• To allow observers, media access to situation room
• Raises the alarm over looming violence

As part of it efforts to ensure transparency and build confidence in the February 16 presidential election, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has vowed to solely man the result collation centre, stressing that he will not share his constitutional responsibility as the chairman of the collation secretariat with anybody.

The INEC boss was also said to have raised the alarm over what he described as the increasing violence tendencies by politicians and youths who could be used by politicians to carry out nefarious activities, saying that the elections might be disrupted if the security agencies refuse or fail to carry out their jobs, in line with INEC’s specifications.

This is coming as the electoral body has also decided to allow members of the accredited civil society groups, local/international election observers and the media access to its Situation Room.

The Situation Room is a centre where all results from all states for the presidential election are counted and collated before they are finally announced.

The room is unique to INEC; it is its internal control mechanism and the core activity of the commission, which is not usually open to outsiders.

THISDAY also gathered from a senior INEC’s official that Yakubu, has vowed not to share his constitutional responsibility as the chairman of the results collation secretariat with anybody.

“We have decided to open up the Situation Room for members of the civil society groups, party’s members, local/international election observers and the media. But they would have to be accredited. The greatest thing for us is that the process is opened,” the senior INEC officer stated.

There has been pressure on INEC to grant international and local observers access to its situation room during the elections, especially with President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. It was canvassed that it would make the election transparent and makes the result they will declare believable.

The INEC officer also urged Nigerians and the international community not to entertain any fear about the integrity by the electoral body to conduct credible election, saying that the commission had over the years, built huge capacity to conduct credible elections.

He, however, said that INEC has its own limitations, adding that “we can only do what we can do.’’

According to him, Yakubu is concerned that with the increasing violence tendencies by politicians and the number of youths who could be used by politicians to carry out nefarious activities, the elections might be disrupted if the security agencies refuse or fail to carry out their jobs, in line with INEC’s specifications.

“If we have violence, many elections could be declared inconclusive; that is my fear. For now, it is a big issue for all of us. Many of the registered voters are young people; they don’t have patience on the day of election. And they can easily be used by politicians to disrupt the election’’, the INEC senior officer added.

He also revealed that the commission had virtually finished its recruitment of ad-hoc staff for the elections, with majority of the recruited presiding officers coming from the National Youth Services Corps (NYSC) members, adding that in states where they don’t have enough corps members, some final year students were recruited from the federal institutions – universities and polytechnics.

As for the Collation/Returning Officers, he revealed that those recruited were of professorial grade from federal universities, who were carefully selected in conjunction with the Vice-Chancellors of the universities they operate from.

The INEC officer, who also expressed serious concern over contradicting court orders from courts for equal jurisdiction, said that INEC had been dragged to court for over 619 times since the process started.

He warned that there can never be true democracy without democrats, advising all stakeholders to play by the rules.

We Are Yet to Receive Court Judgments on Zamfara APC

In another development, INEC has revealed that it has not been served any of the two conflicting court rulings issued last Friday on whether or not it could accept the list of candidates for presented by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Zamfara State in the forthcoming general election.

A High Court sitting in Gusau, Zamfara State, presided over by Justice Muhammad Shinkafi in suit No: ZMS/GS/52/2018, had ruled that the ruling APC actually conducted primaries in the state and should be allowed to present candidates for electoral contest.
However, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1279/2018 dismissed the case of the APC and ruled that INEC acted within its powers by refusing to accept the list of candidates from the Zamfara State chapter of the APC.

INEC had last October said it would not allow the APC to field candidates in Zamfara State because the party failed to conduct primaries before the deadline stipulated.

Some members of APC in the state had approached the court challenging the decision of INEC.

The party said it conducted primaries which produced current governor, Abdulaziz Yari as a senatorial candidate and his Commissioner of Finance, Shehu Idris, as the governorship candidate, among others.

Justice Shinkafi, who delivered the ruling said APC had conducted primary elections on October 3 and 7, 2018.

The Zamfara court specifically directed INEC to accept candidates from the party for Zamfara States in the forthcoming elections.

The court also barred the national secretariat of the APC from replacing the names of those who won the primary elections of the party.

But Justice Ojukwu, in her judgment, said it was not the fault of INEC that the APC failed to conduct a valid primary within the period scheduled by the electoral body.

The judge said INEC’s action was intended to curb impunity among political parties and politicians and ensure that rule of law is adhered to.

Justice Ijeoma contended that the APC failed to conduct a valid primary within the period scheduled by the electoral body.

She said such action from INEC was good for democracy, saying it would instill discipline in political parties.

The judge noted that if consensus candidates are to emerge, there are laid down rules, the constitution of a party, which must be adhered to strictly. INEC National Commissioner and chairman Voter Education and Information, Festus Okoye, told THISDAY that the electoral body has not received a copy of the judgment delivered by the High Court in Gusau and the one delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

He stated: “The commission notes that the Gusau High Court in Zamfara State and the Federal High Court in Abuja are courts of coordinate jurisdiction.

“INEC has not received Certified True Copies of the two judgments as well as the enrolled court orders.

“As soon as the commission receives the two judgments and enrolled court orders, the commission will carefully and meticulously study both judgments for proper understanding of the issues that were canvassed before both courts and the issues formulated for determination as well as the “ratio” that informed both judgments.

“In taking a decision, the commission will also be guided by the specific orders made by the courts and or the reasons for the dismissal of one of the suits.” “As soon as the commission concludes its analysis and study of the judgments and orders of both courts, it will take a position that accords with the law and the constitution and inform the parties and the Nigeria people accordingly,” he said

Thisday: https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/01/28/i-will-personally-handle-presidential-election-results-collation-says-yakubu/?amp

Buhari and Zombies won't laugh last. Mark it.

Here is the section of the Code of Conduct Act where it is clearly spelt out that once a public official admits to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in writing that he made some omission in his asset declaration form, the CCB needs not refer the matter to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for prosecution.

In other words, if you don't declare all your assets while filling the forms, CCB is mandated to write you about the omission/s which you are to respond to, giving reasons for the omitted assets. If you accept that the omitted assets are yours and include them in the form, you are free from any prosecutions by CCT.

But if those assets are denied and are proven to be yours, and have been corruptly acquired then you have a case to answer at the CCT.

CJN reportedly admitted his own omission in writing, yet, in less than 24hours after a former Buhari Aide wrote the petition, they dragged the CJN before the CCT and the same President who is yet to publicly declare his asset since 2015 like he publicly promised, the same President who told us that Kano state governor Ganduje a.k.a "Gandollar" should be allowed to be handled by the system, quickly rushed to suspend the CJN without the input of the judicial regulatory body, the NJC, replacing him with an Ezemmuo Sharia fundamentalist, justice Tanko.

Those of you who are defending this demonic plan, you have no idea what is coming.

Go and read up on Adolf Hitler. This was how he started. He didn't become German Chancellor through coup. He came through the democratic process. Small small and with some element of violence, blackmail and extremism garbed as Nationalism (just like Buhari and his 2011 post election bloodbath) Hitler emerged German Chancellor and even manipulated German parliament into giving him extra powers just like some people advocated for Buhari sometime ago.

We all know how it ended for Germany.

Dictators always find a reason that will look patriotic in the surface. For Hitler, it was inflation and low self esteem amongst Germans following the lost war.

For Buhari, it is corruption even when evidence suggests he and his cronies are actually the most corrupt.

This is no longer about PDP-APC. it has never been, even. This is not even about Onnoghen, the CJN. This is strictly about a bunch of pre-historic Barbarians hellbent on setting all of us on fire if only they could rule over our ashes. This is about an ethno-religious agenda.

WE ARE NOT SAVE

Goodluck...

Get lotto results from my SIG below

Do it with all diligence.

Better do your job constitutionally. If you fail and throw the country into political crisis because of economic gains, your name, family and posterity will judge you badly. You must have worked hard to have risen to the level of a Professor. This should be your guiding principle and not yield to pressures from common uncertified WAEC holder and his bunch of Agberos and thieves!

Na so

You, now want to personally see the rigging through!

If you like handle the presidential candidates dick join e no concern us

I hope Bubu hand over after he lose...

saintjimos:
WE ARE NOT SAVE

Gbagaun.
Stay away from express roads o

Bgood

[s]

agbonkamen:
If you like handle the presidential candidates dick join e no concern us

gurunlocker:
I hope Bubu hand over after he lose...

[/s]
Didn't nnamdi kanu warn you to stop interfering in the "zoo" politics? What is wrong with you?

What difference does it make

And that exactly is the problem..........

if you like suck the president's cock. Idc

That's sounds like assurance

Would that mean it would be a free and fair election?



Planning on working or schooling in Canada? reach us at Emerald-Green Services Limited. We provide all visa types.

As long the election is fair, and it is not rigged by either PDP , APC, any political parties, foreign countries or anyone. There is no violence, no losses of lives post election after results come out.

K

Is over for Apc

Built2last:
Here is the section of the Code of Conduct Act where it is clearly spelt out that once a public official admits to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in writing that he made some omission in his asset declaration form, the CCB needs not refer the matter to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for prosecution.

In other words, if you don't declare all your assets while filling the forms, CCB is mandated to write you about the omission/s which you are to respond to, giving reasons for the omitted assets. If you accept that the omitted assets are yours and include them in the form, you are free from any prosecutions by CCT.

But if those assets are denied and are proven to be yours, and have been corruptly acquired then you have a case to answer at the CCT.

CJN reportedly admitted his own omission in writing, yet, in less than 24hours after a former Buhari Aide wrote the petition, they dragged the CJN before the CCT and the same President who is yet to publicly declare his asset since 2015 like he publicly promised, the same President who told us that Kano state governor Ganduje a.k.a "Gandollar" should be allowed to be handled by the system, quickly rushed to suspend the CJN without the input of the judicial regulatory body, the NJC, replacing him with an Ezemmuo Sharia fundamentalist, justice Tanko.

Those of you who are defending this demonic plan, you have no idea what is coming.

Go and read up on Adolf Hitler. This was how he started. He didn't become German Chancellor through coup. He came through the democratic process. Small small and with some element of violence, blackmail and extremism garbed as Nationalism (just like Buhari and his 2011 post election bloodbath) Hitler emerged German Chancellor and even manipulated German parliament into giving him extra powers just like some people advocated for Buhari sometime ago.

We all know how it ended for Germany.

Dictators always find a reason that will look patriotic in the surface. For Hitler, it was inflation and low self esteem amongst Germans following the lost war.

For Buhari, it is corruption even when evidence suggests he and his cronies are actually the most corrupt.

This is no longer about PDP-APC. it has never been, even. This is not even about Onnoghen, the CJN. This is strictly about a bunch of pre-historic Barbarians hellbent on setting all of us on fire if only they could rule over our ashes. This is about an ethno-religious agenda.

Stop reasoning through your arse