The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday raised
the alarm that some politicians in Oyo State were mounting pressure on
the commission to sell unclaimed 914,529 permanent voter cards in its
custody to them.
The commission said it was not giving in to such pressure aimed at
rigging the forthcoming polls because “INEC is determined to ensure that
people’s votes count in the free, fair and credible elections in 2019.”
Speaking on the theme, “Online journalism and Media integrity in Nigeria,” Agboke
declared that some politicians, whose identities he did not disclose,
approached the commission to buy PVCs to rig the elections.
He stated, “As far as we are concerned, PVCs are not for sale.”
The REC assured residents of the state of smooth elections devoid
of crisis in 2019, stressing that no worker of the commission would sell
PVCs to any politician ahead of the 2019 elections.
Agboke said, “They are looking for PVCs to buy. They are
looking for what is not available because they know that these things
are not available. This is the security report at my disposal.
“Tell those who are looking for PVCs to buy that there is none
to buy in Oyo State. I can assure you that no INEC employee will sell
PVCs to any politician. I can assure you that the process will be free
and fair in Oyo State.
“Those who are looking for PVCs to buy, I won’t give you their names. I don’t have their names.
“But that is the security report I got and the report did not
specify the party and the individuals that are involved. They want us to
give them PVCs but we can’t give it to them. They want to buy PVCs but
there is none to sell in Oyo State."
Agboke urged journalists in the state to cooperate with the
commission in spreading accurate information to members of the public.
He said, “All of us are stakeholders. If you are in doubt, call
INEC. More so, you are online journalists, let us ensure that we have
our facts correct. For me in Oyo State, I have nothing to hide. We
conducted the election in Eruwa and the people that won, won.”
He urged journalists to abide by the ethics of the profession at all times.
The South-West Bureau Chief of The Nation and an Associate Editor
of the Nigerian Tribune newspapers, Mr Bisi Oladele, and Mr Wale
Ojo-Lanre respectively, urged journalists to always abide by the rules
and regulations guiding the profession in their day-to-day reportage.
They said online journalism had come to stay in Nigeria and
admonished journalists to distinguish themselves from ordinary writers
considering the fact that “almost everybody is a journalist with the
advent of internet and smart phones.”
They agreed that one of the ways for the journalists “ to
differentiate themselves from ordinary writers was for them to
cross-check their facts, investigate their stories and be conscious of
the existing laws of the land.”
INEC says 2019 polls won’t be delayed, meets ASUU Jan 4
INEC also on Thursday ruled out the postponement of the 2019
general elections because of the dispute between the Federal Government
and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The commission, however, said it had scheduled a consultative
meeting involving its Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, its national
commissioners and ASUU leadership on January 4.
In an interview with The PUNCH in Abuja, INEC National Commissioner
and Chairman of its Information Voter Education Committee, Festus
Okoye, said the meeting would focus on the role and involvement of ASUU
members in the 2019 general elections.
While expressing optimism that the strike would be called off
before the elections, Okoye said INEC would explore other alternatives,
including the use of vice-chancellors, professors and lecturers to serve
as returning officers and collation officers, “depending on the outcome of the commission’s interaction with their leadership.”
“The same thing applies to the leadership of the other unions
in the different federal tertiary institutions that are on strike or are
threatening to go on strike,” Okoye added.
Other alternatives, he said, included exploring the possibility of
using federal employees and students of state tertiary institutions to
make up for any shortfall.
Okoye said, “The chairman and national commissioners of INEC
will on January 4, 2019 hold a consultative meeting with the leadership
of ASUU. The meeting will focus principally on the issue of the role and
involvement of their members in the 2019 general elections.
“The meeting will also explore the possibility of ensuring that
the students would be on campus during the elections. The commission is
confident that there will be a breakthrough during the meeting. The
commission is not involved in the negotiation between ASUU and the
Federal Government and may not stray into that area.
“The involvement of the commission is limited to harvesting the
rich academic resources in the various federal tertiary institutions
for the 2019 elections. The commission has relied on and will continue
to rely on staff and students of federal tertiary institutions for its
ad hoc staff requirements.
“Elections and conduct require some level of intellectual
acumen. It is not an all-comers affair. The lecturers and students are
clustered in an institution and they can be reached in cases of
electoral malfeasance and election petitions. They have a better
understanding of the electoral process.
“Some of the vice-chancellors and lecturers have experience as
some of them have acted as returning officers and collation officers
before. Some of the students of federal tertiary institutions in
Anambra, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Edo and other places where the commission
conducted off-season elections already have a store of knowledge and
experience and only need refresher courses on new and creative
innovations introduced by the commission.
“Furthermore, the corps members are fresh from institutions of
higher learning and are serving in communities, local governments and
states other than their own. They are not involved in the ‘local or
domestic issues’ of the various states and may not be easily swayed or
influenced. Most of them have been patriotic and some paid the ultimate
price in serving their nation.”
To use VCs, professors as returning, collation officers
When asked what INEC would do if ASUU failed to call off its strike, he said,
“The commission is confident that there will be a breakthrough or
middle ground that will enable the students and the lecturers to
contribute their quota during the 2019 elections. However, the
vice-chancellors, professors and the lecturers can still serve as
returning officers and collation officers during the pendency of the
strike, depending on the outcome of the commission’s interaction with
their leadership. The same thing applies to the leadership of the other
unions in the different federal tertiary institutions that are on strike
or are threatening to go on strike.”
Strikes won’t force us to delay elections – Electoral body
Okoye also explained that the commission would not postpone the 2019 general elections.
He said, “INEC will conduct the 2019 elections on the dates
already communicated to the Nigerian people. The strike by the different
unions will not lead to the postponement of elections. The commission
will prefer to use the lecturers and students in federal tertiary
institutions for the conduct of elections but if that fails, the
commission will explore alternatives.”
We may mobilise ex-corpers with election experience – Okoye
Okoye said, “The commission has been updating the database of
former corps members. Some of the corps members served as presiding
officers in previous elections. Some of them are still unemployed and
will readily be mobilised. The commission may also use its online
platform to mobilise the students wherever they are and train them in
the states where they are.
“The commission may also explore the possibility of using
federal employees and students of state tertiary institutions to make up
for any shortfall. The commission is however confident that the issues
that led to the strike will soon be resolved or partially resolved. We
still appeal to the Federal Government and the unions to negotiate in
good faith in the overall interest of the nation.”
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