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Tag: Solomon Soyebi

  • INEC announces dates for Ekiti, Osun governorship polls

    INEC announces dates for Ekiti, Osun governorship polls

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday announced April and September 2018 dates for governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States.

    The tenure of Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose and his Osun State counterpart, Rauf Aregbesola, will end on October 15, 2018 and November 28, 2018, respectively.

    According to the timetable released in Abuja by the electoral body, the Ekiti and Osun elections will hold on July 14 and September 22, 2018, respectively.

    The timetable also disclosed that any run- off election would be held within seven days after the announcement of result in line with relevant laws.

    The timetable for the polls was signed by the Commission’s Secretary, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu.

    According to the timetable, INEC is expected to issue notice for the Ekiti election on April 4, 2018, which is not later than 90 days before the election.

    Election campaigns will commence on April 15, while collection of forms by political parties for issuance to candidates will start a day after.

    Political primaries and resolution of disputes arising from such was slated for April 15 and May 14, 2018 respectively.

    Notice of election was fixed for June 23, 2018 while campaign for the Osun State poll will start on June 25, 2018.

    Collection of forms for the Osun election has been fixed for June 25, while primaries and resolution of arising disputes must be conducted between June 24 and July 23, 2018.

    Speaking on the dates, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Prince Solomon Soyebi,  said INEC was guided by the  provisions of section 178(1)and (2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, and section 25(7) and (8) of the Electoral Act 2010 in arriving at the dates.

    He also restated the Commission earlier warning to intending aspirants and their parties that the release of dates for elections did not amount to notice for campaigns for votes.

  • INEC awaits Court of Appeal decision on recall of Melaye

    INEC awaits Court of Appeal decision on recall of Melaye

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) said it would await Court of Appeal’s decision on latest suit on the recall of Sen. Dino Melaye before taking further steps on it.

    The commission disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday night in Abuja by Mr Solomon Soyebi, a National Commissioner and its Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee.

    INEC had in its amended timetable and schedule of activities on the recall of Melaye, who represents Kogi West Senatorial District at the Senate, planned to issue the notice for signatures verification on Tuesday.

    The amendment of the timetable was made pursuant to the order of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    In its judgment in a suit filed by Melaye to stop the recall process, the court dismissed the action and ordered INEC to serve him personally with his constituents’ petition for his recall and all accompanying documents.

    The court directed that the documents must be served on Melaye at least two weeks to the commencement of the exercise to enable him to prepare adequately for the verification.

    Meanwhile, the commission stated that all attempts to serve the senator had been futile as he had made himself unavailable.

    It stated that the Bailiff of the High Court accompanied by INEC officials had visited the office of the Senator at the National Assembly and his residence on six occasions but to no avail.

    The senator’s office was found locked, and the officials were also not able to gain access to him at his residence.

    It added that on resumption of the Senate after its recess, the senator refused to accept service of the documents.

    “The Commission approached the court for substituted service but was directed to make another attempt to serve the senator.

    “When this failed again, the commission returned to the court to pursue the request for substituted service but the court declined jurisdiction as the appeal by the senator had been entered at the Court of Appeal.”

    The commission added that as a result of Melaye’s refusal to accept service of the petition, it had not been able to proceed with the process as earlier scheduled.

    According to it, service of the documents on Melaye has become a condition precedent to continuing the exercise.

    “INEC has therefore decided that in line with its usual practice and in deference to the rule of law, it will await the outcome of the decision of the Appeal filed by the Senator,” it said.

    The commission reiterated determination to faithfully discharge all its constitutional and statutory duties and responsibilities.

    It added that in doing so, it was not only guided by the Constitutional and statutory provisions, but also by the interpretations given by the courts.

    “INEC does not have any interest whatsoever in the outcome of the Kogi West petition for recall.

    “Its interest is limited to ensuring that all electoral activities are undertaken in line with due process and without fear or favour.

    “The commission owes this duty to all Nigerians and is prepared to proceed in earnest once all legal issues are resolved.”

  • Allegation of double registration frivolous – Governor Bello

    Allegation of double registration frivolous – Governor Bello

    Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Friday dismissed the allegation linking him to double registration in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) voters’ portal.

    INEC’s National Commissioner, Solomon Soyebi, had accused the governor of registering twice as a voter.

    Soyebi said the governor first registered in Abuja in January, 2011 and later registered for the second time on May 23, 2017 at the Government House in Lokoja.

    The governor described the allegation, which was made public during his short break in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate, as frivolous.

    The governor spoke with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He warned INEC to desist from dragging his name into the mud over the matter.

    He said: “I traveled to Dubai for a brief break on May 19 and I saw the press release.  I was taken aback  when I heard the report that I did double registration on May 23.

    “Probably it was my ghost that did the double registration. I think INEC has earned itself a very high reputation and I am very confident that the leadership of INEC will not allow some elements in INEC to drag the name of the Commission into the mud. Surely that’s a falsehood, I did not do double registration of permanent voters’ card.”

    He also replied critics of his administration, especially Senator Dino Melaye.

    The governor said he would not join issues with critics especially when they are seen as distraction to his government.

    Bello added:  “Honestly speaking when a human being is talking, then I will respond. Surely I don’t see anything coming out of that and I don’t think I have to waste my time in responding to whatever I consider as side distraction. Honestly speaking I am too focused to be distracted.

    “Kogi State has suffered for over 25 years before I came on board and the good people of Kogi State are really appreciative of the efforts we are putting forward to make sure that Kogi State is well developed. So any side distraction is not something I should give attention.”

  • 2019 presidential election to hold Feb 16- INEC

    2019 presidential election to hold Feb 16- INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Feb. 16, 2019 for Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Similarly, Governorship, State Assembly and Federal Capital Territory Area Councils polls will hold on March 2, 2019.

    Mr Solomon Soyebi, National Commissioner of the commission in charge of publicity, made this known on Thursday in Abuja at a news conference.

    He said that fixing of the dates was part of efforts by INEC to standardise and ensure certainty of timetable for general elections in the country.

    Soyebi gave instances that in the US, general elections always held on the second Tuesday of November in the election year.

    And, in Ghana, according to him, it is Dec. 7 of election year, while in other places like Mexico, Norway, Sweden, Costa Rica and Switzerland, the dates are also known in advance.

    “In Nigeria, the Constitution provides for the elections to hold not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days to the end of the incumbent’s tenure.

    “In order to ensure certainty in our dates for elections, and to allow proper planning by the commission, it has fixed date for national elections for the third Saturday in February of the election year.

    “This will be followed by state elections two weeks later. Political parties, security agencies, candidates and all stakeholders are advised to note the dates,’’ Soyebi said.

    He explained that the dates were the nearest to 100 days towards the end of the tenures of the incumbents.

    He added that for states with staggered elections, the dates for their elections would also be determined by the expiration of tenures of the incumbents.

    On the 23 electoral officers indicted over their roles in the Dec. 10, 2016 rerun legislative election in Rivers, Soyebi said that the officials had been charged to court.

    He said that the commission had also decided to apply the provisions of INEC Terms and Conditions of Service to all those charged to court, as the alleged offences constituted gross misconduct.

    “The penalty for this is interdiction. All the 23 electoral officers will be placed on half salary and will not report for duty pending the determination of their respective cases by the court,’’ he said.

    The commissioner added that the commission had also decided to defer its decision on the EFCC report in which some of its staff members were indicted of misconduct during the 2015 general elections.

    He said this was to enable the commission to reconcile the EFCC report with its Disciplinary Committee report on the indicted workers as some of them were already part of those charged to court on the Rivers elections.
    Soyebi confirmed the receipt of applications for the registration of Advanced Peoples Democratic Party (APDP) and other 83 political associations seeking registration as political parties.
    “As at the last count, the commission has received 84 applications from political associations demanding registration.

    “The applications are at various levels of processes of registration,’’ he said. (NAN)

  • Update: Edo Governorship election to hold as scheduled – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday said the Edo State governorship election would go ahead as scheduled.

    The INEC National Commissioner in-charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Solomon Soyebi, stated this at a press conference held at INEC’s office in Benin,  the state capital.

    Soyebi said INEC as the body statutorily set up to conduct elections in the country would not take orders from any institution on its constitutional duties.

    “We have therefore weighed all the consequences of a postponement in the election and have resolved to go ahead with the conduct of the election on Saturday as scheduled,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the INEC official as saying at the briefing.