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Tag: REC

  • BREAKING: INEC redeploys 5 RECs, 4 directors

    BREAKING: INEC redeploys 5 RECs, 4 directors

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has redeployed five state Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).

    INEC disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja by Mr Festus Okoye, its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee.

    Okoye said that those affected included Mr Olusegun Agbaje, who was redeployed from Osun to Ogun and Prof. AbdulGaniy Raji, who was redeployed from Ogun to Osun.

    “In the same vein, the REC of Bayelsa, Dr Cyril Omorogbe, will take up his new role as the REC for Cross River, while Dr Emannuel Alex Hart proceeds to Bayelsa as the REC from his former office in Cross River.

    “The REC in Zamfara, Dr Asmau Sani Maikudi, has also been redeployed to Kaduna State,” he said.

    Okoye said that the INEC Director (Voter Education and Publicity), Mr Nick Dazang, had proceeded on terminal leave.

    “Consequently, Mr Victor Aluko has been reassigned from Director (Administration) to Voter Education and Publicity as Director, while Mr Mikah Thabbal Lakumna is redeployed to administration from his erstwhile position as Director (Security).

    “Mr Nduh Samson moves from the office of the secretary to the commission to Director (Security). Mr Yakubu Duku, Director in the Electoral Operations Department, proceeds to Niger as the substantive Administrative Secretary,” he said.

    He stated that the handing/taking over activities would be completed by Monday Sept. 13.
    Okoye said that the redeployments were part of the commission’s routine administrative postings.

  • Kogi guber: PDP seeks redeployment of REC, police commissioner

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State has called for the transfer of the Commissioner of Police Hakeem Busari, and Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Prof. James Apam.

    PDP made the resolution in Lokoja Local Government after its stakeholders meeting yesterday.

    The party said removing Busari and Apam would guarantee fairness, equity and justice.

    Signed by the party Chairman in Lokoja, Abubakar Idris, the communiqué warned against deploying Dr. Amina Zakari, national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to oversee the election.

    The party, however, passed a vote of confidence in the Nigerian Army (Records) Command and the DSS in Lokoja, saying they had lived up to their billing in the conduct of elections in the state.

    It restated its commitment to ensure victory for the party and its candidate, Musa Wada, and called on members to work for him.

  • INEC loses Taraba REC

    INEC loses Taraba REC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the death of its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Taraba, Alhaji Baba Yusuf.

    A statement by Secretary to the Commission, Mrs Rose Oriarian-Anthony, on Sunday in Abuja said Yusuf died on Saturday at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno.

    Oriarian-Anthony described the death as a great loss to the commission, adding that Yusuf would be buried on Sunday in Maiduguri.

    She said the Commission would be represented at the funeral by a delegation of both the National and Resident Electoral Commissioners.

    ”Yusuf was one of the most experienced RECs in the Commission, having been appointed in 2010.

    “He had served as REC in Benue and Adamawa States. His experience has been invaluable to the Commission over the years.”

    She prayed that God grant the deseased eternal rest and give the family the fortitude to bear the great loss.

  • Benue REC confirms attack on INEC convoy

    Benue REC confirms attack on INEC convoy

    The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC)for Benue, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, has confirmed the attack on the commission’s convoy on Gboko-Makurdi road by unknown gunmen on Saturday night.

    Yilwatda told Journalists in the early hours of Sunday at the INEC headquarters Makurdi, that the Returning Officer for the Governorship supplementary polls in Gboko, Prof. Comfort Tuleun was hit by a bullet during the attack.

    ”At about 8:30pm this evening an attack was launched on a convoy of INEC personnel returning to Makurdi Collation Centre from Gboko LGA after the close of the Governorship and State Assembly Supplementary polls by unknown gunmen.

    ”In the course of the attack on the convoy including INEC permanent and ad hoc staff as well as security agencies at Tarka LGA, Prof. Comfort Tuleun, the Gboko LGA Collation Officer for the governorship election was hit by bullets and she is currently receiving treatment.

    ”The wounded collation officer is from the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM).

    ”INEC regrets this unfortunate incident and calls on security agencies to work tirelessly to apprehend these miscreants and bring them to judgment.

    ”Meanwhile, as a result of this incident, the commission has no choice but to appoint Dr Joseph Mom of FUAM to replace the wounded official.”

  • Supplementary Elections: Rivers REC must go – APC

    Supplementary Elections: Rivers REC must go – APC

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, has called on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to immediately redeploy Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Obo Effanga.

    Issa-Onilu said in a statement that the redeployment became necessary to prevent the REC from skewing the forthcoming supplementary elections in favour of the opposition.

    He added that it was on record that Gov. Wike, through the Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Obo Effanga, engaged PDP card-carrying members as Local Government Area (LGA) Collation Officers in the last poll and was capable of repeating same in forthcoming elections.

    He recalled that since the suspension of the electoral process in Rivers, Gov. Wike and the State REC, Obo Effanga, had been re-writing and doctoring unit results in Rivers State Government House to favour Wike.

    Issa-Onilu observed the proactive steps taken by security agents to checkmate a repeat of the 2015 killings and destruction, and that the report of the security saying this should be applauded by all peace-loving people.

    He, however, called on Nigerians and the international community not to be hoodwinked into believing that Nigerian security agencies interfered in the electoral process in Rivers.

    “It is a misleading narrative being planted in the media to particularly blackmail the military and the Federal Government into pulling out security agents from the state,” he said.

    This, the APC spokesman said would return the state to the killing field many witnessed before, during and after the 2015 elections.

  • APC mounts pressure on INEC, demands redeployment of ‘uncompromising’ RECs in Akwa Ibom, Imo, others

    Sequel to the dismal performance of the ruling government in some states at the last concluded presidential and National Assembly election, the All Progressives Congress, [APC], backed by the federal government is reportedly mounting pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure removal of some Resident Electoral Commissioners dubbed ‘uncooperative’.

    TheNewsGuru, TNG learnt that among the RECs marked for the purported redeployment by the ruling party include, Mr. Mike Igini of Akwa Ibom state; Halilu Pai of Plateau State; Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda of Benue State and Prof. Francis Ezeonu of Imo State.

    According to a source who spoke to TNG on anonymity grounds, (TNG), said all the aforesaid electoral officers were perceived by the ruling government as a clog in the wheel of its plan ahead the governorship elections.

    The source revealed that APC stalwarts are meeting with the federal government to see that the electoral body perfects the redeployment of RECs who are not yielding the demand of the party.

    In Akwa Ibom, after INEC declared Mr Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom, winner of the election, against the incumbent senator, Godswill Akpabio – there have been lots of petitions written against the REC in the state.

    According to the result announced by the returning officer, Peter Oban, a professor, Mr Akpabio scored 83,158 votes, while Mr Ekpenyong scored 118,215 votes.

    Before the announcement of the election result, Mr Akpabio had petitioned INEC, alleging that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini, was “considering reversing the announced cancellation of result from Obot Akara”.

    Mr Akpabio’s opponent, Mr Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is from Obot Akara.

    Besides, Akwa Ibom State chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, also issued statements, in which the party demanded the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, over alleged partisanship and other sundry offences ahead of the general polls.

    In Imo, the drama that trailed the emergence of the incumbent governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha as the winner of the Imo West Senatorial District, has created a wide gap between the Okorocha and the state’s REC, Prof. Francis Ezeonu.

    In fact, before reeling out figures at the district collation centre in the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) Office in Orlu, Mr Ibeabuchi, a professor, said he was being held “under duress” to announce the results.

    Ibeabuchi said he was “detained at the centre for days” and reportedly prevented by Okorocha’s men from returning to Owerri on the command the state’s REC, Ezeonu.

    Imo APC chapter, as a result of the several controversies that trailed the last election, doubted INEC structure in the state and are rooting for a change of its leadership.

    Similarly, the All Progressives Congress has accused the RECs in Plateau and Benue of working for the interest of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and therefore called for their redeployment would not be able to conduct fair, free and credible elections.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • A’Ibom REC denies manipulating Presidential, National Assembly results to favour PDP

    A’Ibom REC denies manipulating Presidential, National Assembly results to favour PDP

    Mr. Mike Igini, the Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner has denied manipulating the Presidential and National Assembly election results in the state.

    Igini made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Uyo on Saturday.

    He said that the allegation was not true and that the election was not manipulated.

    Igini said that elections were won and lost at the polling units, saying the REC would not be at the polling units from the beginning to the close of the polls.

    “The allegations are incorrect, we have a total of 2,980 polling units, I was not in any these polling units from the opening to the close of the polls.

    “I have no vote to give nor will I allow anybody to manipulate the election process,” Igini said.

    He noted that the commission had put in place, anti-rigging devices to check election malpractices in the state.

    Igini explained that the strength of the political parties were determined on the election day at the polling units.

    The REC said that henceforth, no politician would have access to poll officials in the state.

    “No politician will know the level of presiding and collation officers in the state.

    “They can no longer be the ones to supply ad hoc staff that function in those categories,” Igini said.

    The Akwa Ibom REC noted that the era where politicians were writing results had ended in Akwa Ibom, alleging that politicians before now carried result sheets to their houses and re-wrote results.

    “What they used to do in time past is to write results but it is now that they allow people to vote their conscience.

    “The era of writing results on behalf of the good people of Akwa Ibom is gone forever,” Igini said.

    Reacting, Senator Ita Enang, the Senior Special Adviser to President Buhari on National Assembly Matters, said that there were several irregularities during the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

    “The results in Akwa Ibom do not in any manner reflect the true voting and will of the people of the state.

    “It was heavily and massively manipulated by the PDP in collusion with INEC’s permanent and ad hoc staff in the state.

    “Throughout the course of the campaign, I try to personally avoid castigating INEC, I have aligned myself with all the complains that we as a party made against the Akwa Ibom REC.

    “And I have thought that in the course of the elections that he will display what I thought I knew about him in terms of integrity but the last elections of February 23, is the lowest low,” Enang alleged.

     

  • Nobody declared winner in A’Ibom North West – REC

    Nobody declared winner in A’Ibom North West – REC

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom, Mr Mike Igini, has said that the Commission has not declared a winner in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District election.

    Igini said this at the resumption of collation of results for the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Uyo on Monday.

    There have been speculations in the social media that Sen. Godswill Akapbio, who defected from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress lost the election to the PDP candidate, Mr Chris Ekpenyong.

    While Akpabio is a former governor of the state, Ekpenyong was a deputy governor under the administration of Chief Victor Attah from 1999 to 2007.

    The REC, however, dispelled the rumour going round on the social media, saying: “Nobody has declared election result in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.’’

    The commissioner said that the election at Udung Uko Local Government Area had been cancelled due to violence and ballot box snatching.

    Igini said the collation officer for the local government area,Mr Emeka Adizua, was held hostage on Saturday until the police rescued him on Sunday.

    The collation of results for the presidential election in Akwa Ibom is still ongoing.

  • Rivers REC confirms election disruptions in few areas

    The Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Rivers, Mr Obo Effanga, has confirmed reports of election disruptions in some local government areas but said the commission is working with the police to arrest the situation.

    Effanga made the assertion while fielding questions from newsmen in Port Harcourt on Saturday.

    According to him, the commission is taking note of the areas where there are disruptions of the election processes.

    He also said that the commission was yet to find out exactly what happened about the information that one of the staff was allegedly missing.

    “We are working together with the security agencies to ensure that the lives and property of our staff and electorate are secure before conducting election at the areas we got information that miscreants were trying to disrupt elections.

    “We are considering taking care of the welfare and safety of our personnel involved in the election,” Effanga said.

    In his response, Mr Enabor Edwin, the Head of Voters Education (HOD), also said that the alleged fake result sheet by APC agents in Bonny was a fake report.

    Edwin said that the materials were inspected at the Central Bank premises before they were moved to their various local government areas.

    He said that the alleged missing election materials in ward 6,7,8 and 9 in Okrika area had been reported to the State Commissioner of Police.

    “We have got in touch with the CP and has also got in touch with the Garrison Commander here, who said they will send some security men to go to the area.

    “The security would be there until the election is over so that the miscreants would not disrupt the election again.

    “We heard that two of our units in Emoha were disrupted but that has not stop the election to continue in that area, the election officer said that the election is still ongoing in the area.

    “We are also aware of an alleged report from Okrika area that the election materials were carted away by hoodlums.

    “We heard that people who carted away the materials were led by a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of that local government area.

    “And this report had been made to the Commissioner of Police (CP), who has been making calls to get the DPO so that the issue would be taking care of.

    “Elections are going on smoothly in Obiakpor, we also got a report from Abonema that some people want to disrupt the election, but the security personnel are on their way now to arrest the situation,” Edwin said.

    Similarly, Mr Precious Elekima, the Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic party (SDP), who is from Abonema told NAN on telephone that he was yet to cast his vote as at 2.49 p.m.

    Elekima said that the election materials were yet to arrive at the centre.

     

  • Political parties in A’Ibom demand removal of REC

    The Forum of All Political Parties in Akwa Ibom has called for the redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr Mike Igini.

    The forum accused the REC of working for the interest of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and therefore would not be able to conduct fair, free and credible elections.

    Addressing a press conference in Uyo on Tuesday, the forum Chairman, Mr Kingsley Akaiso of FRESH Party said INEC should remove Igini so as to restore confidence in its ability to hold free, fair and acceptable elections.

    “We have had cause in the immediate past to call attention to the failure of the INEC leadership in the state to inspire the confidence of all parties in the political process by reason of the actions of the Commission and the utterances of its leaders.

    “INEC has betrayed unbridled partisanship through the selection of its adhoc staff, some of whom are drawn from the employees of the commission, contrary to extant practices and institutional requirements.

    “Through connivance with the state government, all the adhoc staff of the Commission is made up of loyal members and supporters of the PDP.

    “In addition, the commission has acted as though it is part of the Government House in Uyo.

    “In spite of our representations to the Head Office of the Commission in Abuja, nothing has been done to allay our concern that the INEC office in Akwa Ibom State is not a fair umpire and cannot deliver a free, fair and transparent election because it is partisan and in bed with the ruling PDP government in the state.

    “This anomaly must be addressed,” the forum said.

    Recall that the All Progressives Congress (APC) youths in the state had also called for the redeployment of the REC.

    In his reaction, Igini debunked the allegations, insisting that the commission had been non partisan, fair and unbiased in its dealings with all political parties.

    He denied that the recruitment of adhoc staff was done in collusion with the state government.

    “This is untrue, totally inaccurate and wholly incorrect because poll officials of various category and the institutions from where they are sourced are well known to the Nigerian people.”

    According to him, apart from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, other election officials were drawn from federal agencies including the University of Uyo.

    “They are civil servants and by the law of the land, civil servants are not card
    carrying members of any political party.

    “In any case, the list of the collation officers were sent from the headquarters. Why would someone make up this kind of allegation,” Igini said.