Politics

INEC And The Burden Of Credible Elections

Published

11 years ago

January 26, 2015

Waking up with a big
burden could be quite uncomfortable. The burden, as it were, was not personal but concerns the task ahead of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in next month’s general elections in Nigeria.
Reflecting on the burden of INEC, there are more questions begging for answers. Have the electoral body learnt any lesson from her previous outings? Can INEC make the 2015 elections the best in its performance? Will the Attahiru Jega-led INEC conduct election that will herald the formation of a parallel government? Or will the 2015 polls mark the end of Nigeria’s corporate unity? Even more, is it not possible that INEC can disappoint all prophets of doom and failure concerning its conduct of the February polls? What do Nigeria and Nigerians stand to gain if INEC fails in this national assignment?
Emerging from those questions, is the realisation of how great the burden before the electoral body is to conduct a free, fair, non-violent and credible elections. To accomplish this task, INEC says it has planned and believed it will work. One of the INEC’s plans is the distribution of the permanent voter cards (PVCs) to eligible electorate. Less than four weeks to the February polls, reports say about 25 per cent of Nigerians are yet to collect their PVCs.
According to a coalition of 100 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under the aegis of Love Your Country Initiative, the complaints over inadequate distribution of permanent voter cards will make the forthcoming elections less credible.
In a statement by its Chairman and Life Patron, Eze Maxwell Kanu and Vice Chairman, Mr Funmi Omosule, the 100 NGOs said about two states in the North and many people across the country have not collected their PVCs less than a month to the election, wondering what magic INEC would perform.
The concern of the 100 NGOs is that “if INEC could only distribute 75 per cent of the PVCs in more than one year, certainly INEC will not be able to distribute the remaining 25 per cent in just three weeks”. The fear is genuine, though it is not enough to justify the demand by the coalition on INEC to shift the February 14 general election by 30 days. Rather than solve the problem of what it called the “kangaroo election”, the poll shift by 30 days will not only justify the claim by the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the Peoples Democratic Party-led federal government plans to shift the electoral date for fear of losing the poll, but also heat up the polity, the consequences of which is unpredictable.
“Section 25 (6) of the Electoral Act 2010 states that any election to the office of the President shall be held on a date not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of the office of the last holder of the office”. The section therefore makes it clear and possible for election to be held between 30 and 150 days before the swearing in of the next administration.
From all indications, the provisions of the Electoral Act on the subject matter is unambiqious, but attempt to shift the scheduled election dates will certainly cast doubt in the ability of INEC to conduct free, fair and credible polls. To avoid the fear of the unknown, INEC should work round the clock in ensuring that all eligible voters that are registered get their PVCs before the D-Day.
Equally worrisome is the reports of names of registered voters allegedly omitted from the accreditation list. A situation where registered voters can not find their names on the accreditation list or wrongly misplaced from one polling unit to another as recorded in previous elections is not healthy enough. Such cases are most likely to disenfranchise legitimate voters from exercising their civic responsibilities.
Although every election has its challenges, on the accreditation list or misplacement of voter names, it is expected that the electoral body would have learnt its lesson from previous conduct of elections and garnered enough experiences to right the wrong of the past. Attahiru Jega and his team at the INEC should not waste time in rectifying the problems of for hitch-free elections.
One crop of individuals who services are indispensible in the conduct of the elections are members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC). Cases are bound where priority attention were not given to the welfare of the corp members recruited for the elections. To leave the welfare of NYSC members involved in the elections in the hands of the political parties and their candidates make them (corp members) vulnerable to corrupt practices, which if not checked could mar the outcome of the polls.
It becomes necessary therefore that INEC must make adequate arrangement for the welfare of NYSC members and other ad-hoc staff for the election. Also important is the need for the electoral body to streamline properly the remuneration, the process of payment and the office(s) responsible for the welfare of the NYSC members so that they can be held accountable if they do not live up to expectation in the discharge of duties.
Getting the election well invariably starts with adequate welfare of the personnel involved in the polls, and that is why INEC should not only recruit credible hands from the NYSC fold but also be committed in catering for their welfare and security before and after the polls.
INEC cannot forget in a hurry the embarrassment it faced when the printing vendor(s) failed to deliver as at when due. Opinions may be divided that INEC suffered such fate because the process of awarding the printing contracts was not transparent or the electoral body failed to meet its side of the bargain.
Whatever the reason for the inability of the printing vendor(s) not to deliver on time in the past, Nigerians, this time around, would not accept any blame game in event of failure to deliver sensitive materials meant for the elections. Both the commission and the printing vendor(s) should work in synergy to rectify relevant issues on printing of sensitive election materials on time.
Another aspect of logistics that have given bad name to INEC is inadequate ballot papers at the polling units; late arrival of vote materials at some polling units; errors in the printing of some ballot papers where in some cases, some party logos were either omitted or blurred etc. INEC, in a manner that suggest that it is determined to raise its credibility status, should put all logistics in place now.
However, INEC could create, if it has not done so, a special information technology platform through SMS whereby Nigerians could communicate challenge(s) faced in any given polling unit for INEC to address speedily as the need arises. Interestingly, the mobile (social media) has become a critical technology for election monitoring and coordination.
For instances, the creation of Ushahidi-com in Kenya, a social media platform eventually became a crisis reporting platform for the public to contribute information and comments on unfolding crisis in the land. Since the inception of Ushahidi.com in 1982, the platform has become a critical component in monitoring elections and other challenges in Kenya.
In Nigeria, the nation’s network operators therefore have critical role to play in the success of the elections. A lot good will come the way of election stakeholders if they are able to communicate freely during the election period.
The problem of poor funding of INEC remains a source of concern. It is not clear how much funds have been made available to the commission ahead of next month’s general elections, going by previous experience and coupled with the downturn in the economy.
Of course, the problem of bad eggs in INEC has often questioned the integrity of the electoral body to conduct credible polls. In some cases, INEC has demonstrated enough courage to weed out bad elements in its rank.
But “merely transferring crooks within its ranks from one state to another as had been the practice does not solve the problem, rather it lends credence to the argument that INEC colludes with certain persons to influence election results especially in favour of the highest bidders. INEC’s determination to identify all the bad eggs in her system and weed them out will send a good signal that it is no longer business as usual in the work of the commission.
The INEC chairman admitted the myriads of problems including insecurity, poor funding, attitude of the political class and parties, apathetic and inactive citizenry, police complicity in fraudent elections, prosecution of electoral offenders etc facing his commission. “These challenges are not insurmountable and we will spare no efforts to ensure that the aspirations of Nigerians for fee, fair, credible and peaceful elections are actualised in 2015, “Jaga assured.
While many may doubt the sincerity of Jega’s INEC to live up to expectations in the conduct of a credible elections, it stands to reason that the commission’s credibility is about to be put to text once more. Apart from the commission, political parties and their supporters, security agents, the judiciary, the media and of course the electorate have enormous role to play to assist INEC raise its peformance score card in the conduct of free, fair, peaceful and credible elections in Nigeria.

Samuel Eleonu

Prof. Attahiru Jega, INEC Chairman

Politics

Senate Urges Tinubu To Sack CAC Boss

Published

2 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

The Senate yesterday urged President Bola Tinubu to remove the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Hussaini Magaji, over what lawmakers described as a persistent refusal to appear before its Committee on Finance.

The resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu during a session where members of the President’s economic team were present for engagement with the committee.

Tension rose at the commencement of the meeting when agency heads were introduced and senators observed the absence of the CAC Registrar-General, who had been invited to account for the commission’s activities, particularly on revenue matters.

Moving the motion, Kalu expressed anger over what he termed repeated disregard for legislative oversight, accusing the CAC boss of consistently avoiding invitations to appear before the committee.

He said, “Since I came to the Senate, this CAC man has always given excuses that he is in the Villa or going to London. He is not above the law. This man is not coming to the Senate. Look at the ministers of finance and budget. They are both here. We summoned them and they came.

“But this man thinks he’s bigger than the Senate. We’re not going to take that rubbish again. He had refused on so many occasions to honour our invitation to appear before this committee. We have issues with the reconciliation of the revenue of CAC.

“I move a motion that the man should be reported to Mr President and ask for immediate removal because we cannot continue with him. Is that what we’re doing here? He should come and give us an account of what he had done.”

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, corroborated the concerns, pointing to unresolved discrepancies in the reconciliation of the commission’s revenues.

He noted that despite several invitations, the registrar-general had failed to show up to address the issues raised by senators.

“The registrar-general of the Corporate Affairs Commission has refused on so many occasions to honour the calls, invitations or summons of this most important committee.

“There are only about three committees that are in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Committee of Finance is one of those committees. Sections 88, and 89 have given us these powers.

“And as registrar-general, we have issues with the reconciliation of their revenue. Anytime he is invited, he will give us one reason or another, and he will send junior officers to come and talk to the Senate. That cannot be accepted,” he said.

In a further show of frustration, Senator Adams Oshiomhole proposed that the Senate escalate the matter by withholding approval of the CAC’s 2026 budget pending the registrar-general’s personal appearance before the committee.

Oshiomhole also suggested that the commission be restrained from spending its internally generated revenue without prior approval of the national assembly.

“This senate should decline to appropriate anything in the 2026 budget until we are satisfied that he has accounted for previous money and spending properly.

“And should he spend money that is not appropriated, he should be heading to Kuje prison,” Oshiomhole said.

The motion urging the President to remove the CAC Registrar-General was subsequently put to a voice vote and adopted.

The development underscores renewed assertiveness by the Senate in exercising its constitutional oversight functions, particularly over revenue-generating agencies.

The Corporate Affairs Commission, which regulates companies and business registrations in Nigeria, is a key contributor to non-oil revenue, making accountability and transparency central to its operations.

News

Amend Constitution To Accommodate State Police, Tinubu Tells Senators

Published

2 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu has appealed to the leadership of the 10th Senate to amend the constitution to provide a legal framework for the establishment of State Police to tackle insecurity nationwide.

President Tinubu made the appeal during an interfaith breakfast with senators at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday.

The president said that the creation of State Police has become urgent to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, strengthen grassroots policing, and enhance states’ capacity to respond swiftly to threats within their jurisdictions.

He noted that a decentralised policing structure would complement existing federal security architecture and promote intelligence-led, community-focused law enforcement.

“We are facing terrorism, banditry, and insurgency. But we will never fail to make a right response to this cause. What I will ask for tonight is for you (Senators) to start thinking how best to amend the constitution to incorporate the State Police for us to secure our country, take over our forests from marauders, and free our children from fear,” he said.

The president commended the cordial relationship between the Executive and the Senate, saying that unity is needed to defeat terrorism and banditry in the country.

“It is a good thing that we are working in harmony, we are looking forward to a country that evolves, a country that takes care of its citizens and protects all.

Tinubu thanked the Senate for its unflinching support towards achieving various economic reforms of his administration, especially the fuel subsidy removal and tax reform policy.

“I have a lot of credit for bold reforms. Without your collaboration and inspiration, those reforms would not be possible. We are reformists together. What we gave up and what we stopped is monumental corruption in the subsidy system. We don’t want to participate in monumental corruption and arbitrage foreign exchange.

You don’t have to chase me for dollars; you could see what Nigeria is today. You should be proud, and I am glad you are. What we are enjoying is a stable economy, and prosperity is beckoning us. We need to work hard, and this attendance means a lot to me,” the president said.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, commended the president for hosting the leadership of the Senate to the Interfaith breaking of fast.

He commended President Tinubu for providing the visionary leadership the nation needs at this critical time, stating that the administration’s bold reforms have now brought more revenue to governors at the sub-national level for the development of critical infrastructure.

The Senate President prayed for the administration, and for the nation’s peace and prosperity.

Politics

FCT COUNCILS’ ELECTIONS: PDP WINS GWAGWALADA CHAIRMANSHIP AS APC SECURES AMAC, BWARI

Published

6 days ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

Alhaji Mohammed Kasim, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has won the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Philip Akpeni, the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced the results on Sunday morning.

Alhaji Kasim polled 22,165 votes to defeat Alhaji Yahaya Shehu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 17,788 votes.

Alhaji Biko Umar of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) scored 1, 687 to come in third place.

“I am the returning officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Gwagwalada chairmanship held on Feb. 21, 2026,” Akpeni said.

“That Mohammed Kasim of PDP, having certified the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”

In the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Maikalangu, the APC candidate, was declared the winner of the chairmanship poll with 40,295 votes.

Andrew Abue, the Collation Officer for AMAC, said Hon. Maikalangu, who is the incumbent AMAC chairman, was returned elected having scored the highest number of votes cast.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) came second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 3,398 votes.

According to Abue, the total number of valid votes in the chairmanship poll was 62,861, while the total votes cast stood at 65,197.

He added that the number of registered voters in AMAC was 837,338, while the total number of accredited voters was 65,676.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr. Joshua Ishaku of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Bwari Area Council Chairmanship election.

Announcing the result on Sunday in Bwari, the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Mohammed Nurudeen, stated that Ishaku polled a total of 18,466 votes to emerge victorious in the February 21, 2026 poll.

“I am the Returning Officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Bwari chairmanship held on Feb. 21, 2026. That Joshua Ishaku, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Nurudeen said.

According to the results declared, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) secured 4,254 votes, while the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) polled 3,515 votes to place second and third respectively.

The declaration adds to the series of results emerging from the 2026 FCT Area Council elections, as political parties assess their performance ahead of future contests.

INEC UPLOADS 2,602 OF 2,822 FCT CHAIRMANSHIP RESULTS ON IReV

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had uploaded 2,602 out of the 2,822 expected polling unit results from Saturday’s chairmanship elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as at 5:55am on Sunday, data retrieved from its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) showed.

According to The Tide source, the figure represents an overall upload rate of about 92.2 per cent across the six area councils of the territory.

A council-by-council breakdown indicates that Municipal Area Council recorded the highest number of submissions in absolute terms, with 1,309 of 1,401 polling unit results uploaded, representing 93.43 per cent.

In Gwagwalada Area Council, 330 of the expected 338 polling unit results had been uploaded, representing 97.63 per cent — the highest upload rate among the six councils.

In Bwari Area Council, INEC uploaded 463 of 485 polling unit results, translating to 95.46 per cent.

In Abaji Area Council, 129 of 135 polling unit results had been uploaded as at 5:55am, representing 95.56 per cent.

In Kwali Area Council, 164 of the expected 201 polling unit results were available on the portal, representing 81.59 per cent.

In Kuje Area Council, 207 of 262 polling unit results had been uploaded, representing 79.01 per cent — the lowest rate among the six councils as at the time of review.