Politics
INEC Seeks UN’s Support Towards 2023 Polls Success
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified voter education and sensitisation as one of the core areas it would require the support of the United Nations to successfully conduct a free, fair, credible, and inclusive 2023 general election.
The daily bulletin issued by the commission quoted INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, as listing the areas of required support when he received in audience the United Nations Needs Assessment Mission, led by Serge Gakwandi Kubwimana, at the commission’s headquarters, Abuja, on Wednesday.
Yakubu said that given the size of Nigeria, there was the need to keep engaging citizens and stakeholders using different media platforms.
The INEC chairman reiterated that the conduct of free, fair, credible and inclusive election remains the core concern of the commission.
He listed other areas of priorities for the Commission to include consolidating the gains of electoral reforms through increased capacity building for the commission and other stakeholders.
Also identified by Yakubu were enhancing the security of elections, increasing inclusivity and participation, as well as expanding the use of relevant technology in the electoral process.
He said that there were issues in the conduct and management of the electoral process that were actually sovereign responsibilities to be borne by the Nigerian government.
Yakubu, however, said that “there are some areas of electoral activity where support will be appreciated and we have prioritised five areas.
“The first one is training and capacity building support for staff of the commission. The second is voter education and sensitisation. Given the size of the country, we need to keep engaging using different media”.
Number three area of support as highlighted by the INEC Chairman “is election security and conflict mitigation.
The fourth area of support enumerated was capacity building for political parties, which nominated candidates for elections.
“So we need to build the capacity of the parties to nominate good candidates, so that when elected, they can represent the country well,” he added.
The INEC Chairman further identified inclusivity measures as the fifth area of support.
Speaking on the huge task ahead of the commission in conducting the 2023 general election, Yakubu explained that the general election will be conducted in 1,491 constituencies across the country.
“We have 18 political parties. Assuming that half of them field candidates in all the constituencies, we are talking about close to 15,000 nominations which is really a huge task.”
Commenting on the size of the voting population in Nigeria, Yakubu said it was currently 11 million larger than the other 14 countries in the West African sub-region put together.
“In 2019, we had 84 million registered voters, we are still registering voters for the 2023 general election, and in our estimation the voter population will be at least 90 million for 2023. At 90 million, it will make our voter register in Nigeria the largest in West Africa.
“Minus Nigeria, the other 14 countries in West Africa all together have about 73 million registered voters.
“At present, we have 84 million registered voters, so we have 11 million more registered voters than the rest of West Africa combined.
“So each time we conduct an election in Nigeria, it is like we are conducting an election in the whole of West Africa. So, election in Nigeria is no joke at all”.
He further hinted that the 2023 general election will involve about 1 million election officials, including regular and temporary or ad-hoc staff across 176,846 polling units, across 8,809 Wards, and 774 Local Government Areas across the country.
Yakubu expressed delight that the election would be governed by the new Electoral Act 2022.
Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the delegation from the United Nations, Kubwimana, said they were in Nigeria in response to a letter written in January to the United Nations Secretary General, seeking the support of the organisation ahead of the 2023 general election.
He explained that the meeting with the Chairman and members of the Commission was the highpoint of a series of scheduled meetings with other key players in the democratic process such as the Leadership of the National Assembly, Leaders of Political Parties and the Government of Nigeria.
This, according to him, is to explore ways of the U.N. intervention through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other entities on ground can support the democratic process in Nigeria.
Kubwimana also said that the visit to Nigeria would equally help the UN keep abreast with the state of preparedness for the 2023 general election.
He added that they were available to listen to other issues that the Commission may wish to bring to their notice.
“We also use this to serve as your ambassadors when we go back. If need be to encourage others to support the very important work that you do,” he added.
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.
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
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.
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