Politics

INEC To Introduce New Technologies

Published

5 years ago

January 13, 2021

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is reviewing its adopted technologies for elections, with a view to introducing new ones to improve conduct of the elections ahead of 2023.

The INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity Department (VEP), Mr Nick Dazang, disclosed this yesterday at a workshop for the department on the “Review of National Voter Education Manual” held in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

The five-day workshop is organised by INEC in partnership with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD).

Dazang, speaking with newsmen on the sideline of the workshop, said INEC began the process for electronic voting since 2004 when it introduced optic map registration forms.

“After that in 2010, the commission introduced the use of direct data capture machines, and then expanded the use of the machines in the conduct of the 2011 election.

“So, we have started the process as far back as 2004, culminating in the use of the Smart Card Reader (SCR) and the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) that we also used in 2015.

“But the commission is reviewing this process with a view to upgrading and improving the conduct of elections in 2023.

“The commission wants to introduce new technologies that will help deepen the conduct of the elections, and also improve on them. So the commission is working assiduously on that.

“Very soon, when the commission has taken a position, it will come out and explain to Nigerians how this is going to be done,” Dazang said.

He said that in introducing the new technologies, INEC would revisit the use of card readers and likely to introduce other technologies that will work seamlessly with electronic voting in 2023.

“The commission has been working on that in the past few months and God’s willing in the next few months the commission will make its position known to the public.”

He said that INEC would continue to introduce new technologies to the electoral system, not for the fancy of it, but the technologies that worked.

He noted that the commission had no regrets on the technologies it had so far introduced for the conduct of elections in Nigeria as they had helped in deepening the process and the transparency.

Dazang said that the commission was also reviewing its voter education to enable it to explain better the planned technologies to Nigerians.

“In reviewing our voter education, we are looking at certain dynamics including the technologies that the commission intend to introduce.

“We have to be on top of the matters so that we can explain the application of these technologies to Nigerians as we did when we introduced SCR, direct data capturing machines and PVCs.

He described voter education as key part of the electoral process that needed concerted efforts not just from INEC, but all stakeholders.

“If you look at what is happening around the globe including Nigeria, so many changes are happening that necessitate the urgency to review voter education.”

This, according to him, include the issue of changes in technology and COVID-19, saying we need to change our communications process to respond to the changes.

“We need to change our communications in response to growing youth population. We need to use strategies that resonate with the youth and women population.”

On the amendment of the Electoral Act, Dazang said that the commission was working seriously with two committees of the National Assembly, adding that substantial gains were being made on the amendment.

He expressed optimism that the NASS would rise to the challenge in meeting up with its promise to Nigeria to amend the Electoral Act before the end of the first quarter of 2021.

On the Anambra governorship election, Dazang said that the commission would at the appropriate time issue the date and timetable for the conduct of the election, latest by six months to the conduct.

He urged the staff members of the commission to always upgrade themselves on new technologies as well as continue to obey the COVID-19 safety protocols.

The WFD Country Representative in Nigeria, Mr Adebowale Olorunmola, expressed the foundation’s continued determination and support for INEC to deepen voter education in Nigeria, especially at the grassroots.

He said that the foundation started its partnership journey with INEC in 2015 in ensuring more inclusion of women and people living with disability in electoral process.

Olorunmola commended INEC for deepening voter education and more inclusive electoral process for women and people living with disabilities.

He said that the workshop was key in enhancing voter education from the current way to wider and deeper ways to improve on future elections.

“There is nothing like advanced democracy anymore, but work in progress.

“If you look at what has been happening in U.S. even with their decades of practising democracy they are still moving to deepen voter education.”

Politics

INEC Sets Rivers South-East Senatorial By-Election For June 20

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled June 20, 2026, for a series of by-elections into vacant National Assembly seats, with particular focus on the Rivers South-East Senatorial District, where the death of Senator Barinada Mpigi has created a significant political vacuum.

The Rivers contest is expected to draw heightened attention in the oil-rich state, as political actors position for influence in a district long regarded as strategic to the balance of power in Rivers State.

INEC disclosed that the by-elections will hold concurrently with the Ekiti State governorship election, underscoring what promises to be a politically charged day across several parts of the country.

Beyond Rivers, the electoral body listed other affected constituencies to include Nasarawa North Senatorial District, Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency in Kano State, Ondo South Senatorial District, and Enugu North Senatorial District.

The vacancies, according to INEC, arose from a combination of deaths, resignation, and other constitutional developments. In Nasarawa, the demise of Senator Godiya Akwashika has left a gap in a district considered a stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In Enugu, the passing of Senator Okey Ezea has set the stage for a competitive race in the South-East.

Similarly, the Ondo South seat became vacant following the resignation of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who now serves as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, while the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa seat in Kano opened up after the death of Hon. Muhammad Danjuma Hassan.

Analysts say the Rivers South-East by-election, in particular, could reshape political alignments in the state, as parties jostle to fill the void left by Sen. Mpigi and consolidate their foothold ahead of future electoral contests.

Politics

2027: Bayelsa Senator Gets Critical Endorsement For Second Term

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholder from Bayelsa East Senatorial District, on Monday, endorsed the incumbent Senator representing them to run for a second term.

Leading the stakeholders, the former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism and Special Adviser to Governor Douye Diri on Political Affairs (iii), Dr Iti Orugbani, said the reason for the endorsement was based on the federal lawmaker’s trajectory of good deeds and massive execution of projects across communities of the Senatorial district.

Dr Orugbani highlighted some of the projects to include landing jetties, telecommunication masts and town halls amongst others, noting that Sen. Agadaga’s performance has exceeded those of others who hitherto represented the oil rich area.

Bayelsa East Senatorial District comprises Ogbia, Brass and Nembe Local Government Areas of the State.

The Governor’s aide who called on the State’s Eastern political enclave to respect the 2022 new zoning agreement, which guaranteed second term for Senators from the District, stressed the need for political tolerance and peace in the forthcoming 2027 polls.

“In 2022 the leaders and stakeholders across party lines from Bayelsa East held a meeting and altered the old single term for Senators from the district’s agreement and signed that begining from 2023 any Senator emerging from the district must serve for a minimum of two terms.

“In 2023, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, then an incumbent Senator representing the Senatorial district under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was given a second term ticket by the party. Though he lost to the PDP.

“Now that the entire state is now APC and the District has an APC Senator in the person of Benson Agadaga from Ogbia LGA, why not also give him a second tenure?

“The stakeholders in 2022 changed the old political agreement because they saw that it wasn’t beneficial to the district any longer. And so, because it was Ogbia Local Government Area that started the old zoning arrangement by producing the first Senator in 1999, I want to plead that let Ogbia also begin the new two terms zoning agreement”, he said.

Also speaking, the duo of woman leader of a support group, ‘Agadema Women’, Mrs. Owadaba Jokori and the Information Officer of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Central Zone, Comrade Ikio, stated that the incumbent Senator has done well for the district in the past three years that he has been in office.

They lauded the federal lawmaker for his infrastructure projects, especially the construction of landing jetties in select communities of the three local government areas of the district, commending stakeholders for supporting the lawmaker in his second term bid.

In his remarks, Senator Agadaga thanked the stakeholders for the confidence reposed in him and the endorsements he has received lately from constituents and admirers across political parties.

The lawmaker noted that within the past three years that he has been Senator, he has delivered dividends of democracy to his constituents across the Senatorial District, emphasizing that the call for him to be senator from the Brass Senatorial District came to him as a surprise, noting that he accepted the clarion call when the clamour became so loud.

“I was Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, when various groups from the zone came calling on me to contest the 2023 Senatorial polls.

“Ever since winning the elections as a senator, I’ve continued to deliver on my mandate in both representation, lawmaking, oversight, project execution and support for constituents when called upon. And I shall continue to do more if elected for a second term”, the Senator said.

By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Politics

2027: Court Sets Deadline For Suit Seeking To Disqualify Jonathan

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has set May 15 as deadline for definite hearing in a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

The judge on Monday shifted the hearing date following the absence of the plaintiff, Mr Jideobi, and his lawyer in court without any information.

Apart from the absence of the plaintiff, who is a legal practitioner, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, who are 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter, were also not in court.

Following the absence of the plaintiff and the two defendants, Chris Uche, SAN, representing Dr Jonathan, applied to the court to strike out the suit for lack of diligent prosecution.

Having joined issues with each other, Mr Uche said, the suit is liable for dismissal with a N5 million cost to be awarded against the plaintiff and payable to Dr Jonathan.

He argued that from all indications, the plaintiff has abandoned the suit and ran away upon sighting the preliminary objections raised against the suit, adding that the court is a busy place and not for unserious matters.

Justice Lifu, however, noted that there was no evidence of service of hearing notice on INEC and AGF to appear in court for the suit, adding that lack of service of hearing notice is fundamental.

The judge said rather than striking out the suit, he prefers to bend backward to accommodate the plaintiff and the two defendants for the last time.

While adjourning the matter to May 15, Justice Lifu ordered that hearing notice be served on the plaintiff and the 2nd and 3rd defendants who were not in court on Monday.

The plaintiff, Mr Jideobi, had filed the case seeking an order to restrain Dr Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as an aspirant for the 2027 election.

He is also asking the court to stop INEC from accepting, processing or publishing Dr Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.