in due course.

  • INEC to obey court order on Ondo State governorship candidate

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says it will obey court orders in  determining governorship  candidates  submitted by political parties for the Ondo State Nov. 26 governorship election.
    Mr Oluwole Osazie-Uzzi, INEC`s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, stated this at the “CSOs Roundtable on Emerging Issues of Nov. 26 Ondo State Governorship Election,“ held on Tuesday in Abuja.
    He said while political parties had already submitted the lists of their candidates for the election; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presented two candidates.
    Osazie-Uzzi said that although the commission was currently facing the challenge of conflicting different orders from competent courts of the same jurisdiction, INEC would base its decision on available court orders.
    “ It doesn’t matter whether a court order was right or wrong, as the commission has no power to question any of such order but to obey.
    “Just like the leadership crisis in PDP, very often we are faced with conflicting orders.

    “Court order A says do this, court order B says I restrain you from doing that.
    “ We are at a very dangerous position where litigants are being allowed to choose between what court order to obey and which to disregard, which is a very dangerous situation,’’ Osazie-Uzzi said.

    He said that it would have been easier for INEC to make its decision on which order to obey if the courts involved were of different levels in terms of their hierarchy.

    Osaze-Uzzi also said that the commission was doing its best to ensure that the votes of the people determine an election.
    “Election should not be determined elsewhere either in the offices of INEC or in the court room.

    “That is not desirable and not the way it was designed; that is an aberration.
    “It is only where the due process has not been followed that the court should come in,“ he said.
    On the Ondo State governorship election, Osaze-Uzzi said that arrangements were in top gear to ensure that the election was free, fair and successful.
    The director disclosed that the commission had recruited and trained more than 16, 700 ad-hoc personnel for the election. (NAN)

  • INEC to deploy 16,723 personnel for election

    INEC to deploy 16,723 personnel for election

    •Names of party candidates, voter register out Thursday

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to publish the list of nominated candidates on Thursday.

    Also to be published is the official register of voters for the election on November 26.

    The publication, according to the electoral body, is in compliance with the relevant sections of the electoral law.

    Section 34 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) provides that INEC should publish the list of nominated candidates by parties at least 30 days before the day of an election.

    Similarly, Section 20 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) provides that the Commission should publish the official register of voters for an election, not less than 30 days before the election.

    In the same vein, INEC is expected to deploy 16,723 personnel for the election.

    Ondo State is made up of 18 Local Government Areas, 203 Registration Areas, and 3,010 Polling Units.

    It has a total of 1,660,055 registered voters.

    A breakdown of the 16,723 personnel to be deployed indicates that INEC would deploy one Returning Officer, 18 Local Government Collation Officers, 203 Registration Area Collation Officers, 301 Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPOs), 3,010 Presiding Officers (POs), and 11, 103 Assistant Presiding Officers (I,II and III).

    Others are 1,321 Assistant Presiding Officers (VP), 621 Reserve Assistant Presiding Officers, 19 Local Government Area Supervisors, and 126 Registration Area Cluster Supervisors.

  • INEC denies $1m bribery allegation by Jimoh Ibrahim

    INEC denies $1m bribery allegation by Jimoh Ibrahim

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has denied allegation by a candidate of the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Mr Jimoh Ibrahim, that its acting Director, Legal Services, Mrs Toyin Babalola demanded $1million bribe from him.

    The commission, in a statement by Mr Adedeji Soyebi, INEC National Commissioner in charge of Publicity, said the allegation was far from the truth.

    Ibrahim’s name was submitted to INEC by the disputed National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Sheriff-led faction as the party’s candidate for the Ondo State November 26 governorship election.

    The PDP National Caretaker Committee, led by Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, also submitted Mr Eyitayo Jegede to INEC as PDP candidate for the same election.

    Ibrahim at a news conference at the weekend, alleged that the officer demanded bribe from him, before the order made by Justice Okon Abang of Federal High Court, Abuja would be  complied with by the Commission.

    INEC also quoted Ibrahim of accusing the commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ondo State, Mr Segun Agbaje of some “dirty deals.”

    Soyebi said that preliminary investigation carried out, showed that the allegation was far from the truth.

    “On the first allegation, our investigation revealed that Mr Ibrahim turned up at the INEC headquarters, Abuja unannounced.

    “Ibrahim made his way to Mrs Babalola’s office brandished a copy of the court document.

    “He insisted that INEC should accept him as the official candidate of the PDP for the Ondo State governorship poll.”

    Soyebi said that on sighting the unexpected guest, Babalola called three other lawyers in her department to witness her encounter with Ibrahim.

    “At no time during the encounter that lasted less than 15 minutes did Mrs Babalola ask for $1million.

    “Therefore, the allegation by Mr Ibrahim is false.

    “It should however, be noted that court orders/judgments are served by court bailiffs and not individual parties.

    “Furthermore, INEC only receives nomination papers from the national chairmen of political parties or their designated officials and not aspirants,” he said.

    On the allegation on the Ondo State resident electoral commissioner, Soyebi stated that investigation also revealed that it was not true.

    On investigation, he said that it was discovered that it was Ibrahim, who through an intermediary, tried to arrange a meeting with the commissioner in London.

    “This Mr Agbaje promptly declined and insisted that if Mr Ibrahim wanted to see him (Agbaje), he was free to do so at the 0ndo State INEC office during official hours.

    “Therefore, Mr lbrahim’s allegation cannot be the correct account of what actually took place,” he said.

    Soyebi re-assured Nigerians that INEC would never succumb to any form of blackmail or intimidation.

  • INEC to deploy 16,723 personnel for Ondo guber poll

    INEC to deploy 16,723 personnel for Ondo guber poll

    • Names of party candidates, voter register out Thursday
    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to publish the list of nominated candidates in the Ondo state governorship poll on Thursday 27th October.
    Also to be published on the same date is the official register of voters for the election scheduled for Saturday, November 26th 2016.
    The publication according to the electoral body is in compliance with the relevant sections of the law.
    Section 34 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) provides that INEC should publish the list of nominated candidates by political parties at least 30 days before the day of an election. 
     Similarly, Section 20 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) provides that the Commission should publish the official register of voters for an election, not less than 30 days before the election.
    In the same vein, the INEC is expected to deploy sixteen thousand seven hundred and twenty-three (16,723) personnel for Ondo governorship poll.
    Ondo state is made up of eighteen (18) Local Government Areas,203 Registration Areas, and 3,010 Polling Units. It has a total of1,660,055 registered voters.
    A breakdown of the 16,723 personnel to be deployed indicates that INEC would deploy one (1) Returning Officer, eighteen (18) Local Government Collation Officers, 203 Registration Area Collation Officers, 301 Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPOs), 3,010 Presiding Officers (POs), and 11, 103 Assistant Presiding Officers (I,II and III).
    Others are 1,321 Assistant Presiding Officers (VP), 621 Reserve Assistant Presiding Officers, 19 Local Government Area Supervisors, and 126 Registration Area Cluster Supervisors.
  • Alleged N23.29b poll cash: Indicted RECs end tenure at INEC

    Alleged N23.29b poll cash: Indicted RECs end tenure at INEC

    Two Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), who are implicated in the alleged N23.29b poll bribery scandal, have ended their tenure in the agency.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recommended the two commissioners, Mrs Gesila Khan and Sylvester Okey Ezeani for trial.

    A management meeting of INEC is likely to hold today, it was learnt, to review the situation of the RECs and to deliberate on the outcome of the meeting of INEC chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu ‘s session with EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu on the alleged poll bribery

    A fresh row has however broken out in INEC on the exit date of a National Commissioner, Amb. Lawrence Nwuruku.

    Nwuruku, who was appointed on October 20, 2011 by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan said since he was sworn in on December 20, 2012, he is statutorily expected to end his tenure in December.

    His letter of appointment was however explicit that his appointment took effect from October 20, 2016.

    According to an investigation by our correspondent, the two embattled RECs will end their five- year tenure on October 20.

    It was gathered that the completion of their term of office does not foreclose their investigation and trial by EFCC.

    Other RECs Istifanus Ishaku; Samuel Madaki; Ogbudu Gabriel and Sam Olumekun, will also end their tenure on October 20.

    The involvement of Khan and Ezeani in the bribery scam posed a challenge to INEC.

    While the EFCC has been probing Mrs Khan for allegedly collecting N185, 842,000 out of a N681million bribe deal during the 2015 general election, Ezeani has refunded about N20 million.

    About N59million in Ezeani’s account has also been frozen by the anti-graft agency.

    A top source in INEC said: “I think we are getting closer to how to determine the fate of the RECs who have questions to answer on the poll bribery scam. In spite of the fact that their case has been referred to President Muhammadu Buhari by EFCC, their tenure officially ends on October 20.

    “After their exit, the EFCC will have the liberty to engage them in any interaction it deems fit. INEC management has been overwhelmed by the allegations against the RECs and how to tackle it. You know the INEC chairman has no powers to take any action on the RECs.

    “We are now left with the task of subjecting about 100 officials allegedly fingered in the scandal to internal disciplinary procedure. The INEC chairman and the EFCC chairman have had some talks on the case.”

    Other INEC official  grilled by the EFCC are Fidelia Omoile (Electoral Officer in Isoko-South Local Government Area of Delta State)–N112,480,000 ; Uluochi Obi Brown( INEC’s Administrative Secretary in Delta State)–N111,500,000; a former Deputy Director  of INEC in Cross River state, Edem Okon Effanga—N241,127,000 and the Head of Voter Education in INEC in Akwa Ibom, Immaculata Asuquo–N214,127,000.

    Also, a retired INEC staff, Sani Isa  was grilled over alleged N 406,206,000 bribe sum allegedly collected on behalf of the deceased Resident Electoral Commissioner  (REC), in Kano State, Alhaji Mukaila Abdullahi.

    Those grilled in Gombe were: Godwin Maiyaki Gambo Balanga, Bukar Alone Benisheik, Dukku, Jibril. B. Muhammed,Billiri, Dunguma Musa Dogona, Funakaye, Mohammed. A. Wanka, Kaltungo, Ishaku Yusuf, Kwami, Suleiman Isawa, Nafada, Babagana Malami, Shongom, and Nuhu Samuel, Y/Deba.