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Tag: Osun polls

  • CAN carpeted for seeking cancellation of Ekiti, Osun polls

    A pro-democracy group, the Osun Progressive Left (OPL), has expressed worry over the call by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for outright cancelation of Osun and Ekiti states’ governorship elections.

    In a statement by its Convener, Comrade Wale Adebisi, the group said it was miffed by the call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the elections without any justification.

    It described the CAN’s statement as “partisan, self-servicing, inciting and an attempt to look for unwarranted relevance”.

    The statement warned CAN not to get itself “messed up” in politics but remain neutral and maintain a non-partisanship position.

    It reads: “A couple of years ago, the CAN almost turned Osun into a theatre of religious crisis over the introduction of school uniform but for the mature approach with which Governor Rauf Aregbesola handled the matter. Though we are fully aware of the freedom of expression and that of speech, as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution, but a situation whereby these rights are abused to the detriment of the entire nation calls for serious concern.

    “We begin to wonder how on earth an organisation like CAN, which is expected to be at the front burner of peace-making, could be making such an inflammatory statement that is capable of heating up the already tensed political situation in both states and other parts of Nigeria.

    “The only body competent to examine and order the cancellation of any election in Nigeria, after the INEC has declared result, is the court of competent jurisdiction. This attempt, in all ramifications, by the CAN leadership, is to set Nigeria ablaze by canvassing for an annulment of an election result that has been announced to the public.

    “It is totally irresponsible for any group to ask for the cancellation of an election without any legal basis. The last time we had an election annulment was the June 12, 1993, presidential election won by the late Moshood Kasimawo Olawale (M.K.O) Abiola. This wicked act put Nigeria permanently in the reverse for six years until civil democratic rule was returned in 1999.

    “In our own opinion, we consider this statement as partisan, self-serving, inciting, ungodly and an attempt to look for unwarranted relevance. We advise the CAN not to get itself messed up in the political situation of the country, but rather remain neutral and maintain its non-partisanship position.

    “In the recent past, the CAN almost turned Osun into a theatre of religious crisis, if not the mature approach of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in handling the matter. The just-concluded election results of both states have been declared and there is no way any other person or persons or INEC itself could annul these election results, as canvassed by the CAN. The only institution that has the capacity to upturn any election result declared by INEC is the court of competent jurisdiction or an election tribunal, after proper hearing and if there is a compelling reason to do so.

    “However, CAN as an organisation, has for long lost its credibility, particularly with its relationship with former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 general elections.”

  • Falana to Fed Govt, INEC: prevent vote-buying in Ekiti and Osun polls

    Lagos lawyer Mr. Femi Falana has urged the Federal Government to enforce the electoral law which criminalises vote-buying in the forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.

    He said this would ensure the credibility of the elections.

    Falana made the plea in his keynote address at the national electoral stakeholders’ summit organised by Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) with support from the United Kingdom’s Department of International Development in Lagos.

    The frontline lawyer listed various impediments to credible elections, including vote-buying, bribery and conspiracy, noted that there had been no political will to criminalise the offence in Nigeria.

    He regretted that in the last few years, vote-buying and bribery during elections had been mind-blogging.

    Falana said: “In the last three or four elections, between 2015 and now, we have witnessed this disturbing phenomenon of vote-buying on the day of election. It is so embarrassing for us as a people because some of these elections are not monitored by our people alone but all over world. The foreigners will go back home and say that corruption has been institutionalised in Nigeria; that on the day of elections, voters are paid before casting their votes.”

    The lawyer said Nigeria was becoming a laughing stock among the comity of nations due to vote-buying during elections.

    He urged Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use the forthcoming Ekiti and Osun governorship elections to implement the law against vote-buying.

    According to him, cases of vote-buying and other electoral offences are often discontinued by attorneys-general in some states.

    Falana said this had been a drawback on the nation’s desire to ensure credible polls.

    The lawyer called for an independent electoral offence panel, as stipulated in the Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais Penal Report, to deal with electoral offences in Nigeria.

    He said: “Many of the electoral offences committed during elections are often times quietly withdrawn by some attorneys-general in some states on the ground that the state is not willing to prosecute.”

    On the premise that many Nigerians were hungry and open to bribery on the day of elections, Falana challenged INEC, political parties and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to begin enlightenment campaigns that would help Nigerians to demand answers to their problems from politicians.

    He said: “Nigerians across the country must get politicians to be accountable. Those we have elected, we must make them to account and justify why we should renew their mandate. Unless we do that we are not going to get out of criminality. Yes, people are hunger but it is never a justification for them to demand for money before voting.”

    TMG’s Chairperson Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi said the event was meant to create awareness and provide an opportunity for the public and stakeholders to bare their minds on grey areas in the electoral system that should be revisited to ensure a smooth transition from one democratically elected government to another.

    She called for collaboration between the media and civil society groups, as co-actors in the political space, to strengthen the process and the performances of INEC to ensure free, fair and credible elections in 2019.

     

  • ‘INEC will transmit Ekiti, Osun polls results electronically’

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday unfolded plans to transmit the results of the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states electronically.

    INEC Commissioner Muhammed Mustafa Lecky said the agency will employ the innovative electronic transmission of results.

    He said: “ INEC has come to the conclusion that this will be done in Ekiti and Osun elections.”

    Lecky spoke at a seminar organised by the Electoral Institute in Abuja. The theme of discussion was: “Anambra governorship election: a post-mortem and lessons for Ekiti and Osun states governorship polls.”

    The chairman of the Institute, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, had requested the commissioner to give an update on the electronic transmission of results.

    Lecky recalled that INEC has discussed with the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and  the telecommunication companies, adding that they had assured the agency of the feasibility of transmitting the results electronically.

    He said: “We have begin discussions with the Nigerian Communication Commission, and we have also discussed with MTN, Etisalat and all other telecommunication companies in Nigeria. We have been having meetings with them.”

    Lecky said the companies had agreed to cooperate with the agency on the innovation.

    The commission, he said, has taken steps to ensure the functionality of the card readers, stressing that “the aperture where you do the scanning of the finger has been enlarged.”

    He said the smart card readers have been enhanced to function better in the two states elections, stressing that plans are underway for the commission to improve on them in next year’s elections.

    He said steps have been taken to “document the Voter Identification Number the Permanent Voters Cards to trace the phone numbers of owners to send them text messages informing  them about the  PVCs.”

    Lecky said despite the efforts, it is the responsibility of the owners to collect them.

    He added: “The commission is trying to make copies of the PVCs so that our registration area officers and other staff at the local government level and see how they can identify the owners for collection.

    “The commission is doing its best to ensure that the PVCs are collected. The onus is still on the owners to collect his or her PVCs.”

    A discussant from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Stella Okunna, advised the commission to prevent the late arrival of election materials and inducement of electoral officers.

    She charged the commission to ensure that its equipment are in order and compel the operators of the ICT to function ethically during the elections.

  • ‘INEC ‘ll ransmit Ekiti, Osun polls results electronically’

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday unfolded plans to transmit the results of the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states electronically.

    INEC Commissioner Muhammed Mustafa Lecky said the agency will employ the innovative electronic transmission of results.

    He said: “ INEC has come to the conclusion that this will be done in Ekiti and Osun elections.”

    Lecky spoke at a seminar organised by the Electoral Institute in Abuja. The theme of discussion was: “Anambra governorship election: a post-mortem and lessons for Ekiti and Osun states governorship polls.”

    The chairman of the Institute, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, had requested the commissioner to give an update on the electronic transmission of results.

    Lecky recalled that INEC has discussed with the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and  the telecommunication companies, adding that they had assured the agency of the feasibility of transmitting the results electronically.

    He said: “We have begin discussions with the Nigerian Communication Commission, and we have also discussed with MTN, Etisalat and all other telecommunication companies in Nigeria. We have been having meetings with them.”

    Lecky said the companies had agreed to cooperate with the agency on the innovation.

    The commission, he said, has taken steps to ensure the functionality of the card readers, stressing that “the aperture where you do the scanning of the finger has been enlarged.”

    He said the smart card readers have been enhanced to function better in the two states elections, stressing that plans are underway for the commission to improve on them in next year’s elections.

    He said steps have been taken to “document the Voter Identification Number the Permanent Voters Cards to trace the phone numbers of owners to send them text messages informing  them about the  PVCs.”

    Lecky said despite the efforts, it is the responsibility of the owners to collect them.

    He added: “The commission is trying to make copies of the PVCs so that our registration area officers and other staff at the local government level and see how they can identify the owners for collection.

    “The commission is doing its best to ensure that the PVCs are collected. The onus is still on the owners to collect his or her PVCs.”

    A discussant from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Stella Okunna, advised the commission to prevent the late arrival of election materials and inducement of electoral officers.

    She charged the commission to ensure that its equipment are in order and compel the operators of the ICT to function ethically during the elections.

  • Ekiti, Osun polls: Yoruba youths to engage governors on accounts March 27

    Agbarijo Egbe Odo Yoruba, the Grand Council of Yoruba Youths, will hold the sixth edition of Yoruba youth leadership summit, titled: Gbangbadekun on March 27.

    The event, which will hold at the Lagos Airport Hotel in Ikeja, the Lagos State will begin at 10 a.m.

    A statement by the National President of Agbarijo Egbe Odo Yoruba, Awa Bamiji, said Gbangbadekun is designed to engage the two outgoing governors of Osun and Ekiti states – Rauf Aregbesola and Ayodele Fayose – on their accounts of stewardship ahead of the governorship polls in their states later this year.

    The topic: Agbarijo Egbe Odo Yoruba: Abo Mi Ree! (Grand Council of Yoruba Youths: My Scorecard), will be delivered by both governors.

    The chief host is Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, while Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu is the chairman of occasion.

    Children of the past Yoruba leaders, including Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, Mr Tokunbo Ajasin, Bayo Abraham-Adesanya and Muyiwa Ige, are guests of honour.

    The Royal Fathers of the Day are: the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III and the Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

    Afenifere Leader, Chief Reuben Fashoranti and and his deputy, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, will be the special guests of honour.

    The Father of the Day is the Yoruba Council of Elders’ President General, Pa Idowu Sofola while Prof Sophie Oluwole will be the Mother of the Day.

    Odu’a National Awards, in form of carved Ori Olokun, will be bestowed on three eminent Yoruba personalities – Chief Reuben Fashoranti, as Agba Akin Ti Ile Odu’a; Pa Idowu Sofola, as Baba Eto Ti Ile Odu’a and Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba, Aare Gani Adams, as Ajagungbade Ti Ile Odu’a.

    The statement added: “We are using this summit to bring together members of Afenifere, Yoruba Council of Elders, Yoruba Unity Forum, Yoruba self-determination groups, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society organisations (CSOs), community-based organisations (CBOs), National Youth Council and National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the Southwest and participate in a very sensitive and intellectual issue that concerns everybody in the region. This can be best described as Yoruba Unity Summit in honour of this two outgoing governors.”

  • Ekiti, Osun polls: Yoruba youths to engage governors on accounts March 27

    Agbarijo Egbe Odo Yoruba, the Grand Council of Yoruba Youths, will hold the sixth edition of Yoruba youth leadership summit, titled: Gbangbadekun on March 27.

    The event, which will hold at the Lagos Airport Hotel in Ikeja, the Lagos State will begin at 10 a.m.

    A statement by the National President of Agbarijo Egbe Odo Yoruba, Awa Bamiji, said Gbangbadekun is designed to engage the two outgoing governors of Osun and Ekiti states – Rauf Aregbesola and Ayodele Fayose – on their accounts of stewardship ahead of the governorship polls in their states later this year.

    The topic: Agbarijo Egbe Odo Yoruba: Abo Mi Ree! (Grand Council of Yoruba Youths: My Scorecard), will be delivered by both governors.

    The chief host is Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, while Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu is the chairman of occasion.

    Children of the past Yoruba leaders, including Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, Mr Tokunbo Ajasin, Bayo Abraham-Adesanya and Muyiwa Ige, are guests of honour.

    The Royal Fathers of the Day are: the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III and the Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

    Afenifere Leader, Chief Reuben Fashoranti and and his deputy, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, will be the special guests of honour.

    The Father of the Day is the Yoruba Council of Elders’ President General, Pa Idowu Sofola while Prof Sophie Oluwole will be the Mother of the Day.

    Odu’a National Awards, in form of carved Ori Olokun, will be bestowed on three eminent Yoruba personalities – Chief Reuben Fashoranti, as Agba Akin Ti Ile Odu’a; Pa Idowu Sofola, as Baba Eto Ti Ile Odu’a and Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba, Aare Gani Adams, as Ajagungbade Ti Ile Odu’a.

    The statement added: “We are using this summit to bring together members of Afenifere, Yoruba Council of Elders, Yoruba Unity Forum, Yoruba self-determination groups, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society organisations (CSOs), community-based organisations (CBOs), National Youth Council and National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the Southwest and participate in a very sensitive and intellectual issue that concerns everybody in the region. This can be best described as Yoruba Unity Summit in honour of this two outgoing governors.”

  • Military probes Ekiti, Osun polls

    Military probes Ekiti, Osun polls

    •Generals’ panel gets two weeks

    The military’s probe of some of its officers’ and men’s partisan involvement in the 2014 governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states has commenced.

    A five-man panel of officers led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, as President, announced the take off of the probe yesterday in Kaduna.

    Also to be probed is the involvement of some officers in electoral malpractices during the general elections.

    Army Spokesman Col. Sani Usman last month in a statement said the military would examine the involvement of its officers to forestall a recurrence.

    The then ruling party – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – is believed to have used the army to aid its victory in the June 21, 2014 Ekiti governorship poll.

    Soldiers were allegedly used to intimidate the All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts in Ekiti and in Osun State, whose governorship election held on August 9.

    Army Captain Sagir Koli later revealed detail of how the military was used to rig the Ekiti election.

    The panel will sit at the headquarters of 1 Division Nigerian Army in Kaduna. Col. Danladi Salihu is the panel secretary.

    Other members of the panel are:  Brig. Gen.  Emmanuel Kabuk, Brig. Gen. Sunday Araoye, and Brig. Gen. Baba Ibrahim

    Maj-Gen Oyebade said the panel will submit its report within the next two weeks to Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.

    The panel’s President urged individuals with useful information to visit the panel and testify. He said the investigation is open to the public even though it is a purely military affair.

    Gen. Oyebade said: “As most of you are aware, the last general elections conducted in March 2015 elicited criticism in some quarters, especially from the general public, particularly in the conduct of some Nigerian Army personnel during the governorship and presidential elections.

    “These allegations were centred on the governorship elections conducted in some states such as Ekiti, Osun, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom, to mention but a few.

    “It is therefore based on all these weighty allegations that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai on assumption of Command, articulated his vision of having a professionally responsive Nigerian Army in the discharge of its constitutional roles, instituted this Board of Inquiry.

    “The panel is to investigate these allegations and recommend appropriate measures to prevent a reoccurrence in the future.

    “The military as a noble profession of arms must remain apolitical in our democratic dispensation. Politics, we strongly believe should be left entirely to the politicians.

    “I must hasten to add however, that in spite of these worrisome allegations, the military as to a large extent performed creditably as the foremost guardian of the nation’s democracy.

    “On this note, I will like to call on all the strata in the society and of course, the general public to please as a matter of urgency, appear in person if they so wish and forward their petitions in form of memorandum either personally to Headquarters 1 Division Nigerian Army, Kawo, Kaduna or via courier addressed to the secretary, panel of investigation on elections, HQ 1Division, Kawo, Kaduna”.