TheNewsGuru

Tag: Mahmood Yakubu

  • INEC inaugurates election result viewing portal

    INEC inaugurates election result viewing portal

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday began the use of its dedicated election result viewing portal, known as “The INEC Result Viewing (IReV) for publication results for polling units.

    Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, said IReV would enable Nigerians view polling unit results in real time as voting ends on election day.

    Okoye said that the commission at the meeting, approved the introduction of a new step to further strengthen its election management process and enhance transparency of the system.

    He said that the innovation would begin from the Nasarawa Central State Constituency bye-election in Nasarawa State, holding on Saturday.

    The by-election results for 26 out of 44 wards where the state bye-election took place had been published in the dedicated portal as at 6.35 pm on Saturday.

    The results published were snapshots of recorded ward level results normally posted after sorting and counting of votes.

    The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, earlier declared open the first virtual situation room for the Nasarawa Central State Assembly bye-election.

    Yakubu said that the situation room was part of the commission’s policy of making the processes more transparent, have interaction with the media and other stakeholders.

  • INEC bows to pressure, names PDP’s Diri governor-elect, releases detailed results of Bayelsa election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said Senator Douye Diri and Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Governor and Deputy Governor-elect of Bayelsa State, will be presented Certificates of Return immediately as ordered by the Supreme Court.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu made this known on Friday at a media briefing on the Bayelsa State Governorship election held at the conference room of INEC headquarters in Abuja.

    Following the Supreme Court judgement, see detailed results of Bayelsa election below:

    INEC bows to Supreme Court judgement, releases detailed results of Bayelsa election after Supreme Court judgement
    Detailed results by order of the Supreme Court

    Read INEC Chairman remarks at the media briefing below:

    MEDIA BRIEFING BY THE CHAIRMAN, INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC), PROFESSOR MAHMOOD YAKUBU ON THE JUDGEMENT OF THE SUPREME COURT ON THE BAYELSA GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION HELD AT THE CONFERENCE ROOM, INEC HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA, ON FRIDAY 14Th FEBRUARY 20,20

    Honourable National Commissioners Secretary to the Commission Directors The M.ia Ladies and Gentlemen

    1. 1 welcome you all to this briefing. As you are aware, the Supreme Court of Nigeria yesterday delivered a judgement in a pre-election suit on the Bayelsa State Governorship election held on 16. November 2019. The Commission has received the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement of the apex court which disqualified the Deputy Governorship candidate and vitiated the joint ticket of the party earlier declared winner in the election. The Court also ordered the Commission to “…declare as winner of the Governorship election in Bayelsa State the candidate with the highest number of lawful votes cast with the requisite constitutional (or geographical spread)”.

    2. In compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court, the Commission met this morning and reviewed the result of the election in which 45 political political parties contested. Without the votes scored by the All Progressives Congress (APC), whose candidates were deemed not to have participated in the election, the total number of lawful and valid votes cast in the election now stand at 146,999. Out of this figure, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored the highest number of lawful votes with 143,172. Similarly, the Party has scored more than 25% of the lawful votes cast in all the eight (8) Local Government Areas of the State.

    3. Furthermore, the total number of registered in places where election was not held or cancelled as a result of sundry violations is 90,822. The candidate of the Accord party has the next highest score with 1,339 votes. The margin of lead between the candidates of the PDP and the Accord party is 141,833 votes. With this outcome, the election is conclusive at first ballot.

    4. Consequently, Senator Douye Diri and Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo of the PDP are hereby declared winners and returned elected as Governor and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State respectively.

    5. The detailed results will be shared with you at this briefing and uploaded on the Commission’s website and social media platforms shortly.

    6. The Commission is aware that the tenure of the incumbent Governor of Bayelsa State ends at midnight today Friday 141 February 2020. Therefore, in fulfilment of the requirement of Section 75 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the Certificates of Return to the Governor and Deputy Governor-elect will be presented to them immediately as ordered by the Supreme Court.

    7. 1 thank you for your presence.

  • See list of existing political parties in Nigeria

    See list of existing political parties in Nigeria

    Following the de-registration of 74 political parties in Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday immediately released the list of existing political parties in the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu at a press conference in Abuja had said the deregistered parties failed to meet constitutional requirements that determine the continuous existence of political parties in the country.

    Consequently, the Commission determined that sixteen (16) political parties have fulfilled the requirements for existence based on Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    Meanwhile, INEC said seventy-five (75) political parties actually did not satisfy the requirements of the Fourth Alteration to the Constitution.

    However, according to the INEC, one of the political parties, the Action Peoples Party (APP) filed a suit in court and obtained an order restraining the Commission from deregistering it.

    Consequently, the party remains registered pending the determination of the case by the court, INEC stated.

    Also, INEC said the new political party, Boot Party (BP), registered by court order after the 2019 general election will also continue to exist.

    With this development, Nigeria now has eighteen (18) registered political parties.

    The parties are:

    1. A – Accord Party
    2. AA – Action Alliance
    3. AAC – African Action Congress
    4. ADC – African Democratic Congress
    5. ADP – African Democratic Party
    6. APC – All Progressives Congress
    7. APGA – All Progressives Grand Alliance
    8. APM – Allied Peoples Movement
    9. APP – Action Peoples Party
    10. BP – Boot Party
    11. LP – Labour Party
    12. NNPP – New Nigeria Peoples Party
    13. NRM – National Rescue Movement
    14. PDP – Peoples Democratic Party
    15. PRP – Peoples Redemption Party
    16. SDP – Social Democratic Party
    17. YPP – Young Progressive Party
    18. ZLP – Zenith Labour Party

    LIST OF DE-REGISTERED POLITICAL PARTIES

    1. AAP – ADVANCED ALLIED PARTY
    2. ABP – ALL BLENDING PARTY
    3. ACD – ADVANCED CONGRESS OF DEMOCRATS
    4. ACPN – ALLIED CONGRESS PARTY OF NIGERIA
    5. AD – ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY
    6. AGA – ALL GRASSROOTS ALLIANCE
    7. AGAP – ALL GRAND ALLIANCE PARTY
    8. ANDP – ADVANCED NIGERIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
    9. ANN – ALLIANCE FOR NEW NIGERIA
    10. ANP – ALLIANCE NATIONAL PARTY
    11. ANRP – ABUNDANT NIGERIA RENEWAL PARTY
    12. APA – AFRICAN PEOPLE ALLIANCE
    13. APDA – ADVANCED PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE
    14. APN – ALTERNATIVE PARTY OF NIGERIA
    15. ASD – ALLIANCE OF SOCIAL DEMOCRATS
    16. AUN – ALLIANCE FOR A UNITED NIGERIA
    17. BNPP – BETTER NIGERIA PROGRESSIVE PARTY
    18. CAP – CHANGE ADVOCACY PARTY
    19. CC – COALITION FOR CHANGE
    20. CNP – CHANGE NIGERIA PARTY
    21. COP – CONGRESS OF PATRIOTS
    22. DA – DEMOCRATIC ALTERNATIVE
    23. DPC – DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S CONGRESS
    24. DPP – DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S PARTY
    25. FDP – FRESH DEMOCRATIC PARTY
    26. FJP – FREEDOM AND JUSTICE PARTY
    27. GDPN – GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT PARTY OF NIGERIA
    28. GPN – GREEN PARTY OF NIGERIA
    29. HDP – HOPE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
    30. ID – INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS
    31. JMPP – JUSTICE MUST PREVAIL PARTY
    32. KP – KOWA PARTY
    33. LM – LIBERATION MOVEMENT
    34. LPN – LEGACY PARTY OF NIGERIA
    35. MAJA – MASS ACTION JOINT ALLIANCE
    36. MDP – MODERN DEMOCRATIC PARTY
    37. MMN – MASSES MOVEMENT OF NIGERIA
    38. MPN – MEGA PARTY OF NIGERIA
    39. MRDD – MOVEMENT FOR THE RESTORATION AND DEFENCE OF DEMOCRACY
    40. NAC – NATIONAL ACTION COUNCIL
    41. NCMP – NIGERIA COMMUNITY MOVEMENT PARTY
    42. NCP – NATIONAL CONSCIENCE PARTY
    43. NDCP – NIGERIA DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS PARTY
    44. NDLP – NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC LIBERTY PARTY
    45. NEPP – NIGERIA ELEMENTS PROGRESSIVE PARTY
    46. NFD – NIGERIA FOR DEMOCRACY
    47. NGP – NEW GENERATION PARTY OF NIGERIA
    48. NIP – NATIONAL INTEREST PARTY
    49. NPC – NIGERIA PEOPLE’S CONGRESS
    50. NPM – NEW PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT
    51. NUP – NATIONAL UNITY PARTY
    52. PCP – PEOPLE’S COALITION PARTY
    53. PDC – PEOPLE FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE
    54. PDM – PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT
    55. PPA – PROGRESSIVE PEOPLE’S ALLIANCE
    56. PPC – PROVIDENCE PEOPLE’S CONGRESS
    57. PPN – PEOPLE’S PARTY OF NIGERIA
    58. PPP – PEOPLE’S PROGRESSIVE PARTY
    59. PT – PEOPLE’S TRUST
    60. RAP – REFORM AND ADVANCEMENT PARTY
    61. RBNP – RE-BUILD NIGERIA PARTY
    62. RP – RESTORATION PARTY OF NIGERIA
    63. SNC – SAVE NIGERIA CONGRESS
    64. SNP – SOCIALIST PARTY OF NIGERIA
    65. SPN – SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL PARTY
    66. UDP – UNITED DEMOCRATIC PARTY
    67. UP – UNITED PATRIOTS
    68. UPC – UNITED PEOPLE’S CONGRESS
    69. UPN – UNITY PARTY OF NIGERIA
    70. UPP – UNITED PROGRESSIVE PARTY
    71. WTPN – WE THE PEOPLE NIGERIA
    72. YDP – YOUNG DEMOCRATIC PARTY
    73. YES – YES ELECTORATES SOLIDARITY
    74. YP – YOUTH PARTY

     

  • See list of 74 political parties deregistered by INEC

    See list of 74 political parties deregistered by INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday deregistered a total of 74 political parties leaving only 18 to exist.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made this known at a press conference on Thursday in Abuja.

    He said the parties failed to meet constitutional requirements that determine the continuous existence of political parties in the country.

    See list of the 74 parties deregistered by INEC

    LIST OF DE-REGISTERED POLITICAL PARTIES

    1. AAP – ADVANCED ALLIED PARTY
    2. ABP – ALL BLENDING PARTY
    3. ACD – ADVANCED CONGRESS OF DEMOCRATS
    4. ACPN – ALLIED CONGRESS PARTY OF NIGERIA
    5. AD – ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY
    6. AGA – ALL GRASSROOTS ALLIANCE
    7. AGAP – ALL GRAND ALLIANCE PARTY
    8. ANDP – ADVANCED NIGERIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
    9. ANN – ALLIANCE FOR NEW NIGERIA
    10. ANP – ALLIANCE NATIONAL PARTY
    11. ANRP – ABUNDANT NIGERIA RENEWAL PARTY
    12. APA – AFRICAN PEOPLE ALLIANCE
    13. APDA – ADVANCED PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE
    14. APN – ALTERNATIVE PARTY OF NIGERIA
    15. ASD – ALLIANCE OF SOCIAL DEMOCRATS
    16. AUN – ALLIANCE FOR A UNITED NIGERIA
    17. BNPP – BETTER NIGERIA PROGRESSIVE PARTY
    18. CAP – CHANGE ADVOCACY PARTY
    19. CC – COALITION FOR CHANGE
    20. CNP – CHANGE NIGERIA PARTY
    21. COP – CONGRESS OF PATRIOTS
    22. DA – DEMOCRATIC ALTERNATIVE
    23. DPC – DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S CONGRESS
    24. DPP – DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S PARTY
    25. FDP – FRESH DEMOCRATIC PARTY
    26. FJP – FREEDOM AND JUSTICE PARTY
    27. GDPN – GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT PARTY OF NIGERIA
    28. GPN – GREEN PARTY OF NIGERIA
    29. HDP – HOPE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
    30. ID – INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS
    31. JMPP – JUSTICE MUST PREVAIL PARTY
    32. KP – KOWA PARTY
    33. LM – LIBERATION MOVEMENT
    34. LPN – LEGACY PARTY OF NIGERIA
    35. MAJA – MASS ACTION JOINT ALLIANCE
    36. MDP – MODERN DEMOCRATIC PARTY
    37. MMN – MASSES MOVEMENT OF NIGERIA
    38. MPN – MEGA PARTY OF NIGERIA
    39. MRDD – MOVEMENT FOR THE RESTORATION AND DEFENCE OF DEMOCRACY
    40. NAC – NATIONAL ACTION COUNCIL
    41. NCMP – NIGERIA COMMUNITY MOVEMENT PARTY
    42. NCP – NATIONAL CONSCIENCE PARTY
    43. NDCP – NIGERIA DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS PARTY
    44. NDLP – NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC LIBERTY PARTY
    45. NEPP – NIGERIA ELEMENTS PROGRESSIVE PARTY
    46. NFD – NIGERIA FOR DEMOCRACY
    47. NGP – NEW GENERATION PARTY OF NIGERIA
    48. NIP – NATIONAL INTEREST PARTY
    49. NPC – NIGERIA PEOPLE’S CONGRESS
    50. NPM – NEW PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT
    51. NUP – NATIONAL UNITY PARTY
    52. PCP – PEOPLE’S COALITION PARTY
    53. PDC – PEOPLE FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE
    54. PDM – PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT
    55. PPA – PROGRESSIVE PEOPLE’S ALLIANCE
    56. PPC – PROVIDENCE PEOPLE’S CONGRESS
    57. PPN – PEOPLE’S PARTY OF NIGERIA
    58. PPP – PEOPLE’S PROGRESSIVE PARTY
    59. PT – PEOPLE’S TRUST
    60. RAP – REFORM AND ADVANCEMENT PARTY
    61. RBNP – RE-BUILD NIGERIA PARTY
    62. RP – RESTORATION PARTY OF NIGERIA
    63. SNC – SAVE NIGERIA CONGRESS
    64. SNP – SOCIALIST PARTY OF NIGERIA
    65. SPN – SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL PARTY
    66. UDP – UNITED DEMOCRATIC PARTY
    67. UP – UNITED PATRIOTS
    68. UPC – UNITED PEOPLE’S CONGRESS
    69. UPN – UNITY PARTY OF NIGERIA
    70. UPP – UNITED PROGRESSIVE PARTY
    71. WTPN – WE THE PEOPLE NIGERIA
    72. YDP – YOUNG DEMOCRATIC PARTY
    73. YES – YES ELECTORATES SOLIDARITY
    74. YP – YOUTH PARTY

     

     

  • Breaking: INEC deregisters 74 political parties

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has deregistered a total of 74 political parties leaving only 18 to exist and equally fixed September 19 2020 for Edo state governorship election while Ondo comes up on the 10th Oct 2020.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made this known at a press conference on Thursday in Abuja.

    He said the parties failed to meet constitutional requirements that determine the continuous existence of political parties in the country.

    Similarly, INEC as said it is considering creating additional polling units across the country before the 2023 general elections.

    INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu said this in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi on Thursday in Abuja.

    The statement quoted Yakubu to be giving the hint when he received Geographic Information System (GIS) support equipment donated by the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Yakubu said that at the moment Nigeria had 119,973 polling units, more than 57,000 voting points, making a total of more than 180,000 polling units and voting points.

    “Yet, if you look at some of the satellite images and you place dots on spots where there are polling units in relation to the vast area where we have no polling units.

    “So, GIS in our operation with the equipment that we have will be a great facilitator in the efforts of the commission in that respect,’’ he observed.

    Yakubu said that the Commission was already collaborating with the National Population Commission (NPC) to achieve the objective of delimiting constituencies and creating new polling units that would cater for the voting needs of Nigeria’s increasing population.

    The INEC chairman appreciated the support of the development partners and acknowledged that the donated equipment would assist the commission in area of delimitation of constituencies which was one of the constitutional responsibilities of INEC.

    “Your assistance will be great in addition to what we have been trying to do; the commission is considering the possibility of creating additional polling units before the 2023 general elections.

    “Nigeria is a huge country, the population is rising and each time I and the commissioners travel around the country; we see new settlements emerging.

    “We wonder how would these new settlements be served by polling units so that Nigerians do not have to travel long distances to vote on election day,” Yakubu said.

    National Commissioner in charge of the GIS Laboratory, Dr Mohammed Lecky said “the GIS laboratory in which the donated equipment will be utilized was part of the INEC Strategic Plan and Strategic Plan of Action.

    The plan of action, according Lecky is designed to improve access to accurate, complete and geospatially referenced high-resolution electoral data for decision making across all functions of the commission.

    “Over the course of its value-added work, the INEC GIS laboratory would collect, store, process and make available electoral spatial delimitation data.

    “This will include generating directional spatial maps for election day activities and making available atlas of results of elections using adequately trained staff in mobile spatial data collection technology’’, Lecky said.

    The Programme Coordinator of ECES, Ms Maria Mauro, commended the commission’s continued efforts at improving the electoral system.

    Mauro said ECES would continue to assist the commission in a variety of ways to achieve its goals.

    ECES donates GIS equipment to INEC for constituency delimitation

    Meanwhile, the ECES has donated Geographic Information System (GIS) equipment to INEC for constituency delimitation

    Prof. Yakubu had said the GIS equipment donated by ECES would help in delimitation of constituencies.

    Yakubu said this in a statement signed by Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, his Chief Press Secretary, on Thursday in Abuja.

    According to him, the equipment is received at The Electoral Institute, the research arm of the commission.

    Yakubu said, while receiving the equipment, that the commission was already collaborating with the National Population Commission (NPC) in the area of delimitation of constituencies.

    While thanking ECES for the kind gesture, he said the equipment would strengthen the commission’s ability to serve Nigerians better.

    INEC National Commissioner, Dr Mustafa Lecky, said the GIS Laboratory, where the equipment would be utilised, was part of the INEC Strategic Plan and Strategic Plan of Action.

    The plan of action, according to him, was designed to improve access to accurate, complete and geospatially referenced high-resolution electoral data for decision-making across all functions of the commission.

    “Over the course of its value-added work, the INEC GIS Laboratory would collect, store, process and make available electoral spatial delimitation data.

    “This include generating directional spatial maps for election-day activities and making available atlas of results of elections using adequately trained staff in mobile spatial data collection technology,” Lecky said.

    The Programme Coordinator of ECES, Maria Mauro, commended the commission’s continued efforts to improve the electoral system.

    She said ECES would continue to assist INEC in a variety of ways to achieve its goals.

  • Why our electoral process is imperfect- INEC Boss

    Why our electoral process is imperfect- INEC Boss

    Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that persistent trust deficit was one out of many reasons impeding quality electoral process in the country.

    Yakubu made this observsation in a policy roundtable on Elections in Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Represented by Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, National Commissioner in charge of Operations, noted that an accusation against the Election Management Body (EMB) eroded public confidence in the electoral processes.

    He added that such accusations would in turn created an avenue for the public to question the credibility of the entire electoral process as well as its outcome.

    “We almost at the drop of a hat talk down on our processes, make unsubstantiated accusations against our EMBs and thereby erode public confidence in the process and outcome of elections.

    According to him, the electoral process is to politics, what the market is to the economy.

    “If the main companies in the market consistently vilify the integrity of the managers of the economy, investors will soon lose confidence in the economy, the market will suffer and the main losers will be these same big companies.

    “At the political level, if the big political players, especially political parties and candidates continue to question the integrity of the EMB.

    “The voters, who use their votes to invest in these candidates and parties, will soon lose confidence in the process and the value of the ballot will decline,’’ he said.

    Yakubu added that other reasons impeding the quality of elections includes the state of infrastructure, structure and culture of the country, as well as the quality of rules laid down for the elections.

    According to him, others include the degree at which citizens can vote freely, availing a level playing field for all, impartial opportunities for redressing grievances and adequate and timely funding for the elections.

    The INEC boss noted tgat the role played by other agencies involved in the process could not be ignored.

    He said that all these reasons ponted to the moral responsibility of ruling parties as well as governments to make the electoral process free and fair for all players.

  • Breaking: INEC server shutdown, transmission of results affected, alleges PDP Spokesman

    Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is shutdown, impeding transmission of results of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Ologbodiyan, in a statement on Sunday, alleges the reason for the shutdown is to enable the APC to inflate figures from six designated states.

    The statement reads: “PDP charges INEC to immediately announce results as delivered from the polling units and declare the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, the winner of the February 23 Presidential election.

    “Our position is predicated on clear and verifiable results across the nation, showing that Atiku Abubakar is in clear lead both in spread and total number of votes cast.

    “Intelligence available to us is that INEC is delaying the announcement of results following directives by the Buhari Presidency and APC which are bent on altering the figures from the polling centers and allocate fictitious figures for President Buhari particularly in the North.

    “Curiously, INEC server is now shut down, results are no more being transmitted and the reason is to enable the APC to inflate figures from six designated states.

    “We call on international observers and election monitors to insist on a transparent process of transmission of results and the monitoring thereof.

    “We already have reports of how APC governors in the northern states have been making desperate effort to tamper with the results of the elections in their respective states with the view to award conjured votes to President Buhari.

    “In Kogi state, Governor Yahaya Bello has been making frantic moves to change results to suit APC’s intent and purposes as against the wishes of the people, expressly delivered at the polls.

    “Nigerians already know how the Minister of Transportation and the DG of Buhari Campaign, Rotimi Amaechi, used the military to hold an INEC official in River state, Mrs. Mary Efeturi, hostage and insisted that she will not be released until she alters the results in favour of Buhari

    “The PDP calls on INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to note that in this age of Information Communication Technology, Nigerians already have the results as delivered at the polling centers and any attempt to alter any figure will be faced with vehement resistance.

    “In delaying the announcement of the results, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is allowing the APC to turn him into a villain and directly pitching him against the people. He should therefore extricate himself from the rejected APC and be on the side of the people by immediately announcing the results as already delivered at the polling units and declare, the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, the winner.

    “Anything short of this is not acceptable to Nigerians, who had already expressed their wishes and aspiration at the polls”.

     

  • INEC recalls, deposits sensitive materials in Awka CBN

    INEC recalls, deposits sensitive materials in Awka CBN

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Anambra on Sunday said it has taken delivery of all the sensitive electoral materials earlier deployed for the Feb. 16 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Mr Leo Nkedife, INEC Head Voter Education and Publicity, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Awka that the action was necessitated to secure the materials.

    The electoral commission had attributed poll shift to logistic and operational challenges.

    The spokesman said that all ballot papers and result sheets have been recalled and deposited at the CBN Awka branch while the Smart Cards are returned to our office for safe keeping.

    Nkedife said that the postponed election would now hold on Feb. 23 for the Presidential and National Assembly while March 9 is fixed for the Governorship and State House of Assembly.

    The Presidential and National Assembly elections were earlier scheduled to hold on Feb. 16 was postponed in the early hours of the day of the election by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

    Yakubu said in a nationwide broadcast in the early hour of Saturday that the elections have been shifted by a week, attributing it to issues of logistics and operational challenges faced by the commission.

     

  • Election postponement: INEC’s reasons not convincing, says APC Campaign Director

    Election postponement: INEC’s reasons not convincing, says APC Campaign Director

    A former member, House of Representatives, Alhaji Ahmed Wadada, says the reasons tendered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections are not convincing.

    Wadada, who is the Chairman, Nasarawa State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Directorate, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Keffi.

    The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at the meeting with stakeholders on Saturday evening, attributed the one-week shift in the elections to logistic challenges and sabotage of the commission’s efforts.

    The former lawmaker noted that the INEC Chairman repeatedly promised Nigerians that there would be no postponement of elections.

    “INEC, as an election management body empowered by the law has been on ground for years and has four-year intervals to prepare and conduct elections.

    “I think it is most unacceptable for us to be taken off-guard barely 24 hours to the elections.

    “The INEC Chairman did not attribute reasons for the postponement of election to security challenge, political intervention or financial hiccups.

    “For me, I am not convinced by any of the reasons tendered by the INEC boss. The elections shift is most unfortunate, most sad and really discouraging.

    “But as stakeholders, we will do everything possible to contend with the disappointment and sad development.

    “And as Nigerians who are not only committed to democracy but also committed to the growth and development of democratic values, we have no choice than to accept the postponement and remain focussed and united to achieve what we want,” Wadada said

    The former Chairman, House Committee on Information and National Orientation urged INEC to “wake up to its responsibilities and discharge its mandate diligently”.

    He also called on supporters of the party to remain focussed and not to be discouraged by the postponement.

    “As far as I am concerned, the postponement will not affect, in any way, the chances of APC to win elections in Nasarawa State and Presidential elections by God’s grace,’’ Wadada said.

     

  • 2019: INEC does not intend to postpone election – Yakubu

    2019: INEC does not intend to postpone election – Yakubu

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not intend to postpone any of the elections as a result of court orders coming close to election schedules, the Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said.

    Yakubu made the position known at a National Stakeholders’ Forum for 2019 General Elections, organised by the Commission on Thursday in Abuja.

    He said that the Commission had been receiving court orders in which some had been conflicting or contradicting.

    He said that the Commission had been operating on the principle of latest order.

    “If two courts make a pronouncement on a matter, we go by the latest in time.

    “In the case of one of the judgments, the two judgements came on the same day; the Commission has to take a decision.

    “My assurance to stakeholders and Nigerians is that INEC will always obey court order.

    “ The next question we are going to ask is that what if the court order comes close to election, will INEC postpone elections?

    “No. INEC does not intend to postpone any election.

    “We will operate based on the order that we received but the Commission has also made contingency plan in case some of the orders come close to the elections.

    “We should be able to recover and conduct elections as scheduled.’’

    Yakubu said that party congresses and primaries for the 2019 general elections had been the most contentious since the return to democracy in 1999 as court 640 cases had arisen from them.

    INEC has been dragged to court 640 times on the conduct of parties primaries.

    “We have received 540 requests for certified true copies of documents and some of these will end up in court.

    “In addition, we received 186 protests and petitions for the conduct of congresses and party primaries.

    n logistics deployment, Yakubu said that the Commission was committed to ensuring that election materials and electoral officers would be the ones to wait for voters on election day.

    He said that the Commission was working closely with the security agencies to ensure security during the elections.

    He said provision had been made to ensure that internally displaced persons and physically challenged persons, such as albinos and the visually impaired, participated in the elections by providing them necessary aids for voting.

    Yakubu called for citizen collaboration to make the elections credible and peaceful as “INEC cannot do it alone.’’

    The Project Coordinator, European Centre for Electoral Support, , Mr Rudolf Elbling, urged all stakeholders to support the growth of Nigeria’s democratic system.

    “Use your offices and institutions to support INEC and participate fully in every aspect of the electoral process,’’ he said.