The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Commissioner

  • DSS didn’t invite any National Commissioner, says INEC

    The Department of State Security ( DSS ) has not invited any National Commissioner or any top electoral official, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Tuesday.

    A section of the media reported on Tuesday morning that the National Commissioner on Logistics, Dr Okechukwu Ibeanu, for questioning.

    But INEC’s National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakbubu, said there was nothing like that.

    He warned politicians on the need to be cautious in their utterances so as not to heat up the polity.

    Yabuku spoke while giving updates on INEC preparation to stakeholders in Abuja.

    He also declared the commission has successfully deployed all the materials to states across the federation.

    He reiterated its preparedness to conduct credible elections come Saturday and on March 9.

    He also revealed that 95 percent of the Smart Card Readers have been reconfigured ahead of the scheduled time.

    Yakubu further assured the remaining 5 percent will be concluded by Wednesday.

    He also said it was not true that one of the suppliers of the Smart Cars Readers was involved in the configuration process, stressing that the configuration was done entirely by the staff of the commission.

    The INEC boss also said that the commission has not received any complaint of any missing result sheets from any part of the nation.

    He assured that the commission will do all it has to do to ensure that Saturday polls went well and is free, fair and credible.

     

    Update Later…

  • INEC inaugurates Election Project Plan Committee (EPPC)

    INEC inaugurates Election Project Plan Committee (EPPC)

    The Independent National Electoral Comission (INEC) has inaugurated the Election Project Plan Committee (EPPC).

    The Commission also approved the 2017 – 2021 Strategic Plan for immediate implementation, following its validation by stakeholders.

    The committee which is headed by Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, National Commissioner (Chairman) is charged with the responsibility of coordinating all Departmental and State inputs into the planning of elections.

    The committee is also charged with the responsibility of monitoring the performance of the two-year budget estimates for the general elections, identify gaps and advise the Commission appropriately.

    Other term of reference include, Produce a comprehensive, costed Election Project Plan (EPP) for the Commission’s approval; Ensure the integration of the EPP and the EMS for effective implementation and monitoring; and to Provide quarterly progress report on implementation of the EPP up to the Election Day.

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu at a brief ceremony to inaugurate the Committee, yesterday tasked the members to immediately devote themselves to ensuring that the 2019 general elections are better than the previous ones. He also charged them to commence the implementation of the Strategic Plan 2017 – 2021 and to ensure the actualization of all its envisaged goals. He proclaimed that with the inauguration of the Committee, and the approval of the Strategic Plan, the Commission “is now in an election mode.”

    Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu while thanking the Commission for the opportunity to serve, promised that the members would immediately devote themselves to the onerous task of making the 2019 general elections a successful one. He said the members regard the assignment as a great honour and privilege for which no stone will be left unturned to achieve the Commission’s goals.

    Other members of the  Committee are:     Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, National Commissioner, Engineer Abubakar Nahuche, National Commissioner, Prof. Bolade Eyinla, Chief Technical Adviser to Hon. Chairman, Prof. Mohammad Kuna, Special Adviser to Hon. Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi, CPS to Hon. Chairman, Prof. Abubakar Momoh, Director General, Electoral Institute, Mr. A.T Yusuf, Director, Operations, Engr Chidi Nwafor, Director ICT, Mr Iro Gambo, Director, Voter Registry, Mr Aminu Idris, Director, EPM, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, Director, Legal Services, Mrs Ruth Endeley, Director, Estate & Works, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, Director, Voter Education & Publicity, Mr. Kenneth Ukeagu, Director, Procurement and Mr Ndeche Okechukwu, Director, Planning & Monitoring (Secretary)

  • Edo election: Collation of results begins Thursday – REC

    Edo election: Collation of results begins Thursday – REC

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo, Mr Sam Olumekun, says collation of results for the governorship election in the state would commence on Thursday.

    Olumekun disclosed this in Benin on Wednesday after a closed-door meeting with a National Commissioner and two Resident Electoral Commissioners at 11.20 p.m.

    He, however, did not give reasons for the shift in date for the exercise.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the decision to commence the collation on Thursday could be traced to the late arrival of results from the 18 local government areas of the state.

    A Correspondent of NAN who visited INEC office in Benin reports that security was tight while movement to the area had been restricted to only accredited officers and staff.

    At the INEC office, party agents, Journalists and election observers were seen waiting for the commencement of collation of results from the local government areas.

    A source close to the commission told NAN that those waiting for the collation had the option to wait or come back on Thursday for the exercise. 

  • BREAKING: Jega hands over to Wali

    BREAKING: Jega hands over to Wali

    Professor Attahiru Jega has finally bowed out as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday after five years of meritorious service to the nation.

    Jega, who received accolades from Nigerians home and abroad as well as the international communities for his dignified contributions to the success of the 2015 general election, hands over to Ambassador (Dr.) Ahmed Wali.

    AMB-WaliBefore his appointment as National Commissioners of the (INEC), Wali was a Visiting Reader (Associate Professor) to the Department of Political Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, and Chief Executive Officer, Development Strategies International (DSI).

    Ambassador Wali is a member of various committees of INEC and the Chairman of the Tenders Board.

    Wali, a Muslim, Fulani, hails from Sanyima town in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, in the North-West geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

    Jega, who is leaving INEC with six National Commissioners whose tenure has equally expired, fought the greatest battle of his life, to preserve his good name, in conducting the 2015 general elections.

    When former President Goodluck Jonathan nominated Jega as the Chairman of INEC in June, 2010, it was borne out of the conviction that he was found worthy of a position that had a history of lacking in men that live up to the creed such an office demands— unimpeachable integrity and being a consistent stickler for truth.

    It would be recalled that general elections were conducted under Jega’s supervision – 2011, 2015- each with improvement as the 2015 general elections were accepted by all and sundry as the freest and fairest ever in the country’s electoral history.

    He is a former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and was an opponent of the Babangida military government in the early 1990s. Politically leaning towards the left, as ASUU President he was closely associated with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and continued that connection throughout his career.

    On April 29, 2010 he was guest lecturer for the NLC May Day celebration where he presented a paper on ’50 Years of Nationhood: Challenges of Good Democratic Governance, Credible Election and the Working Class’.

    He is widely seen as an astute intellectual with a strong sense of ethics and morality.