INEC schedules Edo, Ondo guber polls for Sept. 10, Nov. 26

By -
(Nigeria) The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has fixed Edo and Ondo State governorship elections for September 10 and November 26 respectively.
The INEC Deputy Director of Publicity and Voter Education, Mr Nick Dazang, who made the disclosure in an interview in Abuja on Thursday, said that the timetable for the elections would soon be made public.
``When the timetable for the elections is out, we will commence the processes for budgeting and implementation for the elections,’’ Dazang said.
Commenting on the conduct of the re-run elections so far, Dazang said the exercises had been successful and peaceful except in Kogi Central and Imo where little challenges were witnessed.
``The re-run elections we have had from Jan. 27 have been peaceful except that challenge we had in Kogi, otherwise, generally it has been peaceful. Those of Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba and Niger states were peaceful.
“The only place we had challenges was Kogi Central- Adavi Local Government where our office was burnt down before the election.
``Fortunately, that did not affect the election in the area because by that time we had not taken the sensitive materials to the office. In one of the wards in the same senatorial district, some hoodlums confiscated the result sheet and tore it.
``That was why as at that time we were unable to make a return of the election. But fortunately, we fell back on the duplicates, based on that, we were able to declare a winner.’’
Dazang said that in Imo, the commission suspended one senatorial and three state house of assembly elections based on security advice.
He said that people in the state were demonstrating and making all sorts of allegations against INEC staff but investigation by the commission revealed that the allegations were baseless.
``They just wanted to make use of that to stop the elections. So they started demonstrating. Given that the commission suspended the re-run election in the state indefinitely, based on advice from the security agencies.’’
Dazang added that the commission was preparing to conduct the remaining elections in other states in a free, fair and credible manner.
``The major one will be that of Rivers, on March 19, where we have three senatorial districts, one federal constituency and house of assembly elections. Already the commission has identified electoral officers that are going to conduct the elections and they have reported at the state capital, Port-Harcourt, for training.’’
He said that after their training, the personnel would train other workers that would be participating in the conduct of the elections in the state.
He urged all stakeholders to collaborate with the commission in ensuring the elections were peaceful. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UBTH @50: Obaseki hails institution’s role in strengthening Edo healthcare

By -
Image
(Nigeria) Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, has commended the staff and management of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, for their unwavering commitment, dedication, and hard work in providing high-quality healthcare services to the people of Edo State and Nigeria in the past fifty years. Obaseki, at a dinner organized in honour of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors of Nigeria, at the Government House, Benin City, reassured the government’s continuous partnership and collaboration with the federal government-owned health institution to strengthen the health system and ensure quality health delivery to Edo people. The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Philip Shaibu, reeled out the gains of the government’s reforms in the health sector, commending the medical centre for bolstering the government’s efforts at transforming Edo State into a health hub. He said, "We came into a wilderness where you have to cut a part for yourself and fix it. We held
Read more

NBC has no powers to impose fine on broadcast stations --Court

By -
Image
(Nigeria) The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has been restrained by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, from imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country. Trial judge in the matter, Justice James Omotosho also set aside the N500,000 fines imposed on March 1, 2019, on each of 45 broadcast stations. The court made the orders in its judgment a suit by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda, MRA, which had sued the NBC. Justice Omotosho held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations. The court further held that the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanction, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law. He said the court would not sit idle and watch a body imposing fine arbitrarily without recourse to the law. He said that the commission did not comply with the law when it sat as a complainant and at
Read more