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Tag: 2023 elections

2023: Governors Contribute to Electoral Violence – Oshiomhole

Former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole has alleged that Governors contribute to electoral violence in the country by funding thugs.

Speaking during a citizens’ election dialogue in Abuja, Oshiomhole called for synergy between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political leaders, and security agencies.

He said;

“When I was a governor and I mean this, you can ask [former] President Goodluck Jonathan, I did say at a meeting at the villa that sometimes governors contribute to election violence because AK-47 is not as cheap as buying akara.

“And when you see many young men who are unemployed wielding AK-47s, who is providing them? So the political leadership has a responsibility, and we need to take that responsibility.

“If 500 voters choose to resort to violence, how many policemen do you want to deploy? Let us accept that as political parties, we agree that in the course of the campaigning, at every point, we must emphasise that this election is about freedom to choose and that what is more important is the process, not even the outcome.”

Oshiomhole also praised President Muhammadu Buhari for promising world leaders that he would conduct a free and fair election in Nigeria in 2023.

He said;

“Police sending two or ten men to a location doesn’t necessarily guarantee security. I’ve been a victim of election rigging which was why I launched ‘one man one vote’ because if it’s about the survival of the fittest, people like me can’t get elected.

“The ingredients for free and fair elections don’t just lie with INEC. Escorting the materials to make sure they’re not hijacked by hoodlums is a function of security and the president has a duty to ensure that the security forces are not only briefed that they mustn’t be partisan but that they have the support and logistics they need to discharge their responsibilities.”

October 5, 2022
2023: Only Nigerians Can Make Country Better -Tambuwal

By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto

Ahead of next year’s general elections in the country, it has been observed that only the people of Nigeria can make the right choice to turn its fortunes around.

This observation was made by Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state at the fathe -child dialogue on education and youth development organised by state ministry of youth and sports development in collaboration with the state chapters of students leaders forum and the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN),held at the International Conference Centre, Kasarawa.

The statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Governor, Bello Muhammad further said Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal made it known,

at the ceremony, which was in commemoration of the 62 independence anniversary of the country,

Tambuwal reiterated that it is only when Nigerians can choose the right type of leadership and put same in place that the mission of rescuing the country and making it better again would be successful.

Recalling how, in 2019, he engaged some academicians in Sokoto state on the question of leadership selection in the state and admonished them to elect someone that have the competence, character and capacity to lead the state, the Governor noted that today similar challenge still loom large.

He said the candidates that Nigerians should strive hard to elect must be ones that not only project ideals and values they present to the people but their ability to provide good leadership.

Tambuwal thanked the people of Sokoto state for standing and rising to the challenge posed about four years ago, despite every and all effort to block his victory back in 2019. explaining that a fresh round of campaign has now started nationwide.

The governor further listed more qualities that the electorate should look out for before electing candidates. He suggested that they should not go for any candidate that is a tribal, sectional or a religious jingoist.

Instead, he offered that the people of the country should go for a candidate that is pan-Nigerian and has the capacity and experience to govern the country.

Tambuwal challenged the youths to always be conscious of the fact that moneybags, religious and ethnic champions will come around during elections flouting their propaganda and talking about the future of the country.

“We have not been doing what we have been doing just for us to please ourselves, but we are making continuous sacrificing, toiling and working round the clock to make sure that we showcase the best candidate to govern this country,” he added.

The governor said the youths must be very vigilant, conscious and exercise their franchise in the best interests of their country, while charging the people of the state, particularly the academia and the youths, on the challenge of ensuring that they will not suffer the choice of having a bad leader who will jeopardize the future of the state.

“We must not take the risk of allowing certain character to come back to the leadership of the state,” Tambuwal maintained, comparing the abysmal performance of his predecessor to the earnings that accrued to the state under him, which wasn’t utilized properly but wasted.

The governor appealed to the youths to continue to build on the solid foundation his administration has provided for them and consolidate on the gains. “ I have no tolerance for youth restiveness and for the engagement of our youths as political thugs. Anybody that asks you to engage in political thuggery, ask him to put his son forward,” he added

He stressed that under his leadership the state government will not allow leaders who encouraged the youths to go into drugs to seek electoral offices in the state.

October 3, 2022
2023 Elections may Make or Break Nigeria – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned about the outcome of 2023 general elections in the country.

Speaking on Wednesday September 23, when President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Daniel T. Okoh, paid him a courtesy visit at his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Penthouse residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, the former President said 2023 election may make or mar Nigeria.

Obasanjo in the statement released by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, said if clerics allow the political class to wreck Nigeria, “everyone would regret it”.

The statement read;

“If you stand on the truth, you stand for justice and equity, then the politicians will not be able to mess us around and I will say it with all sense of responsibility now, if we do not watch it, the politicians will wreck this country and we all regret it.

“And where can we look for salvation, that is where you religious leaders have a significant role to play. I think it’s the mistake of the past (particularly in Christendom), that we say politics is not for the righteous. Now, if we take the righteous away from politics, and we leave politics to the unrighteous, the unrighteous will smear the righteous with the unrighteousness that they will carry into politics and will have nowhere to go.

“And in the next election, if we do not watch it, it may make or break Nigeria. And I pray that it will make Nigeria.”

Obasanjo also applauded the CAN President over his relationship with the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar in promoting peace in the country.

September 28, 2022
2023: INEC Denies Altering Voters Register

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied tampering with the voters’ register ahead of the 2023 election.

The electoral umpire concluded the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), which commenced in January, on July 31.

On Thursday, Festus Okoye, INEC Head of Information and Voter Education said that no new registrant had been added.

The commissioner said such would only be done after the completion of supplemental activities in line with the law.

INEC’s reaction followed a press conference by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).

“No new registrant has yet been added to the Register of Voters for the 2023 General Election”, Okoye stressed.

The spokesman revealed that the commission is conducting an Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup by scrutinising every record.

He noted that based on the Electoral Act 2022, any record that does not meet all the criteria for inclusion, as stipulated in Section 10, will be discarded.

Okoye said appearance at the registration venue with proof of identity, age, nationality, fingerprints and clear pictures will be perused.

“It is only after the claims and objections have been completed that the final register will be published”, the official added.

Okoye assured that INEC would continue to provide the public with updates on the progress made on the processes.

September 16, 2022
2023: Jonathan Tells Nigerians Who to Vote For

Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has advised Nigerians to vote for credible leaders who have the country at heart and would see Nigeria as their project.

He gave the advice during an interview with newsmen in Minna, Niger State on Thursday after a visit to the former Head of State, General Abduisalam Abubakar, who recently returned from foreign medical treatment.

“We all wish our country well especially for the young people. Elections are coming; they have to select the person you believe that will lead us well, serve us well. The leader is also a servant; as a president, you lead, you serve,” Jonathan said.

He added that Nigeria needs “somebody that will take the interest of all of us; the interest of the country; somebody that will not compromise our own interest for his own aggrandizement”.

The former president said in 2023, Nigeria also needs “somebody that will carry all of us along, most especially, somebody that will take Nigeria as a project”.

He prayed that Nigeria will have a free and fair election which will be conducted in an environment that there will be peace and love.

On the reason for his visit to Minna, Jonathan, who described himself as the most junior among all the former presidents, said: “From time to time, I used to go round and greet them. For sometime now, I have not seen Gen. Abdulsalami.

“There is nothing special about the visit, it is a regular visit that I normally do.”

Jonathan said Nigeria needs the services of Abdulsalami now that “we are talking about election. You know he chairs the National Peace Committee that tries to midwife the peace process during election.

“There is so much pressure on him now so that the 2023 election will be conducted freely, fairly and in an environment that there will be peace and love”.

September 15, 2022
INEC Explains Why Voter Registration Cant be Extended

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says extending the voter registration exercise will hamper its preparations for the 2023 general elections.

This is according to the Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mike Igini who spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

“Now that we have officially suspended the CVR process, we have to consolidate; aggregate the data and thereafter run the biometric accreditation system to weed out all multiple registrants,” he said during the breakfast show on Friday.

“Thereafter, Section 19 [Electoral Act 2022] says we must do a one-week display of the voter register for the commission to accept claims; objections as it relates to either omitted names or names of individuals that ought not to be on that register as identified by people in the area.

“And how do you do that? You have to produce the preliminary register of voters for this purpose which means they have to be millions of these would-be voters. That will be posted in the entire wards and local governments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that is a huge work.”

He explained that after this, the electoral umpire will also produce and distribute the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to the new registrants.

“So, there is a whole lot to be done,” he said, noting that Section 17 of the Electoral Act only mandates the Commission to stop voter registration less than and not exactly 90 days to the election.

Aside from this, he said, “it is not only this that INEC will be doing”.

Igini said Nigerians should rather be concerned about voter turnout in the next election despite the outcry that greeted the suspension of the registration.

“What gives spice to the practice of democracy is mass participation,” the INEC official said.

The INEC REC expressed satisfaction with the recent wave of enthusiasm by Nigerians in the electoral process, likening it to what happened in the country in the lead-up to the 1993 poll.

Before his comment, the electoral body had suspended voter registration on July 31, saying 12 million persons were newly registered.

A breakdown of the data showed that about 71 percent of the newly registered voters are youths. It also indicated that 8.7 million are between the ages of 18 and 34 while about 2.4 million are between ages 35 and 49.

August 5, 2022
8Million Youths Complete Voter Registration Ahead Of 2023 Elections

Over eight million young Nigerians completed the recently concluded Continuous Voter Registration exercise, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced on Monday.

The youth demography has been touted as a major deciding factor in the upcoming elections and INEC’s figures seems to back the theory.

According to INEC, there were 10,487,972 fresh registrants, while 12,298,944 persons completed their registrations.

Of these, 8,784,677 were composed of young people, the commission said.

Meanwhile, INEC has warned Nigerians not to fall victims to fake websites advertising voter registration.

In a statement signed by National Commissioner Festus Okoye, INEC said it has concluded its Continuous Voter Registration exercise for the 2023 general elections.

“Barely 24 hours after the suspension of voter registration, the attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to an online site urging Nigerians to enroll for ‘VOTER CARD (PVC)’ registration claiming that the Federal Government has approved individual VOTER CARD (PVC) registration online to avoid unnecessary crowd in the ‘NIMC’ CENTERS,” the statement said.

“The Commission states unequivocally that the site is not linked to the Commission and the link/portal is spurious and from a dubious source.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission is the only body constitutionally and legally mandated to conduct the registration of persons qualified to vote in any election in Nigeria and to update and revise the register when the need arises. The Commission is solely responsible for organizing, undertaking, and supervising national elections in the country and does not share this responsibility with anybody or organization.

“Members of the public are strongly advised not to succumb to the antics of online scammers and should avoid such fake sites.

“The Commission has concluded the Continuous Voter Registration exercise nationwide and does not need to open an additional site or portal for the purposes of registration of voters.”

August 2, 2022
2023: INEC Extends Deadline For Party Primaries By Six Days

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to conduct their primaries for the 2023 general elections.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, announced this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

This comes hours after leaders of various political parties met with the leadership of the electoral umpire led by the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, at the commission’s headquarters in the nation’s capital.

At the meeting, the politicians under the auspices of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) again appealed to INEC to adjust the timetable for the forthcoming polls.

Chairman of IPAC, Sani Yabagi of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), explained that adjusting the timetable of the election became necessary because of the current timetable which he said was too tight for the political parties.

In response to the appeal, INEC, according to Okoye, was emphatic that the request for a 37 – 60 days extension of the timeline for primaries and the nomination of candidates could not be granted because it would disrupt other scheduled activities on the timetable.

He stated that the parties later pleaded with the commission to use the six-day period between June 4 and 9 to conclude outstanding primaries and prepare to upload the list of candidates and their affidavits on the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal.

The INEC official stated that the commission did not schedule any specific activity during this period in order to give parties time to compile the list and personal particulars of their nominated candidates before uploading same to its portal.

“The commission has decided to allow the request of the political parties since the six-day period does not conflict with the next scheduled activity which is the submission of the list of nominated candidates or any of the subsequent timelines which remain sacrosanct,” he said.

“However, this request is granted in respect of outstanding primaries only without prejudice to those already concluded by political parties. The commission will not monitor already concluded primaries.”

May 28, 2022
2023: Vote Aspirant With Experience , Charisma, Tambuwal charges Kogi Delegates

From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

A Presidential aspirant and Governor of Sokoto State under the People Democratic Party, (PDP) Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has cautioned Kogi delegates against voting for an aspirants that does not poses the requisite experience and charisma to move the country forward.

Tanbawa gave the warning on Monday when he met with the Kogi delegates of PDP in Lokoja, Kogi State to seek for their support ahead of the forthcoming presidential primary election of the party.

According to him, the country in the last seven years have been plunged into serious security and economic challenges, saying what the nation need in 2023 is a leader that can surmount all the challenges to bring the country back on track in the interest of Nigerians.

He lamented that insecurity has worsen under the APC leadership adding that, Nigeria needs a Candidate that would unite, address the insecurity and economic crisis bedevilling the development of the nation.

“No doubt the issue of insecurity is a national issue, but it has worsen under the present administration. Any attempt to vote for APC aspirant or Candidate will worsen Nigeria situation. Nigeria should know that APC will continue from Buhari bad leadership and under-development.

“This will not go down well for our country as there is hardship in the land. We must not loose hope in this nation. Nigeria will rise again as we need a leader who will unite and not divide us”.

He said the eight years of the APC is hell on earth compared to the sixteen years rule of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), assuring that if given the opportunity will pull victory for the party and galvanize development for the country.

The Sokoto State Governor said that he is very conversant with the judiciary stressing that, his wealth of experience will bring back sanity to the Judiciary that is currently under attack by the Government in power.

Tambuwa, however, appealed to PDP delgates to go for aspirant that can deliver votes for the PDP, adding that, his emergence will put an end to cruelty of APC Government.

” I have apologize to PDP, as I was part of the people that brought this APC to power and I know how to take them out. Just give me your votes, the rest will be history as APC will be history in Nigeria”he said.

May 17, 2022
INEC Raises Concern Over Security Ahead Of 2023 Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised concerns about the security challenges in the country ahead of the 2023 general elections.

With about nine months to the polls, it, however, allayed fears that the elections might not hold due to security threats.

INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, made the remarks on Friday in Abuja at the second quarterly meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

He believes there is enough time for the security agencies to address the situation to ensure people go to their various polling units without concerns over their safety.

Although the INEC chief admitted that the present situation was enough to be worried about, he was confident that the threats would be brought under control to allow for elections.

“The general security situation in the country and its impact on the electoral process is a source of concern to the commission,” he said. “However, we are confident that with nine months to the 2023 general election, there is enough time to respond to the security challenges and secure the nation for elections to take place nationwide.

“The timetable for the election has also been released. Let us not wait until a few weeks to the election before we realise that time is not on our side and begin to seek for extension of timelines. The time to act is now. We wish to reassure the security agencies that we will continue to work cooperatively with you to ensure the success of all forthcoming elections and electoral activities.”

According to Yakubu, the commission is also preparing for two off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti State (June 18) and Osun State (July 16).

He added that it has pending bye-elections in 18 constituencies across the country comprising three senatorial districts, one federal constituency, and 14 state constituencies.

The INEC boss stated that as political parties end their primaries on June 3 with candidates emerging, campaigns in public by political parties would commence nationwide as provided by the timetable for the election, in line with the provision of the 1999 Constitution.

As a result, he said the electoral umpire and security agencies have their work clearly cut out,

“We have tasked our Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to provide basic data on areas of security challenges in their states, including citizens living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps,” he said.

“Our idea is to harvest the data as a basis for further engagement with the security agencies, as well as devising the best way to provide electoral services to all Nigerians under all circumstances.”

May 14, 2022