ECOWAS charges Nigeria to ensure success of 2023 polls

By Abba Dukawa     The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), has charged Nigerians to ensure the success of the 2023 general election as the country could not afford to make a mistake. ECOWAS said it was concerned about the success of the 2023 general election in the country due to its effects in the region and the Africa continent as a whole. The sub-regional raised the concern in a when a delegation of ECOWAS pre-election fact-finding mission to Nigeria led by Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, former Chairman, Electoral…

Ahead of #NigeriaDecides2023, INEC must address its credibility deficit – Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

Seven days after he emerged on 26 March 2022 as the chair of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu resigned from the senate where he had since 2011 represented the people of Nasarawa west senatorial zone. Senate President Ahmed Lawan read his letter on the floor of the senate on April 12, 2022. Senator Adamu’s resignation took effect 330 days before the date of the 2023 presidential election. Section 76(2) of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize a by-election to fill such…

INEC names new RECs for Akwa Ibom, Cross River, makes other key appointments

The Independent pendent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appointed Cyril Omorogbe as its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom following the exit of Mike Igini.   The electoral body said this in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Festus Okoye, on Tuesday.   Having served as the INEC REC in the state for five years, Mr Igini retired from service last week. A valedictory session was also held for him at the commission’s headquarters in Uyo.   Mr Igini is considered by many observers as a principled umpire who…

PVC Registration: POSN threatens Court action against INEC

The Peter Obi Support Network has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise until at least, November 2022.   The group stated this through its Director for Legal/ Election Monitoring, Modupe Olufemi-Akodu in a media parley yesterday.   Speaking to journalists in Abuja, the POSN official said that the group might be left with no other option but to resort to court action since all its entreaties to INEC to continue the voter registration exercise appear to have fallen on deaf…

10 Things Nigerians must know about the new Electoral Act

Nigerians from all walks of life have continued to appreciate the key improvement the new Electoral Act which was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on February 25, 2022 has brought into the electoral process in Nigeria.   Below are 10 key things Nigerians must know about the new Electoral Act:   1. No manual accreditation.   2. No use of incident forms.   3. All accreditation is electronic.   4. Accreditation is Bimodal meaning facial recognition and fingerprinting.   5. No pre-election cases after the conclusion of Elections.…

We lack the power to stop vote-buying — INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is not its duty to stop vote-buying during an election. Prof Abdulganiy Raji, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State stated this while featuring on Channels Television’s Daily Sunrise on Thursday morning. He was speaking about the menace of vote-buying ahead of the Saturday governorship election in Osun State. Vote-buying has become one of the greatest challenges during elections in Nigeria as the last month’s governorship poll in Ekiti State was marred with massive buying and selling of votes. But while…

Peter Obi Coalition writes INEC, demands for Expansion of Voters Registration Infrastructure

The Coalition for Peter Obi (CPO), has written Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) demanding for expansion of its voter registration and validation infrastructure to serve the teeming numbers of Nigerians willing to register.     The Group which is funded by independent professionals and intellectuals in a letter dated June 16, which was signed by its Chairman, Marcel Ngogbehei observed that no matter the number of years of extension of the voters registration and validation if the infrastructure is not expanded it will amount to a total waste of the…

HOW ELECTIONS ARE RIGGED IN NIGERIA By Law Mefor

In Nigeria, where politicians lack alternative business addresses, depending on power, political patronage, contracts, and so on to survive and remain relevant, the election is a do-or-die affair. Those who seek to topple incumbents and incumbents who want to retain power need to be properly guided. Seeking political power in Nigeria is not a patriotic endeavour.   This situation has been worsened by a near absence of a political party system in the real sense of the word. A political party is a platform where like-minds come together to seek…

Senate confirms Yakubu as INEC Chair for another 5yrs

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a second and final term of five (5) years. Yakubu who was confirmed after the consideration of a report by the Committee on INEC during plenary, received the support of Senators belonging to the Minority Peoples Democratic Party. Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC – Kano South), in his presentation said that the Committee was not in receipt of any petition or incriminating reports…