Nigeria: Tribunal orders recount of ballot papers in Kaduna Nigeria senatorial race | Vanguard

The National and State Assemblies Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna weekend ordered the re-count of the ballot papers used during the last April 28 poll in the Kaduna North Senatorial District. The re-counting of the ballot papers followed a request by the petitioner and former Governor of the state, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, PDP.

Makarfi who alleged that the election was rigged in favour of his opponent, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, CPC, prayed the tribunal to order the recount to enable it discover the actual winner of senatorial seat in the district.

Makarfi had also tendered about 158 exhibits which included forms EC8 A, B and E and ballot boxes for 53 wards in seven out of the eight local government areas of the zone. Earlier, tempers had risen among the members of the tribunal when counsel to the Baba- Ahmed, Abbas Ibrahim accused the tribunal of trying to stop him from talking.

Nigeria: Action Congress of Nigeria condemns sack of Electoral Commission chair | The Nation

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has criticised the sacking of the Chairman of Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) Prof. Titus Eze.

The  House of Assembly on Tuesday removed the ANSIEC chief following his alleged indictment by an Audit Panel. The lawmakers, during its sitting on Tuesday, unanimously voted for  Eze’s removal, describing him as incompetent.

But Eze said his removal did not follow due process as he was not consulted by the lawmakers and declared his removal as null and void.

Nigeria: Granting Congress for Progressive Change access to Nigerian biometric data will harm national security – INEC | Daily Trust

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the Presidential Election Tribunal headed by President of the Court of Appeal Justice Ayo Salami that allowing the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) access to the biometrics data base of registered voters used for the April presidential election will jeopardise national security.

This is just as the Tribunal adjourned to August 29 for the interpretation its earlier order granting CPC access to INEC sensitive materials and also entertain CPC’s motion seeking to declare its presidential candidate in April general elections General Muhammadu Buhari as President would be heard.

The CPC had filed a motion praying the Tribunal to give the party judgment, alleging that the INEC disobeyed the tribunal’s order by denying the party access to the sensitive material used during the April 2011 President.

Nigeria: Situating Independent National Electoral Commission’s agenda for six states | The Nation/Nigeria

Last Wednesday, Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), set in motion processes that would put the nightmare or bad memories of the worst election in the history of Nigeria completely behind her. It set election dates for five governorship elections which were nullified by the tribunals and affirmed by the appeal court, but whose occupants had gone to court to contest the tenure of their offices, following plans by the INEC to conduct elections into the offices using the amended 1999 constitution as amended and the 2010 Electoral Act. But the states won the tenure legal battle and so set the tone for the present.

And whereas everything about the 2007 general elections ought to have been permanently put behind them because of the interpretations given to the constitutional provisions dealing with tenure by the law courts, Nigerians will be battling with what ordinarily should have ended with the last April elections for those who would be going for a second term in office.

Nigeria: Battle for Lugard House: Can Action Congress of Nigeria tame Peoples Democratic Party? | The Moment

Just last week, the Independent National Electoral Commission {INEC] rolled out the election timetable for the conduct of the governorship election in Kogi State. The timetable which was widely publicised has heightened tensions among different camps within the same party and across party lines.  The Moment gathered that pressure is being mounted on the two main camps within the Peoples Democratic Party, the ruling party in the  state.

The Jibrin Isah /Clarence Olafenmi groups who have been labouring assiduously to convince the party hierarchy to ensure that the last gubernatorial primary election which produced the duo as governor and deputy governorship candidates respectively should be made to stand while on the other hand the meeting of governorship aspirants who contested  are urging the party to call for a fresh primary election to enable them participate in it.

Nigeria: 2013: Ebonyi to adopt e-voting for local government polls | Vanguard

Ebonyi State government said it would adopt Electronic Voting System ahead of 2013 local government election in the state.

The government, which sponsored the training of 83 staff of Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission, EBSEIC on a three-month Information Communication Training, ICT, noted that ICT was essential to the eradication of electoral disputes during elections.

Nigeria: Ogun electoral commission sues Amosun | 234Next

The Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission {OGSIEC} has dragged the state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, to court for what the commission described as illegal and wrongful dissolution.

The chairman of the commission, Kayode Adeleye, and seven other members of OGSIEC, filed a suit at the Abeokuta High Court, challenging the May 31 dissolution of the commission by the governor.

In an originating summons filed by their counsel, Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), the commission members prayed the court to determine whether the governor had powers to dissolve it in line with Sections 197 and 199 of the nation’s 1999 Constitution, as well as Section 7 (1) of OGSIEC law.

Nigeria: Nigerian Political Science Association on future of democracy in Nigeria | Vanguard

It had become evident during the tenure of Professor Maurice Iwu as Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission that the responsibility for midwifing democracy in Nigeria had been vested in the office of the Chairman of the Commission.

President Jonathan had bought into the understanding of how democracy could be established sustainably in Nigeria- hence his high profiling of what was involved in the choice of a successor to Professor Maurice Iwu. Professor Jega as the Chairman was chosen to ensure a safe delivery of democracy in Nigeria. This was expected of him nationally and internationally.

Nigeria: Seven Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission staff arrested over election materials | Vanguard

Ekiti State Police Command has nabbed seven staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for allegedly doctoring electoral materials used in April general elections. The workers were said to have been caught in the act at an undisclosed hotel in Omuo-Ekiti, headquarters of Ekiti East Local Government area of the state.

Their motive was not immediately known. Vanguard however, gathered that they were working for unnamed politicians in the area in attempt to use the doctored electoral materials as evidence in the state Election Petition Tribunal.

Nigeria: Witnesses recount Nigerian election violence experience before panel | Next

Witnesses at the post-election violence commission’s sitting in Akwa Ibom State have blamed the crisis in the state on the lack of tolerance for the opposition, but declined to mention the party, or parties, that instigated the violence.

The commission, which is enquiring into the March 22 mayhem that happened in Ikot Ekpene and Uyo, was set up on May 11, 2011 by President Goodluck Jonathan to look into the remote causes that brought about the mayhem.