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Tag: election

  • Resolve election dispute at courts – UN envoy tells Mali

    Resolve election dispute at courts – UN envoy tells Mali

    The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of UN Mission for Mali, Mahamat Annadif, said any dispute over the forthcoming presidential election in the country slated for Sunday, must be resolved peacefully,

    Annadif stressed that candidates must accept the results and ensure that the democratic process in Mali, was“irreversible”.

    “It is necessary that everybody goes to vote in a peaceful way and the actors competing in this election accept the ballot box results”, said the UN envoy.

    He said while the security condition was fragile, it was adequate for a successful round of voting on Sunday.

    “Any dispute must be resolved through arbitration by the Malian institutions in charge.

    “As the 2013 elections restored constitutional order, the 2018 elections must reassure that the democratic process in Mali is irreversible”, Annadif stressed.

    The UN mission is providing technical assistance to the Malian authorities, and helping to create conditions conducive for the holding of credible and peaceful elections.

    This includes the preparation and distribution of electoral materials, backup security support, as well as helping to transport and train electoral officials.

    The mission has also made transportation available for all candidates to reach remote northern and central parts of the country, for campaigning purposes.

    MINSUMA said it had transported 200 tonnes of electoral material and distributed it in all the northern regions, and flown 300 different people related to the whole electoral process.

    These include the Independent National Electoral Commission delegates, Constitutional Court delegates, as well as international and national observers, including those from the African Union, the European Union and the ECOWAS.

    The spokesman for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, said the security situation remained volatile, with local intercommunal tensions still high, heightening the risk of criminal and terrorist actions in the north and the centre.

    “So far, however, there have been no major incidents related to the electoral process,” Dujarric said.

    The spokesman said that Annadif was proactively seeking to ensure that any electoral-related dispute is resolved peacefully and in accordance with the law.

  • PDP threatens to boycott 2019 general elections

    The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Thursday hinted on pulling out of the 2019 general elections if the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and security agencies fail to establish their impartiality.

    PDP’s National Chairman, Uche Secondus said this at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja while hosting a combined delegation of the International Republican Institute, IRI, and the National Democratic Institute, NDI.

    He lamented INEC’s alleged manipulation of vote figures in the recently concluded Ekiti governorship election in favour of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

    Secondus also accused the Nigeria Police Force of chasing away PDP agents from various polling centres particularly areas known to be its strongholds.

    He said, “We are still contemplating on whether we will participate in the 2019 elections or not. We are yet to take a decision on this.

    “We are not sure that the security agencies and INEC would be impartial and transparent. In the Ekiti elections, there were instances our party agents’ tags were removed and given to the APC agents.

    “There were clear cases of manipulation, ballot snatching and harassment of our party agents.”

  • 2019: Buhari plotting to frustrate electoral process – PDP

    2019: Buhari plotting to frustrate electoral process – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of plotting to frustrate the smooth conduct of the 2019 general elections, owing to what it called his fears of losing.

    The party said President Buhari’s request to the National Assembly to vire N242 billion already approved for other projects in the 2018 budget to finance the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other agencies ahead of the elections is a booby trap deliberately set to drag the elections into a financial controversy in a bid to compromise the electoral process.

    In a statement issued by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said the financial request of the President is capable of breeding confusion in the polity, if not well handled.

    “The PDP invites Nigerians and the international community to note that this request is a deliberate plot to inject disagreements in the polity, cause confusion in the electoral system and set the stage for a political crisis capable of frustrating the conduct of the elections.

    “Mr. President is aware that his request is in no way in consonant with constitutional provisions and extant rules guiding legislative virement of funds already meant for constituency development projects, yet he sent same to the National Assembly.

    “If Mr. President meant well for the nation and had no ulterior motives, he should have sent a fresh supplementary budget to the National Assembly for whatever amount he seeks for INEC, instead of seeking for a controversial virement,” the statement read in part.

    The PDP further urged Nigerians not to forget that it had always pointed out “series of signposts towards circumventing of our laws and extant regulations to achieve certain unpatriotic agenda including a possible self-succession plot, noting that “President Buhari must come to terms with the fact that Nigerians are eager for the 2019 general election and are not ready to be taken for a ride by any person.

    The party also urged President Buhari to follow the rules and immediately submit a fresh supplementary budget or seek other legitimate ways and means, devoid of bottlenecks, to finance the election.

  • Ekiti Assembly rejects election results, adjourns sitting till October

    Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly on Tuesday condemned and rejected the result of last Saturday governorship election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Recall Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was defeated incumbent Deputy Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) as declared by INEC on Sunday.

    The assembly also adjourned sitting till October 8, 2018, due to alleged harassment of members by security agents.

    The adjournment followed a motion moved by the Leader of Business, Akinyele Olatunji.

    Speaking at the House plenary in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, Olatunji described the process leading to the election and final results as unfortunate.

    He condemned the harassment of Governor Ayodele Fayose, Peoples Democratic Party leaders across the state and members of the state assembly by security men.

    The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Samuel Omotoso, said the election did not meet all democratic credentials.

    He pointed out that the election was marred by outright brigandage, vote buying and falsification of results.

    The Deputy Whip, Ekundayo Akinleye, remarked that the outcome of the election had shown that Nigerians should not expect free and fair elections in 2019.

    The Speaker of the Assembly, Kola Oluwawole, described the election as a show of shame with thugs and security men openly working for the opposition All Progressives Congress.

    Oluwawole alleged that figures were brazenly doubled to favour the declared winner and expressed confidence that the stolen mandate would soon be retrieved.

    The lawmakers called on the security agencies to leave Ekiti State to allow government business to thrive unhindered.

    The PDP has majority of the lawmakers in the state assembly.

     

  • [Video] Jubilation as Fayose makes first public appearance after Ekiti governorship election

    [Video] Jubilation as Fayose makes first public appearance after Ekiti governorship election

    There was wild jubilation in Ekiti State on Tuesday as Governor Ayodele Fayose makes his first public appearance after his anointed candidate and deputy; Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka lost the governorship election to Dr. Kayode Fayemi on Saturday.

    The governor who walked on a busy road in the state clad in a black kaftan with a neck brace was hailed by admirers who stood by to catch a glimpse of him while he waved back at them.

    According to his special adviser on electronic media, Lere Olayinka who shared the video on his Facebook page, he (Fayose) was on his way to the palace of Ewi of Ado Ekiti.

    Watch video below:

  • Buhari forwards 2019 election budget to Senate for approval

    Buhari forwards 2019 election budget to Senate for approval

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday forwarded a budget of N254 billion (N254, 445,322,600) to the Senate to prosecute the 2019 general election.

    The president in a letter sought the approval of the sum which will be drawn from the 2018 and 2019 budgets.

    In the letter titled ‘Request for virement and supplementary 2018 budget,’ President Buhari urged the lawmakers to remove projects earlier inserted into the budget and replace them with priority projects as contained in the original bill.

    While signing the budget on June 20, President Buhari raised the alarm that Nigerian lawmakers had tampered with the document sent to them.

    Buhari said the National Assembly made cuts amounting to N347 billion in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to them for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to N578 billion.

    Buhari in his Tuesday letter insisted he would not submit a supplementary budget to fund these priority projects. Instead, he urged the lawmakers to remove those inserted.

    Also contained in the letter is the supplementary budget of N242 billion (N242,445,322, 600) to fund six agencies in the 2019 general election.

    Of the total sum, N164 billion (N164,104,792,065) will be drawn from the 2018 supplementary budget while N78 billion (N78,314,530,535) will form part of the 2019 budget of these agencies.

     

    Below is Mr Buhari’s letter:

    Request for virement and supplementary 2018 budge

    As you are aware, the 2019 general election is scheduled to be conducted early in 2019. To ensure that adequate arrangements are made for free and fair election, it has become necessary to appropriate funds to enable the relevant agencies to commence preparations.

    INEC and the security agencies have accordingly recently submitted their requests and these have been subjected to the usual budget evaluation. The aggregate cost of the election is estimated at N254, 445, 322,600. However, in line with the prevailing fiscal I’m proposing that the sum of N164, 104, 792, 65 be provided for through virement or supplementation of the 2018 budget. I propose that the balance of N78, 340, 530, 535 mostly related to personnel allowances, fuelling and other costs not required until election proper be provided in their 2019 budget.

    The proposal for the 2019 election is as summarised below:

     

    INEC

    2018 supplementary – N143, 512, 529, 445

    2019 budget – N45, 695, 015,438

    Total: N189, 207, 544, 893

     

    Office of the National Security Adviser

    2018 supplementary – N3, 855, 500, 000

    2019 budget – 426, 000, 000

    Total – 4, 281, 500,000

     

    DSS

    2018 supplementary – N2, 903, 638, 000

    2019 budget – N9,309,644,455

    Total – N12, 213, 282, 455

     

    NSCDC

    2018 supplementary – N1, 845, 597, 000

    2019 budget – N1, 727, 997, 500

    Total – N3, 573, 534, 500

     

    Nigeria Police

    2018 supplementary – N11, 457, 417, 432

    2019 budget – N19, 083, 900, 000

    Total – N30, 541, 317, 432

     

    NIS

    2018 supplementary – N530, 110, 078

    2019 budget – N2, 098,033, 142

    Total – N2, 628, 143, 320

     

    Total amount (for 2019 election)

    2018 supplementary – N164, 104, 792, 065

    2019 budget – N78, 314, 530, 535

    Total – N242, 445, 322, 600

    You will also recall that when I signed the 2018 appropriation act, I indicated the need for reinstatement of certain cuts made to certain critical projects provided in the original executive bill. I’m therefore submitting for your consideration the reinstatement of most of the most critical of such cuts totalling N67, 742, 216, 150 which are summarised in page one. The total amount required to be provided for in the 2018 budget for the 2019 general election and to restore the identified critical projects to the amount earlier proposed is, therefore, N228, 854, 800, 250. Implementing a budget of N9.12 trillion for 2018 would be extremely challenging and therefore, I do not consider it expedient to propose a further increase to the size of the 2018 expenditure framework to fund these very important and critical expenditure items.

    Accordingly, I invite the distinguished Senate to consider, in the national interest, relocating some of the funds appropriated for the new projects which were inserted into the 2018 budget proposal totalling N 578, 319, 951, 904 to cover the sum of N228, 854, 800, 205 required as noted above.

    A schedule sitting out a comprehensive list of these inserted projects is attached to this letter for ease of your consideration.

    Further to the above, kindly find attached a supplementary budget and virement proposal for your consideration.

    While hoping that this request will expeditious consideration of the distinguished Senate, please accept, Mr Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration.

     

    Yours sincerely,

    Muhammadu Buhari

  • Ekiti result cannot stand – PDP chairman Secondus

    The National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has urged Nigerians who believe in democracy not to be deterred by the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti.

    Mr Secondus, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ike Abonyi, on Sunday in Abuja, said the result of the poll would not stand the test of the Almighty.

    He said that what was needed was patience, adding that “justice has the stamina to go all the way to the destination while injustice cannot”.

    The chairman appreciated Nigerians, particularly those who stood by the party during the struggle for Ekiti and assured them that justice would prevail.

    He said that PDP knew from inception that rescuing Nigeria from anti-democratic forces was not going to be easy.

    He, however, said that the party remained emboldened by the fact that Nigerians had resolved to stop the circle of bad governance, violence and bloodletting in the country.

    “What I want to assure Nigerians and other lovers of democracy and rule of law is that PDP and its partners are undaunted and will not look back until this country is rescued.’’

    Mr Secondus also appreciated the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) for its support and determination to rescue Nigeria.

    “The signs are there both in the spirit and physical world that God has decided to rescue Nigeria and the journey has since begun; what we need is patience and steadfastness,’’ he said.

    Mr Secondus added that what was clear was that “those on the side of the people laugh last, and indeed, they laugh best.”

    He advised all PDP supporters, particularly in Ekiti, to eschew violence and wait for the rule of law, which according to him, will surely prevail.

  • JUST IN: Amid raging certificate forgery scandal, Adeosun wins bank board chair election

    The Embattled Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun has been elected chairperson of the board of the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK) amid a raging certificate scandal.

    The bank, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, has been meeting in Abuja .

    Recall that an online news portal, Premium Times had last week reported that the minister forged the exemption certificate of the National Youths Service Corps, (NYSC) despite graduating at the age of 22.

    Adeosun will be succeeding the outgoing chairman of the Bank and Minister of Finance of the Republic of Rwanda, Ndagijimana Uzziel. The position has a one-year tenure.

    The paper also showed that the minister’s exemption certificate, which she has worked for years with, is unauthentic.

    Mrs Adeosun has yet to comment on the findings, and the federal government too has kept mute.

    Under the Nigerian law, certificate forgery is a criminal offence punishable by either a term of imprisonment or fine.

  • #EkitiDecides2018: Heavy security as governorship election commences

    #EkitiDecides2018: Heavy security as governorship election commences

    A security cordon has been thrown on Ekiti as the simultaneous accreditation and voting process is set to commence in Saturday ’s governorship election.

    Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) spread across the three senatorial districts report that armed policemen and personnel of sister security agencies such as the NSCDC, NDLEA and the FRSC were sighted at strategic locations.

    In Ikere-Ekiti, home town of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) candidate, Prof. Olusola Kolapo, there was heavy security presence, with personnel of the police and NSCDC keeping vigil on the fringes of polling units.

    At the Ofamofuru Polling Unit 007, Ward 02, of the PDP candidate, no fewer than 10 mobile police officers were sighted keeping vigil.

    In Isan-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area, Ekiti North Senatorial District, where the All Progressives Congress(APC) candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, hails from, there was also heavy security presence.

    At the Polling Unit 009 Ward 11 of the APC flagbearer, no fewer than five policemen were seen maintaining law and order as at 7.30 a.m.

    There was also tight security at the Unit 2 Ward 7, Federal Housing Estate Polling Unit, in Ado-Ekiti Central Senatorial District, with five policemen sighted.

    NAN reports that the police had deployed 30,000 operatives, two helicopters and 250 patrol vehicles, including Armoured Personnel Carriers, for the election.

    The security operation for the poll would be supervised by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Operations, Joshiak Habila, who would be assisted by an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, four Commissioners of Police, eight Deputy Commissioners of Police and 18 Assistant Commissioners of Police.

    Each Senatorial district would be manned by a Commissioner of Police while no fewer than four policemen and two others from other security agencies will be on duty at each polling unit throughout the state.

    NAN further reports that Commissioners of Police and their personnel in states close to Ekiti such as Ondo, Osun, Kwara, Kogi, Ogun, Edo and Oyo had been directed to be on the red alert with their personnel.

    The Police Mobile Force Unit, Counter-Terrorism Unit, the Special Protection Unit, the Anti-Bomb Squad, the Armament Unit, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department and the sniffer dogs section would also participate in the joint security effort.

    The police had said that a threat assessment had been carried out in the state and all identified flashpoints and trouble-prone areas had been addressed.

    Restriction on vehicular movement in and out of Ekiti State also commenced from midnight of Friday and would be in place till the end of the election while travellers and other road users were advised to make use of alternative routes.

    NAN reports that those on essential duties were, however, being granted passage.

    NAN further reports that other security and safety agencies, including the military and FRSC, who are members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in the state, would complement the police during the election.

    Already, the NSCDC had deployed 19,997 personnel for the exercise and had also ordered the deployment of mobile surveillance vehicles and sniffer dogs.

  • 667,064 to vote in Ekiti gov poll – INEC

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, yesterday disclosed that a total of 667,064 voters are expected to vote in Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship poll. Speaking yesterday during a stakeholders’ meeting in Ado-Ekiti, the capital of the state, Prof. Yakubu said the commission decided to distribute the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to the ward level to motivate the electorate to be able to exercise their franchise rights.

    “For transparency, all uncollected PVCs will be brought to INEC office in Ado Ekiti and warehoused for safe keeping until a new date is fixed to resume the PVC collection. “However, since the Anambra State Governorship election held in November 2017, we have introduced an additional measure of transparency.

    “I wish to reassure that our officials are under strict instruction to remain neutral. We have also accredited credible foreign and local observers to monitor this election. “We are confident that with the arrangements we have put in place, Ekiti State governorship election will be another good example of free, fair, credible and peaceful election and a further affirmation of the maturity of our democracy,” he said.

    Meanwhile the stakeholders’ meeting summoned by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris in association with INEC ended in uproar due to disruption of the meeting half way by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). During the meeting, the representative of the PDP, Hon. Samuel Omotoso; a serving lawmaker raised issues concerning the candidate of the APC, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who he alleged had been boasting of winning the election, irrespective of whether he lost or won. Omotoso equally raised observations about how he and his family were allegedly shot at by security agencies during APC rally in his community at Oloje town in Oye Local Government Area of the state, querying why some security agencies had been openly partisan, even as the election approaches.

    His repeating Fayemi’s name as he kept lamenting his fate, caused the APC members to shout him down, creating a moment of bitter exchanges, after which the PDP lapsed into shouts of ‘Eleka Ibo’,meaning ‘votes for Eleka’, a development which lasted more than 10 minutes, soon after which stakeholders met secretly and dispersed soon after, as efforts to bring the situation under control was unsuccessful.

    Earlier, the IGP warned political leaders and their supporters not to engage the services of thugs, noting whoever was arrested would be dealt with the way of laws guiding the conduct of elections.

    “We want all party supporters to refrain from all acts that can precipitate violence at the polling booths such as canvassing for votes, wearing of party insignias, dissuading voters from voting for candi-dates of their choices, loitering and blaring of siren on the day of election. “We will also not tolerate ignoring of restriction of movement orders by the police. Don’t see election as a matter of life and death.

    “Let me state that police will not hesitate to deal with anybody no matter how highly placed found flouting electoral laws. Let me call for the collaboration and support of the entire sister agencies and the INEC officials. Police officers have been warned to be of good conduct during and after the election. “If you notice any misconduct on the part of any police, do not hesitate to report to the senior officers on the ground or contact me directly,” he said.