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Tag: 2023 elections

  • N100bn Inadequate To Conduct 2023 Elections – INEC tells Senate

    N100bn Inadequate To Conduct 2023 Elections – INEC tells Senate

    The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, has said the N100 billion earmarked for the conduct of 2023 General Elections in next year’s budget estimates is grossly inadequate.

    Yakubu stated this, on Friday, when he appeared before the Senate Committee on INEC to defend the commission’s 2022 budget estimates.

    He said while N189bn was appropriated for the 2019 General Elections, that of the 2023 could not be N100bn only.

    According to him, the N100bn was the first tranche for the 2023 general elections while N40bn was the commission’s annual budgetary allocation.

    He said, “We are already in touch with the Federal Ministry of Finance on the additional requirements for the 2023 general elections.

    “Either we come to the National Assembly to defend the budget before the committee or we would do what we did in 2019 when the executive just submitted the proposal to the National Assembly and we came to defend it.

    “We would need more money because we’ve expanded our polling units and we are introducing new technology for elections among many other new innovations. The number of registered voters will increase beyond the 84 million for the 2019 general elections.”

    Giving a breakdown of proposed expenditure for upcoming elections, the INEC boss said the commission has earmarked N7.3bn for the procurement of none sensitive materials and logistics.

    “We also budgeted N7bn for the conduct of Ekiti and Osun governorship election including the possibility of runoffs.”

    “We made a provision of N2.6bn for Ekiti State with a population of over one million registered voters and N4.4bn for Osun with 30 local government areas.

    “We are earmarking N4.2bn for the continuous registration exercise in 2,700 centres and N619m for monitoring of party congresses and campaign activities.

    “I am not sure it would be adequate. We are monitoring party congresses and primaries right from the ward levels by direct means. We have 8,809 wards and 18 political parties. We have types of elections. Presidential, Senatorial, House of Representatives, and States constituency primaries. If they would be done by direct means, we have to make preparations for it.

    “We have 993 state constituencies. So, if parties are going to nominate their candidates we are going to monitor in all the locations — 109 senatorial districts, 360 House of Representatives and 28 governorship elections because eight are being conducted off season. We will monitor party primaries for the nomination of candidates in over 1, 400 constituencies so the cost would be enormous.

    “We have earmarked N2bn for litigation and prosecution. This has become a real burden on the commission. In the last 27 elections we have conducted, none has been successfully litigated in court including Edo and Ondo,” Yakubu said.

  • 2023 Elections: Plots Against Pantami Thickens

    2023 Elections: Plots Against Pantami Thickens

    Over Vice Presidency Slot…

    The hon Minister of communication and digital economy Dr Isa Pantami is yet to have respite following fresh plans by some powerful stakeholders to clamp down on his alleged ambition to become vice president in 2023 general election.

    “In a press release on Thursday, the New Nigeria Renaissance Group said it has intercepted intelligence on the plots for a fresh media war against Dr Pantami.

    Part of the plots includes, the publication of sustained injurious articles against the Minister in order to make him look unsellable to any potential Presidential candidate.

    “This is most regrettable and most never be allowed to see the light of the day”

    “Politicians should learn to play politics with a human face without recourse to destroying people and their hard earned reputation” Comrade Ibrahim Musa said.

    The next general election is two years away, Dr Pantami has not indicated any interest in any elective position in future, he is only focused on digitalising our nation’s economy” why the focus on bringing him down?

    “Why do we put pressure on our best brains who chose to sacrifice for this country? The group queried.

    The group further said a lot of people with the capacity for leadership are not disposed to offering same home because of the toxic environment’ But Dr Pantami offered himself for Service and must be supported rather than destroyed over phantom political ambitions.

    “How can you budget over 80,000 US dollars as a politician just to destroy a fellow compatriots reputation?

    “We urge Nigerians to be on the watch out for more of such evil shenanigans against the the hon Minister of communication and digital economy.

  • Forget 2023 Elections And Fix Insecurity, Lawmaker Tell Politicians

    Forget 2023 Elections And Fix Insecurity, Lawmaker Tell Politicians

    The Senator representing Ekiti North in the National Assembly, Olubunmi Adetunmbi, has asked Nigerian politicians to forget political activities for the 2023 general elections and address the worsening security situation in the country.

    Adetunmbi stated this on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, noting that without security, polls cannot hold.

    “We should suspend this issue of focus on 2023 and focus on how to salvage this country so that people who have the capacity, knowledge, vision and the solution to solve this problem, that is what we should interrogate and not scoring points,” he said.

    “The people who want to use security as a means electioneering and edging out those in power for them to come back there, what do they govern when there is no Nigeria?

    “When there is war in Zamfara, there is a problem in Katsina. In Ogun State, there are displacements. In Oyo, Ekiti, there are killings going on. In the east, everything is happening. In that kind of context, how do you govern regardless of what party you belong to?”

    Speaking further, the lawmaker called on all Nigerians to collaborate to overcome the security issues facing the country.

    As measures to tackling the security issues, President Muhammadu Buhari earlier this year replaced his four top military commanders in a bid to better combat the insurgency that has also displaced more than two million people from their homes since 2009.

    ISWAP split from mainstream Boko Haram in 2016 and became a dominant group, launching attacks on military bases and ambushing troops while abducting travellers at fake checkpoints.

    Since 2019, the army has mostly withdrawn from villages and smaller bases into so-called “super camps”, fortified garrisons meant to give better protection against attacks.

    But critics say the strategy has left jihadists with more freedom to roam untouched in rural areas and made highways vulnerable to kidnappings and assaults.

  • 2023: Kick out APC instead of running to Canada – Fayemi tells youths

    2023: Kick out APC instead of running to Canada – Fayemi tells youths

    Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has urged Nigerian youths to organise themselves and kick out the All Progressives Congress, APC, from power if they are dissatisfied with the party.

    Fayemi said Nigerian youths should vote out APC rather than relocating to Canada and other foreign countries.

    The Governor spoke during his address at ‘The Platform’, an annual programme organised by Covenant Christian Centre yesterday.

    Fayemi said rather than relocate to Canada, youths should stay back and help Nigeria become a better place.

    The Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, also cautioned youths against creating anarchy in the country.

    He said: “Don’t succumb to despondency, there is a lot to hail in this country. There is a lot to frustrate you, a lot to want to make you give up and pick that visa and go to Canada.

    “I know Canada is a popular destination but you know what? There is also a glass ceiling in Canada.

    “Another election is going to come if you do not like what APC is doing. Organise, stop agonising, organise against the party.

    “Link up with others who are organising and then kick the APC out of office and put people that you think we do better not creating a situation of anarchy.”

    Fayemi charged youths to hold elected representatives in their wards accountable rather than engaging in what he called “Twitter revolution.”

    He lamented that youths now use the micro-blogging site to attack governors, ministers and government officials.

    “Go to the wards, go to the communities and challenge what they are doing there. Hold them accountable,” he added.

  • 2023 Elections Will Not Hold If Insecurity Persists, Says Ortom

    2023 Elections Will Not Hold If Insecurity Persists, Says Ortom

    The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has said that if the insecurity challenges in the country persist, the 2023 elections will not hold.

    Governor Ortom stated this on Tuesday when he visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    The governor who arrived at the Villa unaccompanied met with the President over issues of insecurity in the country.

    He thanked the President for condemning the attack on his farm but said: “that there will be no 2023 elections in Nigeria if insecurity persists”.

    Briefing journalists after meeting with the President, Governor Ortom disclosed that the nation is sitting on a keg of gun powder without meaningful progress being made on the issue of security.

    Speaking on the protection of the constitution, Ortom appealed for the provisions of the constitution to be protected to enable equity, fairness, and justice in the country.

    He criticized the issue of impunity in the country which he said has been allowed to fester, thereby urging the Federal Government to immediately prosecute anyone found culpable of breaching the law.

    On the question of reports alleging that attacks on his convoy was a pseudo claim, the Governor explicitly appealed to everyone not to politicize the issue of attempted assassination on his person.

    He made the emphasis that the attack on his convoy by about 15 gunmen suspected to be herdsmen, while on a visit to his farm was not stage-managed.

    While asserting that he has not done anything wrong in enacting an anti-open grazing law beneficial to the state, he said the demand by the cattle breeders association, Miyetti Allah to repel the law would be impossible to fulfill, because it went through due process, hence the matter is clearly beyond him.

    He prayed that what happened to him would not be experienced by anyone else.

    The governor commended other governors, colleagues for standing by him during the attack.

  • I will bequeath free, fair elections-Buhari

    I will bequeath free, fair elections-Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has declared that as a beneficiary of a free and fair election in the country, he would bequeath the same to his successor and the nation in 2023.

    The president, according to a statement by one of his spokesmen, Malam Garba Shehu, spoke at a dinner with members of the legal team for the 2019 presidential election petition on Thursday in Abuja.

    Buhari recounted that the turnout of Nigerians during his presidential campaigns to the 36 states of the federation in 2019  convinced him that his re-election was not a fluke.

    ‘‘The number of people that turned out in every state across the country was more than anybody can buy or force.

    ‘‘This gave me so much confidence and the election proved that with the votes I got.

    ‘‘That is why I insist that elections must be free and fair because I am a clear successor to a free and fair election,’’ he said.

    The president told the legal team that he was already looking forward to a peaceful hand over in 2023, stressing that he was morally bound to fulfil that wish.

    ‘‘Morally, I want to have a clear conscience. I swore by the Holy Book that I will abide by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    ‘‘I will continue to do my best and I hope that by 2023, I can hand over quietly to whoever succeeds me and I wish him the best of luck,’’ he said.

    The president commended the legal team led by Chief Wole Olanipekun for the outstanding legal successes recorded in the presidential election petition.

    He praised the team for the effective legal strategy that thrived in piloting his election litigation.

    ‘‘You creditably demonstrated a deep understanding of the law and its practices and I am indeed proud of you all.

    ‘‘I am confident that by securing a convincing and unanimous legal victory at the Supreme Court you have by so doing ensured that the political mandate of the Nigerian electorate is now firmly secured,’’ he said.

    The president added that the legal team’s enormous contributions had affirmed the rule of law and further entrenched democratic governance in Nigeria.

    ‘‘This legal team is an assemblage of some of the most scholarly legal teams ever assembled in this country.

    ‘‘I must note that the aforesaid legal successes recorded through your excellence have assisted me in fulfilling this government’s desire for a better Nigeria,’’ he said.

    On behalf of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the president told the team to accept his commendations and best wishes for their meritorious service.

    In his remarks, the lead counsel, Olanipekun said the legal victory was won based on the facts of law, stressing that the president never used his position or office to influence the decision of the courts.

    “The courts were allowed to do their job Mr President and I must commend you for that sir.

    “Nobody whispered to anyone of us, how we are going to see Judge A or Judge B? That’s the way it should be. Judges must be allowed and be given free hand to do their job.

    ‘‘Mr President, we are happy to have been called upon and we are happy that we delivered,” Olanipekun said.

    On electoral reforms, Olanipekun acknowledged that while the National Assembly was working on the Electoral Act, the law required some ‘‘rejigging and cleansing.’’

    ‘‘We are happy to know that the National Assembly is doing something about the electoral law.

    ‘‘We are ready to cooperate with them without taking a dime, whether as consultants, whether as legal practitioners, whether as experts. If the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) will co-opt us we are ready to give assistance,’’ he said.

    Olanipekun also commended the president’s commitment to the rule of law, saying ‘‘it is the surest legacy Mr President can bequeath to our dear nation.’’ (NAN)