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INEC Fixes Dates For Ekiti, Osun Guber Polls
The Ekiti State governorship election will hold on July 14, 2018, while Osun State governorship election will hold on September 22, 2018, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed yesterday.
Commencement date of campaigns for Ekiti governorship election is April 15, 2018, and that of Osun State is June 24, 2018.
These were made known by INEC National Commissioner, Solomon Soyebi.
INEC also disclosed that more parties will soon be registered.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said this during a consultative meeting with national leaders of political parties last Wednesday in Abuja.
The chairman also disclosed that INEC would, by first week of November, take its decision on pending political associations requesting to be registered as political parties.
“As I speak with you, the commission has over 108 political associations seeking fresh registration.
“We want to assure all the associations that the commission will register those that meet the legal requirements. They should take that for granted on the commission.’’
Yakubu accused some parties of violating the Constitution.
He said 18 out of 46 registered political parties are yet to constitute their National Executive Committee (NEC) as required by the law.
“I want to draw your attention to certain issues. The Constitution is very clear on the processes and conditions for registration that must be complied with.
“Section 223 of the Constitution talks about the validity of the composition of the political parties’ NEC.
“Unfortunately, out of the 46 registered political parties, only 28 parties are in compliance. 18 political parties have not complied”, he said.
Yakubu also expressed INEC’s displeasure over failure of some political parties to have functional offices in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as stipulated in Section 222 of the Constitution.
“As we speak today, only 29 political parties are in compliance while 17 political parties have not.
“So, we have 17 political parties that have no offices in FCT or their rents have expired which amounts to the same thing as not having an office in FCT,” he said.
Yakubu also disclosed that only five parties have complied with the Electoral Act compelling political parties to submit election campaign expenses since the end of the 2015 general elections.
“Parties are expected to submit to the commission their election campaign expenses for the 2015 general elections but as we speak, only five political parties are in compliance.
“While 24 other political parties did not comply, the case of 17 parties is understandable because they were registered after the general elections. But for parties that contested the general elections, only five complied.”
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.