Politics
INEC Chairman Knocks Politicians, Adhoc Workers, Others
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, last Wednesday said that some wealthy politicians bought over some of the commission’s ad hoc workers and agents of other political parties to compromise the last general elections.
He also alleged that the politicians compromised traditional and religious leaders as well as community heads to persuade voters in their domains to vote in a particular way.
Yakubu made the allegations last Wednesday in Abuja at the Forum of Anti-corruption Situation Room, a programme organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda.
Also at the HEDA event were the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, and other stakeholders.
The INEC chairman, whose keynote address was read by the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said the politicians compromised security agents and some ad hoc staff of INEC who “looked the other way while votes were being bought and sold.”
He said the politicians and their agents devised various methods to compromise the electoral process.
Yakubu said: “One of the methods employed by the politicians and their agents was to buy up permanent voter cards of registered voters in the political safe haven of their opponents before the day of election.
“Politicians compromised traditional and religious leaders and community leaders by persuading them to persuade voters in their domain to vote in a particular way.
“In some instances, they persuaded willing ad hoc staff to abandon the use of smart card readers.”
The INEC chairman urged the various election petition tribunals across the country to prosecute proven cases of electoral offences, pending the establishment of a designated court for that purpose.
Meanwhile, the acting IGP explained that police personnel on election duties were under a rule of engagement which prevented them from bearing firearms around voting areas.
He said the constraint made it impossible for police personnel on election duties to confront armed political thugs who attacked voters and disrupted voting at some polling centres.
The police boss, who was represented by an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Peter Ogunyanwo, said: “Measures prescribed by the law to punish electoral offenders are not punitive enough to deter electoral offenders.”
“For instance, Section 308 of the Constitution confers immunity on sitting governors and their deputies when they commit offences.
“In some cases, the law prescribes a fine of N40 as punishment for people caught for unlawful possession of firearms and other dangerous weapons. So where do we go from here?”
Wabba, on his part, said electoral offences, including vote-buying, thrived because of the pervasive poverty in the land.
“Most voters could not resist monetary offers for their votes by desperate politicians. Look at a situation where some state governments pay civil servants, particularly teachers as little as N7, 000 as monthly salary.
“There is no way a compromised electoral process can produce transparent and competent leaders or good governance,” Wabba added.
The chairman of the event and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, said electronic voting remained the best solution to electoral malpractices.
He said Nigeria was ripe for it.
The Tide source reports that Prof. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members of the party at the congress held on Saturday.
Other executive members are Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as Secretary, Alhaja Latifah Latifu, Women Leader and Mr A. Adeleke, elected as Youth Leader.
It was learnt that the congress, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan, was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, other security agencies and prominent members of the party.
The election was supervised by electoral committee members, among whom were Prince Diran Odeyemi, who served as Chairman, Hon. Awoniyi Tolulope, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Queen Stepheine Oyechere, Alhaji Yusuf Abidakun, Mr Olumide Aguda and Dr Phillips Adeniyi, who served as Secretary.
Prof. Akinoso, in his inaugural address, urged members of the party to set aside intra-party differences.
He advised them to concentrate their resources on the promotion of the party, saying, “The primary responsibilities of party executive members are to coordinate party activities, ensure harmony among members, and ensure party victory during general elections.
“Our immediate assignments are to key into INEC released 2027 general election time-tables. As directed by the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, our party e-membership registration starts next week. We must be fully involved and do a membership drive.
“A political party is only relevant and benefits its members if it wins the election. This is our goal. We should set aside intra-party differences; concentrate our resources towards the promotion of the party. We will make necessary consultations and dialogue to actualise this”.
President Tinubu disclosed this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.
He also disclosed that his administration had opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.
“There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.
“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.
“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So, don’t bombard me alone,” President Tinubu said.
The ruling party said the ADC had turned criticism of the APC-led administration into its operating manifesto instead of presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the party dismissed the ADC’s interpretation of a report presented at a policy dialogue organised by Agora Policy which suggested that the country’s poverty rate had risen from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
Mr Morka said the opposition party’s reaction to the report as a “damning verdict” on the government’s economic policies reflected either ignorance of economic realities or deliberate political mischief.
“The African Democratic Congress’ attempt to spin a recent report presented at the Agora Policy dialogue indicating a rise of poverty rate of 63 per cent from 49 per cent as a damning verdict on this administration’s economic policies speaks either to its shocking ignorance of economic policy or its wilful blindness to the justification for, and transformative impacts of, ongoing economic reforms,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that the report itself recognised the necessity of reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions in the economy.
According to him, the ADC had failed to present any credible alternative policy direction for Nigerians.
“Clearly, the ADC does not recognise itself as a political party. The ADC has not articulated a single alternative policy position or prescription of benefit to Nigerians. Condemning the APC and its policies has become its operating manifesto,” Mr Morka said.
He explained that major economic decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange windows, were necessary steps to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
Mr Morka said the subsidy regime had for years placed a heavy burden on public finances, consuming trillions of naira annually while encouraging corruption, fuel smuggling and inefficiencies in the system.
He added that the reforms had helped redirect national resources to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that economic reforms often come with short-term hardship but stressed that the measures were essential to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
“Economic reform is never cost-free anywhere in the world. The transient hardship experienced by Nigerians was an inevitable cost of reforms meant to build and guarantee a better future for all Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Morka maintained that the country’s economic outlook was already improving, citing recent growth figures and stronger external reserves.
“Our economy has rebounded and is expanding steadily. The country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, with foreign reserves now exceeding $50 billion,” he stated.
He also pointed to government initiatives designed to cushion the effects of economic adjustments on citizens, including cash transfer programmes, student loan schemes and the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce transportation costs.
Mr Morka reaffirmed that the APC-led administration would remain focused on rebuilding the economy and expanding social investments to support vulnerable Nigerians.