2023 polls: Anxiety in INEC over shortage of commissioners – Newstrends
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2023 polls: Anxiety in INEC over shortage of commissioners

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INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu

• South-South without representation

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is troubled by the depletion of its national commissioners as the 2023 elections approach.

There are six vacancies waiting to be filled, The Nation gathered yesterday.

The commission is supposed to have a 13-man management team, but only seven including Chairman Mahmood Yakubu are currently in place.

The six national commissioners helping Yakubu to run the electoral body for now are Mr. Festus Okoye (South-East); Dr. Bala Bila (North-East); Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru (North-West); Prof. Sani Adam (North-Central); Prof. Muhammad Kalla (North-West) and Prof. Kunle Ajayi (South-West).

The Souh-South has no representation on the management board.

Sources also told The Nation that some of the immediate past national commissioners are lobbying to return to INEC.

The electoral commission is waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari to fill the vacancies in the 13-man team.

Although the seven-man team can hold a meeting, the non-representation of the South-South may raise legal issues on vital decisions.

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It was gathered that there were concerns in INEC that the Presidency was “slow in appointing new national commissioners.”

A top source said: “INEC has already entered into the calendar of its next election year with the announcement of February 18, 2023 as poll commencement date by its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu on April 28, 2021.

“With seven commissioners, the commission will form a quorum and operate, but it should not be dragged into legal issues on some of its decisions.

“For instance, the management is not properly constituted without a representative from the South-South.

“A little slip in the Electoral Management Board will draw it back. For instance, if any of the present seven national commissioners is unavailable, no meeting can hold.

“The activities of INEC are also partially crippled because the organisation has about 16 standing committees which cannot function to optimal level.

“We are entering into 2022, which is critical to the next general election, without key committees in operation. This is really challenging for the INEC chairman and his team.”

The source said the Presidency can avert any major crisis by filling the vacant positions, which it had known about in the last few months.

“This is necessary because with the exception of Yakubu and Okoye, most of the national commissioners now are greenhorns in electoral management.

“The earlier all the appointments are made the better, so that INEC can put these new members through the challenges ahead.”

Another source in INEC said: “The commission has notified the Presidency of the vacancies. We believe the authorities are aware. We believe they are doing something about it.”

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A source in government said: “Action is being taken because some of the national commissioners just completed their tenure on December 6

“This is a sensitive agency. The government must do its homework to ensure that Nigerians with integrity are appointed into INEC.

“I think there is no cause for alarm in the light of Section 159 of the 1999 Constitution on INEC and 12 other agencies.

The section says: “The quorum for a meeting of any of the bodies established by Section 153 of this Constitution shall be not less than one-third of the total number of members of that body at the date of the meeting.”

Those who just completed their tenure are Professor Okechukwu Ibeanu, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, Mallam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Mrs May Agbamuche Mbu and Air Vice-Marshal Ahmed Tijani Muazu (rtd).

It was learnt that some of the former national commissioners were lobbying to return.

“Some of them are constitutionally entitled to second term in office. So, no one can rule out the ongoing lobbying.”

The INEC chairman had on April 28, 2021 said: “By the principle established by the Commission, the 2023 General Election will hold on Saturday 18th February 2023 which is exactly one year, nine months, two weeks and six days or 660 days from today.

“We hope to release the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election immediately after the Anambra governorship election scheduled to hold on 6th November, 2021.”

The Nation

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2027 election: Shehu Sani declares bid for Kaduna central senatorial seat

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Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani

2027 election: Shehu Sani declares bid for Kaduna central senatorial seat

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has officially announced his intention to contest for re-election in the upcoming 2027 general elections.

Sani made the declaration on Sunday while delivering his Eid-el-Fitr message at his residence in Kaduna. The former senator, known for his vocal stance on national issues, expressed his commitment to representing the people of Kaduna Central once again and addressing key challenges facing the region.

“Any politician contesting an election depends on the political equation that determines the position to vie for. If the conditions are right and the equations are favorable, I will offer myself to contest specifically for the Kaduna Central senatorial district,” he stated.

He further emphasised that his ambition remains secondary to ensuring the re-election of Governor Uba Sani for a second term.

“For now, our priority is to see that the incumbent governor, Uba Sani, is re-elected. We will work with all our might and strength to achieve this. We know there will be challenges and opposition, but we are well prepared for all forces,” he added.

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Sani also used the occasion to urge Muslims to pray for Nigeria’s peace and unity during the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations. Additionally, he condemned the recent killing of hunters in Edo State, calling on security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators.

“If citizens cannot move freely across the country, then we are not truly a nation. If individuals take the law into their hands for any reason, it means there is no government or authority,” he lamented.

He called on all Nigerians who desire a better country to work towards peace and unity for the preservation of democracy, despite the challenges being experienced.

Sani also urged the government to uphold fundamental human rights, particularly the right to life, as a crucial step towards national stability and development.

2027 election: Shehu Sani declares bid for Kaduna central senatorial seat

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Wike’s aide slams Atiku, says it’s too late to buy integrity

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Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Wike’s aide slams Atiku, says it’s too late to buy integrity

Lere Olayinka, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media has alleged that one Nigerian that can never be found in the gathering of men of character and integrity is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Olayinka said this while reacting to statement by the Atiku Media Office that Atiku rejected the choice of Wike as his Vice Presidential candidate in the 2023 election of his character.

This was in spite of the fact that a committee set up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to select a Vice Presidential candidate for the 2023 election had recommended Wike.

However, Olayinka said rather than Wike, it’s Atiku that that lacked character as attested to by his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo, in his book; My Watch.

According to Olayinka, it was already too late for Atiku to buy ‘character and integrity that he has lacked from birth’.

He said no one could have knew Atiku better than President Olusegun Obasanjo, under whom he served as Vice President for eight years.

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Olayinka said; “One of the reasons Wike first rejected Atiku’s offer to have him as his running mate was his not too impressive character and integrity rating, until he was prevaied upon. And this, Atiku exhibited when he rejected the decision of committee the party set up to pick his running mate even after telling everyone that the decision of the committee will be bidding on him.

“Now, after his lies that he picked his running mate based on the committee report that placed the former Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, as number one was bursted, he is now sermonising about character and integrity, which he, himself does not have.

“Funny that the same Atiku, that his boss described as a ‘blatant and shameless liar,’ is the one talking about character.

“For the records, Obasanjo said in his book, ‘My Watch’ that ‘What I did not know, which came out glaringly later, was his parental background which was somewhat shadowy, his propensity to corruption, his tendency to disloyalty, his inability to say and stick to the truth all the time, a propensity for poor judgement, his belief and reliance on marabouts, his lack of transparency, his trust in money to buy his way out on all issues and his readiness to sacrifice morality, integrity, propriety, truth and national interest for self and selfish interest.’

“Up till today, Atiku has not debunked what his boss said about him.

“Unlike Atiku, Wike does not hide or pretend on where he stands on issues. He is not one that will do a tweet on major issues and rush to delete it. He didn’t pretend about his position on the 2023 election and he won’t pretend on where he will stand in 2027.

“It is Atiku, that should start being truthful and reliable, especially now that he is old, because everything should not be about desperation to be president.”

 

Wike’s aide slams Atiku, says it’s too late to buy integrity

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Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

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Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that he does not know if he will contest the presidency in 2027.

Atiku made the remark in a yet-to-be-aired interview for a television show, Untold Stories, with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, scheduled for broadcast today but exclusively obtained by Daily Trust.

The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently announced the formation of a coalition of opposition leaders to wrest power from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

However, there has been widespread speculation about who will lead the coalition and emerge as its presidential candidate, with former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, being considered among its key figures.

When asked if he would be running for the presidency in 2027, Atiku said: “I don’t know because there has to be, first of all, a viable platform, more than any other time in the political history of this country, particularly since the return of democracy.”

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Atiku, who has run for the presidency a record six times, did not rule out the possibility of contesting again in 2027.

“I have not seen Nigeria in dire need of, you know, an experienced and credible leadership than this time.

“We had a similar, you know, what would I say, merger in 2014. About four of us or is it three? We all ran for president and one of us emerged, and we all supported the one who emerged, and he won,” he said.

He agreed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s assertion that Nigeria’s democracy is deteriorating, saying the situation is “very dire.”

“No doubt about that,” he said.

Atiku also expressed his disappointment with the country’s political leadership.

“The next generation after me, many of them had been governors, had been senators. Instead of me to see an improvement in the level of governance at the state level and so on and so forth, I don’t see it. So I feel a little bit distressed.”

Atiku also questioned the credibility of the current legislative leadership, especially as it relates to the National Assembly’s ratification of the state of emergency in Rivers State

“I am not surprised,” he said, alleging that they are corrupt.

 

Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

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