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Tag: voters

  • TNG Special Report: 2023, an election laced with a ticking time bomb

    TNG Special Report: 2023, an election laced with a ticking time bomb

    … confusion, anger greets INEC’s shoddily conducted poll

    … international observers say INEC not transparent

    …as voters claim their votes did not count

    …Abdulsalaam calls for peace

    …Obi pleads for calm

    … PDP demands for outright cancellation

    … APC says figures don’t lie

    Nigerians for once believed that Nigeria through INEC could change the change that has refused to be changed as they went to the polls last Saturday but the outcome turned out to be a soured taste.

    The catalogue of condemnations that trailed INEC’s inadequacies and technical dislocations is fast making Nigerians to think twice about the political entity known as Nigeria.

    The question on the lips of Nigerians centres around the fact that can we ever get it right despite several attempts to right the wrongs of the past.

    Nigeria is one country where men are bigger and stronger than the institutions put in place to regulate the affairs of men.

    OBSERVATIONS:

    The EU Observation Mission did put it succinctly that:”Fundamental freedoms of assembly and movement were largely respected, yet the full enjoyment of the latter was impeded by insufficient planning, insecurity and the prevailing Naira and fuel shortages.

    “Abuse of incumbency by various political office holders distorted the playing field and there were widespread allegations of vote buying. Media provided an extensive coverage of the three leading campaigns, while disinformation interfered with voters’ right to make an informed choice on election day.

    “The EU EOM is continuing its observation of the ongoing collation and tabulation of results throughout the country.

    “INEC’s operational capacity was hampered by the ongoing fuel and Naira shortage. Insecurity prevented it from accessing some Local Government Areas (LGAs), notably in the South. Attacks on INEC premises, including just days before polling, hindered preparations in affected areas, while instilling fear in voters. Overall, stakeholders had expressed confidence in INEC’s independence, professionalism, and voter information efforts, but this decreased ahead of elections.

    “INEC lacked efficient planning and transparency during critical stages of the electoral process, while on election day trust in INEC was seen to further reduce due to delayed polling processes and information gaps related to much anticipated access to results on its Results Viewing Portal (IReV).

    On the other hand, NDI/IRI, in its interim report said “Despite large crowds in some polling stations and long waits, Nigerian voters demonstrated commitment to participate in the process and a strong desire to have their voices heard.”

    “The NDI/IRI 40-member joint IEOM was deployed across all six geopolitical regions of the country, and observed all stages of the voting process. Their observations informed preliminary findings and 27 practical recommendations to improve future elections.

    “The mission notes that despite the much-needed reforms to the The Electoral Act 2022, the election fell well short of Nigerian citizens’ reasonable expectations.

    ” Logistical challenges and multiple incidents of political violence overshadowed the electoral process and impeded a substantial number of voters from participating.

    “Ongoing currency and fuel shortages also imposed excessive burdens on voters and election officials, and Nigerian marginalized groups, especially women, continue to face barriers to seeking and obtaining political office.

    “The delegation observed that late opening of polling locations and logistical failures created tensions and the secrecy of the ballot was compromised in some polling units given overcrowding.

    “At the close of the polls, challenges with the electronic transfer of results and their upload to a public portal in a timely manner, undermined citizen confidence at a crucial moment of the process.

    ” Moreover, inadequate communication and lack of transparency by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) about their cause and extent created confusion and eroded voters’ trust in the process.

    The above reports captured what truly transpired in Nigeria on Saturday and the aftermath confirmed that INEC was not really prepared for this election despite the several promises INEC made to convince Nigerians that their votes must count.

    The common denominator from both reports is INEC was not transparent in the conduct of the election.

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s response:

    Obasanjo’s call for cancellations of red spots and alleged excessive manipulation of results pervaded the election. The BVAS too were not activated and the apex electoral umpire cannot feign ignorance that his officials were not corrupted.

    Tactically, some of the reports of the international observers tallied with the position of the former president.

    Labour Party’s response:

    The party condemned in the strongest terms, the politically motivated attacks on Monday on some citizens in parts of Lagos State because they were believed to have voted for the LP.

    These attacks have been meted out to indigenes and non-indigenes alike.

    It is most regrettable that political thugs would single out citizens who exercised their constitutional rights to vote for candidates or parties of their choice.

    In keeping with its core value of political decorum, the Labour Party thanks its supporters and indeed all Nigerians living in Lagos who have exercised their fundamental rights to vote according to the dictates of their conscience.

    Abdulsalaam’s response:

    The former military president, Abdulsalaam Abubakar who is also the chairman of the Peace Committee calls for calm.

    Hear him:

    “We commend Nigerians for turning out in mass to exercise their civic duty by voting in the February 25 elections. We took note of their patience, dignity and enthusiasm which Nigerians lined up to vote despite observable challenges in the polling units.

    ” Along with millions of other Nigerians and the international community, we have followed developments since the commencement and end of the Presidential and the National Assembly elections last Saturday.

    ” Not unexpectedly, the elections got on to a rather rocky start with the problems around logistics and accreditation processes across the country. On balance, despite these glitches, the elections were peaceful across most part of the country.

    “However, now that the process of casting our votes has been largely concluded, the challenge now lies with the collation of the results. We perfectly understand that Nigerians are quite disturbed by these developments. Against, this backdrop, we make the following appeals.

    ” Nigerians must be reminded that the world has invested a lot of good will towards us in these elections. We have taken note of the dissatisfaction among voters who braved all harsh weather elements to perform their civic duties. All citizens deserve to be rewarded by a process that ensures that their votes truly count.

    “We appeal to INEC to heed the grievances being expressed, to take the necessary steps to escalate investigations of all allegations of infractions and to ensure that justice is clearly done to all citizens who went out to vote.

    PDP’s response:

    The PDP is the oldest surviving political party in Nigeria, it simply calls for an outright cancellation of the entire process calling it a charade. Queried the role INEC played in ensuring that votes did not count through the manipulation of BVAs and deliberate refusal to upload results.

    Ruling APC response:

    The APC simply rounded up by telling the other combatants that they can go to court because figures don’t lie.

    Figures don’t lie even if they were manipulated to achieve a sinister motive.

    INEC is still collating and the anger in the land is well bottled up until Yakubu Mahmoud the man in the middle of the storm announces the winner.

    This election is indeed laced with a ticking time bomb.

  • Echoes of a new beginning – By Dakuku Peterside

    Last Saturday’s presidential election marks a new beginning for Nigeria, if not literally, then clearly symbolically. Nigerian voters, defied hunger, Naira crisis and appropriated that moment as a clear point of departure from the past. They embraced the election as if their lives depended on it. The general high level of enthusiasm lifted voter turnout and reinforced confidence in democracy. Young people saw it as a chance to “get back their country”, plagued by bad leadership and underdevelopment. The fanfare and zest with which Nigerians trooped out in their numbers to perform a ritual that may not have rewarded them in the past but still managed to sustain their hope of a better future was  electric. The presidential election revealed a divided, disillusioned, and disaffected Nigeria. Despite whatever will be the election’s outcome, most Nigerians believe the electoral process is a radical improvement on previous exercises,considering the size and complexity of the country . Previous polls have been anticlimactic both in process and outcome.

    Nigerians hope that this election will usher in a genuine democratic leader that represents the choice and voice of the people. The elections were generally peaceful and orderly, save for pockets of skirmishes in flashpoint states where thugs disrupted the polls, carted away ballot boxes, or tactically disenfranchised voters.
    Regrettably, bad habits of thuggery and violent disruptions of the process resurfaced.Blatant violent hooliganism in states like Kogi, lagos and Rivers overwhelmed security arrangements.
    According to media reports and from the account of observers, youths turned out in their numbers to vote. Voters’ turnout from observation ,in general, may be better than in the recent past, where voter apathy was prominent, and there was a continuous decline in the number of voters in each subsequent general election. Most persons who observed the polls I have spoken to are cautiously optimistic that it would be a relatively free and fair election, thanks to the recent amendment of electoral act which gave legal backing to Bimodal Voter Identification System ( BVAS) and other technological devices. From snippets of results, old political fiefdoms seem to be crumbling . Nigerians have rejected politics of hate, violence, and intolerance. If this is the case, it will mark a watershed in the political history of Nigeria.

    Discerning persons must have observed four different echoes and reverberations with the elections. The first echo is that INEC prepared better this time around when compared with previous elections. The level of the organisation before and during the polls shows an improved INEC operation. INEC carried out voter sensitization, conducted mock exercises and reasonably assured the public of its best intentions . The use of technology was good, as voters can even find their polling units online. The identification method in polling units was remarkable, and we must commend INEC for even using the technology in remote parts of Nigeria. The BVAS technology generally worked ,with failure in few places. Overall, the quality of the election conducted has improved. This evidences that Nigerian institutions can work if we are ready to do the work required to improve them.

    However, there is also an elixir of mixed feelings about INEC’s preparation for this election. INEC allowed many familiar slip ups in logistics. Backup batteries for BVAS devices were not available in most places. INEC staff turned up late in a number of places. Voting started late or did not
    even take place in isolated instances. But given the tripartite problem of cash scarcity, fuel scarcity and infrastructural deficiency, one can only imagine the enormous challenge of organising this election in almost one hundred and seventy seven thousand polling units nationwide. Given the recurring logistics challenges in our elections, INEC must develop better ways of solving these problems to improve Nigerians’ voting experience. It is unfair that voters turned out to vote and either did not see INEC officials or the officials came late.
    This lead to some voters being disenfranchised completely, or voting spills over to the following day. Besides, INEC officials could not upload the results from the polling units. This is a  critical low point of the elections. Electoral fraudsters will probably “doctor” the results to their advantage— the same complaint all over the Federation.

    The second echo is the high turnout of youth voters. Traditionally, Nigerian youths are dispassionate with politics and the electoral process. This was a shame, given that they comprise a more significant part of the population. In previous elections, voter apathy among youths was high, and most young people would rather be doing anything else than queue to vote in elections. Previous election post- mortem analyses often lambast youths’ lack of interest in the electoral process. The number of young people engaged in this election is remarkable and marks a departure from the old. The overwhelming youth turnout reinforced the future as the domain of youth.
    This is significant in three ways: first, it may be a sign that the youths have suddenly realised that they have a part to play in selecting the country’s leaders. Youths’ engagement in social media has made them adept at sharing their political views and championing political ideas. The second is that this large turnout signifies rebellion against orthodoxy. Young people are dissatisfied with the status quo and have decided to influence their future through political mobilisation and participation. Students of political sociology may need to chart the youth’s political consciousness through the various conflicts between the young people and the system (institutions, agencies, government), as seen in the ENDSARS revolt and other pro-youth agitations. These movements have crystallised in youth political advocacy. The third is that the large turnout of youths signifies their willingness to use their strength in number to take back political control from older leaders who have captured power in Nigeria for a generation. We hope that the extension of this considerable youth turnout in the next few years will signpost the young presenting themselves in more significant numbers to be voted for and metaphorically taking back their country.

    The third echo is that many Nigerians have started demonstrating faith in the electoral process.
    There was also a higher than usual awareness of democratic rights as voters strongly pressed their rights and opposed those out to violate those rights. The level of political awareness is encouraging and remarkable. The mantra in this election has been that “your vote counts”, and with the new voting technology, election rigging is brought to a minimum. This has inspired confidence in many people to vote. This will deepen our democracy and its corollary good governance in Nigeria. It is also significant to note that this is the first election since 1999 where none of the presidential aspirants came from the military. Nigerian democracy is gradually growing away from the control and influence of the former military generals who captured power and have defined our politics for over fifty years. Nigerians in this election have demonstrated their love for democracy and are willing to participate when they believe in the process. I hope that subsequent actions and inactions of the political gladiators and institutions post-election will be democratic. The calling of the election result, the declaration of victors, the litigations and appeal routines, the transition process and forming of the new government are all flashpoints that must be followed with caution and due democratic tenets to sustain the democratic bubble this election has created.

    The fourth echo is that Nigerians want a new Nigeria and are full of new expectations from the incoming president. The new leadership faces high expectations from Nigerians who believe we are at the breaking point and things are no longer at ease. Nigerians expect the president-elect to chart a new course for the country towards economic, technological, social, and political regeneration that will improve the living standard of Nigerians. Nigerians are tired of suffering and living in the hope of a better Nigeria which honest
    leaders can build from our endowments. Whoever emerges as the president has his job cut out and must quickly act before Nigerians lose their patience. Whoever is declared victorious has no option but to embark on radical reforms on all fronts. He must initiate policies and programs that address youth concerns, particularly education, employment creation,  insecurity, infrastructure, and good governance.

    There is no doubt that Nigerians, both at home and abroad, are expecting a new and better Nigeria going forward. The election has sent echoes reverberating across time and space for a new beginning—a fresh start for more incredible things. Building the Nigeria of our dreams is a task for all and getting the leadership right is the first step towards achieving a greater Nigeria. We must continue with the passion and optimism of the election and put them to better use in productivity and innovation. I hope our youths are awake and in tune with the realities of our time. The future is for them, and they must work hard to build it. Economic and political participation is necessary for such growth. I implore all Nigerians to dare to dream of a better, greater, and prosperous Nigeria.

  • Election updates: INEC to resume collation by 11am on Monday

    Election updates: INEC to resume collation by 11am on Monday

    … releases presidential results for Ekiti State

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has shifted collation of results to Monday by 11am.

    The apex electoral umpire also announced the 2023 presidential election results for Ekiti State.

    INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti, Ayobami Salami reeled out the results at the 2023 presidential election collation centre at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.

    He said Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 201,494 votes followed by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 89,554 votes.

    Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) polled 11,397 votes while Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) polled 264 votes.

    INEC National Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu said the commission expects the results of the other 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory and moved the national collation to 11am on Monday.

    Mahmood also said the collation of presidential election results will be done at four levels — first at the 8,889 wards, then at the 774 local government areas, then the state collation officers for the presidential election (SCOPs) at the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory will submit the votes per candidate in Abuja.

    The electoral chief said the collation centre will be open all day and all night with short breaks.

    He also cautioned political parties to only draw their figures from INEC.

    “I appeal to all political parties and media organisations to draw their figures only from the official results released by the commission as the only body constitutionally responsible for releasing official election figures,” Yakubu emphasised.

    Elections for the office of the President, 360 House of Representatives and 109 Senatorial seats were held in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday and Nigerians expect the declaration of results by the electoral umpire.

    Though 18 candidates are in the race, pollsters and analysts have described the contest as a four-horse race between Kwankwaso, Atiku, Tinubu and Obi.

    While Obi and Tinubu are from the southern region of the country, Kwankwaso and Atiku come from the northern part of Nigeria. The four heavyweights and strong contenders have large followings with the numerical potential of emerging as the successor of President Muhammadu Buhari whose two-term tenure ends on May 29, 2023.

    Elections were held at most of the 176,606 polling units in Nigeria as 87.2 million voters with Permanent Voter Cards voted for their preferred candidates.

  • Elections: Stop. circulating results before INEC pronouncement – Police cautions parties

    Elections: Stop. circulating results before INEC pronouncement – Police cautions parties

    The Nigerian Police has cautioned political parties and their agents to circulating results before INEC pronouncement.

    This was contained in a statement issued and signed by Force PRO, Muyiwa Adejobi stating that::

    “”The Nigeria Police has observed the spreading or circulation of alleged/fake elections results on social media and other news platforms, which is contrary to the policy and guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “The Police has perceived this trend as a calculated attempt to heat up the polity and possibly create post elections chaos. We regard this as a disservice, unpatriotic, and a disinformation. The Nigeria Police hereby warns those who are spreading these alleged/fake election results to desist from such mischievous acts and wait patiently for INEC’s official results, which are authentic and tenable.

    “The NPF urges Nigerians to remain calm, and go about their lawful engagements, while those who are billed to go to the polls today are requested to be orderly and law-abiding as we have re-enforced our security strategies for the smooth conclusion of the 2023 General Elections.

  • Delays: INEC blames staff, vehicle owners, assures voters in Lagos

    Delays: INEC blames staff, vehicle owners, assures voters in Lagos

    Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos State has blamed some members of its staff and vehicle owners for delays in the commencement of the Presidential and National Assembly election process in some areas of the state.

    Agbaje disclosed this while responding to questions from newsmen after monitoring the electoral process in polling units in Somolu and Kosofe Local Government Areas. (LGAs).

    “I think they (the LGAs) had some challenges with some of the staff as well as vehicle owners,” Agbaje said.

    According to him, the commission after obtaining reports of such delays,  swiftly put machineries in place to get materials and staff to those areas.

    He said: “I am sure voting must have started in those areas by now because when the issues were raised, we have called the Electoral Officers (EOs), I am sure they have mobilised to the areas.

    “The assurance is that nobody will leave the polling units until the last person has voted in those areas.

    “We will not finish elections in those areas until the last person has voted. We have sent a message to all EOs that on no account should anybody be allowed to leave the PUs without voting.

    “Everybody on queue will have to vote until the last person but when it is 2.30 pm, the queue will be blocked but those who are already inside will be allowed to vote before the end of the exercise.”

    On lessons learnt, Agbaje said the commission had taken note of few challenges observed, especially the congestion of some polling units, and would address them in future elections.

    He said that while voters trooped out en mass in some polling units, some other polling units did not have crowd of voters.

    The commissioner commended Lagos residents for being peaceful and for appreciating what the commission had done to give elections more credibility in the country.

    On complaints that the Labour Party was not on the ballot in some constituencies, Agbaje linked this to court cases in the affected areas.

    Agbaje,  however,  stated that it was not true that LP was totally omitted from the ballot.

    “Most of the areas concerned have court challenges not INEC challenges. It is court cases and the ones that the court has given us directive to go ahead, we put them in the ballot..

    “They (LP) are in 14 constituencies out of the 24 Federal Constituencies in Lagos state.. So it is not true that they are not in the ballot,” he said.

    The REC who set out to monitor the election process at 1.10 pm, visited Polling Units 030, 011, 010 all in ward 08, Igbobi-Fadeyi, Somolu Local Government Area (LGAs).

    The commissioner also visited polling unit 076, Ward 6 at Ikosi Ketu, and polling unit 043 located at Isheri Junior Grammar School, Isheri in Kosofe LGAs.

    Voting ended in some polling units in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area and sorting and counting of votes had started.

    Sorting and counting was ongoing at PU 038 and 039 at Alagomeji, in Lagos Mainland LGA.

    NAN

  • Late deployment of election materials delay voting in Nigeria’s South

    Late deployment of election materials delay voting in Nigeria’s South

    There was a widespread delay in the deployment of voting materials in Nigeria’s South-south compared to other geo-political regions, as voters waited patiently to cast their votes.

    The 2023 general election is no doubt one of the most anticipated since the country returned to democracy in 1999.

    On Saturday, Nigerian lined up as various Polling Units to vote a new president and members of the National Assembly.

    The South which comprises Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers states has a total of 15,299,374 eligible voters, according to figures released earlier by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Voting was expected to commence at 8:30 am, but as of 2:37pm voting has yet to commence in Warri, Delta State, while in Eleme Rives state, INEC did not arrive until around 11am, despite assurances from the Commission that it was fully prepared to conduct the elections.

    “Same story all over South-South. INEC is a huge fraud. After years of planning and billions spent, they can’t allow people vote. No BVAS, no materials. I think the INEC chairman should resign in shame,” a local resident told this newspaper.

    Another voter simply identified as Opeyemi said: “Thousands of polling units in the South East and South South haven’t received election materials or even seen INEC officials at 2:47 pm. How do you explain this? How do you expect the people of these regions to believe in Nigeria?”.

    The Commission is yet to officially address these challenges and the official time initially announced for votes to end is 2:30pm.

    However, INEC has said that any voter on the queue before 2:30 pm would be allowed to vote even after the official closing time, assuring that no voter would be disenfranchised.

  • OPINION: INEC should account for 6.2m uncollected PVCs – By Dave Baro-Thomas

    OPINION: INEC should account for 6.2m uncollected PVCs – By Dave Baro-Thomas

    The enthusiasm that greeted the 2023 voters’ registration exercise affirms the quick rise in political consciousness and determination to oxygenate the nation’s nascent democracy. And recent development in the country seems to change the political architecture with an incredible rise of young people showing more concern about who should lead them.

    Since 1999, voters registration has leapfrogged such that from 57 million registered voters, the figure rose to an unprecedented 84 million in 2019, out of which about 29 million people showed up at the polling booths, and Buhari won the contest with over 15 million votes against 11 million votes by Atiku, who came second leaving a clear victory margin of 4 million votes. As the typical politician will say, every vote counts but a 4 million vote margin is humongous. A few hours from now, about 87.2 million Nigerians who collected their PVCs for the 2023 elections will march out and decide the faith and direction the nation will go.

    Incidentally, however INEC had reeled out this figure and stated that about 6.2 million people did not collect their PVCs for this election season, and they gave reasons which ranged from the very plausible to the sheer absurd

    True to character, Nigerians waited until the last minute and came out like a mob to collect their PVCs, but this was within the window period given by INEC, and while such embarrassing national culture is unacceptable, the drama from INEC and its officials has left a sour taste in the mouth.

    We are still trying to condone the CBN mess of a brilliant naira redesign policy jaundiced by shabby implementation. And here we are confronted with INEC managing an election with over 6.2 million disenfranchised people – a figure that is more than the decider of the outcome of previous elections.
    While we should, undoubtedly, commend INEC for their claim of readiness for the elections, one will not be shocked to see the shame of poor logistics, incompetence, systemic failures, incoherent and untidy delivery of the entire processes that have taken them four years to prepare and forestall.

    So, one continues to wonder if the public sector is bewitched or if public servants suddenly slipped into the disturbing mode of non-performance when it matters most.

    The question under close scrutiny is: how come over 6.2 million registered voters ended up disenfranchised.
    How could we condone such irresponsibility by INEC, considering all the drama that trailed the collection and management of PVC distribution across the country? Move away from the shenanigans of the political class who are hell-bent on compromising the processes through the flagrant act of vote buying, ballot box snatching, result writing, inducement of electoral officers, intimidation, violence, and what have you. Yet another big concern that’s added is the series of outcome of elections in Nigeria since 1959, is the shameful misadventures of this electoral umpire.

    It is sad enough that Nigerians exhibited their bad character of waiting to the dieing minute and thus overwhelming INEC, but how can one explain that millions of PVCs were not at their presupposed, designated centres?

    How in the world could some INEC officials turn the whole process into a Wuse Market activity, and to date, no one was arrested or prosecuted? How can one even explain the recent happenings where thousands of PVCs -sensitive material, are found at strange places outside INEC’s control? INEC should explain to Nigerians, outside the ballot papers and technologies to run the elections, what else is very critical to voting than the use of PVCs. But the electoral umpire prides itself that it is ready to deliver the 2023 election taking place today. It prides itself of having distributed about 80% of the PVCs and then scored itself very high, and undoubtedly that is a pass mark, but the question is, what happened to the remaining 20%? If out of the 80% you claimed to have distributed, and we heard that some were with foreigners caught by immigration the other day, while some were seen in sock away pits, and roadside gutters. Even INEC alleged obtaining information about the burial of some PVCs in some places, then what are we talking about.? There are cases where the PVCs of non-indigenes and people of other religious faith, depending on the locations, were deliberately not available. Then less than 48 hours before the elections, thousands of abandoned PVCs surfaced in Enugu and were carried by some good Samaritans to a radio station for onward transmission to the authorities.

    So, INEC what is the pride about.? Who is responsible for managing the process of PVC distribution at the INEC headquarters and in the local governments? In whose custody are these PVCs kept? Who takes inventories of what was collected and signed off for what comes to the security vaults of INEC? How can thousands of PVCs go missing and remain outside INEC control, and nobody is alarmed? Nobody is asking questions.

    When a similar thing happened sometime in July 2022, live on Channels TV, Mr. Festus Okoye, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, assured Nigerians that these allegations will not be taken lightly. He said the Commission had commenced immediate investigation, and anyone found culpable in this diabolical scheme intended to disenfranchise Nigerians will be sanctioned under the law. He didn’t stop there but went on, “Every eligible Nigerian who registered as a voter is entitled to their PVC. The constitutional right to vote in any election must never be suppressed or abridged in any way” and “As far as the record of the Commission is concerned, PVCs have been printed for all valid registrants in Nigeria … and delivered to all the States of the Federation for collection by voters. We will not allow retrogressive elements to sabotage our efforts,”

    But what we have today, sadly, is all cheap talk. Can we stress any less that bad governance starts way back from the electoral processes leading to the emergence of the wrong political leadership? If the electoral processes are flawed, can the outcome be any better? Therefore, it is pertinent to call Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and his team to question after the elections, and the supervisory Ministry of INEC be courageous enough to ask INEC to present the over 6.2 million uncollected PVCs for scrutiny. INEC should recover every single uncollected PVC for forensic audit else the sanctity of the election is suspect already because Nigerians are asking: are all these anomalies deliberately orchestrated to jeopardize the chances of some candidates.

    INEC should submit itself to an independent audit on the management and distribution of the PVCs in this political dispensation. Until we ask this supposed bastion institution some pertinent questions and hold it accountable, this democracy will remain infantile and a mere charade. However, there should be some constitutional reconfiguration of INEC.

    Why should the President appoint the INEC boss at the federal level and governors at the state levels? In Nigeria, we know the implications of such even if we deceive ourselves with unrealistic fantasies to the moon and back, it will take a President without a stake in the process for INEC to be truly independent. The import of the election is upon us, so INEC should retrieve the over 6.2 million uncollected PVCs and deposit them with the Central Bank of Nigeria, or the next political dispensation should demand the investigation of the leadership of the Mahmud Yakubu-led INEC and commence the process of a total overhaul and restructuring.

    Again, no democracy is ever better than the processes leading to its enthronement. This fact must be taken to heart.

  • Just In: EFCC confisticates N32.4m meant for vote-buying in Lagos

    Just In: EFCC confisticates N32.4m meant for vote-buying in Lagos

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has intercepted the sum of N32,400,000 alleged to be for vote buying in Lagos.

    The recovery was made by operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of the Commission. The anti-graft agency spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed that the suspect involved had been taken into custody for further questioning

    The Chairman of the Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has implored all operatives of the Commission deployed in the state for election monitoring duties to show courage and not give room for unscrupulous persons to undermine the integrity of the elections through financial inducement.

    Tactical teams of operatives are on the ground in all the states of the federation and the FCT.

    Telephone hotlines have already been circulated through social media for members of the public to share information regarding financial malpractices with agents of the Commission.

  • Elections: 87.2m PVCs collected, says INEC

    Elections: 87.2m PVCs collected, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says a total of 87,209,007 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected across the 36 States of the federation and the FCT.

    The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, revealed this in “The summary of registered voters and PVCs collected for 2023 general elections”, released to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.

    The number of collected PVCs, according to INEC, represents 93.3 per cent of 93,469,008 total registered voters.

    It also revealed that the total number of uncollected PVCs was 6,259,229, representing 6.7 per cent.

    The documents revealed that Lagos has the highest number of collected PVC with 6,214,970, follow by Kano with 5,594,193, Kaduna with 4,164,473 and Katsina with 3,459,945.

    Yakubu told the newsmen that the full details of the collected and uncollected PVCs per PU would be made available on the Commission’s portal.

    He assured that INEC is adequately prepared for the election, including delivery of logistics.

    “This election is a huge logistical deployment. We have painstakingly procured, organised and delivered all the materials to the states for deployment.

    “We commenced the delivery of non-sensitive materials over two months ago and they have been batched down to Registration Area/Ward and Pulling Unit levels.

    “Sensitive materials have been delivered to the states and are now being delivered to our Local Government Area offices.

    “As such, these materials are only between one and two levels away from the Polling Units.”

    He said that INEC achieved that by learning from its recent difficult experience with logistics.

    “We have completed arrangements with the transport unions for the final leg of the movement of personnel and materials to the Polling Units.

    “They have assured us of their readiness to provide all the vehicular needs of the Commission for the election.”

    He expressed satisfaction with security assurance from security agencies for the conduct of the elections.

    “In the build-up to the general election, several of our facilities were attacked by unknown assailants in various parts of the country.

    “I am pleased that we have fully recovered from those attacks, and we have been further assured that our facilities, staff, voters, observers, and citizens will be safe during the election,” Yakubu said.

    He also disclosed that INEC has printed 1,642,385 identification cards for political party agents, and have handed them over to parties for onward distribution.

    Yakubu also gave an update on its consultation with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on the fuel situation and the fuel needed for transportation and its generators during the election.

    “We are pleased that the NNPC Limited assured us that it will ensure availability of the products for the polls.

    “Likewise, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has assured us that it will provide us with the small amount of cash we require from our budget for cash payment to some critical service providers for the election.

    “I must reiterate that the bulk of payment for works, goods and services are still paid for by electronic transfer.”

    Fielding questions from newsmen, Yakubu denied the insinuation that its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) could be preloaded.

    “There is nothing like preloaded BVAS. In fact the BVAS are configured to start working at 8.30am and to work within a range of time.”

    On the murdered Labour Party (LP) Senatorial Candidate for Enugu East, Enugu State, Oyibo Chukwu, Yakubu said the commission is yet to receive official communication from the party.

    “The law provides for countermanding the election for two weeks but as we speak INEC has not received any official notice to the death of the candidate.”

    He said that while INEC had adequate security measure in place to secure its portal, it would continue to fortify the website or portal against possible attack.

    Yakubu appealed to citizens to continue to be sensitive on what they post on election, especially the results.

    He advised those that may wish to peddle fake results or announce results before its declaration by the commission to respect the law which provides that only INEC has the power to announce election results.

  • 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.