#Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
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EDITORIAL: Taking COVID-19 vaccination seriously amidst 2023 election campaigns
EDITORIAL: Taking COVID-19 vaccination seriously amidst 2023 election campaigns
The build-up to the 2023 general elections will witness a sea change as from 28 September, when campaigns will officially begin. Nigerians have so far demonstrated considerable interest in the political transition, with massive turnouts for fresh voters’ registration and polemical exchanges by political parties and interest groups that are eager to beat the gun.
More than 12 million voters have…
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#2023 general elections#Covid-19 pandemic#Faisal Shuaib#H1#Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)#National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA)#Nigeria’s National Orientation Agency#PREMIUM TIMES#World Health Organisation
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Supreme court affirms Governor Uba Sani's election
Supreme court affirms Governor Uba Sani’s election
The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate, Isah Ashiru, contesting the victory of Governor Uba Sani in Kaduna State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Sani as the winner of the exercise. The All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer polled 730,002…
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#All Progressives Congress (APC)#Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)#Isah Ashiru#Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)#supreme court#Uba Sani
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Nigeria's 2023 General Election: Government Reassures Public Amid Insecurity Concerns
Nigeria’s 2023 General Election: Government Reassures Public Amid Insecurity Concerns
The upcoming 2023 general election in Nigeria is facing a severe threat of cancellation due to the wave of insecurity in the parts of the country, according to a warning issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, the federal Government has reassured the public that the elections will be held as planned and that there is no threat to the election.
INEC’s warning came…
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#Independent National Electoral Commission#INEC Chairman#Nigeria&039;s 2023 General Election#Prof. Mahmud Yakubu
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INEC - Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) coming to a close as collection date revealed
INEC – Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) coming to a close as collection date revealed
INEC – Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) coming to a close as collection date revealed
(more…)
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#Continuous Voters Registration (CVR)#Independent National Electoral Commission#Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)#INEC#INEC chairman#INEC commissioner#INEC Voters Enrollment Devices (IVED)#Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs)#The INEC Result Viewing (IReV)
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Lawan, Akpabio, Umahi Missing As INEC Releases List Of Senatorial Candidates
Lawan, Akpabio, Umahi Missing As INEC Releases List Of Senatorial Candidates
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not recognise Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, the former Niger Delta Minister, Godswill Akpabio, and the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidates ahead of the 2023 general elections.
This was disclosed via the comprehensive list released on Friday by the electoral body.
It…
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#Ahmad Lawan#and the Governor of Ebonyi State#as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidates ahead of the 2023 general elections.#David Umahi#Godswill Akpabio#the former Niger Delta Minister#The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not recognise Senate President
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Tinubu’s outburst on 25 per cent FCT votes sparks fresh controversy
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2023 presidential election and now President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmedu Tinubu, stirred the hornet’s nest recently when he cautioned the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT, against attempting to remove him from office on the grounds that he did not get 25 percent of the total votes cast during the presidential election in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
He warned that such action could lead to chaos and anarchy in the country.
President Tinubu asked the election tribunal to dismiss the petition seeking the nullification of his election for not securing 25 percent of the lawful votes cast in the FCT, arguing that having scored 25 percent in about 30 states of the federation, his failure to obtain 25 percent in the FCT would not be strong enough to deny him of his hard-earned victory.
Tinubu contested the February 25 presidential elections on the platform of the APC and was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, after polling 8,794,726 votes to beat his closest rivals, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who polled 6, 984, 520 votes to place second, and Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, who came third with 6,101,533 votes.
However, Atiku and Obi had approached the election tribunal seeking to upturn Tinubu’s victory on the grounds that the elections were characterised by massive rigging as evidenced in the alleged widespread voters’ intimidation and suppression, ballot box snatching and destruction, over-voting, results manipulations, thuggery, vote buying, INEC’s failure to abide by its own rules and procedures, physical assault on voters, among others.
Apart from these, Atiku and Obi also want Tinubu’s victory to be nullified because he did not score 25 percent of the total valid votes cast in the FCT, which according to them, is a constitutional requirement before anybody can be declared president of Nigeria.
Since Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of that election, political discussion has been swinging like a pendulum. Nigerians, who prior to the elections were passive politically, had suddenly become active, discussing and analysing political developments from the election tribunal.
Analysts are united in agreement that never in the history of Nigerian politics has there been the kind of political awareness and participation that were witnessed during the 2023 general elections.
They also agreed that the country’s political firmament has never been as charged and ominous as it was between the period when Tinubu was declared the winner of the presidential election and May 29, when he was actually sworn in as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
However, Atiku and Obi have pursued their case at the election petition tribunal with each presenting before the tribunal pictures, videos and documentary evidence to prove that Tinubu should not have been declared as president in the first place, not to talk of swearing him into the office.
The issue around Tinubu’s failure to get 25 percent of the votes cast in the FCT appears to be the strongest point against the president since it is a constitutional issue and does not require presenting any witness by the petitioners.
But Tinubu, through his legal counsel, Wole Olanipekun, in a final written address to the tribunal against the petition, argued that the FCT is the 37th state for electoral purposes. He stressed that any other interpretation would “lead to absurdity, chaos, anarchy and alteration of the very intention of the legislature.”
Stressing that the petition is novel but not familiar with the electoral law, Olanipekun said: “The issue in this address is very novel in the sense that it is not a petition stricto senso, familiar to our electoral jurisprudence, as the petitioners are not, this time around, complaining about election rigging, ballot box snatching, ballot box stuffing, violence, thuggery, vote buying, voters’ intimidation, disenfranchisement, interference by the military or the police, and such other electoral vices.”
The lawyer was specifically addressing a section of the Nigerian Constitution, which provides that a presidential candidate must score 25 per cent of the votes in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Since Tinubu was declared as the winner of the presidential election without scoring 25 percent in the FCT, several opinions have been expressed on the matter by Nigerians of all classes, including those that are not lawyers.
There are those who have kept on insisting that the constitution considers Abuja as one of the states in the country. Those on this divide are saying that the word, ‘and’ as used in the constitution, ‘36 states of the federation and the FCT,’ does not really mean that the FCT is different from the 36 states of the federation. To them, the FCT is just the same as any other state of the federation.
They, therefore, posited that Tinubu, having scored 25 percent of the votes cast in about 30 states, is eminently qualified to be declared president since the constitution said a candidate must secure 25 percent in two-third of the 36 states and the FCT, which is 24 states.
However, there are those who insist that the word, ‘and’ as used in the constitution simply means that if any candidate who scores 25 percent of the votes cast in two-third of the 36 states, fails to score 25 percent of the votes cast in the FCT, such a candidate has not met the constitutional requirement and should not be declared president.
They further argued that if the framers of the constitution had a different thing in mind, they would not have inserted the word, ‘and’ there. They also disagreed with those who said that the FCT is just like any other state in the federation because while a state has a governor, who is elected by the electorate, the FCT does not have a governor, but a minister who is an appointee of the president.
However, there are others who believe that even though the constitution provides that securing 25 percent votes cast in the FCT is a compulsory requirement before any candidate could win the presidential election, it would be left for the judges to look at what will best serve national interest and unity before they pass their judgement.
However, Tinubu’s legal team seems to have agreed with those on this side of the divide as they are also saying that the courts have always been careful about giving extreme interpretations of the Constitution that could spark chaos.
“Our courts have always adopted the purposeful approach to the interpretation of our Constitution, as exemplified in a host of decisions,” the team said.
Tinubu’s legal team is also insisting that residents of the FCT, Abuja, are not more special than Nigerians from the other 36 states and cannot be treated specially.
The team said: “In concluding our arguments on this issue, we urge the court to hold that any election where the electorates exercise their plebiscite, there is neither a ‘royal’ ballot nor ‘royal’ voter; and that residents of the FCT do not have any special voting right over residents of any other state of the federation, in a manner similar to the concepts of preferential shareholding in Company Law. We urge this court to resolve this issue against the petitioners and in favour of the respondent.”
Pushing the argument further, the President’s legal team is also arguing that 25 percent votes cast in the FCT is not required by law for a president to emerge.
“May we draw the attention of the court to the fact that there is no punctuation (comma) in the entire section 134(2)(b) of the constitution, particularly, immediately after the ‘States’ and the succeeding ‘and’ connecting the Federal Capital Territory with the States. In essence, the reading of the subsection has to be conjunctive and not disjunctive, as the Constitution clearly makes it so. Pressed further by this constitutional imperative, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is taken ‘as if’ it is the 37th State, under and by virtue of section 299 of the Constitution.”
However, the comment credited to President Tinubu’s legal team that removing him as president over his failure to score 25 percent of the votes cast in the FCT might lead to the breakdown of law and order in Nigeria has sparked another round of argument.
President of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Dr. Pogu Bitrus, described the president as a joker for making such a statement.
According to the Middle Belt leader, nobody is above the constitution and if the constitution has been interpreted that the ‘and’ is conjunctive, and that the FCT is additional to the two-third of the states, then it is not for President Tinubu to determine.
“He cannot tell us that he is above the constitution and the laws of the nation. If the Supreme Court interprets that according to the law and the constitution, then it is above not only him, but also above every other Nigerian like him. This is because the constitution is the grundnorm; it is superior to every other law that we have in Nigeria. It is the only thing that is binding us together.
“So, if the constitution interprets it that way, it is not how I feel or how he or any other person feels because the law is not a respecter of persons. He cannot tell us that there will be anarchy in the land if the tribunal interprets the constitution. The country and the constitution are above him,” he said.
Also, a legal practitioner, Marcellus Onah did not agree that there will be anarchy in the land if the tribunal removes the president on the grounds that he did not get 25 percent of the votes cast in the FCT.
“What does he mean by anarchy in the land? Yes, a few of his supporters might want to cause trouble but that will be in Lagos only, not even in any other South West states. And I am sure the security agents will know what to do in such circumstances.
“So, he cannot threaten anybody because he is not more Nigerian than anybody. Besides, nobody is above the law. The constitution is the only document that guides how everybody operates in Nigeria, so nobody should claim to be above it.
“If the tribunal has established that he did not get 25 percent of the votes cast in the FCT, there is nothing anybody can do. That is just it and no amount of threat from him can change anything. The constitution must prevail at all times. That is the only thing that will make the outside world respect us as a nation,” he said.
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Can Nigeria 🇳🇬 Courts Resolve Electoral Doubts‽
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I will be honest, I was rooting for Peter Obi to win this election & become Nigeria’s 🇳🇬 next President. However, the danger of three leading candidates is that while most people vote against the incumbent, the latter can win due to rivals “splitting the vote.”
That said, many people are upset with the results (& understandably so), as President Elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu victory is not being celebrated by most of Nigeria 🇳🇬. Peter Obi is challenging the results in court, but I wonder if the courts will overturn the proclaimed results of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)‽
While Obi said he won the election and would explore all legal and peaceful means to prove it in court, Atiku concurred, saying “the processes and outcome of the Presidential and National Assembly elections of last Saturday were grossly flawed in every material particular and as such, must be challenged.” […]
In a quick response, Tinubu, who had earlier in his victory speech extended a hand of fellowship to his challengers at the poll, said he would meet them in court to defend his mandate. […]
Obi, who spoke at a briefing in Abuja, enjoined his supporters, especially party members, not to despair because he and his running mate, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, had taken up the challenge posed by President Muhammadu Buhari and President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to mount a legal challenge if they were convinced the electoral process was faulty. (Vanguard)
I do not think the courts will attempt to overturn the proclaimed results of this election in order to avoid creating a legal precedent (which could result in chaos in future elections).
However, I suspect the courts will issue decrees requiring the INEC to be properly staffed & funded to avoid this scenario in the future.
I do not think this is the end of Peter Obi’s political career. I believe that in four years, he will run for President again—albeit this time emerge victorious.
#nigeria#politics#elections#africa#peter obi#obidients#labor party#bola tinubu#nigeria election#all progressives congress#atiku abubakar#peoples democratic party#Youtube
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National Electoral Offences Commission Bill passes 2nd reading
National Electoral Offences Commission Bill passes 2nd reading
By Aluta News
June 30, 2022
A Bill to establish the National Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal on Thursday, passed second reading at the House of Representatives.
The bill, which has seven parts and 48 sections sought to take the “burden” of prosecuting electoral offenders off the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The bill which was merged with four others was sponsored…
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EDO STATE HAS ONE FEMALE GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE, 16 MALE, AS INEC PUBLISHES THE FINAL LIST
URGES PARTIES TO COMMENCE CAMPAIGN WEDNESDAY 24 APRIL 2024
Ahead of the Edo state governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published one female and 16 male in its final list.
A statement by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee Monday 22nd April 2024, said the final list also gives the breakdown of the…
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Edo Guber poll: INEC publishes final list of candidates
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the final list of 17 candidates for the Edo Governorship Election.
Mr Sam Olumekun, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
Olumekun said that the list included one female and 16 males.
He named some of the male candidates to include Mr Ighodalo Asuerinme of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Mr Okpebholo Monday of the All Progressives Congress (APC), while the only female candidate, Mrs Patient Ndidi, is of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP).
Olumekun said that following the initial primaries, the commission published the personal particulars of the governorship candidates and their running mates in the state and local government offices in Edo.
He said that in line with the provision of Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2022, some political parties conducted fresh primaries to replace their earlier nominated candidates before the deadline of April 15.
“The Action Alliance (AA) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) replaced their governorship candidates and their running mates.
“In addition, the African Action Congress (AAC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Boot Party (BP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) replaced the running mates of their candidates.
“Overall, 17 political parties are fielding candidates in the election, 16 are male, while one is female,” he said.
Olumekun said that the final list, which also gave the breakdown of the candidates by age, academic qualifications and disability, had been published at the INEC office in Edo and uploaded on its website and social media platforms for public information.
He said that political parties and their candidates must note that the campaign for the election would commence on Wednesday, April 24 and end at midnight on Thursday, Sept. 19.
“With the publication of the final list of candidates for the Edo governorship election, the next activity is the electioneering campaign.
“As provided by Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, campaigns by Political Parties in public shall commence not earlier than 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.
“Therefore, political parties are now permitted to start their campaigns in public from Wednesday, April 24 and end at midnight on Thursday, Sept. 19 as indicated in items eight and 12 of the timetable and schedule of Activities for the election,” he said.
Olumekun called on candidates, agents and their supporters to adhere to the provision of the law and the commission’s guidelines governing electioneering campaigns.
“For emphasis, parties shall conduct their campaigns with civility and decorum devoid of inciting language, violence, voter inducement and other infractions mentioned in Sections 92 – 97 of the Electoral Act 2022,” he said.
The Edo governorship election is scheduled to be held on Sept. 21.
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Nigeria’s elections critical to Liberian, Sierra Leonean 2023 polls – West African coalition
A regional coalition of pro-democracy civil society organisations has said Nigeria’s general elections have implications for similar polls taking place in two West African countries within the year. The two other West African countries are Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS) said this on Friday during its four-day official visit to Nigeria. The…
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#Advocacy and Policy Engagement#Ghana#Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)#Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC)#National Assembly Elections#the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD)#West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS)
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BREAKING: INEC releases final list of candidates for Edo state governorship election
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially unveiled the final list of candidates for the forthcoming Edo State Governorship Election.
Following the conclusion of initial primaries, the Commission had earlier disclosed the personal details of gubernatorial candidates and their running mates at its offices across the state.
In compliance with the provisions of Section 33 of…
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INEC creates additional centers for CVR
INEC creates additional centers for CVR
INEC creates additional centers for CVR (more…)
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#Continuous Voter Registration (CVR)#Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)#INEC#INEC chairman#the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
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Why INEC Chairman, REC Offices Should Be Advertised - Falana
By; KATO P. LADAN, Kaduna
Legal luminary, Femi Falana has called for the advertisement of the office of the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and that of the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for transparency and credibility in the system.
According to Falana, if people applied for the office of the INEC chairman and the RECs, the National Assembly should do a…
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Ondo 2024: Odu drops ambition to support Jimoh Ibrahim
Ahead of the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship primary in Ondo State, Oladunni Odu, a former Secretary to the State Government and aspirant, has collapsed her structure to support Senator Jimoh Ibrahim.
Ibrahim is the senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly and one of the APC governorship aspirants.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had directed political parties in the state to hold their primaries between April 6 and April 27.
It was learnt that Odu made this known during a meeting with her Iwajowa Political Group coordinators and some chieftains of the party in the South Senatorial District at the weekend in Okitipupa.One of the coordinators of the Odu group, Chief Alaba Onayajo confirmed this to journalists on Tuesday in Okitipupa.
Onayajo said the former SSG pledged to work and galvanise her group towards ensuring the success and victory of Ibrahim in the April primary.
He added that the Idepe-Okitipupa-born politician directed her supporters under the “Iwajowa Political Group” to team up and start working with Ibrahim’s “Aseyori Lakansi Group”.
Onayajo added that Odu had earlier met with her supporters in the Central Senatorial District and directed them to work for Ibrahim’s victory at the party’s primary.
“The Iwajowa Political Group has been directed by our leader and founder, Odu, to start working and mobilising for Ibrahim.
“The primary goal of Iwajowa Political Group now is to ensure Ibrahim emerges victorious in the party’s primary in April and since we have received the instruction, work has started in earnest.
“As directed by Mama (Odu) in the meeting, we are ready and have resolved to work together with the Aseyori Lekansi Group,” he said.Efforts to get confirmation of the development from Odu herself were futile as she did not pick up calls made to her phone.
However, her media aide, Debbie Funmilayo confirmed to NAN that the former SSG had dropped her governorship ambition to support Sen Jimoh Ibrahim.
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Why 2023 Presidential Election Results Failed To Upload On IReV – INEC
Why 2023 Presidential Election Results Failed To Upload On IReV – INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally opened up formally on the failure to upload results on the viewing portal which remains one of the most controversial aspects of the 2023 presidential election.
Despite the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) working well on election day, uploading the…
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