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President Bola Tinubu has described members of opposition parties in the country as reactionary politicians.
Tinubu stated this, on Wednesday in Akure, at the grand finale of the campaign rally for Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governprship candidate in Ondo state in Saturday’s election.
The President, who was represented by his Vice, Kashim Shettima, asked the supporters gathered at the venue of the rally if any of the former governors of the state; either dead or alive, would have voted for any ‘reactionary party’.
He said that a vote for APC would be a vote for progress and would ensure continuous development that had already started in the South-West region.
Tinubu used the occasion to announce the approval of establishment of a federal teaching hospital in the state.
“We bring you greetings from the President, if Ajasin were still alive, is he going to vote for the APC or reactionary party?
“If Akeredolu were to be alive, is he going to vote for the APC or the reactionary party?
“Would Mimiko vote for the APC or reactionary party?
“I urge you to come out enmass to vote for APC for the people of the South-West. Ondo State has two senior ministers, to whom much is given, much is expected,” he said.
The President appealed to the electorate to vote for the party in order for the good work to continue to continue in the state.
Speaking at the event, the Candidate of the APC, Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said he was loyal all through till the end to his former boss, the late Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu.
Aiyedatiwa assured the people of the state that he would do more for the progress of the state.
Also speaking, the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the party was fully ready for victory and would win the election in all the 18 local government areas of the state for Aiyedatiwa
The Chairman of APC Campaign Council for Ondo Election, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos said nobody should fight with opposition, other than speaking with their vote for APC.
Sanwo-Olu said the party was sure of victory in the election and would still come back to appreciate the people of the state for standing with the party.
The National Chairman of the Party, Alhaji Abdulahi Ganduje, said they came to support Aiyedatiwa to victory.
Ganduje later presented the party’s flag to the governor and his running mate, Dr Olayide Adelami.
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Nigeria’s democracy is again at the crossroads. The lack of transparency in funding Nigeria’s 18 registered political parties has raised critical questions on how the parties are funded and the level of influence, implications, and consequences of these financial backers on the country’s democratic process, particularly when examining the local government polls so far conducted across various states. In a democratic system, the presence of 18 political parties is supposed to portend good tidings. But is that the case with Nigerians?
The question again is, how are the parties sustaining themselves? Is it through transparent means such as membership dues, donations, and, in some cases, legitimate business ventures? The harsh reality is most political parties lack substantial membership bases, making it difficult for them to generate meaningful income from dues. If these parties do have extensive membership records, it is high time they prove it by making such information available to Nigerians. Transparency on this front is sorely lacking, and the parties owe it to the public to clarify where their funds come from.
The cost of running a political party at the national, state, and local government levels, and contesting elections at whatever level in Nigeria is expensive. It includes maintaining local secretariats, rent, utilities, maintenance, paying allowances to party executives, staff remuneration, benefits, purchase of stationery, printing, branding, and promotional materials. It also entails managing election campaigns such as advertising, events, nomination forms, travelling, fuelling, hotel accommodation, mobilization of supporters, and other logistics, etc.
So, what are their sources of funding?
Political parties in Nigeria are meant to be funded by a combination of membership dues, donations, and other legitimate sources according to their constitution. However, what is opaque and remains contentious is the possibility and the extent of subvention receipts from the state. The current state of party funding in Nigeria according to the 1999 Nigeria Constitution and the 2022 Electoral Act can be found in Section 15, Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) and Section 2 of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended). It can also be gleaned in the code of conduct for political parties. These laws and binding agreements aim to ensure transparency and accountability in party financing. However, the lack of cooperation and coordination among parties, particularly at all levels, undermines democratic principles.
Now let’s take a critical look at the funding structure. Donations are a key source of funding, but parties without any seats, elected representatives, or clout cannot possibly attract significant donations or patronage. So, the question of funding becomes even more puzzling here. After all, why would anyone donate to a party that lacks influence or a voice in decision-making processes? Yet, some of these fringe parties remain afloat, raising suspicions about their true sources of funding. If these smaller parties claim to be receiving donations, they should openly declare their benefactors. The Nigerian people deserve to know who is bankrolling these entities. If the parties cannot provide transparency on this issue, they become complicit in perpetuating a system of opacity, and deceit, and are part of the broader systemic scam that is being perpetrated against Nigeria and its citizens.
Still, fundamental questions remain: how are these parties surviving? Do they have business ventures generating income? If so, where are these businesses, and how successful are they? If parties claim to have such ventures, they should provide the details for public scrutiny. The truth, however, is that most parties do not engage in any profitable ventures that could sustain their operations. This lack of transparency fuels speculation that many political parties may be receiving funds from questionable sources.
The so-called big parties have bigger questions to answer. That is, those with presidents, governors, senators, and members of the House of Representatives, etc, are not immune from scrutiny. Can these parties truly claim that membership dues are keeping them afloat? The reality is that they, too, likely rely on more opaque means to fund their activities. It would be reasonable to suggest that these big parties may be siphoning public funds, whether from state or federal coffers, to maintain their operations.
For instance, when a party controls the presidency, the governorship, or holds a majority in the legislature, the lines between party and state resources often blur as they tend to call the president or the governor the leader of the party at those levels. Therefore, without transparent accounting, it is safe to assume that public funds could be diverted to support the political machinery. These resources, which should be allocated to development projects or public welfare, might be funnelled into campaigns and party expenses instead.
What is IPAC’s role in all these? The 18 political parties are signatories to the code of conduct for political parties, which outlines ethical practices for campaigns and elections. Yet, many parties fail to uphold these standards, often colluding with state governments to undermine the democratic process.
Unfortunately, the Inter-Party Advisory Council that saddled itself with protecting the interest of parties, and promoting unity, and cooperation among parties has failed in that regard. The actions or inactions of IPAC at different levels often show support or tacitly condone electoral irregularities thus failing to uphold the code of conduct. IPAC’s inertia is also evident, instead of raising concerns over constitutional violations and electoral travesties, the council remains largely passive, allowing state governments to continue subverting democracy at the grassroots level, as it fails to speak out against the injustices its members face, leaving smaller parties vulnerable and powerless thus resulting in situations where parties are not only excluded from elections, but are also discouraged from challenging electoral outcomes through legal means.
A glaring example of these accusations is the travesty of Local Government elections where manipulation is the order of the day, as we see states being notorious for imposing their preferred candidates on the electorate. These travesties are made possible by state electoral laws which often contravene national guidelines, and are at variance with the 1999 Nigerian Constitution and the 2022 Electoral Act, effectively undermining the credibility of elections. The State Independent Electoral Commissions, created to oversee these elections, are mere tools in the hands of governments, allowing incumbents to remain in control by any means possible.
So, are we in a democracy or deception mode? How can Nigerians claim to live in a democracy when opposition parties are complicit in deceiving the electorate? It is not just the ruling parties that are guilty; the so-called opposition parties often appear to be working hand in glove with those in power, perpetuating a system designed to enrich the political elite at the expense of the Nigerian people. If political parties cannot sustain themselves transparently, through legitimate means such as dues, donations, or business ventures, they may be fronts for siphoning public funds.
This lack of transparency undermines the very fabric of Nigeria’s democracy. Nigerians deserve to know who is funding these parties. Is it the people, or is it a few powerful individuals with vested interests? If parties cannot prove that they are being funded through lawful means, they are not only deceiving Nigerians but also perpetuating the corruption that has long plagued the country’s political landscape, and effectively do not have business on the political turf.
•Adamu Rabiu-Bakondare writes from Kaduna
Opposition parties in Kogi State have called for the arrest and prosecution of the Chairman of Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission, KOSIEC, for allegedly allowing sensitive materials to be diverted to the Government House.
They made their position known when they protested at the KOSIEC office in Lokoja ahead of Saturday’s local government election.
Addressing journalists on behalf of other political parties, the Kogi State organizing secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ibrahim alleged that sensitive materials for some local governments were diverted to Kogi State Government House.
“Sensitive materials were allegedly diverted to Kogi Government House.
“Many Kogites could not exercise their franchise. This is disgraceful. The ruling All Progressive Congress in Kogi State has criminalized the system and has continued to promote immunity.
“Opposition parties in Kogi State will not accept this,” he stated.
While calling on the National Assembly to pass a resolution for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct elections for local government across the country, he appealed to the Federal Government to sanction anyone involved in the alleged electoral fraud.
Ibrahim emphasized that opposition parties in Kogi State regret participating in the election.
He lamented the present economic hardship under the APC government, noting that if election is conducted transparently, the ruling party will lose at both the federal and state levels.
Ibrahim also accused the security agencies in the state of unprofessional conduct.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Thursday, said some judgments and rulings of the court in political cases are responsible for some internal crisis rocking political parties in the country.
Speaking at the 67th birthday celebration and presentation of 50 books authored by a human rights lawyer, Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN in Abuja, Jonathan expressed deep concerns about the state of the judiciary and its impact on the country’s political landscape.
Addressing the gathering, which he co-chaired and with former president, Olusegun Obasanjo as chairman, Jonathan noted that recent court judgments in political matters have thrown the country into disarray, especially the judgement that empowered a ward chairman to expel a national chairman of a political party.
“The way things are going in the country now, especially with the judgments coming from the courts on political matters, it plays democracy like a cone that has been flipped upside down. Sooner or later, it will tip over,” Jonathan warned.
He urged members of the Bar and the Bench to resist being swayed by political machinations, emphasising that some judgments could further destabilise Nigeria’s political structure.
“How can a ward chairman expel the national chairman of a party? I am not a lawyer, but I know that this cannot fly in the face of natural justice,” Jonathan stated, alluding to the legal chaos that has gripped political parties in the wake of the court judgment.
He called on the Supreme Court to revisit the decision, stressing that such decisions threaten the stability of the nation’s political system.
“When I observe how things are running in other countries, I wonder how can a sub-unit have the authority to discipline the head. This situation is against natural justice and has thrown political parties into crisis,” he said.
He appealed passionately to the judiciary to reconsider its role in shaping the nation’s political future.
Earlier in his speech, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who chaired the event, hinted that he has a lot to say about the unfolding situation in the country but suggested that the time is yet the right time to speak out fully.
Obasanjo, in his remarks described Ozekhome as an extraordinary man and a person who advocates thorough political and social change with conviction, courage and integrity.
Former chairman of the body of Benchers (BOB), Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN who reviewed the 50 books authored by Prof Mike Ozekhome said, Ozekhome is political, legal scholar, human rights activist and political commentator whose views are expressed on diverse subjects.
In his review of the books which he titled “Review Of The Corpus”, Olanipekun, ran through the various titles of Ezekhome’s 50 books,
which he grouped under four themes, ‘Rights and expectations of persons qua citizens under the constitution and the law; the Duties imposed on and expected of the government at all tiers, including those in positions of leadership, across board; Private wrongs which stand unaddressed, and Public Wrongs which continue unabated.”
In his remarks, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi urged Ozekhome and other Nigerians not to relent in efforts to build a better society.
Obi said until Nigerians jointly continue to push for what is right the country cannot be better than the current situation.
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The National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Ajuji Ahmed, has alleged that crises rocking opposition parties in the country were orchestrated by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to win the 2027 general elections and for President Bola Tinubu to win his second term.
According to the NNPP national chairman, the party will support and be party of moves by opposition parties to form an alliance against the ruling party in order to sack the APC and Tinubu from power.
Ahmed stated this during the flag-off of the party’s campaign in Akure, Ondo State capital, ahead of the forthcoming off-cycle governorship election in the state.
While emphasising that there will be no room to manipulate the result of the poll, Ahmed said, “The fear that APC might want to manipulate the election is being expressed everywhere, no doubt in Ondo State. Wherever you have a ruling party, the ruling party might not want to have a good opposition around it.
“But at the end of the day, it is left to us to guard our votes on the voting day by having a credible agent who will protect the votes and who will also be in charge of supervising the counting. Once we have that, we believe that there is nothing the APC can do as such.
“I do not believe that the APC is trying to create crises in opposition parties; I believe that the APC is doing whatever it can to ensure it wins the 2027 general elections.
“Certainly, there is evidence everywhere that they are interfering in other parties, but it is left for the other parties to maintain their integrity and ensure that they remain one and a viable opposition to the APC before and after the 2027 general elections.
“I believe there should be a plan by the opposition parties to unite ahead of the 2027 election. The NNPP will also be part of it if at all it materialises. We have our doors open in such a way that if there is going to be a coalition of all the political parties to go into the election, we are ready for that. But if every individual party will want to go on its own, the NNPP is also preparing for that eventuality.”
On his part, Edema, who urged the electorate not to be intimidated by the power of incumbency, appealed to them to resist any form of vote-trading capable of prolonging the current hardship in the land.
While maintaining that the antics deployed by the ruling party in Edo State will be resisted by the people of Ondo State, the NNPP standard-bearer said, “We are saying Ondo State is not Edo State. Ondo is not Lagos State. The people of Ondo are one of the most enlightened in the whole country and we are capable of protecting our votes and we will protect it.
“We do not fear them. We will dare them.”
By Jethro Ibileke
No fewer than six political parties have filed petitions at the Edo State election petition tribunal, to challenge the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo of APC as the winner of the 21 September, 2024 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Recall that INEC had on 22 September, 2024, declared candidate of the APC winner of the election, with 291,667 votes to defeat 17 other candidates, including his closet rival, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, who scored 247,274 votes.
The parties that have petitioned the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election are the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Social Democratic Party, SDP, Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, Action Democratic Party, ADP, Accord Party, AP, and the Allied Peoples’ Movement, APM.
They parties and their candidates in their respective petitions, prayed for the nullification of the governorship election for non compliance with the mandatory provisions of the Electoral Act.
The ADP in its petition, asked for a total cancelation of the election, adding that INEC ought to have nullified the election and order for a fresh one.
The party noted that in the fresh election, the electoral umpire should ensure that it comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of Elections.
The APM, ADP, ZLP and SDP also challenged the results declared by the INEC in nine local government areas won by the PDP, namely, Esan North East, Esan South West, Igueben, Okpoba Okha, Orhionmwon, Ovia South West, Ovia North East and Uhumwonde.
They also contested the result of Egor local government area won by the APC.
In the petition filed by SDP, the party averred that no winner could have emerged from the election which was held in fundamental breach of the Electoral Act and Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of the election by the first respondent (INEC).
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It alleged that the failure by INEC and its Presiding Officers, to transmit collated votes at polling units electronically, as required by law, has rendered the votes allocated to the APC candidate invalid and his declaration as winner of the election a nullity.
In its petition, ADP contended that
the votes accredited to the 2nd Respondent and indeed all the candidates for the election are invalid, having emanated from an election conducted in fundamental breach of the Electoral Act and Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of Elections by the Ist Respondent.
The party stated that the Ist Respondent ought to have nullified the election and order a fresh election in Edo, where the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of Elections of the Ist Respondent shall be complied with.
Also, in its petition, ZLP prayed the Tribunal to order that the declaration of the 2nd Respondent, APC, the 3rd Respondent, Senator Monday Okpebholo as winners of the Govenorship Election was invalid by reason of corupt practices and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Regulations and Guidelines issued thereunder at the election by INEC.
Judging by the experience of the advanced Western democracies and even some evolving ones, political parties, without a doubt, play a critical role in the survival and growth of democracy in any country where it is practiced. Besides recruiting and training aspirants for public office and seeking to get their candidates elected to public offices, they perform other tasks in a democratic society, such as socialisation and education of citizens on the functioning of the electoral and political systems, and general political values.
They equally seek and articulate key public policy and civil necessities and challenges identified by their members and followers. Additionally, they channel public opinion from the citizens to the government and arouse and mobilise the public to participate in political decisions, including the suggestion of viable options for contentious or ineffective government policies.
In Nigeria, Section 106 (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) makes the membership of a political party a mandatory qualification for a person contesting an election in Nigeria. Sections 221 to 225 cover the prohibition of certain associations from political activities, restriction on the formation of political parties, constitution and rules of political parties, aims and objectives, and finances, among others.
Section 226 (1) compels the Independent National Electoral Commission to report to the National Assembly an annual report on the accounts and balance sheet of every political party. The commission itself is an establishment of the same Constitution and its functions are spelt out in Section 15, Part 1 of the Third Schedule and the Electoral Act.
Despite all the legal backing, the output of political parties in Nigeria leaves much to be desired. While political parties are strong institutions in other climes, in Nigeria, they are very weak. This weakness makes them unable to perform effectively their roles in the political system, thereby stunting the growth of democracy in the country.
I will support the assertion made in the preceding paragraph with evidence from recent elections in the country, starting with the local government elections in South East Nigeria where I am based. I chose to start with local government elections because if “the government of the people by the people and for the people” must thrive in any country, it must be entrenched at the grassroots where the people are found. Even in the United States, which is seen as the bastion of democracy in the world, the phrase “all politics is local” is very common.
Local government epitomises the grassroots. There is nobody in Nigeria who does not live in a local government. The President of Nigeria, the members of the National Assembly, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Ministers, and other top federal government functionaries live in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Municipal Area Council.
Unfortunately, political parties exist at the local government level in Nigeria only for the sake of it. They are neither strong nor active. Not many at the grassroots belong to political parties. The parties are very poor financially. The paucity of funds renders them unable to participate effectively in elections at the local level.
In some cases, the parties bank on the government controlling power at the state, and the national level to survive. For instance, in the build-up to the forthcoming November 2, 2024, local government elections in Abia State, the political parties were demanding funds from the Abia State Government led by the Labour Party, to enable them to participate in the council elections, considering the short notice, which may not allow them to mobilise enough funds to prosecute the election.
Ironically, Abia State is a multi-party state. Although Governor Alex Otti was elected in 2023 on the LP platform, the House of Assembly at inception comprised members from the LP, the Peoples Democratic Party, and the Young Progressive Party. The APC later got one State Assembly seat through the election tribunal.
Four political parties produced members of the National Assembly from Abia. They are LP.PDP, APC, and the All Progressive Grand Alliance. Notable among them are the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and former Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, both of APC, Enyinnaya Abaribe of APGA and Col. Austin Akobundu of the PDP. Before his election to the Senate, Akobundu at different times served as the PDP National Vice Chairman, South East, and the National Organising Secretary. How these big names impact on the strength of the political parties in Abia State remains to be seen.
Another evidence of the weakness of political parties in Nigeria is the low turnout of voters during the just the concluded September 28 LG elections in Anambra State. Not minding that the ruling party, the APGA has controlled power in the State for about 18 years, it could not mobilise the electorate to come out en masse and participate in the council polls.
Although it was the first local government election in Anambra State in 10 years, voter apathy was reported across the 21 local government areas and 326 wards in the state. Yet, APGA recorded 21 over 21 in the election. The poor turnout of voters in the council polls replicated the poor turnout of voters witnessed in the last November 2021 governorship election in the state–only 10 percent of the registered 2.4 million voters voted. Professor Charles Soludo won the election with 112,229 votes, representing four percent of the registered voters in Anambra State and about 40 percent of the 253,000 votes that participated in the election.
However, the poor voter turnout in the just concluded Anambra local government elections was child’s play, compared to Imo State, where polling units were empty on the day of the September 21 local government election. Despite the very low turnout, the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission declared the ruling APC the winner of the entire seats available for contest. In a video obtained by a popular online media, the ISIEC Chairman, Charles Ejiogu announced the names of the winners without announcing the figures polled by the candidates and parties that participated in the election,
The local government elections in Enugu State on the same September 21, were no different from the ones mentioned earlier. Although the ruling PDP and LP are the two dominant parties in the state, the PDP cleared all the 17 local government chairmanship seats and the 261 councillorship seats available in the state.
Often, you see the political parties at the state level boycotting the council polls because of the lack of transparency on the side of the State Independent Electoral Commissions. The irony is that the same political parties participate in the general elections conducted by INEC which has not proved to be more transparent than the SIECs, judging by its performance in recent elections, the latest being the Edo Governorship Elections, where the national electoral body flagrantly abandoned its rules to the bewilderment of both local and international observers.
For instance, the results of Oredo, Akoko Edo, and Egor local government areas were collated at the INEC Headquarters instead of the local government secretariat, where they were supposed to be collated, according to the rules of INEC. What about the last presidential elections won by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu? Although the Judiciary ruled that Tinubu won the election, Nigerians remain puzzled till date that INEC abandoned its more transparent digital processes, particularly the IREV portal during the collation of the presidential results after hundreds of billions of Naira of public funds were spent on the digitisation of the electoral system. This is to mention but a few.
Therefore, I think that our democracy is stumbling because we have weak political parties. Although no electoral system is perfect, We copied our multiparty democracy from the United States of America. However, the system in the US is much more advanced than ours because they have very strong political parties that are capable of demanding transparency from the electoral system.
If we want democracy to survive and grow in Nigeria, we should work towards strengthening our political parties. A party should not exist only on INEC recognition. The parties must design unique manifestoes appealing to the people. They should drive for membership. A party that has 5000 strong financial members in each of the 774 local government areas can muster enough funds to participate in elections at all levels. A party that has 5000 strong members in each of the 774 LGAs automatically has almost four million votes in the presidential election. If each member woos five voters, the party automatically has 20 million votes, which is 12 million votes more than the eight million votes that Tinubu garnered to become President of Nigeria.
Similarly, a party that has 5000 strong members in each of the 21 local government areas in Anambra State automatically has 105,000 votes. If each member woos five voters, the party automatically has 525,000 votes, which quadruples the 112, 000 votes that Soludo used to win the last governorship election.
The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, says a total of nine political parties will be participating in the forthcoming local government elections in Anambra State, slated for Saturday.
ANSIEC revealed this in a publication of final list of candidates on Thursday in Awka.
According to ANSIEC, the political parties participating in the elections include Action Alliance, AA, Accord Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Labour Party, LP, New Nigeria Peoples’ Party, NNPP, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Others are Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, Young Progressives Party, YPP, and Social Democratic Party, SDP.
APGA was said to be the only party to field candidates for all the 21 chairmanship and 326 councillorship positions, while PDP fielded 18 out of the 21 chairmanship and 228 out of the 326 ward councillorship positions.
NNPP fielded eight candidates out of the 21 chairmanship and 37 candidates out the 326 councillorship positions while LP fielded six candidate for chairmanship and 12 for councillorship positions.
Accord Party fielded four candidates for chairmanship and four for councillorship positions, while YPP fielded three candidates for chairmanship and 44 for councillorship positions.
AA fielded one candidate each for chairmanship and councillorship positions, while SDP fielded one candidate for chairmanship nine for councillorship positions.
ZLP only fielded four candidates for councillorship position.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, did not field candidates as it officially withdrew from the local government elections, citing concerns over electoral irregularities.
The party announced its decision on September 8, and revealed plans to challenge the election process in court.
Many leaders of opposition parties in Cross River State have attacked the chairman of the major opposition party, PDP, Venatius Ikem.
The hot exchange between other opposition leaders and Ikem happened after the chairman of the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission, CROSIEC, Dr Ekong Edet Boco, on Wednesday afternoon, gave them one month to prepare for the local government chairmanship election.
Ikem had expressed displeasure that the chairman of political party monitoring in IPAC, who also is chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the state, Dr Ekpenyong Ambo, was speaking for too long instead of giving a vote of thanks.
Pandemonium ensued as former IPAC chairman Anthony Bissong and other state chairmen rose against Ikem, shouting at him to keep quiet and sit down.
Ikem insisted further that Ambo had deviated from what he ought to say.
Before the wrangling, the CROSIEC boss released the timetable for the 2024 Local Government Council in the state.
He announced that the conduct of party primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from the primaries, commences as he was speaking, and should terminate on 15 October 2024.
“All the processes are to terminate on October 25, 2024, when all political campaigns should also end. On October 26, 2024, local government elections will hold in the state,” Boco announced.
He assured that all the registered political parties would be given a level playing field. “Election is not war. We are going to conduct a rancour-free election. So we need a peaceful environment to achieve a credible and acceptable election in the state,” he said.
All the political parties pledged their readiness to actively participate in the polls since it has been long overdue.
However, PDP chairman, Ikem, said they would have boycotted because of the hasty amendment of the law to conduct the election, the suddenness of the timetable and multiple adjustments of goalposts to favour the ruling party.
“We’d rather participate in protest because to boycott is a language of defeat,” he said.
Ahead of Kano State Local Government Council election in October 2024, the All Progressives Congress, APC, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and 19 other political parties have been restrained by Kano State High Court from hindering the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission, KANSIEC from collecting nomination fees from applicants.
Earlier, KANSIEC had released nominations and expression of interest forms for chairmanship and councillorship positions for N10 and N5 million respectively, leading to protest from political parties who described the fees as outrageous.
The protest led to the legal intervention of the court. at the instance of KANSIEC which the political parties in their response argued that it must be reduced even as they claimed there was not enough time before the election in October.
After hearing submissions from Rilwanu Umar Esq., R.I. Yaura Esq., and Mustapha Oseni Esq., representing the plaintiffs, the court ruled in favor of KANSIEC, issuing an interim injunction that allows the commission to proceed with its statutory responsibilities.
The political parties were restrained through an order of the court that stops them from taking any steps that hinders the electoral body from organizing, conducting, regulating, and supervising the local elections.
The court’s decision ensures that preparations for the October polls continue uninterrupted, pending further hearings.
The case has been adjourned to October 10, 2024, for the hearing of the motion on notice.
The Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Barrister Asue Ighodalo has raised the alarm over alleged voting buying in the ongoing election in the state.
According to report Ighodalo made the allegation shortly after casting his vote at ward 1, unit 3, at Okaigben Idinrio in Esan South-East LGA.
He alleged that some political parties are buying votes with N15,000 and B20,000.
“The worst is that they go round trying to buy votes. They buy votes for N15,000 and N20,000.They are trying everything to subvert the process,” he said.
Ighodalo, who expressed optimism that he will win the election, noted that his major priority is to move the state forward.
“We are not comfortable with the little shenanigans that is going on particularly from the APC guys.
“There are rumours that they are trying to undermine the election process. Many of them have been caught with ballot papers, PVC’s.
“The Nigerian military has made me proud. They have taken charge and have shown great responsibility. They have shown that they can protect the people and I am extremely proud.
“We are not worried. We have spent ten months talking to people, telling them what we will do for them if they elect us.
“The people believed us and have accepted us all over the state. I don’t know the magic anybody will perform.
“I believe INEC will deliver a free and fair election until they prove otherwise. We will win hands down in this election,” Ighodalo added.
He also alleged that some chieftains of the PDP were arrested in Uromi.
“We are not happy with what is ongoing on in some places but we will remain confident. One of our supporters was arrested at Uromi by some people with security outfit.
“No one should carry a gun into a polling unit. It’s against the law. It’s against the regulation. You see people behave indiscriminately, oppressing and trying to intimidate our folks. It won’t happen. We can’t be intimidated.
“How come it’s only PDP supporters that have been arrested? Everyday you see APC supporters doing imaginable things. But nobody arrests them. Nobody investigates them.
“The person arrested was at his polling unit trying to be accredited. He was queuing up trying to be accredited. Authorities should create a free and fair playing field. This is getting too much, particularly from the Police Force,” he added.
The Benue State Independent Election Commission (BSIEC) has a total of eight political parties participating in the forthcoming local government elections in the state, slated for Saturday, October 5.
The BSIEC said it has also put in place adequate arrangements to ensure a hitch-free exercise.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Commission, Barr. Terlumum Tombowua, over the weekend during a media briefing in Makurdi.
He listed the political parties participating in the elections to include: African Action Congress (AAC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Barr Tombowua said the Commission has already carried out verification of candidates for the election on September 12.
He added that the names of candidates who were substituted by political parties were returned to the Commission on September 16th.
Barr. Tombowua said on Tuesday, September 17, the Commission displayed the list of substituted candidates by the political parties, while the main elections have been fixed for October 5th.
He explained that no political party or a faction of any party is being favored by the Commission, as has been speculated in some quarters.
He stressed that he received a letter from the National Secretariat of the APC to work with the caretaker committee led by Benjamin Omale in dealing with the party.
Tombowua said a similar letter was received by the Commission from the national secretariat of the PDP to also work with their caretaker committee in the state and assured that the Commission will conduct free, transparent, and credible elections.
“On our part, we are ready to conduct free, fair, and credible elections. Initially, 14 political parties indicated interest to participate in the election, but in the end, 8 parties are fielding candidates to contest in the election.
“The House of Assembly approved our budget of 6 billion naira, and as for payment, we are getting it as it is coming. We have procured 21 vehicles and made provision for sensitive and non-sensitive materials to enable us to conduct the election.
“We have already started receiving most of the materials we are going to use in the election. We also have other activities which will commence from Saturday, September 21, 2024, to October 5, 2024. We have made arrangements for the training of staff and ad hoc staff beginning from Thursday next week.”
“We have procured parts of sensitive and non-sensitive materials for the elections. We have taken delivery of 21 vans for area offices and are awaiting the remaining ones.
“There is nothing that will stop this election, aside from God, because the latest amendment to the Electoral Law has prohibited court interference in any activity leading to this election.
“So whether you go to court, whether you have an injunction or not, it will not stop us from conducting this election, going by the latest Benue State LG amended law.”
“However, we shall not be using Bimodal Verification and Accreditation Machines (BVAN) because the new law did not make provision for that.”
The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) has begun the distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive electoral materials across the 4,758 polling units in the state, with 17 out of 19 registered political parties participating in today’s exercise.
Earlier, during an interaction with some journalists at the commission’s office, the ISIEC chairman, Charles Ejiogu, disclosed that the commission decided to distribute the electoral materials today in order to safeguard them from being destroyed.
Ejiogu further informed that the same measure applies to the display of the voters’ register, noting that past experiences have shown that some people indulge in the habit of tearing down the voters’ register when it is posted a few days before the election.
He said that the commission is fully prepared to conduct a transparent exercise that will usher in 27 local council chairmen and 305 councilors, who will navigate the affairs of the councils for the next two years.
The ISIEC boss noted that, by the mandate given to the commission, as enunciated in Establishment Law No. 14 of 2000, which empowers it to conduct and supervise local council elections, the commission is committed to delivering a credible and transparent process to the people of the state.
He pointed out that the current exercise will be the fourth election conducted by the commission since its establishment.
The state’s chief electoral umpire further noted that the commission is not ignorant of the challenges it faces, but stated that these problems are not insurmountable, as bold steps have been taken to address some of the issues.
“On June 16 this year, we made a public presentation of some of the guidelines for the conduct of this year’s election and assured that we would provide a level playing field for all critical political stakeholders, from which we have never deviated. We remain consistent with our course.
“We took ample cognizance of the existence of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the umbrella body that oversees the affairs of all political parties nationwide, because we know that an election is a process that, once started, cannot be stopped midway. The political stakeholders should see themselves as part of the process.”
He informed that the exercise will involve 4,758 polling units across the 305 wards in the state and that the commission expects the electorate to come out and exercise their franchise without any fear of intimidation.
Ejiogu said that, in an effort to deliver a fair and transparent exercise, the commission has engaged in constant interaction with various political parties to ensure a level playing field for all.
He acknowledged the efforts of the media in projecting the commission’s activities with a high sense of professionalism, stating that they are reliable partners in the task of delivering a credible election to the state.
In terms of security, the ISIEC boss informed that the commission held crucial meetings with various security agencies a few days ago to ensure a hitch-free exercise.
However, he reiterated that the commission’s earlier decision stands—elections will not take place in some volatile areas like Okigwe, Onuimo, Orsu, Orlu, and the Mbano axis due to security reports.
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