Politics
2023: INEC Vows To Resist Temptations From Political Gladiators
The Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Ebonyi State, Mrs Onyeka Pauline Ugochi, has vowed to resist any form of temptation and attacks from political gladiators in view of the 2023 general elections.
The REC who stated this during her maiden meeting with Civil Society Organizations, CSOs and the Media at the INEC headquarters in Abakaliki stressed that she had promised God and Ebonyi people to only do the right thing.
Ugochi debunked the claim in some quarters that INEC was involved in the issue of vote-buying and illegal collection of Permanent Voters’Cards, PVCs, by agents of political parties in the State.
She expressed confidence that the modalities put in place by INEC for the 2023 general elections, would translate to a hitch-free elections next year
According to her, it would be very difficult to rig the 2023 general elections, considering the innovations around the BVAS and other technical mechanisms
She said: “Ebonyi has not received its sensitive materials; what we have are non sensitive materials. I have promised God that I will do the right thing.
“On PVCs collection in Ebonvi State, the exercise which started on 12 December, 2022 at all INEC Local Government offices will last till 5th January, 2023 after which the distribution will be moved to the Registration Areas (RAs)/Wards from 6th -15th January 2023 and then revert to the LGA offices where it will last until 22nd January, 2023.
“The collection starts from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm daily including Saturdays and Sundays. The PVCs for those who did fresh registration, transfer, and corrections as well as those that apply for replacement of defaced/ damaged or lost between 28” June 2021 when the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise started and 31 July 2022 when the exercise was suspended are ready also for collection. Besides, all the previous leftover PVCs are also available for collection.
“It is also important to note that there will be no voting in the 2023 General Elections without the PVCs and no collection of PVC by proxy.
Meanwhile, in preparation for the 2023 General Elections, INEC Ebony State enjoins CSOs/Media to step up the public enlightenment campaign for citizens to turn out en-mass and get their PVCs before the 2023 General Elections.
“There is an urgent need to continue the emphasis on the importance of PVCs collection which is the only stamp of authority that empowers validly registered voters to vote and be voted for, signifying one man one vote. The collection of PVCs occupies a prime position in the Commission’s strategic planning.”
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed, through a second reading, a bill seeking to retain immunity for the Office of the President and remove immunity from the Vice President, the Governors and the Deputy Governors.
The bill was one of the 42 considered and passed through the second reading stage during plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Benjamin Kalu, in Abuja.
Sponsored by Hon. Solomon Bob (Rivers PDP), the bill is seeking the amendment of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution to guard against abuse of office and to ensure transparency in governance.
The long title of the proposed legislation read: “A Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to qualify the immunity conferred on the President, remove the immunity conferred on the Vice President, the Governors and their deputies, in order to curb corruption, eradicate impunity and enhance accountability in public office and for related matters.”
Key amendments include changes to Section 308 of the Constitution, which currently grants immunity to the president, vice president, governors, and deputy governors while in office.
The proposed bill will amend subsection 3 to ensure that immunity only applies to the President and the vice president when acting as President under Section 145 of the Constitution.
Additionally, a new subsection 4 will be introduced to make the immunity clause inapplicable if the office holder is acting in an unofficial capacity, engaging in actions beyond the powers of the office, or involved in criminal conduct.
“The bill seeks to foster transparency and strengthen the fight against corruption by making public officials more accountable for their actions, both in and out of office.”
“Section 308 of the principal Act is amended by:(a) substituting a new subsection (3) as follows: “(3) This section applies to a person holding the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Vice President only when acting as President, in line with Section 145 of this Constitution.
Creating sub section (4) thereto as follows:”(4) The foregoing provisions of this section shall be inapplicable where the person to whom this section applies is acting in an unofficial capacity or where the conduct of the person is beyond the powers of his office or the conduct is criminal in nature.
“This Bill may be cited as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Act 2024.
The bill is currently awaiting further debate and consideration by the National Assembly.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to notify Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central, about the petition by constituents seeking her recall from the national assembly.
INEC said it has also received the contact details of the petitioners.
“Pursuant to section 69 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, I write to notify you of the receipt of a petition from representatives of registered voters in your constituency seeking your recall from the senate.
“The notification is in line with the provisions of clause 2 (a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
“This letter is also copied to the presiding officer of the senate and simultaneously published on the commission’s website. Thank you”, the letter read.
The letter was signed by Ruth Oriaran Anthony, secretary to the commission.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Wednesday, INEC said it has now received the updated contact details from representatives of petitioners seeking to recall the senator.
In the statement, Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, said a letter notifying the senator of the petition has been delivered to her official address, copied to the senate presiding officer, and published on the commission’s website.
“The next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50%) of the registered voters in the constituency. This will be done in the coming days.
“The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission. We once again reassure Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent”, Mr Olumekun said.
Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan had recently accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her.
The allegation came in the wake of seating arrangement related altercation between Senator. Akpabio and the Kogi Central senator at the red chamber
She was subsequently suspended from the senate for six months for “gross misconduct” over the incident.
The constituents behind the recall move also accused her of “gross misconduct, abuse of office, and deceitful behaviour”.
The senator has denied wrongdoing and called the recall effort a “coordinated suppression” of her voice.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the second reading of a bill to upgrade the Lagos State 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to full-fledged Local Government Areas (LGAs ).
The bill, was sponsored by James Faleke, Babajimi Benson, Enitan Badru, and 19 other lawmakers.
The bill is titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to Accommodate the Thirty-Seven (37) Development Area Councils of Lagos State as Full-Fledged Local Government Areas, Increasing the Total Number of Local Government Areas in the Federation to Eight Hundred and Eleven (811), and for Related Matters (HB. 1498),”
Once fully enacted, Nigeria’s total number of LGAs will rise from 774 to 811, with Lagos overtaking Kano and Katsina, which currently have 44 and 34 LGAs, respectively.
Proponents of the bill argue that granting full LGA status to the LCDAs would bring governance closer to the people. The 37 LCDAs were created by President Bola Tinubu in 2003 when he was governor of Lagos State.
However, it’s worth noting that the Lagos State House of Assembly has been working on a bill to replace the 37 LCDAs with newly designated administrative areas.