INEC ELECTION 2015 UPDATES

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Wednesday, unveiled its strategic plan for credible elections ahead of the 2015 general election. Unveiling the plan tagged: “Strategic Plan 2012-2016” before stakeholders in Abuja, the chairman of the commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, said this would provide a strategic direction for the commission and the actions to be taken towards achieving its set goals of free, fairand credible elections in the country come 2015. According to Professor Jega, “the INEC strategic plan is a practical, action-oriented guide which has been developed based on examination of internal and external factors that direct goal setting and resource allocation to achieve meaningful results over time. It is a design, a blueprint, a master plan to help the commission develop a pragmatic road map for its work over the next five years.” He explained that the plan would among other things, propose what needs to be done by the commission to achieve its mandate following assessment of its performance over the years, provide a framework and focus for improvement, optimise the commission’s organisational systems and structures, provide guidance to managers for day-to-day decisions. While assuring the stakeholders and the public in general that the commission was set to deliver a world acclaimed best elections in 2015, Professor Jega said the commission had been cleansed of bad eggsand now paraded committed and dedicated staff, saying, “what the staff need now is motivation to spur them to give the commission and the nation their best.”

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, will on Wednesday unveil the commission’s Strategic Plan for 2015 elections and other programmes. As a prelude to the presentation, a retreatwas held for top directors and administrative secretaries of the commission at the weekend in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital. It was a closed-door session where the commission’s strategic plans on 2015 polls and other issues were ratified. It was learnt that political parties and civil society organisations were allowed to make input into the plan. According to findings, the Strategic Plan is expected to cover 2012 to 2016. A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “INEC chairman will on Wednesday unveil the Strategic Plan through a public presentation. Before INEC arrived at the final copy, the draft was made available tocritical stakeholders. “The Uyo meeting was called to keep all directors and administrative secretaries abreast of the final copy of the Strategic Plan. “In the plan, which will run from 2012 to 2016, the 2015 elections fall within that cycle. As the implementers of the plan, theretreat was also organised for the directors and administrative secretaries to enable them know the expectations of INEC management and how they can come up with ‘doable actions’. “The objectives of the Strategic Plan are to put a sound management in place, conduct credible and unassailable electionsin 2015 and make INEC the best Electoral Management Body (EMB) in Africa. “With the plan, we hope INEC will be on a sound footing to organise free and fair elections. We decided to roll over the policy over an election cycle to 2016 to prove that the vision of the present management is to have a sustainable EMB for the nation.”http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/jega-to-unveil-inecs-2015-plan-wednesday/

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on Thursday canvassed for the holding of the 2015 general election in one day. The Chairman, ACF Board of Trustees, Gen. Jeremiah Useni (rtd) made the call in a message to the opening of organisation's Annual General Meeting in Kaduna. Useni, who was represented by the Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Aliko Mohammed, said holding the election in a day would ensure transparency and acceptability of the polls. `` We have noticed that for a free and fair elections in 2015 there should be only one election day. ``If Kenya would have one day election for seven elections, that is, the President, Governors, Senators, House of Representatives, State Houses Assembly and Local Governments all in one day, why not Nigeria. ``We also feel it is going to be cheaper and all the security thing will be doneon that same day. If Kenya can do it I don't seeany reason why Nigeria cannot do it.'' The chairman said the forum would approach the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the suggestion, which he said would ensure that the peoples' vote count. On national politics, Useniaccused the Federal Government of adopting a divide-and-rule tactics to polarise the North ahead of the 2015 election. ``I am very sad that the presidency have started divide and rule on the north. Recently we noticed with dismay that some members of this organisation have gone tothe president and assuredhim that he must contest for election in 2015.http://leadership.ng/news/200613/acf-wants-inec-hold-2015-elections-one-day

Ahead of the 2015 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission has put together a sensitisation tour of all local government areas of Lagos State. According to a statement by the Head of Public Affairs and Protocol of the Lagos Office of INEC, Mr. Akinbiyi Olufemi, the tour, which begins with a visit to Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Apapa local government areas next Tuesday next week, will have the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, meet with traditional rulers, leaders of all registered political parties, representative of market traders, as well as religious leaders. The Lagos REC said the tour would provideINEC with the opportunity to intimate stakeholders of plans by it on the delimitation of constituencies and the rolesexpected of the stakeholders. Ogunmola said that the tour is expected tointerface with all the security agencies, community leaders, council members and their leadership, and the media during the sensitisation tour. “INEC in Lagos State holds firmly just as itsnational office does belief that transparency and cross fertilisation of ideas will translate to a successful 2015 general elections which will not only be free, fair and acceptable, but will be the least contested at the election tribunals,” he said.http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/inec-begins-sensitisation-on-2015-elections/

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. AttahiruJega, has disclosed that 73.5 million Nigerians have been captured so far in the commission’s new database for 2015 elections with relevant information. The registered Nigerians, Jega said, now have their biometric captured with addresses, ten finger prints, photographs and telephone numbers. He spoke in Abuja when he led the INEC national commissioners to the National Population Commission (NPC) headquarters. Jega assured that with the development, Nigeria will have the largest database thatis credible and fairly accurate beyond 2015. He said: “We have conducted the biometricdata registration in order to establish a new resister of voters. We now have a data base of at lesst 73. 5 million Nigerians that have own their biometric captured with addresses, ten finger prints,photograph, telephone numbers, and I believe we will probably have one of the largest database that is credible and fairlyaccurate in this country.” He lamented that his job is challenging since he came in as the INEC boss in June 2010, noting that the registration of voterswas carried out within three weeks. Jega said: “It has been a very challenging Job. We cannot underestimate the challenges, we have to continue to improve, refine and bring additional innovation into the electoral process sohttp://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/2015-over-73-million-now-in-inec-database-says-jega/

As Nigerianswarm up to the next general election in 2015, the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make the process free and fair has been called to question, following its recent order that politicians should desist from early campaigns. This move, some analysts argue, would give public office-holders seeking re-election the upper hand since they have four years to advertise their achievements. Kayode Idowu, press secretary to INEC chairman, had said: “The Independent National Electoral Commission has observed that some politicians and registered political parties have begun unbridled campaign towards the forthcoming general election, thereby heating up the polity. It is observed that campaign posters are being indiscriminately displayed, while electioneering broadcasts are being aired outside the statutory provision for campaigning towards elections into various elective offices. This trend is unhealthy and portends ill for the political process. Indeed, it is a threat to Nigeria’s democracy. The commission hereby reminds all players of the provision of Section 99(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), which states as follows: ‘For thepurpose of this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.’ Political parties are advised to note that campaigning outside this provision is a violation of the law, and the commission will not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions against culprits as provided by relevant sections of the law.” What constitutes campaign? For Abdulazeez Ibrahim, a Kaduna-based lawyer and public affairs analyst, it was preposterous for INEC to attempt to restrain Nigerians from making their political aspirations known, as that would amount to abridging their fundamental right to free speechhttp://dailyindependentnig.com/2013/06/2015-can-inec-play-the-unbiased-umpire/

WARY of the prospect of the nation being thrown into political tumult by early campaigns ahead of the 2015 general elections and the threat this poses to good governance, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Sunday urged parties to adhere to the tenets of the Section 99(1) of the Electoral Act 2010. The section states that the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to thatday. Giving the warning Sunday, the electoral body observed that some politicians and registered political parties had begun unbridled campaigns towards the forthcoming general elections, thereby heating up the polity. In a statement Sunday, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Kayode Robert Idowu, said the commission had observed that campaign posters were being indiscriminately displayed, while electioneering broadcasts were being aired outside the statutory provision for campaigning towards elections into various elective offices. He said that the trend was unhealthy and portended ill for the political process, “indeed, it is a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.” Calling on the key players in politics to adhere to the tenets of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, Idowu said:

There is this problem of recurring heating of the polity in Nigeria, arising from the subservience , perhaps, mischief of state institutions with wrong orientation.
These institutions assure their sole function to be (a) to serve, (b) to protect, (c) to publicise, (d) to promote all-round or whatever interests of personalities or ruling political parties. With that reputation, these institutions are no more than time-servers.
Only appointees to political office or beneficiaries of political patronage can exhibit unrestricted loyalty without being faulted.
This is not the case with the personnel of state institutions like the police, the armedforces, State Security Service, the EFCC and lately Nigerian Airspace Management Agency as well as the so-called Independent National Electoral Commission belied by its partisanship.
Maintained with tax-payers money or from our commonwealth held in trust and disbursed by whoever is in power, these agencies are to serve the Nigerian state and all citizens without bias or favour. To be fair, there may be an obstacle in the immunity clause in the Nigerian Constitution, which, in a way, compels special status for the president and state governors.
Otherwise, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) interrogation of incumbent President Bill Clinton of United States over an alleged sex affair with an intern in White House is a good example ofhow a state institution (FBI) operateshttp://sunnewsonline.com/new/columns/inecs-neutrality-doubtful-for-2015/

Prof. Attahiru Jega, has assured that the 2015 general elections would be better. He, however, said the success of the election is not that of electoral body alone but the work of all citizens. Prof. Jega also noted the importance of enlightened citizens in the electoral process. The citizens, he stressed have to be sensitized, educated and be mobilized to discharge that civic responsibility. He assured that INEC was committed to a thorough voter education and public enlightenment before the 2015 elections. Jega spoke on Monday in Abuja when he received the top management team of theFederal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) led by its acting Director-General, Dr. Samson Shuaibu who were on a courtesy call to the commission. INEC and FRCN are working towards exploring areas of synergy and collaboration in the next election. Jega said, “We in INEC are aware of the enormous responsibilities that had been placed in our hands to produce a framework and deepen democracy in our country. We have been doing our best in that regard and we have benefited tremendously from the participation of all stakeholders and it is the partnership of all stakeholders with INEC that was responsible for the achievements recorded in the 2011 elections. “Since the 2011 elections, we have been doing our best to fine tune the procedures to engage all the stakeholders and ensure that we keep on improving the process. Our determination is to ensure that the 2015 elections remain must become better that of 2011 elections.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will soon sign a memorandum of understanding with the National Population Commission NPC ahead of the 2015 general elections. INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega stated this when he led a team on a courtesy visitto NPC headquarters in Abuja. He said this would strengthen the existing relationship between the two organisations. Jega said there is need to update the current 73.5 million persons already registered with INEC in other to obtain a credible and fairly accurate database which will lift the bar from previous elections. Earlier in a welcome address, Chairman ofNPC, Eze Festus Odimegwu, said NPC and INEC are twin sisters within Nigeria’s governance system due to the significant role they play in defining the democratic parameters of Nigeria. He said elections and censuses have been subjected to undue political perception andmisunderstanding by the political class andmost often the processes are tainted with needless controversies and their outcomesare often interpreted through the prism ofnarrow political considerations.