Senate Changes Position, Set To Confirm INEC RECs

The Nigeria Senate has received the report of its Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the screening of 12 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).

Senate had on July 4 suspended all confirmation requests from the Presidency until Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo withdraws a statement credited to him that the Senate does not need to confirm nominees from the executive arm of government.

The decision followed opposition to a letter from Osinbajo, urging the upper chamber to confirm the nomination of Lanre Gbajabiamila as Director-General of the National Lottery Commission (NLC).

On Wednesday, the Senate after over one hour closed session, accepted the report of the RECs screening.

The 12 RECs whose screening reports were received were – Mrs. Asmanu Sani Maikudi (Katsina), Sam Olugbadebo Olumekun (Ondo), Mahmud Isah ( Kebbi), Rufus Oloruntoyin Akeju (Lagos) and Riskuwa Shehu (Sokoto).

Others are – Kassim Gana Geidam (Yobe), Jibrin Ibrahim Zarewa (Kano), Abdulganiyu Olayinka Raji (Oyo), Samuel Egwu (Kogi), Mike Igini (Delta), Mustapha Zubairu( Niger) and Ahmad Bello Mahmud (Zamfara).

No date was fixed for their confirmation.

By Wale Odunsi

APC Drags INEC To Court Over Dino Melaye's Recall

The Kogi State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over the Commission’s insistence on the recall of Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye.

The leadership of the party in the state is challenging the recall of Melaye without affording him fair hearing.

Plaintiff in the case are, the Chairman of the state arm of the party, Alhaji Haddy Ametuo, and other principal officers: Shaibu Osune, S.T. Adejo, Yahaya Ismail, Isah Daniel, Chief Gbenga Asagun, Ahovi Ibrahim, Ghali Usman, Isa Abubakar, I.Molemodile, Abubakar Adamu and Daniel Sekpe.

The plaintiffs are praying the court to determine: “Whether upon a proper interpretation of the provisions of Sections 65 (2) (b), 68 (1) (g) and 69 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the first plaintiff’s sponsored member, Senator Melaye, to the Senate is not entitled to a fair hearing before the process of his recall as contemplated by the provisions of the aforesaid section 69 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is initiated or commenced. Sen. Dino Melaye

“Whether by the provisions of Sections 68 and 69 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Senator Melaye, the plaintiffs party’s sponsored member to the Senate can be validly recalled from the Senate upon an invalid petition presented to the chairman of INEC.

“Whether the process of recall of Senator Melaye by a sponsored member of the plaintiffs party as envisaged by the provisions of section 69 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) can be valid and proper based upon a petition purportedly signed by fictitious persons, dead persons, persons who are not members of Kogi West senatorial district or constituency and with the same and similar hand writing belonging to a few persons.

“Whether in the face of a shortfall or less the number of the registered and qualified voters who allegedly signed the petition in contrast to the provisions of the section 69 (a) of the constitution, the process of recall of Senator Melaye can validly and properly be commenced under the provisions of section 69 of the 1999 constitution (as amended).”

They are also praying the court to declare the petition presented to INEC for the recall of Senator Melaye as illegal, unlawful, wrongful, unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

“A declaration that the recall process initiated vide a purported petition against the plaintiffs sponsored senator by some of his constituents pursuant to section 69 of the 1999 constitution ( as amended) is illegal, unlawful, wrongful, unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect whatsoever for being contrary and in contravention of the rules of natural justice and constitutionally guaranteed right to fair hearing under section 36 of the 1999 constitution (as amended).

“An order of injunction restraining INEC acting by itself or through its servants, employees, agents and privies from commencing or continuing or completing the process of recall of the plaintiffs sponsored senator.

“An order of injunction restraining INEC acting by its self or through its servants, employees, agents and privies from commencing or further continuing to act on the purported petition presented to it by some constituents of the plaintiffs sponsored member representing the Kogi West senatorial district.

“An order of injunction restraining INEC acting by its self or through its servants, employees, agents and privies from, conducting any referendum based on the purported petition allegedly presented and signed by dead, fictitious and purported constituents of the plaintiffs sponsored member of the senate for an incompetent and fundamentally defective petition.”

By Seun Opejobi

Our Chairman Will Not Succumb To Blackmail - INEC

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, who is reportedly out of the country, has instructed that the Commission should challenge the court order stopping the Senator Dino Melaye‘s recall process.

In a statement released on Saturday, INEC said Yakubu is not, “succumbing to blackmail,” that was rumoured to have come from the Senate.

“It may be of interest here to note that the INEC chair is out of the country.

“He left last weekend and was not part of the meeting (some days ago) where the decision was taken to obey the court order.

“He had however earlier sought and agreed with legal advice and instructed that the Commission should challenge any court order and the competence of the action when word got out last week that Senator Dino Melaye had filed a suit trying to stop his recall.

“If indeed there was a threat of blackmail (overt or otherwise), Prof Yakubu from his words and action isn’t succumbing to it.

“In any case, he isn’t a sole administrator and all 12 members of the commission have a say in decision making and there’s a consensus in our approach to challenge the Senator’s suit. INEC should be allowed to do its work, regardless of the outcome,” the statement reads.

By Ifreke Inyang

JUST IN: Dino Melaye's Recall Process Suspended By INEC

The Independent Electoral National Commission, INEC, has suspended the recall process of Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye.

Recall that some aggrieved people from Melaye’s constituents had submitted a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, seeking his recall from the senate.

Upon acceptance of the petition, INEC had written to Melaye informing him that the process of his recall will start last week.

Melaye, however, dismissed claims by the Commission, saying he has not been informed about his planned recall from the Senate.

By Seun Opejobi

OsunWest By-Election: INEC Has revived Our hope In The System – Ekweremadu

The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has congratulated the winner of the Osun West Senatorial District bye-election, Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on his victory, describing the poll as “a glimmer of hope for the nation’s electoral system.”

Reacting to the outcome of the election, Ekweremadu said, it was not only victory for the PDP, but 

also more importantly, a victory for the nation’s democracy.

He said: “I congratulate the Senator-elect, Ademola Adeleke, and our party faithful in Osun State in particular on this symbolic victory.

“For our party, it shows that working together as one big family, we can always show strength, achieve great results, and surmount every obstacle in rebuilding the fortunes of our party and restoring good governance to the country.

“It also appears the Independent National Electoral Commission is beginning to get it right in reviving hope and confidence of the people in the potency and sanctity of the ballot box. We will tread the path of cautious optimism, watching and believing that sanity is beginning to return to the electoral system, once again”.

Ekweremadu commended the people of Osun West for their vigilance and peaceful conducts during the election, saying they not only voted, but also ensured that their votes counted in a peaceful atmosphere.

He expressed confidence that the Senator-elect would provide robust and quality representation as his late brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, had done in the past.

By Yemi Itodo

Osun West: PDP’s Adeleke Defeats APC’s Hussein [See Result]

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  on Sunday  announced Mr Ademola Adeleke of the PDP as the winner of the Osun West Senatorial bye-election.

The election was  held in 10  local government areas making up the district.

The winner, who is the younger brother of  the late Sen. Isiaka Adeleke, had 97, 480 votes to defeat  a former senator, Mudashiru Hussein of the APC,  who had 66, 116 votes.

171575 voters were accredited for the exercise from a total of 431674 registered voters.

Announcing the  result in Iwo, the Osun West Senatorial headquarters, Mr Baritor Kpagih, INEC Residential Electoral Commissioner for the bye-election, said Adeleke won nine out of the 10  local government areas where the election was held.

He consequently returned Adeleke  as senator to complete the tenure of  the late Adeleke  who died on April 23.

He gave the breakdown of the election result as follows:

Iwo Local Government: APC-12,205 PDP-12,547

Olaoluwa Local Government: APC 5,316 PDP 5,618

Ayedire Local Government: APC 5,360 PDP 5,789

Ejigbo Local Government: APC 12,229 PDP 9,723

Irewole Local Government: APC 8,952 PDP 9,096

Ede North Local Government: APC 2,784 PDP 18,559

Ede South Local Government: APC 2,096 PDP 13,406

Ayedaade Local Government: APC 7179 PDP 9,061

Egbedore Local Government: APC 4,768 PDP 7,142

Isokan Local Government: APC 5227 PDP 6,539

Adeleke would represent the senatorial district  till 2019 when another election would be conducted.

Although 12 political parties contested  in the bye- election, the   two major contenders were the  PDP  and  APC.

Earlier in the day, the results emanating from unit level indicated that  Adeleke enjoyed comfortable lead.

At Unit 2, Ward 9 in Ede North Local Government which is the polling booth of the PDP candidate, Otunba Ademola Adeleke, he scored 155 votes while the APC candidate, Mudasiru Hussain scored six votes.

At Unit 1, Ward 3 in Ejigbo local government where the APC candidate, Mr Mudashir Hussain voted, APC got 152 votes While PDP candidate, Ademola Adeleke got 148 votes, a difference of 4 votes.

According to the result of the election at Olorunsogo unit 2, Ward 10, under Egbedore Local government, the PDP candidate got 224 votes while APC got 107 and SDP got one vote.

In Unit 1, WARD 1 (Awo/ Abodu) under Egbedore Local Government, PDP candidate got 569 while APC candidate got 195.

By Hameed Oyegbade