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Tag: voters

  • Fewer than a quarter of U.S. voters can find Iran on world map

    Fewer than a quarter of U.S. voters can find Iran on world map

    In spite of the U.S. being on the brink or war with Iran, fewer than a quarter of American voters can find the 81-million-person nation on a world map.

    According to a poll by Morning Consult/Politico, that number leaps only slightly when voters were asked to find Iran on a map showing just the Middle East.

    Only 23 per cent of the 1,995 registered voters surveyed properly placed the Islamic republic between Iraq and Afghanistan.

    That number jumped to 28 per cent when the study’s participants were given a map focusing specifically on the part of the world where Iran is located.

    Nevertheless, more participants in the study support the controversial air strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad last week than oppose it.

    According to the Morning Consult/Politico study, 47 per cent of registered voters were for the targeted killing and 40 per cent were against it.

    The strike was backed by 85% of Republicans polled and 70 per cent of Democrats.

    Iran responded to Soleimani’s killing by firing a dozen missiles at U.S. bases in Iraq Tuesday.

    The Morning Consult/Politico study was concluded prior to that offensive.

    There were no reported casualties.

    Men correctly identified Iran’s borders at twice the rate of women, the research found.

    Just under half of the total respondents reported hearing “a lot” about the killing of Soleimani.

    Support from President Donald Trump has not been impacted by the U.S.’s Jan. 3 strike, according to a separate Morning Consult finding.

  • Kano Supplementary Poll: Investigate attack on voters, journalists, AI tells FG

    Kano Supplementary Poll: Investigate attack on voters, journalists, AI tells FG

    Human rights group, Amnesty International, has called on the Nigerian government to investigate the violent attack on voters and journalists during the supplementary governorship election in Kano State on Saturday.

    The group made the demand in a message posted on Twitter on Wednesday.

    “Amnesty International is calling Nigerian authorities @MBuhari @ProfOsinbajo to investigate allegations of widespread violence & intimidation unleashed on voters and journalists during Saturday’s re-run election in Kano.

    “The unprecedented violence in Kano also led to fatalities,” the group said through its Twitter handle@AmnestyNigeria.

    There were reports of widespread violence during the supplementary election in Kano.

    One report said some journalists covering the elections escaped being lynched by suspected thugs at Suntulma Primary School in Gama ward, Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state.

    Abdullahi Ganduje, the governor of Kano, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), won the election. But the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the election result.

    Several groups, including the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), said the election was characterised by violence and other irregularities.

    “Extensive electoral security problems were observed in some areas, with groups of men with weapons intimidating and obstructing the process, and security agencies ineffective at protecting citizens’ right to vote,” the EU said in its report.

    “In particular, parts of Kano were largely inaccessible to EU observers, and citizen observers and journalists were also obstructed. EU observers also witnessed increased interference by party agents and cases of vote-buying.”

  • Supplementary polls: Buhari rejects party pressures, advises voters to elect leaders of their choice

    Supplementary polls: Buhari rejects party pressures, advises voters to elect leaders of their choice

    President Muhammadu Buhari says he believes in the will of the people and cannot put pressure on voters to elect leaders they do not like.

    Buhari in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Friday, dismissed insinuations that he was forcing voters to elect candidates other than those they preferred during the supplementary elections scheduled for 17 states on March 23.

    The president said at no time did he give instructions that the electorate should vote particular candidates.

    The President assured Nigerians that he was ready to work with elected representatives of the people regardless of party platforms on which they were elected.

    President Buhari said he would work in the best interest of the country and democracy.

    President Buhari, who thanked voters for re-electing him for a second term in office, said he would never forget their sacrifices in defying harsh weather conditions to vote for him.

    He said: ‘‘I was deeply overwhelmed by your show of incredible confidence in me, and I will never let you down.

    “Thank you for your sincere show of support for me.’’

    President Buhari, however, appealed to voters not to get tired of coming out to vote in the supplementary elections, adding ‘‘these elections are no less important than others before them.’’

    He appealed to voters to vote for the candidates they believed would deliver on promises because “it is your constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights.

    President Buhari also called on INEC and security agencies to ensure that the supplementary elections are conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law and constitution.

    He, therefore, called on the electorate to come out and participate in the supplementary elections.

  • Stop intimidating Igbos, Lagos voters – Peter Obi

    Stop intimidating Igbos, Lagos voters – Peter Obi

    The Vice-Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the February 23 poll, Mr Peter Obi, has warned those trying to intimidate voters in some parts of the country to stop.

    He expressed worry over alleged threat by some people in Lagos State that voters would be dealt with should they vote for a certain political party.

    Obi, who spoke with journalists in Onitsha, said such people were starting what they could not finish, stressing that the constitution guaranteed every Nigerian the right to vote for candidates of their choice.

    He said, “Every Nigerian is free to vote where he resides without molestation and those who are trying to force people to vote for a particular political party are starting what they cannot control.

    “Our people are law-abiding and they have contributed immensely to developing the places where they live. Therefore, they have the right to help in determining who governs them.”

  • Voters urge INEC to enhance smart card effectiveness

    Ahead of the March 9 Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections, voters in Bauchi have urged INEC to ensure that its smart card readers function effectively.

    They made the call in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday against the backdrop of several incidents when the card readers malfunctioned in polling stations across the country.

    A voter, Malam Aliyu Manga, decried the failure of the gadget in the just concluded presidential and national assembly polls when it was his turn to get accredited at a polling unit.

    He also witnessed similar situations in Misau at a polling station.

    “I witnessed many cases that posed set back during the election where the card reader had rejected fingerprints, and consequently delayed the entire process ,” he said.

    He urged INEC to tackle the challenges of card readers before the next elections to ensure a free and fair election.

    A politician, Alhaji Yusuf Garba, said cases of malfunctioning of card readers were worrisome during the last elections, stressing that such a device needed to guarantee the credibility of the exercise.

    He said that manual verification of voters could pave the way for electoral fraud, leading to compromise of results.

    “Nigeria should have gone beyond cases of failed card readers to achieve credible elections process.

    “Voters are concerned that the card readers are not working; that might cause delay and unpalatable voting process in the country,” he said.

    Malam Hashimu Mohammed, a public commentator, said the card readers were meant to be configured for specific polling units.

    He said that no two polling units would have the same card reader during an election for the purpose of credibility.

    “That means PVCs could not be used in multiple polling units.

    “Beside that, INEC officials and ad-hoc staff had issues in some of the poling Units, which is too bad for the system.

    “In Polling Unit I visited as an observer at the last elections, voting did not begin until 11:10 a.m as a result of smart card readers’ failure,” Mohammed said.

    Another voter, Hajiya Lami Gambo, recalled her experience in the just concluded presidential and national assembly elections.

    “ We started voting at our poling unit by 11.55 a.m. due to a faulty card reader which delayed voting in the area.

    “I came out by 7:30 a.m to vote but the card reader was not functioning; so, I went back to my house and came out by 11:00 a.m. to vote,” she said.

    She, however, appealed to INEC to sort out the hitches before the next Governorship and Houses of Assembly elections.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the card reader was initiated as an anti-electoral fraud device and was introduced to enhance the integrity of voting process and dissuade multiple voting.(

  • 2019 elections: Voters lament disenfranchisement over lapses by INEC

    2019 elections: Voters lament disenfranchisement over lapses by INEC

    Some voters in Gwarinpa Estate polling units have lamented being disenfranchised over the incoherence of their registrations by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    They lamented the situation while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.

    The alleged disenfranchised voters said that on getting to their polling units, their names were not found on the voters register as indicated on their cards, neither could the card readers verify their names.

    The voters at the Gwarinpa Model School Polling Unit 024 said that they registered and collected their voter cards at the unit but unfortunately, they were unable to vote.

    Mr Steven Alichebe, who lamented the situation, told NAN that he had been on the queue since 6 a.m. and when it finally got to his turn at past 3 p.m, he could not be accredited as his my name was neither on the voters register or could be verified by the card reader.

    “When it got to my turn, I was told my centre was at Gishiri village, in Maitama District which is surprising.

    “Now, how can I get to Maitama at this time, there is no movement.

    “I have been voting here. I voted here in 2011, 2015 and I collected my Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) and now they said my name is not here.

    “It is so sad that as a citizen, INEC has disenfranchised me,” Alichebe said.

    Similarly, Mr Mattew Adamu, a business man said the situation was very sad as he could not exercise his right as a citizen to elect leaders.

    Adamu called on INEC to improve on the process to make it seamless to avoid such lapses that could disenfranchise citizens.

    Mrs Jennifer Emekwe, who faced a similar ordeal, told NAN that the card reader verified her name and accepted her fingers print but she was unable to vote as her name was not on the register.

    She also called on INEC to improve on voter registration to make it possible for voters to transfer their registrations without any hitch.

    “I left my home in Nyanya since 6 a.m, all the way to Gwarinpa to vote because I registered in Setraco but I was told my name was not on the voter register.

    “I went to Kado Biko Polling Unit, the card reader verified my name and accepted my finger print but I was told by the officials that my name was not on the register.

    “I see that as a deliberate act to disenfranchise me,” Emekwe said.

  • 2019 Elections: Voters Turn Out Impressive in Abuja

    Voters turnout at the ongoing Presidential and National Assembly elections at different polling booths and polling stations at Kurudu, Jikwoyi and Karu communities in Abuja Municipal Area Council AMAC was impressive as both the registered voters and electoral officials are seen at various polling booths as early as 8:00 am today.

    Our correspondent who came out as early as 7.00am on this morning to monitor the exercise noted that many eligible voters left their various homes to their various registration centers where they obtained their Permanent Voters Cards PVCs to cast their votes for their candidates for the election.

    He observed a long queue of voters and electoral officials at Karu and Jikwoyi around the area popularly know as Central Bank of Nigeria CBN junction at Abuja Municipal Area Council AMAC.

    The voters turn out was very impressive as the voters were lined up at different polling booths to cast their votes while the electoral officials were busy arranging the ballot papers according to the number of polling booths.

    As at 9.30 am when this reporter filed this report at Karu near the Karu Round About area, the voters were still stationed at the various polling booths willing and ready to cast their votes for their preferred candidates among the 71 Presidential Candidates that have been campaigning for the exalted position of President of Nigeria and other elective positions at the apex legislative institution- the National Assembly.

  • Election Postponement: Aero, Arik slash fares to encourage voters

    Election Postponement: Aero, Arik slash fares to encourage voters

    Nigerian carriers, Aero Contractors and Arik Air, have introduced promo fares to help Nigerians who wish to travel to go and vote during the 2019 General Elections.

    The airlines made the announcement in separate statements issued by their spokespersons on Monday in Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigerians are set to go to the polls on February 23 to elect their President and National Assembly members after the election was rescheduled.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission has also fixed March 9 for gubernatorial and state assembly polls.

    Spokesperson for Aero Contractors, Chika Ubendu, said the airline embarked on the promo as its own contribution to support Nigeria conduct successful elections and also to encourage the citizens to travel to where they can cast their votes.

    According to him, Aero has decided to cut its fares by about 50 per cent to support Nigerians to travel without spending so much.

    He said this was an incentive to the citizens to carry out their civic responsibility during the elections.

    Mr Ubendu said effective February 18, Aero would begin sale of tickets from N16,000 for travels between February 21 and February 25 on all her routes to encourage Nigerians to travel to their various destinations in order to cast their votes.

    Similarly, Arik Air’s spokesperson, Mr Adebanji Ola, said the N16, 000 Fly to Vote promotion was to encourage Nigerians to travel to their respective wards to cast their votes during the elections.

    “The N16, 000 promotional fare is the one-way ticket cost to any domestic destination on Arik Air’s network and customers must present a valid Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) at the point of purchase and at check in to be eligible to fly.

    “The Fly to Vote promotion is available for sale from Feb. 18 till March 11 for travel between February 21 and February 26 as well as March 7 till March 12.

    “We have put this promotional fare in place to ameliorate the effect of the postponement on the traveling public and encourage voter participation,” he added.

  • Available PVCs exceed total registered voters in Oyo

    Indications emerged on Friday that the number of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, in Oyo State is 28,539 higher than the number of registered voters.

    While the aggregate of available PVCs is 2,962,646, the number of registered voters stands at 2,934,107.

    This was revealed from data obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) office in Ibadan, the state capital.

    It had it that 2,176,352 of the voters’ card had been collected.

    However, INEC’s Head of Publicity in the state, Olayiwola Awolowo, explained the causes of the discrepancy in the figures.

    Awolowo explained that some of the owners of the uncollected PVCs are dead, while others had transferred their details to their new locations.

    Awolowo said, “The total number of uncollected PVCs is 786,294 while 2 176,352 PVCs have been collected.

    “The total number of registered voters is 2,934,107. The difference in the figures of the PVCs and registered voters is because some owners of the uncollected PVCs are dead while some have been transferred.

    “All the sensitive materials have been distributed to the INEC offices across the state. As for the sensitive materials, they are still with the CBN. We will call party agents and journalists to witness the distribution of the materials as soon as we are ready.”

    Awolowo stated further that all INEC offices in the state had been secured against attacks by security agents, adding that the commission was fully prepared for the Saturday presidential and National Assembly elections.

    He said 946 card readers were available as backup for those that might malfunction during the exercise, adding that 1,607 new polling units had been created across the state to ease the process.

  • Interfaith Forum urges FG to protect voters in crisis prone areas

    The Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP), on Thursday called on the Federal Government to enhance security in crisis areas in the country to allow voters exercise their franchise in the forthcoming general election.

    This is contained in communique issued at the end of the Forum’s meeting in Abuja with the theme,” 2019 Elections and National Security: The Role of Interfaith Communities.

    The communiqué was signed by the forum’s Co-Chairmen, Alhaji Ishaq Sanni and Bishop Sunday Onuoha.

    It noted that the security situation in some areas in the country was still “worrisome and alarming”, as such government should beef up security in such areas, so that no citizen was disenfranchised.

    The forum enjoined security agencies to be neutral while discharging their duties during the forthcoming general elections.

    It canvassed for massive sensitisation to ensure that all stakeholders embrace peace and eschew violence
    before, during and after the elections.

    The interfaith group also called on political, religious, traditional leaders and all relevant stakeholders to guard their utterances so as to avoid heating up the polity.

    ” All relevant stakeholders such as religious bodies, Civil Society Organizations, town unions, youth groups have critical roles to play to douse the palpable tension and ensure hitch free elections.

    ” Politicians should see election as a platform to serve the people and should
    not instigate violence in the process.”

    The forum also admonished the media to be inclusive and practice peace journalism in reporting all national issues, especially on the forthcoming elections.

    It urged various communities ravaged by conflicts to embrace dialogue and resolve their differences rather than revenging and promoting circle of violence.

    The interfaith forum said government should give serious attention to the challenge of climate change and come up with a workable policy to address it.

    ” Similarly, government should do more to control our national borders to arrest the challenge of influx of irregular aliens,” it added.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IDFP was established as a national interfaith and intercultural dialogue platform with support from the International Dialogue Centre in Vienna, Austria.

    It was formally inaugurated on Jan. 16, 2017 in Abuja, comprising 100 Christian and Islamic leaders evenly divided, with the Sultan of Sokoto, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, as Patrons.