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Tag: Inec

  • Why INEC must use e-card reader in Ekiti, Osun polls, by APC

    Why INEC must use e-card reader in Ekiti, Osun polls, by APC

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been urged to immediately initiate modus operandi that would lead to the use of e-card reader for the forthcoming elections in Ekiti and Osun states.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), which made the call in a statement by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Lagos yesterday, emphasised that the e-card reader would “ensure that the polls are free, fair and transparent.”

    According to the party, using the simple but fool-proof device for the Ekiti governorship polls next month and that of Osun in August would make it possible for INEC to fine-tune its deployment on a nationwide scale for the 2015 general elections.

    It said INEC must stop trying to justify why it cannot use the e-card reader to verify the permanent voter cards which the commission has spent time and money to develop and given to all registered voters, in an effort to ensure the transparency and credibility of its elections.

    “Contrary to what INEC has said, the e-card reader is very adaptable, and its application is not subject to any environmental peculiarity once the basics of operations are met. It is therefore surprising to read INEC’s claim that the sensitivity of the elections in Ekiti and Osun will not recommend the use of the card reader,” APC said.

    It indicated that “the most compelling reason for the use of e-card reader by INEC is that it will eliminate the rigging of elections through the use of stolen or purchased voter cards, and ensure that only those with authentic voter cards are allowed to cast their votes on election day.”

    “Impersonation, multiple voting and endless altercations and associated tension will be eliminated at the voting centres with the use of e-card reader and not by any other means.

    “Also, the e-card reader will ensure the automatic recording of all accredited voters with verified permanent voter’s cards in such a way that does not lend itself to manipulation, thus preventing the falsification of results at the collation centres,” it said.

    The party said since the physical examinations of the permanent voter cards alone cannot reveal or decode the content of the chips embedded in the card containing the biometric data of each potential voter, there is no other fool-proof means to authenticate the cards beyond using e-card reader.

    The party, saying e-card reader is not rocket science, argued that all the device does is to ensure that the bearer is the authentic owner of the permanent voter card with him/her by matching the bio-metric data, particularly the thumb print, with that of the bearer.

    “This is what millions of Nigerians do daily when they use ATMs nationwide. What is therefore the issue in deploying this veritable nemesis of election riggers and manipulators for the Ekiti and Osun elections, and subsequently for next year’s general elections?” it queried.

    APC said going by the total number of polling units in both states, the e-card readers required for the elections in the two states total 3,500, with sufficient provision made for redundancy to cater for malfunctioning, since Ekiti has 2,195 polling units and Osun has 3,100 polling units and the elections are billed to hold on different dates.

    “To test-run the device before the actual elections and further strengthen the credibility of the electoral process, e-card readers should be immediately deployed to the 16 Local Government offices of INEC in Ekiti and 31 local government offices of INEC in Osun (allowing for the Area office in Modakeke) for the verification of those coming to collect their permanent voter cards from those centres,” the party said.

    It said if INEC is truly committed to a transparent, credible, free, fair and efficient electoral process in the forthcoming governorship polls in Ekiti and Osun states, then it must use the e-card readers in all the polling units in the two states.

    “If INEC is not paying lip-service to ensuring the integrity of its elections; if INEC does not want to become a collaborator in election manipulation, which has been the hallmark of recent elections under its watch; if INEC wants Nigeria to join the comity of nations where elections are being held without rigging or rancour, then it must pitch its tent with a technology that has been proven to be affordable, dependable and formidable in rooting out election cheats and manipulators,” APC said.

  • INEC accredits 29 observer groups for Ekiti, Osun governorship polls

    INEC accredits 29 observer groups for Ekiti, Osun governorship polls

    AHEAD of the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC, yesterday said it has approved twenty nine (29) Observers groups to monitor the elections. The accredited groups are expected to participate in the elections, scheduled for June 21, 2014 and August 9, 2014 respectively. The Commission noted that the accreditation was sequel to the initial application of the observer groups, as contained in the completed Form EMOC 01 which was assessed by it. The electoral body, according to the Commission’s daily bulletin, also warned that any observer group other than those accredited found in the field in the course of the two elections would be prosecuted. The groups include Centre For Education (Aka) Transition Monitoring Group (TMG); Justice And Equity Organiza-tion; NEPAD Nigeria and Reclaim Naija; Centre For Democracy And Development; Centre For Peace Building & Socio-Economic Resources Development (CEPSERD); Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Policy And Legal Advocacy Centre); Nigerian Bar Association; National Association For Peaceful Election In Nigeria; Independent Election Monitoring Group (IEMG); Rights Monitoring Group; Election Monitor; Police Service Commission; Cleen Foundation and Institute For Peace And Conflict Resolution. Others are: Research Initiative For Sustainable Development And Gender Awareness (RISDGA);Justice Development And Peace Commission (Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria); The Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON);Women Arise For Change Initiative; EU Delegation – Abuja; International Foundation For Electoral System (IFES); United States Mission To Nigeria; High Commission of Canada; British High Commission; UNDP/DGD – Abuja; Embassy of Kindom of Netherlands; Embassy of Switzerland; Embassy of The Federal Republic of Germany and Embassy of France.

  • INEC accredits 29 observer groups for Ekiti, Osun governorship polls

    INEC accredits 29 observer groups for Ekiti, Osun governorship polls

    AHEAD of the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC, yesterday said it has approved twenty nine (29) Observers groups to monitor the elections. The accredited groups are expected to participate in the elections, scheduled for June 21, 2014 and August 9, 2014 respectively. The Commission noted that the accreditation was sequel to the initial application of the observer groups, as contained in the completed Form EMOC 01 which was assessed by it. The electoral body, according to the Commission’s daily bulletin, also warned that any observer group other than those accredited found in the field in the course of the two elections would be prosecuted. The groups include Centre For Education (Aka) Transition Monitoring Group (TMG); Justice And Equity Organiza-tion; NEPAD Nigeria and Reclaim Naija; Centre For Democracy And Development; Centre For Peace Building & Socio-Economic Resources Development (CEPSERD); Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Policy And Legal Advocacy Centre); Nigerian Bar Association; National Association For Peaceful Election In Nigeria; Independent Election Monitoring Group (IEMG); Rights Monitoring Group; Election Monitor; Police Service Commission; Cleen Foundation and Institute For Peace And Conflict Resolution. Others are: Research Initiative For Sustainable Development And Gender Awareness (RISDGA);Justice Development And Peace Commission (Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria); The Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON);Women Arise For Change Initiative; EU Delegation – Abuja; International Foundation For Electoral System (IFES); United States Mission To Nigeria; High Commission of Canada; British High Commission; UNDP/DGD – Abuja; Embassy of Kindom of Netherlands; Embassy of Switzerland; Embassy of The Federal Republic of Germany and Embassy of France.

  • INEC and card-reader machines

    SIR: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has matter-of-factly ruled out the use of card reader machines for the coming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States. This is rather disappointing.

    INEC is not sure of its capabilities and has developed cold feet after initially announcing with glee that the machines would be used in Ekiti and Osun, but is rather cautious now and would not want to deploy both cards and machine readers at this same time. This is self defeating. It would amount to going to great length to install scanner machines at the airport and refuse to use them.

    The sophistication of the card is useless without the use of the machines. This is because there have been reports that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been secretly buying the cards from the poor, tempting them with offers ranging from N5,000 to N50,000. One of the party’s big-wig in Ikirun was caught and handed over to the police with thousands of voters’ cards in his car. In some instances, they have been promising people jobs and collecting their cards in return. In other instances, they have been giving out questionnaire to job seekers and asking for their card numbers–to clone the cards.

    In these instances, only the card readers can stop these fraudulent practices. Criminally obtained cards are transferable. All they need to do is to import ‘voters’ from near or far states for the election and give them the cards. Where the cards are cloned, their aim is to create confusion where two voters brandish the same. Dispute over card would lead to violence and disruption of voting. Where there is voting disruption, the rule says, result would be cancelled. If this is done successfully in precincts where your opponent is strong, then of course, you can strategically rig the election by knocking off the results where your opponents are strong.

    The politicians are desperate and INEC should be one step ahead of them. I am asking therefore that the decision not to use the card readers should be revisited. We need the card readers for a free and fair election. May God help INEC and especially Prof Jega to be able to resist pressure from the presidency who are sorely afraid of the card readers.

    • Wale Adeyemi,

    Osogbo, Osun State

     

  • APC wins Kano council polls

    APC wins Kano council polls

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won last Saturday’s local government election in Kano State.

    Announcing the result yesterday, the Chairman of the State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sanni Lawal, said the APC won all the 44 local government chairmanship and the 484 councillorship posts, which were officially declared by the returning officers.

    He said the polls were successful and peaceful.

    Lawal said the commission was thankful for the support it received from the government, security agencies, leaders of the 19 participating parties, the media, youth organisations, women organisations, traditional rulers, religious leaders as well as propagandists and political strategists.

    The chairman said the success of the local government poll was a collective success of the people.

  • Lagos strategises ahead of 2015 elections

    Lagos strategises ahead of 2015 elections

    At a parley in Lagos, members of the Lagos State Executive Council and legislators have resolved to chart a new way forward for the Centre of Excellenece, ahead of the next general elections. Miriam Ekene-Okoro reports.

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola will bow out of office next year. He has promised to sustain the tempo of achievements till the last day. How to guarantee more dividends of democracy to Lagosians was the focus of the recent Executive/Legislative parley in Lagos.

    The theme of the parley was: “Public sector management re-engineering: the continuing Story of Lagos”. It was organisd by the Political and Legislative Power Bureau.

    The forum brought the commissioners, special advisers, House of Assembly members and federal legislators under one roof.

    They converged with one accord on the Golden Tulip Hotel, Festac, as members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). At the forum were Fashola, his deputy, Mrs.   Joke Orelope-Adefulire, House of Assembly Speaker Hon. Yemi Ikuforiji, top government officials and APC leaders.

    The parley offered an opportunity to them to share experiences, review policies and brainstorm on the way forward for Lagos State.

    One of the issues on the front burner is the proposed general elections. To the forum, the poll is a collective enterprise involving the active participation of stakeholders.

    For ensure free and fair elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be impartial. Apart from urging the INEC boss, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to be above board, the forum also called for the reversal of the order of the 2015 elections by the National Assembly.

    In a 15-point communiqué, the forum articulated the need to fast-track post-election litigations. Urging the INEC to remove the time limit  on the conclusion of electoral petitions after the general elections, the forum said: “The National Assembly should review and reverse the order of the 2015 general elections, starting from the local to the national”.

    The forum reflected on the Boko Haram insurgency. It called for increased intelligence and counter-terrorism actions, adding that multinational military cooperation and foreign assistance, based on agreed parametres of engagement that will not compromisesovereignty, will be helpful.

    But, Lagos, the commercial  hub,  also needs security. The participants urged the government to strengthen the Security Trust Fund, with a view to making the security arrangement more productive. They also brainsormed on the maintenance of law and order, judicious allocation of resources to meet specific demands, the provision of infrastructure, promotion of human rights and sustenance of the effective revenue collection.

    According to the forum, “the laws designed to protect fundamental human rights must enjoy a measure of immunity from legislative review and amendment and credible bodies must be vested with the power to blow the whistle when the parameters of the constitutional covenant are transgressed”.

    Noting that Public Private Partnership (PPP) is effective, participants advocated the training of public officers about its workings so that “the  arms of government can support them to strengthen private investment in the development of public infrastructure for job creation”.

    Government, the forum said, “must work with people to organise economic institutions in such a way that there is no oppression, based on class, social status, ethnic group or state.” In addition, the participants stressed that “a distributive equity is an important cornerstone in the act of national objectives for the government’s programme on reconstruction and social reform”.

    The forum also called for an urgent global action “to halt the alarming pace of climate change and environmental degradation, which pose unprecedented threats to humanity.”  It explained that that urgent action has become expedient to save humanity from extermination.

    The participants urged the government to focus on the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to ensure. It added:“There is no time to lie at ease or be complacent, despite the progress made so far, and hence, we must set new goals and reach for greater heights”.

    Fashola charged the National Assembly to make laws that will strengthen security.

    He said the security challenges underscored the need to review the country’s laws to conform with modern trends.

    Fashola stressed: I will not leave this event without a word or two  about what I think our national legislators can do and be looking at, in view of the challenges we are facing . I believe that the most urgent and compelling issues our nation faces now is law and order. That is the bedrock of good governance and foundation for economic growth .

    “ I think the time has come for our legislators to dig deep. No nation that has the kind of challenges that we have must refuse or continue to refuse to be imaginative about law enforcement. Whatever the argument and fears  about state police may be, we have nothing to fear than the fear itself .

    “We must find the courage now to do something urgent and different to bring collaborative capacity to policing and law enforcement.”

    The governor argued that the constitution has never prohibited multi-level policing. He said:  “Since that has not been forbidden, many legislators who are imaginative can come up with laws that will allow the establishment of multi-level policing”.

    Fashola said that the laws that tend to pitch the state against the federal authority should be reviewed in the interest of cooperative federalism.

    He alluded to the National Inland Waterway Act, which limits the power of states to freely use inland waters creeks and canals. He said, if this act is reviewed, it would boost the capacity of the state to  explore the waterways.

    The Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Matters, Hon. Musiliu Folami, said the theme of the conference has provided an opportunity for political office holders to interact and brainstorm on ways of moving the state forward.

    He said: “The parley also affords members of the state executive council a strategic opportunity to rub minds with our legislators at the state and national levels as well as our party chieftains in the state.”

     

     

  • A case for e-card reader

    A case for e-card reader

    •The best place to start is the Osun State governorship election

    GIVEN the disclosure by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that no fewer than 800,000 voters registered more than once in Osun State, one would have thought that the commission would gladly accept the idea of testing the electronic card reader in the state. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the state, Ambassador Rufus Akeju, made the disclosure at the South West stakeholders’ forum on “Advocacy for Inclusive and Accessible Electoral Processes for Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria”, organised by the State Accountability and Voice Initiative (SAVI) at the Premier Hotel, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The REC warned that “anyone who engages in double registration will be detected by INEC machines and his/her name will be deleted from the commission’s data for a long time, in addition to prosecution”.

    In addition, those who engage in double registration will automatically miss the chance of voting in the coming governorship election and in subsequent elections in the state. He also warned registered voters against selling their precious voter’s cards, threatening that those caught with other people’s cards will be prosecuted.

    The revelation by Mr. Akeju is a very serious one. In the first place, it is incredible that such a large number of voters in Osun State could have registered more than once, thus violating an essential aspect of the electoral law. The question that readily comes to mind is: how did this happen? But this is a rhetorical question because the answer is simple: it is for the purpose of rigging the August 2014 election in the state, and subsequent elections in 2015.

    Unfortunately, INEC seems to be aiding the criminals by its decision not to use the electronic card reader that could make identification of those voters who registered more than once easier to deal with. Now that the commission is faced with the criminal activities of over 800,000 voters who registered more than once, it is talking tough. This certainly is not good for the system. It is even interesting to note that INEC never gave any tangible reason for refusing the use of electronic voter card reader for the Osun election other than that it would not want to do such a pivotal exercise with the crucial elections coming up in Osun and Ekiti States in June and August, respectively.

    What really are INEC’s problem and fears? Given the importance of the electronic voter card reader as a scientific method of voting in this age of the internet and high technology, we think it is by accepting and testing the voter reader in Osun and Ekiti states that INEC would be able to learn from whatever challenges the new method or system might pose, thus giving room for improvement in subsequent exercises. Now, if the commission is afraid and does not want to test the system with only a few million voters, how can it perfect it for all the 2015 general elections which involved several millions of Nigerian voters?

    If, in Osun State alone, 800,000 voters registered more than once, we can imagine how many such criminals would be found in the remaining 35 states and the federal capital territory.

    We want INEC to review its stand on the issue. It is better and cheaper to prevent the crime of double or multiple voting using the electronic card reader than waiting to catch the perpetrators after committing the crime.

     

  • INEC: 800,000 Osun voters registered more than once

    INEC: 800,000 Osun voters registered more than once

    No fewer than 800,000 eligible voters registered more than once in Osun State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said yesterday.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ambassador Rufus Akeju, spoke at a Southwest Stakeholders’ Forum on Advocacy for Inclusive and Accessible Electoral Process for Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria.

    The forum was organised by the State Accountability and Voice Initiative (SAVI) and held at the Premier Hotel in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    Akeju said people who registered more than once would be prosecuted, adding: “Anyone who engages in double registration will be detected by INEC machines and his/her name will be deleted from the Commission’s data for a long time, in addition to prosecution.

    “These people will automatically miss the opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice in the coming governorship election and those to come after it, because they are the ones creating problems for us.”

    He warned registered voters against selling their voter cards to parties, adding that anyone caught with another person’s card will be jailed.

    Akeju said the legislative and executive arms of government must provide blue prints for structures, scope and resources to provide a friendly environment for persons with disabilities to participate in elections.

    He said: “Although the Federal Government expressed its desire to protect the rights of people with disabilities by ratifying the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its accompanying optional protocols in 2007 and 2010, the country is yet to fully domesticate the provisions of the convention by giving legal backing to the international instrument.”

    Akeju said INEC lacks the power to redesign the voter card or reserve a quota for people with disabilities, adding that only the National Assembly could do that.

  • INEC trains officers

    INEC trains officers

    Ahead of the June 21 and August 9 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has started the training of its officers in all the local governments in the two states.

    INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega yesterday said the officers include directors of operations and directors in charge of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Voters Logistics.

    He added that the training  was to ensure efficient discharge of officers’ duties during the polls.

    Speaking through his Special Assistant, Prof. Mohammad Kuna, at the Ideal Nest Hotels in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, he said the workshop was also to ensure free, fair and credible elections in the two states.

    Jega, who assured the electorate of hitch-free  elections, said the workshop will improve  the electoral process during the polls and reflect on the outcome of the 2015  elections.

    He said his commission would set up a secretariat of  Electoral Management System in the two states  to  enhance free flow of information.

    According to him, the commission would produce a manual, “Election Management System (EMS)” to improve on 2015 elections.

  • Lawless INEC?

    Lawless INEC?

    • The electoral body should obey the court and register the Fresh Democratic Party

    It was a landmark, unambiguous and unequivocal judicial decision. The day was the 29th of July, 2013. The presiding judge was Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja. The legal dispute was principally between the Fresh Democratic Party (FDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The latter had on December 6, 2012, communicated to the FDP its decision to de-register the party for purportedly not meeting the constitutional conditions for its continued legal recognition as a political party. Twenty-seven other political parties were de-registered for similar reasons.

    Two specific reasons were cited by INEC for de-registration of the FDP. First was its failure to win any national or state assembly seats in the April, 2011, general elections as required by Section 78 (7)(ii) of the Electoral Amendment Act, 2010. Second was the FDP’s alleged inability to hold its conventions as scheduled, or have its national officers elected as constitutionally stipulated by Section 223 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended).

    FDP approached the court to seek legal redress. Among the reliefs it sought from the court were that it has satisfied all the conditions and requirements of a political party as stipulated under the Electoral Act, 2010, and continues to exist as an extant political party in Nigeria; that it cannot be de-registered except in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 constitution; that the reliance by INEC on Section 78(7) (ii) of the Electoral Act as well as Section 223 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution to de-register FDP without hearing the party’s side violates Sections 36, 38 and 40, 221-222 of the 1999 Constitution and paragraph 15 of the 3rd Schedule (part 1) of the constitution and an order nullifying the purported de-registration by INEC as illegal, unconstitutional and violating democratic tenets.

    The FDP also prayed the court to order INEC to restore its recognition as a political party as well as restrain the electoral body or any of its agents from implementing or enforcing the de-registration. Describing Section 78 (7) (ii) of the Electoral (Amendment) Act as a product of “legislative arbitrariness” the court held that the legislation negates Section 222 of the Nigerian Constitution, which stipulates qualifications for registration of political parties.  The learned jurist stated clearly that the Nigerian constitution does not ‘specifically or impliedly’ provide for de-registration of a political party that has met the conditions of Section 222 (a) to (f).

    On INEC’s contention that the FDP violated Section 223 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, the court ruled that the party ought to have been given a hearing before any such decision could be taken. As the judge reasoned, upon registration in accordance with Section 80 of the Electoral Act, a political party acquires a legal right to participate in the electoral processes. Such ‘vested right’, he continued, cannot be stripped by INEC without affording the political party a hearing. The court accordingly granted all the reliefs sought by the FDP but declined to award costs against the defendants.

    Since the judgment appears so clear, it is inexplicable why rather than obey the court, top INEC officials, including its spokesman, Mr Kayode Idowu, and one of its national commissioners, Professor Lai Olurode, insist that FDP will not be allowed to field candidates in the 2015 general election unless it applies for re-registration. The implication of the court ruling is that FDP was not legally and constitutionally de-registered in the first place. There can thus be no question of applying for re-registration. Until INEC gets a higher court to rule to the contrary, it must abide by the existing court judgment. An electoral umpire like the commission cannot afford to act in a lawless manner.