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INEC’Il Not Use Incident Form In 2019 Polls -Imo REC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will not use incident form in 2019 elections as the card reader will be effectively utilised.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Imo State, Prof. Francis Ezeonu, said this at a town hall meeting and sensitisation campaign of the commission on Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Egbema/Uguta Local Government of the State.
He said that the commission was upgrading the card reader machine to make it more functional and effective during elections.
He told the participants and politicians that the era of playing pranks with people’s permanent voter cards during elections was gone, adding that anyone with a card that the card reader did not recognise would be disfranchised and would not be given any incident form.
Ezeonu said that accreditation and voting would start simultaneously to avoid long queues and time wastage during elections.
He advised politicians and party faithful to ensure they did their home work well when campaigns commenced, adding that any plan to rig in whatever form would be a waste of time and effort.
“The essence of politics is development. Candidates should ensure they sincerely work towards getting the people’s mandate. Hijacking election materials will not work in 2019 elections,” he said.
The Head of Voters Education in INEC, Mrs Immanuela Ben-Opara, had earlier educated the stakeholders on the need for proper conduct during elections and for them to register to have their PVCs.
Some stakeholders during interaction, commended the Imo REC on its efforts to ensure free and fair elections.
They said that they were ready to work with INEC in the spirit of the current move to ensure credible elections and called on the commission to ensure it would abide by its assurances.
They also advised INEC not to change its trained ad-hoc staff with new and untrained ones during elections and to avoid being used by politicians to rig elections.
The Technical Committee Chairman in Ohaji-Egbema, Mr Ebenezar Amadi, commended INEC in Imo for what he called “an innovation”.
He said that the area was notorious for insecurity in the past, but normalcy had returned.
Imo Deputy Chief of Staff and an indigene of the area, Mr Kingsley Uju,also commended INEC on the sensitisation move.
He said that relative peace had returned to the hitherto crisis-prone area.
“I am happy INEC is beginning to do things in the right way by educating the people on their responsibility as voters for a free and fair election.
“With this move and its effective implementation, Nigerians will begin to believe and have confidence that INEC is ready to manage the electoral process well without intimidation.
“People are ready to work with INEC. I thank INEC for creating the opportunity to interface with the people in efficient electoral process. I, therefore, call on the stakeholders to give INEC adequate support, “Uju said.
Earlier, Mr Nwabueze Nwoke, the Electoral Officer in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government area, had said that the meeting afforded INEC and stakeholders a focal point to create the desired synergy needed to achieve maximum success “in this collective enterprise”.
He said that the commission in the LGA had been able to register 3,965 people since April 2017, saying the number of PVCs collected was 119, while 19,139 were yet to be collected.
President Bola Tinubu has expressed confidence that the country would win the fight against insecurity.
The President gave the assurance at the Argungu International Fishing Festival in Argungu town, Kebbi State, on Saturday.
He noted that the relative peace currently being enjoyed in Kebbi and neighbouring states was the result of sustained investments in security intelligence, coordination among security agencies, and community engagement.
Tinubu assured farmers and fishermen of sustained federal support to guarantee food security and safety across the country.
“The peace we are witnessing today is not accidental. It is the outcome of deliberate and sustained efforts. I assure you that the fight against banditry, insurgency, and insecurity will be won.
“Our farmers, fishermen, traders, and families will go about their lawful activities without fear,” he assured.
The President commended the organisers of the festival for sustaining the cultural event for decades, noting that it had endured for 83 years despite social and security challenges.
Describing the Argungu festival as a powerful symbol of unity, resilience, and peaceful coexistence, Tinubu stated that it reflects the richness of the country’s culture and the opportunities to harness its natural and human resources for national growth.
He said, “Today, this festival stands as a powerful symbol of unity, resilience, and peaceful coexistence among our people.
“It reflects the richness of our culture, the strength of our traditions, and the opportunities inherent in harnessing our natural and human resources for national development.”
The President was received by a large crowd of residents, traditional rulers, fishermen, tourists, and government officials from across the country.
The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth and women empowerment, irrigation development, rural electrification, and agricultural productivity.
Earlier, the Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, said his administration was determined to elevate the Argungu Fishing Festival to full international standards while pursuing aggressive development across critical sectors of the state.
The United States Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will be closed today, in observance of Presidents’ Day.
The mission made this known in a notice shared on its official X page, yesterday.
“The U.S. Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will be closed on Monday, February 16, 2026, in observance of Presidents’ Day,” the post read.
According to the embassy, Presidents’ Day was originally established to honour the birthday of the former US President, George Washington, but has evolved into a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents and their leadership in shaping the country’s history.
The embassy noted that the holiday also recognises the influence of U.S. presidents on global affairs.
In a related message, the mission highlighted that Washington created the first “Badge of Military Merit,” which later became the Purple Heart. The medal still bears Washington’s image today.
Presidents’ Day is observed on the third Monday of February annually in the United States as a federal holiday.
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Guterres Backs Nigeria’s Bid For UN Security Council Seat …Hails Tinubu’s Reforms, Regional Security Role
United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has charged Nigeria with spearheading Africa’s quest for a restructured global order, describing the country as uniquely positioned to lead the continent toward superpower status.
Guterres, who backed Nigeria’s bid for the world body’s security council seat, also praised the economic reforms of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration as well as Nigeria’s leadership in stabilising the Sahel and ECOWAS regions, despite facing its own security challenges.
The UN scribe made the remarks last Friday night during a high-level bilateral meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima on the sidelines of the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Speaking during the meeting, Guterres said Nigeria’s large population, sustained democratic governance, vast natural and human resources, and longstanding commitment to multilateralism placed it in a unique position to lead Africa in the evolving global order.
“Given Nigeria’s demographic strength, democratic continuity and deep resource base, the country stands a real chance of leading Africa to becoming the next superpower in the evolving global architecture,” he said.
The UN Secretary-General and the vice president discussed key developments in Nigeria and the country’s expanding leadership role in promoting regional stability across West Africa and the Sahel.
Guterres commended the remarkable and outstanding reforms of the administration of President Tinubu, noting that Nigeria’s bold economic restructuring and security commitments have strengthened its continental standing.
The meeting focused on strengthening Nigeria–UN collaboration to advance global economic growth, peace and security, sustainable development, and a coordinated humanitarian response across Africa.
In his remarks, Shettima thanked the UN Secretary-General for his leadership in advancing global peace, noting that Africa has benefited immensely from his tenure, even as the United Nations undergoes internal restructuring.
“We remain committed to multilateralism and to deepening our partnerships with the United Nations and other global institutions,” the vice president said.
Shettima also reiterated Nigeria’s longstanding call for comprehensive reform of the United Nations system to reflect evolving global realities.
He emphasised that Africa must have stronger representation in global decision-making structures and declared that Nigeria deserves a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Both leaders pledged to deepen cooperation, with Guterres reaffirming the UN’s support for Nigeria’s reform agenda and its growing leadership role in advancing peace, security, and development across Africa.
