Politics
INEC lists conditions for inmates to vote in 2023
The Independent National Electoral Commission has met with officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), giving them the modalities for allowing inmates to vote.
Speaking at the meeting held at the commission’s headquarters on Tuesday in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, said a lot of areas needed to be addressed before allowing inmates to vote.
Also at the meeting, Controller-General of the NCoS, Haliru Nababa, was represented by Daniel Odaro, deputy controller-general in charge of operations.
Yakubu listed issues such location of polling units, format for electoral campaigns, access to correctional facilities for election officials, the media and observers, among others, as concerns that needed to be addressed.
“Section 12(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 lists five qualifications for registering as a voter in Nigeria because you have to register as a voter, before the right to exercise that right as a voter is conferred,” he said.
The INEC chair also said, “That section of the electoral lists five qualifications — the prospective registrant must be a Nigerian citizen; he or she must be at least 18 years of age; he or she must originate, reside, or work in the local government or ward covered by the registration centre; the citizen must present himself/herself to the registration officer for registration as a voter; he/she must not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote.
“This is one area we need to discuss so that we know the categories of inmates that will exercise the right to vote. We, therefore, need to work things out carefully. We want transparency of the process, because everything that we do in the commission, particularly when it comes to the right of citizens to vote, must be done transparently.
“So, will inmates vote outside or inside the prison? Are we going to set up polling units outside or inside the prisons? Since the majority of inmates are awaiting trial, we believe some of them are already registered voters. If they are registered voters, what they will do is to transfer their registration. Will they transfer their registration to the correctional centres for that reason?
“Will political parties be allowed to campaign inside the correctional centres? This is a matter that you need to advise the commission. Will observers and the media be allowed access to the correctional centres on election day, so that the process is really transparent? Will INEC officials be granted access to the correctional centre for voter education? These are matters that we need to discuss.
“Will elections hold in all 218 federal correctional centres currently holding inmates nationwide or there are some correctional centres where this process can start instead of all the 218? We understand that some correctional centres are not holding inmates at present. So, will the process be allowed to cover all the 218 centres?
“So, these are some of the issues that we need to carefully discuss and resolve before a decision is taken. But in principle, the commission is committed to ensuring that all Nigerians are given the right to vote and be voted for — but in this particular case, the right to vote, which is exercisable under the law.
“The sooner we are able to address these issues, the better for the process. But remember, we have only a little over seven months to the next general election. But the next general election is not going to the last conducted by Nigeria. So, even if we don’t meet all these critical thresholds for 2023, we’ll continue with the discussions to see what happens beyond 2023.”
Meanwhile, the development comes amid a 2014 judgment by the federal high court sitting in Benin, Edo state, which affirmed prisoners’ right to vote during elections.”
Politics
Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats
Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats
Few days after governors on the platform of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) handed down an ultimatum for things to change in the party, the Acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagun has moved against the FCT Minister and his loyal lawmakers, the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Damagun in a letter addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dated 13th November 2024 and released on Sunday by the spokesperson of the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, Ikenga Ugochinyere urged the electoral umpire to conduct a bye-election to fill up the 27 seats, they vacated to join the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Wike has been accused of being behind the crisis in the PDP over his disagreement with the Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara, his successor.
The crisis which started over control of resources divided the party in the state with 27 lawmakers in the state assembly siding Wike and defected to the APC following Wike’s acceptance to serve in the government of the APC.
He has also been accused of working in cahoots with Damagun to damage the PDP by not organising the National Executive Committee which would lead to the acting Chairman’s ouster.
After a series of agitation, the latest being from the PDP Governors’ Forum over the weekend, Damagun has demanded that INEC conduct elections as soon as possible, apparently moving against the FCT minister.
He argued in letter titled, ‘DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE CONDUCT OF FRESH ELECTION IN 27 STATE CONSTITUENCIES OF RIVERS STATE WHICH HAVE BECOME VACANT PURSUANT TO SECTION 109(1)(g) OF THE CONSTITUTION’ that it’s “unlawful” for the 27 members to defect.
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The members defected to the APC on December 11, 2023.
Damagun said, going by provisions of the Constitution, the lawmakers are no longer members of the Assembly.
The PDP acting chairman therefore urged the Commission to perform its constitutional duties and begin the process of conducting fresh elections to fill the vacancies created in the 27 state constituencies by the unlawful act of the former Assembly members.
Parts of the letter read, “The Leadership of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wishes to draw the attention of the Commission to the gross violation of Section 109 (1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) by 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly following their unlawful defection from our Party, the PDP who sponsored their elections to the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Monday, December 11, 2023.
“The Commission may recall that our Party, the PDP nominated all our 32 State House of Assembly candidates in Rivers State for the 2023 General Election on the 7th of July 2022 via your electronic candidate election nomination portal (See attached acknowledgement).
“The Commission may also recall that following the nomination, the Commission conducted election into the Rivers State House of Assembly on the 18th of March, 2023 and our Party won 32 seats in the state Assembly. The elected State House of Assembly members were inaugurated and sworn-in on June, 2023.
“However, on Monday, 11 December, 2023 a period of just six (6) months after inauguration, 27 out of the 32 members publicly announced their defection from our Party to the All Progressive Congress (APC). This defection is a gross violation of Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended).
“The only two grounds of division and merger provided for in the Constitution that permit such defection are completely non-existent in our political Party. It therefore means that the defections of the 27 members are without lawful excuse and these members have vacated their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly by the operations of Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.
“In view of the foregoing, we hereby demand that the Commission performs its constitutional duties and begin the process of conducting a Fresh Election to fill the vacancies created in the 27 State Constituencies by the unlawful act of the Assembly members. Find attached the list of the 27 State Assembly Members and their Constituencies.
“While thanking the Commission for its commitment to deepening democracy in our country, please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
Damagun writes INEC to conduct by-election for 27 vacant Rivers assembly seats
Politics
Nigeria would have been better under Peter Obi, too much nepotism under Tinubu – Senator Abaribe
Nigeria would have been better under Peter Obi, too much nepotism under Tinubu – Senator Abaribe
Nigeria would have been better than what it is currently if Peter Obi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), had won the 2023 elections, the senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has said.
Abaribe, who spoke on ‘Politics Today,’ a Channels Television programme, on Monday, said Obi would not have been as nepotistic as the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“Number one, he would not be as nepotistic as this government; he won’t; it’s not in him. That is just who we are; we feel for the other people.”
The lawmaker called attention to Tinubu’s appointment of four ministers from Ogun alone, noting that many other states have just one.
“I say it, and I don’t think so. We are seeing it everyday. I just gave you one example. How can Ogun state have four ministers? Why does he favour Ogun state? Oyo state has only one minister,” Abaribe said.
”The nepotism of Buhari, which nobody followed, has now deepened under President Tinubu because Buhari did it, and nobody said much. I was the only person shouting.”
He said that rather than waiting for presidents to be fair to the people of the south-east, it is high time people of the zone went back to revamp it, make it more livable, better, and more cohesive.
“It’s obvious that if we continue to look at whoever becomes president, they will look at us and do us right. Apart from Obasanjo and maybe Jonathan, I do not think that we have seen that same type of fairness,” he said.
Politics
Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary
Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary
Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, has been tipped for the seat of Lagos governor in the 2027 governorship election.
This was according to a video making the rounds on various social media platforms, which Peoples Gazette saw on Sunday.
The video highlights the president’s son’s biography, focusing on his education, career, and humanitarian activities as a Nigerian. It also documents his involvement in youth development in the country.
This biopic comes on the heels of some groups’ endorsements of Mr Tinubu’s son as a potential successor to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2027.
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On Tuesday, the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders issued an endorsement in Owerri, Imo, suggesting that the younger Tinubu would be welcomed to contest the governorship seat in Osun or Imo.
He was also endorsed by Friends of Seyi, a group emphasising his vision and intellectual wherewithal to govern the country’s commercial nerve.
APC chieftain Joe Igbokwe, however, described the gale of endorsements as a ploy to undermine the president in a Facebook post.
“Who are these faceless people pushing Seyi Tinubu for Lagos governor? This is a needless distraction,” said Mr Igbokwe. “To pull PBAT down is their target. Ruling Lagos is not the job of boys.”
Lagos 2027: Seyi Tinubu campaign team releases his life documentary
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