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Tag: Inec

  • Ondo: INEC begins distribution of materials Thursday

    Ondo: INEC begins distribution of materials Thursday

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Wednesday said distribution of sensitive materials to the 18 local governments area of the state will begin on Thursday.

    Disclosing this at a Stakeholders’ forum held in Akure, the State Capital, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Segun Agbaje expressed the readiness of the commission for the Presidential election.

    Agbaje explained that the commission has created voting points to decongest polling units that have registered voters in excess of 750 to facilitate early completion of the accreditation and voting process on election day.

    Mr. Agbaje also assured the people that INEC Ad hoc staff will arrive early at their respective polling units on the election day.

    He said to achieve this; the commission has resuscitated Registration Area Center (RAC) where ad hoc staff would pass the night on eve of the election.

    The REC disclosed that an election operations situation Room has been set up at the state Headquaters of the commission to directly receive queries and complaints from voters, accredited observers, contestants, journalists and other members of the public for quick and necessary intervention.

    According to the REC as at 22nd March, a total number of 1,142,991 PVCs had been distributed to voters in Ondo State representing 75.44 percent out of 1,515,034 PVC received.

    Agbaje however urged all stakeholders to join hands together and play their roles positively in accordance to the constitution, stressing that the consequences of not getting the 2015election right are too grave and should not be contemplated.

    In his own address, the Commissioner of police in the state, Mr. Isaac Eke assured the people that security will be provided for electorates and all political parties.

    He expressed confidence that the election will be free, fair and violence free.

    Eke said the people will need to bear with the INEC, if they wish the election be succeed as the smart card reader is a new innovation.

    He however assured the people that the police will exhibit high level of professionalism in the course of discharge of their duties on the election day.

    Others who spoke at the forum included traditional rulers, religious leaders and leaders of political parties, called for the cooperation of the people for free, fair and credible poll to be recorded.

  • INEC: voters free to stay back for ballot counting

    INEC: voters free to stay back for ballot counting

    VOTERS can witness the sorting and counting of ballot papers, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Attahiru Jega said yesterday

    “The results are to be announced to the hearing of all,” Prof. Jega said.

    His position sharply contradicts that of police chief Suleiman Abba who said voters should go home after casting their ballots.

    The duo spoke in Abuja yesterday during the INEC National Stakeholders Summit on the general elections, where Jega unveiled the procedure for the elections and launched the official app “myINEC”. This is the second time in one week that the INEC is overruling the police chief  on the issue. The elections will hold on Saturday.

    The Inspector General of Police, who noted that he was only advising the electorate and politicians to stay away after casting their votes,  said waiting behind could contravene the Electoral Act, especially the one that bothers on loitering.

    Abba relied on Section 129 of the Electoral Act, which lists some  of the actions which  could result in electoral offences. Section 129(1)(i) lists, amongst others, “loitering without lawful excuse after voting or after being refused to vote” as some of the actions, which could be seen as electoral offences.

    He, however, assured the people that the police would be civil in their dealings with the public.

    Abba’s speech was greeted with an uproar – a sign of rejection. “ I advise, cast your vote and go home and relax,” he said.

    Abba, who was replying to the question raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) representative,  Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, Deputy Director-General General, Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, if waiting behind to protect votes constitutes loitering, said there would be time to distinguish protection of votes and loitering.

    He also stressed that waiting behind under the provision of “lawful purpose” expires immediately one finishes casting one’s vote. The law provides for those who are to wait to protect the ballot, he said.

    “There are lawful people assigned to protect your vote,” Abba said.

    Noting that the advice also affects the candidates who are standing for elections, Abba urged them to educate their followers on peaceful conduct during and after the elections.

    On the deployment of soldiers for the elections, the police boss noted that the military will play a supportive role as stated in the constitution.

    Though he noted that he was yet to see the High Court judgment on the issue, he, however, said the military will be deployed to provide cover about 300 metres from the polling units.

    Jega reassured Nigerians that the commission “has done its best to prepare adequately for the 2015 general elections, so as to make them better than the 2011 elections, and so as to ensure that they meet the aspiration of Nigerians for free, fair and credible elections.

    “Let me also reassure that INEC and all field officials are determined to be impartial and non-partisan in the conduct of these elections. We will continue to do everything humanly possible to ensure a level playing field for all parties and candidates. And we call on all stakeholders, especially voters, candidates and their supporters, to contribute positively to ensuring that the elections are fraud-free, peaceful, as well as free, fair and credible.

    “It is also significant to note, that INEC has put plans in place to improve the transparency and credibility of the process of collation of results.”

    Jega went on: “Hard copies of result sheets from polling units would be scanned, converted to PDF format and put in database, which would be made accessible for viewing and downloading via the INEC website. Every voter or stakeholder will hence be able to confirm the accuracy of results from the PUs, which have been conveyed to the collation centres.”

    Three ballot boxes will be used in each polling unit/voting point. The box with the red cover/lid will be used for presidential election. The box with black cover/lid will be used for the senatorial election and the box with green cover/lid will be used for the House of Representatives election.

    The INEC boss, who insisted on the use of the card readers in  Saturday’s election, said the commission was satisfied with the security and accuracy of the technology, especially as it has proven to be very reliable.

    Identifying issues that stakeholders must pay attention to in the elections, Jega said “accreditation for the elections would start at 8am and end at 1pm while voting would start at1:30pm and end when the last person votes”.

    The INEC Chairman stated that ballot papers in the wrong boxes would be sorted and put in the right boxes, but some political parties present at the event opposed the idea on the grounds that it was against their agreement with INEC.

    While promising that hard copies of the result sheets would be scanned and published on INEC’s website after the elections, Jega noted that the commission was doing its best to ensure that the elections are free, fair and credible.

    ”INEC is determined to be impartial. We will continue to do all that is possible to ensure a level-playing field for all political parties,” he said.

    The police chief, also  yesterday, clarified his statement that voters should not remain at the polling unit, after casting their votes.

    He said he did not ban them but advised Nigerians against remaining at the units after casting their vote.

    He said his advice is based on the provision  of Section 129 (1) of the Electoral Act.

    The IGP made the clarification in Abuja when he met with 59 Police Mobile Force (PMF) Squadron, 19 Counter Terrorism Units (CTU) and 12 Special Protection Unit (SPU),  as part of preparations for the election.

    He said: “Police did not ban anybody from staying after casting their votes. Rather, what I said and I stick to it is this, ‘we advice voters to go after casting their votes’. Provisions in Section 129 listed activities that constitute crime .”

    Highlighting the functions of the special forces, Abba said: “The challenges that will require your assistance on the election days include the escort of the election materials and INEC officials a day before the election to the place where the materials and the officials will be kept before they are moved the following morning to various polling centres.

    “After the conduct of the election, you will be needed to provide necessary back-up to conventional police as well as providing security for those who have exercised their rights by protecting their votes.”

    The IGP also urged politicians to go the right way in case they are not satisfied with the outcome of the result.

    “All necessary measures are being to taken to prevent violence especially when results are announced and I want to  urge the politicians to go the normal process in challenging the result rather than go the way of violence.”

    The police chief  said the Force had enough men to  deploy in the 150,000 polling units.

    Abba said: “We have about 150,000 polling units and there are enough deployments arranged for each of the polling units and in collaboration with all stakeholders, they will do everything possible to prevent the commission of crimes and the eruption of violence.”

     

  • INEC inferno

    INEC inferno

    •We cannot afford any sort of arson that will endanger a free and fair election

    The recent conflagration at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) warehouse located within the precinct of its Electoral Institute on Abuja Airport Road is puzzling. More befuddling is the intensity of the firestorm, which reportedly lasted three hours before it was quelled.

    Shettima Ngiladar, Director of INEC Security Directorate addressed the media alongside Fidelis Iroegbu, Fire Service Commander, and dispelled fears that the 2015 elections might have been threatened: “The materials for the 2015 elections were not among the materials involved in the fire incident. What the fire consumed was the obsolete disused electoral materials used during the 2011 elections, which were waiting for the right time to be disposed … They are not even non-sensitive materials for the 2015 elections.’’

    He continued: ‘From the report at our disposal, the fire started at about 11.00pm and lasted three hours before it was put off by 2.00am. The major problem they had was getting close to the base of the fire incident because the keys were not in this complex. They had to forcefully gain entrance into the place.”

    We ask: Should this fire, attributed to an electrical spark resulting from electricity power surge, be deemed to be ordinary? Our curiosity becomes intense when considered that the fire occurred late in the night and raged till early morning when nobody was expected to be awake, except for probably security personnel on duty. Looking at the electoral season the nation is at the moment, and the strategic role INEC is saddled with, it is not out of place to suspect sabotage in the incident, especially with the ‘do-or-die’ political contest that we are witnessing today. But INEC has dispelled this and so be it.

    Nonetheless, we call on the commission to be vigilant and not leave any stone unturned in its resolve to organise and conduct enviable general elections on March 28 and April 11, 2015. We know that INEC has assured that the important materials for the elections are in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) vaults in states across the federation. However, we admonish the apex bank not to compromise the security of those materials. Also, there is need for security fortification whenever these sensitive INEC materials are to be transported from one destination to another, before and after the elections, in view of the tense political situation in the country.

    We have always been steadfast in our resolve that INEC should be given the leeway to discharge its constitutional duties without any distraction whatsoever. This resolve is sacrosanct, being something that all meaningful Nigerians at the federal and state levels must endeavour to embrace so that the collective dream of attaining free and fair general elections this year and beyond can be guaranteed.

    Despite putting in place necessary steps to forestall a recurrence of the inferno at the INEC warehouse and other devilish, incubating plans of disgruntled persons against the electoral commission, we also hope that the incident has been formally reported so as to allow for deserved rigorous investigation by the relevant authorities. It is not enough to wish it away as a mere electrical issue, because doing this might embolden those behind the nightmare to perpetuate worse acts against the electoral body as the elections approach.

  • INEC gets 6,673 Card Readers in Oyo

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received 6,673 Card Readers for use in Oyo State.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Rufus Akeju, said this yesterday at a stakeholders’ meeting in Ibadan, the state capital.

    He said: “In this state we have 5,620 voting points, 6,673 Card Readers have been received. A Card Reader, bearing particulars of not more than 750 voters, will be configured for each unit; 1,053will serve as contingency arrangement for the Card Readers that may malfunction.

    “Once fully charged, the battery of a Card Reader can last for about 12 hours with the in-built capacity to hibernate when not in use.

    The REC said over 20,000 youths, mostly made up of corps members, have been screened, trained and recruited as presiding officers and assistant presiding officers.

    He appealed to youths to eschew violence during the elections.

  • Akwa Ibom APC petitions INEC over plot to rig elections

    The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has petitioned the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Attahiru Jega on an alleged rigging plan orchestrated by the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) .

    The petition  signed by Dr Amodu Attai  alleged that  the party has perfected plan  to compromise the ad-hoc members of staff of INEC.

    Attai alleged that the sensitive materials, such as collation and final result sheets have been fraudulently obtained by the state government from INEC officials in Uyo.

    APC alleged that on  Monday, most members of the NYSC deployed to the state were invited to the Government House, Uyo as part of the plot.

    “Reliable intelligence from the meeting indicates that each NYSC member was given N250, 000 for his/her cooperation,” he alleged.

    The party also alleged that the Akwa Ibom State Transport Company has been engaged to transfer the fake election materials.

    The APC urged Jega to monitor all INEC employees so that they would not rubbish the commission’s good intention.

    The party also appealed to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) not to be a willing tool to subvert the peoples will.

     

  • Card readers: What INEC should still do

    SIR: Despite all odds, the doggedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use the card reader for the forthcoming general elections is highly commendable. Since INEC made public its intention known to bring sanity into the electoral process this time around through the use of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as well as the Smart Card Reader (SCR), the commission has come under intense attacks from the various political interests, who many observers believe, are threatened that with the adoption of the machine, it may be difficult to manipulate the process any longer.

    The card reader is a simple device that authenticates a voter by matching the fingerprint with the code on the chip of a card and keeping a record of all cards that had been read and verified. It is designed in such away that it is capable of eliminating multiple voting to almost a zero level, thus cutting off a major source of election fraud from the polity.

    For the first time in the annals of the nation’s electioneering, the electoral body is introducing the card reader aimed at curbing electoral malpractices and INEC said the device would be deployed in all the polling units as well as voting centres across the country. In view of its many inherent advantages of significantly limiting rigging and fraud in the course of conducting proper accreditation of voters, those still opposed to the use of card readers claim that the machine had not been well tested and as such, could not be trusted for use now.

    We recall that a group of political parties were the first to join the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in opposing the use of card readers in accrediting voters while the All Progressives Congress (APC) supports its use.

    To the critics, the use of card readers for the elections would rather aid the opposition parties’ vested interest to allegedly manipulate the exercise to favour particular candidates and disenfranchise many registered voters or likely winners. At the end, it was agreed that INEC could go ahead with its plan to use the device as obtainable in other progressive nations of the world. With the nod by the Senate, the mock voters’ accreditation was conducted in select constituencies across the nation and its outcome was a mixed grill.

    In carrying out the mock experimentation, INEC chose one registration area in each of the 12 selected states – Anambra, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Delta, Lagos, Rivers, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger and Taraba – to test the workability and efficacy of the device.

    Notwithstanding a few hiccups encountered, the mock voters’ accreditation was largely successful. This could have led to the wide approval granted thereafter by critical stakeholders such as the civil society groups, respected opinion leaders and international observers, who applauded the exercise.

    Now that the coast is clear for INEC to use the 182,000 card readers it has acquired, there’s still the need redress some lapses observed during the mock trial before the elections finally begin in a matter of days. There is also the need to get it right to prove cynics wrong that the card readers can actually work effectively! This remains a major challenge before the electoral body. To begin with, it should ensure that the card reader batteries are fully charged and well preserved such that they do not run down within hours of use.

    Secondly, there is the need to reduce to the barest minimum, the stress being encountered in the process of authenticating registered voters as many of them, who had presented their cards during the exercise, could still not be identified.

    It should be appreciated that conduct of credible elections remains the right course to attaining sustainable democracy. The use of card readers, from the available information, is not electronic voting but an innovation that would promote the electoral process by empowering voters to elect candidates of their choice meaning that votes would actually count.

    But when this is not done and people’s representatives are not credibly chosen, violence, hatred, chaos, anger and crisis become the order of the day. This makes it possible for the wrong persons to occupy elective office without any articulated programmes and policies to address the needs of the state and the citizens. And who suffers? The entire nation, of course.  That is why every effort at holding free, fair, transparent and credible polls should not be wished away.

     

    • Adewale Kupoluyi,

    Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).

  • Kaduna receives 7,827 card readers – REC

    Kaduna receives 7,827 card readers – REC

    Ahead of the next Saturday Presidential election, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kaduna, Alhaji Hussaini Ahmed Mahuta Tuesday said the commission has received 7827 card readers with the excess as backups that are yet to be configured.
    Mahuta who disclosed this while meeting with stakeholders preparatory to the elections, however stated that the backup card readers will only be configured when the need arises.

    He said 3 back up card readers will be dispatched to each of the polling units in the state.

    Meanwhile, he said 3,417,122 are registered voters in the state, out of which 3,404,481 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) have been received from INEC for distribution, but only 3,160,949 PVCS have been collected while 221,722 PVCS are yet to be collected, giving 92.85 percentage collections.

    The REC also said the distribution of the PVCs have so far been stopped except for the PVCs received in the last three weeks from INEC headquarters.

    Stakeholders which were made up of representatives of the various political parties, security agents, religious bodies and Civil Society Organisations (CS0s), IPAC, AU and EU observers sought clarification on issues bordering on security, thump printing, voting and announcement of results among others.

    The REC who proffer answers to the questions put across to him by the stakeholders‎, also informed that the Kaduna office has in its possession non sensitive materials while the sensitive materials are to be collected from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Wednesday with representatives of all the participating political parties in attendance.

    “So far, within the ambit of the const‎itution, I can say that INEC is fully ready for the election in the state, but we will require a peaceful atmosphere to perform our responsibility.

    “We are calling on political parties to talk to their supporters on the need to eschew all form of violence and any break down of law and order.”

    The security agencies in attendance also assured of their preparedness for the election and vowed to vehemently deal with any violator of law and order before, during and after the elections.

    They called on all eligible voters to conduct themselves in an orderly manner while those that have nothing whatsoever to do with the elections should kindly stay off the election venue.

  • Again, IG insist on vote and go home

    Again, IG insist on vote and go home

    There seems to be a sharp disagreement between the Police leadership and the management of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the issue of voters waiting behind after casting their votes.

    The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba for the second time in the last five days insisted that there was no need for the electorates to wait behind after casting their votes.

    Rather, the IG advised as he had done last week that electorates should vote and go home to relax.

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega had on the other hand said that result of the polls must be announced to the hearing of all in each of the polling units.

    The duo spoke in Abuja Tuesday during the INEC national stakeholders’ summit on the 2015 general elections, where Jega unveil the Commission’s process and procedures for the elections and also launch INEC official app “myINEC”.

    This will be the second time in the last one week that the IG and INEC will disagree on the issue.

    Jega on his part had stated that; “at the end of sorting and counting of ballot papers, the results are to be announced to the hearing of all.” This obviously contradicts the police boss stand.

    The Inspector General of Police who noted that he was only advising the electorates and the politicians to stay away after they might have conducted their polls,  explained that waiting behind could contravene the electoral Act, especially the one that bothers on loitering.

    Mr. Abba who relied on section 129 of the electoral act which listed sone of the acts which could resulted into electoral offence.

    He however assured the people that the police will be civil in its dealings with the general public.
    He insisted despite the huge uproar that greeted his statement, “I advised, cast your vote and go home and relax.”

    Abba who also reacted to the question raised by the All Progressive Congress (APC) representative, Senator Olorunibe Mamora, Deputy Director General General Muhammed Buhari Campaign Organization that if waiting behind to protect votes constitutes loitering, said there will be time to distinguish protection of votes and loitering.

    He also added that waiting behind under the provision of lawful purpose expires immediately one finishes with the business of casting one’s vote.

    He further explained that the law made provision for those who are to wait to protect the law. He added,   “there are lawful people assigned to protect your vote.”

    While noting that the advice also affect the candidates who are standing for elections, Abba also urged them to exercise high sense of reasoning in educating their followers on peaceful conduct during and after the elections.

    On the deployment of soldiers for the elections, the police Boss noted that the military will be deployed to play the supportive role as stated in the constitution.

    Though he noted that he was yet to see the High Court Judgment on the issue, he however said the military will be deployed to provide the needed cover about 300 miles from the polling units.

    Jega had also used the opportunity to reassured Nigerians and stakeholders that the commission “has done its best to prepare adequately for the 2015 general elections, so as to make them better than the 2011 elections, and so as to ensure that they meet the aspiration of Nigerians for free, fair and credible elections.

    “let me also reassure that INEC and all its field officials are determined to be in partial and non-partisan in the conduct of these elections. We will continue to do everything humanly possible to ensure a level playing field for all parties and candidates. And we call on all stakeholders, especially voters, candidates and their supporters, to contribute positively to ensuring that the elections are fraud-free, peaceful, as well as free, fair and credible.

    “it is also significant to note, that INEC has put plans in place to improve the transparency and credibility of the process of collation of results.”

    He also added that “hard copies of result sheets from polling units would be scanned, converted to PDF format and put in database, which would be made accessible for viewing and downloading via the INEC website. Every voter or stakeholder will, hence be able to confirm the accuracy of results from the PUs, which have been conveyed to the collation centres.

    Explaining the process, Jega noted that three ballot boxes will be used in each polling unit/voting point.

    The box with red cover/lid will be used for presidential election; box with black cover/lid will be used for the senatorial election, while box with green cover/lid will be used for the House of Representatives election.

    INEC boss, who also insisted on the use of the card readers in this Saturday election, said the commission was satisfied 100 per cent on the security and accuracy of the technology, especially as it has proven to be very reliable.

  • INEC: 703,492 voters yet to collect PVCs in Oyo

    INEC: 703,492 voters yet to collect PVCs in Oyo

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said 703,492 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are yet to be collected in Oyo State.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Rufus Akeju, said this after a crucial meeting of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) at the agency’s conference room in Ibadan.

    “We have collected 2,381,102 PVCs, of which we have given 1,677,610 to their owners. We still have with us 703,492 PVCs, yet to be collected.

    “The sensitive materials will be moved to the 351 registration areas on Friday. The poll officials too will also move into the camps to ensure timely arrival at the voting points on Saturday.

    “We have 5,620 voting points and they must be adequately protected to assure voters of their safety.

    “Besides, only yesterday we received another13,000 PVCs from Abuja, and only those that were received two weeks ago till date will be distributed.”

    The REC said various      identification tags to be used by ad hoc personnel would be given at the meeting with the security chiefs to reduce problems arising from identification.

    “We have packaged documents that will assist the security agencies to mobilise and deploy their personnel.”

    Akeju said the agency was    working to ensure the safety of voters during the election.

    Commissioner of Police Muhammad Katsina assured the public that the atmosphere would be peaceful before, during and after the elections.

    “We have deliberated here extensively and we are determined to maintain law and order. We want to inform the public that we will spare nobody that causes the breakdown of law and order.

    “With the morale of our men on ground, we are certain that Oyo State will be a good reference point after the conduct of the election,” he said

  • Polls: Security beefed up at INEC Lagos office

    Ahead of Saturday’s presidential election, security has been beefed up at the Lagos State Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that as part of the security measures, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) were positioned at the entrance of the commission’s office.

    A NAN correspondent, who monitored activities at the   INEC’s office, reports that there was presence of security personnel in the area.

    Some soldiers and mobile police personnel were also seen within the area apparently to provide protection for electoral officers and materials.

    Also, staff of the commission were seen busy sorting and packaging non-sensitive electoral materials for distribution to different parts of the state.

    INEC vehicles were also seen loading and moving materials to the commission’s local government offices across the state.

    Meanwhile, Mr Femi Akinbiyi, the state’s Head of Public Affairs, said that the commission had distributed 3. 8 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to registered voters in the state.

    Akinbiyi said that the figure represented 69 per cent of the total registered voters.

    “We have distributed 3, 847, 491 PVCs in Lagos as at the end of last week.

    “This represent 69 per cent of the total registered voters in the state,’’ the spokesman said.

    According to him, many registered voters failed to come for their cards in spite of all the commission’s efforts.

    On cards yet to be collected by their owners, the spokesman said that the state was waiting for directive on the next step of action from its headquarters in Abuja.

    Akinbiyi, however, reiterated the commitment of the commission to ensuring free, fair and acceptable elections on March 28 and April 11