2023 Election | InsideOjodu

Lai Mohammed speaks on credibility of 2023 election

Alice Babalola — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 16:24:27 +0000

President Muhammadu Buhari has delivered on his pledge to leave behind a legacy of free, fair, and credible elections through the conduct of 2023 polls.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this in Washington DC during his official engagements with some international media organizations, NAN reports.

He went on to assert that the fact that Bola Tinubu and Buhari both lost their home states of Katsina and Lagos to the opposition parties during the presidential election was sufficient evidence that the election was credible.

The minister is in Washington to discuss the recently concluded 2023 polls with foreign media outlets and think tanks.

He has so far interacted with the Washington Post, Voice of America, Associated Press, and Foreign Policy Journal in that order.

The minister said in fulfilment of the President’s pledge to restore sanity to the electoral process, he resolved that he would not confer a special advantage on any political party, including the ruling All Progressives Congress, during the election.

He said during the past elections, the President ensured that nobody used the security agencies to rig the election in his favour but created a level-playing ground for the elections to take place.

“Proof of this resolution is that the President’s party lost the presidential election in Katsina, his home state.

“Equally, the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, lost in his state, Lagos, while the Chairman of the Party, Abdullahi Adamu, lost in Nasarawa state to the Labour Party.

“The Director-General of the Campaign Organisation of our party also lost to PDP in Plateau State.

“Nothing gives this election more credence than those facts because there was no rigging in states where our bigwigs come from,” he said.

The minister added that APC lost in the four states with the highest number of votes in the elections – Katsina, Kano, Kaduna and Lagos even when they were the ruling party’s controlled states.

Mohammed said the allegations of fraud being bandied by the opposition and naysayers did not add up.

According to the minister, the controversy was generated because of the inability of INEC to upload the results of the presidential election in real time.

He said the controversy was absolutely unnecessary though it had been the fulcrum of the argument of the naysayers that elections were flawed.

INEC had come under fire over its inability to upload results immediately on its Result Viewing portal during the presidential and National Assembly elections held on February 25.

Mohammed, however, said the conclusion by the opposition and naysayers was based on ignorance of the role and functions of IReV.

He said IReV, a platform whereby election results at the polling level are uploaded, was not a tool for collation of election or to transmit results electronically.

“Under our laws today, management of election results is manual and the court has ruled that INEC has the exclusive right to determine the mode of election, its collation and transmission.

“What happened on the 25th of February was that INEC observed that the results of the presidential elections were not being viewed.

“INEC, suspecting cyber attack, withheld the uploading of the results in order to preserve the integrity of the data. It immediately proceeded to float an alternative platform while asking its technicians to investigate what happened to its original portal.”

The minister explained further that it took about 9pm for the alternative portal to start working. He said as soon as the original portal started working, the results were viewed from the two platforms.

“It is unfortunate that this is what the opposition are relying on to say the elections were rigged. So far, none of the political parties has come out to say that what is on Form EC8A is different from what was uploaded on IREV,” he said.

Speaking on delay in delivering election materials to certain areas, the minister said it was difficult in a country as diverse and complex as Nigeria for election materials to arrive at the same time everywhere.

He said with 176,846 polling units scattered all over the country with different topography, it would be difficult to deliver the materials simultaneously.

“In some areas, you need to use donkeys, human portals, boats to access some of these difficult areas. We also know the challenge of an unanticipated cash crunch that slowed down logistic movements.

“The redesigning of the naira did not help matters because some of the people who transported the materials insisted on cash payment which was not available,” he said.

Mohammed said the police report identified pockets of violence scattered all over the country but they were not substantial enough to discredit the polls.

Quoting the police report, the minister said there were 489 cases of electoral infractions during the election and 781 electoral offenders that would be charged to court.

In his analysis of the report, the minister said it was a ratio of one infraction in over 300 polling units which was not sufficient to void the elections.

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Tinubu’s full speech as President-elect for 2023 election

Alice Babalola — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 12:08:07 +0000

The President-elect, Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, offered insight into how his administration will pilot the affairs of the nation.

He said he was ready to listen and take a difficult route in ensuring Nigerians see better days and the country of their dreams.

He stated this at the APC Presidential Campaign Council headquarters in Abuja shortly after he was declared the winner of the presidential poll.

Read the full speech below.

“THE ERA OF RENEWED HOPE“

By The President-Elect
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

March 1, 2023

My fellow Nigerians,

I am profoundly humbled that you have elected me to serve as the 16th President of our beloved Republic. This is a shining moment in the life of any man and affirmation of our democratic existence. From my heart, I say thank you.

Whether you are Batified, Atikulated, Obidient, Kwankwasiyya, or have any other political affiliation, you voted for a better, more hopeful nation and I thank you for your participation and dedication to our democracy.

You decided to place your trust in the democratic vision of a Nigeria founded on shared prosperity and one nurtured by the ideals of unity, justice, peace and tolerance. Renewed hope has dawned in Nigeria.

We commend INEC for running a free and fair election. The lapses that did occur were relatively few in number and were immaterial to the final outcome. With each cycle of elections, we steadily perfect this process so vital to our democratic life.

Today, Nigeria stands tall as the giant of Africa. It shines even brighter as the continent’s biggest democracy.

I thank all who supported my campaign. From President Buhari who adeptly led my campaign as its chairman, to my Vice Presidential Candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima.

To the progressive governors of our party and this nation, to the party leadership, to our loyal party members. I owe you a debt of gratitude. To the entire campaign organisation, I thank you sincerely.

I thank my loving wife and dear family whose support was ceaseless and inspiring. Without you, this victory would not be possible.

I am grateful to Almighty God. By His mercy, I was born a son of Nigeria and through His sublime purpose, I find myself the victor of this election. May He grant me the wisdom and courage to lead the nation to the greatness He alone has destined for it.

Finally, I thank the Nigerian people for their abiding belief in our democracy. I shall be a fair leader to all Nigerians. I will be in tune with your aspirations, charge up your energies and harness your talents to deliver a nation that we can be proud of.

To my fellow candidates, former VP Atiku, former governor Kwankwaso, former governor Obi and all others, I extend the hand of friendship. This was a competitive, high-spirited campaign.

You have my utmost respect.

Political competition must now give way to political conciliation and inclusive governance.

During the election, you may have been my opponent but you were never my enemy. In my heart, you are my brothers.

Still, I know some candidates will be hard put to accept the election results. It is your right to seek legal recourse. What is neither right nor defensible is for anybody to resort to violence. Any challenge to the electoral outcome should be made in a court of law, and not in the streets.

I also ask my supporters to let peace reign and tensions fade. We ran a principled, peaceful and progressive campaign. The aftermath of our campaign must be as benign.

Yes, there are divisions amongst us that should not exist. Many people are uncertain, angry and hurt; I reach out to every one of you. Let the better aspects of our humanity step forward at this fateful moment. Let us begin to heal and bring calm to our nation.

Now, to you, the young people of this country, I hear you loud and clear. I understand your pains, your yearnings for good governance, a functional economy and a safe nation that protects you and your future.

I am aware that for many of you, Nigeria has become a place of abiding challenges, limiting your ability to see a bright future for yourselves.

Remodelling our precious national home requires the harmonious efforts of all of us, especially the youth. Working together, we shall move this nation as never before.

My running mate, Vice President-elect Shettima, and I understand the challenges ahead. More importantly, we also understand and deeply value the talent and innate goodness of you, the Nigerian people. We pledge to listen and to do the difficult things, the big deeds, that put us on the path of irreversible progress. Hold us firmly to account, but please give us a chance first.

Together, we shall build a brighter and more productive society for today, tomorrow and for years to come.

Today, you have given me the greatest honour you can bestow on one man.

In return, I will give you my utmost as your next President and Commander-in-chief. Peace, unity and prosperity shall be the cornerstones of the society we intend to build. When you gaze upon what we shall accomplish in the coming years, you shall speak with pride at being a Nigerian.

I thank you all.

God bless you all.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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Safety tips for voting during elections

Hafeestonova — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 16:08:29 +0000

The much anticipated 2023 general election is finally upon Nigerians, with less than 24 hours to go.

While security agencies have assured voters of adequate protection during the voting exercise, it is necessary for individuals to take personal measures in safeguarding themselves during this critical period.

Here are safety tips to note as the voters head to polling units on Saturday:

1. Confirm polling units before election day

To avoid getting lost on election day, voters should physically visit their polling station before the polls open.

Alternatively, the Independent Electoral Commission has provided a polling unit locator on its website, which provides approximate location details for each polling unit across the country .

It is important to note that vehicular movements are prohibited on election day. Thus, voters are advised to find a convenient place to lodge if their residence is far from their polling unit.

2. Avoid wearing political merchandise to polling booths

As Nigeria operates a secret ballot system, it is important that voters protect themselves by not publicly announcing the persons or parties they want to vote for at polling units.

To avoid unnecessary confrontation with political thugs and miscreants, going to polling units with plain clothes is the safest choice. Branded accessories should also be kept out of sight.

3. Report unusual activities:

Another important safety measure voters can take during the voting exercises is to report any unusual activities to the appropriate authorities.

For this purpose, the Nigerian Army has provided emergency lines for voters to report any suspicious activity during the voting exercise.

Voters should not attempt to confront violent persons. They should seek refuge first, then contact security agents as soon as they can.

3. Avoid bringing children to the polling units:

Because of the high stakes involved, it is critical to keep children safe during the elections.

Children should not be brought to polling units in case violence breaks out. Instead, families should make adequate babysitting arrangements ahead of election day.

4. Avoid political arguments at polling booths:

Voters should go to polling units with one goal in mind: to cast their ballots and ensure that they are properly counted.

As campaign activities have been halted, it is inappropriate to engage in political discussions that could escalate into arguments or violence at polling units.

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2023 Election: Vote for leaders that ’ll prioritize education – ASUU tells Nigerians

Alice Babalola — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 12:38:34 +0000

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has advised Nigerians to vote for candidates who will put education as Nigeria’s top priority rather than those who will treat it with contempt.

ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, disclosed this at the weekend at the 14th Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture organised by the National Association of Seadogs( Pyrates Confraternity) with the theme: ‘State of Tertiary Education in Nigeria: Identifying Historical Issues and Misconceptions; Contemplating Solutions’ at the Akin Deko Auditorium, University of Benin.

According to him, Nigerians must insist that future leaders in the country must bring back their children to Nigerian tertiary institutions.

He said the 2023 election offers an opportunity for Nigerians to elect leaders that believe in the country and not those that have plundered “our commonwealth.”

Speaking further, he listed six challenges facing education which include; poor funding, poor recruitment policies, interference from various groups, proliferation of universities, poor remuneration of lecturers and inferiority complex, and urge to send children to foreign universities.

Osodeke who delved into history pointing out the Structural Adjustment Programme foisted on the country by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund said introduction of political consideration into appointment in the Universities is a major drawback.

“Members of Councils including the Pro-Chancellors are supposed to be people who can contribute in terms of knowledge and ability to source funds for the University. Appointment into Governing Council is now based on politics and the creation of jobs for jobless politicians. Today, members of the Governing Councils are more interested in honoraria, jobs for relatives and friends, and the award of contracts.

“It is sad and shameful that the appointment of Vice-Chancellors has become political appointments. The process is now influenced by sentiments, politics, religion, ethnicity, and “son-of-the-soil” syndrome, godfatherism, and regionalism. In the 1970s and 1980s, Vice-Chancellors were appointed without political and tribal considerations; hence Professor Kenneth Dike could be the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan. Today, the appointment of Vice-Chancellors is ethnic-based and in most cases with political Godfather who dictates how the university fund should be managed to the detriment of the Nigerian people.”

He however advocated for fresh thinking in terms of funding, governance and non-interference from political groups and vested interest to allow the University function optimally.

In his welcome address, the NAS Capoon, Mr Abiola Owoaje said the Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture had become a rallying point for deep introspection on national and international issues.

He disclosed that the choice of the theme reflects “our deep concern for the decadence that tertiary education has become in Nigeria”.

Many of us were schooled in Nigeria when our tertiary institutions were indeed citadels of learning, intellectual fervour flamed, and ideological orientations were anchored on learning and making Nigeria progressively great. Now the situation is pathetic. Our citadels of learning have become breeding grounds for gangsterism, extremist elements and festering criminality. Worse, successive Nigerian Governments have paid lip service to the development of education.

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2023 Election: Buhari urge Nigerians to avoid voting for corrupt politicians

Alice Babalola — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 10:51:21 +0000

President Muhammadu Buhari has warned Nigerians to reject any candidate who will bring the country back to the era of high corruption less than one month before the 2023 general elections.

Buhari declared that corruption is wicked and should be opposed by all Nigerians.

The President gave this advice in Abuja, at a conference on Fighting Corruption in Nigeria organized by the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC,

Buhari declared that he will leave Nigerians a legacy of “zero-tolerance for corruption” while being represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha.

“In a matter of weeks, Nigerians will need to go to the polls again to elect their leaders in the general elections.

“I beseech Nigerians to reject politicians who would drag our country back to the dark ages in which corruption was made the order of the day,” he said.

Buhari has voiced his opposition to corruption ever since taking office.

The president often promised to fight corruption in Nigeria.

Despite his resolve, he has nonetheless come under fire for failing to successfully combat corruption.

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2023 Election: INEC deletes 2.7 million for double registration

Alice Babalola — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 08:15:49 +0000

No fewer that 2.7 million cases of double registration carried out during the last Continuous Voter Registration and that the affected persons have been deleted from the voter register.

The Independent National Electoral Commission stated this on Tuesday while disclosing that new Permanent Voter Cards will be made available by November.

The INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this at a National Endowment for Democracy event in Washington DC in the United States.

The chairman, who raised concerns about security challenges across the country, assured stakeholders that the commission will do its best.

According to him, “It is a perennial issue because, at the end of the day, it is not new but the dimension of the insecurity is new in the sense that in the past, it was localised or confined to a particular part of the country – the North-East but now, it is more widespread.

“We are keeping our eyes, particularly, on the North-West and the South-Eastern part of the country. Elections are conducted by human beings. We worry about the security of our officials, materials, and even the voters themselves. Without them, elections cannot be conducted.”

The chairman added that the commission “has spoken to the security agencies and they have assured us that the situation will improve before the elections. So, fingers crossed.”

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Poverty, hunger affects citizens’ political choices – CAN

Alice Babalola — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 17:39:09 +0000

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), on Thursday, raised concerns over the increasing hardship being experienced daily by Nigerians.

This was the outcome of the meeting, held in Kaduna on Thursday, presided by the Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. Dr. Yakubu Pam, to discuss the various issues affecting Nigerians, including hardship and unemployment.

Other issues discussed include the mass poverty and hunger among millions of Nigeria; the 2023 general elections; insecurity; and the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government.

This was contained in a statement issued at the end of their meeting in Kaduna, signed by CAN Chairman, and Secretary of the 19 Northern states and Abuja, Reverend Yakubu Pam and Sunday Oibi.

They said many families can barely get one meal in a day, adding that there is no denying the fact that there is poverty and hunger in the land.

He said Nigeria’s weak economy has thrown millions into abject poverty and hunger while life is becoming a living hell as people struggle to make ends meet.

The statement said almost daily, prices of food and essential items are on the increase, adding that the reality on the ground is evident for all to see.

“Hunger affects citizens’ political choices. Already those who mismanaged the economy are using hunger as a weapon as the 2023 general election approaches.” He said

The group called on governments at all levels to address the problem of poverty and hunger in Nigeria.

It also called on Nigerians to ensure that the 2023 elections are conducted under a peaceful atmosphere without rancour, adding that an election is not war. No politician is worth dying for. No one should take the laws into his or her hands.

He tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to ensure that the elections are free, fair and credible.

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2023 Election: Why we can’t extend voters registration – INEC

Alice Babalola — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 15:49:42 +0000

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is relatively impossible to extend the Continuous Voters Registration, CVR, which was suspended on Sunday.

This follows several calls by concerned Nigerians demanding the extension of the CVR to enable eligible would-be voters to register to participate in the coming elections.

Speaking on a Channels TV program on Friday, the Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini, noted that the commission needed to suspend the exercise to enable it to begin other processes to weed out all multiple registrants.

He said, “Now that we have officially suspended the CVR process, we have to consolidate; aggregate the data and thereafter run the biometric accreditation system to weed out all multiple registrants.

“Thereafter, Section 19 [Electoral Act 2022] says we must do a one-week display of the voter register for the commission to accept claims; objections as it relates to either omitted names or names of individuals that ought not to be on that register as identified by people in the area.”

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2023 Election: INEC hints on likely possibility for Prison inmates to vote

Alice Babalola — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 20:42:27 +0000

The Independent National Electoral Commission, has said chances are very high that inmates in Nigeria Correctional Centres might vote during the 2023 general election.

INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, gave the hint when he received the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, and his team at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.

At the parley, both organisations agreed that it was high time inmates were granted voting rights in compliance with an existing High Court judgement in Benin City, which ruled in favour of inmate voting.

As of 2020, there were about 73,726 inmates in Nigeria’s correctional facilities across the country.

The INEC boss affirmed that the commission was committed to inclusivity, including the rights of inmates to vote during elections.

He pointed out that inmates’ voting rights have been recognised by Kenya and South Africa on the African continent, and Nigeria was ready to toe a similar path.

Yakubu, however, raised some germane issues which needed to be addressed in order to allow for successful inmates’ voting, adding that “there was need to discuss the practicalities of how this could be achieved in Nigeria.”

He said, “Let me start with the Legal Framework. Section 12, sub-section 1 of the Electoral Act 2022 lists five qualifications for registration as a voter in Nigeria, because you have to register as a voter before the right to exercise that right is conferred. That section of the Electoral Act has at least 5 qualifications.

“Number one, the prospective registrant must be a Nigerian citizen. Number two, he or she must be 18 years of age, at least. Number three, he or she must originate, reside or work in the local government or be covered by the registration centre or the point of registration. Number four, that citizen of Nigeria must present himself or herself to the registration officer for registration and support. And number five, which is really critical to our discussion today, is that he or she must not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote under any law, rule, or regulation imposed in Nigeria.

“This is one area that we need to discuss so that we know the categories of inmates that will exercise the right to vote and I’m happy that you came with your Director, Legal. We, therefore, need to work things out carefully. We want transparency of the process. Because everything that we do in the Commission, particularly when it comes to the rights of citizens to vote, must be done transparently.”

Other issues raised by the INEC chairman included location of polling units for inmates, possibility of political party campaigns in the correctional facilities, voter education for inmates, voter registration for inmates, and observers’ access to correctional facilities to monitor elections if polling units had to be situated in the facilities.

He stressed the need to address the issues militating against inmates’ voting as soon as possible, as he pointed out that the 2023 general election was seven months away.

Yakubu said, “The sooner we’re able to address these issues, the better for the process. But remember, we have only a little over seven months to the next general election. But the next general election is not going to be the last election conducted by Nigeria. So, even if we don’t meet all these critical thresholds in 2023, we’ll continue with a discussion to see what happens beyond 2023.”

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2023: INEC promises to deliver best-ever general election

Alice Babalola — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 16:25:13 +0000

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman, gave the assurance when he received delegations of the International Republican Institute (IRI) and that of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Abuja.

He said the meeting was the first that INEC was hosting after Saturday’s governorship election in Osun and assured that it would improve on its successes in subsequent elections.

“We are encouraged by your kind words, but there is still a lot of work to do.

“We assure you that we will continue to work not only hard but even harder to deliver the 2023 general elections.

“I have listened to some of the issues raised but perhaps, when we go into the working session there will be an opportunity for us to respond to some of the issues,’’ he told the delegations.

Prof. Yakubu also spoke about the governorship elections held in Ekiti in June and that of Osun held on Saturday.

“As for the preparation for the 2023 general elections, I want to assure you that we promised Nigerians that Ekiti was going to be good and Ekiti was a good election.

“We promised that Osun was going to be better, Osun was a better election. We are promising that the 2023 general elections will be our best election ever and we are committed to delivering the best election ever,’’ he said.

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