The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Inec

  • Bayelsa poll: INEC begins consultation with stakeholders

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will announce the date for the supplementary election in Soutthern Ijaw after consulting with critical stakeholders.

    The consultation with national chairmen/national secretaries of political parties contesting the yet to be concluded Bayelsa governorship election and their respective governorship candidates is expected to begin Thursday as part of the wide consultation outlined by the commission.

    The Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) which is co-chaired by the INEC Chairman and the National Security Adviser (NSA) met Wednesday to review the situation from a security perspective.

    On Friday, 18th December 2015, the Commission will engage with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the Media.

    The December 5th governorship election in Sourthern Ijaw was cancelled and thereby making the entire election in the state inconclusive.

    Cancelling the election, INEC cited cases violence, ballot box snatching and hostage taking of electoral officials for its action.

    Southern Ijaw Local Government Area which is principally riverine has a total of 120,827 registered voters.

    Bayelsa state has a total of 663,639 registered voters.

  • INEC’s first two elections

    INEC’s first two elections

    It is not a flattering recommendation that the first two elections conducted by INEC’s new management floundered very badly, caught as they were in the morass of violence, questionable calls, and between the government’s dithering and lack of urgency. Elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States were slated for November 21 and December 5 respectively; yet the INEC board was not constituted until October 21, a mere one month to the first poll. President Muhammadu Buhari appointed an acting chairperson in July, and waited for about three months before appointing a substantive head and six other INEC commissioners for the vital electoral body. Though INEC spokesman disclosed that the electoral umpire’s functions were not impaired, he seemed to be suggesting paradoxically that the positions of six commissioners and a chairman were superfluous. The near fiasco the Kogi and Bayelsa polls became put the lie to such confident talks.

    Significantly, both polls were conducted separately, and were heavily policed. Yet, they floundered. Given how badly the electoral body performed, could they be relied upon to handle a general election in which the security agencies would be stretched wafer thin? If it took the deployment of overwhelming number of soldiers and policemen to manage just one election at a time, it staggers the mind to wonder how many would be needed all over the country at once. It is established that the Buhari presidency romanticises slowness; INEC should on its own not canonise shambolic electoral organisation, especially poor judgement and abysmal legal advice, if the country is not to come to grief in subsequent polls.

     

  • INEC gives Bello certificate of return

    INEC gives Bello certificate of return

    •Faleke absent

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday presented Alhaji Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) a certificate of return as the elected governor of Kogi State.

    INEC Chairman Prof. Yakubu Mahmud presented the certificate to Bello at 4pm at the commission’s headquarters in Lokoja.

    Represented by Prof. Anthonia Okoosi-Simbine, INEC’s national commissioner, Mahmud said the exercise was the conclusion of the governorship election, adding that it was in accordance with Section 75(2) of the Electoral Act (as amended).

    The Deputy Governor-elect, Abiodun Faleke, was absent.

    Bello acknowledged the roles of everyone, particularly those of the late Prince Abubakar Audu, whose death led to his emergence as the APC candidate.

    He solicited support, promising to unite Kogites and work for the state’s progress.

     

  • It’s rape of democracy, says Sylva as INEC stops poll

    It’s rape of democracy, says Sylva as INEC stops poll

    Decision in order, say Dickson, PDP

    bayelsa poll Results

    Local Govt          APC      PDP

    • Brass 21, 755   6,516
    • Sagbama 5,382       28,934
    • Yenagoa 14,563 24,258
    • Kolokuma/ Opokuma     6,896      7,619
    • Ekeremor 7,918    14,604
    • Ogbia 9,106    13,051
    • Nembe 6,974    10,768 

    •Election cancelled in Southern Ijaw Local Govt

     

    Another electoral logjam surfaced yesterday —courtesy of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which failed to conclude a governorship election.

    Just as it did in Kogi State last month, the agency threw a spanner in the works,  declaring Saturday’s election in Bayelsa State inconclusive.

    These are the two governorship elections so far held under the chairmanship of Prof. Mahmud Yakubu as INEC chairman.

    INEC cancelled the rescheduled poll in Southern Ijaw Local Government Council, one of the eight local governments in the state.

    Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Baritor Kpagir said the cancellation was endorsed by the national headquarters.

    Kpagir said the election was cancelled, following reports that the poll in Southern Ijaw was substantially marred by violence, ballot box snatching, intimidation and other irregularities.

    The REC, at the state collation centre located inside the multipurpose hall of the secretariat of Yenagoa Local Government, noted that in the interest of international compliance with best practice, the cancellation of the election became necessary.

    Kpagir indicated that a new date for the election would be chosen and communicated to all the stakeholders.

    The Chief Retuning Officer, Prof. Zena Akpogu, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar in Cross River State, maintained that he could not declare any of the candidates the winner of the poll, without the results from Southern Ijaw Local Government.

    The mainly-riverine Southern Ijaw is the biggest council in the state. It has over 120,000 voting strength, which would decide the eventual winner of the election between Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) Seriake Dickson and the All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) Chief Timipre Sylva.

    The governorship election took place on Saturday in Yenagoa, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Sagbama, Brass, Ekeremor, Ogbia and Nembe Councils. The poll in Southern Ijaw council was rescheduled for Sunday also as a result of violence and killings.

    In the collated results from the seven local governments as announced by the Returning Officer, the PDP leads with 33,154 votes. The PDP polled 105,748 votes as against APC’s 72,594 votes.

    Prior to the cancellation of the election in Southern Ijaw, some PDP women and youths, who wore black dresses and led by the party’s Bayelsa Women Leader Faith Opuene, protested near the collation centre, expressing displeasure over the poll in Southern Ijaw.

    Barely 30 minutes after the protest, despite the police ban on demonstrations, some militants from Southern Ijaw escorted two Hilux vans, one of them with Bayelsa Government House registration number: BYGH145, into the collation centre.

    The two vehicles were loaded with uncounted ballot materials, without any security escort or INEC official.

    The militants, who were singing war songs, as they alighted from the Hilux vans, claimed that they escaped from Southern Ijaw with the results of three units of Amassoma in the council area, in view of the violence, but the electoral materials were not accepted by the INEC officials at the collation centre.

    The Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of Training and Development, Hashimu Argungu, told the militants to give peace a chance, assuring them that INEC would address their complaints.

    The results are: Brass Local Government PDP 21,755 votes, APC 6,516 votes.

    Sagbama PDP: 24, 258, APC 5, 382.  Yenagoa, PDP 24,258, APC 14, 563

    Kolokuma/Opokuma PDP 7,619 votes, APC 6,896.

    Ekeremor PDP 14,602, APC 7,918 votes.

    For the results announced yesterday: Ogbia PDP 13,051, APC 9,106 and Nembe PDP 10,768 APC 6,974 votes.

    From the seven local government areas, PDP polled 105,748 votes. APC had 72,594 votes, with a difference of 33,154 votes.

    The police warned against plans by some people to protest in Yenagoa, the state capital.

    A statement by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Hashimu Argungu, banned all forms of procession, rally or demonstration.

    The statement was circulated at INEC’s collation centre in Yenagoa, where the results of the governorship election in the state were being announced.

    It was gathered that the PDP had already mobilised people to protest against the rescheduled election that was held in Southern Ijaw.

    Argungu said the police were informed about plans by some “disgruntled elements” to carry out illegal rallies and demonstrations in the state.

    The DIG said: “This form of conduct will jeopardise the ongoing electoral process. Therefore, the command warns all intending perpetrators to desist from such acts, as it will deal decisively with any person or group of persons who wish to engage in any conduct that will compromise the existing peaceful atmosphere.

    “Members of the public are advised to go about their normal businesses, as security agencies are poised to guarantee the safety of lives and property.”

    Earlier, Dickson was live on the state-owned Radio Bayelsa, protesting the electoral process, at the time he was leading with over 28,000 votes.

    Dickson asked residents to hit the streets at 2p.m. for a rally to protest what was happening at the collation centre and he vowed to lead the protest.

    The Bayelsa governor, who fielded questions from listeners, said: “There will be a rally to resist what is happening now. It is clear to me that security services have become an army of occupation.”

    Security was strengthened in the state capital, with four Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) deployed round the state collation centre.

    Detachment of anti-bomb squad, riot policemen and soldiers took over some strategic areas in Yenagoa, to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

     

  • Bayelsa: PDP hails cancellation of Southern Ijaw votes

    Bayelsa: PDP hails cancellation of Southern Ijaw votes

    The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the cancellation of Southern Ijaw Local Government votes by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
    The party praised what it described as the courage of the people of Bayelsa state for fearlessly “curtailing the rigging machinery” of the All Progressives Congress (APC). It described the election in the area as fabricated.

    In a statement on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party said but for the bravery of Bayelsans in standing up for their votes against the hordes of harassment by the military and other security forces working for the APC, their will as a people would have been completely subverted in the election.

    The PDP commended the actions and concerted efforts of its members in resisting rigging and impunity.

    The statement said, “We condemn in the strongest possible term, the wanton confiscation and transfer of voting materials by security operatives directly to APC agents for outright allocation of votes.

    “For the purposes of the rescheduled Southern Ijaw election, we wish to make it abundantly clear that we are ready, willing and able to defend the choice of the people.

    “Never again will this leadership of the PDP allow our party candidates to be manipulated out of any election at any level. In that regard, we have activated our structures across the country to defend our mandate always, with all force and means available in a democracy.

    “Nevertheless, we are indeed concerned about the apparent inability of the present INEC to conduct a credible election in a single state, especially in the light of the fact that very soon they will need to conduct a general election in all the states.

    “Finally, for the security forces busy brutalizing innocent Nigerians exercising their democratic rights, we declare that they should hide their faces in shame over the flexing of muscles in terror free zones”.

  • Update: INEC declares Bayelsa governorship election inconclusive

    … Voting in Southern Ijaw cancelled

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday declared the Bayelsa governorship election as inconclusive, with the commission cancelling votes from Southern Ijaw, the mainly-riverine and biggest local government area in the state.

    The commission announced at the collation centre in Yenagoa, the state capital, that the governorship election in Southern Ijaw would be held at a later date.

    Results from seven out of eight LGAs of the state have so far been declared by INEC.

    From the results so far collated, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has polled 105,748 votes, while the All Progressives (APC) garnered 72,594.

  • Bayelsa: Election in Southern Ijaw cancelled

    The Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday cancelled the voting in Saturday’s governorship election in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State.

    Reports said INEC is expected to officially announce the decision soon.

    The commission, according to the reports, took the decision to council election in the area because of violence, abduction of electoral officials and ballot box snatching.

  • Bayelsa: INEC to resume collation of results Monday

    Bayelsa: INEC to resume collation of results Monday

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will resume collation of results in the Bayelsa governorship election on Monday at 10.

    The commission Sunday evening collated results from Sagbama, Brass, Yenagoa, kolokuma/Opokuma and Ekeremor LGAs.

     

  • Bayelsa: INEC to declare results 6pm

    Bayelsa: INEC to declare results 6pm

    The Independent National  Electoral Commission (INEC) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, has announced 6pm Sunday as the time for results declaration.

    This was after Journalists and party agents have waited for about 9 hours.

  • Bayelsa: Returning officer, others yet to arrive collation centre

    Bayelsa: Returning officer, others yet to arrive collation centre

    Journalists are waiting anxiously at collation Centre in  Yenagoa Council hall, Bayelsa State to hear the results of three Local government areas which was said to be ready for declaration.

    The three Local governments are- Yenagoa, Sagbama and Kolokumor-Opunkuma.

    The agents of each of the political parties were also worriedly seated at council hall waiting for the result to be announced.

    But the reason for the unavailability of National Commissioners, returning officer and Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) at the collation Centre is unknown at the press time.