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2019: INEC Releases Election Details …Says Parties Must Present Presidential Candidate, Dec 3
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued the time table and schedule of activities for the 2019 general elections, fixing the conduct of party primaries including the resolution of disputes arising from primaries for August 18, 2018 to October 7, 2018, for national and state elections while that of the FCT Area Council is slated for between September 4, and October 27, 2018.
Speaking with journalists, yesterday, in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu said the commission arrived at the schedule of activities after its meeting held on the same day.
INEC equally said it would go ahead with its earlier plan to conduct the Anambra Central election on January 13.
“We are going by the orders of the Court of Appeal that INEC should conduct a fresh election within 90 days and the position of the court has not changed. So, there will be elections in Anambra Central on January 13, 2018”, Yakubu stated.
According to him, “The Publication of Notice of Election for National and State Elections would be on August 17, 2018 while that of the FCT Area Council Elections would be done on September 3, 2018. Collection of nomination forms by political parties for national and state elections begins from August 11 to 24 while that of the FCT Area Council elections would be between November 3 and 10, 2018. Commencement of campaign by political parties would be November 18 for.
“Presidential and National Assembly Elections; December 1, for Governorship and State Assembly elections and December 2, for the FCT Area Council elections. The last day for the submission of nomination forms to INEC is December 3, 2018, for Presidential and National Assembly Elections; December 17, for Governorship and State Assembly and December 14, 2018 for the FCT Area Council Elections.
“INEC equally fixed the last day for campaigns for February 14, 2019, for Presidential and National Assembly Elections as well as February 28, 2018, for Governorship, State Assembly and FCT Area Council Elections.
“Today, it is exactly 402 days to the opening of polling units nationwide at 8am on Saturday 16th February 2019. As political parties and candidates canvass the support of the electorate, the Commission wishes to appeal to all and sundry to eschew bitterness and conduct their activities with decorum. The 2015 General Election was a watershed in the history of our democracy. The Commission is determined to build on this legacy by ensuring that our elections keep getting better”, Yakubu pledged.
INEC had on March 9, 2017, announced the dates for the 2019 General Elections.
“In a clear departure from past practice when dates were announced close to elections, the Commission decided that henceforth our Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on the 3rd Saturday of the month of February of each election year, while Governorship and State Assembly elections will hold two weeks later.
“When the end of tenure of the FCT Area Councils coincide with the general election, the FCT Council elections are to be combined with the Governorship and State Assembly elections. By these decisions, the Commission fixed Saturday, 16th February, 2019, as the date for Presidential and National Assembly elections while Governorship and State Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, 2nd March, 2019.
“Since the end of tenure of FCT Chairmen and Councillors will end in 2019, the Area Council elections will also hold on Saturday 2nld March 2019.
“Consequently, while other Nigerians elect their Governors and Members of State Assemblies, citizens in the FCT will elect Chairmen and Councillors for the Area Councils”, the INEC boss recalled.
According to him, the decision of the commission to fix election dates is to engender certainty in the nation’s electoral calendar and to enable all stakeholders to prepare adequately for elections, as is the case in many mature and developing democracies.
“Already, the commission has concluded its Strategic Plan and the Strategic Plan of Action for the current electoral cycle and beyond covering the period 2017-2021 as well as Election Project Plan. The commission is moving away from the culture of quick fix, tire brigade approach to the management of elections in Nigeria.
“As our democracy matures, the planning and implementation of electoral activities should be predictable and systematic. This is all the more pertinent given the size and population of the country, the terrain, logistical requirements, the increasing number of political parties, security challenges and number of constituencies for which elections are to be held.
“For instance, in 2019 the commission will conduct elections for 1,558 Constituencies made up of one Presidential Constituency, 29 Governorship constituencies out of 36 (7 Governorship elections are staggered and conducted off-cycle), 109 Senatorial Districts, 360 Federal Constituencies, 991 State Assembly Constituencies, 6 Area Council Chairmen as well as 62 Councillorship positions for the FCT”, Yakubu added.
He said INEC will today also issue certificates of registration to 21 new political parties who were registered last month.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has declared that parties must submit names of candidates for Presidential and National Assembly elections by December 3, 2018.
Unveiling timetable and schedule of activities for 2019 general elections, yesterday at a press briefing in Abuja, INEC chairman, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, also gave December 17, 2018, as the final date for submission of nomination forms for candidates for the governorship and State Assembly elections.
The final list of candidates for the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections which will hold simultaneously with national assembly and governorship elections must also reach the Commission by December 14, 2018.
Giving further insight into the timetable, Professor Yakubu said collection of nomination forms by political parties for presidential, governorship, national and state assembly elections must be done between 11th-24th August 2018.
The INEC chairman also disclosed that conduct of party primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from such primaries for national and state elections must be concluded between 18th August-7th October 2018.
He further revealed that political parties would be allowed to commence the campaign for votes, starting with presidential and national assembly candidates on 18th November 2018. Candidates for the governorship and state assembly will also be given same liberty, effective from December 1, 2018.
The INEC chairman also restated the reason why his Commission gave 16th February 2019 as the date for conduct for presidential and national assembly elections, while governorship and state assembly would hold on 2nd March 2019 .
‘’The decision of the Commission to fix election dates is to engender certainty in our electoral calendar and to enable all stakeholders to prepare adequately for elections, as is the case in many mature and developing democracies. Already, the Commission has concluded its Strategic Plan and the Strategic Plan of Action for the current electoral cycle and beyond covering the period 2017-2021 as well as Election Project Plan.
‘’The Commission is moving away from the culture of quick fix, fire brigade approach to the management of elections in Nigeria. This is all the more pertinent given the size and population of the country, the terrain, logistical requirements, the increasing number of political parties, security challenges and the number of constituencies for which elections are to be held. For instance, in 2019 the Commission will conduct elections for 1,558 Constituencies made up of one Presidential Constituency, 29 Governorship constituencies out of 36 (7 Governorship elections are staggered and conducted off-cycle), 109 Senatorial Districts, 360 Federal Constituencies, 991 State Assembly Constituencies, 6 Area Council Chairmen as well as 62 Councillorship positions for the FCT.’’
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.