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Tag: INEC

  • Melaye’s recall: Filing a law suit won’t stop process – INEC insists

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday said only a legitimate court order could stop process for the recall of Sen. Dino Melaye as demanded by his Kogi West constituents.

    Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the commission, stated this in an interview with tjournalists on Tuesday in Abuja.

    He said that filing a lawsuit was not enough to stop the recall process.

    INEC had on Monday released the schedule of activities for the recall of Melaye, the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the Senate, with Aug. 19 fixed for verification of signatures of petitioners demanding his recall.

    But, various suits have been instituted in courts to stop to stop the process.

    The cases include those by Melaye and Concerned Kogi Registered Voters, filed separately at a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order to halt INEC from conducting the verification of signatures and the recall.

    Oyekanmi said that the actions of the commission were being guided by the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act.

    “The constituents came with sacks of documents which they said were `the signatures’ of more than half of the voting population of Kogi West Senatorial District, which Melaye represents.

    “They also presented a register of the said signatories and a letter, asking INEC to begin the process of recalling the senator representing that particular district.

    “Subsequently, the commission, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Sections 116 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), on Monday issued a timetable and schedule of activities for the recall of the senator.

    “The first stage is a verification exercise slated for July 10, 2017.

    “To that extent, filing a lawsuit is not enough to stop INEC from carrying out its legitimate duty.

    “Only a legitimate court order or an injunction can be considered by the commission,’’ he said.

    On claims by Melaye that some of the signatures submitted to INEC were forged and that names of dead registered voters were also included, Oyekanmi said that the process of verification would clear all that.

    On method INEC would adopt in verifying thumbprints of registered illiterate voters who are part of the signatories for the recall, he said that it would be handled.

    “The commission will adopt its normal way of conducting the verification exercise, which will be applicable to both the literate and not-so-literate.’’

    He said that the commission would apply its standards in a situation where people believed to have signed the recall letter, failed to show up for signature verification.

    “If the verification fails to meet the established standards, the commission will not proceed to the next stage. The recall process automatically terminates there,’’ he stated.

  • We are ready to conduct Osun by-election – INEC

    We are ready to conduct Osun by-election – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday assured constituents of its readiness to conduct a hitch free, free and fair elections in Osun West senatorial district.

    The Delta State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Baritor Kpagih, who was deployed to the state to supervise the exercize, disclosed this to journalists at a press conference, alongside the Commissioner of Police, Mr Fimihan Adeoye and leadership of military and paramilitary agencies in the state.

    Kpagih said voting will commence across wards in the Senatorial District by 8am and end by 2pm, adding that whosoever was on queue by 2pm would still be allowed to vote.

    He noted that accreditation and voting will take place at the same time, explaining that eleven political parties are fielding candidates in the election.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner said only voters with Permanent Voters Cards, verified by card readers would be allowed to vote, adding that the materials to be used are customized on local government basis, with difference in colours of the ballots.

    The Commissioner of police, Mr. Olafimihan Adeoye, in his remarks said there would be restriction of vehicular movement between the hours of 6:00am and 6:00pm on the election day, with an exception of Ibadan/Ife expressway, which shall not be blocked to traffic.

    Warning that anyone caught formenting trouble would be made to face full wrath of the law regardless of his or her party affiliations, advising those who have no role to play in the election to stay off polling areas.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that INEC had fixed July 8 for the bye-election following the death of Sen. Isiaka Adeleke, representing Osun West, on April 23.

  • EKITI 2018: INEC registers 35,909 new voters

    EKITI 2018: INEC registers 35,909 new voters

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ekiti has registered 35, 909 new voters as part of its preparations for the 2018 gubernatorial election in the state.

    The INEC Administrative Secretary in the state, Dr. Muslim Omoleke, said this on Sunday in a statement.

    He said that the figure was generated from the ongoing continuous-voter registration in the state.

    The statement was released to journalists by INEC’s Public Relations Officer, Alhaji Taiwo Gbadegesin.

    Omoleke giving a breakdown said that 35,909 eligible voters comprising of 18,193 males and 17,716 females were registered as at June 29, 2017.

    He said the exercise which began April 27, 2017 in the state has been very successful.

    Omoleke said that the commission also had 4,154 registered voters who were seeking transfer of their voting rights to new locations from within and outside the state.

    He said that 1,048 permanent voter cards (PVCs) had so far been distributed in the state out of those initially left uncollected by voters.

    He said that six new registration centres had also been allocated to the state based on returns and agitation for more centres to ease the process.

    According to the state INEC, the new registration centres are at St. Michael’s Primary School, Ajilosun, Ado Ekiti, for Ado Ekiti Local Government Area; Health Centre, Omuo-Ekiti for Ekiti East Local Government Area and CAC Primary School, Ipoti-Ekiti for Ijero Local Government Area.

    Others are: Post Office building, Ikere-Ekiti for Ikere Local Government Area; LA Primary School, Ikosu for Moba Local Government Area and St. John Anglican Primary School, Ilupeju for Oye Local Government Area.

    The commission commended the people of the state for their cooperation in ensuring a smooth conduct of the exercise.

    He advised other eligible voters to visit other designated registration centres in their respective local government areas to register.

    “They should realise that it is criminal and punishable under the law to register more than once,” he said in the statement.

  • 2019: Why we are registering more political parties – INEC

    2019: Why we are registering more political parties – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why it is registering more political parties ahead of the 2019 elections.

    The electoral umpire explained that it has the resources to manage more political parties with the current 45 already registered.

    The chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu revealed this in an interview with The Guardian.

    In his words: “We have 45 political parties today, but remember that we had 60 parties before the last general election in 2015. In many countries less well-endowed than we are, you hear about 100 or more political parties.

    “And so, given our population, diversity and number of constituencies, the number of political parties we have at the moment and possibly more parties to be registered before the next general elections can be effectively managed by INEC.

    “As you can see, the number of parties we have in relation to our diversity is not too much to handle,” Yakubu explained.

    He added that a multi-party or plural democracy should not restrict the number of political parties stressing, “as the saying goes, the more the merrier. Ultimately, citizens are the beneficiaries because they will be offered greater opportunity for choice.”

  • 2015 Elections: How INEC officers received N264m bribe from Allison-Madueke – witness

    A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday, heard that two Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, employees, Christian Nwosu and Yisa Adegoyin, allegedly received N264million from a former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke.

    A prosecution witness, Mr Timothy Olaobaju, said that the money was paid to Nwosu and Adedoyin in cash.

    Olaobaju said this while testifying at the resumed trial of the accused persons, facing charges of corruption and undue enrichment.

    They are charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegations of receiving bribe from the former minister.

    Also charged is Tijani Bashir.

    Adedoyin had pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted following a plea bargain.

    Led in evidence on Wednesday by the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, the witness, a bank operative, said that he paid Nwosu and Adedoyin the sum of N264 million, on the instructions of Alison-Madueke.

    “Sometime in 2015, there was a meeting between our Managing Director and former Petroleum Minister during which she explained that some companies and individuals would come to the bank to pay some money into some accounts.

    “The companies were Nothern Belt Ltd, Actus Integrated Ltd, Midwestern Company and one Mr Leno Laitan.

    “In addition, she said that certain individuals would bring some cash to be kept for her.

    “A total sum of 89 million dollars was paid into the accounts; cash sums of 25 million dollars was brought, totalling 114 million dollars and the money was kept in the bank pending her instruction as agreed.

    “On March 26, 2014, we got instruction that the money be converted to naira.

    “After it was converted, it amounted to about N23 billion.

    ‘’There was a list of beneficiaries that was sent, to be paid across the 36 states of the federation, including Kwara and I handled the transactions in my branch,” the witness said.

    He said that the accused came to his office to collect the cash payment, and that he only acted on instruction.

    “There was an instruction that Nwosu and Adedoyin be paid N264 million and it was on the instructions of Alison-Madueke that they were paid,” he said

    According to the witness, the accused signed a receipt of payment for the money they collected.

    The witness said that after the accused were paid, they left with the cash and did not pay it into any account in his branch.

    Meanwhile, under cross examination by defence counsel, Messrs Obinna Okereke and Nelson Imoh, the witness said that he did not know the purpose of the payment.

    “The only instruction we had is that they should bring means of identification and should be paid; we did not know the purpose of the payment,” he said.

    The case was adjourned until June 29 for continuation of trial.

    The prosecution had alleged that the accused persons committed the offence on March 27, 2015 by accepting bribe from the ex-Minister.

    They were alleged to have conspired to take possession of the sum of about N264 million which sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act of gratification.

    The accused were also said to have made cash payments of the sum of about N235 million, which sum exceeded the amount authorized by Law, without going through a financial institution.

    EFCC alleged that Bashir also made a cash payment of about N70.1 million to Adedoyin without going through a financial institution and which sum exceeded the amount authorized by law.

    The prosecution also alleged that Bashir also directly took possession of the sum of about N165 million which sum he ought reasonably to have known formed part of an unlawful act of gratification.

    In count seven, Nwosu was alleged to have directly used the sum of N30 million which he ought to have known formed part of an unlawful act of gratification.

    The offences were said to have contravened the provisions of sections 15 (3), 16 (2) and 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Amendment Act, 2012.

     

     

    NAN

     

  • Facebook partnering govts to reminding citizens of civic responsibilities

    Facebook has started a partnership with government of nations that will ensure citizens of countries are reminded of their civic responsibilities on the social media network.

    One of the civic responsibilities Facebook would be reminding citizens of, is electoral responsibility that will have to do with reminding users of the social media platform to register to vote.

    In April, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) began the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, while also distributing uncollected Permanent Voters Card (PVC).

    In order to ensure all Nigerians of eligible age register to vote in the 2019 general elections, the electoral commission said the CVR exercise will run into the electoral year 2019.

    But the commission has lamented that over 1.4 million PVCs are yet to be collected in Lagos state alone.

    With the new Facebook development, electoral commissions of nations need not bother too much about reminding citizens to turn out for voters’ registration exercises.

    India is the recent government to adopt this modality, as the Election Commission of India only just announced it will be using the Facebook platform to remind Indians to turn out for voters’ registration.

    According to an official release, a notification of the ‘voter registration reminder’ will be sent on July 1 to Indians who are eligible to vote on Facebook.

    The reminder will be sent out in 13 Indian languages – English, Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu, Assamese, Marathi and Odia.

    By clicking on the ‘register now’ button on Facebook, people will be directed to the national voters’ services portal of India which will guide them through the registration process.

    “I am pleased to announce that the Election Commission is launching a special drive to enrol left out electors, with a special focus on first time electors.

    “This is a step towards fulfilment of the motto of EC ‘No Voter to be Left Behind’,” Chief Election Commissioner, Nasim Zaidi said.

    TheNewsGuru reports this is the first time Facebook has been used for enrolling new voters across India.

     

     

  • INEC moves to create more voters registration centres in Lagos

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun moves to create additional centres for Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in 13 local government areas of Lagos state.

    This is even as INEC has explained that the high volume of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) in Lagos state, which TheNewsGuru.com estimates to be in region of 1.4 million, is as a result of majority of the owners of the cards relocating, especially students who had completed their course of study, from the state.

    Administrative Secretary of the commission in Lagos State, Dr Mustapha Mudashiru, who made this known in Lagos made this known on Saturday in Lagos.

    He said the commission is pushing for more centres, especially in 13 of the 20 council areas in the state to reduce to ma manageable size crowd in existing centres.

    According to the Administrative Secretary, “we requested for additional centres, particularly for some peculiar local governments in Lagos State to further address some of the challenges facing CVR in a metropolitan city like Lagos.

    “We are still awaiting formal approval by the commission.

    “We made the case for additional centres in Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Alimosho, Eti-Osa, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Mushin, Ojo, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu, Surulere, and Lagos Mainland local governments.

    “We are hopeful that the commission will consider this and as soon as we get
    approval, we will put those centres into use.

    “This will go a long way in reducing crowd at existing centres because it is one of the challenges we have been facing.”

    The INEC boss said the commission was committed to bringing innovation and improvement in delivering its mandate to the people of Lagos state.

    He commended eligible residents of the state for their eagerness and enthusiasm toward the exercise, stressing that statistics nationwide showed that Lagos was leading in the exercise.

    He also noted that the commission’s Voter Education Department is reaching out to tertiary institutions in the state to further increase awareness about the ongoing CVR.

    He affirmed that the commission has carried its publicity blitz to University of Lagos, College of Education, Technical, Akoka and would visit other tertiary institutions in the state.

    He urged the Lagos State Government to complement the efforts of the commission in the area of publicity and enlightenment, saying it would go a long way in assisting those who may be unaware of the exercise.

    He urged eligible residents to show interest in the exercise to avoid being disenfranchised in future elections, saying it was free.

    INEC started the nationwide CVR on April 27 to capture those who attained 18 years of age and others who did not register or those seeking replacement or transfer.

  • Recall saga: Melaye sues INEC, asks court to halt process

    Sequel to the official notification on the commencement of his recall from the Senate, Senator Dino Melaye on Friday sued the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and prayed the courts to stop the recall process.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that INEC had in a statement on Thursday said it had formally informed Melaye of petitions filed by its constituents to recall him and fixed July 3 to begin the recall process.

    But, Melaye in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/587/2017 filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja described the recall petitions as fictitious.

    Through his lead counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who filed the suit, Melaye urged the court to declare the petitions submitted to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, as “illegal, unlawful, wrongful, unconstitutional, invalid, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”

    He also wants the court to void the recall process on the grounds that it was commenced in breach of his fundamental right to fair hearing.

    The suit was filed along with an affidavit of urgency, urging the court to assign the case to a judge and be granted an accelerated hearing.

    The affidavit of urgency deposed to by a litigation secretary in the law firm of Ozekhome, Mr. Usman Salihu, states, “That he has also asked for injunctive relieves restraining the defendant from acting on the said petition.

    “That except this matter is assigned and granted accelerated hearing, the res in issue in this matter might be destroyed.

    “That this court is urged most humbly to assign this suit as a matter of grave urgency and grant accelerated hearing therein.”

    In the affidavit filed in support of the originating summons, Salihu, who deposed to the affidavit, raised doubt about the entire recall process, describing it as sponsored.

    The affidavit stated in part, “That in the last National Assembly election conducted in March 2015, the total number of votes cast in both valid and invalid votes was about 115,000 out of the total registered voters.

    “That the numbers of signatories on the petition purportedly submitted to INEC far exceed the total number of both valid and invalid votes cast at the last general election.

    “That he knows as a matter of fact that this raises serious doubt as to the authenticity of the entire process and the alleged petition itself.

    “That except by physical verification of all the signatures, the defendant cannot determine the authenticity of the alleged signatures in the purported petition. “That he knows as a matter of fact that the purported petition asking for his recall was politically sponsored and without any basis whatsoever.

    “That he was reliably informed by one T. Ayeni, that the recall form with a copy of INEC Register was given to him to transfer some of the names in the INEC register to the recall sheet and forge the signatures therein.

    “That they also gave him some money, and that the form and money were given to him by the ward Chairman, Ayiyetoro Gbede Ward in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.”

    His prayers read, “A declaration that the petition presented to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission for the recall of the plaintiff, is illegal, unlawful, wrongful, unconstitutional, invalid, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

    “A declaration that the recall process purportedly initiated against the plaintiff by his constituents under Section 69 of the Constitution as altered, is illegal, unlawful, wrongful unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect whatsoever same having been commenced and conducted in utter disregard to the hallowed principles of natural justice and in volcanic violation of the plaintiff’s right to fair hearing, as provided for in section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as altered.

    “An order of injunction restraining the defendant whether by itself, staff, employees, agents, servants and or privies howsoever called, from commencing or further continuing with the process of acting on the purported petition presented to it by the constituents against the plaintiff.

    “An order of injunction restraining the defendant from conducting any referendum predicated on the fictitious petition allegedly submitted to it by the purported constituents of the plaintiff, on the basis of the fundamentally and legally-flawed petition.”

  • BREAKING: INEC writes Melaye, begins recall process July 3

    The Independent National Electoral Commission says it has formally notified Senator Dino Melaye of the demand by the people of his constituency to recall him from the Senate.

    It said that the decision to inform Melaye was taken at its meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, where the petition submitted by voters in Kogi West Senatorial District was considered.

    The commission also said that it would issue a notice to the petitioners and Melaye on July 3, on when it would begin the verification of the signatures of those who signed the notice.

    INEC’s National Commissioner and member Information and Voter Education Committee, Madam Mohammed Haruna, disclosed the commission’s decision in a statement in Abuja.

    Aggrieved voters from Melaye’s constituency were at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday where they presented their petition on their demand for the recall of the senator.

    Haruna said, “INEC has held its regular weekly meeting today and considered the petition submitted by whole registered voters from Kogi West senatorial district to kickstart the process of recalling Senator Dino Melaye.

    “In accordance with the INEC guidelines for the recall of members of the National Assembly, the Commission has finally acknowledged the receipt of the petition to the petitioners representatives and has conveyed a letter notifying Senator Dino Melaye of our receipt of the petition.

    “The next step is to verify that the petitioners are registered voters in Kogi West senatorial district.

    “INEC will on July 3, 2017, issue public notice stating dates, time, location and other details for the verification of the exercise.”

    Kogi West, which Melaye represents in the Senate, has seven local governments areas.

    Signatures and petitions from each of the local government areas were packaged in seven bags, which were tagged according to the names of the local governments, and submitted to the commission.

    The local governments and the percentage of voters who signed the recall petition showed that Yagba West had the highest number of voters asking Melaye to return home from the Senate.

    The breakdown, as shown in the petition is: Yagba West, 55.7 percent; Lokoja, 54.8 per cent ; Kogi, 52.77 per cent; Yagba East, 52 per cent; Ijumu (Melaye’s local government), 51.8 per cent; Mopa/Moro, 50.4 per cent and Kabba/ Bunu, 46.7 per cent.

    A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress in Ijumu, Mr. Cornelius Olowo, who led the delegation had insisted that the constituents were not satisfied with the quality of Melaye’s representation.

    He had said, “We want Senator Melaye back because of poor representation, he is also not accessible to us, he is unreadable and has no constituency projects.

    “Apart from the fact that he has never called any town hall meeting, there has been a major gap between the senator and the people he claims to represent.”

  • Recall from Senate: List contains names, signatures of dead people – Melaye

    Recall from Senate: List contains names, signatures of dead people – Melaye

    The lawmaker representing Kogi west senatorial district, Senator Dino Melaye has said moves by his constituents to recall him from the senate will fail as the names and signatures on the list presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC were either of dead people or forged.

    The embattled senator also warned that those behind the fake names and signatures for his (Melaye’s) recall will be prosecuted and jailed according to the law.

    Melaye stated this while answering questions on a monitored programme on Channels Television on Wednesday evening.

    When he was asked about the reports that files of signatures of voters in his district had been submitted to INEC, Melaye said: “I continue to laugh at their efforts which I know is in futility. The whole exercise is a comedy of errors.

    “Nobody should take it seriously; the whole thing is shrouded in money politics and cannot stand.

    “We have discovered names of dead people on the list and a handwriting with similar signatures for several people on petition, the discrepancies are too much and it’s a total fraud.

    “And I promise that many people will go to jail for forgery.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that INEC on Wednesday received signatures from the electorates in Kogi West Senatorial District demanding the recall of Melaye from the Senate.

    The electorates submitted their signatures at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja in six bags.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that an insider in the Kogi State Government on Tuesday confided in newsmen that the compiled signatures will formally arrive at INEC headquarters on Wednesday (today).

    The source explained that all that needs to be done has been completed and “it is left to INEC to take the next course of action.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that a total of 188,580 electorates from Kogi West Senatorial District already signed the recall register form of the senator.