who was the inec chairman in 2015

The then Senate President David Mark, then Speaker of the House of Representatives Oladimeji Bankole, and most of the State Governors also attended the meeting. The power of the president to appoint the chairman and commissioners of INEC, and resident electoral commissioners (RECs) in each state, also needs examination. So I thought long and hard with colleagues at INEC about how to tackle this problem. The register was still not perfect. There were ballot papers still awaiting collection in South Africa in 2010. well as interest groups, such as the civil society organizations and the media.To According to Modernization Theorists, traditional societies must be willing to jettison anything that ties them to underdevelopment particularly their way of life. An appropriate review of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2010 could bring about a marked improvement in the legal framework for the conduct of elections with integrity. Although, after eight months of deliberation, the judges reached the verdict that the mistakes were insufficient to alter the outcome of the election, their 588-page judgment set out an agenda for reform.4 A new and accurate voter register was identified as a key priority for the ECG. Professor Mahmud Yakubu (2015 till date) He is a great man and so far adjudged by INEC S . Fr. Nobody has put us under any pressure., The INEC chairman added that the elections were slated for February 2015 to allow time for litigations before the commencement of new tenures. In the past, the INEC local staff were in charge of counting and announcing results. 25th January 2023 INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu By Temitayo Jaiyeola The 2022 Electoral Act, which set the motion for the digitalisation of Nigeria's electoral process, is aimed at. What was the thinking behind this and what have been the impacts? The Ekiti gubernatorial election in June 2014 was the testing ground for the PVCs and they worked well. One important variable is The objective was to force out those who were incompetent, and inspire and motivate those who had been, and were still, doing good work. Since the Edo State governorship election, we started customising result sheets to specific wards and polling units. For example, certain Lagos polling stations have to deal with as many as 4,000 voters. The consequences are not often discernible or known, even if with certitude permutations and speculations. (Rev. Jega's nomination as INEC chairman followed approval by a meeting of the National Council of State called by President Jonathan and attended by former heads of state Yakubu Gowon, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Ernest Shonekan, Olusegun Obasanjo and Shehu Shagari. David Ijaseun Sep 26, 2022 Mahmoud Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) As Nigerians face an important milestone in the history of the country, one of those at the centre of activity is the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu. Nigerians, political parties, candidates and all other stakeholders to accept this There are some decent politicians but very few. (Prof.) Anthony Akinwale in: Why we are where we are). Jega obtained his undergraduate degree at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and in 1985 was awarded his PhD from Northwestern University in America. From 53 departments when I arrived, the Commission now has 19, and in the restructuring process the roles and responsibilities of each department were clearly spelt out and shared across the organisation to avoid duplication. If you do not satisfy what they want, then they would start accusing you as if there is an interest being served, or that we came under some pressure. Chairman we are not going to take that. The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has said the timetable for the 2015 general election recently announced by the Commission was informed by rational and logical considerations, not sentimental or ulterior motivations. In 2011, we did voter registration in January/February, that was why the elections had to wait till April. They are now involved with further engagements relating to civic education and community sensitisation. Reactions to the announcement from a broad spectrum of political leaders and organisations were positive, although some voiced concern that it could be too late to implement real reforms before the 2011 elections. For example, Professor Okechukuwu Ibeanu became my chief technical adviser, Professor M J Kuna my special assistant and Dr Magaji Mahmoud my chief of staff.8. INEC organized the transitional elections that ushered in the Nigerian Fourth Republic on Saturday, 29 May, 1999. Development partners, who felt a review of the register was a more feasible option given the limited time frame, were sceptical. In The Gambia the persistence of a rudimentary voting system, whereby voters deposit marbles into coloured drums corresponding to different candidates, did not prove an obstacle to change. would like to reiterate here that INEC is an EMB and not a security agency. The INEC did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. We have done wide ranging consultation View. Now, safely out of INEC, I have no doubt that the issue needs to be confronted. Fr. Having been appointed to chair INEC in 2010, when it was widely perceived as "fraudulent . MOSBS is not a perfect system. But for Anambra, the state has 21 local government areas, and the challenge we faced was with regard to one local government Idemili North. In Ondo and Rivers [states], voters were accredited and cast their ballots concurrently, but in Rivers the period of lull issue raised its head again, with reports emerging of people involved in ballot box stuffing and snatching. This decision was condemned by politicians and civil society groups who called for his immediate removal from office. He said: We have already provided a service in that regard, using the SMS platform. Operating in a country that lacks the domestic manufacturing capacity to produce sufficient ballot papers, results sheets and other materials for an election is a sizeable challenge. Melvis Mayaki. Responding to an enquiry on the rationale for the election schedules, the INEC chairman explained that the country is not up to having all the elections in one day. Ahead of 2015, we tried to design a mechanism that would enable those involved in the running of the election to do so, but unfortunately we were unable to put the measures in place. This introduction of electronic voting (a modern technological voting process) by Prof. Jega redefined electioneering in Nigeria. The video shows Attahiru Jega, who was chairman at the time the video was filmed but who retired three months later, on June 30, 2015 (here). 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During the campaigning for the 2015 Nigerian general election, Attiru Jega "faced fierce criticism from both the opposition and the ruling party.". four Northeast states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe currently experiencing The current chair of INEC is Mahmood Yakubu. wrote a letter to the Commission, drawing attention to recent developments in circumstances, few EMBs across the world, if any, would contemplate proceeding Overall I think that President Jonathan meant well for democracy in our country, a view strengthened by the gracious way he conceded electoral defeat in 2015. The idea of creating new polling stations was also put forward ahead of the 2015 vote. Incentive mechanisms were designed to go alongside punishments for transgressions. But since we are not doing a fresh registration in 2015, we said lets have the elections early in the period permissible, so that there will be more time before swearing-in for litigation.. Mahmood Yakubu is the current chairperson, and he assumed office on 21st October 2015. But this was just a drop in the ocean. security for the elections. More resources and focus could usefully be dedicated to ensuring regular updates to the electoral register; addressing voter education needs; managing political parties expenditure; and internal learning and development. The response to this innovation was positive. But there are other things critical for the success Jega oversaw two national elections during his tenure at INEC. Nigeria is yet to conduct a credible census. In the past, many did not have to canvass votes with new ideas and policies: they just bought their seat, seeing it as an economic investment. An unorthodox methodology was needed. The issue of PVCs for the general election in 2015 was also compromised by the slow pace of production and distribution. And that is another thing that wasnt the case in the past. Getting elections right is a good way of deepening democracy in the country, by strengthening the right of the people to be involved in governance and in the selection of those mandated to govern. You used the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and other ad hoc staff to work as polling agents. Money was not sufficient to ensure a credible vote. Why was this so important? In fact, in Anambra although it came a bit late before the election, and there was no massive publicity to get the people adequately aware we deployed the use of SMS to enable the voter to interrogate the register. At the same time I was entering a moving vehicle, with no time to reflect and reform effectively. Despite this setback, within three weeks one week more than planned we had a register of 73.5 million voters, all issued with a temporary voter card. Regrettably, this could not be actioned. Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Yakubu who is taking over from the . As president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (1988-94) and director of the Centre for Democratic Research and Training (2000-04), Jega worked continuously to re-establish and uphold democratic values in Nigeria. it deploys. In Anambra, the misuse or abuse of temporary voter cards, and the way in which politicians tried to manipulate the new register of voters in connivance with some electoral officials at the state level, was clear to all. Voter registration was designed to happen over a period of two weeks. It is a big challenge and we will continue to do our best in that regard.. And that is why we are paying a lot of attention to addressing the challenge. In President YarAduas inauguration address in May 2007, there was an acknowledgement that the election which brought him to power was fraught with irregularities. He also disagreed with suggestions that the elections were drastically reordered, when compared to 2011. Attahiru Jega succeeded Maurice Iwu as the chairman of the INEC in 2010. responsibility of the EMB. The video shows Godsday Orubebe, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying complaints had been made about voting in the states of Kano, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa, but that the INEC chairman had not done anything in response. *Wink*, This man has changed my life forever - US singer Selena Gomez celebrates singer Rema, Nigerian-born American high school graduate turns up for prom looking like royalty in his agbada, Popular Akwa Ibom pastor dies two days after officiating funeral service, Man arrested for locking up, dehumanising and starving his wife for two years in Borno, Three Chinese warships arrive Nigeria in a bid to strengthen bilateral relationship, Gunmen k!ll RCCG pastor, k!dnap seven church members in Ogun, BBNaijas Sheggz hilariously reacts to his girlfriend, Bella saying that premarital s3x is one thing home training will never make her do, JAMB withdraws result of Anambra student who secured a N3million scholarship after faking her result, Mass shooting in Baltimore, US, leaves dozens wounded and 'multiple dead', Lovely photo of a father helping his daughter with her shoes during Eid celebration in Ilorin, You are just one st!nking b!tch forming what you are not - Yomi Fabiyi tackles Davido over recent multiple pregnancies linked to him, 'This message is for Nigerians' - Social media users react to post from Guinness World Record enlisting the process to set a new record. The clip can be seen (here: bit.ly/3Z7SuWc) at 1:59. Akinwale, Anthony (2017): Why we are where we are, Ibadan: Catholic Independent Newspaper, Mayaki, Melvis (2013): Strengthening Democratic Practice in Nigeria: The Role of The Church. Jegas retirement was also reported by Nigerian news outlets (here) and (here). What this system achieved was that by 12.30pm anybody accredited to vote would be in his or her polling unit. The Biblical encouragement to be ones brothers keeper has been argued to have emanated from the African soil, especially in the South-West of Nigeria. The Chatham House forum in London was an extension of a similar event organised earlier in the week by the United States Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington DC. Speeches & Articles. We invited you here today to make known the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the timetable for the 2015 general elections. The Supreme Court declared the result null and void in its response to an electoral petition filed by the opposition coalition. An information deficit provided the opposition with cause to dispute the results and speculate that the IEBC computer servers had been hacked. There have been reports of INEC officials colluding with political party agents at the polling booths, the collation centers and with the political party in power. Besides, there are additional means being put in place by the Commission to facilitate voter enquiry about the register. When everyone in the queue had voted the polls closed. The senate has confirmed the appointment of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman and successor of Prof Attahiru Jega after he was screened in the upper chambers. To this end, the myriads of electoral violence in Nigerias democratic practice are brought to the fore. The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. In outlining the funding needs, we made the argument that we had been appointed to oversee credible elections, the foundation for which was a credible register of voters. materials, INEC is also at a comfort level in its readiness for the general We had names of trees, of rivers, and international figures like Mike Tyson and Queen Elizabeth II! The global best practice is that you do national elections separate from state elections, if you cant do all together. Almost immediately after your appointment to chair the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) you requested a three-month delay to the 2011 elections so that you could undertake a costly and complete overhaul of the electoral register. He was born in Bauchi State in May 1962 and had an impressive academic record, obtaining a first-class degree in History from the University of Sokoto. A further four million names were removed, primarily through de-duplication. not be able to provide the traditional support they render to the Police and By the time I left INEC after the 2015 elections, it seemed to me that the drive for electoral reform had diminished. Mahmoud Yakubu succeeded Jega as chairman, as was tweeted by the INEC (here) and reported by Nigerian news outlets (here) and (here). At all times, it is the conduct of a free and fair electoral process that justifies a representative government to be referred to as democracy because the authority of government is derived solely from the consent of the governed. (Rev. Electoral democracy at the national level is important, but if it fails at the grassroots then problems will persist. Melvis Mayaki in a Lecture titled: Strengthening Democratic Practice In Nigeria: The Role of The Church). Yakubu who answered all questions posed at him, stated that, he would not be intimidated in the discharge of his activities as INEC chairman. We did these things logically and rationally, in terms of what we considered best for our country, he said. ABUJA-President Mohammadu Buhari on Wednesday appointed Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. from 2010 to 2015. The letter stated that security could not be guaranteed By Ikechukwu Amaechi IN the early hours of Wednesday, March 1, 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Chairman, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, declared the result of the . Ahead of the 2015 vote a run-off seemed a possibility, but INEC would have been unable to meet this constitutional requirement if it had happened. with our regular staff, voters, election observers as well as election Frank Idayi refers to politics as an uncertain game: Politics in the Church takes two different dimensions according to the vocations of the Clergy and the Laity. However, constitutional provisions need to be amended so that the independence and autonomy of SIECs are strengthened. For people to be contributing to the integrity of an election at the expense of their own participation is not something that should continue. Elections Foreign relations Nigeria portal Other countries v t e General elections were held in Nigeria on 21 April 2007 to elect the President and National Assembly. 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For example, the Commission is legally responsible for prosecuting those accused of electoral offences, but with a very small litigation team that is already fully preoccupied by election petitions, it is not in a position to do so. According to the legal framework, it has to take place within seven days of the first round of voting. Michael Ani (1976-1979) Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said "despite divergent opinions about outcome of the (2023) election, overall outlook suggests it is a fair . of Constitutional provisions? INEC: Who is the current INEC chairman with his predecessors? The necessary court processes often took a year or two to be resolved. The declared winner of the election (whether as an upshot of the expressed wish of the people through their votes or the wish of the electoral umpire) is the overall victor. In the Nigerian context, where elections are seen as do-or-die affairs, this makes them very challenging. "Mahmoud Yakubu, chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have been caught red handed as he and other INEC staff manipulated the presidential election results conducted. Eyo Esua (1964-1966) Firstly, he was a talented Nigerian teacher. Jega said the two candidates fulfilled the requirement of the law regarding satisfying a national spread of votes scored. Her reputation was mired in the mud of election malpractices in Nigeria. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. The JUERCs 2008 report12 expanded awareness of the challenges of holding elections in Nigeria and paved the way for creating a general consensus on the need for reforms of the electoral process. Political kidnappings and assassinations were the other of the day. Then we said: what is the best combination in line with global best practice? When you lack the capacity to control the process internally you are at the whim of external suppliers and world events. As for us in INEC well endeavour to use When I was appointed to chair INEC in July 2010, I joined an organisation that was perceived to be fraudulent and corrupt. The collation process has several stages. Domestic observers described Nigerias 2007 general election as a charade,1 such was the prevalence of malfeasance and rigging. Party agents were accredited, observers given access, votes counted in view of the electorate, and copies of signed result sheets were given to all key actors and posted to the outside of polling stations. Soon after being appointed, Iwu announced that foreign monitors would not be allowed during elections, but only foreign election observers. Cage Code Search By Company Name, Articles W