The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Inec

  • INEC begins demarcation of constituencies for 2015

    INEC begins demarcation of constituencies for 2015

    Jega’s 17-man panel to review lawmakers’ seats allocation

    A major redrawing of constituencies, which may affect representation in the House of Representatives and State Assemblies, has begun.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) inaugurated yesterday a committee to redelineate the constituencies nationwide.

    The 17-man committee, headed by INEC chair Prof. Attahiru Jega, will review the existing constituencies and the allocation of seats.

    It will also identify imbalances in the existing arrangement and correct them.

    Apart from the Senate where representation is based on equality of three per state, the House of Representatives and Houses of Assemblies’ seats are allocated based on population.

    They are likely to be affected at the end of the INEC programme, which must nevertheless be approved by the National Assembly.

    Mr. Kayode Oladimeji is the secretary of the committee.

    The review of the constituencies is coming 18 years after the last one carried out in 1996. The country has 388 constituencies and the law provides for a review every 10 years.

    The committee, according to Jega, is to consider the composition and boundaries of existing constituencies, as well as allocation of seats, and identify imbalances where they exist.

    Jega said the programme would help deal with the inequalities in the constituencies and bring about equity in the weight of representation and votes in the constituencies.

    He said: “Ideally, the weight of representation should be as nearly equal as possible. For every representative should be as nearly equal the number of the population quota.

    “Every Federal constituency should be as nearly equal in size of 388,000. That ensures that weight of a representative in the parliament is as nearly equal with other representatives.

    “In Nigeria there are wide-ranging disparities. There are constituencies that are as small as 122,000 and some as large as 1.3million.

    “These disparities have existed because of population movement or original inequalities in the creation of constituencies.”

    The INEC chief went on: “We are obligated by the constitution to periodically review these constituencies so that we can bring equity in the weight of representations and votes in the constituencies.

    “It is very important in deepening democracy and fairness in representations.

    We are required to do it either after every population census or in at least 10 years.”

    Inaugurating the committee, Jega said: “In the kind of democratic system that we operate, where constituencies are based on single-member representatives, it is necessary, as provided by the constitution, and in line with international best practice, that the various districts and constituencies should be reviewed periodically.”

    “This ensures that representations based on constituencies keep apace with demographic changes in the country, thereby ensuring that the process is equitable.

    “Unfortunately, however, we have never been able to undertake this periodic review, important as it is, not only because of our chequered political development, but partly also due to lack of sufficient critical data and expertise to allow for an open, equitable and transparent constituency review.”

    Jega said the challenge is for members to be absolutely impartial and transparent.

    He told members of the committee that the assignment has presented them the opportunity to be part of history.

    Other terms of Reference of the Committee are to: .review previous reports on the review of electoral constituencies; establish the methodology for carrying out a review of existing constituencies; .and to develop the delimitation guidelines, taking into account the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended), and international best practice.

    The committee will also review the boundaries and composition of existing constituencies in line with the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and international best practice; and make appropriate recommendations to the Commission. It will set up any number of sub-committees that may be necessary in the discharge of the delimitation assignment; and consider other issues that may be useful to a successful constituency review.

    Other members of the committee are: Dr. Nuru Yakubu, Mrs. Thelma Iremirem, Mrs. Amina Zakari, Dame Gladys Nne Nwafor, Dr. Chris Iyimoga, Prof. Lai Olurode, Surveyor General of the Federation, Director-General, National Space Research and Development Agency, Director-General, National Boundary Commission, Director-General, National Population Commission, Prof. M. Mamman (ABU, Zaria) Prof. Mustapha Duze (BUK, Kano), Mrs. P.C Onokala (UNN, Nsukka), Prof. S.I Okafor (University of Ibadan) and Dr. Lisa Handley (international consultant).

  • Ekiti, Osun polls: INEC to stop underage voters

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has trained its personnel on how to identify minors and prevent them from voting in the Ekiti and Osun polls.

    INEC’s National Commissioner in the Southwest, Prof. Lai Olurode, disclosed this yesterday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    Olurode said even if minors were in possession of voter cards, they would not be allowed to vote.

    He was reacting to claims by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), a coalition of civil society organisations, that minors were registered in the Continued Voter Registration (CVR).

    Olurode said: “We have factored a way into our training, so that minors will be denied access to vote even if they are in possession of voter cards. We have increased the tempo of voter education clubs in schools through electronic and print media campaigns.”

    According to him, INEC is cleaning up the register to weed out underage registrants.

    Olurode said the CVR, which was held from March 12 to 19 in Osun and Ekiti states, enabled the commission to accommodate all complaints before the governorship elections.

    He said law enforcement agents are being sensitised to effectively perform their duties and ensure hitch-free polls.

    The commissioner said the prevention of electoral offences was the duty of all stakeholders and not INEC alone.

    He said: “Elections are for the good of all and are about partnership and vigilance by everyone.”

  • 2015: ‘INEC should go back to option A4’

    Bob Chiedozie Ogu was the 2010 All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) governorship candidate in Abia State. In this interview with Sunny Nwankwo in Aba, the politician, lawyer and Secretary of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Aba branch, bares his mind on Abia 2015, the electoral process and other national issues. Excerpts

    The Independent National Electoral Commission recently released the 2015 election timetable, which has come under heavy criticism in some quarters. How comfortable are you with the timetable?

    INEC is a body created by law (constitution). Its constitutional roles are defined therein. So, INEC brought out the timetable whether they consulted anyone or not, they have the right to produce a timetable. I don’t see anything wrong in that timetable. We always talk about bandwagon effect; if you do the presidential election first and PDP or APC wins, it will rub upon all other elections. That is the complaint they have. If you also do it bottom up; assuming you do the House of Assembly and governorship first, if they win, it will be a bandwagon effect. So, I don’t see why people should be bothering themselves about the timetable that INEC released. I also believe they took into consideration the law which says they should hold an election before the tenure of the incumbent expires. They took into consideration all the provisions of the law. So, I don’t see why anybody should be agitated or aggrieved by that timetable. For me, I don’t have anything against the time table.

    What is your view on the proposed plans by the Abia State Government to construct an airport in the state?

    The governor has his priorities. As a person, I don’t think building an airport, from my perspective, is really a priority. How many of us use the airports we have around here? Less than 2% of Abians fly. It is expensive, dangerous and risky. A lot of people wouldn’t want to subject themselves to that kind of dangerous journeys. So, for me, it is not a priority. Our roads are bad. The money he will use to build the airport should be used to fix our roads. There is so much unemployment. Why doesn’t he use the money he is going to use in building the airport to fix some of the industries and employ people? When we have gotten to a stage, there are certain indexes we will get to before we begin to talk about airport. But, for now, I don’t think it is a priority. But as I said, the governor has his own priority, maybe he wants to leave legacy projects.

    Immediately after the result of 2011 election was announced, you and other political flag bearers in a press conference alleged that there was massive rigging and now people are agitating for e-voting method as a means of curbing electoral malpractice. Do you think adopting electronic system of voting will bring to an end the endemic electoral malpractices in the country?

    Well, the truth is that when we talk about e-voting, a lot of people don’t understand what e-voting is all about. E-voting does not mean that there won’t be rigging. Yes, it can reduce the level of rigging. But anything electronic can also be manipulated. When Humphrey Nwosu was the chairman of the electoral body in the country, he tried option A-4 where people queued behind their candidates. Do not forget that Abiola’s election, regarded as the freest and fairest election, was a product of the option A-4. What is wrong with our going back to option A-4? Let us queue behind our candidates, with option A-4, there is minimal rigging. He tried an option and it worked well, why can’t we go back to option A-4? My position is that INEC should go back to option A-4. Let us dust what we did during Humphrey Nwosu’s tenure and I am sure that will reduce rigging in this country.

    Having contested in 2011 as a gubernatorial candidate and with 2015 in view, avail us the anomalies you noticed in 2011 and the corrective measure you would proffer

    First and foremost, the problem lies with citizens of Nigeria. The average Nigerian doesn’t care about democracy. He is not interested in who leads him. He is interested in how much he gets in the cause of an election.

    How would you rate the level of political awareness among Abians and Nigerians in general?

    On the average, Nigerians are politically aware. In Abia State, the level of awareness is low and I don’t blame the people. I don’t blame them, because right from time, a number of persons have not been interested in what goes on around them. There is a kind of cultural problem there. An average Igbo man doesn’t believe in agitation. He believes in handing every problem, even the one he can solve, to God; let God handle it. So, the level of political awareness is not high as it is in Imo State. In Imo State, they have serious political awareness that the people can decide to change the government and they will succeed, but in Abia, it is not like that.

    So, what measures do you think can be adopted to raise the political awareness of the people in the state?

    One is education, and that is where you journalists will play a big role. We need to educate our people on what is really going on. It is only when our people get educated that they will begin to understand.

    As 2015 approaches, do you also want to run for an office?

    The answer is yes and no. Yes, because as I speak with you now, my ambition is to be the governor of this state. And why is it my ambition? It is to do the right things so that people will know that there could be another angle to governance apart from primitive acquisition of wealth.

    The ‘no’ aspect of it is that, as I speak with you now, it will be the 7th wonder of the world for a person to win election in Abia State from any other political party apart from the PDP. As I speak with you, there is so much long queue of those who want to run that it is almost impossible for somebody to cash in and get a ticket, unless it is an act of God. So, I won’t see a losing ship and I will go and sink with that ship because I want to make a point. So, that is the ‘no’ aspect of it.

    Though Governor T. A Orji has made it clear that he wants to handover to an Ngwaman at the end of his tenure, Isiukwuato people are also saying that going by the ABIA acronym, meaning (Afikpo, Bende, Isiukwuato and Aba), that it is their turn to produce the next governor instead of the Ukwa Ngwa. Don’t you think they have a case?

    Those advancing this argument are just being mischievous with respect to that “I”. They knew nothing about the creation of Abia State. They were not part of the Abia Charter of Equity. The Abia Charter of Equity recognised two dominant groups: the Old Aba Division and the Old Bende Division. They were the two groups that met….. I have all the minutes of the meetings. I have all the agreements that were entered into. Isiukwuato was part of the Old Bende Division. Aba consists of the Old Aba Division, all Ukwa Ngwa areas, they were part of the Aba Division. It was in the course of the meeting that somebody said why don’t we try this name, Abia? That there is a place he saw that name in the Bible and said why don’t we try it? They are just being mischievous with that “I”. That “I” if I also want to argue like them is Isiala Ngwa or Ikwuano? Why should it be Isiukwuato at the end of the day?

    What is your parting shot to Ngwa politicians and Abia electorate?

    It is only equitable for the Abia electorate to allow an Ngwa man to go in now. I wouldn’t want it to be something Ngwa people will force their way through. Let it be a consensus so that when it is also the turn for it to move, we will also concede to other groups. So, I will ask the average Abian to support any Ngwa candidate of their choice and let an Ngwa man emerge as the governor.

  • ‘I submitted Obidigbo’s name to INEC’

    ‘I submitted Obidigbo’s name to INEC’

    THE Anambra State Elections Petitions Tribunal heard yesterday Dr. Chike Obidigbo’s name was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in last year’s election.

    A witness, Col. Geoffery Onbyejegbu (rtd), said he gave a letter containing this information signed by Chief Maxi Okwu as APGA’s national chairman and Dr. Sagil Maidoya as national secretary, to INEC.

    Onbyejegbu said he submitted forms CF-00l and 002 to INEC last November.

    When Obidigbo’s counsel, Maduabuchi Oba, wanted to tender the acknowledgment form from INEC, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, leading other senior lawyers – Ken Mozie and A.C. Anaenugwu opposed the document.

    Ikpeazu, counsel to Governor Willie Obiano, said a document submitted to INEC must take custody before it becomes a public document.

    He said it was only a certified true copy that could be admitted based on the pleadings of the petitioners.

    Ikpeazu said the document did not qualify because it was a photocopy.

    INEC’s counsel Ayotunde Ogunleye aligned himself with the submissions of Obiano’s lawyers.

    But Oba urged the tribunal to disregard the respondent’s application, saying the document was a true copy obtained from INEC.

    The tribunal, however, admitted the document and tendered it as Exhibit E-001.

    The sitting was adjourned till tomorrow to allow Obidigbo’s counsel to file a motion on notice to include Form C-001, which was earlier omitted.

  • ‘APC ‘ll win Ekiti, Osun polls’

    ‘APC ‘ll win Ekiti, Osun polls’

    House of Representatives member Hon. Abiodun Awoleye (Ibadan North Constituency) has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states. He predicted doom for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying that the party has failed Nigerians in the last 14 years.

    Awoleye, who spoke with reporters in Lagos, said the achievements of the APC governors are laudable, adding that the people of Ekiti and Osun will vote for continuty.

    He said: “We have a seven-point cardinal programme, which covers electricity generation, war against corruption, food security, integrated transport network, free education, devolution of power, accelerated economic growth and affordable health care in the manifesto. This is another reasonthe people will embrace the APC in the Southwest and across thje country. ”

    However, Awoleye advised the people to closely monitor the electoral commission to avoid bungling the elections as it did in Anambra State last year. He said the electoral time-table released by the umpire was designed to rig the elections in favour of the PDP at the state and federal levels.

    He added: “The Presidency must have influenced the schedule of the time-table, believing that, if President Jonathan does not win the election, the whole nation will be in turmoil, especially with the threat from the Southsouth that Nigerians should forget about oil, if Jonathan does not win the election.

    “I expected the INEC as a good umpire to arrange the time-table from the bottom to the top. The House of Assembly election should come first, followed by the National Assembly, governorship and the presidential election. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case.

    “The INEC headed by Prof. Jega cannot be trusted. His attitude toward recent the election in Anambra is a sign of what to come.The commission is expected to be fair to all political parties in the country. Jega needs to carry all stakeholders along to ensure that there is transparency and fair game.”

    The legislator described the national conference as a jamboree. He said: “The national conference cannot address any problem. Right from time, I have been opposing the conference. These people are just looking for a way to enrich their old friends, who are financially broke.The composition of the delegates is faulty and it is also a waste of money. Over 400 members are to attend the conference. The President nominated over 60 delegates.

    “How do you expect a positive result from such a gathering? With the institutions in place now, which is the National Assembly, we don’t need any dialogue and, if there is a reason for it, it should be a Sovereign National Conference where people will decide the future of the nation. After the conference, they will take it to referendum and it automatically becomes the law. The N7 billion to be spent on the national conference could be use to create jobs for the unemployed graduates.”

     

  • Ihedioha seeks UN’s financial support for elections

    Ihedioha seeks UN’s financial support for elections

    The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, has urged the United Nations to financially support the 2015 elections.

    Ihedioha, who spoke when a delegation of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs visited the House, said the funds would enable the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to successfully conduct the poll.

    The UN delegation visit, led by Mr. Tadjoudine Ali-Diabacte, Deputy Director, UN’s Department of Political Affairs (Electoral Assistance Division), was not unconnected with the coming elections.

    The Deputy Speaker, while observing that the estimate of INEC in the 2014 budget for the conduct of elections in 2014 and 2015 was inadequate, called on the UN to aid INEC financially to enable the electoral body conduct free and fair elections.

    His words: “The budgetary recommendation made by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, appears insufficient. Therefore the request made by the INEC chairman for UN’s financial request is in order. We would appreciate UN’s financial assistance towards boosting our electoral process.”

    Ihedioha said the House Constitution Review Panel reviewed Section 202 of the constitution, thereby transferring the power to conduct local government elections from the State Independent Electoral Commission to INEC, to deepen democracy and ensure that council elections are conducted in a fair and free manner.

     

    He sought UN assistance towards ensuring an improvement in the nation’s electoral process, stability of the polity and consolidation of democracy.

    Ali-Diabacte said their visit was based on the need to get parliamentary input on how UN would assist the country to ensure a better election next year, based on the request made by INEC and Jega.

    He said the UN was ready to support next year’s election, adding that the success of democracy in Nigeria would affect other African nations positively.

     

  • Bamidele emerges Ekiti LP’s candidate

    Bamidele emerges Ekiti LP’s candidate

    •’I’ll be an unusual leader’

    The Labour Party (LP) in Ekiti State affirmed yesterday Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele as its sole candidate for the June 21 governorship election.

    At the party’s congress at Aja-Leye Civic Centre in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Bamidele emerged through a process of “open affirmation” by the 444 delegates in attendance.

    The congress was overseen by a delegation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by its Administrative Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Agboola.

    At the congress, the State LP Chairman, Akin Omole, recommended Bamidele to the delegation sent by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), led by the National Deputy Chairman, Chief Joseph Akinlaja, for ratification.

    The party’s flag was presented to Bamidele by Akinlaja, who said: “As at March 19 when the procurement of the governorship nomination form closed, only Bamidele obtained the form. Whoever carries himself as the LP governorship candidate in Ekiti, besides Bamidele, would be treated as an impostor.”

    Bamidele pledged to “lead the state with humility”, if elected, saying: “I will not be a governor that will rule the people from the Olympian height. I will not be a governor that will promise to do certain things and later renege.

    “I promise to lead the party to victory in Ekiti. I was a member of the defunct Action Congress (AC) from the beginning to the end. I was an active player in defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). I was the National Publicity Secretary of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) for three years. I was there from the beginning to the end. What I am trying to say is that I know the political tendencies in and out.

    “Beyond the hype, politics and media, I know what the All Progressives Congress (APC) is capable of doing and what it cannot do. I know that what they are afraid of is the language of the people; the language of mass mobilisation. I know the political and administrative tendencies. I will work with the leadership of our party as an organisational man. I will not govern from an Olympian height.

    “At 19 years, I had the opportunity of serving this country. I was the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the National Association of Ondo State Students. I understand what it means to be an organisational man and have organisational discipline.

    “I started as a politician. I was a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). After that, I became a member of the AC. I understand the role of the party leadership and know what it takes to recognise stakeholders when you are running a government.

    “Ekiti people will have an unusual leader. I will not provide typical leadership. I will not run a government that people will not have access to. Mine will be a leadership that will carry stakeholders along in decision making. I will draw a line between politics and governance.”

     

  • Ondo by-election: INEC presents voter register to parties today

    Ondo by-election: INEC presents voter register to parties today

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will today present the voter register to be used for the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency by-election to parties.

    INEC Administrative Secretary Ebenezer Fakorede said the electoral body has concluded arrangements for the election.

    Speaking in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at an interactive session organised by the police for stakeholders, Fakorede said the commission would paste the voter register in the 395 polling units in the two riverside local governments.

    He said INEC would use National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in the South Senatorial District, which comprises six local governments, for the exercise.

    Commissioner of Police Isaac Eke assured the parties of security during and after the election.

    Eke told parties to give details of their public rallies or meetings to the police so that the force can provide adequate security.

    His said: “Political parties are requested to avoid holding rallies meetings or demonstrations close to one another at the same time. Whenever the date, venue or timing of the activities of different parties clash, their representatives will meet to resolve the issue amicably without resort to intimidation, force or violence.

    “We are advising you not to resort to the use of inflammatory language, provocative actions that will incite violence, hatred, contempt or intimidation against another party or candidate. All parties are free to campaign for votes, but this should be done in conformity with the law.”

     

  • INEC gives condition for de-registered parties

    INEC gives condition for de-registered parties

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said yesterday that deregistered parties could not field candidates in next year’s elections, unless they sought re-registration.

    The National Commissioner in charge of the Southwest, Prof. Lai Olurode, spoke in Lagos.

    He said there was no law that said no legal provision precluded such parties from reapplying to be reregistered, provided they met the requirements.

    The commissioner was reacting to claims by Fresh Democratic Party that INEC had disobeyed court order to recognise it.

    “If a deregistered party has not gone to court or the power of INEC has not been destroyed as illegal by a court of law, that party cannot field a candidate next year.

    “The only exception is if the party has gone back to seek re-registration, which is possible under the law.

    “There is no law, which says you cannot apply as a de-registered party if you think you have complied with the requirements of registration.

    “For a party to be recognised as enshrined in the constitution that party must be in compliance with the laws, rules and regulations.

    “The laws, rules and regulations must be as laid down in the constitution and in the Electoral Acts,” Olurode said.

    According to him, INEC is a law-abiding institution and a law-governed institution covered by the laws of the country.

    He said the commission had the power to register, de-list and de-register a party.

    The national commissioner noted that it could also sanction a party for being in violation of certain portions of the law, saying that was not to empty INEC of its power to de-register a party

    Olurode said if the court ruled against the exercise of the powers given to INEC, the commission had no choice but to obey the ruling with regards to specific provisions of the law.

    He, however, said for whatever reasons, the court could not rule that INEC ought not to have de-registered a party.

    Olurode added that this was so especially if the party was able to show that the commission had not complied with certain provisions of the law.

     

     

     

    In July last year, Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja in a judgment, voided the decision of the commission.

    The court ordered the electoral body to give due recognition to the party.

     

    It also ruled that INEC had no power to de-register any party in the country without recourse to the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    The court nullified a directive the electoral commission issued on December 6, 2012, wherein it de-registered 28 parties, including Fresh.

    It also declared Section 78 (7) (ii) of the Electoral Act as unconstitutional and therefore invalid, saying it was offensive to the provisions of Section 40 and Sections 221-229 of the constitution.

    Further, it said that Section 228 of the Constitution vested the National Assembly with the powers to enact the Electoral Act.

    But it said despite this, the legislature had no power to direct INEC to de-register any party, which failed to win a seat in either the state or National Assembly elections.

  • 2015: NYSC DG cautions corps members

    2015: NYSC DG cautions corps members

    MEMBERS of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) that will serve as electoral officials in 2015 must resist inducements from politicians.

    NYSC’s Director-General Brigadier-General Johnson Olawumi, gave the warning yesterday in Bayelsa State.

    Olawumi, who paid an unscheduled visit to the temporary orientation camp at Kaiama, Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area, said corps members would play crucial roles in the 2015 general elections.

    Addressing the 2014 Batch “A” corps members, he asked those who would be ad hoc officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a free and fair polls.

    He said INEC had promised to provide all needed logistics to enable corps members discharge their functions effectively.

    Addressing them, he said: “You are aware that some of you would be engaged by INEC as electoral officials.  You are, therefore warned to reject any inducement from politicians.  Do not allow yourselves to be used for any gains.

    “In all that you do, the national interest must come first. And I can assure you that INEC is going to provide all logistics that you need to carry out your services.”

     

    He advised the corps members to acquire new skills during their service years and prepare themselves for future challenges.

    Olawunmi said that the skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development programme in the orientation course content of NYSC was designed to address increasing unemployment among graduates in the country.

    On the new orientation camp being built by the Bayelsa State Government, Olawumi described it as a masterpiece.

    He said that the standard of facilities being constructed by the government would alleviate the current challenges experienced by corps members at the temporary camp.

    The DG assured corps members of the commitment of the state government to guarantee their security and welfare.