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Tag: polling units

  • EFCC storms polling units in Edo

    EFCC storms polling units in Edo

    The officials of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), on Saturday stormed polling units in Benin, the Edo Capital in a bid to avert vote buying in the ongoing governorship.

    NAN reports that the operatives who were clad in their branded camouflage uniforms and vest combed surroundings in and around the polling booths in search of vote buyers.

    At the Oredo ward 1, domiciled at the former Garrick Memorial College, the operatives were seen combing even a dilapidated structure in the premises.

    Meanwhile, some electorate have faulted the style of operation deployed by the EFCC in discharging their duty.

    According to one Eric Elijah, the EFCC should have operated as under cover agents without wearing their uniforms or any of their paraphernalia.

    “That way, they will be able to intercept vote buyers. But with the way  they came now, everyone knows that these are EFCC people, so even the vote buyers adjusted.”

    Elijah also said that the operatives should have been at the polling booth much earlier to catch “red handed” those indulging in the act.

    On his expectations from the potential winner of the election, he said that the person should be magnanimous in victory as well as to govern the state without fear or favour to anyone irrespective of the role of such a person in his emergence.

    He also urged the winner to ensure the delivery of dividends of democracy to the residents and be in constant touch with the grassroots.

    Similarly, Mr Lugard Osaro, an Octogenarian said he expected the winner to build and consolidate on the achievements of the outgoing governor.

    He commended the presence of the EFCC in the polling booth.

    At Oredo ward 3, Ezomon Primary School, the electorate, noted that the operatives of the EFCC should have been at their various duty post on time.

    They opined that it would have been apt for the operatives from the commencement of the voting exercise and not appear almost few hours to the end of voting.

    They also emphasised the need for INEC to allow the vote of the people count.

  • How troops thwarted terrorists, thugs’ attempt to disrupt polls -DHQ

    How troops thwarted terrorists, thugs’ attempt to disrupt polls -DHQ

    The Defence Headquarters said troops on operations in Kogi and Borno states foiled planned attacks by terrorists and political thugs aimed at disrupting the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections in the states.

    According to the military high command, the terrorists planned to attack some locations in Kauwa, Gamboru, and Monguno in Borno but the troops carried out an air raid in the location following an intelligence report.

    Speaking in Abuja on Thursday during the biweekly briefing on troop activities, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Musa Danmadami, also said troops on patrol at Okehi town in Okenne Local Government Area of Kogi on February 25 arrested 8 political thugs in an attempt to disrupt the electoral process.

    He said, “Notably, on February 24, 2023, an intelligent report revealed terrorist convergence with plans to attack some locations in Kauwa, Gamboru, and Monguno in Borno state in a bid to disrupt the 2023 general elections.

    “Consequently, a series of air interdiction operations were carried out at these identified locations. Feedback revealed that the airstrike dealt with terrorists, as several terrorists were neutralized with their logistics destroyed.

    Troops recovered 2 AK47 rifles loaded with 12 rounds of refilled 7.62mm special ammunition, one bandolier, 10 rounds of fabricated 7.62mm ammunition, 7 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, and one mobile phone

    “Troops on patrol at Okehi town in Okenne Local Government Area of Kogi State on 25 February 2023 arrested 8 political thugs in an attempt to disrupt the electoral process. Troops recovered 3 pump action guns, 2 locally fabricated AK 47 rifles, 6 locally made assorted guns, and 2 daggers.”

    He said troops in Operation Hadin Kai in the North East and Hadarin Daji neutralized 21 terrorists, arrested 35 terrorist logistics suppliers and rescued 36 civilians while a total of 1,332 terrorists and their family members comprising 222 males, 411 females, and 699 children surrendered at different locations within the theatre of operations.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Danmadami also said troops acting on credible intelligence apprehended a terrorist commander alongside his wife and 4 children at Gwoza town in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno state.

    He said, “Based on credible intelligence, troops while on ambush position apprehended a Boko Haram Terrorists commander alongside his wife and 4 children at Gwoza town in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. Troops recovered 2 AK47 rifles loaded with 12 rounds of refilled 7.62mm special ammunition, one bandolier, 10 rounds of fabricated 7.62mm ammunition, 7 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, and one mobile phone.”

    How troops thwarted terrorists, thugs’ attempt to disrupt polls -DHQ

    He added that between February 23 and 8 March 2023, troops ambushed terrorists as well as intercepted terrorists’ logistics suppliers in villages within Marte, Konduga, Bama, Biu, Monguno, and Gwoza Local Government Areas of Borno state.

    He said troops on patrol at Gusau in Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara state intercepted a female bandit collaborator who was en route to Taraba state with the sum of N1,093,000.00 only concealed in a cosmetic bag, adding that the recovered sum was said to be for the purchase of arms and ammunition in Taraba state.

    On February 26, he also said troops on patrol in Gusau town in Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara state arrested a suspected bandit collaborator with the sum of N9,500,000.00 naira only.

  • Expectations high as residents in Kubwa throng polling units early

    Expectations high as residents in Kubwa throng polling units early

    Voters in Kubwa, a sattelite town in Abuja, trooped out early to their units on Saturday, in preparation for the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    While officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were yet to report at the polling units, visited scores of voters were already gathered with few security personnel observing.

    At the polling unit in Queen Amina Street, Phase II, site II (2:2), PW and Police Estate, hundreds of voters were seen as at 7:30 a.m.

    Some of the voters expressed hope in the electoral system, while urging Nigerians to conduct themselves peacefully.

    According to one voter, Lateef Taiwo, it is advisable to come early because the poling units are usually crowded.

    He urged voters to maintain peace, while calling on the electoral officers to ensure that the process is fair and credible.

    Another voter, Kingsley Okoro, also called for a peaceful process while urging Nigerians to make the right choice in the interest of the country.

    According to Japhet Opara, another voter, it is a civic duty to participate in the elections and ensure that the process is credible.

    “I advise the electorates to be calm, though I believe that this election will not be violent in any way.

    “The process as initiated by INEC seems easy when compared to other elections, ” he said.

    Mrs Amaka Agbalize, another voter in Kubwa, said that the election is well organised.

    “I just picked number, which is 250. I am optimistic that my vote will count.

    “I advised the electorate to coordinate themselves and obey the security personnel, so that things can move on smoothly, ” she said.

    However, observed that there is a free vehicular movement within Kubwa in spite of the movement restriction that comes with elections.

    INEC has said there are a total of 93,469,008 eligible voters in its voters register after the final cleanup that includes the removal of double registration and underage voters.

    The Commission said there the FCT has 1,570,307 registered voters.

    This figure, the commission said, was arrived at after the review of 54,264 objections raised by Nigerians following the initial display of the voter register on its website in November 2022.

    INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu the total number of eligible voters rose by 9,464,924 or 11.3 per cent from the 84,004,084 recorded in the 2019 general elections to 93,469,008 eligible voters in 2023.

    Yakubu said 49,054,162 or 52.5 per cent of the total voters are male while the remaining 44,414,846 or 47.5 per cent are female voters.

    He added that 37,060,399 or 39.65 per cent of voters are between the ages of 18 and 34; while 33,413,591 or 35.75 per cent are middle-aged persons between the ages of 35 and 49.

    The INEC chairman also said 17,700,270 or 18.94 per cent of the total registered voters are elderly voters between the ages of 50 and 69, just as the remaining 5,294,748 or 5.66 per cent are senior citizens above the age of 70.

    He further revealed that students make up the largest category at 26,027,481 or 27.8 per cent of all registered voters, in terms of occupational distribution.

    NAN reports that INEC published list contains the names of candidates validly nominated for national elections at the close of the parties’ primaries and the period earmarked for the withdrawal and substitution of candidates.

    The names of the presidential candidates of the African Action Congress (AAC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party, and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Omoyele Sowore, Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi, and Rabiu Kwankwaso respectively are on the final list.

    Other presidential candidates on the list include Daberechukwu Nwanyanwu, presidential candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and his running mate, Ramalan Abubakar; Dumebi Kachikwu, presidential candidate, African Democratic Congress (ADC) and his running mate, Ahmed Mani.

    Other names include Senator Godswill Akpabio from Akwa Ibom state, Senator Peter Nwaobishi of Delta State and Bashir Machina, who will replace the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan in the National Assembly.

    The publication of the final list of candidates for national elections (presidential, senatorial and federal constituencies) is in accordance with section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 and item 8 of the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Elections.

    NAN

  • Elections will not hold in eleven polling units in Yobe state – INEC

    Elections will not hold in eleven polling units in Yobe state – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), has revealed that elections will not hold in eleven polling units across four local government areas in Yobe state.

    The state has 2,823 polling units across the 17 local government areas.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Ibrahim Abdullahi made the revelation at a recent stakeholders’ engagement in Damaturu.

    He said the affected polling units are located in Bursari, Fika, Jakusko and Yusufari local government areas, noting that the Commission will not deploy human and materials to those units due to zero registrants.

    According to the electoral umpire, Yobe state has a total of 1,445,000 registered voters for this year’s elections.

  • Why election will not hold in 240 polling units – INEC

    Why election will not hold in 240 polling units – INEC

    Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has explained why elections will not hold in about 240 polling units across 28 States of the federation.

    INEC Chairman gave the explanation on Monday, Feb. 13, when he addressed members of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) at the INEC headquarters in Abuja ahead of the elections.

    He explained that the affected polling units have no registered voter.

    According to him, with the exclusion of the 240 polling units, election will take place in about 176,606 polling units across the country.

    In his words: “There are 240 polling units without registered voters spread across 28 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). They range from one polling unit to 12 polling units in each State and the FCT, except Taraba and Imo States with 34 and 38 polling units respectively.

    “No new registrants chose the polling units and no voters indicated interest to transfer to them during the last Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), mainly for security reasons. This means that no elections will hold in these polling units.”

    The Commission also warned that it will not accept a situation where two or more party agents report to the polling units and caused confusion. INEC added that any agent found to be engaged in such act will be arrested and prosecuted.

    Why election will not hold in 240 polling units - INEC
    Prof. Mahmood Yakubu

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that general elections will be held in Nigeria on 25 February 2023 to elect the President and Vice President and members of the Senate and House of Representatives. Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is ineligible to run, being term-limited.

    Electoral system
    The President of Nigeria is elected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive a majority of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least 24 of the 36 states. If no candidate passes this threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of states.

    The 109 members of the Senate are elected from 109 single-seat constituencies (three in each state and one for the Federal Capital Territory) by first-past-the-post voting. The 360 members of the House of Representatives are also elected by first-past-the-post voting in single-member constituencies.

  • INEC directs voters on how to know their Polling Units

    INEC directs voters on how to know their Polling Units

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has advised eligible voters in the upcoming general election to visit its online portal to know their polling units.

    The commission gave the advice in a short message titled “Information for all eligible voters”, issued on Sunday in Abuja.

    The commission said this was important as it had moved some allotted voters from overcrowded polling units to less congested polling units within the same location to promote a stress-free voting experience on election day.

    “INEC in exercise of its powers under Section 40(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022, has allotted voters from overcrowded polling units to less congested polling units within the same location to promote a more pleasant and stress free voting experience on election day.

    “Please visit the INEC’s Voter Verification System on: www.cvr.inecnigeria.org/vvs or voters.inecnigeria.org to check your name on the register of voters and confirm the location of your polling unit where you will vote on election day,” it stated.

    The commission added that the list of registered voters in the 176,846 polling units nationwide would be on display at each polling unit prior to the election day.

    “Eligible voters are encouraged to visit their polling units to check for their name on the register and confirm location of their polling unit where they will vote on election day,” it advised.

  • #AnambraDecides2021: INEC highlights major challenges as counting of votes commences in some polling units

    #AnambraDecides2021: INEC highlights major challenges as counting of votes commences in some polling units

    The Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) on Saturday said there had been resistance and disruptions to the election process in Anambra state.

    The commission also admitted that some of its accreditation devices had malfunctioned while it had been unable to make necessary deployment to certain areas.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Nwachukwu Orji, made the disclosures in a press briefing in Awka, the state capital.

    “We are now receiving information on areas where there were resistance to deployment by the commission, where there were disruptions to the election process that already commenced, where we have sustained malfunctioning of the accreditation device, the BIVAS, and where we were unable to deploy as a commission.”

    Mr Nwachukwu added that INEC will follow its own guidelines in determining how to collate results on a case-by-case basis

    “In each case, the commission’s regulations and guidelines and other existing laws will be used to address these issues,” he said.

    “Where elections held, collation of results will proceed, and the applicable EC40G instrument will be used in line with the provision of the electoral law.

    “If there are areas where there is a determination that the collation of results cannot take place at the RA collation centres, collation will now take place at the LGA collation centres.”

    Meanwhile, counting of votes has started in some polling units in Awka township after Saturday governorship election in Anambra.

    Though voting began late in some polling units in Awka, the exercise was concluded about 3.30pm.

    At Amawbia Ward II PU 008, counting of votes has started, the situation was also the same at Oko wards one and two in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state.

  • 25 years after: INEC creates additional 56,872 polling units in Nigeria

    25 years after: INEC creates additional 56,872 polling units in Nigeria

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has successfully converted 56,872 voting points and voting point settlements to Polling Units (PUs), increasing the number of PUs from 119,974 to 176,846 in Nigeria.

    INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this on Wednesday at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja.

    Yakubu said the commission had also relocated 749 polling units from inappropriate locations made up of private property, royal palaces, Mosques, Churches and Shrines to appropriate public facilities or open space.

    He said before 2010, INEC operated on a round figure of approximately 120,000 PUs; but arrived at a precise figure of 119,973 polling units after a census.

    “After wide ranging consultations with stakeholders and fieldwork by our officials, the 56,872 voting points and voting point settlements were converted and added to the existing 119,974 polling units.

    “Consequently, the commission is glad to report that 25 years since the current polling units were created in 1996, the hard nut is finally and successfully cracked after several unsuccessful attempts. Nigeria now has 176,846 full-fledged polling units.

    “Similarly, after consultation with stakeholders, the commission has successfully removed 749 polling units from inappropriate locations to appropriate public facilities or open spaces in line with our policy to guarantee unencumbered access to polling units for all voters.

    “Of this figure, 232 were removed from private property, 145 royal palaces, six from Mosques, 21 from Churches and nine from Shrines.

    “The remaining 336 polling units were relocated for various reasons, which include distance, difficult terrain, congestion, communal conflict, new settlements and general insecurity,” Yakubu said.

    The INEC Chairman said however, that the commission would conduct four pending by-election in Kaduna, Jigawa and Plateau using a combination of polling units and voting points because of the closeness of the election.

    Yakubu said that the commission was awaiting formal declaration of vacancies in Federal Constituency of Kaduna State and Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency of Plateau.

    “For subsequent elections, beginning from the Anambra governorship election holding on Nov. 6, there will be no voting points any more in Nigeria,” he said.

    The new approved polling units for the 36 states and the FCT were unveiled and presented to the public at the meeting.

    Yakubu added the entire report has already been uploaded on the INEC website (www.inecnigeria.org).

    He also said that the infographics of the distribution of the new polling units on state-by-state basis and the FCT have also been uploaded on the commission’s website and social media platforms.

    He said while the commission spared no effort to ensure the success of the exercise, INEC appreciated the support of all stakeholders for the successful conversion of the polling units.

    “Above all, this historic accomplishment will not have been possible without the support and understanding of all Nigerians.

    “On behalf of INEC, I will like to express our profound appreciation to the leadership of political parties, civil society organisations, the media, security agencies, religious leaders, socio-cultural associations, the labour unions, professional bodies, persons with disabilities, women and youth groups.

    “The students’ unions, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the state governors under the auspices of the National Economic Council (NEC) and the National Assembly.

    “ We also acknowledge the invaluable support of the development partners for facilitating some of the stakeholder engagements and the publication of advocacy documents,” he said.

  • BREAKING: INEC removes 749 polling units from shrines, churches, mosques

    BREAKING: INEC removes 749 polling units from shrines, churches, mosques

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it has removed 749 polling units from inappropriate places across the country.

    The nation’s electoral umpire also said nine of them were removed from shrines and several others from religious houses, royal palaces, and private properties.

    Speaking in Abuja at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said from the initial 119,973 polling units, the nation now has 176, 846 full-fledged polling units.

    Recall that earlier in the year Yakubu stated during an appearance at the national assembly joint committee on INEC and electoral matters said the 119,973 polling units created in 1996 are no longer conducive, because many of them are overcrowded and are located in conflict areas, homes of political chieftains, forests and shrines.

    His words at the time: “What is the state of voter access to the polling units in Nigeria? The simple answer is that it is in a crisis and has been so for some time. The right to vote is a fundamental democratic right but existing polling units can no longer guarantee the exercise of that right because of the crisis of access to them,” he said.

    “The crisis, I must say, affects all parts of the country. We have a quarter of a century — 25 years in this country — without changing the existing polling units.

    “They are no longer adequate. They are not conducive, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “What is the manifestation of this crisis to access polling units? The first one is overcrowding. They are prone to electoral violence and this sometimes leads to cancellation of elections and the declaration of some results as inconclusive.

    “Some are located in conflict areas, homes of political chieftains, forests and even shrines.”

    Proposing a solution to the problem, Yakubu suggested that voting points should be converted to polling units and moved to underserved areas.

    He said citizens could apply for polling units to be created, but it may take time because of administrative processes.

    “Over politicisation of what should be an administrative matter under section 42 of the electoral act undermined previous attempts to find a permanent solution, thus disenfranchising millions of Nigerians,” he said.

  • INEC creates 2,239 additional polling units in Delta

    INEC creates 2,239 additional polling units in Delta

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has created 2,239 new polling units in Delta State for the conduct of future elections.

    The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Pastor Monday Udoh-Tom, disclosed this during a
    stakeholders meeting on Monday in Asaba.

    He said the exercise had become imperartive to decongest the voting environment and allow every electorate to exercise their franchise under a condusive atmosphere.

    The commissioner said that following the creation of the additional polling units, Delta state now has a total of 5,863 voting points spread across the 25 local government areas of the state.

    ”Currently the number of polling units in the state is 3,624 and the preliminary numbers of the new polling units stands at 2,239.

    ”We have new settlements developing every day and some of the polling units were located in places where they were not supposed to be.

    ”For instance, some were located in shrines, religious houses and even private residence.

    ”The idea of creating additional polling units is to make sure that such polling units are pulled out and located in accessible places where voters can easily come out and cast their votes,”
    he said.

    Udoh-Tom recalled that INEC had announced plans to expand voters access to polling units through the conversion of voting points to polling units.

    ”To give effect to the pronouncement, the commission in Delta from April 11, mobilised to field across all the 25 local government areas of the state to carry out this exercise.

    He, therefore, assured the stakeholders that the commission would do all that is permissible in law to do justice to all.

    Meanwhile, the representatives of political parties, civil society organisations and security agencies
    commended INEC for the initiative and expressed hope that the initiative would help to improve subsequent elections in the country.

    On his part, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, commended INEC for the initiative and called for creation of more polling units.

    The speaker, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr. Ebenezer Okorodudu, said that creating more polling units would decongest voting centres.