Flowerbud News

Tag: Elections

  • FCT elections orderly, efficient, peaceful – INEC Chairman

    FCT elections orderly, efficient, peaceful – INEC Chairman

     

     

     

    By Emmanuel Oloniruha

    Abuja:  The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections, describing the process as orderly, efficient and peaceful.

    Amupitan made this known on Saturday in Abuja while speaking with newsmen after monitoring the process at few polling units within the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

    Amupitan maintained that the performance of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the level of voter turnout were positive indicators for the country’s democratic process.

    He highlighted the speed of the accreditation process, noting that the BVAS technology had significantly reduced waiting times for voters.

    “You can see by yourself that the election is orderly and very efficient. The election is peaceful and those are the indices of a good election.

    “So far, the efficiency of the BVAS is high and I am very satisfied because the BVAS are working effectively and efficiently.

    “From what I have seen and heard from the presiding officers, it takes about less than five seconds to even accredit a voter.

    “So far, I can say that the election is well organised. The election is peaceful from the calm atmosphere you have seen,” Amupitan said.

    He commended the turnout of voters, attributing it to an increased awareness among citizens regarding the importance of participating in the electoral process.

    He also praised the calm atmosphere and the conduct of both voters and security personnel.

    “You can see a lot of people here and they are conducting themselves well. I learned that there are 30 security personnel that are present here.

    “They are also conducting their affairs in an orderly manner. So, we hope that at the close of the poll, we will have a very successful election,” he said.

    Addressing a question regarding an incident involving the harassment of a journalist by security personnel, Amupitan said that INEC remained committed to the safety of all accredited personnel.

    “I am only aware that there was one journalist that was arrested and immediately we intervened.

    “The Chief Press Secretary and some people spoke to the police and the person was immediately released unmolested.

    “We have taken every measure to ensure that nobody is molested. Accredited journalists and observers are granted access to the places they are supposed to be. We have not withdrawn any accreditation,” he said.

    The INEC boss, however, acknowledged minor hiccups in certain areas, especially the delay in arrival of election materials and ad hoc officials in few polling units, noting that INEC was on top of the situation.

    He said that as at 10:30 a.m., 99 per cent of polling units across the FCT had successfully opened and that the commission was monitoring the situation in real-time from the situation room to ensure all eligible voters were attended to.

    Amupitan pledged that the commission would not only ensure that the votes of Nigerians count in the FCT election, but would ensure further improvements, moving forward to the 2027 general elections.

    “The voices of Nigerians will be held this time around. The BVAS, as far as I am concerned, is working very well.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the polling units visited by Amupitan included: PU 016, Area 8, Garki, AMAC, PU 005 LGEA Primary school Garki Village, PUs 001 and 002, 052, Junior Secondary School, Area 1, 007 National Library, Area 2, Garki, AMAC.

    The chairman also visited the INEC FCT office, where the deployment of election result collation officers was ongoing.(NAN)(www.nannees.ng)

  • CSO urges credible LG elections, decry corruption

    CSO urges credible LG elections, decry corruption

     

    By Perpetua Onuegbu

    Abuja,  (NAN)/FLOWERBUDNEWS:  Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Nigeria has called for credible electoral processes at the local government level to enable the election of competent representatives capable of addressing grassroots needs.

    The Resident Representative of KAS Nigeria, Ms Marija Peran, made the call at a one-day dialogue on Wednesday in Abuja.

    The dialogue, organised by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in collaboration with KAS, had the theme: “Local Government Autonomy in Nigeria: Effects of Corruption and Inefficiency on Good Governance”.

    Peran, represented by the KAS Programme Manager, Mr Samson Adeniran, identified corruption and inefficiency as major obstacles to effective local governance.

    She said addressing these issues required not only institutional reforms but also a collective commitment to integrity and accountability at all levels.

    She added that the way local government elections are conducted determines the level of autonomy councils enjoy.

    “Electoral processes must enable genuine representation, allowing competent leadership to emerge free from undue external influence.

    “Without credible and fair elections, local governance risks becoming an extension of centralised control instead of an independent structure responsive to the grassroots,” she said.

    She also called for constitutional and legislative reforms that would safeguard local government independence while ensuring strong accountability frameworks.

    Executive Director of CISLAC, Mr Auwal Rafsanjani, said financial autonomy for local governments had not translated into good governance due to political interference and weak institutions.

    He said in many states, local governments functioned as extensions of state executive power, with local officials accountable to governors instead of the people.

    “Appointments, elections, budget allocations and contract awards are often dictated by state actors.

    “The practice of replacing elected councils with unelected caretaker committees, sometimes for years, is a breach of the Constitution.

    “These actions undermine democracy and hinder development at the grassroots,” he said.

    Rafsanjani also called for scrutiny of joint state-local government accounts, describing them as channels for siphoning public funds.

    “Without transparency, autonomy remains symbolic,” he said.

    Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Aliyu, said state-level influence had led to structural and operational weaknesses in local governance.

    He said although Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution recognises local governments as a democratic tier, challenges persist.

    Aliyu noted that unqualified individuals were often appointed as chairmen and councillors, weakening service delivery.

    “Inadequate electoral processes fail to produce credible leaders, and this opens the door for corruption,” he said.

    Also speaking, a professor of economic history and lawyer, Prof. Adetunji Ogunyemi of Obafemi Awolowo University, said the Supreme Court judgment of July 11, 2024, had granted local governments fiscal autonomy.

    “Local governments can no longer claim they are financially constrained by state governments.

    “They now have full autonomy to pursue their budgets and operate independently,” he said. (NAN)/FLOWERBUDNEWS)