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Tag: Inec

  • INEC clears 20 for Osun election

    INEC clears 20 for Osun election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared 20 candidates for next month governorship election in Osun State.

    The commission has also accredited 29 local and foreign observers for the poll.

    Addressing journalists recently, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had said the commission will ensure that the conduct of Osun election surpasses that of Ekiti.

    According to him, the Osun governorship poll would serve as a fitting prelude to the 2015 general election which would be the best conducted under the commission’s watch.

     

  • APC urges INEC to conduct Ondo by-election

    APC urges INEC to conduct Ondo by-election

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the by-election for the Odigbo State Constituency.

    The seat became vacant in the State House of Assembly following the death of its representative and former Speaker of the State Assembly, the late Samuel Adesina.

    The party’s Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, accused the ruling Labour Party (LP) for the delay in conducting the by-election

    It noted that the State Assembly, which is populated by LP lawmakers, ought to have notified INEC on the death of the former Speaker, following which the electoral body would conduct the election within the stipulated three months.

    Odigbo Constituency is the only local government populated mostly by non-indigenes from Osun and Kwara states.

    The state APC Chairman, Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, has also urged Nigerians to ensure peace in the country to guarantee stability.

    He gave the charge in Ore, headquarters of the local government while leading other state executives to worship with Islamic faithful at Ore Central Mosque.

    Kekemeke called on the Muslim communities to work assiduously for the success of the APC during the coming election.

    He stressed that APC, as a progressive party, would put their interest at heart and ensure they enjoy the dividends of democracy being denied them by the ruling LP.

    The Chief Imam of Ore Central Mosque, Alhaji Ismail Olurimisi, offered special prayers for members of the APC officials and the success of the party in August 9 election in Osun State and in next year general election.

  • Election petition: INEC ’ll remain impartial, says Ekiti REC

    Election petition: INEC ’ll remain impartial, says Ekiti REC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the body won’t favour any side in the petition raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the June 21 election in the state, Mr. Peter Ayo Fayose.

    The APC is challenging the victory of Fayose, Ekiti governor-elect, at the election petition tribunal, alleging some irregularities in the conduct of the election.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ekiti State, Alhaji Halilu Pai, who spoke with journalists on the phone   yesterday said all the materials used for the conduct of the election would be well kept and made available for all parties.

    It woud be recalled also that the Justice Mohammed Sirajo-led tribunal had given an order empowering the APC to inspect all materials used for the election.

    But the PDP kicked against such, urging the commission to protect the materials from being destroyed, alleging the APC might attack where the materials were kept and destroy them.

    On this, Pai said: “There is no cause for alarm. Immediately we got wind of the petition filed by APC, we contacted the Police and the State Security Service to beef up security around our warehouse.

    “And I want to tell you now that the place is under serious security watch. There is no reason to fear whether those materials will be tampered with.

    “We are going to protect them and ensure that we make them  available to all parties as directed by the tribunal  as the trial progresses.

    “We have demonstrated partisanship in our dealings with all political parties and we will continue to maintain this”.

    The INEC said the results that were declared across the 177 wards by the staff of the commission on the day of the election were true representations of the wishes of the Ekiti electorate.

    He added that the commission had no reason to take sides in the conduct of any election, since it was not  part of any political party, but a statutory and autonomous body established primarily for the conduct of election.

    He urged Nigerians, especially politicians, to continue to repose confidence in the commission as an unbiased umpire and stop making comments that could disparage the election body.

  • INEC, FRESH and ‘go-and-die syndrome’

    REV. Chris Okotie’s recent article: Is Jonathan obstructing the Rule of Law? asked a pertinent question. By their statutory roles and functions, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Senate-the highest legislative body in Nigeria, are supposed to be the drivers of our democratic culture and mien. The Presidency, the arrow head of the polity must ensure that these roles do not overlaps; when they do questions such as those raised by Okotie becomes worrisome.

    They also are supposed to be law abiding and seen to live above board in matters that will foster the growth of our democracy. Sadly, these two institutions, INEC and the National Assembly, have been acting with utter disdain and contemptuous haughtiness, becoming the proverbial leech that sucks its own blood.

    To INEC, political power belongs not to the people but to the Commission. It holds the knife and the yam. To whom it wants to cut a piece, nobody questions its sagacity. To the rest-the flotsam and jetsam, they can ‘go and die.’ How else can one explain the refusal of INEC to obey the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction or the treachery and conspiracy of the Senate in giving vent to this illegality by seeking to amend the constitution and empowering INEC to deregister political parties that fail to win any seat in the Presidential, Governorship or Legislative elections.

    A brief prognosis of the matter would suffice here. In December 2012, INEC wrote in which it purportedly removed the name of Fresh Democratic Party from the list of registered political parties in Nigeria. Such objectionable action was surprising because then, INEC did not find anything against FRESH. Recall that the functions of INEC as contained in Section 15, Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) and Section 2 of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended) include arranging for the annual examination and auditing of the funds and accounts of political parties, and publish a report on such examination and audit for public information.

    INEC did not do this in the case of FRESH before the purported deregistration and as such did not find anything unworthy in the activities of the party except the flimsy excuse that it did not win any seat in the 2012 elections.

    However, this action was challenged by FRESH at the Federal High Court Abuja in 2012. In his judgment delivered on July 29, 2013, Honourable Justice G. O. Kolawole ruled that “…no arm of government or a body created by the Constitution or any other law, can by the exercise of whatever power granted to it, enlarge, curtail or amend the provisions of the Constitution including the provisions stipulated in sections 221-229 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended)”.

    Undoubtedly, the implication is that the ruling declared the decision of INEC to deregister FRESH as a party invalid.

    As a democratic institution founded by the goodwill of Nigerians and funded by the tax payers money it was expected that INEC would either obey this judgment and restore the rights of FRESH party to participate in future elections or to appeal the judgment and allow the courts to have the final say.

    Sadly a year after, INEC has neither appealed this judgment,nor has it accorded FRESH the rights and political recognition that go with the legal status of a political party.

    Instead, the Senate in a most surreptitious and conspiratorial manner joined INEC in perpetrating and illegality when while voting on clauses in the amended Act, as contained in Section 68 of the Nigerian Constitution (1999), which concerns INEC’s management of political parties it recently voted in support of an amendment to the Electoral Act 2010, which empowers INEC to deregister political parties that fail to win any electoral seat in the country.

    The worrisome dimension in this matter is that the Senate President David Mark had in a reply to letter by FRESH, said the matter had been referred to the Constitution Review Committee. But days after, the Senate went ahead with passing the bill.

    It is obvious that INEC is playing a hide and seek game. First, it took some time before it could file a notice of appeal the court which in itself does not constitute a proper appeal. Then it denied that it was not aware of the judgment of the court even when the commission was represented during proceedings.

    Even after he has been served with the notice of the judgment, Jega and INEC are insisting that FRESH should file a fresh application for registration. Of what relevance is the new application? Does it obviate the judgment of the court? Does it make FRESH more ready now to win elections? Does it means that the earlier registration was done in error and that there are certain provisions of the law that the party did not meet with before it was registered and had existed for more than eight years before being delisted by INEC? Did INEC register FRESH in error or is it that INEC is not just happy that FRESH took recourse to the judiciary to correct what could be described as an injustice meted out to it and its members? These are questions that we may never find answers to.

    However, there are obvious reasons why the decision of INEC to deregister parties with the tacit support of the Senate is anti-democracy. One, it contradicts the 1999 constitution and infringes on the people’s right to freedom of association, which is enshrined in Section 40 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which states that “Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of interests.”

    It limits voters’ choices and in that regard, disenfranchises them. Above all, it narrows the purpose and functions of political parties to the bread-and-butter concept as parties now exist for the sole aim of winning elections.

    This action will also encourage electoral fraud among the existing parties since they now understand that to remain relevant or avoid being delisted, they must win at least a seat whether through manipulative tendencies or through any other means. Elections will now become a do or die affair.

    There is still time for INEC to redress its steps and restore to FRESH all the rights and privileges accorded a registered political party to enable it participate in the coming elections. Only by so doing, can we really say that the commission is a lawabiding body.

    •Samson wrote from Ibadan

  • INEC to stop PVCs’ distribution on Aug. 4

    INEC to stop PVCs’ distribution on Aug. 4

    THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State has said it will stop distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) on August 4 to concentrate on the governorship election.

    State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, yesterday made the disclosure at an interactive session with Christian and Muslim leaders.

    He said the interactive session was part of the commission’s efforts towards ensuring peaceful poll.

    Agbaje, who said the importance of the religious leaders in the conduct of any election could not be over-emphasised, urged them to counsel their followers, especially the youths, on the need to be peaceful before, during and after the election.

    The REC gave an assurance that the commission would distribute Permanent Voter Cards on the 26th and 27th of this month to those that registered during the recent continuous voters’ registration exercise.

    He said training has started for supervisors, presiding officers and their assistants, promising that all electoral materials would be moved to all local governments a day before the election to give room for early commencement of accreditation in each polling unit.

    He debunked the insinuation that the commission had authorised some people to collect pin numbers of their PVCs, saying anybody caught perpetrating such act would be handed over to the police.

    The INEC National Commissioner deployed to supervise the election, Ambassador Muhammad Wali, described election as a religious duty and solicited the cooperation of the religious leaders towards ensuring credible election.

    Wali, who said the commission had no interest in whoever wins the election, noted that the process lined up was capable of ensuring credible polls.

  • ‘Sharing kerosene, rice to voters against democratic culture’

    ‘Sharing kerosene, rice to voters against democratic culture’

    Governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Osun State, Mr. Olusegun Akinwusi, has decried the distribution of kerosene, foodstuff and cloths to electorate by some politicians.

    Akinwusi, who said the practice was against democratic culture, lamented that some wealthy politicians were only exploiting the country’s high level of poverty to woo unsuspecting voters to their sides by sharing kerosene and foodstuffs.

    The SDP candidate, in an interview in Osogbo yesterday, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to check the excesses of the parties which he alleged were deeply involved in such acts.

    Akinwusi said: “I have told people who do not have conscience to collect these things from them, but those who have conscience should reject them.

    “It is disgraceful that the two parties are holding sway at both the national and the state levels and have all failed in eradicating poverty. Now, election is aot the corner and they are spending little of our stolen collective wealth, which could have been used to turn the lives of people around, as baits to catch people into their nets.”

    The former Head of Service (HOS) regretted that rather than moving around to campaign about issues and how to bring about better governance, the parties involved “are going around the state sharing money, kerosene, rice, beans and so on”.

    He urged voters to be wary of such gifts, warning that whatever they were distributing now to induce voters would be their “dividends of democracy” for four years if any of the party emerges as winner.

    “For us, we have established ourselves in the heart of people. We joined the SDP without rolling in millions of naira and today our party stands the best chance of winning the August 9, 2014 poll.

    “The difference between us and those people was that while they are running around inducing people, it is people who know our worth and what we are capable of doing that are coming around to identify with us”, he stated.

    On while prominent politicians have not joined the state’s SDP, Akinwusi said: “We see those so-called big politicians moving around between two parties because they think there would be something to share. But with us, they know they are going to contribute to help the party grows. So, they won’t come”.

    He urged the electorate to close their eyes to what he called “rent-a-crow” rallies.

    He said voting for SDP in the August election would bring about better governance, full employment for youth, economic turn-around and rejuvenated public service.

     

  • By-election: INEC to meet with stakeholders

    By-election: INEC to meet with stakeholders

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will next week meet with stakeholders on the Niger East Senatorial by-election, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Emmanuel Onucheyo, has said.

    Onucheyo told reporters in Minna yesterday that the delay in the conduct of the election 42days after the demise of Senator Dahiru Kuta was due to the inability of the Senate leadership to formally inform the electoral body of the vacancy as stipulated by the law.

    The REC, however, said a letter from the Senate President dated July 17 has been received by the Commission.

    He said: “We have received a copy of the letter from the Senate President from our headquarters today and we at this level will meet with our lawyers and the electoral officers in the nine local governments before the end of this week.

    “We also intend to invite them for a stakeholders’ meeting next week. We are going to ask the stakeholders to come up with possible dates after which we will harmonise and meet with the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election and Security (ICCES) before possible dates can be suggested to the headquarters.

    David Umaru has declared his intention to vie for the seat on the platform of  the All Progressives Congress (APC); the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has selected Shem Zagbayi Nuhu as its consensus candidate.

  • 2015: INEC to adopt new plans, says Jega

    2015: INEC to adopt new plans, says Jega

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will adopt various strategies to educate the electorate, especially rural and illiterate voters, ahead of next year’s general elections.

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said various platforms would be developed to reach out to the electorate.

    Jega spoke yesterday in Abuja at a four-day workshop organised by the United States Embassy for INEC Public Affairs officers, with the theme: The Role of INEC Press Officers: Enhancing Good Governance Through Media and Grassroots Outreach.

    The INEC chairman said various platforms would be developed to ensure that the electorate are adequately informed about their roles in the conduct of credible elections.

    He assured Nigerians that INEC had put in place measures to enhance capacity of its staff.

    Jega said: “It resonates with our thinking that the commission needs to reach out to a majority of our people who live in the rural areas, who are largely illiterate and who need to be educated about the electoral process in an elaborate, clear and sustained manner.

    “We think that different stategies and platforms need to be deployed to reach out to them rather than the elitist and high brow ones we are used to.”

    He explained further that the efforts at building the capacity of staff is informed by the fact that well trained staff are most likely to exude confidence and to perform their tasks competently.

    Jega commended the United States government for providing lead facilitator for the workshop in person of Derwin Johnson.

    In his remark, the United states Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle argued that that the training is part of the United States’ support to INEC and Nigeria for all upcoming elections, including the national ones in 2015.

    The ambassador stressed that the US supports free, credible, inclusive and peaceful process in which democratic principles are adhered to by all parties, candidates and institutions.

    He said, “You’re well aware that the U.S. supports a free, credible, inclusive, and peaceful electoral process in which democratic principles are adhered to by all parties, candidates, and institutions.  This process encompasses all stages in the run-up to elections, including preparation of voter rolls, running campaigns, conducting the actual election, and handling any problems immediately afterwards.  We support an election process that protects the rights of Nigerians to use the ballot box to reflect the views and concerns of their communities—a process that helps produce a stable, democratic government regardless of which candidate wins.”

     

     

    “The key word there is process, because that’s what you’re there to protect the integrity of.  Public affairs officers help shape public knowledge and perceptions about elections and the debate process, and provide crucial information on voters’ rights and the voter registration process.  What you do is vital to creating an informed electorate that knows where it needs to go and what it needs to do to cast the ballot.  The better informed the public is of their rights and responsibilities, the better the elections will be. Better elections drive more legitimate candidates to the forefront, and this positive momentum continues forward.  You’re vital to this, and it’s why we’re committed to providing these trainings.

    He congratulated INEC and several electoral stakeholders on last June’s successful election in Ekiti State.

    “Positive momentum builds up, and I believe that you will carry this forward into the August elections in Osun, and hopefully into next year,” he said.

     

     

     

  • REC collected N44.3m from PDP, Niger APC alleges

    REC collected N44.3m from PDP, Niger APC alleges

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Emmanuel Onucheyo, of collecting N44.37million from the government.

    It said Onucheyo has reduced the commission to a state parastatal.

    The Publicity Secretary, Jonathan Vatsa, in a statement in Minna yesterday said the REC lacks the credibility to conduct free and fair elections  due to his romance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government.

    Vatsa said: “Apart from the frequent private visits to political office holders, the REC has continued to make financial request from the government for organising workshop, seminar and embarking on enlightenment campaigns.

    “The unfortunate aspect of some of these workshops, seminars or enlightenment campaigns is that INEC has never included any opposition party.”

    APC alleged that the governor approved N44,375,850 for INEC to organise what it called “National Inter-Agency Advisory Committee on Voter-Education and Publicity (NICVEP)”.

    According to the statement, the REC in his proposal for the Advisory Committee on Voter Education and Publicity said “The Niger State government under the able leadership of the chief servant is hereby invited to consider and approve as follows; intensive voter education as prelude to INEC’s conduct of continuous voter registration and issuance of permanent voter cards.

    “Approve the above strategies and their implementation in Niger State and the sum of N44,375,850, being the amount required for the implementation of these programmes and activities.

    “Please direct the release of N44,375,850 to the committee for timely execution of the programme and activities enumerated above”.

    The opposition alleged that the committee, which was inaugurated on June 5, following the release of funds, has begun work.

    But Onucheyo denied making any request for funds  from either the commission headquarters or the government.

    He, however, admitted writing a letter to the government for the formation of the committee as directed by the Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega.

    “I have never requested or collected any fund from the Commission or Niger State government for the advisory committee.

    “ I only sent a letter to the government dated May 7 as directed by my chairman for the formation of the committee.

    “The letter highlighted the membership of the inter-agency advisory committee, I am not responsible for who represent these agencies,” Onucheyo said.

    When asked for the source of funding the committee, the REC said: “The committee as at now is functional.

    “No money has been released from either INEC or state government.”

    But the Secretary to the State Government, Sheidu Idris Ndako, said the government released N28.7million to the committee and not N44.37 million as alleged by the opposition.

    The SSG said a committee was formed based on the directive from the INEC National Headquarters as conveyed to the government by the REC.

  • Ekiti Tribunal begins sitting as APC alleges plot to burn INEC office

    Ekiti Tribunal begins sitting as APC alleges plot to burn INEC office

    The Election Petitions Tribunal set up to hear grievances relating to the June 21 Governorship Election in Ekiti State yesterday began sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    The Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Mohammad Siraj of the Federal High Court, Jos Division, was the only Judge who appeared  at the inaugural sitting on the premises of the High Court complex.

    A motion ex-parte filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow it (the APC) inspect the materials used for the conduct of the election was struck out by Justice Siraj on the party’s request.

    APC’s counsel said it withdrew the petition because events had overtaken the demand, adding that the parties joined in the application were different from the parties in the substantive petition filed against the respondents’ action for the withdrawal.

    Although the APC lead counsel, Alhaji Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was absent at the inaugural sitting, he was represented by Kabir Akingbolu.

    Security was  strengthened around the premises of the High Court. Armed policemen barricaded the courts entrances including the dual carriageway facing the court.

    The state APC said  it has uncovered a plot to burn the INEC office in Ado-Ekiti.

    The party, in a statement, said: “We have it from reliable source that plans are being hatched to have ‘strange fire’ occurrence at the INEC office in Ado Ekiti and all the materials relating to the just concluded election will get burnt. The fire incidence would be blamed on some faulty power surge. But why would any person or persons want to set the ballot papers of a ‘free and fair’ election on fire, especially now that the APC has decided to test the result with the tribunal? Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.”