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INEC Releases Final List Of Candidates For Bayelsa, Imo, Kogi Guber Elections

Ahead of the November 11 governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states, the Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) has released the final list of candidates.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said the approval of the list followed a meeting held by the Commission in Abuja on Tuesday, June 6.

“The decision is in line with the provision of Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 which requires the publication of the list not later than 150 days to election day i.e. Friday 9th June 2023 following the period for voluntary withdrawal and substitution of candidates by political parties under Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2022.

The final list has been uploaded to the Commission’s website and social media platforms. The same will be published in our State and Local Government offices in the affected States on Thursday 8th June 2023 ahead of the statutory deadline of 9th June 2023.”

According to the statement, all 18 political parties nominated candidates in Kogi, 17 in Bayelsa, and 16 in Imo states.

The list also shows that two political parties are fielding female candidates in Bayelsa State, one in Kogi State, and none in Imo State. INEC added that campaigns by the political parties commences on Wednesday 14th June, and ends on 9th November.

See the final list below…

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2023 Elections

INEC To Spend Over N3 Billion For Election Litigations

Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission has allocated over N3 billion to fight litigation arising from the 2023 general election.
The electoral body budgeted over N3 billion to defend itself from the results of the February 25 presidential and national assembly election and the March 18 governorship and state assembly polls.
It was gathered that INEC in its Election Project Plan for the 2023 general election earmarked N3 billion for the prosecution of election-related cases.
The election projection plan which was sighted by The Punch on Sunday partly reads, “Litigation and prosecution: N2,104,965,000 (2022) and N3,087,195,425 (2023). Total, N5,192,160,425.’’
The document further reveals that INEC budgeted N886.2 million for legal drafting and clearance in 2022 and 2023, while N337.4 million was earmarked for legal drafting and clearance in 2022 and N548.7 million was budgeted for the same legal drafting and clearance in 2023.
However, the commission is yet to disclose the number of lawyers it wants to engage for the numerous election petition cases lodged at the tribunals.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi also told The Punch on Sunday that he did not know the number of solicitors that would be employed by the commission.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that over 100 election petitions have been filed by aggrieved candidates both from the presidential and state election petition tribunals to challenge the outcome of the polls.
Also, it was gathered that those election petition tribunals in over 12 states including Edo, Plateau, Ondo, Kwara, Ogun, Bayelsa, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Bauchi, Lagos and Niger states received petitions from National Assembly candidates who are contesting their results.
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Election Violence: SERAP Tells INEC To Commence Investigation Or Face Legal Action

Nigerian civic group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent a message to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The group told Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the INEC to immediately seek the appointment of an independent counsel to investigate allegations of electoral offences and other electoral violence, including bribery during the recently concluded general elections.

SERAP disclosed this in a letter on Saturday, signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP deputy director.

The statement partly read, “Identifying, arresting, investigating and prosecuting those suspected of perpetrating electoral violence and other electoral offences during the 2023 general elections would act as a deterrent against electoral violence in future elections.

“We would be grateful if immediate steps are taken to implement the recommended measures within seven days of the receipt and publication of this letter. If we haven’t heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel INEC to comply with our request in the public interest.”

Recall that the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections were conducted on February 25.

Also, the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections were held on March 18 across 28 states out of 36 states in Nigeria.

Sen. Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, won the Presidential election after defeating strong contenders, the PDP’s Atiktu Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi. Tinubu has already received his Certificate of Return from INEC.

Twenty-six (26) Governors-elect have been announced so far by the INEC and will be presented their Certificate of Return later this month.

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2023 Elections

2023: Full List Of All 26 Governors-elect Announced So Far By INEC

A total of 26 candidates have been announced as Governors-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as it concludes the 2023 elections.
INEC had on Wednesday declared Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP) as winner of the election in Abia State.
Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, also emerged the winner of the governorship election in Enugu State.
This indicates that 26 out of 28 governorship elections have been announced. The elections in Kebbi and Adamawa were declared inconclusive.
Two PDP Governors – Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) – secured re-election.
Seven first-term governors were elected on the platform of the PDP. They are: Kefas Agbu (Taraba), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Siminialayi Fubara (Rivers) and Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta).
PDP’s Dauda Lawal unseated Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, while Abba Kabir of the NNPP unseated the APC in Kano State.
The All Progressives Congress, APC won in 15 states, PDP in nine, LP in one. The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) won in Kano state.
APC had seven Governors re-elected. They are: Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Muni (Yobe), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Babagana Zulum (Borno).
The ruling party also secured wins for eight new candidates: Uba Sani (Kaduna), Bassey Out (Cross River), Mohammed Bago (Niger), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto), Dikko Radda (Katsina), Hyacinth Alia (Benue), and Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi).
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News

Prophet Odumeje Didn’t Say He Will Die Soon – Aide

Controversial Anambra State-based Prophet, Chukwuemeka Cyril Odumeje has said he never made a statement that he will die soon.
His aide made the clarification, according to Leadership Newspaper.
Reports earlier quoted the General Overseer of The Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry saying that he has completed his tasks here on earth and will leave soon.
Odumeje in a said viral video spoke on how he told his little son (KingDavid) that he would leave soon.
According to the cleric, he advised his son to take care of his brothers and mother when he leaves.
The controversial cleric stressed that he came to this world for a purpose and the purpose has been fulfilled.
However, speaking with Leadership newspaper on Tuesday, Odumeje’s aide stated that the prophet did not make such a statement.
The lady who gave her name as Amaka Okoye described such news as false.
“It is not true (that prophet Odumeje said during Church service last Sunday that he will die soon).
 
“You know that some people when they want to destroy someone’s image, they will write something with your name and put it in a YouTube and say that you said it,” the news platform quoted Okoye saying on behalf of Odumeje.
She said that the prophet never instructed his son to take care of his house and that he would die soon as reported on news platforms.
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Entertainment News

300bn election budget: For the blatant rigging? Just use finger to point at people you want to select – Simi tells INEC

Nigerian singer, Simisola Ogunleye-Kosoko, simply known as Simi, has described as a joke, the 300 billion Naira budget for the 2023 general elections.

The mother of one stressed that it would have been better for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to “just used finger to point at the people you wanted to select.”

She made this known via her Twitter handle while calling out INEC on Monday, March 20. Evidently disappointed, Simi said it would have been better if the exorbitant amount was used to fix hospitals and schools in Nigeria. She tweeted:

“300 billion naira budget for this joke of an election. @inecnigeria you might have as well given them back the money to fix some hospitals and schools and just used finger to point at the people you wanted to select.”

“The blatant rigging and nobody in power addressed it. Lol. Giant problem of Africa. Anybody that saw the disenfranchisement and didn’t condemn it better keep their prayers for Nigeria. She doesn’t need prayers from people like you.”

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Entertainment News

Election Budget Should Have Been Used To Fix Hospitals And Schools – Singer Simi Blasts INEC

Singer Simisola Ogunleye-Kosoko aka Simi, has lashed out at the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying the N350 billion wasted on election logistics should have been used to fix schools and hospitals.
She made this known via her Twitter handle while calling out INEC on Monday, March 20.
She tweeted: “300 billion naira budget for this joke of an election. @inecnigeria you might have as well given them back the money to fix some hospitals and schools and just used finger to point at the people you wanted to select.”
She added: “The blatant rigging and nobody in power addressed it. Lol. Giant problem of Africa. 
 
“Anybody that saw the disenfranchisement and didn’t condemn it better keep their prayers for Nigeria. She doesn’t need prayers from people like you.”
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2023 Elections

Governorship Election: We Did Not Remove Igbo, South-South Names From Election Duties – INEC

INEC

Ahead of the March 18 governorship and House of Assembly elections in Lagos State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed allegations that it removed Igbo and South-South individuals from the list of ad hoc staff.

This comes following rumours circulating on social media that the electoral body in Lagos had removed all personnel from these regions from participating in sensitive election duties on March 18th.

In response, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, issued a statement on Wednesday evening through the Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Adenike Tadese, refuting the claims as fake news that should be disregarded.

“INEC Lagos State read with great surprise and concern on the social media in respect of the removal of all Igbo and South-South staff in Lagos State from participating as ad hoc staff in the state during the forthcoming governorship and House of Assembly elections on March 18.

“It has become imperative to correct the erroneous accusations in some quarters and put the record straight that the ad hoc staff (collation officers) engaged during the presidential and National Assembly Elections on February 25 in Lagos State were 738 in number, bearing in mind that three elections were held.

“The forthcoming governorship and House of Assembly will only require the services of 427 collation officers because only two elections are involved.

“It is pertinent to state unequivocally that members of staff that are Igbo were all returned to work as collation officers in the forthcoming elections while SPOs (Supervisory Presiding Officers) maintained their positions,” Agbaje said.

Agbaje added that he never had a phone conversation with the ‘Obidients, Sanwo-Olu, and Tinubu’ and emphasized that he did not possess their contact numbers.

He encouraged the public to disregard false news, incorrect information, and deception and to enable INEC in Lagos to concentrate on the upcoming elections to achieve the intended outcomes.

“Whoever has information concerning the day and time of the said telephone conversation should not hesitate to make it public.

“The commission will continue to uphold the fundamental principles of equity, fairness, transparency, credibility and accountability in line with the vision and mission to be a pre-eminent leader in deepening electoral democracy as an unbiased election management body,” he said.

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News

Election: INEC Suspends Abia State REC

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has suspended Ike Uzochukwu, its Resident Electoral Commissioner REC in Abia State.

Abia State was one of the states where the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections did not commence as scheduled, following a logistical failure.

Vanguard reports that following the suspension, INEC has consequently directed its Administrative Secretary in the state, Clement Ohia to immediately assume office and ensure the smooth conduct of this Saturday’s Governorship and State Assembly election.

The commission had on March 6 suspended its Resident Electoral Commissioner REC in Sokoto State, Dr. Nura Ali, and directed its Administrative Secretary in the state, Hauwa Aliyu Kangiwa, to take over its affairs.

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News

BVAS Configuration: INEC Imputing Wrong Figures – Dino Melaye Raises Alarm

Senator Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has made a new allegation against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
He accused INEC, of imputing wrong figures while transferring results to the backend server.
Melaye, a spokesperson to the presidential candidate of the PDP in the just concluded February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar, disclosed this in a post via his Twitter handle on Monday.
He said his party would expose any wrong imputation and change in figures by the commission as it transfers election results to the backend server.
Recall that the Electoral Commission recently obtained order from the Court to allow it reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, for the March 18 gubernatorial election.
However, the former lawmaker said they would shock INEC and its ICT department.
 
“INEC is doing the wrong thing, wrong imputation going on. We will expose any wrong imputation and figures changing as upload and backend transfer is going on. We will shock INEC and the ICT department. Jail loading for many,” he tweeted.