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Tag: REC

  • 114,448 PVCs yet to be collected in Kebbi

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that 114,448 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) produced are yet to be collected by their owners in the state.

    Ahmad Mahmud, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, disclosed this on Friday while briefing newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.

    According to him, 37,000 uncollected PVCs were from the 2014 voter registration exercise.

    “In the April 2017 continuous voter registration exercise, we were able to register 271,224 comprising: 155,879 males and 115,345 females.”

    Read Also: Ambassador hails Buhari for signing ‘Not-Too-Young-To-Run’ bill

    Mahmud said the state received 117,863 newly printed PVCs from INEC national headquarters, adding that only 40,415 had been collected leaving about 77,448 uncollected.

    He described the failure of residents to pick their PVCs as worrisome, adding that Kebbi was among the states with the highest number of unclaimed PVCs.

    The REC advised eligible voters in the state, who were yet to register, to avail themselves of the opportunity to be registered at INEC designated registration centres in the 21 local government areas.

    “This is an opportunity for them sequel to the recent extension of the ongoing CVR exercise from August 17 to August 31 by the INEC,” he said.

    The REC also promised to embark on an aggressive advocacy to overcome the challenge.

    Mahmud said that his main objective was to conduct free, fair and acceptable elections in the state that would be acceptable to Nigerians and the international community.

  • Ekiti 2018: Exercise 90 percent successful, says REC

    Ekiti governorship poll recorded a success rate of 90 percent, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Prof. Abdulganih Olayinka, disclosed this to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti while assessing the electoral process.

    He said that reports from the eight INEC Commissioners in the field indicated that the election was largely peaceful across the state.

    Olayinka said he was glad to hear that all INEC personnel, including ad hoc staff, got to their various polling units in good time and the election started early and uniformly.

    “Except for Agboyin Local Government Area where it was alleged that ballot materials were scattered on the ground and in one or two places where the card reader malfunctioned, all was well,” he said.

    The REC added that identified problems in the electoral process had been addressed, adding that no “incident form” was used in the exercise.

     

  • Rec warns youths against violence, vote buying

    the Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. AbdulGaniy Raji, has warned the youths against violence, “vote buying and selling” at the July 14 governorship election.

    Raji also warned them against being used by politicians to attack opponents, voters and electoral officials adding they would be disowned, if arrested by law enforcement agents.

    He expressed dismay that the budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was slashed while that of the National Assembly was increased by the federal lawmakers.

    Raji spoke yesterday at a Voter Education Retreat organised by Youngstars Development Initiative, 2Baba Foundation and New Generation for Girls and Women Development (NIGAWD) in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    The parley tagged “Vote Not Fight: Election No Be War” was also supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Kingdom for International Development (UKAID) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

    Youths, who were drawn from the 16 local government areas, promised to take the campaign to their localities to ensure a peaceful poll.

    Raji disclosed that between 60 and 70 per cent of those involved in violence at elections are youths whom he said are induced with money by desperate politicians in a bid to win at all cost.

    He said: “Ekiti is a volatile state, the news being heard outside is that you cannot enter Ekiti. But the perception must change.

    “It has moved from rigging or snatching of electoral materials to vote buying and vote selling. Before, when an election is disrupted, it will be cancelled but that no longer obtains.

    “You do the election again and bring all security agents from elsewhere for such rerun election and you know what that means.

    “With your activities, you can enlighten other youths, technology has been introduced to enhance the electoral process.

    “We have enhanced the software of our machines during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

    “What used to take five to seven minutes now takes one to two minutes and this has enabled us to register over 50,000 new voters during the last CVR.”

    NIGAWD Executive Director Abimbola Aladejare disclosed that a popular musician, Innocent Idibia, a.k.a. 2Face. has been commissioned as Campaign Peace Ambassador and he will perform live in Ado-Ekiti on June 22.

    Aladejare added that the Vote Not Fight campaign will take take the message of peace to political actors, media organizations, transport workers, traditional rulers, religious leaders and other stakeholders.

    Country Director of NDI, Aubrey Cutcheon, urged the youth to show readiness to take leadership roles and not allow themselves to be used as thugs.

    Other speakers at the forum include the Commissioner of Police, Bello Ahmed represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ede Ayuba; the State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dayo Famosaya; state Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ) Chairman, Rotimi Ojomoyela.

     

  • INEC fixes June 2 for Ibarapa bye-election

    Following the untimely death of the Ex-speaker, Oyo state House of Assembly, late Michael Adeyemo, who represented the Ibarapa state Constituency, the Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday fixed Saturday, June 2nd for the bye-election to fill the vacant seat at the hallowed chamber.

    INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Oyo State, Mutiu Agboke, made the disclosure at the Agodi, Ibadan, state headquarters of the Commission during a press briefing, on Tuesday.

    Michael Adeyemo died on Friday, April 27. He was aged 47.

    Agboke, a lawyer, called on political parties interested in fielding candidates for the election to ensure they conduct their primaries between Wednesday and Saturday 19, May, just as he assured voters in the area of conducting a credible election.

    He said the Commission arrived on the date after putting all legal and administrative tendencies into considerations.

    The REC, who remarked that the election would be conducted in 140 polling units of the constituency, said political parties, security agencies and other stakeholders had been invited to discuss the timetable and activities that would lead to the election.

    He said machinery was set in motion to fulfil extant laws as soon as the House of Assembly informed the commission formally of the death of Speaker Adeyemo and the consequent vacancy of his position as a lawmaker.

    Read Also: INEC to redistribute 1.4m unclaimed PVCs in Lagos

    He disclosed that the permanent voter cards (PVCs) for those who freshly registered in the 2017 continuous voter registration had been produced and were ready for collection from Monday next week.

    However, he added that the PVCs for those who registered in 2018 had not been produced, explaining that they would be ready for use in the 2019 elections.

    He said, 630, 853 PVCs were yet to be collected in the state, disclosing that the commission had embarked on a series of advocacy campaign and engagement with stakeholders to ensure make the owners of the cards claim them.

    He said, “The total number of new registrants under CVR is 290, 960 comprising 149, 554 males and 141, 406 females. Incidentally and quite disturbing as at today, 630,853 Permanent Voters Cards are yet to be collected by their owners.”

    He explained further that the commission had taken the campaign to churches and mosques, urging those yet to collect their PVCs to do so at the INEC local government offices in the 33 local government areas of the state.

  • 371,444 PVCs uncollected in Ondo State – INEC

    371,444 PVCs uncollected in Ondo State – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) in Ondo State has said that 371,444 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are yet to be collected in the state.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Rufus Akeju, said this in a telephone interview with our reporter in Akure on Friday.

    Akeju, however, said that 44,410 voters were captured during the April, 2017 Continuous Voter Registration in the state.

    He said that 199 people reported that their cards were stolen during the first phase of 2018 revision exercise while 561 people were cases of de-faced PVCs.

    The REC reiterated his readiness to work with relevant stakeholders to ensure free, fair and credible elections in the state in 2019.

    Read Also: INEC, EFCC partnership will strengthen Nigeria’s democracy

    He urged the residents to pick their PVCs at INEC offices in the 18 local government areas.

    Akeju said the CVR was ongoing and advised residents who just attained the age of 18 to register to enable them to vote in the coming elections.

    “We will do everything possible to ensure that 80 per cent of the uncollected PVCs were collected by their owners.

    Akeju was the immediate past Oyo State Resident Electoral Commissioner and resumed as Ondo REC on Jan. 25.

     

  • INEC partners stakeholders for transparent, credible elections in 2019

    INEC partners stakeholders for transparent, credible elections in 2019

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will partner stakeholders, including media, civil society groups and the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) for transparent and credible elections in 2019.

    Prof. Francis Ezeonu, the INEC Resident Commissioner ( REC ) in Imo, made the promise at his maiden meeting with State Inter-Agency Committee and Voter Education Publicity Committee in Owerri on Friday.

    Ezeonu said the meeting was aimed at enlightening and updating the stakeholders on the commission’s preparations and strategies for successful elections.

    According to him, the voter registration exercise is already ongoing.

    He said the exercise would stop 120 days to elections to enable the commission effectively distribute the voter cards.

    Ezeonu said that there were INEC offices in all the local government areas of the state.

    This, he said, was to enable people, who were now up to 18 and those who had lost their cards or relocated, to register.

    The REC said that initially people exhibited apathy to the  registration, but said that the situation had improved from 1,500 persons who registered daily to 7, 000.

    Read Also: Kogi: INEC‘s   indictment, Bello and second term delusion

    He said the commission had indentified nine internal and three external electoral risk factors in the state and was working toward tackling them.

    Ezeonu said the commission would soon tour local government areas in Imo to interact with stakeholders – traditional rulers, town unions, women and youth leaders in the various communities.

    He said that some landmark features on pooling units in the state had disappeared.

    Ezeonu said the commission would not create or relocate polling units located in public places.

    He said that the commission was establishing Residential Area Centres (RAC) to ensure materials reached the polling booths on time.

    Ezeonu advised political parties to have credible agents.

    The Reporter reports that some stakeholders urged INEC to ensure security of lives during elections as well as timely arrival of officials and materials at the centres.

    The State Director of NYSC, Mrs Josephine Bakare, decried attacks on corps members in past elections and called for measures to guard against such incident in future.

    Stakeholders at the meeting included representatives of media in the state, National Orientation Agency and NYSC.

    NAN

  • ‘Don’t campaign under guise of voter education’-INEC tells politicians

    ‘Don’t campaign under guise of voter education’-INEC tells politicians

    The Independent National Electoral Commission  ( INEC ) has urged politicians in the country not to take advantage of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) to campaign.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr. Emeka Ononamadu, gave the caution in Enugu on Thursday while speaking with the Reporter.

    “The government should play by the rules. You do not campaign under the guise of mobilisation when INEC has not lifted the ban on campaign.

    “Government should continue to work towards realizing free, credible and transparent election and no one should position or look for undue advantage,” Ononamadu said.

    The REC said that the government also had a role to play in order to guarantee credible polls, adding that they needed to play by the rules when mobilising the electorate for the CVR.

    Ononamadu stressed the need for the electorate in the state to take the exercise more seriously.

    He said that the exercise had provided an ample opportunity for residents of the state to take their destinies into their hands.

    “The CVR is catching up well in Enugu State but we need to do better. People have started coming up in their numbers since the beginning of this year.

    Read Also: Cost of 2019 election not ready, says INEC boss

    “I think Enugu people will need to buckle up. This is an ample opportunity that has been provided to citizens by INEC as required by law,” he said.

    The REC said that the commission had been sensitizing the electorates on the need to register in order to perform their civic responsibilities.

    According to him, we used the yuletide to reach out to people in rural areas as well as in churches.

    Ononamadu noted that people were beginning to have a renewed confidence in the electoral umpire due to its excellent conducts in recent outings.

    He said that the exercise had been violent free in the state, adding that it was continuous and would stop 60 days before any general election according to the law.

    “When we started people were not too sure whether it was going to work or not but today they have seen that INEC is serious in terms of implementing its entire statutory mandate,” he said.

    Ononamadu, however, said that it was sad that people were still suspecting whether or not their vote would count.

    “I wonder what gave them that illusion because INEC had demonstrated in strong terms and statements that we are here to protect the mandate of Nigerians and that is what we shall do,” he said.

    He said that the commission had intensified efforts to sensitise residents of the state with a view to either registering or picking up their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    He said that the state had 1.6 million voting strength based on the ongoing registration, adding that about 127, 000 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) had yet to be collected.

    NAN

  • JSC Russian Export Centre joins Afreximbank to boost African trade

    JSC Russian Export Centre joins Afreximbank to boost African trade

    The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) says JSC Russian Export Centre ( REC ) has become the latest international financial organisation to join Afreximbank as a shareholder to boost African trade.

    A statement on Tuesday in Lagos by Mr Obi Emekekwue, the bank’s Head of Corporate Communication and Event Management, said that REC’s shareholding followed its successful subscription to Class “C” shares of the bank.

    Emekekwue said that the shareholding became effective on Dec. 29, 2017.

    He said that the shareholding agreement was signed by Dr Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank and Petr Fradkov, Chief Executive Officer of REC on Dec. 11, 2017.

    He said that the new partnership would focus mainly on mining and transport infrastructure.

    REC is owned by the State Corporation Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank (VEB).

    Read Also: Assembly to Ambode: dissolve  JSC

    Afreximbank shareholders are a mix of public and private entities divided into four classes.

    The Class “A” shareholders are African states, African central banks and African public institutions, including the African Development Bank, while Class “B” is made up of African financial institutions and African private investors.

    Class “C” shares are held by non-African investors, mostly international banks and export credit agencies, while Class “D” shares, a tier approved in December 2012, are shares that can be held by any investor.

    Afreximbank is the foremost pan-African multilateral financial institution devoted to financing and promoting intra and extra-African trade.

    The Bank was established in October 1993 by African governments, African private and institutional investors, and non-African investors.

    Its two basic constitutive documents are the Establishment Agreement, which gives it the status of an international organization, and the Charter, which governs its corporate structure and operations.

    Since 1994, it has approved more than 51 billion dollars in credit facilities for African businesses, including about 10.3 billion dollars in 2016.

    Afreximbank had total assets of 11.7 billion dollars as at December 31, 2016 and is rated BBB+ (GCR), Baa1 (Moody’s), and BBB- (Fitch). The bank is headquartered in Cairo.

    NAN

  • INEC advises youths on free, fair election

    INEC advises youths on free, fair election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) on Tuesday advised youths in Cross to acquaint themselves with issues and importance of voter education to ensure a successful election in 2019.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner ( REC ) in the state, Dr Briyai Frankland, gave the advice in Calabar at a “Young Emerging Political Leaders’ forum organised by Hit Fm radio station.

    Frankland, in his paper, entitled: “Raising Incorruptible Leaders’’, said that adequate voter education for youths would lead to high voter turnout during the elections.

    He said that youth leaders needed to embrace the exercise ahead of the elections, adding that this would lead to massive youth participation in the election.

    “Youths should be used as tools for voter education rather than tools for thuggery, violence and other electoral malpractices.

    “When youths are properly informed, they will participate well in the processes of elections and make positive contributions.

    “Adequate information and voter education by the youths will go a long way to achieving free and fair election in Cross River and Nigeria,’’ he said.

    Read also: 2019: INEC may transmit results electronically from polling units

    According to the REC, knowledge of electoral offences by the youths will reduce incidents of violence, thuggery and other social vices during elections.

    He said that it was due to the strategic role of youths in electoral process that INEC entered into Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU ) with the National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC ) to use corps members during elections.

    Frankland recalled that INEC had in recent past appointed some influential youths as its ambassadors and also established youth clubs in secondary schools and tertiary institutions across the country.

    According to him, this was to assist the organisation in inculcating electoral values in the youths while they were in school.

    He advised them not to see election as do-or-die but to learn the new idea of “the loser congratulating the winner’’ at all levels of election in Nigeria.

    Frankland urged the youths to be upright in all their endeavours and to shun violence and all forms of malpractices during elections.

    He also advised them to resist politicians who would want to use them for election rigging and to maintain their integrity at all times.

    NAN

  • 2019 election results will be transmitted electronically – INEC

    2019 election results will be transmitted electronically – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) said on Tuesday it has developed a technology that would enable it transmit election results electronically direct from polling units to the states’ headquarters.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ebonyi, Prof. Godswill Obioma, disclosed this at a meeting with faith-based organizations in Abakaliki.

    According to him, the new technology is part of efforts by the Commission to eliminate rigging, electoral frauds and other irregularities and to ensure the enthronement of credibility and transparency in the electoral process.

    Obioma reassured the electorate that their votes would count in the 2019 general elections and urged them to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration ( CVR ).

    He said: “INEC is strengthening the process of transmitting election results electronically direct from polling booths to INEC headquarters.

    “We hope that the latest technological innovation would be perfected and deployed in the 2019 general elections.

    “The new strategy would discourage politicians from ballot box snatching, stuffing of ballot boxes and indulgence in other forms of electoral irregularities.

    “The commission would do everything to ensure that votes count in 2019 and that those who would emerge do that through popular votes.

    “We have only one message and the message is that you come out and register and ensure that you collect your PVC to qualify you to exercise your franchise.”

    Read also: 2019: INEC to partner political parties for credible elections

    The REC explained that the meeting was part of conscious efforts by INEC to build strategic partnership and alliance that would be harnessed to mobilize the electorate.

    “This meeting is aimed at jointly charting strategic paths for a credible 2019 elections and to see in what best ways we can partner with the organizations to reach out to their members.

    “It is also to mobilize those who are 18 years and above to come out and register and collect their PVCs,” he added.

    Obioma explained that making the electoral process more inclusive by getting more people involved in civic responsibilities would reduce political tension and those chosen in elections would be better accepted as representatives of the people.

    He said that the commission had embarked on aggressive sensitisation and voter education since he resumed office as REC in Ebonyi on July 12.

    “We have undertaken stakeholders’ town hall meetings in all the 13 local government areas of the state where we met with the people in their localities and sensitise them to the continuous voter registration.

    “We followed the town hall meetings with the stakeholders’ village square meetings in the wards across the local government areas.

    “We listened to their views on how we can do better in our programmes to achieve greater penetration in the society,” he said.

    Reports say no fewer than 50 representatives of faith-based organisations, including Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs attended the meeting.

    NAN