Politics
It’s Not Easy To Conduct Elections In Bayelsa, Kogi, Imo – INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has described Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states as difficult areas to conduct elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated this at the quarterly meeting with heads of media organisations on Wednesday, in Abuja.
Yakubu, who did not explain further on his observation, said there were no election season any longer because of the avalanche of elections mostly linked to resignation or deaths.
He said the November 11 governorship polls would be different because the commission would improve on the successes recorded during the 2023 general elections.
He identified lack of Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal as one of the reasons electoral offenders go scot-free. He said the country’s electoral process would remain ineffective without proper agency to deal with electoral offenders.
According to him, Nigeria should revisit the recommendations made by the Electoral Reforms Panels headed by Justice Mohammed Uwais (retd), Sheik Ahmed Lemu and Dr. Ken Nnamani, which were set up by the Umaru Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari administrations, respectively.
“Here we are, the commission is saddled with the responsibility for prosecution of electoral offenders. And I’ve said this repeatedly that in our case, some of the offenders may be INEC officials.
“How practicable is it for us to get ourselves prosecuted? That’s why consistently, committee upon committee have made recommendation since the Justice Uwais committee of 2009, Lemu committee of 2011, Nnamani committee of 2017 that there should be an electoral offences commission to deal with all violators of the electoral laws, whoever they are, whether they are voters, INEC officials or adhoc staff. “So, that is a practical concern. Some of the things we have been doing may not lead to successful prosecution in the manner that we’re dealing with them. Now let’s look at this scenario. You have security personnel deployed for elections. Now, during elections, take an example of a police officer posted from Abuja to say Delta State for election duties; that police officer then makes arrest. Immediately after the election, the policeman comes back to Abuja and in the next six months, he may be in Sokoto, but he’s the investigating police officer.
“The law says that electoral offenders should be prosecuted in the magistrate court, the High Court of state or the high court a of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) not federal high court in the state where the cause of action has risen. So, that policeman that was moved from Abuja then to Sokoto in a manner of speed is the investigating police officer. By the time you are ready to prosecute in Delta where the cause of action took place, the policeman would have lost trail of the case and might not even know where the case file is and would have made prosecution very difficult,” he said.
In his contribution, the President, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo, stressed the need for stakeholders to address the issue of hate speech and misinformation by seeking ways to combat them without infringing on the principles of free speech.
According to him, stakeholders must also discuss how to “ensure equitable access to media platforms for all political actors, promoting inclusivity and fair representation.”
Claiming that elections in the country are typically characterized by vote buying, Mr Nwosu said a repeat of such phenomenon would taint the credibility of the forthcoming gubernatorial poll.
Mr Nwosu is among the 16 governorship candidates listed by INEC in a June 4, 2025 statement to participate in the November 8, 2025 election in Anambra State.
His party, the ADC, will battle it out with other parties to unseat incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Mr Nwosu, in a statement on Saturday, said it was baffling seeing voters openly selling their votes to party agents and other representatives around polling units on election day.
According to him, “such practices not only derail the true will of the people but also reduce elections to an auction, where the state is effectively handed over to the highest bidder.”
Mr Nwosu urged INEC to introduce secure voting cubicles that would safeguard the legitimate rights of voters and uphold the sovereignty of democracy.
“INEC must provide secure voting cubicles to ensure ballots remain private and secret. Currently, many polling areas are too exposed, allowing others to see the voting process. This not only encourages vote buying but also undermines the integrity of the elections.
“Voting must remain secret. Nigeria already has strong electoral laws which, if properly enforced, can deliver outcomes that truly benefit society”, Mr Nwosu said.
He held that the Anambra governorship election was another opportunity for INEC to secure the trust of Nigerians about its commitment to transparency and fairness during polls.
He also noted the role of security agencies in tackling the menace of vote buying on the day of election.
He said, “The success of any political activity depends largely on security, because security is key. While it is not solely INEC’s duty to ensure elections are properly conducted, the Commission must create an enabling environment that allows citizens to participate freely, conduct themselves properly, and exercise their right to vote.”
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, called on the relevant security agencies to investigate the attackers and their sponsors.
“The Labour Party is perplexed by the physical attack on our National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, by agents suspected to be working for anti-democratic elements who have tried unsuccessfully to wrestle the leadership of the party from him.
“Few hours ago, a prominent member of a known political family, Ms Precious Oruche, alias ‘Mama P’, accosted Barrister Abure while on a queue at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja, boarding a Max Air flight en route to Benin, and attacked the Labour Party’s National Chairman unprovoked.
“The attacker, Madam P, who is also a known content creator, continued the attack all through the duration of the flight, defying all attempts by the Max Air flight attendants to calm her.
“The assault, which attracted a large population of onlookers, continued unabated on disembarkment at the Benin Airport while she continued recording the scene.
“It took the intervention of the security agents on hand to whisk Abure to safety while the attacker was handed over to the police for questioning.
“In one of her films released, the lady, who is a prominent member of the ‘Obidient’ and claimed that she has contacts with the highest police hierarchy, boasted that nothing will happen to her.
“She vowed that she will not stop attacking Abure or any member of the Labour Party executive because, according to her, ‘you have killed Labour Party and you are the reason why Obi is no longer in the Labour Party.’
“The leadership of the Labour Party is completely troubled with this cyber-bullying and the consequences of the action of this political agent on the party. We are by this statement calling on the Inspector General of Police to thoroughly investigate this suicidal aggression against the leadership of the Labour Party and Barrister Julius Abure in particular.
“We sincerely believe that the lady-agent was on an assignment to accomplish the desires of her paymasters. Assault and cyber-bullying are severe crimes under our laws and we think that the Police must fish out her sponsors and cohorts, and bring them to book.
“We are calling on the members of the Labour Party to be calm, even in the face of this unwarranted provocation and wait for the outcome of the investigation on the unprovoked attack against the leadership of the party,” the statement read.
Speaking during the party’s congress in Yola, the state capital, on Saturday, Mr David Lorhenba, the chairman, Adamawa Congress Committee, described the exercise as hitch-free.
He said that a total of 2,656 delegates from 21 local government areas came out and elected 39 officials.
Mr Lorhenba commended the delegates for conducting themselves in an orderly manner.
“The conduct of the congress is very successful, all the delegates come from 21 Local Government Areas and cast their votes peacefully.
“We have a total of 2,656 delegates and we have announced the winners very successfully”, he said.
In his remarks, Alhaji Attahiru Shehu, the outgoing chairman, congratulated the new executives and charged them to continue on what they have already done for the party to remain strong.
According to him, they started as opposition in the state and produced Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri who is serving his second term, opining they “he has done well for the state.”
In his acceptance speech, Mr Madagali thanked the delegates for the confidence they reposed in him.
He promised to run an open door policy in manning the affairs of the party.
“Let us continue the legacy of good governance and prepare ahead for 2027 with focus, discipline and unity.
“To those outside our party, especially the youths and women of Adamawa, we invite you into our party.
“PDP is your home. Our doors are open to all who wish to contribute positively to the development of our state.
“Our party will continue to be a shining example of people-focused on leadership,” he said.
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