.INEC demands parties’ membership registers to monitor primaries
.Osinbajo visits Olubadan, woos Oyo APC delegates
The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday rescheduled for next week the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms for elective positions which was originally fixed for today.
The new leadership of the party has also sent all the six directors at the APC National Secretariat, Abuja on compulsory leave.
As the parties rev up arrangements for their primaries which must be concluded by June 3, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked them to submit their membership registers to enable it monitor the primaries at all levels.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday took his campaign to Oyo State where he solicited the support of APC delegates from the state during the forthcoming primaries.
The Nation gathered that the rescheduling of the sale of forms was informed by the inability of the contractor handling the printing of the forms to deliver on time.
At the close of work yesterday, the APC Directorate of Organisation was yet to take delivery of the forms.
It was also gathered that the party was yet to fine-tune the guidelines for the sale of the forms and the primaries.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) on Wednesday approved the sale of nomination forms to commence on Saturday, April 23.
A source in the party who confirmed the development on condition of anonymity said the party was yet to fix a new date for the commencement of the sale of forms.
The NWC is expected to determine the new date on Monday.
The source said: “The postponement became necessary following the inability of the contractor to deliver the forms.
As we speak now (Friday evening), the printer is yet to deliver the forms. “We hope the exercise will commence next week as the contractor is expected to deliver by the weekend.”
The Nation also gathered that the six directors at the National Secretariat were asked to proceed on compulsory leave.
Also affected by the directive is the head of the legal department of the party.
The APC National Secretary, Otunba Iyiola Omisore, in an April 21, 2022 letter, directed the affected persons to hand over the affairs of their departments to the most senior person.
The decision followed the recommendation of the Transition Committee set up by Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led NWC as part of the efforts to re-organised the APC National Secretariat.
Adamu had dropped hint of the impending reorganization when he received his certificate of returns from the Electoral Committee of the March 26 National Convention of the party.
INEC directs parties to submit membership register 30 days before primaries
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has directed all registered political parties to submit copies of their membership register to the commission in compliance with the new Electoral Act 2022, before their primary elections.
Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, gave the directive at the second regular quarterly meeting of Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja on Thursday.
Yakubu said that the new Electoral Act made it mandatory for political parties to submit their registered members to the commission 30 days before their primaries.
Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2022, according to him, requires each party to maintain a membership register in hard and soft copy and to make such register available to the Commission not later than 30 days before the date fixed for primaries, congresses and conventions.
“So far, only one political party has complied. It is a mandatory requirement of the law and all parties are required to comply,” he said.
“Doing otherwise is like going into an election without the register of voters. There can be no credible primary or general election without a credible register of voters.”
The INEC chairman also advised the RECs to thoroughly study the new Electoral Act, saying a credible election is anchored on the law.
“As you are aware, the Electoral Act, together with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and our Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, constitute the electoral legal framework for elections.
“As election managers, it is incumbent upon us to familiarize ourselves with the legal framework.”
On the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), particularly the creation of additional centers to devolve the exercise beyond INEC State and Local Government offices nationwide, Yakubu said that a total of 2,673 centers had been activated nationwide.
He disclosed that in the last one week of the exercise, 405,587 eligible Nigerians had completed the registration at the various centers.
This, according to him, represents about 31 per cent increase on the average figure of 125,000 weekly registrations since the exercise commenced in June 2021.
Yakubu also said that while INEC expected a surge in new registrations as it approached its June 30 deadline, it was prepared for it.
Osinbajo woos Oyo APC delegates for presidential ambition
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday in Ibadan met with Oyo State APC delegates to the forthcoming presidential primaries.
Osinbajo, who was accompanied by the party’s state chairman Isaac Omodewu, Senator Teslim Folarin, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), Senator Babafemi Ojudu and Senator Ibrahim Balkachuwa, among others, said his experience as vice president had exposed him to governance at the highest level, stressing that the opportunity to gather the experience was meant for a time like this in the history of Nigeria.
He said that in the seven years he has been vice president, his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari “gave me every opportunity to serve, including very sensitive international assignments.”
“As you know, I also acted as president during certain periods when the president was away on medical vacation.
Everything that I learnt as vice president, and everything that I have learnt as acting president, has prepared me to run as president of our country and to function as president of our country.
“God does not make a mistake. God is deliberate in everything that He does. And by giving all those opportunities, every one of the opportunities that I have, to see for myself, to understand governance for myself at the highest level of our country’s governance, to be exposed to everything – local and international, at the highest levels of governance in our country.
“I believe that time has come and I have the responsibility to my country.
I have the responsibility to you, to all our children and the coming generations; to give all of what I have learnt, everything I have learnt, all of the service I have given, to be able to give it to our country, and to serve our country faithfully, honestly and transparently. That is my intention.
“One advantage I will have is that from day one, I can hit the ground running because I know what it takes.”
He used the occasion of the visit to pay a courtesy call on the Olubadan of Ibadan.
I budgeted only N50m for nomination form, says Ngige
Labour and Productivity Minister Chris Ngige says he budgeted only N50 million for his expression of interest and nomination forms for next month’s presidential primaries of the APC.
The sum is N50 million short of the N100 million fixed for both forms by the party hierarchy.
But Ngige is optimistic of raising the balance with the help of his supporters.
He refused to blame the party for what critics call the high cost of the forms.
He said he had no doubts that the party’s National Executive Committee which fixed the amount had done its homework and had cogent reasons for its action.
“That’s what my party NEC fixed. Whether I’m happy with that or not, that is their own postulation. They have done their calculation; they have done their work,” he said.
“And Abdullahi Adamu, the chairman, is a very serious man if you know him well. He was my colleague in the governors’ forum and he was my colleague also in the 7Th Senate. He’s a very serious-minded person.
“For Adamu to say N100 million, he has seen certain things. I was a party official in PDP unfortunately and a NEC member, so I know the workings of a party. I’m not going to crucify them or say ‘crucify them’.
“Let me give you a critical example. After the selling of these forms, candidates emerge. When you tell them to contribute to the party, you won’t see them. That’s our experience in PDP, ACN, APC.
“And they have done the right thing to encourage the young ones that they have 50 per cent discount. That’s magnanimous enough.”
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