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Tag: INEC

  • INEC announces date for 2019 Presidential, National Assembly elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed the dates for the Presidential and National Assembly elections, which will hold in 2019.

    INEC chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmood, made this announcement while meeting with members of the Commission and all Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC), at the INEC Headquarters’ Conference Hall, Abuja on Thursday.

    According to him, the Presidential and National Assembly elections have been fixed for Saturday, 16th February, 2019.

    The event was live-tweeted on INEC’s official Twitter handle.

    “Above all the 2019 #NigeriaDecidesGeneral Elections is exactly 505 days away from today.

    “The Gov. State Assembly and Federal Capital Territory(FCT) Area Council elections are fixed for Saturday 2nd March 2019.

    “As part of our preparations for the elections, we shall discuss the on-going Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

    “As you are aware, the foundation of a free and fair election rest on credible Voter Register.

    “So far, 2,786,405 citizens have registered in the ongoing exercise out of which 1,619,513 (58%) are Male while 1,166,892 (42%) are female.

    “The Presidential and National Assembly elections have been fixed for Saturday 16th February 2019.

    “In addition 108,752 unclaimed PVCs were collected. 132,431 requested for transfer while 261,429 requested for replacement of their PVCs.

    “We wish to assure Nigerians that INEC will continue to explore ways by which we can improve on all d processes associated with the ongoing CVR.

    “On this note, let me once again welcome all RECs to this meeting. Thank you and God bless,” some of the updates read.

  • RECALL: INEC officials storm NASS, drop documents at Melaye’s office

    Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday arrived the National Assembly Complex to notify the embattled lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye, on the petition the commission received from his constituents to recall him.

    The officials, who dropped loads of documents at the door to Melaye’s office, waited while the lawmaker was in the Senate chamber.

    It was observed that the Melaye’s office was under lock and key, while his aides were not around to receive the notice.

    Melaye had on Monday said the 90-day deadline set for INEC by Section 69 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) has expired.

    Melaye also alleged that it was only after several attempts at his life had failed that “they” resorted to this sham process of recall.

    “I celebrate the obituary of the ‘Made in Taiwan’ recall exercise, while sympathising with the induced petitioners, who will obviously face charges of forgery and other criminal charges before a court of law very, very soon.”

    The lawmaker said this at a press conference in Abuja on Monday.

  • I’m not evading service of INEC’s purported petition – Melaye

    Senator Dino Melaye has denied claims that he was evading the service of petition and timetable for his recall from the Senate, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, is facing a recall by his constituents who in a petition on June 23, 2017, called on INEC to recall him.

    Yesterday, Melaye told newsmen that accepting any “purported’’ petition from INEC would amount to breaching the 1999 Constitution (amended).

    “It is clear that by the provisions of Section 69(b) of the 1999 Constitution, INEC must act on the petition purportedly presented to it on June 23, 2017 by conducting a referendum within 90 days of receipt of the petition.

    “The 90 days period as provided for in the Constitution for conducting the referendum after our verification, elapsed on Sept. 23, 2017.

    “The time having elapsed, I cannot under the circumstance, aid and abet INEC to further infringe on the provisions of the Constitution, which I have sworn to defend,” he said.

    The lawmaker pointed out that his position on the matter had been affirmed by various Supreme Court decisions.

    “The trial judge failed to respect that provision of the Constitution when he elongated 90 days provided for, saying the process was paused when the interim order for maintenance of status quo was granted.

    “I am not evading the service of any purported petition on me by INEC.

    “As a matter of fact, my lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, served INEC a notice to produce the said petition in the course of hearing of this matter but INEC failed to produce the petition in court.

    “I have also instructed my lawyer to challenge the jurisdiction of the trial court to entertain an ex parte application for the service on me.

    “In view of the lapse of time, I shall no longer be in a haste to take any further step in this matter so as not to aid any party, especially INEC in breaching the Constitution,” Melaye added.

  • Alimi: We are ready to conduct Lagos bye-election – INEC

    Alimi: We are ready to conduct Lagos bye-election – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is fully prepared for the conduct of the Lagos constituency bye-election in Eti-Osa Local Government Area on Sept. 30.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the election is to fill the vacant seat as a result of the death of the lawmaker representing the area, Mr Kazeem Alimi on July 8.

    INEC Resident Electoral Commission in the state, Sam Olumekun told newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos that the commission had concluded all arrangements to conduct the polls.

    “We are ready for the election, everything is in place, and we are good to go.

    “We have started receiving non-sensitive materials for the conduct of the election and our personnel too have been fully prepared.

    “We will ensure the peaceful and credible conduct of the election and meet the expectations of stakeholders,’’ he said.

    He said the details of how the commission would go about the election would be made public in the coming days.

    The commissioner, however, urged stakeholders and the public to give the commission the necessary support to ensure hitch-free conduct of the election.

     

     

  • INEC releases new timetable for Melaye’s recall

    INEC releases new timetable for Melaye’s recall

    The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Monday issued an amended timetable and schedule of activities regarding the recall of senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye.

    The commission disclosed this in a statement by its secretary, Augusta Ogakwu.

    The INEC had released a timetable for Mr. Melaye’s recall last July; but a court order, following a suit instituted by the senator, halted the process pending the determination of the case.

    But last week, an Abuja Division of the Federal High Court ordered the continuation of Mr. Melaye’s recall, holding that the electorate whose petition resulted in the process had a right to request the removal of their senator from office since they are the ones who elected him in the first instance.

    The court also held that the constitution does not require a special provision that mandates the INEC to grant the senator an opportunity for fair hearing.

    The court then ruled that the INEC provides Mr. Melaye with the recall petition, a schedule of signatures attached to the petitions, and a full list of persons in support of the recall process, within two weeks before an amended timetable for the recall would be made.

    In fixing the new timetable, the INEC said enough time had been given for the senator to study the petitions and other attachments to enable him to prepare for the exercise.

    The table showed the notice of verification will begin on October 3, while the last day of submission of application by observers will be October 5.

    The publication of the list of accredited observers will be on October 9, following which there will be a stakeholders meeting at both the senatorial district headquarters and the local government headquarters on October 10.

    The last day for submission of names of polling agents for verification by the lawmaker to be recalled and representatives of the petitioners will be on October 12.

    The final verification will hold on October 14, according to the INEC timetable.

  • Recall judgement: Melaye calls for calm, says ‘FG, Bello, INEC, security agents after me’

    The Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye, on Monday accused the Federal Government, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and security agents of instigating the judges to oppose his application to stop his recall from the Senate.

    Melaye in a statement assured his constituents that the conspiracy against him by the coalition of the aforementioned will not work.

    In his words: “My great people of Kogi West Senatorial District of Kogi state, in the face of obvious persecution and appealable judgement of the Federal High Court Abuja today, let not your heart be troubled. Lies will never overtake or conquer truth.

    “The presence of the Kogi State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in court today over a matter that Kogi State is not joined as a party shows the clear collaborative efforts of INEC and Kogi State Government. However, these combined efforts of Governor Yahaya Bello, INEC, top Federal Government officials and top security agents to harangue and stampede me out of the Senate against the will of Kogi West constituents will fail woefully. He who is with me from above is greater than all of them put together.

    “I will not stop speaking truth to authority. Kogi State Government must pay workers’ salaries and pay pensioners. We cannot all sleep facing one side of the bed. We shall overcome this temporary Shenanigan in the long run. We will neither sleep nor slumber on this. I use this opportunity to thank my dear constituents for their abiding love for and confidence shown towards me. God bless you all. Imole de, okunkun parada!”

  • Court orders INEC to go ahead with Melaye’s recall

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the application by Senator Dino Melaye challenging moves by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to effect his recall.

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba on Monday held that all the complaints made by Melaye lack merit and deserve to be dismissed.

    On the complain of lack of fair hearing by the constituents before forwarding the recall petition to INEC, the judge said it lacks merit and dismissed it.

    Justice Dimgba ruled that the recall process is a political question, which is beyond the court to deal with.

    He said the constituents have no duty to serve the legislator a copy of the recall petition.

    He said Melaye has the opportunity to campaign to the electorate before the referendum to sell his achievements to them according to the 90 days time table and schedule of activities set by INEC as set out in Section 69 of the Constitution.

    “The electorate voted the legislator into office; they gifted him with the office, they also have the powers to take away that which have been given,” he said.

    The judge dismissed Melaye’s claim that the petition emanated from malice, bad faith, vendetta and against the natural justice.

    He also dismissed the senator’s assertion that the 188, 000 signatories to the petition contained those of non-existent, dead and forged”, stressing that the complain was hasty since he has not exhausted the INEC verification process for the signatories.

    The judge described Melaye’s complain that officials of the electoral umpire ought to swear to an oath of neutrality as “premature” since it is not certain that a recall election will hold.

    The judge however ordered INEC to serve Melaye the recall petition, schedule of signatures attached to the recall petition and full list of all persons in support of the recall process as contained in jute bags before the verification exercise.

  • 2019: INEC registers new political party

    2019: INEC registers new political party

    The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has registered another political party, African People’s Party, bringing the number of parties to 46.

    INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said in Abuja at the swearing-in of new nine Residents Electoral Commissioners, at the commission’s headquarter on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Yakubu said that the party was on Tuesday issued Certificate of Registration in compliance with a court order.

    He said that APP originally applied for registration as a political party in 2014.

    Yakubu said that the commission had so far registered 2,092,434 new registrants under the on-going nationwide Continuous Voter Registration.

    “At the end of the first quarter of the exercise, some 1,810,153 citizens were registered.

    “The exercise is now in the second week of the second quarter and already some 282,281 citizens have been registered, making a total of 2,092,434 new registrants so far,” he added.

    Yakubu, congratulated the newly sworn-in nine RECs.

    He said that their assumption of duty came at an auspicious time, at exactly 548 days to the 2019 General Elections, and after the conclusion of the Commission’s Strategic Plan 2017-2021.

    He advised them to be fair to all, partisan to none, saying that as election managers, they would be responsible for the implementation of the plan.

    “As election managers, you must maintain the required openness and consultation.

    “At the same time, you must be very firm and courageous on the side of the law as well as our regulations and guidelines as required of you as unbiased umpire.

    “Be fair to all, partisan to none.’’

    Yakubu said that as new appointees, they would be immediately deployed to field orientation in the four elections to be conducted by the commission over the next few weeks.

    The elections according to him were; Dukku North State Constituency by-election in Gombe State , the Eti Osa I State Constituency in Lagos State and Kware/Wamakko Federal Constituency in Sokoto State.

    Also included was the Anambra State Governorship election scheduled for Nov. 18.

    Mr Mike Igini, one of the newly sworn-in RECs, who responded on behalf of others pledged that they would be guided by the mission and core values of INEC.

    He added that the discharge of their duties would be guided by integrity and all other core values that guide their works at the states.

    The new RECs also included Mrs Asman Maikudi, Sam Olumekun, Prof. Riskuwa Shehu, Mr Kassim Geidam, Mr. Jubrin Zarewa, Mr Abdulganiyu Raji, Prof. Sam Egwu, and Mallam Sudiq Musa.

     

    NAN

  • INEC delist 190 foreigners from voters list

    INEC delist 190 foreigners from voters list

    As part of its efforts to clean up the voter’s register, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ordered the removal of names of 190 non-Nigerians.

    This was disclosed in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, on Thursday in Abuja.

    The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) had recently retrieved several permanent voter cards and national identity cards from foreigners who were alleged to have registered as voters.

    In a statement issued by INEC Director in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, the commission said it would ensure that the voter register was free from unqualified registrations and that the register of voters’ met internationally accepted standards.

    The commission further said it would continue to strengthen its relationship with security agencies and other organisations in ensuring that the electoral process is improved.

    Ahead of the governorship election in Anambra State scheduled for November 18, INEC said it has decentralised the on-going nationwide CVR exercise in the state to the registration areas.

    The CVR registration exercise in the state which began yesterday would continue till Tuesday August 15.
    The commission explained that the move to decentralise the registration from the 21 local government offices to the 326 registration areas in the state was aimed at bringing the exercise closer to the people as well as to ensure every eligible Nigerian in the state was captured in the exercise.

    It warned that the CVR exercise in the state should not be misunderstood for a fresh voters’ registration, but should be seen as an opportunity for eligible citizens who have not registered before and those whose names were not found on the voters register to get registered.

    According to INEC, the CVR exercise also provides a window for those who wish to transfer their registration details to another location as well as to provide room for those who have lost their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to apply for replacements.

  • We’ve nullified 117 elections since 2015 – INEC

    We’ve nullified 117 elections since 2015 – INEC

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, said one of the major challenges of the commission was failure of political parties to properly conduct primary election.

    Mr. Yakubu made this known at the second annual conference of Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, on “Internal Party Democracy: A Recipe to a Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria’’ on Tuesday in Abuja.

    He said that 80 elections were nullified by the courts after the 2015 general elections, while 37 others were also nullified with order on INEC to issue certificates of return to the petitioners.

    Mr. Yakubu said that the commission had studied the various judgments and discovered that most of the elections were upturned due to the failure of political parties to conduct proper primaries or follow the outcome.

    He said that though INEC had no power to reject any candidate presented to it by a political party, the court had been playing the role.

    He said that the courts had been nullifying elections at the expense of the country to conduct re-run elections that should not have been nullified if party primaries were properly conducted.

    Mr. Yakubu, therefore, urged political parties to ensure that their primaries were properly conducted in accordance with the provisions of the law.

    “Some of the re-run elections are at great expense of the nation. We can save cost if parties truly conduct primaries.

    “In addition to proper primaries, parties should also comply with the requirements of the law. I am appealing to parties to be guided by certain judgments of the Supreme Court.’’

    He said that building a strong democracy started with political parties, who were responsible for sponsoring candidates for elections.

    The INEC chairman also advised political parties to ensure that women and persons living with disabilities were given equal opportunities in elections.

    He reassured that the commission would never fail Nigerians in executing its responsibilities of conducting free, fair and credible elections, especially as the commission prepared for 2019 general elections.

    “Whoever wins at the ballot box becomes the person so elected.

    “We will continue to discharge these responsibilities; what it takes is that we shall continue to be courageous. We will only be courageous on the side of Nigeria.

    “The vote you cast will continue to determine who wins until the short tenure that we have been given under the law comes to an end. There will never be in an election, memory still revisiting the past.

    “We have taken a leap forward and INEC will never be found wanting,’’ he assured.

    On registration of political parties, Mr. Yakubu said that INEC would continue to register parties that met the criteria.

    “As at last week, 103 applications were pending, and I am sure we would have received more applications for registration.

    “We will continue to be guided by the provisions of the law and any association that qualifies will be registered as a political party.

    “At the same time, we will also be courageous to de-register any political party that failed as recommended by the law.’’

    (NAN)