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Tag: Inec

  • Three INEC workers arraigned for alleged theft of PVCs

    Three workers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Anambra State have been arraigned for the alleged theft of permanent voter cards (PVCs).

    They were accused of stealing the PVCs for some communities in Ogbaru Local Government Area, including those for Akili-Ogidi/Obeagwe ward.

    Akili-Ogidi/Obeagwe Ward is where the member representing Ogbaru in the House of Representatives and Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Victor Afam Ogene, hails from. He is a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and said to be seeking re-election next year.

    On September 2, hoodlums allegedly broke into the INEC office at Atani, the headquarters of Ogbaru Local Government Area and carted away PVCs meant for some communities in the area.

    The most affected areas included Ogene’s constituency.

  • INEC cannot conduct free, fair poll – Atiku

    INEC cannot conduct free, fair poll – Atiku

    Former Vice President and presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressive a Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar, said Tuesday in Abuja that the  independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as presently constituted is defective and cannot conduct free and fair elections in the country.

    The former vice president also said that members of the party canvassing for automatic ticket for particular candidates are afraid of electoral contest, adding that the issue of automatic ticket is a foregone conclusion within the party.

    Speaking with journalists at his residence in Abuja, Tuesday, Atiku said that asking him not to contest the presidential election is like asking him to give up on Nigeria, saying, “I cannot give up on Nigeria because I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

    He said: “I think those canvassing for automatic ticket are scared of contest. There is nothing to be scared of in a contest in a democratic setting. How can you canvass for automatic ticket in a democratic process? There is thing like that. These are people who are afraid off contest.

    “I can assure you that there will be nothing like a one man show. Even at the last convention, the offices that were not contested for were not up for election and election took place for those offices that were contested. We stayed there throughout the day till the following day when results were announced.

    “I have already said that there is nothing like automatic ticket and that those asking for automatic ticket are definitely scared of a contest.

    “You know that the APC is an amalgamation of a number of political parties that came together, relinquishing their identity. But having been constituted, the APC cannot escape an elective primary. There is no zoning for you to say there should an automatic ticket and there will be no allocation like they do in the Peoples Democratic Party.

    “So, on what basis?”

    On zoning, Atiku, who is expected to formally declare his presidential ambition soon said, “As far as zoning is concerned, we don’t have zoning in the constitution of the APC. So, the race is open for everybody. That is why you hear that the Rochas Okorochas are also contesting. So, we don’t have zoning in the APC like the PDP. It is entrenched in their constitution which has been violated as far as zoning is concerned.”

    While describing the APC as a better alternative to the PDP, the former vice president said “So far, the internal democracy we have practiced in the APC is a better alternative than what is being done in PDP.

     

  • More US support coming for INEC

    More US support coming for INEC

    •Commission ‘ready to learn from critics’

    The United States (US) has said it will offer more support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Africa’s Deputy Director of US Department of State, Mary Angelini, according to INEC’s daily bulletin,  gave the assurance when she visited the commission in Lagos.

    Angelin, the bulletin said, promised that the United States would not shy away from supporting the commission in democratising the country.

    INEC said it was ready to learn from criticisms.

    The commission’s directors of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Chidi Nwafor, an engineer; Voter Registry, Emmanuel Akem, an engineer; and Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, a lawyer, reaffirmed INEC’s willingness to learn from stakeholders’ criticisms.

    The directors, while presenting a dialogue on INEC’s implementation of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) organised by the Nigerian support Civil Society Situation Room, the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), stressed the commission’s open policy in terms of accepting constructive criticisms and suggestions on ways to improve on its mandate of delivering free, fair and credible elections in 2015 and beyond.

    Akem said: “We have learnt and are still willing to learn,” adding that the success recorded in Osun and Ekiti states could not have been achieved if the commission had not learnt from previous mistakes.

    He noted that “every eligible voter needs to have his/her permanent voter card because we intend to use card readers in 2015. This will check electoral fraud.”

    Nwafor said: “We are still learning. We learn from criticisms and questions to improve on the integrity of the electoral process.”

    He explained the processes involved in the collection of PVCs and participation in the CVR exercise, saying previously-registered voters could still collect their PVCs at INEC’s local government offices across the country.

    Chidi admitted that the PVC distribution exercise experienced logistic problems as men and materials getting to locations.

    He said the problems were being addressed, adding that there were improvements in the second phase of the exercise.

    Uzzi said that the owners of the election (citizens) needed to be enlightened on how to participate in elections: when, where, why and how, citing examples of strategies and reforms put in place by the commission to elicit massive participation in 2015.

    The Executive Director, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, (PLAC), Mr. Clement Nwankwo, hailed the progress made by the commission in improving elections in the country, but noted that there was still more to be done.

    He urged civil society organisations to play their part in nation building by contributing to the improvement of the electoral process.

    The Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi A. Odinkalu, praised INEC for its achievements.

    He said: “For once, we have an INEC that is working; that is not to say we have a perfect situation, but we have an INEC that is ready to work.”

    Odinkalu advised stakeholders to desist from destructive criticisms, which could destroy the integrity of the electoral process.

     

  • INEC yet to create additional polling units

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Attahiru Jega has said the commission is yet to create additional polling units (PUs).

    Jega in a statement explained that the commission had only approved the framework and guidelines to facilitate the creation of additional 30,027 polling units by the Resident Electoral Commissioner and the INEC State offices.

    Refuting alleged disproportion in the distribution of the polling units, Jega said “the need factor” more than political sentiments informed the pattern of distribution of the Pus that we are creating.

    He said “the Commission took the view that no state should lose any polling unit as a result of this exercise because it would be unrealistic to reduce the number of polling units from any state, notwithstanding the fact they had exceeded their numbers. Thus these states were allowed to retain their excess polling units”.

    The Commission, he said, went on to give further relief to such states by providing that 15 per cent of the 30,027 additional polling units be distributed equally across all states, including the states that had already exceeded their numbers’

    “This s in the spirit that each state have, no matter how small,some additional polling unitsduring this exercise, in order to cater for new settlements, due to demographic shifts. As a result, even the states that had exceeded their numbers, received additional 121 polling units over and abovetheir retained excess.

    “The motive of INEC in restructuring the existing polling units and creating more is sincere and well intentioned. The Commission implores all Nigerians to set aside primordial sentiments and view the exercise with dispassion and patriotism, taking into account the lofty objectives that the new structure of polling units is intended to achieve.”

  • U.S promises more support for INEC

    Following the successful conduct of the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, United States on Monday said it was ready to offer more support to Independent National Electoral Commission.

    The Africa Deputy Director of U.S Department of State, Mary Angelini, according to INEC daily bulletin gave the assurance when she visited the Lagos Office of the commission.

    Angelin, the bulletin said promised that U.S would not shy away from providing more support to the commission to help it move the country’s democratization higher through best practice.

     

  • Community in Lagos mounts pressure on Jega, PDP

    Community in Lagos mounts pressure on Jega, PDP

    IGBO community in Lagos State is poised for a showdown with the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The group, through a coalition of Igbo leaders from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has declared that a deputy governor slot is the condition for its support in 2015.

    The coalition is also demanding the immediate removal of the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, over allocation of the 30, 000 new polling units across the country.

    The coalition, known as Goodluck Gaa Niru 2015, in a communiqué after its maiden national executive meeting, yesterday in Abuja described the allocation of polling units to the South-East as an injustice.

    “We seriously frown at the wicked plot of the INEC Chairman to shortchange Ndigbo through his introduction of 30, 000 polling units nationwide, allotting 21, 000 units for the north, with only 1, 000 units for the entire Igbo nation. We feel insulted that one of the legs of the tripod at independence could be so treated.

    “Consequently, we demand the immediate sack of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attairu Jega,” the coalition said.

    On the condition for supporting the aspirations of Lagos PDP in 2015, the group said the security of lives and properties of the Igbo people across the country is paramount to the success of PDP in 2015.

    Leader of the group, Kenneth Ibe-Kalu, while reading the communiqué, said, “Mr. President should know that it was the Igbo votes that gave him more than 25 percent votes outside the South-East zone.

    “We suffered untold hardship, leading to several mortalities, especially in the north. Ahead of t he 2015 election, we call on President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure maximum security of Ndi’ Igbo outside Igbo land.

    “In view of the overwhelming population of Igbos in Lagos, estimated at 45 percent of the population figure, the unsurpassed positive contribution to the economic and general development of Lagos State, we demand the position of Deputy Governor come 2015 election in Lagos State.

    “We advise the PDP leadership to get a reputable Igbo son or daughter for the position; we believe this will be a winning strategy in the next gubernatorial election.”

     

  • A suspicious order

    A suspicious order

    The attempt to compel INEC to award printing of ballot papers to the Mint could compromise the 2015 election

    President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive that the printing of ballot papers for next year’s general elections be handled by the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) apears curious. He instructed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should ensure that the expertise of the Mint be tapped to build up internal capacity in handling such sensitive materials.

    No sooner was the directive issued than the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, made the move to sell the idea to INEC. He went to the commission and got its chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, to give his consent. This could be a landmine that would haunt the 2015 elections. The CBN boss then dissolved the NSPMC management committee, with its managing director and the two executive directors forced to retire and new ones appointed.

    Mr. Joseph Ugbo, an engineer, is the new managing director, while a former special assistant to the CBN governor, Mr. Umar Masanawa, is the new executive director, finance and strategy. With the CBN governor himself an appointee of the president as chairman of the Mint’s board, the takeover is total, thus making the president’s directive curious.

    While acknowledging that the President and others who advocate that such printing jobs should be handled in the country by the foremost security printing firm in order to combat the scourge of unemployment and build up the national pride is not totally misplaced, the danger should be noted as outweighing the benefits.

    Elections have always led to combats and instability in the system. It sometimes leads to overthrow of presumably democratically elected governments. They have sometimes portrayed Nigeria as a country where anything goes. The 2007 elections, for example, led to an outcry not only nationally, but internationally. All the external observers indicated that the elections fell below even national standards.

    Everything that could go wrong went wrong. Materials were in short supply, logistics was a nightmare, and officials perverted the process. The sincerity of the Federal Government has been called to question in recent times. In the Ekiti and Osun elections that showed that the electoral commission could have turned a new leaf, the security forces showed that they take instructions from the Commander-in-Chief. Now that the president wants the Mint to print sensitive materials, the integrity question is being raised to another level.

    Can a company fully owned by the Federal Government, whose board and management are appointed by the president be trusted with faithfully producing ballot papers? And, where it does, would it be seen as having done so?

    It is unfortunate that the president’s directive is a clear detraction from the powers of the commission as derived from the constitution, the Electoral Act and INEC Act. The process of electoral reform that produced the 2010 Electoral Act was largely informed by a quest for an independent electoral commission. By the Act, the commission is believed to be more politically and financially independent than it was previously.

    But, by now deciding to issue directives to the commission, the president is acting ultra vires the provisions of these laws. If the president is allowed to get away with this action, he could begin to aggrandise his power more than envisaged by the extant laws.

    Had the Mint performed optimally and above board over the years, the order might not have been so suspect. In 2012, about N2 billion was said to have been stolen. Some old officials of the Mint have been taking their turns to answer to charges at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Some officials of the CBN were also alleged to have received slush funds from Securency International Pty of Australia. The maladministration of the Mint has, over the years, led to steady decline in performance. There was an 85 per cent decline in its Profit After Tax between 2009 and 2012 and a N215millin loss last year.

    We call on INEC to resist this attempt to hijack its powers. Professor Jega and his team owe the nation a duty to ensure that the reforms are given effect.

    It is patriotic to expect that capital flight is halted. South African firms should not be encouraged to continually attract profit from Nigerian government parastatals. But this is the way to go in the future when confidence has been fully reposed in the commission. By then, INEC could establish good relationship with the Mint. By then, the management would have been tested, the competence would have been demonstrated and integrity would have been established.

    Before the hope of all Nigerians could be invested in the Mint, it ought to be tested in by-elections. The general elections include the presidential, governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly polls. It is too heavy to place all these on a wobbling company.

    This is one situation that calls for disregard of a presidential order in the country’s interest.

  • INEC chair has lost credibility, say Southern elders

    INEC chair has lost credibility, say Southern elders

    Southern elders said yesterday after an emergency meeting that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Attahiru Jega has lost his credibility.

    They called for his removal, saying he was biased in proposing new polling units.

    The elders, under the umbrella of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly, queried the rationale behind increasing polling centres when the number of registered voters had reduced from 70 million to 57 million.

    The group, however, refused to disclose its next line of action.

    It comprises elders from the three zones in the South.

    The group said: “As plausible as these reasons may sound to the architects of this voodoo and arbitrary allocation of polling units, the people of Southern Nigeria and indeed the Southern Nigerian Peoples Assembly view this invidious act as a script crafted for Prof. Jega to implement, in continuation of the well known hegemonic agenda, by the enemies of our hard-won democracy.

    “The people of Southern Nigeria are not only appalled, but also strongly reject Prof. Jega’s claims and averment, whatever persuasions may have motivated this callous, insensitive, disparate, oppressive and inconsonant decision to give the North a clear political advantage over the South, contrary to the reality on ground.

    “If this concocted manipulation of polling units is his clever design to give undue political advantage to the North, having in mind the 2015 presidential election, we wish to remind him that he has failed in his decrepit mission.

    “May we remind him that he has lost his credibility, if there was indeed any, and he has lost the trust, confidence and respect of Nigerians. We do not need the lenses of prophets to remind Prof. Jega that he is spending overtime on the INEC chair, having shown his tendencies for ethnic bigotry, partisan parochialism and primordial chauvinism.”

    But Jega defended his integrity yesterday in Abuja, saying he is not a religious or ethnic jingoist. The need factor, rather than political factor, he stressed, necessitated the planned distribution of the polling units.

    Jega noted that the criticisms were unjustified, as the initiative was aimed at developing the country.

    The INEC boss told reporters at a news briefing that the new units would not give political advantage to anybody or  group.

    He said the people to benefit from the new polling booths were the electorate, as the idea would aid voting.

    Jega said the commission was yet to create the polling units, adding that it was only the framework and guideline to facilitate it that had been approved.

    He stressed that additional polling centres must be created to ensure that the coming general elections were conducted in a conducive atmosphere, to ensure a free and fair poll.

    The INEC chief dismissed a criticism, which had been on an alleged conspiracy theory, aimed at foisting the dominance of one section of the country on the others, for political advantage.

    He faulted the critics for focusing on the planned polling units rather than considering  the distribution of the 150,000 polling units.

    Jega said with the current 120,000 polling units, some states had more polling centres than they should have.

    He noted that it was regrettable that people viewed every national action with suspicion.

    “INEC’s decision to re-configure the structure of polling units and create additional ones is driven by our collective aspirations as Nigerians to reform and improve upon the electoral process for free, fair, peaceful and credible elections next year and beyond. There is no sectional or parochial agenda in this decision and there will never be any such agenda under this commission.

    “They know my antecedents. I am not a religious jingoist. It is only those who do not want progress, who are accusing us. Nigeria must move forward. We must not allow our fear to imprison us,” Jega said.

  • Will INEC conduct by-election in Edo?

    Will INEC conduct by-election in Edo?

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is in a fix  in Edo State. The commission has received two letters from the House of Assembly. The first letter is from 15 All Progressive Congress  (APC) members led by Speaker Uyi Igbe. The second letter is from nine Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members led by impeached Deputy Speaker Festus Ebea.

    In the lettwer, INEC was informed about vacant seats in the House and  the need to conduct by-elections within 90 days. The seat of Abdulrazaq Momoh (Estako West 1) was declared vacant by the Speaker, following his  defection to the PDP without following the due process.  In reaction, the PDP declared the seat of Victor Edoror (Esan Central) vacant for defecting to the APC

    Crisis hit the House on June 9 after four lawmakers-Jude Ise-Idehen (Ikpoba-Okha), Friday Ogierhiakhi (Orhionmwon South), Festus Ebea (Esan Southeast), and Patrick Osayimwen (Oredo East) were suspended for alleged gross misconduct and attempt to woo other lawmakers to the PDP.

    The suspended lawmakers were also accused of offering APC lawmakers N50m to join the APC. Before the suspension, four lawmakers of the APC including Ise-Idehen, Patrick, Friday and Momoh had defected to the PDP. With the defection, the PDP lawmakers rose to eight against 16 APC lawmakers before the impeached Deputy Speaker pitched tent with the PDP.

    What the PDP needed was to woo four more lawmakers to effect leadership change in the House, which would have led to the impeachment of Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his deputy, Pius Odubu. Ebea was said to have been penciled down for the position of acting governor, if the plan had succeeded.

    For about four weeks, Benin-City was enveloped in anxiety as lawmakers battled for the control of the House. The police took over the premises and put a blockade on roads leading to the city centre where the Assembly complex is located. It was a daily exchange of blows for the PDP and the APC lawmakers. Legislative businesses were put on hold.

    The crisis persisted because the lawmakers insisted on attending plenary sesions,  despite a court order restraining them from gaining access to the  complex. Several meetings supervised by the Commissioner of Police, Foluso Adebanjo, failed to resolve the crisis as the APC lawmakers said they would be disobeying court orders by allowing their suspended colleagues to attend plenary.

    On July 7, Speaker Igbe moved the plenary session to the old legislative chamber inside the Edo Government House, citing the on-going renovation of the complex. PDP lawmakers kicked against the relocation of the plenary session and vowed not to attend the sitting. Legislative staff were asked to resume work at another location.

    The roof of the hallowed chamber was removed. Armoured doors and iron bars were used to seal the chamber and offices of the suspended lawmakers.

    PDP lawmakers however, broke the armoured doors and resumed plenary session inside the unkempt hallowed chamber. They recruited two former  workers-Omoregbe Osagie and Okoh Godwin-to assist them. Omoregbe and Okoh served as Sergeant at Arms and Clerk for the PDP lawmakers.

    Victor Edoror was named the new Deputy Speaker by APC lawmakers while PDP lawmakers also replaced principal officers. The latest action of the divided House was the sacking of two lawmakers. Speaker Igbe declared the seat of Momoh vacant while PDP lawmakers declared the seat of the new Deputy Speaker vacant.

    Whose resolution will INEC obey? The 15 APC lawmakers or nine PDP lawmakers?

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Baritor Kpagih, confirmed that the commission has received two letters from both camps informing it about the vacant seats. But, he said  the commission was yet to take a decision on the matter.

    Baritor  said a by-election was not important to the commission than the distribution of Permanent Voters Cards.

    He said the INEC does not take decision on a by-election at the state level , adding that its activities are guided by law.

    “We have received two letters, but what is important to us is the distribution of permanent voters cards and thereafter, we register those that are yet to register.

    “Regarding the by-election, the House of Assembly has notified us. As far as we are concerned, we don’t take decisions on such matters here at the state level. We have communicated to the INEC office, Abuja and, once a decision is taken, we will act on it.”

     

     

  • Oyo APC to INEC: distribute PVCs, register voters

    Oyo APC to INEC: distribute PVCs, register voters

    Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that voters get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    The party’s Director of Publicity and Strategy, Olawale Sadare, who said this in a statement yesterday, also urged INEC to register those eligible.

    APC said INEC was non-committal to assurances it gave that eligible citizens would be able to vote next year.

    The statement reads in part: “As days roll by, Nigerians are becoming increasingly expectant of the days set aside by INEC to choose their next set of leaders. But it seems the commission is not acting in the direction of allowing the people to have their say as it has been the case since 1999.

    “What else could have been responsible for the failure of INEC to distribute permanent voter cards to the people it registered since almost four years ago and get the ones who are eligible to register to do so in a seamless process, if not for deliberate plan to repeat another flawed exercise to the advantage of the usual beneficiaries – PDP?

    “Oyo State was slated to be in the second phase of the twin exercises of distribution of PVCs and continuous voters’ registration. Dates were announced for concerned persons to participate, but most people were disappointed as the exercises were marred by inefficiency and tardiness on the part of INEC. As if that was not enough, remedial plans announced by the commission turned out to be further testimony to INEC’s unpreparedness to discharge its duties as expected while the groaning continues among the citizenry till today.

    “It is recalled that APC was the only political party that mobilised the people across the whole of Oyo State for the exercises since we are not convinced on the need to seek another alternative to citizens’ participation in the electoral process and this explains our cause for worry.

    “For instance, a large chunk of registered voters in wards 2-10 in Egbeda; wards 4, 5, 10 and 12 of Ibadan North; wards 1, 7 and 12 in Ibadan South West; wards 8 and 11 in Ibadan South East as well as many other wards in the state could not get their PVCs. Those to be registered as fresh voters are having difficulties in getting INEC to provide officials and good machines to attend to them.

    “Consequently, we are reiterating our calls on INEC to work against all odds and restore the confidence of all the patriots in the system as the whole world is watching with keen interest.

    “We also demand categorical statement on the fate of those who had to re-register as a result of INEC’s error regarding when they would have their PVCs. In the same vein, we would like to call on genuine stakeholders to do the needful and ensure that all the processes leading to the conduct of free, fair and credible elections in 2015 are transparent and acceptable to all concerned.”