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Tag: Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi

  • Anambra poll: INEC trains staff on violence mitigation

    Anambra poll: INEC trains staff on violence mitigation

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has commenced the training of its officers on the application of Election Mitigation and Advocacy Tool ( EVMAT ).

    The training, being conducted in Awka,  capital of Anambra, is in preparation for the Nov. 18 governorship election in the state.

    INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, made the disclosure in a statement issued to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Osaze-Uzzi said the training was organised by The Electoral Institute (TEI), training and research arm of INEC.

    He said the training was aimed at developing the capacity of the participants to deploy violence reduction mechanisms to minimise electoral risks during the governorship poll.

    The statement quoted the Acting Director-General of TEI, Dr Sa’ad Idris, as saying that proper application of EVMAT was key in reducing risk of violence during election.

    Idris said the training was geared toward equipping the participants with the necessary skills to effectively administer EVMAT in their respective local government areas.

    “The standardised EVMAT offers unique opportunities for all stakeholders in the electoral process to effectively prevent and mitigate election violence.

    “The instrument possesses higher predictive power that can help appreciate main risk factors through early warning that may inform proactive response.

    “INEC in recent past has deployed the EVMAT instrument in a bid to test the pulse of various players in order to accurately predict and advise on actions to be taken by those responsible for securing elections.

    “The effective application of this instrument will determine the level of accuracy of report and risk factor mapping emanating therefrom,” he said.

    According to Idris, the participants were carefully selected to receive the training before being deployed to the various local government areas to administer the instruments which would be analysed and coded by a data analyst.

    He added that successful risk mapping could only be achieved using accurate data.

    NAN

  • Anambra guber poll: AD did not submit candidates names before deadline – INEC

    Anambra guber poll: AD did not submit candidates names before deadline – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has said that the Alliance for Democracy ( AD ) did not submit necessary forms and details of its candidates for Anambra governorship election before the deadline for submission.

    INEC Director of Publicity and Voter Education, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi disclosed this in an interview on Monday in Abuja.

    The AD had on Wednesday, in a letter written to INEC by its factional National Chairman, Alhaji Ismail Ayodele, said that the names of its candidates were omitted from the list of contestants in the Anambra governorship poll.

     INEC had on Wednesday published list of 37 political parties and their candidates for the Nov. 18 governorship election.

    Osaze-Uzzi added that from the commission’s record the National Chairman of AD was Chief Joseph Avazi, and not Ayodele.

    “The party did not make a submission of the necessary forms and list of their candidates before the close of work on the last day for submission.

    “From our records, Ismaila Ayodele is the National Treasurer of the party, not its National chairman.

    “National Chairman is Chief Joseph Avazi,” Osaze-Uzzi said.

    The party according to the letter listed Nze Valentine Favour Onwuka and his running mate Chijioke Onyekaonwu, as the names of its candidates submitted to INEC for the election.

    The party according to Ayodele complied with Sections 85 and 87 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) in notifying INEC of its primary election held on Aug. 22 in Awka, Anambra State.

    Ayodele said that the primary was monitored by INEC while the party also collected and submitted forms F001 and F002 to the commission.

    “We are therefore surprised that the names of our Governorship and Deputy Governorship candidates did not appear in your published list of candidates for the Election.

    “We urge you to use your good offices to rectify this and ensure that the names of our candidates are included in the list of those contesting the election.

    “We reaffirm our confidence in the Commission and believe that all eligible candidates for the Governorship Election are given the opportunity to participate in it.

    “This is the only way we will deepen our emerging democracy.

    “We look forward to the inclusion of our Party’s Candidates names in your list,” the statement reads.

    NAN

  • NIDO urges INEC to extend voting right to Nigerians in diaspora

    NIDO urges INEC to extend voting right to Nigerians in diaspora

    The world body of the Nigerians Living in the Diaspora (NIDO), has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the voting right to Nigerians living in the Diaspora through Out of Country Voting system (OCV).

    INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, noted that the call was made during NIDO delegation visit to INEC.

    Osaze-Uzzi quoted the leader of the team and Chairman, NIDO Asia, Prof. Emenike Ejiogu, as saying they were at INEC to seek inclusion of people in the diaspora in the country’s voting system.

    Ejiogu appealed to the Commission to consider taking the ballot box beyond the shores of Nigeria, to enable persons living in the Diaspora enjoy the right to vote.

    He noted that the number of Nigerians Living in the Diaspora was significant to the Nigeria’s voting and electoral process.

    Ejiogu, said that the body could actively engage the National Assembly to influence the needed dialogue on diaspora voting.

    It noted that the body representatives were drawn from the leadership of NIDO from Europe, Asia, Africa and America.

    The acting Chairman of INEC and National Commissioner, Mr Adedeji Soyebi said INEC has been studying the matter of out of the country voting with keen interest.

    Soyebi said it was rather unfortunate that the current legislation did not permit out of the country voting in Nigeria.

    He said it was the wish of the Commission to ensure every interested person wishing to vote was given the opportunity..

    He said that in spite of the wish “there is hardly anything the Commission could do” unless some amendments to the electoral law were made.

  • INEC Directors adopt draft framework on Persons Living With Disabilities

    INEC Directors adopt draft framework on Persons Living With Disabilities

    The Directors of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have adopted a draft Framework on Access and Participation of Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    This was disclosed in a statement issued by INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Osaze-Uzzi said that the adoption was made at a workshop organised by the commission to review and adopt a ‘Framework on Access and Participation of PLWDs’ in Keffi, Nassarawa State, ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    He quoted Prince Adedeji Soyebi, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, while appraising the document before its adoption, as saying that the document was good enough right from the initial stage.

    Soyebi said that INEC was committed to promoting the participation of all social groups in the electoral process.

    He added that the document would be presented to other critical stakeholders for further scrutiny before its final adoption.

    Osaze-Uzzi also quoted Dr Adekunle Ogunmola, INEC National Commissioner, while declaring open the workshop as restating the commission’s commitment toward mainstreaming the PLWDs in electoral process.

    Ogunmola said:“the Commission aims to ensure that disability issues are mainstreamed into electoral matters.

    “This is against the backdrop of the fact that the 2011 World Health Organisation’s report on disability estimated that 15 per cent of the world’s population has one disability or the other, and 80 per cent with disabilities live in the global south.’’

    Ogunmola also cited the statistics of PLWDs in Nigeria which he said stood at well over 25 million men, women and children, of various age groups.

    Speaking on the experience of INEC at the development of a durable and acceptable PLWDs Framework, Ogunmola said time, knowledge, expertise and consultation were necessary.

    He said that the “the first input to the draft came up based on consultation with PWDs groups”.

    He added that nationwide consultations had taken place with principal external stakeholders in which an acceptable template was developed.

    Ogunmola further said the content and direction of INEC PLWD Framework was guided by the national and international instruments on PLWDs issues.

    These, according to him, include the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (1948); International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1956).

    He also listed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) among other things; as well as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

  • Rivers polls: INEC ‘yet to receive report’ on indicted officials

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday said it was yet to receive the official report of the police investigative panel on the December 10, 2016 legislative rerun elections in Rivers.

    The commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    The panel’s report submitted to police authorities on February7, indicted 23 electoral officers, for allegedly collecting monetary inducements to rig the elections.

    Out of over N360 million said to have been received by the INEC personnel, the panel publicly displayed N111 million which it recovered from the officials who participated in the polls.

    The panel added that three senior electoral officers collected N20 million each out of the N360 million believed to have been used by the Rivers Government to influence officials who conducted the elections.

    Osaze-Uzzi also said he was not aware that the indicted officials have been handed over to INEC for internal disciplinary measures in line with Public Service rules.

    “The commission is yet to receive any report of the police investigative panel on the alleged indicted officers,” he told NAN.

    “The commission, like every other Nigerian, only read the outcome of the investigation in the news.

    “What we read was that the officers were going to be handed over to the Attorney-General of the Federation for prosecution.

    “I am not aware that the alleged indicted officers have been handed over to INEC either at our Rivers office or headquarters in Abuja for disciplinary actions.”

     

     

  • Rivers rerun: We are yet to get police panel report – INEC

    Rivers rerun: We are yet to get police panel report – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it was yet to receive the report of the police panel that investigated activities during the December 10, 2016 parliamentary rerun elections in Rivers.

    The panel, which was constituted by police high command submitted its report to the Inspector-General of Police on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The report said N111 million was recovered from 23 INEC officials that participated in the elections.

    The recovered cash was displayed during the presentation of the report at police headquarters in Abuja.

    INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the commission has not been briefed by anybody on the report.

    “After getting the report and the indictment, INEC would support all processes to prosecute the people allegedly involved the alleged bribery,” Osaze-Uzzi told NAN.

    “We await the police report. Just like everybody saw it on the media that was how we also saw it.

    “As at today, they have not communicated to say this is the report.

    “We know the panel has submitted the report to the IGP. Maybe, he will study it and avail us with the report if need be.”

     

     

  • Edo: INEC yet to receive security report

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday said it was yet to receive a formal report from the security agencies, calling for postponement of the Edo governorship poll.

    The INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, said the commission plans to go ahead with the election because  it is yet to receive any report from security agencies.

    Osaze- Uzzi said, “We haven’t received any formal report to that effect.  So we are proceeding as if election was going to take place. It is when we receive a formal report that we will consider whether to continue with the election or not. But for now we have not received any formal report. So we are going ahead. But we believe they will inform us formally and we can then take a decision on the matter.”