Politics
EU, AU, Commonwealth, ECOWAS Election Mission Ask Political Parties to Seek Legal Redress If They Are Not Satisfy With Electoral Process
EU, AU, Commonwealth, ECOWAS Election Mission Ask Political Parties to Seek Legal Redress If They Are Not Satisfy With Electoral Process
By: Michael Mike
The European Union, African Union, Commonwealth, ECOWAS Missions to the 2023 Nigeria’s Election have asked any of the presidential candidate or political party that is not satisfied with the electoral process to seek legal redress.
Presenting their preliminary reports on the Presidential/National Assembly Elections, the European Union, African Union, Commonwealth, ECOWAS Missions to the 2023 Nigeria’s Election, while admitting that the election was better than past elections, but asked candidates and their parties to seek legal redress as provider under Nigeria’s law if they are aggrieved.
The Chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group, former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, while delivering his team’s preliminary assessment of the electoral process at a press conference in Abuja, noted that the Nigeria’s 2023 general elections were “largely peaceful” despite administrative and logistical hurdles at many polling units.
He said: “Nigerians were largely accorded the right to vote,” adding that: “We congratulate all Nigerians for their determination, patience and resilience displayed throughout the electoral process.”
He said as Nigeria waits for the final results, he appealed to all citizens to exercise patience to allow the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its staff to conclude the results process peacefully.
Mbeki said: “We call on all those with grievances to address disputes through prescribed legal channels,” insisting that: “The time now is for restraint and continued patience as we await the final results.”
He commended the commitment shown by voters, despite the late arrival of election officials and materials at many polling units, technical issues with biometric identification machines in some cases, and delays with the live results transmission system.
Mbeki also praised the polling officials for conducting their duties diligently, while noting some inconsistencies in procedures, particularly in the positioning of some polling booths which compromised the secrecy of the ballot as well as lack of advance voting for those deployed on election day.
He expressed that as voting hours extended into the night due to late openings, some polling units were ill-equipped with proper lighting to facilitate voting and counting in the dark.
However considering the challenges, he encouraged the electoral commission to conduct a thorough post-election review of the electoral process to draw lessons and consider setting up appropriate mechanisms to implement the recommendations of observers.
He also noted an improvement with the enactment of a new Electoral Act in 2022, which gave the electoral commission more autonomy, legal backing for the use of electronic accreditation of voters and frameworks for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the elections, among other things.
He noted the low percentage of women candidates, but however said the group was impressed by the “vibrant participation” of young people, including as polling officials, in the elections.
He noted that Commonwealth observers were in Benue, Edo, Kano, Lagos, Ondo, Rivers and Sokoto states as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
The European Union Observer Mission, on its part, urged Nigerians to rely on the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) for results of the presidential and National Assembly polls, insisting that the social media is not a credible source.
EU gave this advice on Monday, while delivery its preliminary report on the election.
According to Barry Andrew, EU Chief Observer and Head of EU EOM, “Social media was actively used by political actors as a campaign tool. However, the platforms were misused to spread harmful content, including disinformation on key electoral processes; the measures the
platforms took to protect electoral integrity were insufficient.
“Misleading information also came from
political actors and contributed to a blurred information environment for voters.”
He however commended the media and the Civil Society Organisation for joining forces to fact check.
He said, “Online and offline media joined forces with civil society and fact checkers to safeguard the integrity of the preelection information environment. Realtime fact checking of gubernatorial and other contestants’debates strived to hold candidates accountable, while various formats of voter information, raised voter awareness and helped to counter electoral insecurity, complementing INEC efforts.”
The EU Preliminary report presented by Andrew, observed that the electoral process lacked transparency, it also showed that the process operational failures, which reduced trust in the process.
EU also said despite the confidence reposed in INEC by stakeholders, the electoral body’s lack of efficient planning in critical stages and effective public communication reduced trust in the process, including on election day.
Andrew said, “On 25 February, Nigerians went to the polls in highly anticipated presidential and National Assembly
elections that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) kept on schedule despite a volatile
and challenging environment.
“Fundamental freedoms of assembly and movement were largely respected, yet the full enjoyment of the latter was impeded by insufficient planning, insecurity and the prevailing Naira and fuel shortages.
“Abuse of incumbency by various political office holders distorted the playing
field and there were widespread allegations of vote buying.
“The EU EOM is continuing its observation of the ongoing collation and tabulation of
results throughout the country.
“INEC’s operational capacity was hampered by the ongoing fuel and Naira shortage. Insecurity prevented
it from accessing some Local Government Areas (LGAs), notably in the South. Attacks on INEC premises, including just days before polling, hindered preparations in affected areas, while instilling fear in voters.
“Overall, stakeholders had expressed confidence in INEC’s independence, professionalism, and voter
information efforts, but this decreased ahead of elections.
“INEC lacked efficient planning and transparency during critical stages of the electoral process, while on election day trust in INEC was seen to further
reduce due to delayed polling processes and information gaps related to much anticipated access to results
on its Results Viewing Portal (IReV).
“In the lead-up to elections, the widely welcomed Electoral Act 2022 introduced measures aimed at building stakeholder trust, however leaving some important gaps in terms of accountability and INEC’s power to enforce the law.
“Weak points include a lack of INEC empowerment to enforce sanctions for
electoral offences and breaches of campaign finance rules. Positively, INEC benefited from more timely
financingthan for previous contests. Other new provisions also aimed to enhance transparency of results.
“The introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the IReV for the 2023 elections was perceived as an important step to ensure the integrity and credibility of elections.
“However, delayed training of technical personnel, an inadequate mock testing exercise, and a lack of public information on the election technologies diminished expectations and left room for speculation and uncertainty.
“During the early stages of collation, presidential result forms from polling units were not displayed on the
IReV, while Senate and House of Representative results were slowly published.
“Presidential election result
forms started to be uploaded after 10 pm on election day, raising concerns.
On her part, EU Parliament Head of Delegation, Ms. Evin Incir expressed concern that less than 10 percent of candidates were women.
Incir therefore urged the next government and Parliament to look into the manifestos of the main political parties to include affirmative action, such as quotas.
2023 Elections: AU, ECOWAS Observers task INEC on credible conclusions.
Meanwhile, the African Union (AU), and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Observation Missions deployed to the Nigerian general elections wants the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to improve on the encountrered challenges for credible conclusions of the electoral process.
The Head of African Union Observation Mission and Former President of Kenya, Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta , together with Leader of the ECOWAS Observer Mission and Former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bi Koroma, made the call in Abuja during a joint preliminary briefing on the elections.
The head of the observation missions urged Nigerians to remain calm until the announcement of the final result from INEC, cautioning against disinformation and fake news especially on social media platforms that would incite post-election violence.
Responding to questions from journalists, Mr. Koroma said the AU and EU Observation Missions is urging INEC to improve on its communications strategies to avoid any form of speculations, disinformation and fake news.
The Leader of the ECOWAS delegation said that beyond Observation Mission, it was in Nigeria alongside the AU Mission on a diplomacy engagement to ensure a peaceful transition.
The Head of AU Observation Mission, Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta while also also fielding questions from journalists urged INEC to adress all challenges encountered so that the process can be brought to a credible and peaceful conclusion.
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray appreciated the AU and ECOWAS Observation Missions who came on the invitation of the ECOWAS Commissions for delivering on their mandate.
He also thanked the Media for the good coverage of the elections especially at a time where fake news have dominated the media space.
Touray said that “ECOWAS will indeed follow results closely and continue to reach out to all stakeholders within the framework of preventive diplomacy.”
EU, AU, Commonwealth, ECOWAS Election Mission Ask Political Parties to Seek Legal Redress If They Are Not Satisfy With Electoral Process
Mass defection hits Gombe State NNPP, SDP, LP as over 1, 000 leaders join APC
Ahead of the 2027 general election, the camp of the ruling APC in Gombe State received a boost as over 1, 000 opposition political leaders and members from Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of the state, on Monday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The opposition leaders and members are from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Labour Party (LP).
They were received by Mr Inuwa Garba, member representing Yamaltu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in company of Mr Adamu Lambam, APC chairman, Yamaltu Deba LG.
Speaking during the ceremony in Lubo community in Yamaltu Deba LG, Malam Tasiu Isa, the Chairman of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the council said joining APC was to strengthen the good governance being delivered by the party.
Isa said that Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and President Bola Tinubu have done well for the people through the execution of live-changing projects.
“We, the executives of the SDP from this LG and all the ward executives are joining the APC today and we are more than 500 officials.
“If we join our supporters and members, then we will be talking of thousands of SDP members; we are convinced that APC is the party to be because the party has good governance as evidence,” he said.
Isa commended Rep member Garba for his people-centric approach to representation, saying that Garba’s leadership style was complementing that of Gov. Yahaya.
For Mohammed Hinna, Labour Party chairman, Yamaltu Deba LG, joining APC remained the best option for any patriotic Nigeria who wants to see a better future for the country.
Hinna said with the efforts of President Tinubu and Gov. Yahaya, it would be difficult to remain in opposition, “if you truly a political leader that has the love of the people at heart.”
Mr Adamu Lambam, the APC chairman for Yamaltu Deba said more opposition leaders and members have been joining the APC at the council because of the good governance being delivered by Yahaya in their LG.
Lambam said that the party would continue to welcome anyone who wants to join the APC, adding that “APC is the people’s party because of the developmental strides of Tinubu, Inuwa and Garba.”
Reps member Garba said with the defection, the structure of opposition parties in the council has been weakened and “this is good for APC ahead of 2027.”
Garba said that the performance of Tinubu and Yahaya would make campaigning for APC ahead of 2027 election easier for them when the ban on campaign is lifted in August.
He appealed to members of the APC to remain united while mobilising more members at the grassroots by informing them of the many good things that Mr President and Yahaya have done.
Mass defection hits Gombe State NNPP, SDP, LP as over 1, 000 leaders join APC
Politics
Bayelsa: APC Chieftain Condemns Marginalized Congresses, Alleges Diri’s Plan To Use Isowo As State Party Chairman
Bayelsa: APC Chieftain Condemns Marginalized Congresses, Alleges Diri’s Plan To Use Isowo As State Party Chairman
Faults Akpe’s Nomination, Says Governance Now A Family Enterprise
A chieftain and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Barr. David Perebo has expressed deep dissatisfaction over Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri segregational, sidelining mode of conduct of the party ward and local government congresses.
Condemning in strong terms of the segregational mode of conduct of the APC ward and local government congresses across the state, the chieftain described the congresses as witch-hunt of a selected group of stakeholders, leaders in the party.
The APC member condemned the governor deliberate segregation of key stakeholders in various wards and local government areas are geared towards generating division.
Pursuant to the marginalized mode of conduct of the congresses, ward and local government executives of APC in Sagbama addressing the press, expressed dissatisfaction over non-inclusion of critical stakeholders who stood firmly as an opposition in building the party in Bayelsa state.
The party executives said Senator Diri inability to conduct all inclusive congresses in various wards, local governments across the state, has proven beyond shadow of doubt of the governor incapability to manage affairs of the party in Bayelsa state.
Governor Diri who couldn’t manage insignificant affairs of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP leading to Mr George Turnah factional leadership in Bayelsa, has transferred the same attitude from the PDP to the APC barely four months of defection.
The statesmen said the governor has deceptively taken total control of the APC leadership structure in various wards and local government areas across the state, by installing his followers who defected to the APC from the PDP, while excluding old APC members who built the party.
Diri who preach all-inclusiveness in leadership, has deceptively taken over the leadership structures of Brass, Nembe, Yenagoa, Sagbama, Kolokuma-Opokuma, while allowing Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku and David Lyon to nominate the Chairmen of Ekeremor, Ogbia and Southern-Ijaw as compensation.
Furthermore, the governor whose intentions failed woefully to use his relative, Mr Gesiye Isowo as at then Bayelsa PDP Secretary, as Bayelsa APC Caretaker Chairman before any official defection to the APC, has perfected preparations to use him as Chairman of APC in Bayelsa State.
Senator Douye Diri has perfected preparations to produce the Bayelsa APC Chairman, Secretary, including other relevant positions to take total control of the party structure in the state, as deliberate steps towards producing a governorship candidate in the next gubernatorial election.
Unknown to Lokpobiri, Ogbuku who are rumoured to have governorship ambitions in 2027, Governor Douye Diri will never support any of them as successor, rather he is nurturing a relative from Nembe extraction whose father is from Sampou to succeed him as Bayelsa Governor.
In the same vein, the APC chieftain has condemned the decision of the Bayelsa Governor, Senator Douye Diri over nomination of his maternal relative from Ayamasa town, Pastor Peter Pereotubo Akpe as Deputy Governor with motives to revolve the government as a family enterprise.
The chieftain who that stands for justice, fairness, and transparency in governance, has expressed intense dissatisfaction over Governor Douye Diri’s nomination of his relative as deputy governor against Bayelsans.
The sudden passing of the Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo whose cause of sudden death still uncertain, created room for timely replacement of the office of the deputy governor according to Section 191 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said the governor has privatized governance of Bayelsa as a family enterprise with Akpe nomination as deputy when expected to choose from other competent Bayelsans.
Senator Diri has virtually privatized governance of Bayelsa by appointing only relatives in sensitive positions: Chief of Staff now Deputy Governor, Deputy Chief of Staff, Director of Domestic, Director of Transport, and other government house appointees.
The aggrieved party stakeholder said successive administrations since 1999 has credibly and transparently distributed political appointments across the three senatorial district, but the reverse has been the record in Senator Douye Diri administration.
The governor take decisions without putting into consideration of those who consciously built his political reputation. He defected to the APC without considering the feelings of leaders working closely with him.
Bayelsans has witnessed that the governor has no conscience and empathy, enveloped with greed and ingratitude against those who helped in building his political career and reputation; such as former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Dr. Timi Alaibe, Senator Seriake Dickson.
Senator Diri political trajectory has been driven by pettiness, rumours, propaganda, capitalizing on illiteracy, poverty and stomach infrastructure syndrome of some Bayelsans, while privatizing and managing resources of the state as a family enterprise.
In self-delusional, deceptive pretense of building peace, unity, he brought in opposition members to replace those who fought (some lost their lives) for his emergence, instead of acknowledging, and compensating them for their support and sacrifices.
Douye was very selfish to abandon Jonathan, Alaibe in PDP, especially Dickson who believed and trusted him as successor. Yet, he embraced the people who fought against those who worked for him in the election.
The way and manner the governor had shown ingratitude to Jonathan, Dickson, Alaibe, and others, same thing he will do to Lokpobiri, Ogbuku, Lyon, and other leaders in the APC.
Douye doesn’t understand that those who are praising him, are doing so for political patronage (monetary terms), and desert him after office.
Signed:
Barr. David Perebo
APC Chieftain Writes From Yenagoa
Bayelsa: APC Chieftain Condemns Marginalized Congresses, Alleges Diri’s Plan To Use Isowo As State Party Chairman
National Progressive Hub (NPH) Urges Support for President Tinubu’s Second Tenure
By Comrade Philip Ikodor
The National Progressive Hub (NPH), a leading support group for the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on all Nigerians to rally behind President Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR for a successful second term in office come 2027.
In a statement, National Coordinator/Convener, Honorable Bukie Okangbe, praised the APC administration for its efforts towards nation-building and economic stability. Okangbe highlighted the NPH’s previous support for President Tinubu, including a National Security and Endorsement event in 2022 that contributed to the party’s successful general election outcome.
The NPH is gearing up for a Grand Endorsement event for President Tinubu’s second term, scheduled to hold on February 26th at the Musa Yaradua Center, CBD, Abuja. The event will also feature the inauguration of 36 state coordinators, including the FCT, and address critical national issues.
“We invite everyone to join us at this significant event,” Okangbe said. “Your presence will be a testament to our collective commitment to Nigeria’s progress and the APC’s vision for a better future.”
The event promises to be a landmark occasion, showcasing the NPH’s dedication to the APC and President Tinubu’s leadership.
National Progressive Hub (NPH) Urges Support for President Tinubu’s Second Tenure
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