INEC Debunks Sowore's Suspension From AAC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it would only continue to recognize and relate with Mr. Omoyele Sowore as the substantive National Chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC). INEC's decision is coming five days after one Mazi Okwy read a resolution of suspension to journalists in Abuja while installing the expelled secretary of the party, Leonard Ezenwa as acting party chairman.

2019: INEC reveals number of workers it needs for Nigeria election

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has revealed the total number of workers it would need for 2019 general election. INEC said it would need almost a million workers, but added that most of its staff would be ad-hoc. INEC’s Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Prince Solomon Soyebi, also disclosed to Punch that the commission only has staff strength of 16,000.

INEC extends voters’ registration time to weekends, public holidays

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday announced the inclusion of weekends and public holidays as ‘work days’ of its personnel in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR). The commission in statement by its National Commissioner and Member, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mallam Mohammed Haruna, in Abuja said the extension to those days would commence on August 1 and end on August 17 when the exercise would be suspended until after the 2019 general elections.

Ekiti Election: INEC Dares PDP To Go To Court

Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in last Saturday’s election yesterday got a reply to his threat to challenge the result in court. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the supervisor of the poll, told Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka to head for the election tribunal. APC candidate Kayode Fayemi won the election, which was Marred by vote buying and alleged changing of results at collation centers. Also yesterday, Ekit State Governor Ayodele Fayose faulted the outcome of the poll.

Ekiti election: Stay away from polling units if you have no PVC –INEC

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, Prof. Abdulganiy Raji, has warned those who have no Permanent Voter Cards to stay away from polling units during the conduct of the state governorship election on Saturday. According to him, Independent National Electoral Commission gave enough time for registered voters to collect their PVCs and lodge complaints before the process ended on Wednesday.

INEC chairman shuns court summons

Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday, failed to honour a court order directing him to appear in court or risk going to jail. Justice Stephen Pam of the Taraba division of the Federal High Court but sitting in Abuja on the directives of the Chief Judge of the court gave the order on July 5. At the resumed hearing, counsel to Yakubu, Mr Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) told the court that it was the right of a respondent to decide if he wanted to be heard during vacation. Awomolo said that he had not consented to his case been heard during the court’s vacation.

Fayose Confronts INEC, Police, With Video Evidence of Rigging

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Tuesday, confronted the Independent National Electoral Commission with video evidence of pre-loading of card readers in the state. This came a day after a National Commissioner with INEC, Mrs Aminat Zakari, challenged Fayose to prove allegations that she had conspired with three others to pre-load card readers, supply faulty card readers and provide ballot papers for stuffing of ballot boxes. Fayose also tackled the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ahmed Bello and the Director of the Department of State Services, Mrs Promise Ihenacho, for allegedly deploying security aides of former governor Kayode Fayemi to Ekiti State to rig the July 14 governorship election. The governor pointed out that Fayemi’s ex-Chief Security Officer, Hakeem Abiola, and former Aide de camp, Adeyemi Ajayi, were already in the state to coordinate indiscriminate arrest of the members of the opposition.

INEC reacts to online sale of fake PVCS

Ahead of 2019 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is taking tough measures to protect Smart Card Readers and Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from unauthorized and malicious access. INEC would therefore next week commence systematic hardware and software upgrade of all its Smart Card Readers nationwide.

INEC Chairman Insists: Presidential Election Will Hold First

The Independent National Electoral Commission says it is standing by its decision to hold the 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections on the same day while the governorship and state legislative elections will come next. The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said this at the quarterly consultative meeting with the media in Abuja on Monday. INEC had announced last year that the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on February 16, 2019 while the governorship, state assembly and area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory would take place on March 2, 2019.

2019: INEC asks EFCC to monitor politicians’ spending

The Independent National Electoral Commission has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to monitor the sources of funding of politicial parities’campaigns as the 2019 general elections approach.

Political Parties Too Many, May Cause Problems In 2019 –INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission says the growing number of political parties may pose challenges for the commission in the 2019 general elections. The Chief Technical Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Bolade Eyinla, said this in Abuja on Monday at a retreat organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru. While delivering a keynote address at the event, which was titled, ‘The Dynamics of Managing Political Parties Professionally,’ Eyinla said so far, 68 political parties had been registered.

INEC Releases Timetable For 2019 General Elections (Details)

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday released a timetable for the 2019 general election. The commission made the timetable public through a post on its official social media handle, noting that the general election is only 402 days away. The Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu was quoted in the post as saying: ”Today, it is exactly 402 days to the opening of polling units nationwide at 8:00 am on Saturday 16th February 2019. Let us all join hands to make 2019 our best election ever.”

INEC Takes Drastic Decision Against Dino Melaye to Force His Recall

The recall process to remove Senator Dino Melaye might be back on track following the drastic decision taken by INEC. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, to set aside an earlier order of the court, suspending the recall of Sen. Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi). The suit to force proceedings on Melaye's recall was filed on Thursday. It would be recalled that some weeks back, Melaye approached a court and got an order stopping INEC from going ahead with his recall process, pending the determination of a suit he filed challenging his recall. In the suit, Melaye had alleged irregularities and fraud in the petition to recall him. In the application which was argued by his lawyer, Mr Mike Ozekhome (SAN), he submitted that the signatories in the petition were fake, fictitious and concocted. He added that some of the signatures were of dead members of his constituency. In his ruling, Justice John Tsoho, ordered parties to maintain status quo, pending the determination of the matter. He adjourned further hearing until Sept. 29.

Photos: INEC Issues Certificate Of Return To Dancing Senator, Ademola Adeleke

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a certificate of return to Mr. Ademola Adeleke who emerged winner in the recently concluded Osun Senatorial bye-election. The INEC National Commissioner, Prince Adedeji Soyebi, while presenting the certificate yesterday in Abuja, assured that the commission would continue to improve on the conduct of free, fair and credible elections in the country. We say big congrats to him!

EFCC secures Total Forfeiture Order for Million Diezani used to bribe INEC staff

Justice Mohammed B. Idris of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of the proceeds of bribe given by former Petroleum Minister, Deziani Alison Maduekwe to some staff of INEC in the build up to the 2015 General elections. The properties belonging to Christian Nwosu, the convict, are a landed property measuring 100ft by 80, lying and another situated at Okotomi layout, Obodogwugwu Quarters, Okpanam, Oshimili North LG and 100ft by 50, lying in the same local government area of Delta State.

86 Groups Seek Registration As Political Parties Ahead Of 2019 Polls— INEC

Mahmood Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the number of political associations seeking registration as political parties ahead of the 2019 general elections is currently 86.

What You Don't Know About The New INEC Chairman, Mrs Amina Zakari

President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday, appointed Mrs Amina Bala Zakari as the Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the conclusion of the term of Office of Prof. Attahiru Jega. The new chairman is pictured above receiving notes from Ambassador Ahmad Wali who Professor Jega handed over to yesterday June 30th. We bring you seven quick facts about her.

Jega Bows Out, Hands Over to Ahmed Wali

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega has bowed out. He handed over to Ambassador (Dr.) Ahmed Wali on Tuesday.

Revealed!!! Why Jonathan & PDP Are Very Angry with Jega

There were revelations in Abuja on Monday on why President Goodluck Jonathan and the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were angry with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega. A week-long investigation by PUNCH in Abuja showed that the President and his party are not happy with Jega over his insistence that the commission would use the Permanent Voter Cards for the election.

FG shortlists four INEC commissioners to succeed Jega

The Federal Government might have shortlisted four national commissioners to take over from Prof. Attahiru Jega as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission. SUNDAY PUNCH reliably learnt that Jega might be asked to hand over to one of the commissioners in INEC and also proceed on a three-month terminal leave. During a presidential media chat on February 11, President Goodluck Jonathan had reassured Nigerians that he had no plan to remove the INEC chairman from office. The President’s reassurance came at a time when speculation was rife that government had perfected plans to remove Jega. But some stakeholders who spoke after the interview had dismissed the President’s reassurances as needless, adding that the laws of the land do not confer on the president powers to remove the INEC chairman.