Politics
INEC to spend N305b on 2023 polls
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday disclosed that it has received N100 billion out of the N305 billion it proposed for the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
INEC said President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sign the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill would not hamper its activities as an electoral umpire.
It also said it “will never reward bad behaviour’’ by conducting a by-election in Ekiti East State Constituency before the June 2023 governorship election in the state.
INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu defended the agency’s proposed N305 billion budget for the general elections before the Senate Committee on Appropriation in Abuja.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Barau Jibrin, assured that the 2022 federal Appropriation Bill will be passed today.
Yakubu attributed his inability to defend the budget proposal last week to an official engagement outside the country.
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He said: “We thank the committee and by extension, the Senate, for all the proactive measures taken, including some of the provisions in the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill, particularly Section 3, which you have strengthened to grant better financial autonomy for the commission.
“I also thank you for the provision in the bill for ensuring that funds are released to the commission, at least, one year to the elections.
“We made a submission for the sum of N305billion for the 2023 general elections.
“We made the submission on the basis of the N100billion as one line item, N40billion regular budget, and the 2022 Appropriation Bill, and then, there is the outstanding N205billion.
“What we have done is to look at the activities that we have to conduct before the general elections. There are activities that must be concluded.
“For instance, if you are going to replace some of the critical facilities like ballot boxes and voting cubicles, these things must be done before the election.
“Party primaries must be conducted and concluded before the election and names of candidates submitted, registration of voters would have to be concluded before the election.
“Printing of the permanent voter’s card would have to be concluded before the election and then some of the critical election technology for the 2023 general elections must be concluded and procured before the election.
“There are activities that we have to undertake during the elections, for instance, engagement for the transporters for electoral logistics. We can’t engage them in advance, it has to be close to the election.
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“Payment of ad hoc staff, we can’t engage ad hoc staff and pay them long after the election, it has to be during the election.”
“In submitting the executive proposal to the National Assembly, the sum of N140billion was made available to INEC as a one-line item in the budget.
“The N140billion was broken into two, we take it that N40billion is our regular budget as an agency of government and N100billion was the first tranche of the 2022 budget and we have gone ahead to make provisions accordingly.
“It may interest the committee to know that we have eight bye-elections pending (three federal constituencies and five state constituencies.
“In fact, the last vacancy occurred only last Wednesday following the death of a member that represented Jiwa West State Constituency in Kaduna State. We have other by-elections pending. We hope that these elections will hold as soon as we resume in the new year.”
*Ekiti, Osun party primaries hold Jan, Feb
Party primaries in Ekiti and Osun states will hold in January and February next year, the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has announced.
The governorship election in Ekiti is scheduled for June and that of Osun will take place in August next year.
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INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, who spoke yesterday in Abuja, also said the Ekiti East State Constituency by-election would hold the same period as the governorship poll.
Yakubu said: “Ekiti governorship election is holding in June. But, in about two weeks, party primaries for the state will commence beginning from January 1 to 29 next year. The primaries for Osun State will be in February.
“Elections are held all year round, there is no longer election season in Nigeria. Elections are held all year round as the need arises.”
He lamented that INEC had tried four times to hold the by-election in Ekiti East State Constituency without success.
He recalled that in the last attempt, voters, security operatives, and electoral officers lost their lives at polling units.
Yakubu added: “INEC will never reward bad behaviour. The election can only be repeated in June next year during the gubernatorial election.”
The Nation
Politics
BREAKING: Agboola wins Ondo PDP primary
BREAKING: Agboola wins Ondo PDP primary
A former deputy governor in Ondo state, Hon Ajayi Agboola has won the ongoing People’s Democratic Party governorship primary election in the state.
He polled 264 votes of the 621 votes cast during the contest.
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The former Scretary General of the Pan Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere, Chief Sola Ebiseni may come second in the contest.
Agboola was the former deputy governor to the late governor Rotimi Akeredolu before they parted ways following irreconcilable differences.
Attempt to impeach Ajayi during the crisis between him and the late Akeredolu failed
BREAKING: Agboola wins Ondo PDP primary
Politics
BREAKING: APC NWC in peace talks with Aiyedatiwa, other Ondo gov aspirants
BREAKING: APC NWC in peace talks with Aiyedatiwa, other Ondo gov aspirants
The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) is currently holding a closed-door peace meeting with Governor Lucky Ayiedatiwa and fifteen other aspirants in the April 20 Ondo state governorship primary election.
All the aspirants but Hon. Wale Akinterinwa and Hon. Isaacs Kekemeke are in attendance.
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Those in attendance are Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, Olusoji Adewale Ehinlanwo, a former member of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Olugbenga Omogbemi Edema, and business magnate, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim Folorunsho.
Others are Engr. (Mrs.) Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo, Hon. Akinfolarin Mayo Samuel, legal luminary, Chief Olusola Alexander Oke, SAN, Ohunyeye Olamide Felix, and Barr. Morayo Lebi.
Also in attendance are Garvey Oladiran Iyanjan, Prof. Francis Adebayo Faduyile, and Engr. (Mrs) Judith Folakemi Omogoroye, President Unilag Alumni (Worldwide), Engr. Ifeoluwa Olusola Oyedele and Hon. Omo’Oba Okunjimi Odimayo John.
BREAKING: APC NWC in peace talks with Aiyedatiwa, other Ondo gov aspirants
Politics
I broke the chains of godfatherism in Oyo politics – Makinde
I broke the chains of godfatherism in Oyo politics – Makinde
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says he has dismantle the shackles of godfatherism that once characterised the State politics.
Makinde said Oyo State was once known for ‘who is your father’ politics, stating that such style of political arrangement has ended with him.
Makinde spoke on Wednesday at Students’ Legislative Summit organised by the Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly and chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, in conjunction with the Students’ Representative Council, University of Ibadan.
Makinde disclosed that his father was not wealthy or influential and the Oyo State people still gave him the opportunity to lead.
The governor underscores the need to get youths into leadership position, imploring Nigerian youths to become more actively involved in governance by increasing their participation.
Makinde said that the issue of leadership is imperative in preparing the youth for the future and governance.
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“For us here, we have seen the common situation where ‘who is your father’ was the order of the day but we have been able to break that in Oyo State. My father was a ‘nobody’ and the Oyo State people still gave me the opportunity to lead.
“We may not be able to prepare the future for the youth, but we can prepare the youth for the future. Please, don’t see this event as just an opportunity to look at the issue of leadership in this country. And, in me, Seyi Makinde, the youth have an ally and we will prepare the leaders of the next generation amongst the youth.
“I am here this afternoon to encourage the youth. If you look at the history of Nigeria, we had our independence in 1960 and six years after, in 1966, the person that became the Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, was 31 years and some months old. After him, during the Second Republic, former President Obasanjo retired as a General at the age of 39.
“You should dream big; people have ruled this country at very tender ages. So, for you, don’t think that at 29 or 30, you are too young to rule and I am glad, because this is almost like catching them early.
“You have the students here and in about three years, some of you will be out there to move on. If I were you, I wouldn’t start looking for work; I would start doing my own thing at a very early age of 24 or 25. With the kind of energy you still have, you can pull down the kingdom of Satan.”
I broke the chains of godfatherism in Oyo politics – Makinde
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