Politics

INEC Threatens To Speedily Prosecute Electoral Offenders

Published

2 weeks ago

March 15, 2023

INEC Threatens To Speedily Prosecute Electoral Offenders

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission is setting up a legal team to deal with cases of electoral offenders during the February 25 presidential and National Assembly polls.

This was as he said the forthcoming governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections will be expectedly more demanding than the presidential poll and urged the security agencies to be on guard.

The INEC boss spoke at the meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in Abuja on Tuesday.

Yakubu advised political parties to caution their supporters, stressing that the March 18 governorship and state Assembly elections are a contest and not war.

He said INEC was looking forward to receiving electoral offenders’ case files as promised by the Inspector-General of Police.

Yakubu said, “The governorship and state Assembly elections this weekend involve more constituencies than the national elections held about three weeks ago. Unlike the last elections involving 470 constituencies (one presidential, 109 senatorial districts and 360 House of Representatives seats), the state elections will involve 1,021 constituencies (28 governorship and 993 state Assembly seats). There will also be more candidates involved and more collation centres to protect. There are also local elections involving keen contests.

“It is, therefore, important for parties and candidates to speak to their agents and supporters to see the elections as a contest and not war. They should refrain from acts of violence that may mar the elections or compromise the security of our personnel, observers, the media and service providers.

“The commission is encouraged by the directive to state commands by the Inspector-General of Police to handle all cases of electoral offences expeditiously. We look forward to receiving the case files. We will immediately set up a legal team to handle such cases in earnest.”

Politics

PDP Names Damagum As Acting National Chairman

Published

2 hours ago

March 28, 2023

Tunde Osunfemi

PDP Names Damagum As Acting National Chairman

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national working committee (NWC) has named Iliya Umar Damagum as the acting national chairman.

Until his appointment, Damagum was the PDP national deputy chairman (north).

Debo Ologunagba, the PDP spokesperson, made the announcement on Tuesday at a press conference in Abuja.

The appointment follows a high court order restraining Ayu from parading himself as the party’s national chairman.

Politics

OBIdient Movement Is Not Tribal – Peter Obi

Published

1 day ago

March 27, 2023

Peter Mary Tanimu

OBIdient Movement Is Not Tribal - Peter Obi

The second runner-up of the concluded presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Peter Obi has dismissed claims that the OBIdient movement is fueled by tribe, ethnicity, and religion.

According to the Labour Partyman in a statement from his official social media handle, the movement is the arrowhead in the take-back Nigeria mission, and saving of democracy.

He wrote; “In the life of every nation, there is a turning point. For Nigeria, that time is now; a time to save Nigeria, save our democracy, and give the Nigerian youths hope. The OBIdient Movement has been the arrowhead in the take-back Nigeria mission.”

The former governor of Anambra claims that his position in the Movement is that of a focal point, emphasizing the fact that Nigeria is still a secular nation.

As a result, the movement is neither about tribe nor faith, nor is there any attempt to Christianize Nigeria or further Igbo interests.

Peter Obi continued by expressing his desire for a brand-new Nigeria in which the progeny of nobody will rise to prominence.

A country where the interests of the whole youth from the six geopolitical zones are prioritized over the interests of any particular group; one where national interests, rather than those of any particular group, are the driving force.

“No one should ascribe ethnic or religious coloration to the OBIdient Movement. Nigeria is one and my ambition is to become the President of a United and Indivisible Nigeria,” he added.

Politics

INEC Budgets Over N3bn To Defend Election Results

Published

1 day ago

March 27, 2023

Tunde Osunfemi

INEC Budgets Over N3bn To Defend Election Results

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has budgeted over N3bn to defend the results of the February 25 presidential and national assembly election and the March 18 governorship and state assembly polls.

It was gathered that several candidates who lost in the elections have filed petitions at the presidential and state election petition tribunals to challenge the outcome of the polls.

So far, over 100 election petitions have been filed by aggrieved candidates and their parties across the country.

The presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; the Labour Party, Peter Obi; the Action Alliance, Solomon Okangbuan; Allied People’s Movement, Chichi Ojei, have also filed petitions for the nullification of the presidential election results.

INEC had on March 1 declared the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, as the winner of the February 25 presidential election, but the five candidates filed petitions seeking the nullification of the poll.

Also, election petition tribunals in over 12 states have equally received petitions from National Assembly candidates who are not satisfied with the results of the just concluded elections.

The states where the petitions had been received included Edo, Plateau, Ondo, Kwara, Ogun, Bayelsa, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Bauchi, Lagos and Niger states.