Lagos most populous voters in Nigeria - INEC

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=70703

What happened to KANO STATE?
Three thing  Nigerians cannot do
1- Free and fair election
2- Accurate Census figure
3- Manage big corporation

if u no sabi read u 4 talk now. since which time highest number of registered voters and highest population come be the same thing?

Lagos State has the largest registered voters in the country, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said.
Chairman of the Commission, Professor Maurice Iwu, said in Abuja yesterday while unveiling the voters registration figures, that the state has a voters population of 4,204,000.
The state, according to the figures released at an interface between the commission and its major stakeholders on the April elections, is followed by Kano State (4,072,597); Kaduna State (3,374,245); Katsina State (2,589,047); and River State with a voters populaiton of 2,585,317.
The voters register report titled "Update on Voters Registration" collated as at February 14, 2007 also showed that states with small voters population includes Bayelsa with 955279, Ebonyi with 929375 and Ekiti state with 771228.
The INEC chairman, who released the final figure of the voters list after meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners where a final collation of the figures was done, told participants at the Joint Donor Basket Fund (JDBF) Second National Forum on Nigeria’s 2007: The journey So Far’ that the exercise though encountered some difficulties, described the registration exercise as highly successful.
He also stated that with such a comprehensive list which was covered by the Direct Data Capture Machines, it would be very difficult for anyone to rig elections. He based his confidence on the fact that there are no places in the world where there are two identical fingerprints.
Meanwhile, the INEC boss has directed political parties whose presidential and National Assembly candidates were disqualified to replace them by February 20, or forfeit the chance to participate in the April 19 elections.
Already, the Action Congress, (AC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA ) have declared that they would not change their candidates, with AC’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, boasting that nobody could disqualify him while PPA’s Orji Uzor Kalu has secured a court injunction preventing INEC from excluding him from the contest.
The INEC Chairman said, while releasing the time-table of activities leading to the general elections in April, that the ballot papers would be printed in Nigeria with the pictures of the candidates embossed on them.
According to the INEC boss, "We have written to the political parties on their candidates that were disqualified for the Presidential and National Assembly elections. They have a deadline of February 20 to get them replaced or forfeit participation at the April 19 presidential and National Assembly elections. The ball is in the court of the parties to either change them or forfeit their chances.’
Iwu used the occasion to release a detailed timetable and schedule of activities leading to the April General Elections, stating that on March 8, the commission would publish a list of nominated governorship candidates and persons nominating them.
He said that on March 15, that INEC would publish the list of presidential and national assembly candidates qualified to stand elections in April. In the same manner, he said that Publication Notice of Polls for the Governorship and State House of Assembly Elections would be published on March 24, while the Publication Notice for the Presidential and National Assembly Elections would be released on March 31.
Iwu also said that the last day for the campaigns for the Governorship and State House of Assembly would be on April 13, while April 20 would be the last day for campaigns for the Presidential and National Assembly elections. Other aspects of preparations for the elections, he said, were progressing according to plans, explaining that by the end of February the commission would take possession of the ballot boxes.
The decision to have the pictures of candidates on the ballot papers, he said, was informed by the need to make them friendlier to the teaming illiterate segment of the electorate. This, he said, also is aimed at discouraging rigging.
"Henceforth, any person who sets out to print his own ballot papers must be ready to replicate the correct ballot papers with the approved pictures of all candidates in all the constituencies he plans to rig in," he said.
Iwu stated that with the Direct Data Capture machines used in the voters’ registration, it would be difficult for anyone to vote twice as there are no two finger-prints that are alike. As part of the commission’s anti-rigging policies, Iwu said that all results would be tabulated at the election venue, with all relevant agents and officials at such centres having a copy of the signed election result.
The election results, he explained, would exist in three forms which consists of the forms signed by the electoral officer, electronic transferred result which would ensure that there was no distortion of the result through delay in transmission to collating centre and the original ballot papers which will be preserved for auditing and verification if need be.
However, he said that it was only INEC staff that were authorised by law to transmit election results, as anything to the contrary would amount to electoral offenses.
The INEC Chairman challenged political parties to make issues that would improve the welfare of Nigerians the bases of their campaigns instead of indulging in the habit of bashing the commission. Iwu further called on political parties to ensure that the list of their agents at the polls is delivered to the commission at least 14 days before elections, as each party agents would have to be accredited before they are allowed inside the polling stations.
According to Iwu ‘to have the main policy focus of a political parties as bashing the electoral commission each day of the week is not only intriguing, it is pathetic’ as many of the issues thrown up against the commission cannot be justified beyond ‘proclivity to cause confusion or at best, the pursuit of self serving aspiration’. Pointing out the controversy generated by the just concluded voters registration exercise, Iwu said that it was preposterous for instance that the recent exercise of verifying the documents and claims made by candidates was visited with an amazing level of hair splitting.
He said that there is nothing the commission was doing, that was not backed by the constitution, as the same constitution stipulates that Nigerians can challenge in the courts the nomination of candidates who provides false information to the commission, but asked ‘what happens if a candidate provide true information to INEC but is not eligible based on the criteria set out clearly in the constitution.
Iwu maintained that he and commission’s national officers swore to defend the constitution and that they would do just that, as INEC would not be cowed in abandoning its duties. He accused some politicians and civil societies of unnecessarily attacking the commission with the aim of causing confusion to discredit the polls, but swore that there would be free and fair elections in Nigeria. "Whether some people like it or not," he said, "we shall deliver as we promised in our oaths of office." He described as insidious the emergence of mercantilist political action groups masquerading as non-governmental organisations and striving through very ignoble means to discredit the commission as well as undermine the electoral process.
The INEC Chairman called on the international community to be weary of such groups whom he said were very subversive.
"For a fragile democracy like ours, there is a lot more need to watch the activities of such elements," he said.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom's Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, James Kingsley, yesterday called on the Federal Government and the Inde-pendent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that they respect the rule of law with regard to the forthcoming elections.
Speaking yesterday at the National Forum on Nigeria’s 2007 General Elections: The Journey So Far" organised by INEC in collaboration with the Joint Donor Basket Fund (JDBF), in Abuja, the UK envoy who also announced that his home country has pledged £7 million towards the success the 2007 general elections said that was the only was to ensure a sustainable democracy. "The United Kingdom is watching with keen interest Nigeria’s first transition from democracy to democracy," he said.
"We are waiting to congratulate Nigeria for a successful inauguration on May 29, 2007." To ensure a smooth transition, he announced that the UK government was committing £7 million for the success of the elections. In the same vein, the European Charge D’Affairs in Nigeria, Denis Thieulis, announced a pledge of 40 million euros, which he said would be disbursed in two instalments of 20 million euros during the elections and the remaining in the post-elections period. The fund would be released in support of INEC and civil society organisations. He stated that apart from the funds towards the elections, the EU would be providing an election observer mission to monitor the conduct of the election. However, he charged Nigerians not see the conduct of a free and fair elections as the main concern of only INEC as all hands must be on deck to ensure a smooth elections. In his response, the Canadian High Commissioner in Nigeria, David Angel, called for public participation and openness in the election, as this is the gateway for a stable polity. He said that the whole world was watching Nigeria to see what it makes of the April elections, but stressed that the election would be the watershed of Nigeria’s democracy. According to him, ‘The election would be an opportunity for a national affirmation for Nigeria, it would be an opportunity for Nigeria to affirm her leadership role in the region and Africa. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its goodwill message at the occasion called on politicians to shun violence and make their campaigns to be based on issues that would improve the welfare of all Nigerians and abide by the code of conduct released by INEC.
In a related development, the Joint Tax Board (JTB) has reported the Commission to Obasanjo for its failure to furnish it (JTB) with tax clearance certificates of candidates seking political offices.
The JTB in its correspondence to the President pleaded with him to intervene and direct INEC to heed the call of the Board.
In a letter written on February 8, with reference number JTB/GC/27/88 and signed by its chairman, Ms. Ifueko Omoigui, who also heads, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), JTB told Obasanjo that it needed the cooperation of two main important bodies, namely INEC and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to carry out "an effective audit."
The Board claimed it had written to INEC twice, first on December 12, 2006 and subsequently on January 11, 2007 and made available the copies to newsmen.
The latest correspondence which has as its subject, ‘Personal Income Tax Act CAP P8 LFN 2004: Auditing of Tax Clearance
Certificates Submitted by Political Office Aspirants,’ reads in part:
"Your Excellency’s attention is hereby drawn to the provisions of section 24 (f) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which makes it clear that, it is the duty of every citizen to pay taxes promptly.
"Also worthy of note is section 85 (4) (s) of Personal Income Tax Act Cap p8 LFN 2004, which specially provides that any body seeking election into public office is required to present a current Tax Clearance Certificate.
"Sir, due to the preponderance of fake and improperly issued Tax Clearance Certificates, the Joint Tax Board had intended to audit all the Tax Clearance certificates submitted by public office seekers with the objective of ascertaining the genuineness of the Tax Clearance Certificates and to ascertain the adequacy of taxes paid.
"Your Excellency, in order to do an effective audit, the Joint Tax Board will require the cooperation of two important bodies viz:
1. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); and
2.Corporate Affairs Comm-ission (CAC) "On our part, we have written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) twice (copies attached) of which we have not received any response.
"1. Your Excellency is please requested to direct Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to forward all the Tax Clearance Certificate submitted to it by all political office seekers to the Joint Tax Board
2. To direct the Corporate Affairs Commission to make available information on all political office aspirants to the Joint Tax Board."
Omoigui informed THISDAY yesterday that INEC is yet to respond to its entreaties even after the widespread publication in the national dailies last Monday that followed its earlier letters.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja at a briefing to clarify the verification of tax clearance certificates of political office seekers, along with other members of the JTB, the Board’s Secretary, Mr. Femi Edgal said the Board is empowered by the Constitution to apply penalties to tax evaders including those presenting fake certificates and made references to the section of the 1999 Constitution that disqualifies candidates with fake tax clearance certificates.
According to him, people have lost their positions for filing fake paper qualifications or information and those with fake tax papers should not be exempted, notwithstanding that such had been overlooked in previous years.
He however assured that, if the authorities concerned went ahead and conducted elections with the candidates, JTB would investigate them thereafter and if found guilty, they would be prosecuted after winning the elections.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has alleged that the INEC has colluded with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to frustrate its candidates from contesting the April general elections.
The party said the Commission’s objective was to pave way for easy victory for the PDP especially in the South-east and stop Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State in particular.
In a statement by Chief Victor Umeh and Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, national chairman and secretary respectively, APGA claimed that INEC refused to accept the list of candidates because of the ruling of an Abuja High Court which ordered maintenance of the status quo in the leadership crisis bedevilling the party.
APGA said the purpose of INEC’s new stand having dealt with the Umeh faction since August last year in spite of the order by Justice Jonah Adah on February 7, 2007, which merely reinforced an earlier one, is to prevent Obi from contesting. According to the statement, "the order to refuse our papers was said to have been made by Iwu, who refused the opinion of the entire legal department of INEC on the matter," adding that the opinion of INEC counsel in court could cause a change of mind by the chairman. Declaring that "the problem is not legal but political," APGA alleged that the design is to prevent its candidate having to accost him in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) advisory list of corrupt politicians. The party said its replacement for Dame Virgy Etiaba as governorship candidate was rejected as part of a "grand plan" to "ensure that APGA does not participate in the elections and thereby pave the way for the PDP in the South-east." While accusing Chief Chekwas Okorie, factional chairman of being a tool in the hand of the PDP and the presidency in working against APGA, the statement condemned in "strong terms" the move against the opposition by the ruling party.

if u no sabi read u 4 talk now. since which time highest number of registered voters and highest population come be the same thing?

I simply don't understand

The guy exppressed himself in"broken English". It literally means " why dont you us Tell us, if you cant read. When has (the state with the highest number of registered voters) and (the state with the highest population in the nation) been the same thing.

The writer was just telling the chap the state with th highest number of registered voters" isn't the same has "the most populous state in Nigeria"

Hope that helped.

I meant I simply dont understand how highest number of registered voters translates into most populous state.

I think adconline has corrected himself anyway!!!!!!!1

Sorry about that!

McKren:

I meant I simply don't understand how highest number of registered voters translates into most populous state.

I think adconline has corrected himself anyway!!!!!!!1

how did he correct himself?

I hope Sijien is not actually saying that kano is more populated than Lagos?

Every sane being knows that the census result can't be true.

every sane being? have you been to Kano? do you know Kano's geographical landmass?

what is the difference between the lagos and Kano voter's numbers?

are they not both a little over 4million?

all that proves is that you have a larger proportion of people in Lagos being over 18 than in Kano, which makes logical sense

there is no factual justification for a Lagos population higher than what the census has reported.

go and read the factual rebuttals made by the NPC published a few days ago.

And you think I will ever believe NPC.

Let me tell you one fact; Lagos state alone has over 4million registered houses.

Now lets assume that in every house only three people (father, mother and child) live there, that means
we already have over 12million people. Less we mention the various face me and face you houses
scattered around lagos that has at least 20 people + the lanlord excluding the boys-quarter's.

Abeg!

shey u no know, dem kano people av been mating
Hee hee

deb:


Every sane being knows that the census result can't be true.

Man, na true u talk, everyone knows dat d census result in lagos was fraud,

everyone also knows that a lot of people left lagos for the census