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INEC Vows To Withdraw More Certificates Of Return

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said that it would not hesitate to withdraw more certificates of return from presumed winners of any of the elections once competent courts declare otherwise.
INEC said it is neither an adjudicatory body nor the Court of Appeal to determine the actual candidate or winner of a party’s primary election.
This was just as INEC disclosed that 25 certificates of return have been withdrawn and re-issued to new winners, on court orders.
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, stated this at a forum on media coverage of the 2019 general election, organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in collaboration with INEC, in Enugu, yesterday.
He noted that many of the political parties did not conduct their primaries in a transparent manner; hence the preponderance of pre-election cases that have necessitated the rulings by the courts.
“We are not an adjudicatory body or the Court of Appeal. So, we will continue to withdraw certificates of return as the courts direct. Once we have a ruling, from a properly constituted court, we will obey. Even as we were about leaving Abuja, last Friday, we received reports of some court rulings ordering withdrawal of certificates of return. We will look at them and act accordingly,” he said.
Okoye applauded the media for what he described as their generous coverage of the election and election process but warned against comments on electoral matters before the court.
“While cases are in court or in the tribunal, no one can publicly comment or proffer opinions which may prejudice the outcome of the case or petition. This is captured in the subjudice doctrine. Regrettably, many politicians, journalists, legal practitioners, “social commentators” and “policy analysts” have often used the media platforms to comment on live issues pending in the various tribunals and courts. This is unacceptable. We should refrain from this. Journalists and media houses, who offer their platforms for such, run the risk of incurring the wrath of the judges and being held in contempt,” the INEC Commissioner warned.
NUJ President, Chris Isiguzo, in his remarks assured that the media would remain in the vanguard of national development.
He called for continuous training and retraining of media practitioners in the intricacies of covering election and election process.
Also, a communication expert, Dr. Ifeoma Dunu, commended the media for their effective and robust coverage of the 2019 general elections.

 

Dennis Naku

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Rivers Gov’ship: Obuah Congratulates Fubara, Hails Rivers People

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The Director-General of the 2023 Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Bro Felix Obuah, has congratulated the Governor-elect, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, on his resounding victory at the March 18, Governorship election in the State.
Bro. Obuah in his congratulatory statement commended the calm disposition and the steady mobilizing spirit of the Governor-elect throughout the electioneering campaign which endeared him the more to the electorate as demonstrated by their massive votes.
Rivers people, Bro. Obuah noted, cannot but thank God for the successful polls in the face of daunting tasks.
Bro Obuah who is also the immediate past State PDP Chairman expressed greater joy that the winning streak of his regime has continued to bear fruit in the State.
According to him, Sir Sim Fubara is another choice rightly made by the people to continue to enjoy good governance and dividends of democracy at its best which is the result of the choice of His Excellency, Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike in 2015 and 2019, respectively.
“I give kudos to our Rivers people for their appreciation of all the good works of our indefatigable ‘Mr. Quality Projects’ which they expressed through their massive votes for our Governor-elect and all the PDP candidates in the just concluded elections,” Bro Obuah expressed.
He said the PDP-led government in the state is spurred by the people’s gratitude and poised to do more for the people as a new political dispensation gets underway.
He thanked Governor Wike for his foresight, courage and unwavering spirit to raise the bar of political leadership in the State which is gradually taking roots in the land as a tradition.
Bro Obuah also commended the community heads, traditional rulers, women groups, religious groups, and the youths for listening to the voice of reason which contributed to making the 2023 election in the state a good one.
The Director-General of the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council also congratulated the 32 candidates of the PDP that won the 32 seats in the State House of Assembly and all National Assembly members elected on the platform of the PDP.
He said now that the elections were over, it was time for all hands to be on deck for the much desired peaceful atmosphere necessary for good governance.
He dedicated the PDP victory to all Rivers people and pledged his usual fatherly support to the leadership for a more united and better Rivers State.

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Abia Gov’ship Election Result: Social Media Report Fake, Says INEC

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The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has denounced an online report accusing its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu of attempts to violate its guidelines and consequently distort the Governorship election result in Abia State.
Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi said the only communication sent to the State Returning Officer was the commission’s directive suspending further collation of results.
He said; “The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu never called the Returning Officer to give her a directive. Rather, the Returning Officer wanted the official communication on the Commission’s decision to suspend the collation of results in Abia State. The Chairman then directed that pending the delivery of the hard copies, the soft copies of the Commission’s letter be forwarded immediately to the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Enugu State and the Administrative Secretary of Abia State.
“The Returning Officer for Abia State then directed that the contents of the letter be read aloud by the Administrative Secretary in the presence of agents of political parties, observers, the media and security personnel at the Collation Centre.
“This is what is now being mischievously interpreted as a directive to the Returning Officer on some phantom criteria at variance with the approved guidelines. There is nothing like that.
“In fact, the content of the letter is basically the same as the Commission’s Press Release dated Monday 20th March 2023 which has since been uploaded to the Commission’s social media platforms and is already in the public domain.
“The public should disregard the story as fake news”, said Oyekanmi.
A portal, Strenuous Blog, had quoted the Returning Officer as alleging that she was being forced to do the wrong thing.
According to the portal; “The INEC Presiding Officer In Abia State Nnenna Oti had this to say…’I’m Professor Nnenna Oti from Afikpo. I am the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, The people’s mandate shall stand. I have spent all my adult life in pursuit of the ideals of good governance. We shall stand by the these principles. The pastor in me (she is a Pastor with the RCCG) and the mother in me will not permit me to do anything that will adversely affect the future of our children. I shall do right by God and by man!’
“Then to the shock and surprise of everyone in the hall, she said that the INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, personally called her and gave her directives on guidelines to follow in ensuring that Abia governorship election results were collated based on some criteria but that on her own she has decided that the will of Abia voters would not be subverted under her watch.
“At that point, she asked the Administrative Secretary to read the message she said that came from the INEC headquarters Abuja”.
Checks by The Tide source revealed that the commission has no such nomenclature as “State INEC Presiding Officer”.

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Declare Binani Adamawa Governor-Elect, WPF Urges INEC

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The Women in Politics Forum, WPF, said Nigerian women will not allow history to repeat itself in the ongoing gubernatorial election in Adamawa State.
The WPF, a non partisan organization for women with membership across the 36 states and FCT, stated this in a statement, yesterday.
The group said Nigerian women are aware that results from 20 local government areas had been collated, giving the APC gubernatorial candidate, Senator Aishatu Binani an early and consistent lead.
The WPF advised the Independent National Electoral Commision, INEC, to ensure the results are not manipulated and that Senator Binani is given her mandate and declared as the winner of the election.
In a press release signed by the National President of the women forum, Ebere Ifendu, the forum noted that there was great misconduct in the election results collation center which she said followed the refusal by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa, to collate governorship results from Fufore local government area.
Ifendu said, “We will not accept a repeat of history. In 2011, Her Excellency, Dame Pauline Tallen contested for the Plateau State Governorship election and was cruising to Victory when announcing of results suddenly stopped, and when it was finally announced, they had stolen her mandate. This was exactly the fate of Senator Aisha Al Hassan ( mama Taraba). Her victory was also stolen. We can no longer watch our collective mandate stolen from us.
“Nigerian Women have worked hard and waited patiently for this victory and woe betide that person that will be used against the wishes and aspirations of Adamawa people and Nigerian women.
“We can confirm from our agents in Adamawa State that Senator Aishatu Binani is having overwhelming lead in Fufore Local Government.
“We are aware of the manipulation going on in the state and the role of Governor fintiri who had earlier used his state powers to frustrate Senator Binani’s campaign and has further gone ahead to tamper with the figures coming from Fufore LGA;
“…which undoubtedly is Senator Binani’s strong hold ,and originally in favour of the APC candidate, and using the state INEC officials and media to fabricate stories and raising false allegations against her .
“This is a grossly condemnable act and we are raising our voices as Nigerian women to seek immediate intervention to prohibit and abort the manipulation against Senator Binani as we see this as a daylight robbery of her mandate and an affront to Nigerian Women.
“Nigerian women are calling on INEC to ensure that the results are not manipulated and that Senator Aishatu Binani is given her mandate and declared the winner of the election.
“We are also using this medium to call on security agencies to be more effective in protecting the public against attacks by political thugs.
“We have received reports of violent attacks on innocent citizens of the state. We demand that the perpetrators of violence should be arrested and prosecuted while the police is more vigilant and proactive to prevent violence.”

 

 

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