The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday published the forms and particulars of political parties’ candidates submitted for 2019 general elections at its offices across the federation, for the purpose of claims and objections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in Abuja the list were displayed outside the INEC Federal Capital Territory office.
NAN reports that the number of the presidential candidates could not be ascertained as the commission was still photocopying and pasting the forms and particulars in batches as at 8.20 p.m.
A senior officer of the commission said what the commission did was publication of forms and particulars for objection, and not lists of candidates.
The source said the list of the nominated candidates would be published by January 17, 2019 as stipulated by in elections timetable.
Another source said that the number of political parties that submitted forms for presidential election was more than 70.
The particulars of the presidential candidates already pasted included, President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and that of his Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
Also published was particulars of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and that of his running mate, Peter Obi.
Others include Obadiah Mailafia presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) and a professor, Tanimowo Nasiru, as running mate.
Also on the list was Donald Duke for the Social Democratic Party and Junaid Mohammad as running mate.
Also pasted was the particulars of 22 candidates for one FCT Senatorial District seat and 24
candidates for two FCT House of Representatives seats.
Those contesting for the Senate include Zaphaniah Jisalo, APC; Philip Aduda, PDP; Esther Audu, ADC; and Eric lbe, Social Democratic Party.
Those for the House of Representatives (AMAC-Bwari) are Lamorde Hallilu, APC; Micah Jiba, PDP; and Ene Idoko-Abel, ADC.
Tag: Candidates
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2019: INEC publishes details of candidates
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2019: 79 political parties submit names of candidates for presidential election
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday confirmed receiving 79 names of candidates willing to run for the 2019 presidential election under the platforms of the various registered political parties in the country.
The chairman of the commission, Mahmood Yakubu, said this during a press briefing with journalist at the headquarters of the commission in Maitama, Abuja.
The chairman also said aside the 79 presidential candidates, 89 parties fielded 1,803 candidates for the 109 senatorial seats and 4,548 for the 350 federal constituencies.
The chairman promised to make available a breakdown of the different candidates and the parties they represent.
More details later… -
2019: Oshiomhole dares INEC, insists APC will field candidates for elections in Zamfara
The ruling All Progressives Congress has faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission’s declaration that the party was ineligible to present candidates for the Governorship and National Assembly elections in Zamfara State, on the basis that primary elections were not held.
National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, in a letter to the INEC which he signed in Abuja, on Wednesday, said the electoral management body acted in error by basing its decision to bar the APC from presenting candidates on a false premise.
Oshiomhole said contrary to INEC claims, primaries were held in the state and candidates emerged. The APC insisted that it would present candidates for the 2019 governorship and national assembly elections and it would do so before the expiration of the INEC date for the submission of names of candidates.
Recall that INEC had in a letter written to the APC declared that the APC was ineligible to present candidates for the 2019 elections in Zamfara State.
Read Oshiomhole’s letter below:
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Recruitment: Police shortlist 37,062 candidates for examination
The police on Monday confirmed shortlisting 37,062 Nigerians for examination in the latest round of recruitment exercise.
The Police Service Commission (PSC) said in a statement Monday that the candidates were selected out of 133,324 applicants earlier shortlisted for screening.
Ikechukwu Ani, spokesperson for the PSC who made the announcement, said the examination would hold on May 25 at Computer-Based Test Centres all over the country.
The centres are available in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The development is the latest stage of the recruitment exercise which began with physical and document screening on May 7.
Six thousand candidates are expected to be recruited at the end of the exercise.
Successful candidates from the screening exercise have been informed via text messages and emails to attend the examination at their respective designated centres on May 25.
Candidates who are yet to receive any invitation are required to check with the police command headquarters in their state for the date, venue and time for the examination.
They could also check their details by logging on to the PSC website: www.psc.org.ng.
“Candidates are required to come with their biometric and data capturing slip to the examination slip, Mr Ani said. “They will not be allowed to enter the examination hall with electronic devices such as spy eye glasses, telephone hand set, calculator, wrist watches and camera.”
“Persons not invited for the examination or who do not have the biometric and data capturing slips are advised to stay away from the examination centres,” he added.
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Ekiti guber: INEC announces May 15 deadline for submission of candidates’ names
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given all the political parties for the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State May 15 deadline to submit the names of their candidates and their running mates.
The National Organising Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Col. Austin Akobundu (retd.), stated this while handing over the nomination form to the party’s governorship candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said the candidate must also give the same form to his running mate, warning that both candidates must submit their forms to the national secretariat of the party latest by Monday.
He said, “The Independent National Electoral Commission has given us May 15 deadline within which all the political parties must submit the names of their governorship candidates.
“Therefore, you (Olusola) must submit your form and that of your running mate to us latest by Monday.
“If you don’t have a running mate, I’m available, please. But let the forms get to us on time as stated.”
Speaking at the event, Olusola noted that he was ready and prepared for the election.
He also said heaven had sanctioned that the PDP would continue to rule in Ekiti State after the expiration of the tenure of Governor Ayodele Fayose.
He said, “I am ready and prepared to take up this challenge as the incoming governor of Ekiti State on the platform of the PDP.”
The PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Mr. Yemi Akinwonmi, while presenting the certificate to the party’s governorship candidate on behalf of the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, described the primary that produced Olusola as credible, transparent and unchallenged.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress has reaffirmed Friday as the date for the party primary to elect its candidate for the Ekiti State governorship election.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, in Abuja, on Wednesday, said the party no longer had the luxury of time.
He said, “We (the party) have up till next week to submit the name of our candidate. We have fixed Friday for the primary and that has not changed.”
Abdullahi said this while reacting to a question on whether the party was considering a request for a shift in date for the exercise.
The party leadership met for over three hours with the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee of the party at the party’s national secretariat, in Abuja.
After the meeting, one of the aspirants, Ajayi Olowo told reporters that he and his colleagues appealed to the NWC to shift the date of the primary to Sunday because they needed time to get back to their constituencies.
Olowo further explained that the leadership of the party had assured them that some members of the panel would be replaced because they voiced their lack of confidence in the current panel.
In a response to a question as to whether aspirants were working towards having a consensus candidate, he said, “There is no consensus. We are all going for election.”
Most of the 33 aspirants contesting the primary were present at the meeting.
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2018 UTME: No rescheduling of exams for candidates – Oloyede
The Registrar, Joint Admissions, and Matriculation Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, on Thursday said that there will be no rescheduling of the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Exam (UTME) for any student like it did last year.
He said that reports have also indicated that some parents had allegedly negotiated with some private coordinators who assured them of success at all cost during the UTME.
Oyolede said candidates whose thumbs were not recognised for verification by the biometric machines, and that such candidates might have registered illegally.
He disclosed said that the board had arrested some operators of illegal UTME registration centres set up to defraud applicants.
“They were using something they call team viewer which will definitely give biometric problem because these candidates were not physically captured at the authentic centre.
“We would not be held responsible for that and there won’t be any form of rescheduling for anybody, I did that last year out of ignorance.’’
The registrar described the general conduct of the UTME nationwide as highly successful and attributed the success to use of improved modern technology which has prevented most illegal acts people were used to.
The registrar made the remarks at the board’s headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, when a suspected impersonator arrested by officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps was paraded for attempting to write the UTME for his brother.
According to the civil defence corps officials, the mother of the boy, who claimed to be a prophet, directed the boy to sit the examination for his brother.
The boy was arrested at the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Air Mas Computer Centre Madalla in Niger.
Oloyede said,“ Parents need to disassociate themselves from this type of shameful attitude.
“It is against any type of parenting that you want to inculcate the spirit of deceit into your children; I think even bad people do not want to be succeeded by bad people.
“The woman should have just said she is a mother and not that she is a prophet; you are doing something shameful, do not bring God into it at all.
“No religion would allow for a mother to tell one of her sons to go and write exams for the other.
“If someone is unfortunate to be corrupt, he or she should ask God to terminate it at his own level, but conscious efforts at transmitting that culture to the next generation is very painful.’’
The registrar also frowned at those hiding behind religion to commit crimes including examination malpractice.
“One said he is a Catholic priest; there’s another one from Abia and now, this mother said she’s a prophet, people in Nigeria just use religion to exploit others.
“They go to churches, establish centres in the name of helping the church only to use them for their selfish purposes,’’ he said.
He explained that the board was able to detect, through the use of technology, that most of the cabling issues at CBT centres, were pre-arranged.
“Their intentions are to help people not knowing that we now have a device that monitors every computer system in every centre, via a code.
“We are able to detect now, people who are able to write the exams, answering 180 questions in just 12 minutes.
“We also have three to four persons who wrote the examinations on the same computer at a session not knowing we have the identity of every computer.’’
The Registrar stated that it was in view of the latest developments that the board could not release some results on Wednesday.
Oloyede disclosed that the board had identified 14 centres across the country involved in malpractice and assured that the operators would be prosecuted.
The ongoing 2018 UTME, which commenced on March 9, is scheduled to end on Saturday, March 17.
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UTME 2018: Candidates laud JAMB as some fidget over use of computers
Some candidates, who sat for the first session of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), on Saturday commended JAMB as few panicked due to their unfamiliarity with the use of computers.
Mr Abayomi Otubela, the proprietor of Lagooz Schools Agege, Lagos, whose school serves as one of the UTME centres, announced this to the parents of the candidates at the waiting lodge in the centre.
Otubela said some candidates had difficulties navigating through the computers, which made them to panic.
“Some of our children are fidgeting because they are not familiar with the use of computers.
“Some of them said they cannot even navigate to move to the next subject, so we had to put them through the process before the examination started,” he said.
He advised parents to inform those, who had not written the examination, to get familiar with the use of computers and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) software.
“For those of you, who have people that haven’t written, let them get familiar with the use of computer and JAMB software.
“That was why JAMB conducted the mock examination so that they can familiarise themselves with the software.’’
He also advised parents to encourage their children to prepare well academically in order to gain admission into the schools of their choice.
Meanwhile, some candidates sitting for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) in some centres in Lagos, Benin and Abuja have commended the JAMB as CBT proceeds smoothly in most centres.
The examination commenced on Friday across the country, with computer Based Test,(CBT).
A cross section of the candidates writing the test at Connection Computer Centre, Lagos, commended JAMB for its proper organisation.
Mr Kehinde Adenuga, said organisation of the examination was convenient for applicants.
“The process of registration and allocation has been convenient, as everything is done online.
“The first batch started by 7a.m, and I will be in the next batch to write by 9a.m. I can only pray for the best,” he said.
Chime Lucky, another candidate, expressed hope for success in the test.
“I wrote JAMB in 2017 but I didn’t do too well, I hope and pray that I am able to secure admission this year,” she said.
Mr Obinna Ume, a parent, who brought his ward to write the test, also commended the arrangement.
“There is no rowdiness and the candidates are expected to have basic knowledge of computer to write the test.
“This is commendable and it will go a long way to encourage computer literacy among students,” he said.
Dr Akinyele Ariyo, Supervisor for the examination centre assured that the test was foolproof against manipulation.
“The examinations we are conducting are well organised and protected against malpractices.
“The questions are computer based and cannot be leaked by anybody, and the centres are monitored with security cameras connected to a central server ” he said.
Ariyo said that his centre accommodated 250 candidates for each batch, with three batches in a day.
Also, some 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates in Benin on Saturday tasked the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to be time cautious.
One of the candidates, Endurance Abang told NAN that the exams was schedule for 7a.m but could not start until 8.a.m.
Abang said that some of the candidates travelled early to their various centres without food only to start waiting for JAMB officials.
He, however, called on JAMB to make mock examinations compulsory for all the candidates that enrolled for the exam, adding that it would enable them to familiarise with computers and other back-ups equipment used at the exam centres.
Solomon Osarodion, another candidate, lauded JAMB for the smooth conduct of the examination, however, warned JAMB for not commencing examination early enough as slated.
Osarodion said that JAMB should ensure proper monitoring of all the facilities used during the exams as he said that some of the computers are outdated.
A centre administrator, Mr Daniel Egeonu, said that JAMB has a way of monitoring all its accredited centre before the commencement of each exams, adding that JAMB would not accredited any centre without meeting its requirements.
Egeonu, however, blamed late commencement of exams on the part of candidates not arriving centres early enough.
Also, Mrs Idowu Odufoye, an Inspector of Call (IC) from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) told newsmen that they recorded a hitch-free screening at the centre.
“We carried out the screening in four different stages and there was no problem with the candidates.
“They complied, obeyed instructions and none of them were caught with any incriminating material, Odufoye said.
According to Mr Moshood Momoh, a JAMB official, no issue was encountered during the examination and the candidates behaved very well and were orderly.
Out of 250 candidates registered for the first day at the centre, only one candidate was absent.
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JAMB records decrease in number of registered candidates in 2018
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Wednesday said it recorded a decrease in the number of registered candidates for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) in 2018.
The Registrar of the Board, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede disclosed this to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to him, a total number of 1, 662, 762 candidates registered for the 2018 UTME, within a period of two months, as against a total of 1,718,425 candidates who registered within one month in 2017.
He explained that the decrease of 3.2 per cent was largely, as a result of measures put in place by the board to forestall multiple registrations and other unwholesome registration practices by candidates.
Oloyede also noted that a total of 367 visually impaired candidates registered for the 2018 examination as against the 201 candidates of 2017.
He said that the board will continue to provide all necessary support and logistics to the physically challenged candidates in order to encourage them to attain their pursuit for knowledge.
According to the registrar, the board recorded a pleasantly high number of candidates for the 2018 UTME examinations from foreign countries.
He, however, said that the board was yet to get the actual statistics from the various embassies, adding that those who applied for the examinations would commence after the local centres have concluded.
On admissions, the registrar said that the board has since concluded the 2017 admissions into tertiary institutions.
He said that the admission was conducted using the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), automated the admission platform and provided the candidates with the opportunity to track their admissions.
According to him, this system ensure strict adherence to admission guidelines thereby creating equity and fairness in admission and was responsible for timely completion of the admission.
“The 2017 admissions statistics shows that 1,840,225 candidates applied for the 2017 UTME and Direct Entry (DE).
“A total of 1,187,997 candidates out of the above met the minimum cut-off points for the 2017 admission of which 842,505 possess the minimum O’level requirement and cut-off points.”
He reiterated that the board was ready to move on with its scheduled academic calendar as that was the right thing to do, as such, candidates who were unable to complete their 2017 admission process should not hold JAMB responsible.
The registrar also described as fraudulent, those who engaged in multiple registrations.
He said that the board have put measures in place through its enhanced registration process and would not relent in its efforts to tackle and stop any act that may aid examination malpractice.
He, however, said “the official position today is that candidates do not need to pick the two forms; if you apply for UTME and you have enhanced qualifications, you just upgrade to the next level at no cost.”
Oloyede further said that the board has concluded all arrangements for it activities for the 2019 exercise and a calendar has since been released on its website.
This, he explained, was because the board targets to work towards assisting other concerned stakeholders to have a reliable academic calendar for tertiary institutions.
“The academic session in tertiary institutions statutorily begins in August and we will ensure that we conclude all admission exercise by that time.
“If any institution does not resume early, it will not be due to delay in the admission process,” he said.
Speaking on the boards level of preparedness for the scheduled 2018 UTME examinations, Oloyede said that about 6, 500 permanent and ad hoc staff were deployed to the 605 centres across the country.
He noted that each centre would be manned by 10 officials, which would include external examiners, members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and security officers.
He appreciated the support from various stakeholders in the education sector as well as the Federal Government.
The registrar also commended the Media for their consistent efforts in sensitising the public about the board’s efforts to change the narratives of tertiary education in the country.
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2019: We must ascertain health status of presidential, other candidates before elections — NMA, CMA
Bothered by the medical tourism embarked upon by some Nigerian presidents, the Nigerian Medical Association and the Commonwealth Medical Association have said presidential candidates should henceforth be made to undergo compulsory health tests before elections.
This, they said, would help reveal the health status of presidential aspirants starting from 2019 elections.
The medical associations also said they would love to be involved in assessing the candidates’ health status, asking Nigerians to push for the exercise to be made a part of the electoral process.
Though they believed that any leader could fall ill at any time, they said knowing the candidates’ health status would help to avoid a situation whereby the President’s illness would hold the country “hostage” as experienced in the past.
The Vice-President of the Commonwealth Medical Association and a former President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, said that his position had always been that presidential candidates should be subjected to health test so that Nigerians would know if they were medically fit to hold the office.
Saying he was in full support of the test, Enabulele said it should be a requirement in the country’s electoral process.
He said, “I even canvassed for this at the National Conference. However, the selfish interest of the political class has not allowed this to happen and so they have been holding us hostage. Nigerians have always borne the brunt of this selfish interest. The case of President Buhari is not the first and may not be the last unless Nigerians push harder and back compulsory health test for presidential aspirants.
“The time has come for us to ascertain the health status of anyone who aspires to lead us. And this is not about a candidate just presenting a medical certificate to the public; medical reports can be purchased. The health test should be conducted by trusted persons and I’ll love to be involved. Though ill health is something no one proposes, at least let’s start getting things right. It’s a way of moving this country forward.”
During the first two years of his administration, President Muhammadu Buhari’s frequent medical trip to London had generated so much controversy amid calls that his health status should be revealed to the public.
First, the President had on February 5, 2016, barely a year into his administration, gone on a six-day vacation to London, the United Kingdom, to see his doctors.
Then, on June 6, 2016, four months after he returned from his first trip, he took another 10-day vacation to London to see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. Two days after the trip, Buhari confessed that he was suffering from a “persistent” ear infection.
On January 19, 2017, he again jetted out of the country to London for a 49-day medical break. After he returned, he admitted that he had never been that sick in his life, adding that he would again embark on another medical trip in the future.
Similarly, late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had left the country on November 23, 2009, and was reported to be receiving treatment for pericarditis [an inflammation of the pericardium, the membrane enclosing the heart] at a clinic in Saudi Arabia.
He was not seen in public again until February 24, 2010, when he returned to Abuja in the dark.
He eventually died on May 5, 2010.
In order to avoid such situations in the country again, the President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Mike Ogirima, said the NMA was willing and ready to carry out the medical test for all presidential aspirants so as to ascertain their medical fitness.
He said, “If Nigerians want us to subject presidential candidates to medical test, we are ready. It’s a welcome idea. You know recently that the Emir of Kano [Muhammadu Sanusi II] called for a law to compel Nigerian political and religious leaders, including lawmakers and governors, to undertake drug test, saying that he too would be happy to subject himself to the test.
“He said anybody with an element of drug abuse found in him should quickly resign as he is not fit to hold a public position.
“Ideally, if anyone is about to be employed in an organisation, they are subjected to a pre-employment medical test. Similar tests should be carried out on all presidential aspirants seeking to hold the most important office in the country. And the test should be as comprehensive as possible.”
Asked if the NMA would be willing to assume the responsibility of assessing presidential candidates’ health status, Ogirima said the association had the facilities to conduct the exercise.
He said, “NMA is capable of conducting the test for all presidential aspirants. We have highly qualified and intelligent personnel all over the country who can handle it. And we also have the equipment to carry out the exercise. If Nigerians can push for it to happen and the lawmakers sanction it, we are ready too.
The Director for the Centre for Research and In-house Training, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, who is also the National President of Association of Public Health Physician of Nigeria, Prof. Tanimola Akande, said since anyone who is above 40 is expected to undergo regular health test, those seeking public office should also undergo it.
“Hence, it will not be wrong for presidential aspirants to undergo the test. But apart from that, what is more important is that politicians should fix the medical facilities here at home to avoid travelling out when sick,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services) of the University of Lagos and Professor of Medical Microbiology, Folasade Ogunsola, said the declaration of the health status of presidential aspirants should be by choice.
“We could request that they should do the test and make it public, but I don’t think it should be compulsory due to the limitations. For instance, someone who is certified ‘fit’ today can be unfit tomorrow,” she explained.
What I desire is that public office holders should invest in the medical facilities at home and stop seeking treatment overseas,” she said.