Politics
Voters Registration: The Gains And Pains
The three week voters registration exercise which ended penultimate on Saturday 5 February 2011 with originally tales of woes, frustration and success. The voters registration exercise was criminally scheduled to end two-week but extended by seven, days to enable the Independent National Electoral Commission solve all the problems associated with the exercise.
Prince Chika Mini, a legal practitioner based in Port Harcourt, said it was not surprise that the 2006 voter registration exercise was not different from the 2011 electronic voter registration. Hence, the INEC officials were unable to effectively operate the direct data capturing (DDC) machines during the early days into the two-week exercise. In his words: “the voter registration exercise, a key element in the electoral process, turned out to be a flop despite the so much talked about electoral reforms and the billions of naira smith into the exercise,” he said further.
“Nigerians hope, optimism were dashed and despair reigns in the minds of eligible voters following the initial hiccups experienced throughout the exercise across the nation.
Under the amended Electoral Law 2010, Part III Section 9(5) INEC has the power to commence the registration of voters, updating and revision of register of voters not later than 60 days before any election. Also under Section 10(3) stated “The Commission shall within sixty days after each year make available to every political party, the names and address of each person registered during that year.” How realistic will INEC implement this extant Law is yet to be seen.
Despite the gains political observers argued that the exercise witnessed anger, frustration and disappointment against the operations of the direct data capturing (DDC) Machines. In some centres in Rivers State and other States, the voters registration exercise took off late. The process was marred by the difficulty in thumb printing on the DDC machines.
Similar incident occurred in some areas, where scanners failed to function effectively thereby causing slow process in the exercise. Also, lack of constant electricity supply hampered the effective operations of the machines and poor power supply were among some of the lapses as witnessed by eligible voters.
However, some of the eligible voters investigation revealed complained about registration officials. For example, in Port Harcourt ward 20 at Azuabie registration centre, an eligible voter, Mr. Wariboko Tari, said the registration officials lack the necessary understanding of the application and knowledge on how to operate the computer.
He further said some of the registration officials called INEC ad-hoc staff cannot even connect the system because they are inexperience.
Investigation further revealed that the training programme conducted for the Ad-hoc staff prior to the commencement of the registration exercise was not fruitful as some of the ad-hoc staff (NYSC) members can not operate the machine. Yet they were paid N800 daily for transportation and N30,000 allowance for the duration of the voters registration exercise.
Most eligible voters interviewed blamed the pain associated with the exercise on the inexperience nature of the ad-hoc staff (NYSC) members deployed to operate (DDC) machines during the initial commencement of the exercise.
Also, Mr. Thompson Okujagu a resident of Okrika Island said, the process that hindered the effective voters registration exercise was the poor publicity management by INEC and the various organs of government. For instance, he observed that a lot of eligible voters were left in the dark about where the registration centres are located specially, the surrounding fishing settlements.
Mrs. Blessing Chukwu of Anoze Street, Mille 2 Diobu collaborated this fact and said, it took her and her family three days to discover where the registration centre was in Diobu for her to register.
She added nobody informed them of the whereabout of the registration centres till their neighbours discovered it and informed them. She said “we only register when the state government declared a work free day”.
Towards a hitch free voters registration, INEC had in November 2010 awarded the contract for the supply of 132,000 Direct Data Capturing Machine to three companies out of the four companies that bidded.
The successful companies were Haier Electrical Appliances Corporation Limited awarded 30,000 units at 1699,60 dollar, per unit. Zinox Technologies Limited awarded 80,000 units at 1771,73 dollar, per unit Avante International Technology Incorporation limited awarded 22,000 Units at 1699,60 dollar, per unit.
An official of the INEC Port Harcourt Ms. Chizoreze Nwagbara said the DDC machines were purchased from China where they were assembled.
China was considered because of it low cost of production. Nigerians complaint bordered on alleged low quality of the machines from China and logistic problems. The low quality of the machines was alleged to be responsible for the malfunctioning of the machines.
According to Chief Engineer of an I.T firm in Port Harcourt, Engr. Goddy Onwuigbo told The Tide that INEC failed to open and check or test the effectiveness of the DDC machines before distributing it out to their state offices. He said the DDC machines were substandard and of poor quality in the I.T. international market.
He further said Nigerians witnessed the shoddy voters’ registration exercise due to the faulty equipment, substandard DDC Machines, incompetent vendors and adoption of software produced by a less qualified consultant. Some of the problems also were attributable to a situation where some states were equally supplied insufficient DDC machines for the voters registration exercise.
The problem, according to most eligible voters, seem insurmountable that Nigerians had to call for seven-day extension of the exercise to address the problems.
However, when the INEC’s Chairman, Prof. Jega appeared before the Senate to explain some of the hitches that trailed the registration exercise, he said the initial crisis which made it difficult for most eligible voters to register was caused by the DDC machines which were mistakenly formatted forensic exercise that were of higher grade than mere capturing of the information necessary for elections.
He demanded for extra budgetary provision of 6.6 billion naira approval to cope with the extension of the exercise by one week from 29th January -5 February.
By the extension, eligible voters who were disappointed by the malfunctioning of (DDC) machines took advantage of the seven-day extension to register. Yet there are more pressures and calls on INEC for further extension of the registration exercise to enable eligible voters exercise their franchise.
Investigations revealed that in some riverine communities of Rivers State, much had not be done to achieve the much expected gains. For instance, some eligible voters clustered around the riverine communities of Andoni, Okirika, Kalabari, Bonny may have been disenfranchised due to logistic problem.
The totality of the people’s verdict is that INEC should put its house in order before the main elections, as Nigerians are not prepared for flimsy excuse from Prof. Jega and his team, especially in their inability to enhance the success of the democratic governance.
The teeming problems identified specially the central server and capacity to tackle multiple registrations must be addressed by INEC now before the general elections.
Philip-Wuwu Okparaji
Senate has again approved a three-month extension implementation period for capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act from June 30 to Sept 30.
This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno (APC- Borno) at plenary yesterday.
Monguno, moving the motion, said the extension became necessary given the unutilsed substantial funds released to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for implementation of projects under the 2025 budget.
According to him, delays caused by procurement processes, project implementation challenges and administrative procedures had slowed the execution of several critical government projects.
Monguno said many strategic projects across key sectors of the economy were already at advanced stages of completion and required additional time for execution, certification and payment.
“Failure to extend the implementation period of the 2025 Appropriation Act may result in the abandonment of critical projects, the wastage of already committed public resources and the disruption of ongoing government interventions,” he said.
He argued that some allocations contained in the budget might not be accommodated in subsequent appropriation cycles if the implementation window expired.
This, he said would create funding gaps and ultimately undermine development objectives.
He said that extending the validity period of the budget would improve budget performance, facilitate the efficient utilisation of released funds and support economic growth.
“Granting a further extension of the implementation period is in the national interest and will ensure value for money in public expenditure,” he said.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Sen. Solomon Adeola (APC-Ogun), supporting the motion, explained that the extension was specifically targeted at the capital component of the budget.
According to him, when President Bola Tinubu presented the 2025 budget to the National Assembly, there is an understanding that 30 per cent of the budget implementation will be completed by March 31, while the remaining 70 per cent will be rolled into the 2026 budget.
Adeola said that the implementation timeline was not fully achieved, prompting the National Assembly to earlier extend the budget’s lifespan to June 30.
“While we were passing the 2026 budget, due to the non-implementation of that promise, we were forced to extend the budget to June 30,” he said.
He said although payments had commenced, significant obligations remained outstanding.
“There is a need to extend this budget beyond June 30 to September 30, by then, we are hopeful that the outstanding 30 per cent will have been paid in full, while implementation of the components transferred to the 2026 budget can commence.”
Adeola urged senators to support the extension to ensure proper implementation of projects and prevent disruptions to government programmes.
Sen.Victor Umeh (NDC-Anambra), who seconded the motion cited the need to sustain the execution of projects captured under the 2025 Appropriation Act.
“In view of the need to sustain the continued execution of the projects covered in the 2025 Appropriation Act, as amended, I hereby second the motion,” Umeh said.
Following deliberations, Senate President Akpabio put the proposal to a voice vote and it was overwhelmingly adopted by the lawmakers..
Akpabio in his remarks said the decision was necessary to prevent interruptions in payments and project execution.
“The payment would have stopped halfway if this was not done,” he said.
The Senate President commended the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and other lawmakers involved in handling the matter.
He directed that the Senate’s resolution be transmitted to the executive for implementation.
“Accordingly, the resolution of the Senate is being communicated to the Executive that the 2025 Appropriation Act has been extended to Sept 30.
The National Assembly had earlier extended the implementation period of the 2025 budget to June 30, following delays in the release and utilisation of capital funds.
Senate, thereafter, adjourned plenary to July 7.
The member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State, Frederick Agbedi, yesterday emerged as the new Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
Agbedi’s emergence follows the resignation of former Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda of Rivers State, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress, creating a vacuum in the leadership structure of the opposition caucus in the Green Chamber.
His nomination was contained in a letter transmitted to the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, by the minority caucus during plenary, yesterday.
In the letter, the caucus announced that its members had reached a consensus on the replacement of vacant principal offices allocated to opposition parties in the House.
Abbas, while reading the letter said, “The election of the House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria, the minority members of the 10th Assembly hereby unanimously nominate the following members by consensus to fill the vacant positions of the minority in the parliament.
“Number one is the Minority Leader, Hon Frederick Agbedi.
“Number two is the position of minority whip, and the person they have endorsed is Hon Mansur Soro (APM, Bauchi).
“The last but not the least is my brother from the North-West, Hon Abdussamad Dasuki (ADC, Sokoko) for the position of Deputy Minority Leader.
“Honourable colleagues, today the body of principal officers is complete, and I want to seize this opportunity on behalf of the whole entire House to congratulate the three people and to wish them all the best in their new positions.”
With the development, Agbedi assumes the responsibility of coordinating opposition lawmakers in the House and articulating the position of minority parties on legislative matters before the chamber.
A ranking lawmaker and one of the longest-serving members of the House, Agbedi has represented Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency since 2011.
His appointment is expected to strengthen the voice of the opposition caucus at a time when defections and realignments continue to reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Also announced was the emergence of Hon Mansur Soro of the Allied Peoples Movement as Minority Whip and Hon Abdussamad Dasuki of the African Democratic Congress as Deputy Minority Leader, completing the minority leadership structure in the 10th House.
Speaking after the announcement, Abbas congratulated the newly appointed principal officers and pledged the cooperation of the House leadership.
“The leadership of the House will work with them assiduously in ensuring that we achieve our legislative agenda objectives of this very important 10th Assembly,” he added.
The emergence of the new minority leadership comes amid recent changes to the House Rules governing the selection of principal officers. The amendments, which introduced fresh eligibility requirements, have generated debate within opposition ranks and influenced the contest for key leadership positions.
Shortly after the announcement, a lawmaker from Imo State who had been nominated for the position of Minority Leader last week, Ikenga Ugochinyere, formally withdrew from the race.
He cited the amended House Rules and the new eligibility criteria for principal officers as the basis for his decision.
The latest appointments are expected to restore stability within the opposition bloc following weeks of uncertainty triggered by Chinda’s defection and the subsequent scramble for leadership positions.
Political observers believe the new leadership team will face the immediate challenge of forging unity among lawmakers drawn from different opposition parties while providing effective legislative scrutiny of the executive and the ruling APC-dominated parliament.
For the PDP, which remains the largest opposition party in the House despite recent defections, Agbedi’s emergence is seen as a strategic move aimed at maintaining cohesion within the minority caucus and strengthening its influence in parliamentary proceedings.
In a letter titled, “An Open Letter to Former President Goodluck Jonathan,” the observer said Dr Jonathan should be careful not to allow himself to be drawn into partisan calculations driven by ambition rather than national interest.
He cautioned the former president against allowing himself to be used by what he described as desperate political interests.
“I believe this is the time to protect the good name and legacy you have built over the years. You should not allow yourself to be used by desperate political elements who may be more interested in their own ambitions than in the future of Nigeria,” the letter read.
The Social Commentator further warned Dr Jonathan to be wary of those advocating for his comeback, claiming many of them were previously opposed to his administration.
“Many of those calling for your return today were your antagonists, those who frustrated your government back then. You should be careful not to become a pawn in a game designed by others or else they will stain your white with their ‘roforofo’,” he said.
He maintained that Dr Jonathan’s legacy remains defined by his decision to concede defeat in 2015, which he described as a landmark moment in Nigeria’s democratic history.
“Your legacy was built through years of public service and your decision to put the country’s peace above personal ambition at a critical moment in Nigeria’s history. That legacy should not be put at risk because of the desperation of a few politicians,” he added.
Mr Adenuga also alleged that some of the promoters of Dr Jonathan’s return have lost credibility in the public space.
“The truth is that some of the people pushing you to contest have already damaged their own reputations. They should not be allowed to stain your legacy with their soiled hands. What they could not achieve on their own should not be pursued through your name and goodwill,” he stressed.
He concluded by urging the former president to remain above political manoeuvring and protect his place in history.
“History has been kind to you. Preserve that honour and remain above the political games of those who want to use your name for their own purposes,” he wrote.
Recall that former President Goodluck Jonathan recently emerged as the presidential candidate of the Kabiru Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following a special convention held in Abuja, where delegates ratified his nomination ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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