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Tag: Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi

  • INEC dismisses PDP allegation of hoarding electoral sheets

    The Independent National Electoral Commission  (INEC) on Friday dismissed an allegation by Peoples Democratic Party that it was hoarding some election materials.

    The Chief Press Secretary of the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the Commission would never deliberately hoard election materials or engage in any act intended to favour any political party or candidate.

    Oyekanmi said that in the last one week, INEC had mobilised all national assets to deliver various election materials, day and night, to various parts of the country.

    “While the Commission has experienced a few challenges in the process, which is normal with the logistical operation of this magnitude, we have largely overcome these challenges.

    “The Chairman of INEC, (Mahmood) Yakubu, has been briefing the nation daily since last Monday on the progress made.

    “I think that every well-meaning Nigerian will agree that INEC needs all the support it can get to organise a successful general election starting from tomorrow, Feb. 23.

    “We want to assure Nigerians who have shown a lot of support and understanding, especially in the last one difficult week, that the Commission will never deliberately hoard election materials or engage in any act intended to favour any political party or candidate,” Oyekanmi said.

    He urged Nigerian to feel free to vote for any political party or candidate of their choice and assured them that their votes would count.

    The main opposition party, PDP, accused the Commission of withholding sensitive election materials, including collation (form EC8D) and result (form EC8E) sheets in states considered to be PDP strongholds.

    The party made the allegation in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, on Friday in Abuja.

    Ologbondiyan said that intelligence at PDP’s disposal showed that certain compromised INEC officials were working with agents of All Progressives Congress (APC) to hold back the materials to rig results for ÀPC on Sunday in the affected states.

    “For instance, in Abia state, no collation forms and result sheets have been received for the Senatorial elections, while no result sheets for all the elections have been received in Delta and various other states.

    “Also in Kano State only 105 Senate result sheets have been received in Garko Local Government Area instead of 144 .

    Read also: One person dies as Ogun SSG survives auto crash

    ” Rogo LGA has received 106 Senate result sheets instead of 141; Danbatta has received 28 cartons of House of Representatives ballot papers instead of 29, while Tofa LGA has received 18 cartons instead of 19.

    “This scenario is playing out in many other states,” he said.

    Ologbondiyan urged the INEC chairman to immediately release the materials to their designated points, saying PDP would never allow anybody to use any means to rig it out in the elections.

    “Yakubu must note that this serious infraction is already heightening tension and would eventually lead to serious crisis in affected states ahead of the elections, if nothing was done to stem the trend,” he warned. (NAN)

  • 2019: Nobody can rig polls – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says nobody within or outside the commission can rig the forthcoming general elections.

    The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja, while responding to allegations made against the Commission by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, in Abuja.

    The PDP alleged that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, was being compromised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency with offers of huge sums of money, choice property and juicy appointments to his relations to rig elections in favour of the APC.

    Oyekanmi asked the PDP spokesperson, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, to substantiate his allegations, describing it as baseless and unsubstantiated like other allegations.

    “Please ask him, where is the concrete evidence to support these new allegations? What does the country stand to benefit from this desperation to cause needless confusion?

    “Did he attend the meeting where such incentives were purportedly offered to the INEC Chairman? Does he have witnesses to support his assertions?’’

    Oyekanmi implored Nigerians to henceforth disregard and ignore any unsubstantiated allegations by the PDP spokesman against the INEC Chairman.

    “Rather than work with the Commission to ensure that the general elections less than 30 days away are successfully conducted, it is very sad that some people are determined to cast aspersions on the good work that INEC has been doing in the last three years just for their selfish interests.

    “Let me assure Nigerians that nobody within or outside INEC can rig the 2019 general elections.”

    Oyeknami reiterated that in the coming elections, every voter must present his or her Permanent Voter’s Card and must be verified, confirmed and authenticated by the Smart Card Reader before voting.

    “Accreditation and voting will be simultaneously done as had been the case since January 2016 when the commission conducted the Bayelsa governorship election.

    “It is important to also state that the Commission adopted this method because it was recommended by all the local and international observers that covered the 2015 General Elections.

    “This was after confirmation that more than two million voters did not return to cast their ballots after accreditation in that election for a number of reasons.

    Read also: PDP will put food on Nigerians’ tables, says Secondus

    “Indeed, INEC is capable of, and will conduct free, fair and credible general elections. All we ask is for all stakeholders to play by the rules,” he added.

    NAN recalls that Ologbondiyan had earlier addressed a press conference, calling on INEC to rise above the “manifest compromises’’ and conduct the 2019 general elections in a transparent manner.

    He said that the entire nation was worried and that the palpable fear of every Nigerian today was whether INEC could conduct an election that would be free, fair, credible and transparent.

    “This is particularly as allegations are rife in the public space, that the INEC Chairman is being compromised by the APC and the Presidency with offers of huge sums of money.

    “This also includes choice property within and outside Nigeria, as well as juicy appointments to his relations as bribes, in return for the rigging of the elections in favour of Buhari and the APC.

    “The PDP urges Prof. Yakubu to resist any such pressure.”

    Ologbondiyan said that the call was critical following plans to have accreditation and voting simultaneously to pave the way for participation of aliens, underage and unregistered voters; as well as allocate fictitious figures in favour of the APC.

    He also alleged that the PDP already had information that the geo-spatial centers created by the INEC in the six geo-political zones had also been dubiously duplicated by Mrs Amina Zakari, INEC National Commissioner.

    Ologbondiyan, who further made a series of allegations against INEC, advised Yakubu to demonstrate his credibility and ability to conduct free, fair and transparent elections by taking urgent and decisive steps towards addressing these fears by Nigerians.

    “To do this, we demand that Prof. Mahmood Yakubu immediately rejig the electoral guidelines in a way that accreditation must be first concluded, number of accredited voters ascertained and openly announced before actual voting.

    “Anything short of this will only validate the position of Nigerians that INEC has been compromised by the APC,’’ he said. (NAN)

  • 2019: No plan to postpone elections, says INEC

    There are no plans to postpone the 2019 general elections as insinuated in some quarters, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said.

    The commission in apparent reaction to a report in one of the national dailies said that the newspaper’s headline “We May Shift 2019 Polls Over Threat Of Violence – INEC”  did not reflect correctly the statement of INEC boss, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu at the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Security (ICCES) meeting.

    In a statement signed by Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman the commission claimed that at no point during his remarks did the INEC Chairman allude to the notion that the Commission “may shift 2019 polls over threat of violence” as reported by the national newspaper.

    Read Also:PDP cautions INEC over alleged plot to shift 2019 elections

    The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a story with the headline – We May Shift 2019 Polls Over Threat Of Violence – INEC – which appeared on the front page of a national newspapers today, but which did not correctly reflect what the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said at the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting that took place at the Commission’s headquarters on 11th September 2018.

    “It is common knowledge that the Osun State governorship election will hold on Saturday 22nd September, while the 2019 General Elections are only 156 days away. The ICCES meeting, which takes place on a regular, quarterly basis, provides an opportunity for INEC and security agencies to evaluate and discuss the country’s security situation, with the aim of putting the necessary measures in place to enable the Commission carry out its mandate.

    “In his remarks at the meeting, the INEC Chairman told the security chiefs that with the 2019 general elections drawing close, the Committee would need to meet more frequently to constantly assess the security situation across the country and take proactive actions to forestall any unpleasant event before, during and immediately after the elections.

    “He underscored the fact that elections cannot be conducted under a rancorous atmosphere. He referred to Section 26 of the Electoral Act which, among others, gives the Commission the power to postpone an election “if there is reason to believe that a serious breach of peace is likely to occur if the election is proceeded with on (the fixed date)”, or as a result of natural disasters or other emergencies.

    “Prof. Yakubu made this reference to the Electoral Act only to underscore the importance of having peace and order in place before, during and after elections and to emphasize the significance of the synergy between the Commission and security agencies.

    “He also noted that the most important assignment before the Commission was the Osun governorship election, adding the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Osun State, Mr. Segun Agbaje and Commissioner of Police for Osun state, Mr. Fimihan Adeoye would brief the Committee on the current situation and state of readiness for the governorship poll. (Both Agbaje and Adeoye later briefed the audience).

    “Besides, he spoke on the rising phenomenon of vote buying and selling and harped on the need for collaborative effort to decisively tackle the menace and prevent it during the Osun governorship election. He said a Code of Conduct for security agents would be enforced during the elections and warned that any activity outside the confines of legality/ legitimacy will be viewed seriously.

    “The INEC Chairman also seized the opportunity to draw the Committee’s attention to a video clip making the rounds, in which some political actors were seen making inciteful statements that could lead to serious security breaches before, during and after the 2019 general elections. He called on the relevant security agencies to be vigilant, just as he urged them to take immediate action on the development.

    “He commended members of the Committee for their cooperation, which makes it possible for INEC to conduct credible elections.

    “It is thus clear that at no point during his remarks did the INEC Chairman allude to the notion that the Commission “may shift 2019 polls over threat of violence” as reported by the national newspaper.

    “To be sure, INEC has no plan to postpone the 2019 General Elections.”

     

  • Edo polls: WAEC relocates candidates to Delta, Ondo

    Edo polls: WAEC relocates candidates to Delta, Ondo

    The West African Examination Council (WAEC) on Tuesday said it has secured examination centres in Agbor, Delta state and Ore in Ondo state for candidates writing the General Certificate Examination (GCE) on Saturday,  September 10 in Edo state.

    It will be recalled that Edo state governorship election is expected to hold on the same day secondary schools students in the state are expected to sit for their mathematics paper.

    This is just as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed on Tuesday that it would go ahead with the poll as planned despite protest from secondary school students who called for a shift in the date of the election to allow them write their papers.

    INEC through the Chief Press Secretary to the chairman of the commission, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, also said it would not be involved in the relocation of the candidates.

    It added that the idea to relocate candidates to other states for examination is purely the responsibility of the state government, adding that INEC would not compensate any candidate.

    The Head, Public Affairs for WAEC Nigeria, Demianus Ojijeogu, who spoke with our reporter in Abuja yesterday, said the council would go ahead with the examination on that day.

    Ojijeogu also stated that WAEC would not be responsible for the relocation of the candidates to the two states, adding that the council is hoping the state government would assist with the relocation of the candidates.

    He added that WAEC officials would be on ground to conduct the examination for candidates who would be at the venue of the examination.

    “We went to Agbor, we have already secured venue. We went to Ore in Ondo state to secure exam centres for them. So that is where we are. Yes we have. Agbor in Delta state and Ore in Ondo state. We have secured centres already.

    “No. It’s our belief that the Edo State Government being the guardian of the candidates can make such an arrangement & also provide security for them.

    “If push comes to show, we will go and wait for them. Our exam officials will be in Ore in Ondo and Agbor in Delta state in the centres designated for that exams on that day. Those that come we will conduct exams for them but we still believe that something is going to happen between now and tomorrow,” he said in a text message sent to our reporter.

    He explained that WAEC wrote a letter to INEC to allow the candidates and WAEC officials free movement on the day of the examination after proper accreditation.

    According to him, the request was turned down for security reasons, adding that the police insisted on restriction of movement on that day.

    He said: “We wrote to INEC headquarters in Abuja and copied the state INEC in Edo state, copied the commissioner of police alerting them that our mathematics paper is clashing with the election.

    “Our view was that they should exempt our examination officials who will be properly accredited and candidates who will also be identified, they should grant them exemption from the restriction of government on that day so that they can write the paper because the subject is a core subject. It is mathematics.

    “The next thing we got a reply from INEC and even the commissioner of police inviting us for a meeting in Benin City. That was on august 25th. I was at the meeting and then when we got to the meeting we discovered that they had already met on the level of inter-agency consultative committee on election in edo state and trashed our issue that WAEC should relocate the candidates to states that is closer to Edo state.

    “We told them that this thing is not workable. Because one, research has shown that when you move candidates from where they have prepared for exams to another state or where they have been writing exams to another location if affects them psychologically.

    “On Wednesday, on the 29th of august we got a letter INEC sent to us saying that the commission in liaison with the security operating in Edo state after our joint meeting with officials of the organization advised WAEC to relocate the candidates to any state that are… to Edo state. This position is borne out of the fact that movement of every Nigerian living in edo state will be restricted on the election Day and such security arrangement cannot be compromised.

    They said that they cannot grant our request for the exemption of examination functionaries and candidates from any movement on the day of the election so we were left with nothing. There is nothing else to do. The exam must be conducted. It is an international exam in the sense that the paper will be written in the Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, as well as in Nigeria at the same time.

    “We have one other thing to do since they don’t want a gathering on the election day because they said it will compromise election security for the sake of these children let us move these centres to neighbouring states- delta, and Ondo.

    “We are also pleading with the government. We are expecting that the government can shift ground and say okay, since there will be free movement on that day for eligible voters that the candidates can also be allowed to go and write the exam as long as they are properly identified. We are still expecting that to happen.”