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2023: Insecurity Heightens INEC’s Fears …As 95m Voters DetermineWho Wins Presidency
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has again expressed concern over the insecurity in the country ahead of the 2023 general election.
Yakubu, who described the 2023 general election as significant to Nigeria, said the first concern of INEC was the insecurity in different parts of the country, compounded by thuggery during elections organised by some of the political actors.
According to a statement issued, yesterday, the INEC boss said this at an event organised by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in Washington DC, United States.
“Elections are conducted by human beings. We worry about the security of our officials, voters and the materials to be deployed.
“Without them, we cannot conduct elections. We have spoken to the security agencies; they have assured us that the situation will improve before the elections. So, fingers crossed.
“Those who are supposed to secure the environment have assured us that they will secure the environment for us to conduct elections. Our responsibility is to conduct election,” the INEC chairman.
He further expressed concern over fake news, saying the commission was harmonising available opportunities to address fake news which he said has impact on elections.
Similarly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said 95million voters would determine President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor in the 2023 presidential election.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said this at an event organised by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in Washington DC, United States.
Yakubu, in a statement made available to newsmen, yesterday, described the 2023 general election as significant to Nigeria, adding that 95million Nigerians were expected to vote in 176, 846 polling units across the country.
“The election is significant because the incumbent President is not eligible to run, this being his second and final term.
“There are 18 political parties in the race to produce the next President to be elected by 95 million voters. We had over 84million registered voters in 2019.
“But with last Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), we are going to add at least 10million Nigerians and that will take the Register of Voters to 95million.
“Each time Nigeria goes to the poll, it is like the whole of West Africa voting.
“In West Africa, there are 15 countries including Nigeria. But the total number of registered voters in the 14 countries combined is 73million.
“In Nigeria, it’s going to be 95million. So, there will be 22million more voters in Nigeria than the whole of West Africa put together,” the INEC chairman said.
Yakubu stated that INEC has learned a lot of lessons from the 2015 and 2019 general election as well as 103 off-cycle elections and bye-elections conducted after the 2019 general election.
The INEC chairman added that a lot of innovations have been introduced to increase transparency and ensure the credibility of the country’s electoral process.
“The new Electoral Act with its many progressive provisions has provided legal backing to the innovations.
“These innovations are now provided for and protected by law, especially those leveraging on technology to improve voter registration, voter accreditation, result management, and the promotion of inclusivity for marginalised persons such as women, youths, and persons with disability,” he said.
Yakubu said the introduction of online voter registration was part of the innovations, saying it was very helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He noted that the online registration was done alongside physical registration from June 2021 to June 2022 when it lasted, saying 12,298,944 voters completed their registration.
He said the figure was more than the voter population in the Republic of Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cape Verde.
Yakubu stated that NEC has completed the cleaning up of the data of newly registered voters using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) that combine the fingerprint and facial authentication of registered voters.
The INEC chairman said those who registered twice and those who were underage or have no reason to register as provided by law have been weeded out.
“The exercise was completed a few days ago. We have not even shared the information with Nigerians, but we have 2.7million invalid registrants and they have been weeded out.
“We will continue to take steps necessary to protect the integrity of the Register of Voters because it is fundamental to the conduct of elections. There can’t be credible elections without a credible register of voters,” he said.
Yakubu said Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) would be available for new registrants by November, adding: “We are looking at early to the middle of the month to make the cards available.
“We have already printed over 50percent of the cards but we haven’t delivered them to the states yet.
“As we clean the data, we also print the cards. Nigerians who have registered should be rest assured that they will have their cards ahead of the general election.
“We also need to do so in good time because the law now requires us to publish the number of cards collected per polling unit.”
Yakubu added that INEC also introduced other portals for accreditation of observers, media organisations, nomination of candidates by political parties, and nomination of polling agents by parties.
He said the innovations have also been helpful in reducing the level of litigation arising from the conduct of political parties.
On BVAS innovation, Yakubu said the use of the technology in Nigeria’s electoral system has come to stay, noting that there was no going back.
The INEC boss stated that the technology has helped to eliminate multiple accreditations that were observed in previous elections, increased public confidence in the outcome of elections, and eliminated the use of the Incident Form.
“Another innovation that we introduced is the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal. We are perhaps one of the few countries in the world that transmits polling unit-level results in real time on Election Day.
“Proudly, I can say we are the first to introduce it in Africa,” he said.
Yakubu said IReV has increased transparency in result management and helped to eliminate the falsification of results from polling unit level to the collation centres.
“We have deployed the IReV in 105 off-cycle and bye-election.
“We believe that the system is robust and we are taking additional measures to safeguard and fortify our web resources generally against threats of attack,” he said.
On inclusivity, Yakubu said INEC has created a new Department for Gender and Inclusivity in the commission.
He added that within the limits of available resources, INEC has also provided assistive devices for Persons with Disabilities, such as braille ballot guide and magnifying glasses for the vision impaired and those living with Albinism.
The Rivers State Chief judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi has granted pardon to six inmates standing awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt maximum correctional center.
The six lucky inmates granted pardon on Tuesday by the state Chief Judge included Nwekeala Chizoba, Samuel Emmanuel, Aniete Kelvin, Ebube Fubara and Goddey Okpara who were on awaiting trial as murder suspects and have all spent between 10 years to seven years in the custody without a proper information filed against them in the court.
Justice Amadi during a special gaol delivery exercise last Tuesday at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre opined that the special gaol delivery was part of activities lined up to commomerate the 2024/2025 legal year in the State and restated the commitment of the state judiciary in decongesting the correctional centre and ensuring that those inmates who are not supposed to be there are removed from the custody.
The state chief judge stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together to build a society that supports rehabilitation and gives a second chance to anyone or group of people who have fallen short of the expectation of the law and have been punished accordingly.
He stressed that the National Judicial Council(NJC) encourages judges to pay more attention to criminal matters to enable them to decongests the correctional facilities, noting that since his assumption into office, his administration has been able to reduce the number of inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centres and the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in particular, to less than 2,000 as against the over 4,000 inmates previously in the faculty.
According to him, “as they release the deserving inmates, they affirm their commitment to justice, compassion and rule of law but that they must not forget the fundamental principles of justice delivery system which is truth and fairness, integrity and equality before the law.”
I encourage you all the released inmates to return to your families and become better citizens. You must not engage in action that will return you all back to prison. Let me say that while the judges show empathy to you all, it does not absolved individuals from being held accountable for actions against individuals, corporate organisations and state which the law frowns at, ”he stated
The Chief Judge thereafter stood down the exercise to enable the DPP to intervene to case files following the fact that majority of the persons listed to benefit from the exercise are facing murder charges and adjourned to a date that will come before December.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the outgoing state Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt, Felix Lawrence, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General, commended the state judiciary led by Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi for their continuous effort aimed at ensuring justice and decongesting the facilities.
Other activities lined up for the event included special church service at St Paul’s Cathedral , Anglican Communion, Rebisi Port Harcourt, inspection of guard of honour by the state Chief Judge mounted by officers of the Nigerian police and a special court session held at the ceremonial court hall.
By: AkujobiAmadi
The Director General of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RBoPP), Dr. Ine Briggs, has explained that the Sir Siminalayi Fubara administration plans to enforce transparency in governance through public procurement.
Speaking at a one-day Public Procurement Enlightenment workshop organised in collaboration with the State Local Government Service Commission for newly elected chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries and leaders of legislative assemblies, Dr. Briggs said it is key for grassroot development.
She stated that the Sir. Fubara administration plans to reduce wastage and at same time infuse efficiency in public expenditure.
The RSoPP DG said the local government political office holders remain key drivers in the new vision hence the workshop is to arm them with knowledge on how to execute projects in tandem with needs of the people.
“ Your role in the prudent management of public resources is, therefore, not just administrative it’s the cornerstone of delivering the dividends of democracy. Every procurement decision you make must reflect a commitment to fairness, transparency and accountability” Dr. Briggs submitted.
One of the key goals of the administration she further reminded the participants was to use their offices to foster economic growth through public procurement.
She warned that the law establishing the agency empowers it to penalise defaulters, but that what is more important is voluntary compliance to the laws.
In addition to that, she said urged the local government council leaders that champion the practice and implementation of public procurement law.
On his part, Acting Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Pastor GoodLife Ben Iduoku averred that the aim of the workshop is to arm key stakeholders in the local government system to generate new ideas, innovation and strategies in tandem with government policies and programmes.
The workshop dealt on various topics on procurement planning, methods, Understanding Bid Process, including types of Construction Contracts and law.
Some participants were awarded excellence and meritorious awards as part of the programme.
By: Kevin Nengia
The 19th anniversary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Rivers State Chapter, recently ended in Port Harcourt in grand style, with participants from various schools including proprietors, the academia, civil society groups and top government functionaries charting the way forward for educational improvement.
The 19th NAPPS anniversary christened, ‘Innovation and Adaptation: Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities’ was held at Casoni Hotels, Port Harcourt.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the association, Dr. Jaja Adafe Sunday expressed gratitude to the members and executives for their untiring efforts towards the achievements of the body.
He sought the intervention of government on the lingering crisis on the economy as it is affecting the running of schools.
He decried high cost of things including fuel and raw materials which has adversely affected the running of schools and payment of teachers.
Dr. Sunday hinted that the current economic situation in the nation is biting hard on the operations of schools, saying inflation, removal of fuel subsidy, fuel scarcity, poor electricity supply, tariffs and lack of government grants are some of the challenges faced by schools, and urged the members to brace up to the challenges, as it is the panacea to building a brighter future.
Guest speakers from the health sector and the academia thrilled the gathering on the essence of basic education which they said is the key to national development.
Former Dean of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Azuru and the Chief Medical Director of Meridian Hospitals, Dr. Odo Iyke were some notable guest speakers who delivered lectures at the occasion.
Some distinguished proprietors also got special recognitions and awards.
The 19th anniversary cake was cut by the Rivers State NAPPS Chairman with representatives of the state government assisting.