Tag: Inec

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Lagos-based lawyer, Chijioke Emeka, with a Permanent Voter Card (PVC).

The lawyer filed the suit ahead of last year’s general elections, complaining that INEC failed to issue him with his PVC although he registered to vote and was earlier issued with a temporary voter’s card. The plaintiff said he was informed that his data accidentally wiped off INEC’s database.

Justice Ibrahim Buba issued a mandatory order directing INEC to issue the plaintiff with a PVC forthwith and to pay him N400,000 which the court assessed as cost of the action.

Justice Ibrahim Buba upheld the plaintiff’s claims and held that he had the locus standi to bring the action as he was asserting his right over a wrong he suffered personally.

Justice Buba rejected INEC’s contention that the suit was based on hearsay evidence, holding that the side-talk of an INEC staff that some data was wiped off INEC’s database was of no moment.

Amidst the crisis rocking the Anambra State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), members of the party in the state have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to refuse to be intimidated or blackmailed by any individual or group over the recent Supreme Court judgment.

The party said that INEC should rise to the occasion by carrying out its lawful responsibilities.

The PDP, in a statement, signed by Engr. Chidi Oji, called   on the state Chairman of the party, Ejike Oguebego, to embrace peace, adding that peace remains the party’s only path to glory in Anambra.

“Contrary to all the stories that have been peddled, no court judgment held that the state Chapter of a Party can conduct primaries and submit list to INEC.

 “No judgment also held that the sitting members of the PDP from Anambra State emerged from primaries conducted by the caretaker committee.

 “Anambra State should not be in the press for the wrong reasons. The court has spoken and we the Anambra people have spoken.

 “For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP legislators in the National Assembly are those that stood for elections and were voted for by the Anambra people.

 “They should be left alone to concentrate and work in order to actualize the objectives for which we voted for them.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will consult stakeholders in Rivers State on the logistics for a repeat of the legislative rerun in areas where elections were cancelled on March 19.

INEC’s Deputy Director of Voter Education and Publicity Mr Nick Dazang spoke yesterday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Dazang noted that the consultation would begin soon because INEC was eager to ensure that the elections were concluded.

He said: “We said it clearly in our previous statement last Friday that we would not announce a new date for the election until we have engaged stakeholders and that engagement has not taken place.

“It is after the engagement that INEC will fix a date for the conclusion of the election. We cannot just go back to Rivers State, given what happened during the election.

“An engagement at the level of stakeholders will start soon,” he said, adding that the date for the consultation would be made public when fixed.

Dazang also said INEC would not release any other results from the March 19 rerun until elections were concluded.

He said: “There cannot be more results than we have announced because as at the time we suspended the election, not all elections had been concluded.

“It is only when an election has been concluded that returns can be made.

“When INEC suspended the elections, in some areas, voting had just started; in other areas, collation had just started. Still, in some areas, collation had been concluded but returns had not been made.

“So, it is only in places where elections were concluded that we have announced results.”

Activities at the National Electoral Commission (INEC) were temporarily disrupted yesterday by protesters demanding their certificates of return.

They also went to the European Union’s Office in Abuja to submit a letter of protest.

The placard-carrying protesters, under the umbrella of “Committee of Anambra State PDP House of Representatives members-elect,” arrived at the commission’s headquarters at 8.30 am chanting: “ INEC, justice is what we want”.

They were stopped at the commission’s entrance by security men on duty.

The protesters demanded justice following the Supreme Court judgment on the authentic PDP candidates for the state.

Some inscriptions on the placards read: “INEC obey Federal High Court and Supreme court ruling”; INEC do the right thing, give us certificate of returns”; Prof Mahmood Yakubu fear God; Supreme Court verdict is final; INEC; INEC, the world is watching.

The aggrieved protesters included candidates of the party  removed prior to the elections on account of the Appeal Court judgment, which was set aside by the Supreme Court.

INEC’s Director of Security  Mr. Shettima Ngilladar received the protesters, led by Anthony Offiah, who said they were candidates of the authentic PDP in the state, whose primaries were supervised by the commission.

Offiah said: “We are beneficiaries of the High Court judgment, which has now been affirmed by the  Supreme Court.”

He said: “The reason we are here is that you standing in front of us get to here why we are here. We are responsible citizens and captains of industry. The Supreme Court gave a judgment in our favour, for over 60 days, that judgment has not been obeyed. INEC for the first time in the history of the commission went for interpretation, which shows bias. We objected that the supermen court does not have the jurisdiction because the judgment was so clear and unambiguous and so struct out the matter and since that day, we have been writing the INEC chairman severally, we have the copy. All we are asking is that this bias against us should stop. INEC chairman is biased against us. What we are hawking for is our certificate of returns.

“Last week Wednesday. we followed up on our numerous letters to INEC chairman, we came here from 8am and stayed till 8pm, he refused to see us. It will ice to tell you that we write formally and we have acknowledgement of our letters to see him. On Thursday again, we returned 8am and at 8pm he hasn’t seen us. He only saw us because we met him on his way out and he spoke to us at he staircase. “

Offiah wondered how the commission could be so swift in obeying the Appeal Court’s ruling on the same issue, but hesitating on the Supreme Court judgment, which favoured them.

He maintained that the commission did not seek clarification before obeying the Appeal Court, asking why was it necessary to do so in the case of the Supreme Court judgment?

However, Ngilladar assured the protesters that their case would be looked into.

“If there is anything that has gone wrong and you have come to the commission to protest, it will be resolved. Now that you have submitted a formal protest we will look at it.

On the request to be addressed by the INEC boss or a national commissioner , the director said: “It has never happened that the chief executive has to come to speak to you. We are here to ensure that the issue is resolved.’’

The protesters later took their case to the EU where they submitted a letter of protest. They argued that EU was a partner of the commission, and hence the need for the regional body to know what was happening.