INEC deploys 26,000 ad hoc staff for Kogi, Bayelsa poll.||MBM

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) says it has deployed 26,000 ad hoc staff for the Nov. 16, Kogi and Bayelsa governorship poll.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said this during a visit to the commission’s office at Koton-Karfe in Kogi on Thursday.

“I want to tell you that for the Kogi and Bayelsa governorship poll, each of the 26,000 school staff that will work on Election Day is going to receive a letter of appointment.

“That letter will among other things give a detailed breakdown of the allowance that each ad hoc staff is entitled to and a procedure for complain in case there are issues.

 “So, no ad hoc staff will go into election without knowing exactly what his entitlements are,” he said.
Yakubu expressed satisfaction that non -sensitive materials had been delivered in most Local Government Areas (LGAs) ahead of the election.

He said that the offices were only waiting for card readers and sensitive materials for the election.
He urged the staff to ensure that they keep their eyes on the providers of transportation having signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the National Union of Road Transport Workers ( NURTW ) to convey election materials.

He said that the commission was committed to opening polling units at 8 a.m., and told the staff that there should be no excuses.

“I can see from the arrangement you have made, I am confident that you will beat that target.
“We don’t want Nigerians to wait for us, we want officials of the commission to wait for voters come on Election Day,” he said.

 Yakubu said adequate arrangements had been made with boats and canoe owners to transport election materials to communities along the river.
The Chairman said INEC had discharged its obligation adding all money required for the election has been released.

“We will keep our eyes open to ensure that all ad hoc staff are paid fully and promptly for the election and keep our eyes on the process too,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Mansur Suliaman ,INEC Electoral Officer, Koton-Karfe LGA said the area has a total of 53,590 registered voters ,11 registration areas ,67 polling units and 32 voting points.
Suliaman said that immediately the commission released the time-table for the election, series of events were organised including security meetings.

He said that 2745 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) were received,247 were issued and 2,498 were uncollected

Senate To Reduce Political Parties From 91 To 5.||MBM

Ekweremadu expressed serious concerns over the number of political parties, which he insisted was a breach of the 2010 electoral Act. 

The Senate, yesterday, said that it would reduce the number of political parties participating in elections in the country from the current 91 to five through legislation.

The Senate stated this at a meeting with the leadership of INEC led by its chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, in the National Assembly, Abuja.

The apex legislative chamber expressed dissatisfaction over the number of political parties fielding candidates in the forthcoming governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states. In particular, the Chairman of the Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC Kano South) and former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu (PDP Enugu West), said that the number of political parties that would be contesting elections was unwieldy and a contravention of the amended Electoral Act.

Ekweremadu expressed serious concerns over the number of political parties, which he insisted was a breach of the 2010 electoral Act (as amended). The former Deputy Senate President said that by virtue of the electoral Act, political parties, which failed to win a seat in the general elections should be deregistered. This prompted the committee chairman to query the INEC chairman on why such “failed” political parties would be allowed to appear on the ballot papers in Bayelsa and Kogi states.

He said: “Those parties that didn’t perform shouldn’t be on the ballot. The existing electoral act as amended has precluded participation of parties that didn’t perform in the last elections.

Why are you putting them in the ballot in the forthcoming elections?” Gaya hinted that his committee was determined to reduce the number of existing political parties to three or five. “We need to amend the act to reduce the political parties to a maximum of five.

This committee is really committed to reducing the number of political parties to save tax payers money,” he insisted. The INEC chairman, in his defence, said that the commission was in a dilemma to take decisive action to deregister political parties as a result of pending electoral litigations which could alter its judgement .

He said: “The Commission had systematically deregistered many parties under the electoral act. But the parties insisted that the electoral act is inferior to the Constitution.

“Again, at what point can we say election has been concluded? Is it after we have issued Certificate of Return or after the courts have concluded judgements on petitions arising from elections?”

Earlier, giving an update on his Commission’s preparation for the Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections, Yakubu said that all non- sensitive materials had since been deployed and all other arrangements would be made for credible, free and fair elections in the two states.