Politics
INEC Announces Election Suspension In 240 Polling Units
With the general election just days away, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that voting will not take place in 240 polling units across 8 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
This information was conveyed by INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, during a meeting with political parties on Monday.
Yakubu reported that during the last Continuous Voter Registration, no voters expressed a desire to transfer to different polling units due to security concerns, resulting in a total of 176,606 polling units for the upcoming elections. He added that the Commission will compile a comprehensive list of these polling units for reference.
The INEC Chairman explained, “Let me therefore start with the issue of polling units. You may recall that in 2021, with your support and that of other critical stakeholders, the Commission successfully expanded voter access to polling units 25 years after the last delimitation exercise in 1996. Consequently, the number of polling units increased from 119,973 to the current figure of 176,846.
“At previous meetings, we also briefed you on our efforts to redistribute voters to the polling units in order to avoid the congestion that made voting cumbersome in many of them nationwide. This requires the redistribution of voters to new polling units in proximate locations. Where they are separated by distance, this must be done after consultation with the voters. This has been done by our State offices nationwide.
“However, there are 240 polling units without registered voters spread across 28 states and the FCT. They range from one polling unit to 12 polling units in each state and the FCT, except Taraba and Imo states with 34 and 38 polling units respectively.
“No new registrants chose the polling units and no voters indicated interest to transfer to them during the last Continuous Voter Registration, mainly for security reasons. This means that no elections will hold in these polling units.
Yakubu also highlighted the findings from the recent mock exercise, which revealed that registered voters were unable to locate their polling units. To address this, he advised voters to visit the Commission’s website and use the dedicated portal to confirm the location of their designated polling units.
He said “Closely related to the distribution of voters is the identification of polling units. From the feedback we received from our officials and accredited observers following the recent nationwide mock accreditation using the BVAS, it is clear that some voters could not easily identify their polling units. This should not happen on election day. Consequently, the Commission is advising voters to confirm the locations of their polling units through a dedicated portal on our website.
Turning to the ongoing electioneering campaigns, Yakubu stated that “the Commission is concerned about violent attacks on supporters of political parties across the board, resulting in the loss of life in some cases.
“Let me once again appeal to Chairman and leaders of political parties to continue to call your candidates and supporters to order. I also call on the security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies to arrest, investigate and prosecute anyone involved in violent conduct, including incendiary statements capable of inciting a breach of the peace.”
At the meeting, the National Chairman of the Inter-party Advisory Committee, Yabagi Sani, praised the Commission for the successful outcome of the mock accreditation. He emphasized that the Commission should fulfill its duties and live up to expectations.
Additionally, Sani advised the INEC not to delay the elections and encouraged Nigerians to accept the election results gracefully.
“Mr. Chairman, under no circumstance should this election be postponed! Having noted this, I wish to congratulate all the parties for patting up the healthy campaigns while thanking INEC with great expectations to deliver a credible election.” He said.
Other attendees at the meeting included the National Chairman of the Action Alliance, Kenneth Udeze; the National Chairman of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore; the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Victor Oye; and the National Women Leader of the Young Progressives Party, Binta Suleiman.
Ondo State Governor-elect, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and his deputy will officially receive their certificates of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, confirmed the announcement, stating that the presentation ceremony will take place as scheduled.
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Aiyedatiwa triumphed in the Ondo governorship election with a total of 366,781 votes, defeating Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 117,845 votes.
The certificate presentation will mark the final step in formalizing his victory before his inauguration.
The reinstated Labour Party governorship candidate in Ondo State, Ayodele Olorunfemi, has expressed frustration over his loss in the recent election, attributing his defeat to former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious, securing all 18 local government areas and earning 366,781 votes. Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) trailed with 117,845 votes, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
While the APC candidate was declared the winner, Olorunfemi lamented the disruption caused by internal party conflicts, particularly involving Peter Obi’s backing of Olusola Ebiseni.
Olorunfemi accused Obi and the NLC of undermining his campaign by supporting Ebiseni’s candidacy before the Court of Appeal reinstated Olorunfemi’s position on the ballot.
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In a statement to The PUNCH, Olorunfemi criticized the actions of the NLC and Obi, alleging that attempts were made to force his withdrawal through a forged letter. “I have Peter Obi and the NLC to thank for that. They have scuttled my aspirations and chances to win this Ondo election,” he stated. He further claimed that Ebiseni acted without his consent, presenting the forged letter in court.
Olorunfemi vowed to take legal action, stating, “I am planning to petition the Inspector General of Police to probe how they wrote that letter, put my signature, and presented it before the court.”
The Labour Party’s internal strife was highlighted by accusations from the NLC’s acting Political Commission Chairman, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, who described Olorunfemi as unreliable. He alleged that Olorunfemi had initially sought to sell the ticket to Ebiseni for N20 million but reneged on the agreement, leading to the court battle.
Despite his reinstatement days before the election, Olorunfemi admitted his campaign efforts were insufficient to secure victory. As of this report, neither Peter Obi nor Ebiseni had responded to the allegations.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of spending over N35 billion to induce voters in the recently concluded Ondo State governorship election.
The accusation came shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared APC’s candidate, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the winner.
At precisely 2:29 pm on Saturday, INEC’s Returning Officer, Prof. Olayemi Akinwunmi, announced Aiyedatiwa’s victory, with the incumbent securing 366,781 votes.
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His closest rival, PDP’s Agboola Ajayi, garnered 117,845 votes, while Adeyemi Nejo of the African Democratic Party placed third with 4,138 votes.
In a press statement following the announcement, Olaniyi Ogungbuji, the PDP State Collation Agent, criticized the APC’s campaign methods, alleging widespread vote-buying.
“This is the end result of the election, but I can tell you that APC as a party deployed over N35bn into inducing the electorate. If this is the future of this nation, we are doomed for it,” Ogungbuji said.
Ogungbuji also raised concerns about the failure of elections to take place in certain polling units in Idanre Local Government Area.
However, these concerns were dismissed during the collation process. The PDP agent hinted that the party and Ajayi would deliberate on the next steps in the coming days.
Meanwhile, APC’s State Agent, Ade Adeogun, strongly rejected the PDP’s accusations, labeling them as unfounded and an attempt to explain away their electoral loss.
“You need to understand that throughout this electioneering period, we even complained that Ondo State was over-policed. If they had any genuine evidence, they should have reported it to the security agencies. Those involved in vote buying would have been arrested,” Adeogun stated.
He also dismissed the allegations as “flippant excuses,” emphasizing that elections should be won based on merit, not claims without proof.
“Without evidence, you can’t just go around and make flippant excuses,” he said. “They lost woefully, and they’re looking for a straw to hold onto.”
Adeogun further stated that the PDP’s complaints were simply a result of their defeat, adding, “Let them weep; they lost woefully. They didn’t deserve to win.”
As tensions continue to simmer, both parties remain locked in a bitter dispute over the results of the Ondo governorship election, with the PDP considering legal action in the days to come.
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