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Tag: timetable

  • INEC unveils timetable for Osun poll

    INDEPENDENT National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released timetable for the September 22 Osun State governorship election.

    Briefing reporters yesterday at the INEC office on Gbongan Road, Osogbo, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, said the release was in line with the Electoral Act.

    He said 411,438 Permanent Voter Cards were yet to be collected.

    The REC, who said a notice of election would be made on June 23, with campaign beginning June 24, added that primaries, including resolution of disputes, would be between June 24 and July 23.

    Agbaje said August 22 is last day for submission of nomination forms, and campaigns end on September 20.

    Promising a free, fair and transparent election, he advised stakeholders to support the commission to conduct a credible poll.

    The REC said: “We have the mandate to provide a level- playing field for all players and we expect in return the cooperation of stakeholders. We expect you to support the commission to maintain equity and justice before, during and after the process.

    “On our part, we promise to operate an open door policy and ensure the entrenchment of core values and standards of the INEC with zero tolerance for electoral fraud.”

     

  • Furore over INEC timetable

    SIR: The amendment to the Electoral Act, 2010 continues to dominate discussions across the country. Ordinarily, this should be expected as the general election is fast approaching and many events would naturally be unfolding.

    From the INEC schedule, the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on February 16, 2019; gubernatorial and state Houses of Assembly elections on March 2, 2019. But with the just-concluded amendment by the National Assembly, there is a reversal in the order of elections with the National Assembly elections holding first; elections into the state houses of assembly and governorship second, while the presidential election would come last.

    Critics believe that Section 76 of the 1999 Constitution empowers INEC to organise elections. Second, the impending reordering of the sequence of elections would have dire cost implications on both public and business life of the nation, considering the compulsory restriction of human and vehicular movements on election days. They also allege that the idea was selfish on the part of the legislators as the amendment was never thoroughly discussed.

    The amendment is a welcome development – good for our polity. There is nothing unconstitutional in what the federal lawmakers are doing. However, one of three things may happen in the political terrain in next few weeks. First, the president may give his assent a most unlikely proposition; secondly, he may refuse his assent leaving the National Assembly the option of a veto. This too may not happen because of the sharp division among the lawmakers. Thirdly, legal action could be instituted by either party for the courts to come in and resolve the potential constitutional logjam. Of the three possibilities, the third option may hold sway. While I cannot accurately preempt what may happen next, one can confidently say that, if the amendment is passed into law, it would definitely add value to our electoral process.

    Beyond the amendment, focus should be centred on what still needs to be done to have fair, credible and transparent elections in Nigeria. These include adequate and timely release of funds to INEC; minimising voters’ apathy, especially among the elites; learning from past mistakes for improved electioneering; display of honesty, sincerity and determination by all stakeholders, among others. When we strive towards achieving these, the nation would actually be marching forward and seen to be entrenching the desired and solid democratic culture for good governance.

     

    • Adewale Kupoluyi,

    Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

  • Change of election timetable and attack of APC senators

    Nigeria politicians are different species that are very difficult to understand. The recent u-turn by some APC senators over the change of the election timetable after its deliberation and passage by the senate clearly shows that a lot of the elected senators do not have the wherewithal to stand and win election without revolving around the personality of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    That is why the senators that attack the passage of the change of election timetable are crying and barking like mad dogs. Separating the election of the senators from that of the President would no doubt expose a lot of them as they may not make it back to the senate.

    There is no need for the senators that attack the passage of the change in the election timetable to cry or even allude that the change is targeting at one person, which is President Muhammadu Buhari. This is a false and wrong impression by the senators as Buhari still enjoys the goodwill of the people.

    Their grouse was on the way the election of senate was separated from that of Mr. President.

    Those that attack the passage of this vital change are simply scared of the fact that if the election of the senate is done separately, there is the tendency of a lot of the senators not making it back to the senate since it is a known fact that many of them have not done anything tangible for their constituencies.

    They want the election to be done with that of the President so that they can continue to hide under the shadow of the President to get re-elected. They don’t have the political clout to stand for election as even those elected under the PDP were merely imposed and at the same time, rigged to become senators.

    As Zainab Suleiman Okino, the Editor-In-Chief of Blueprint newspaper in her column of the paper’s edition of Wednesday, February14, 2018 said, “besides, the Buhari phenomenon that prevailed in 2015 has waned drastically, so his supporters may have to look for another wand to propel him back to power irrespective of whether his election comes first or not; the amended election sequence might be good legislation after all, even though it is somehow tainted with vengeance” as the

    APC senators that attack the passage of the change in the time table are now saying that it was skewed against the President. Their argument is false as there is absolutely nothing against him by the new amendment.

    The bottom line is that the 10 APC senators that attacked the passage cannot make it to the senate without courting and living under the shadow of President Muhammadu Buhari. Another reason adduced by one of the senators, that a staggered election would cost Nigeria a lot of money, does not hold water as the country can afford credible staggered elections. It is a lame excuse by the senator in order to whip up sympathy and make people to support the selfishness of the senators.

    The reordered elections sequence by the senate, which was passed and is awaiting the assent of President Muhammadu Buhari and was also concurred by the House of Representatives, is the best thing to happen in the country.

    Any true democrat needs to applaud the decision taken by the senate in changing the timetable for the 2019 elections. It would accelerate good politicking devoid of Godfatherism by politicians.

    The change in the timetable would enhance acceptability of good politicians that have already entered the arena.

    All hands must be on deck in order to have credible leaders in 2019.  May God lead us well; Amen.

    • Santuraki wrote in from House No. 2, Santuraki Close, Jimeta-Yola.

  • Ogun pilgrims’ board releases Hajj 2018 timetable

    The Ogun State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board will, on November 13, begin preparation for next year’s holy pilgrimage to Makkah and Medinah in Saudi Arabia.

    A statement by the board’s Executive Secretary, Alhaji Abdul Hakeem Kalejaiye, said hajj screening forms would be available at Block B of the secretariat at Oke-Mosan in Abeokuta, the state capital, from November 13 to December 15, for N1,000.

    Kalejaiye said each intending pilgrim should obtain an application form for N10,000, pay a deposit of N1 million at not more than four instalments on or before January 31.

    The secretary said each intending pilgrim should pay a laboratory test fee of N4,500 on or before January 31, and pay an insurance fee of N4,000.

    Muslims intending to participate in 2018 hajj through the board should liaise with its Finance and Account Department to ascertain the mode of payments.

  • INEC releases timetable for Melaye’s recall

    INEC releases timetable for Melaye’s recall

    The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, Sen. Dino Melaye yesterday appeared to have lost the battle to stop the process of his recall from the Upper Chamber.

    He is the first member of the National Assembly to face the recall process since the return of democracy in 1999.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the timetable for Melaye’s recall.

    The recall process will run from July 10 to August 19.

    There were indications last night that security agencies have been put on the alert to ensure a hitch-free recall process.

    According to a notice signed by the Secretary to INEC, Mrs. Augusta C. Ogakwu, the recall process has been initiated in line with the provisions of 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010(as amended).

    The notice, dated July 3, reads in part: “In exercise of the powers conferred on the Independent National Electoral Commission by Sections 69 and 110 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended); Section 116 of the Electoral  Act 2010(as amended) and of all the powers enabling it in that behalf, the commission hereby issues this timetable schedule of activities for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Kogi State.”

    The details of the timetable are as follows:

    • Notice of Verification (July 10, 2017). To be posted at the constituency (INEC LGA office, Lokoja).
    • Last day for submission of application by interested observers (July 31, 2017) INEC headquarters.
    • Last day for submission of names of verification agents for the member sought to be recalled and the petitioners (August 10, 2017). By a letter addressed and submitted to the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) indicating the Polling Unit verification agents arranged by LGAs as well as collation agents and where they will serve.
    • Stakeholders meeting (August 15, 2017) atINEC State Office.
    • Conduct of Verification (August 19, 2017). To be held in the Polling Units in the constituency.

    “The commission shall issue the timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of referendum subject to the outcome of the verification exercise.”

    As at the press time, there were indications that security agencies have been put on the alert to ensure a hitch-free recall exercise.

     

     

     

  • I don’t have timetable, says LASPOTECH’s best

    A 24-year-old Abdulazeez Ejire has emerged the overall best student of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH).

    Ejire graduated from the Department of Chemistry with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.85 at the 25th convocation of the institution for the 2015/2016 academic session.

    For his feat, the valedictorian received a hug and an automatic employment from the Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode, in addition to several prizes from the school.

    Sharing his story with The Nation, Ejire recalled how he came into his alma mater, arming himself with a vision to be the overall best student or the Student Union President. As fate would have it, he achieved both.

    “My journey to success did not just start here.,” Ejire began. “I have always represented my department right from my National Diploma days. I even emerged the best in my faculty then. To be candid, I really do not have a timetable. I read anytime I feel like because I have been able to understand myself well enough that if I force myself to do something, I will end up not doing it well. If it is only one hour I dedicate to my book, I can get what others couldn’t get in four hours. So I don’t have schedule for reading.

    “I learnt a lot from my boss when I did my internship at an oil company. He made me appreciate chemistry the more. There I put up a target that I will be the overall best student or I become the Student Union President because I wanted to try my hands in school politics. They were my targets but I wasn’t certain if I could accomplish any of them; but thank God that on the long run, I achieved both. In the first semester of my HND I had 3.78, the next was 3.88, 3.81 and the last I wrote 4.0. I couldn’t believe it when I was told that I am the best graduating student. I am indeed grateful to God”

    Ejire, who initially wanted to study Medicine in a university, eventually settled for the polytechnic after making three attempts into the university. Though his second attempt gave him a sheer luck into the Lagos State University (LASU), he was deterred by the sudden rise in the school tuition from N25,000.00 to between N180.000 (for Faculty of Arts) to N350,000.00( for Medicine) and its attendant crisis which saw the school shut some years ago.Theat tuition has since been reversed.

    He thanked his parents and the the school for their relentless efforts and advised his colleges to always stand out in life.

    In response to a plea on upgrade of infrastructur and human resource development by the Rector Samuel Sogunro , Ambode promised a 27,000 students capacity stadium along Ikorodu axis, a new auditorium and recruitment of additional 89 academic staff.

    Speaking earlier, Sogunro congratulated the graduating students and admonished them to be change agents in the society.

    He described the convocation as a milestone having an incumbent governor at the occasion for the first time in the last 27years. He thanked the governor for his support to the school.

  • Timetable for Ekiti council poll out

    The Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC) has released the time table for the local government elections on December 19.

    A statement by its Chairman, Justice Kayode Bamisile said campaign begins on September 28.

    Parties are expected to hold ward congresses to elect their councillorship and chairmanship candidates on October 3 and 10.

    The statement added that collection of nomination forms, EKSCF 001 and 002 would begin on October 13. The forms are to be submitted on or before October 19.

    It added that checking and verification of particulars of candidates would start from October 26 through to October 31.

    The results of the screening will be out on November 2 with the parties given a day’s grace for substitution of any unqualified candidate.

    Other highlights of the time table include submission of nomination forms on November 10; publication of list of candidates by EKSIEC on November 17.

    Opportunity to withdraw nomination has been slated for Thursday November 19 and names of polling agents are to be submitted to SIEC on November 25.

  • 2015: Jega defends timetable

    2015: Jega defends timetable

    INEC ‘not influenced by external pressure’

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Attahiru Jega has defended the much criticised 2015 poll timetable, saying it is in line with international best practice.

    He also said INEC was unprepared to conduct all elections in one day, as being advocated in some quarters.

    Prof. Jega, who was responding to questions from the audience at Chatham House, London, said no external pressure influenced the timetable.

    He spoke after a presentation at the Chatham House on “2015 Elections in Nigeria: Expectations and Challenges”.

    In the transcript released to reporters in Abuja by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kayode Idowu, the INEC chairman said the 2015 elections schedule was “informed by rational and logical considerations, not sentimental or ulterior motivations”.

    The timetable, which was released two weeks ago, attracted criticisms from some governors and lawyers.

    INEC was accused of designing a timetable that would favour President Goodluck Jonathan, who is seeking re-election in 2015.

    According to the schedule, National Assembly and Presidential elections will hold on February 14, next year. Governorship and State Assembly elections are for February 28.

    He said: “Nobody has put us under any pressure. We did these things logically and rationally, in terms of what we considered best for our country.

    “As far as we are concerned, the presidential election is not positioned first. What we did is that we combined the National elections; so, you can’t say that presidential election is placed first.

    “Some Nigerians wonder why we can’t have all the elections in one day. It is true that in some countries, they conduct all their elections in one day.

    “From our own assessment, the enormity of challenges associated with that is such that we are not prepared in the electoral commission to do all the elections in one day. But then, we felt that instead of having three elections, let us have two.

    “In 2011, we had three: we did the National Assembly elections first; then, the Presidential; and then, the Governorship as well as State Assembly elections. But we felt that (in 2015); let us have two elections rather than three.”

    Jega said the timetable was in line with global best practice.

    He added: “Then we said: what is the best combination in line with global best practice? The global best practice is that you do national elections separate from state elections, if you can’t do all together. So, rather than have the Presidential and Governorship elections together, or the National Assembly with State Assembly elections, we said, let us have all the national elections together, and then the state elections.

    “That is the logic, that is the rationale; and it is defensible. But you hear politicians make all manner of allegations; because in their own calculation, some people want certain elections to come first; others want it to come later.

    “If you do not satisfy what they want, then they would start accusing you as if there is an interest being served, or that we came under some pressure. Nobody has put us under any pressure.”

    The INEC chairman added that the elections were slated for February to allow time for litigations before the commencement of new tenures.

    He said: “In 2011, we did voter registration in January/February.

    That was why the elections had to wait till April.

    “But since we are not doing a fresh registration in 2015, we said let’s have the elections early in the period permissible, so that there will be more time before swearing-in, for litigation.”

    Jega, who revisited the November 2013 poll in Anambra State, promised that INEC would address logistics, which marred past elections.

    He was confident of better elections in Ekiti and Osun states and during the 2015 general elections.

    He said: “The issue of logistics is a major challenge for INEC, and we are doing our best to address it. But for Anambra, the state has 31 local government areas, and the challenge we faced was with regard to one local government – Idemili North.

    “Since the Edo State governorship election, we started customising result sheets to specific wards and polling units. In the past, politicians would get result sheets and move them around.

    “So, we customised the result sheets. And so, if there was a mix-up in the distribution among polling units, you would have the kind of crisis we had in Anambra.

    “Of course, there was no reason why there should be that kind of mix-up and we were not satisfied by the explanation given by the Electoral Officer in charge of that local government. But the fact was: before we could retrieve and redistribute those result sheets, time had lapsed and the people had become agitated. Some even blocked our officials from proceeding with the process of redistribution, because they suspected that something funny was happening.

    “What we have done is to have that officer arraigned in court. He has been charged, because it is a criminal offence to obstruct the electoral process or undermine elections. The matter is in court, and is being prosecuted. So, we are doing our best.”

    Jega, however, regretted that reports of the challenge during the November 2013 Anambra State governorship election were overblown.

    He added: “You cannot stop people from interpreting what happened one way or the other, especially as it is true that Idemili is an area considered a stronghold of one of the candidates. Was it done deliberately? That is what the court case will be addressing.

    “But we cannot allow this to continue to happen. And that is why we are paying a lot of attention to addressing the challenge.

    “We have demonstrated a capacity to identify people who are responsible for failures, and to hold them accountable. And that is another thing that wasn’t the case in the past. It is a big challenge and we will continue to do our best in that regard.”

    The INEC chairman is certain that the challenge of people not finding their names on the biometric register of voters on election day would not reoccur if every voter makes efforts to ascertain their status during impending display of the register before the commencement of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) nationwide.

    He spoke of additional means being put in place by the Commission to facilitate voter enquiry about the register.

    Jega said: “We have already provided a service in that regard, using the SMS platform. In fact, in Anambra – although it came a bit late before the election, and there was no massive publicity to get the people adequately aware – we deployed the use of SMS to enable the voter to interrogate the register. You could send an SMS to a particular number to know whether you are on the register, and in which polling unit you have registered. “We hope to launch this facility nationwide by the end of this month, so that people can interrogate the register. And before the 2015 elections, we hope to have the register accessible on INEC website so that people can ascertain their status.”

    The Chatham House forum in London was an extension of a similar event organised earlier in the week by the United States Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington DC.

    Civil Society Organisations’ leaders from Nigeria at the event were Clement Nwankwo, Executive Director, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and Convener of the Civil Society Situation Room on Elections; Ayisha Oshori, Executive Director, Nigerian Women Trust Fund; Festus Okoye, Chairman of the Independent Election Monitors; Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi; Executive Director, WARD-C; Jude Ohanele, Chairman of South-east Governance Network; and Inemo Samiama, Director, Stakeholders Democracy Network.

    At the Washington event were senior United States policy makers, diplomats and development partners, among them former U. S. Secretary of State for African Affairs Ambassador Johnnie Carson; former U. S. Ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell; Senior Associate and Regional Director at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) Christopher Fomunyoh; President, International Republican Institute, Ambassador Mark Green; Senior Advisor, Open Society Foundations, Morton H. Halperin; Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, Karen J. Hanrahan; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, U. S. Department of State, Robert P. Jackson; Director of African Studies and Associate Professor, John Hopkins University, Peter M. Lewis; Senior Advisor to the President, United States Institute of Peace, Princeton N. Lyman; and Vice President, Programs, International Foundation for Electoral Systems, Michael Svetlik.

     

  • Yobe SIEC releases council poll timetable

    Yobe State Independent National Electoral Commission (SIEC) yesterday released the timetable for local government election.

    The commission’s Chairman, Mohammed Abdul Jauro, said the poll is scheduled for June 22.

    He said in a forum with the registered political parties and other stakeholders that the election would be conducted after three months’ notice as provided in the electoral law- that is from March 18 to July 7.

    Jauro said the commission would deal with political parties instead of individual candidates, stressing that “they have to go through their political parties and purchase the nomination forms for the election within six days.”

    But the political parties demanded three days’ extension that was later approved- April 1 to April 9.