The Nation Newspaper

Tag: polls

  • 15,000 visually-impaired Voters get free eye treatment

    Determined to ensure mass participation in the forthcoming elections, women leaders and stakeholders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State have launched a free eye screening and treatment of eligible voters.

    The free health scheme which targeted the visually-impaired eligible voters across the three Senatorial Districts of Ikot Ekpene, Eket and Uyo had 15,000 beneficiaries at the designated centres including Abak, Eket and Uruan.

    Organised under the aegis of ‘Friends of Martha Organisation’ (FMO), a frontline socio-political group rooting for the continuity of governance under the ruling PDP, the women said the programme became necessary to avoid the disenfranchisement of voters during the elections.

    The President of the group, Mrs. Ime Ephraim Inyang, who underscored the importance of returning President Goodluck Jonathan; the election of Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, as the next Governor of Akwa Ibom State; Chief Godswill Akpabio for the Senate as well as all PDP candidates, urged the electorates to shun the sentiments and vote for the PDP.

    She explained that the free eye testing and treatment of the less privileged was borne out of “the need to help the visually-impaired voters to be able to identify the PDP Umbrella symbol on the ballot papers and vote correctly for their candidates.”

    Tagged: “Operation see clear to vote right”, the scheme also provided avenues for the women coordinator, Mrs. Inyang, to indulged the beneficiaries to come out massively to vote this weekend for President Jonathan and other PDP candidates to the National Assembly.

    “As one of the dependable States in the PDP family, if we fail to vote for Mr. President and other PDP candidates, we stand to lose so many good things from the centre.

    “Don’t forget the Maritime University, the Ibaka Deep Seaport and other projects that Mr. President promised for this State during his last campaign visit. These projects when implemented will surely change the socio-economic face of our dear State,” she noted.

    Urging the people to be armed with their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs), Mrs. Inyang enjoined the people to secure the cards from those who may want to buy them, adding that “your card is your only power to make decisions at the elections.”

    “I am fulfilled today, because I regard the eyes as essential organ of the body and a window to life. The organ is very critical to the existence of man, so I am happy because we have been able to add value to life by this intervention and ensure the less privileged ones also take part in the decision making process of Nigeria at the polls,” she stressed.

  • Soldiers and polls

    Soldiers and polls

    •The courts have spoken and the government is duty bound to obey the law

    If anyone is in doubt about what the role of the military should be during elections in the country, such doubts ought to have gone with court judgments on the matter in recent times. The latest of such judgments was delivered by a Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday.  While delivering judgment in a suit filed by Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, a member of the House of Representatives and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Justice Ibrahim Buba said deployment of soldiers for polls was unconstitutional. Mr Gbajabiamila had taken President Goodluck Jonathan, the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to court over the legality of deploying soldiers for elections.

    The Court of Appeal and a Federal High Court in Sokoto had earlier said that troops cannot be deployed for elections as President Jonathan did during the Anambra, Ekiti and Osun governorship elections; and as he is even threatening to do in the forthcoming general elections. As a matter of fact, soldiers had already been deployed in some states for this purpose. With these judgments, it should be stridently clear to President Jonathan that he has no powers to unilaterally deploy soldiers for elections. And, if at all they must be involved, Justice Buba said the president has to go through the National Assembly.

    These judgments are timely and profound, especially given the penchant of the Jonathan administration to deploy troops for elections. The way the present government has been using soldiers for election duties, albeit illegitimately, is most deplorable. Indeed, it is as if we never conducted elections before its coming to power. In Ekiti State, the soldiers’ role has become so messy and contentious with the video release by Captain Sagir Koli that implicated top military officers in shameful connivance with chieftains of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to tilt the result of the polls in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But for the eternal vigilance of the voters in Osun State, perhaps the soldiers would have replicated what they did in Ekiti in Osun, if only with their intimidating presence during the polls.

    We align with Justice Buba that there is nothing peculiar about the nature of elections and electioneering in Nigeria, as painted by the defence counsel, Dele Adesina, to justify the president, as commander-in-chief, unilaterally deploying soldiers to maintain law and order during elections. Apparently those who drafted the constitution took cognizance of a time like this when our kind of incumbent president would not be comfortable having elections without soldiers deployment, when preparing the document.

    We equally wonder why the same soldiers who were serially being court-martialled for mutiny, with some of them straying into neighbouring country on ‘tactical manouevring’ show unusual excitement when deployed for election duties; a job primarily meant for the police. The military itself should know by now that its involvement in elections has altered its perception as the military of the ruling party rather than that of Nigeria. This is unhelpful of professionalism and is a potential time bomb that could explode unless we stop involving soldiers in partisan election matters.

    With the pronouncement by the courts on the matter, it will amount to presidential impunity to deploy soldiers for the polls this weekend. The law is higher than any administration or government. That is the meaning of the rule of law.

    Those hinging presidential deployment of troops for elections on the Armed Forces Act no longer have any valid case because even if that is expressly stated in the Act, such provision is a nullity to the extent of its inconsistency with constitutional provision. What we need to do is to reduce the influence of soldiers in elections and this can be done by empowering the police to be able to cope with the demands of the period. In the past, soldiers were seldom seen in public; we have to return to that glorious past.

  • Court refuses to list UPN’s presidential candidate, others for polls

    THE Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday refused to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the elections.

    It joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, as defendants in the suit.

    UPN is praying the court to order INEC to list its candidates for the elections.

    Ruling on APC’s application, Justice Okon Abang held that since INEC had printed and distributed electoral materials, it could not be compelled to destroy them and print new ones.

    This, the judge said, was because UPN filed its suit on February 25 after the postponement of the initial February 14 presidential election.

    He said the suit came up for hearing on March 6, a period of 21 days to the rescheduled presidential election.

    “The applicant (UPN) cannot create problems for this court and indeed the entire country. The court cannot command the impossible. The plaintiffs cannot file this suit 21 days to the election and expect that it must be heard and judgment delivered before the election.

    “Even though the plaintiffs have no claim against the APC, the outcome of this suit will affect the party because it is about an election, which the party is participating.

    “This is a pre-election matter and it can be heard after the election,” Justice Abang ruled.

    The judge then ordered that APC and Buhari should be joined as second and third defendants.

    He directed the plaintiffs to amend its processes to reflect the additional defendants and serve them within three days.

    UPN’s presidential candidate Helen Godswill filed the suit with its other candidates following the non-listing of their names as candidates for the elections.

    Justice Abang adjourned till May 6 for hearing.

  • APGA candidate Otti assesses INEC’s readiness for polls

    The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, has visited the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) office in the state, to ascertain its level of preparedness for the elections.

    Otti, after the visit, said he was satisfied with the explanations by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Selina Oko.

    He urged her not to be intimidated by any party.

    The APGA standard-bearer enjoined politicians to respect the peace accord signed with the police and other security agents so that the elections would be peaceful.

    Addressing reporters after the visit, Otti said he was at INEC’s office as a stakeholder to ensure that the elections were free and fair.

    He said: “We have election on Saturday and I needed to come and assess the level of preparedness by INEC, to be sure that things will go on well. I can say I am satisfied.”

     

  • Polls: Reject inducement – NYSC DG, Jega tell corps members

    Polls: Reject inducement – NYSC DG, Jega tell corps members

    The Director-General, National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen. JB Olawunmi and the Independent National Election Commission Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega Tuesday admonished corps members billed to participate in the conduct of general election to shun all forms ofinducement.

    The corpers were assured of prompt payment of their allowances before and after election duties.

    Reading from their message to the corpers, at the Lokoja Township Stadium in Lokoja, Kogi State, the NYSC state Coordinator, Mrs. Olabanji Agatha called on them to build on the success of the 2011 General Election and make the nation proud.

    With their academic exposure, she said, a high sense of patriotism and integrity was expected of them.

    Each participating corper will receive a cumulative total of N32, 000 for the March 28 and April 11 national assignment.

    She added: “As corps who have been exposed to a high academic knowledge, ideals and objectives of NYSC, it is expected of you to handle this critical assignment with a high sense of patriotism, integrity, diligence and responsibility.

    “The last General Election held in 2011 was adjudged as the fairest and most credible in the history of our country.
    “Your past colleagues participated in that election was hailed by Nigerians, the international community and election observers as a major contributing factor to its successful conduct. It is against this backdrop that the nation is again calling on you, the corps members, for this very important electoral national assignment”.

    She commended them for availing themselves for national duties despite the unfortunate incidence of the past, saying they have proved that as youths, they had much at stake in the building of a virile nation.

    She said, “The unfortunate violence that followed the Presidential Election of 2011 has not deterred you from rendering your services to our dear nation. This indeed is a show of the zeal and unconquerable spirit of the Nigerian youth. Nigerians appreciate you, history will commemorate and celebrate you.

    “While praying for the success of the forthcoming General Elections, we assure you that your welfare and security have been taken into consideration.”

  • Court stops Jonathan from deploying soldiers for polls

    Court stops Jonathan from deploying soldiers for polls

    The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining President Goodluck Jonathan and the Service Chiefs from deploying soldiers for the general elections.

    Justice Ibrahim Buba held that they cannot deploy soldiers without the National Assembly’s approval.

    Besides, he said any election which is militarised through deployment of soldiers where there is no insurrection is “anti-democratic” and not in consonance with constitutional democracy and civil rule.

    Justice Buba was delivering judgment in a suit by House of Representatives member Femi Gbajabiamila who sought a declaration that deployment of soldiers for elections is unconstitutional.

    President Jonathan, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff and the Attorney-General of the Federation are the respondents.

    The plaintiff said the Federal Government deployed soldiers during the governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states, contrary to the Constitution.

    Justice Buba upheld arguments by the plaintiff’s counsel, Mr Seni Adio, adding that even President Jonathan does not have the power to deploy soldiers at whim.

    The judge dismissed the defendants’ objections to the court’s jurisdiction and to the plaintiff’s locus standi, saying Gbajabiamila had the legal right to demand an interpretation of the constitution by the court.

    He disagreed with the defendants who said soldiers were only deployed to ensure peaceful elections, holding that the army is not needed for such civil duties.

    Justice Buba said he was bound by the recent Court of Appeal’s decision, which nullified soldiers’ deployment for elections. He quoted the decision extensively, adding that he was also persuaded by the judgment of Justice Mohammed Rilwan of the Federal High Court, Sokoto.

    According to the judge, the law does not make provision for the military to be involved in civil activities, and if soldiers must vote, it must be in their barracks. “The armed forces/military have no role in elections,” he said.

    “The time has come for us to establish the culture of democratic rule in the country and to start to do the right thing, particularly when it has to do with dealing with the electoral process which is one of the pillars of democracy.

    “In spite of the behaviour of the political class, we should by all means try to keep armed personnel and military from being a part and parcel of the electoral process.

    “The state is obligated to confine the military to their very demanding assignment, especially in this time of insurgencies, by keeping them out of elections. The state is also obligated to ensure that citizens exercise their franchise freely and unmolested,” Justice Buba said.

    The judge said the Court of Appeal directly interpreted the Constitution when it held that the combined effects of Section 215 and 217 limit the president’s power to deploy soldiers to the suppression of insurrection and to aid the police to restore order when it has broken down.

    “I am bound by the decision of the Court of Appeal and equally persuaded by the decision of Federal High Court Sokoto, which also persuaded the Court of Appeal.

    “It is in this regard that the court will say that its duty in interpreting the constitution has been simplified and made easy by the decisions I have referred to extensively,” Justice Buba held.

    On whether Gbajabiamila has locus standi, the judge said: “The plaintiff is at liberty to approach this court and seek reliefs whether they are beneficial to him or not. In the instant case, the plaintiff is a Nigerian; he has a right of franchise, so it will be beneficial to him.

    “This court will not dabble in academic issues. The instance Originating Summons has merit. The court shall proceed to answer the questions for determination in favour of the plaintiff that the deployment of the armed forces by the first, second, third, fourth and fifth defendants during elections violate the provisions of the Constitution.

    “Accordingly, the declaratory reliefs sought are granted. Any militarised voting pattern is anti-democratic and not in consonance with constitutional democracy and civil rule.”

     

  • Jonathan: we’ll conduct free, fair polls

    Jonathan: we’ll conduct free, fair polls

    President  Goodluck Jonathan yesterday assured that the general elections will hold as scheduled by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with presidential and National Assembly polls on Saturday.

    He told stakeholders at a meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders from the Northeast geopolitical zone in Bauchi, the Bauchi State capital, that his administration was determined to conduct free and fair elections.

    The president added that INEC has been given free hand to operate within the ambit of the constitution and the Electoral Act as amended.

    He said the Nigerian troops were doing everything possible to clear Boko Haram from the Northeast.

    But, the president was quick to add that God would judge between him and those linking  him with the insurgents, boasting that the war against insurgency was being won.

    “As a government, there is no sector we have not touched. We have done well in the health sector. Today, we have just commissioned a modern hospital in Bauchi State. And we are working hard to ensure that all Nigerians benefit from our interventions in the education sector.

    “We have established universities in all the states that don’t have federal universities. Today, they have federal universities. We are committed to positive change and I urge you to vote for PDP for the sustenance of this change.

    “Nigerians should hold their PVCs very well as an important asset because it will be used for future elections at all levels,” he counselled.

    Jonathan assured that he was committed to one-man and one-vote.

    The president commiserated with the families, who lost their loved ones in the 2011 post- election violence in the zone, saying that government was doing everything possible to ensure hitch-free elections this year.

    The National Chairman of PDP, Ahmadu  Mu’azu, lamented that “states of the Northeast did not do well in the past elections”, assuring that this time around, the people would surprise the president with their massive votes for the party at all levels.

  • PDP planning to rig Saturday’s polls, says Ondo APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State yesterday alerted to plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to manipulate Saturday’s election.

    At a briefing in Akure, the state capital, yesterday, the APC Chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, said: “It has come to our notice that a planned and well-coordinated effort is about to be activated to manipulate and rig the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections in Ondo State.

    “The PDP is the architect and mastermind of this plan and the purpose is to contrive victory for its candidates.

    “This alleged plan by the desperate powers in government is to involve some unscrupulous workers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the bad eggs of Army formations in Akure and Okitipupa, the Navy command in Igbokoda, the police and other security agencies in the state. Hired militants and sponsored thugs are also substantial parts of the plot.

    “We are bringing this to the notice of these organisations as well as residents because we were witnesses to the shameful acts of sabotage, dishonour and corruption, which pervaded the April 2011 and October 20, 2012, elections in Ondo in which over 150,000 illegal names were injected into the voter register.

    “There will be last minute arrest of prominent APC and non-partisan popular grassroots community leaders across the 18 local governments on trump-up charges. A dress rehearsal of this had been operated in Ofosu,Igbindo, Asantan  and parts of Owo Local Government.

    “During voting, they plan to create crisis and violence in the deep waterside villages of Ilaje and Apoiland as well as other rural areas of Odigbo, Ondo East, Ondo West, Idanre, Ifedore, Owo, Akoko Northwest and Irele.

    “They are delaying transportation of results materials from the hinterland to local government collation centres till nightfall to create a fertile ground for violence and manipulation.

    “They will use hired thugs and armed militants in military and police uniforms to hijack materials at key waterside villages in Arogbo, Sabomi, Igbotu, Kiribo, Ugbo and Mahin.

    “We wish to put INEC, police, Army Navy and the DSS on notice that all eyes are on them.”

  • No military for polls, says group

    A civil society coalition,OneVOICE, has warned against deployment of soldiers during the general elections.

    It said doing so would go against recent court pronouncements.

    It said if soldiers must be used, they must be restricted to crisis-prone areas.

    “Prof Attahiru Jega should ensure that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is not further blackmailed by the military hierarchy and the National Security Adviser and the Service Chiefs should desist from usurping the constitutional responsibility of the INEC and the Nigeria Police Force,” OneVoice said.

    The group urged Nigerians to ensure that free, fair and credible elections are held to further consolidate democracy.

    OneVOICE members include Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Access to Justice (AJ), New Initiative for Social Development (NISD), Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN), Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), Socio- Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Centre for Constitutionalism and Demilitarisation (CENCOD), Human Rights Law Services (HURILAWS), Independent Advocacy Project (IAP) and Center for Constitutional Governance (CCG).

    Its Media Committee Chair Pastor Deji Adeleye at a briefing and rally at the Dr. Beko Ransom Kuti Memorial Park in Lagos, said the elections any further would be unconstitutional.

    OneVOICE said the distribution of the PVCs is now far above the initial figures before the previous postponement, while the Card Readers have been tested successfully in 12 states across the six geo-political zones.

    The coalition advised that INEC to embark on confidence building measures through daily press briefings and public service announcements, including in local languages, to bridge gaps on electoral preparedness and voting procedures.

    It also urged it to increase voter education efforts to demonstrate to the public the use of new technology such as the PVCs and card readers.

     

     

     

     

  • Ghanaian President: why Nigeria must conduct credible polls

    THE Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Ghanaian President John Draman Mahama, yesterday, met with key stakeholders in Nigeria’s general elections.

    He first met behind closed-doos with President Goodluck Jonathan and later with the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega; and representatives of international monitoring groups.

    The meeting with President Jonathan was held at the Presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    At the end of the meeting, Mahama, who was accompanied by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Desire-Kadre Ouedraogo, urged Nigeria to conduct free, fair and credible elections to entrench the nation’s democratic process.

    The Ghanaian president said the elections would be critical for Nigeria, adding that it will be an opportunity to show the world that Nigeria is a democratic country, ruled by the tenets of good governance and the rule of law.

    He said as chairman of the authorities of Heads of State of ECOWAS, he came to extend solidarity to Nigerians through President Jonathan, to show that ECOWAS and the international community was behind Nigeria.

    His words: “I am here in my capacity as chairman of the Authority of Heads of States of ECOWAS on election visit to Nigeria.

    “As you are aware, our sub-region this year has five countries that are going through elections and ECOWAS has been involved in ensuring that these elections are held in a peaceful and transparent environment.

    “And so, ECOWAS has undertaken in all these countries that are facing elections, long-term electoral observer missions. These missions have been monitoring the electoral process in the lead up to the elections, not just before the elections, but from a longer period. We have received several monitoring reports and we are working with the electoral commissions of the countries and the authorities of those countries.

    “We have tried to ensure that obstacles to free and fair elections are removed to ensure that elections are free and fair.”

    He added: “As chair of the authorities of Heads of State of ECOWAS, I have extended my solidarity to the Nigerian people through my brother President Jonathan, to see that ECOWAS, not only ECOWAS, but the international community is behind Nigeria.

    Mahama noted that ECOWAS expected no post-election violence in Nigeria and that all the parties involved in the polls would accept the results in good faith when INEC announces it.

    He said: “ECOWAS would continue to monitor the situation and would do everything possible to stand in solidarity with Nigerians to ensure that these elections pass on successfully and Nigeria continues in the role that it plays in our sub-regional bodies.

    “As you know, Nigeria is an important member of ECOWAS. The largest economy, the largest nation in the ECOWAS region and so, Nigeria’s safety and security is the safety and security of the  ECOWAS region and so I stand on behalf of all the presidents of ECOWAS and wish that all Nigerians will come out and vote and their votes would count towards electing who becomes the next leader of this country.”

    Mahama concluded his one-day visit with a meeting with the presidential candidate of the All progressives Congress (APC), stressing again that the international community was interested in the outcome of the nation’s general elections.

    The Ghanaian president, who arrived at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport about 6.06 pm, told reporters that the security of Nigerians was important to ECOWAS, the African Union and the rest of the world.

    He said Nigeria being the most populous nation on the African continent and the biggest economy must conduct a peaceful, free and fair election.

    He added that he received assurances from President Jonathan that the elections would go ahead as planned.

    He expressed satisfaction with the arrangement put in place by INEC ahead of the elections.

    He said following his meeting with President Jonathan, he met with INEC chairman, who briefed him on the commission’s logistical deployment.

    He said: “We believe that with what he showed, they have done well to ensure that every Nigerian is able to exercise his franchise.

    “Following that,  I met with leaders of representative groups, including the African Union representative, who is Prof. Amos Sawyer of Liberia, the UN secretary-general’s representative and the representative of the Commonwealth.

    “Our own representative and head of our monitoring team, former President John Kufour is going to arrive here on March 25 and will remain here in the run up to the election, during the election and after the elections. We are satisfied with the deployment that the various monitoring groups are going to do.

    “The international community is going to have its eyes throughout the country to see how the election process goes, to be able to make a determination on whether everything has gone freely and fairly.

    “My final meeting has been with Gen. Buhari, and I’m appreciative of him taking his time to meet with me. We held discussions on the elections and I feel assured that all the political leaders are ready for a peaceful, free and fair election.

    “Of course, there are a few issues that he has brought up which I will refer appropriately to our monitoring group and I hope that the discussions that will take place in the next few days will address some of the issues that have been raised. I want to thank all those who have made this meeting possible.

    “I want to affirm to the people of Nigeria that Nigeria is an important country for ECOWAS and the AU. It is the largest economy on this continent, the most populous nation on this continent. The safety of Nigerians is important to member states of ECOWAS region.

    “So, we are all stakeholders in this election. The difference is that we don’t have a vote, but we are quite interested in what happens on election day here. So, for you Nigerians who have to vote, we hope that you will rise up to the occasion and make all of us proud”.