INEC Cautions Politicians Against Early Campaign

The Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. Kayode Idowu, has cautioned politicians against early campaign to avoid overheating the polity.  Idowu made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos. He said INEC had issued timetable which clearly indicated the timeline for commencing campaign by political parties and candidates in the country. Continue reading INEC Cautions Politicians Against Early Campaign

Fayemi: LG Elections Will Hold in Ekiti This Year

Ekiti State Government has expressed its determination to conduct local government elections in the state later this year.

Governor Kayode Fayemi gave the hint during the inauguration of caretaker chairmen of the 16 local governments in the state in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday.

Ekiti State Governor - Dr. Kayode Fayemi
Ekiti State Governor – Dr. Kayode Fayemi

Plans by the Fayemi administration to conduct the local government election in 2012 were aborted by a law suit instituted against the State Independent electoral Commission (SIEC) by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Fayemi, however, told a cheery crowd of supporters at the Jibowu Hall, venue of the inauguration that the legal obstructions in the way of the conduct of the council poll were being resolved.

“Our administration is determined to hold local government elections before the end of 2014 by the grace of God,” the governor said, adding that his administration was committed to representative democracy at the local government level.

Urging the citizens of the state to be alive to their civil responsibilities especially as the governorship election takes place in the state by June, Governor Fayemi stressed the importance of the citizens’ participation in the various exercises outlined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), notably the Distribution of Permanent Voters Card slated for March 7 and 9 and continuous voters registration between March 12 and 19), among others.

The governor, who noted that his administration placed much importance on the quality of personnel at the helm of affairs in the council areas, urged the new council chairmen to be close to the people whom they were appointed to serve.

“We have carefully chosen men and women of repute who have very good understanding of the goals of this administration and have the capacity to carry all stakeholders along towards achieving them,” he added.

He said that in furtherance of the administration’s engagement with the citizens, the administration was kick-starting the local government stakeholders’ forum aimed at consolidating the government’s feedback mechanism.

He urged new council chairmen to strive to perform creditably, reminding them of the need to ensure transparency, diligence and commitment to growth and development.

 

Source: http://sunnewsonline.com/new/politics/ekiti-ll-hold-lg-poll-year-fayemi/

David-West : Forget 2015 if INEC fails Ekiti, Osun

The hope that Nigeria will hold a successful transitional election next year will go up in smoke, unless the Attahiru Jega-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) gets its act right with the two governorship polls coming up in Osun and Ekiti states later this year. This is the submission of former Petroleum Resources Minister, Prof. Tam David-West, in an interview he granted The Sun on the state of the nation.

Tam David West
Tam David West

Continue reading David-West : Forget 2015 if INEC fails Ekiti, Osun

Jonathan Says PDP Has The Best Ideology

The Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, at the welcome ceremony organized for the members of the All progressives Congress (APC) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Imo State that defected back into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stated and severally reiterated that the PDP remains the only political party with the best ideology.

gej receiving defectors
Goodluck Jonathan and prominent leaders in the PDP

The defected members of the opposition parties Continue reading Jonathan Says PDP Has The Best Ideology

Jega Defends INEC’s 2015 Elections Timetable

As the events leading to Nigeria’s 2015 elections gradually unfold, the governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have criticised the election timetable recently released by INEC, stating that it was induced by the presidency.

In his response to this criticism, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, declared that the timetable announced by the commission was informed by rational and logical considerations, not sentimental or ulterior motivations.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega
INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega

INEC in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, stated that  the commission was mindful of its own operations and in the interest of worldwide best practices has decided to conduct the national and state elections on different days: the national elections coming first.

Continue reading Jega Defends INEC’s 2015 Elections Timetable