The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Inec

  • INEC plans heavy security deployment for poll

    THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will  deploy heavy security in the August 9 governorship election in Osun State just as it was in Ekiti State.

    State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Segun Agbaje spoke in Abuja yesterday at an event tagged: “Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room.”

    The event was a platform provided by a group, the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), for civil society organistions to assess the level of INEC’s preparedness for the Osun election.

    Agbaje said the decision was informed by Osun’s heightening security situation, arising from the unfriendly utterances of the major political players.

    “There will be improved security deployment. I cannot say the level of security deployment in Osun will be less than that of Ekiti. This is because of the utterances of the political leaders and the heavy threat of violence,” he said.

    But the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday sued President Goodluck Jonathan to a Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, where it is seeking an order restraining the President from deploying soldiers to Osun during the election.

    Joined in the suit is the Attorney-General of the Federation.

    According to the originating summons filed by M.A. Banire & Associates, the legal chamber of the National Legal Adviser of the APC, Dr. Muiz Banire, the suit was brought pursuant to Order 3, Rules 1, 6 and 9 of the FHC (civil procedure) Rules 2009; Sections 217 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    The party is contending that by provisions of the 1999 Constitution, it is ultra vires for the President to deploy members of the Armed Forces in Osun State for the election.

    The REC, however, said of the 1,407,222 total registered voters, INEC had distributed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to 63 per cent, translating to 792,200 of the registered voters. He said 1,250,569 of such PVCs were received from the INEC headquarters as at July 11.

    Agbaje said 19 candidates had been cleared to contest the election. He said no voter would be allowed to cast the ballot without a PVC. He assured that as against the case in Ekiti, any voter with valid voter card will be allowed to vote.

    The REC, who said his commission would engage in its final phase of PVC distribution on July 26 and 27, assured that INEC has done all it can to ensure that the Osun election serves as an improvement on the Ekiti poll and a prelude to the perfect job it envisages in 2015.

    “The Anambra case was not as bad as being portrayed.  If Ekiti is said to have been an improvement, we want to build on that improvement with the Osun election to ensure that we have the best in 2015,” he said.

    The REC said aside the security challenge, INEC was working on ways of overcoming the challenge of the state’s prevailing political culture of violence, where all the politicians see election as a do-or-die affair.

    He said although non-sensitive electoral materials have been deployed since last Thursday, the commission would allow the release of the sensitive materials from the state’s branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from August 6.

    Agbaje said about 7,000 mats had been ordered to complement available bedding facilities provided in all the Registration Areas Centres (RACs) to afford INEC officials the minimum comfort preparatory to their deployment to the field.

  • INEC plans to deploy heavy security in Osun, says REC

    INEC plans to deploy heavy security in Osun, says REC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it was planning heavy security presence during the August 9 governorship election in Osun State as was the case during a similar election held on June 21 in Ekiti State.

    The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Segun Agbaje, who spoke in Abuja Wednesday, said the decision was informed by the heightening security situation in the state, arising from the unfriendly utterances of the major political players.

    “There will be improved security deployment. I cannot say the level of security deployment in Osun will be less than that of Ekiti. This is because of the utterances of the political leaders and the heavy threat of violence,” he said.

    The REC said, of the 1,407,222 total registered voters in the state, INEC has distributed permanent voter card (PVC) to 63 per cent, translating to 792,200 of the registered voters. He said 1,250,569 of such PVC were received from the INEC headquarters as at July 11.

    Agbaje said 19 candidates have been cleared to contest the election as at today. He said no voter will be allowed to cast ballot without PVC. He assured that as against the case in Ekiti, any voter with valid voter’s card will be allowed to vote.

    He spoke at an event tagged “Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room,” a platform provided by a group, the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) for civil society organistions to assess the level of INEC’s preparedness for the Osun election.

    The REC, who said his commission will engage in its final phase of PVC distribution on July 26 and 27, assured that INEC has done all it can to ensure that the Osun election serves as an improvement on the Ekiti poll and a prelude to the perfect job it envisages in 2015.

    “The Anambra case was not as bad as being portrayed.  If Ekiti is said to have been an improvement, we want to build on that improvement with the Osun election to ensure that we have the best in 2015,” he said.

    Agbaje said aside security challenge; INEC was working on ways of overcoming the challenge of the prevailing political culture of violence in the state. He said aside that all the politicians see election as a do or die affair, the

    He said although non-sensitive electoral materials have been deployed since Thursday last week, the commission will allow the release of the sensitive materials from the state’s branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from August 6.

    Agbaje said about 7,000 mats have been ordered to complement available bedding facilities provided in all the Registration Areas Centres (RACs) to afford INEC officials the minimum comfort preparatory to their deployment to the field.

  • Ekiti women stakeholders reject governorship poll results

    Ekiti women stakeholders reject governorship poll results

    A group of women representatives in Ekiti State, under the aegis of Ekiti Women Stakeholders, has faulted the outcome of the June 21 governorship election, describing it as “a mystery”.

    The group said the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was not a reflection of the people’s votes.

    A communiqué by the group dismissed the notion that the touted ‘stomach infrastructure’ phenomenon supposedly played a significant role in shaping the outcome of the election.

    The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Fola Richie-Adewusi, endorsed the communiqué on behalf of the Forum of Women in Leadership, which comprised women in leadership positions.

    Other signatories were the State Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Funke Owoseni, for the APC Women’s Wing while the Iyaloja of Ekiti State, Chief Waye Osho, endorsed the document on behalf of market women.

    The group dismissed as unfounded the alleged disconnect between the Fayemi-led administration and the grassroots on the premise that the governor’s programmes and policies in the last three and a half years centred on gender mainstreaming and women empowerment.

    Judging by its findings in the past two weeks, the group came to the conclusion that the election was neither free nor fair.

    The statement read: “We represent Ekiti women cutting across social, religious and class divides from all the 16 local governments in the state. We hereby declare that the ‘result’ announced by INEC following the election of June 21, 2014 does not reflect the actual votes of Ekiti people.

    “Fifty- two per cent of the total registered voters in Ekiti are women, of which 70 per cent are ardent supporters of JKF (Fayemi’s) administration as a result of the governor’s gender equality and women empowerment programmes.

    “The 70 per cent instituted a monitoring group at all the voting units across the state and made sure they all voted en masse for Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    “We call on the APC leadership to intensify their efforts, as well as all well-meaning Nigerians and the international community to help us unravel the mystery and retrieve our missing votes”, the women said.

  • SDP: credible poll possible on August 9

    SDP: credible poll possible on August 9

    OSUN State Social Democratic Party’s (SDP)governorship candidate Mr. Olusegun Akinwusi has expressed confidence in the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free and fair poll on August 9.

    Akinwusi, who spoke during the visit of Concerned Osogbo Indigenes and Non-Indigenes Group (COING) to his campaign office in Osogbo, the state capital, called on co-contestants in the forthcoming election to desist from violence.

    He expressed concern over alleged plan of Governor Rauf Aregbesola to use his “State Boys” and members of Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) to cause mayhem during the election.

    “I detest violence and that is why I go about my campaigns with no thug or armed men. If I truly want to be leaders of my people, why will I move around to harass them with thugs?

    “There must be a departure from what we have before. We want to create a sane society where development will be our focus. We want to plan for our people and create a conducive environment for economic growth,” he said.

    He urged security agencies to ensure that there is a repeat of what they did in Ekiti state in Osun by providing adequate security for voters during the polls.

    He said: “We all saw what happened in Ekiti State. People should be allowed to express their minds by voting for who they like. Security must be adequately beefed up for electorate to exercise their voting right.”

     

     

    On INEC, Akinwusi told his guests that he was sure the electoral body will perform up to expectation and even improve on what it did during the last governorship election in Ekiti state.

    He assured the group of SDP’s readiness to bring all stakeholders into government if voted into power. “Go and encourage others that our party will bring even development into Osun State and we will make this state a good example to others  in term of good governance.”

    COING Chairman and Secretary, Mr. Israel Olowookere and Alhaji Oladapo Usman urged the SDP candidate not to forget his promises to the electorate during his campaign tours.

    Olowookere said: “Nobody forced us to come here to identify with your aspiration, but after careful observation of the state’s political trend and how honest you are, we decided to associate with you and to support you in the August 9 election.

    He charged the former Head of Service (HOS) to beware of politicians with deceitful agenda and those “who are only interested in lining their pockets to the detriment of the entire citizenry.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • INEC prepared for litigation on Ekiti election, says REC

    INEC prepared for litigation on Ekiti election, says REC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC)in Ekiti State, Alhaji Halilu Pai, has said the Commission is prepared to defend its integrity before the Election Petitions Tribunal.

    In a telephone interactions with reporters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital yesterday, Pai said the action taken by APC was right according to the Electoral Act 2010, as amended.

    Pai spoke through the Commission’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Taiwo Gbadegesin, in reaction to the petition filed at the Election Petitions Tribunal by the Chairman of APC in the state, Chief Jide Awe.

    His words: “The candidate declared by INEC, Mr Ayodele Fayose, won the

    election gallantly having fulfilled all the laid-down provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended during the election.

    “Any aggrieved party or candidate who wishes to challenge the outcome is equally free to do so within the ambit of the same enabling instrument.

    The REC added that the Commission did not perpetrate any form of compromise, noting: “We are even happy that they are in court rather than trying us on the pages of newspapers”.

    “We are always on the alert after every election to receive such because no matter the effort and resources you put to electoral process, we have not developed to the level of accepting defeat without litigation.

    “We are prepared for them and after we are served, we will have to perfect our papers and get ready to defend our action in Court.

    “What they are doing is not against the law and I want to say again that we are going to give them all they need to help their case because we have nothing to hide. But we are waiting for them to confirm to us that we have been joined,” Pai said.

  • 2015: INEC urges adherence to guidelines on political adverts

    2015: INEC urges adherence to guidelines on political adverts

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, has urged political parties and their candidates to follow best practices in their advertising ahead of the 2015 elections.

    Jega spoke at the weekend in Abuja during an international seminar on: Political Advertising, Perception Building and Voter Education at the Yar’Adua Centre, organised by Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN).

    Jega said: “As we approach the general elections in February 2015, no effort should be spared by stakeholders in promoting civic enlightenment among the electorate and global best practices among the political elite. One of the major requirements of liberal democracy is mobilisation and participation of the people in the process. We should learn about international best practices in grassroots mobilisation, perception building and voter education.”

    The INEC chairman said the commission had revised the regulations in its Code of Conduct for political advertisements and campaigns to ensure strict compliance among parties and their candidates.

    He said: “It is very important that we regulate and sanitise our campaigns. A lot of that sanitation can be done without regulation, if only politicians can change their attitudes and mindsets. But we in INEC have revised the regulations governing campaigns and we have already shared a draft of those guidelines with political parties.

    “We hope to finalise it and, very soon, we will put it into effect so that political parties will know clearly where to draw the lines and the sanctions that would apply, if they do not act according to the rules and regulations.

    “I think what this seminar has shown is that you can learn a good practice from other countries and factor it into your own preparations. It is very important that we sanitise the electoral process and political campaigns. They should be research-based, well informed and expertise should be brought to bear in the preparation and conduct of political campaigns.”

    All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) National Chairman Victor Umeh said political advertising is critical to electioneering process.

    He urged advertising practitioners to collect the code of conduct already signed by political parties at the INEC headquarters.

  • APC alleges INEC, PDP plot to rig

    APC alleges INEC, PDP plot to rig

    It’s false, says REC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) alleged yesterday that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was executing a “sinister plan by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to manipulate the electoral process ahead of the August 9 governorship election.”

    In a statement by its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, a lawyer, APC alleged that a plot had been made to rig the August 9 poll.

    “Thousands of APC supporters in the 30 local governments are being disenfranchised as INEC is preventing them from obtaining their permanent voter cards (PVCs) without which they will not be allowed to vote,” the party alleged.

    APC alleged that INEC had introduced a “wicked formula of dispensing the PVCs by asking voters with temporary cards what party they belong to before the permanent voter cards are given.”

    “In the process, those who have identified themselves as APC supporters have been told that their PVCs are not ready and INEC could not tell these prospective voters when they would be ready. This is part of what the PDP wants and this why it has removed the former Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Rufus Akeju.

    “Information from the PDP leadership has also shown INEC’s alleged involvement in a massive ballot stuffing plan that will be secured by security forces and presented as votes of designated polling booths. The rigging plan of the PDP in Osun, therefore, is a coordinated exercise between the party and corrupt INEC officials under the protection of the federal security forces.

    “Besides, the APC is reliably informed that the ink, which INEC will use in the majority of the local governments, will be similar to the one used in Ekiti State that fades off within hours of voting.

    “The APC is therefore warning that INEC’s integrity as a fair umpire may have been compromised, and it is impossible to believe that these manipulative activities of the electoral process are being done without Prof. Attahiru Jega’s knowledge.”

    The REC, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, denied the allegation, saying it was false.

    He said he went round the councils and did not see where eligible voters were denied the right to collect Permanent Voter Cards.

    Agbaje warned against “unnecessary heating up of the electoral process through baseless allegations.”

    He advised reporters to investigate allegations rather than publishing whatever politicians told them.

  • Polls: President’s power to deploy troops under threat

    Polls: President’s power to deploy troops under threat

    Reps in hot arguments

    What is the limit of the President’s power to deploy troops?

    The question threw up so much dust yesterday as lawmakers debated the legality or otherwise of the President’s deployment of the military during elections.

    The arguments for and against a bill seeking to further amend the Electoral Act No.6 of 2010 almost brought plenary to a halt in the House.

    The question was if the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 8 of the Armed Forces Act empower the President to deploy troops.

    Minority Whip Samson Osagie, who first kicked against the amendment, warned that could jeopardize the election process as the presence of heavily-armed soldiers could scare Nigerians away from voting.

    The contentious part of the proposed amendment is Section 8, which attempts to further amend the Principal Act in Section 29(1) by inserting a new subsection (b).

    The new provision seeks to ensure that INEC is “responsible for requesting and deploying security personnel necessary for elections or registration of voters; assigning them in the manner determined by the Commission in collaboration with relevant security agencies, with the condition that the deployment of the Nigerian Armed Forces shall only be for the purpose of securing the distribution and delivery of election materials”.

    House Deputy Leader Leo Ogor (Delta/PDP) and Rules and Business Committee Chairman Albert Sam-Tsokwa (Taraba/PDP) posited that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as Section 8 of the Armed Forces Act empower the President to deploy troops. Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila (Lagos/APC) disagreed.

    Sam-Tsokwa said the Armed Forces Act gave the President powers to deploy troops for “operational use” and that this powers can be delegated to proxies, such as Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and Chief of Air Staff.

    But Gbajabiamila disagreed. He said though the constitution gives the President latitude to deploy the military,  such powers are subject to conditions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly and not “absolute” as being portrayed by Ogor and Sam- Tsokwa.

    Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha’s efforts to calm frayed nerves were ineffective for a while as Ogor and Gbajabiamila strove to make their points on the bill.

    “A Bill for an Act to further amend the Electoral Act, No. 6, 2010 to ensure a level playing ground for all participants in the electoral process and for transparent process of conducting elections in Nigeria and for other matters connected therewith” was sponsored by Hon. Daniel Reyenieju (PDP, Delta). It passed through second reading yesterday.

    It was initially slated for debate last week but lawmakers requested for more time to study the proposed amendment.

    The bill was referred to the House Committee on Electoral Matters for further inputs after its passage.

    There was a heavy security deployment of security made up of policemen, soldiers and civil defence corps in Ekiti State at least one week before the June 21 governorship election .

    Soldiers manned all the entry and exit points into the state. Troops were also deployed in major towns and villages.

    Armoured tanks, helicopters and other military hardware were also moved to the state in what the All Progressives Congress (APC) described as the militarisation of the state.

    Governors Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers) Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) were prevented from joining the train to campaign for Governor Kayode Fayemi 48 hours to the election. While Oshiomhole’s chartered helicopter was prevented from taking off from Benin, Amaechi was stopped at the border between Ondo and Ekiti states by soldiers.

    Inspector-General of Police, Muhammad Abubakar posted Assistant Inspector-General of Police, (AIG) Bala M Nasarawa to supervise security arrangements. He was assisted by four commissioners of Police.

    The IG also deployed hi-tech security equipment, including surveillance helicopters, armoured personnel carriers, patrol vans and other law enforcement gadgets.

    There was also the deployment to strategic locations of the personnel of the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), the Bomb Disposal Unit, Mounted Troops and the Police Air-wing.

  • Ahmed to students: take part in voter registration

    Ahmed to students: take part in voter registration

    •Support for APC govt

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed urged students yesterday to participate in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voter registration.

    The governor spoke in Ilorin when students under the auspices of National Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS) visited him in his office.

    He added that their active participation will ensure that they are not disenfranchised next year.

    The governor said his administration remains committed to the implementation of policies and programmes that would make the state more developed.

    He said the government initiated an entrepreneurship development programme to create job creators and employers of labour, rather than job seekers.

    NAKSS endorsed the educational and developmental programmes and policies of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.

    The students pledged their total support for the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.

    Led by their National Public Relations Officer, Obafemi Oyeniyi, they said in the last three years tertiary institutions have had infrastructural development, including the building of 10 new lecture halls at the State College of Education, Oro; building of an e-library at the State polytechnic, Ilorin and the 1,000 capacity auditorium at the College of Arabic and Islamic Studies.

    “Today, we have come in thousands to declare our total support  for APC because it is in you our problems of epileptic power supply will be solved, unemployment will go, corruption will end, rule of law  will become the order of the day and strike will end.”

     

  • INEC to voters: go to local councils for PVCs

    INEC to voters: go to local councils for PVCs

    THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has told Osun State’s registered voters to go to local government areas for their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    Only voters with the permanent cards, the commission said, will be allowed to vote in the August 9 governorship election.

    The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, in a statement yesterday, urged voters who are yet to collect their cards to head to their local council areas.

    He explained that PVCs yet to be collected are at the 30 local government offices of the commission in Osun State, awaiting legitimate holders to come for them.

    He stressed that the commission disallows proxy collection to prevent abuse of the cards by unscrupulous persons.

    He said: “In line with INEC’s guideline for the exercise, uncollected PVCs were at the end of the polling unit level distribution in March taken to respective local government office of the commission in the state for subsequent issuance to legitimate holders. The distribution at the local government level has been on-going since then.

    “In other words, all PVCs yet to be collected are at the 30 local government offices of the commission in Osun State, awaiting legitimate holders to come for them. But the Commission disallows proxy collection to prevent abuse of the cards by unscrupulous persons. Prospective voters in the August 9 election who are yet to collect their PVCs are therefore urged to do so in readiness for the election.”

    He explained that “the distribution of PVCs to duly registered persons has been on-going since March 7th, 2014, contrary to suggestions that there is a hindrance in the distribution of the cards.

    “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) therefore urges every prospective voter in Osun State, who is yet to collect his / her PVC to urgently do so, ahead of the state governorship election scheduled for August 9, 2014.

    “For avoidance of doubt, only registered voters with PVCs will be able to vote during the election.

    “This clarification is necessary against the backdrop of calls on the commission in the last couple of days to ensure timely distribution of the PVCs. A political party had, at the weekend, accused INEC of being “painfully slow in processing the permanent voter cards;” while a non-governmental organisation, on Monday, urged the commission to ensure timely distribution of PVCs before the governorship election – suggesting that the contrary is presently the case.

    “It should be recalled, however, that the commission undertook polling unit level distribution of PVCs to registered voters in Osun State from Friday, 7th March, 2014 to Sunday, 9th March, 2014, simultaneously with the conduct of the exercise in Ekiti State.”