Connect with us

POLITICS

2023: Observations from Kenyan Election Show INEC needs to Review Voting Hours-CODE

Published

on

Share

Connected Development (CODE),a Civil Society Organisation says observations from the just concluded Kenya election have revealed the need for the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to adjust its voting hours for 2023 poll.

Mr Emmanuel Njoku, Director, Democracy and Governance, CODE said this at the official launch of CODE’s annual report that detailed its various interventions and effort to institutionalise accountability and transparency in governance across Africa.

Njoku said that INEC’s review of voting hours was recommended because if not done, more than 30 million citizens could be disenfranchised in the 2023 General Elections .

He said that this was because Kenya used the same Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) device and also transmitted its results electronically just like Nigeria and the process was practically the same as the only difference was in the numbers.

He added that CODE was in Kenya to observe the election and to also see how the device would work so as to prepare for Nigeria’s election in 2023.

“Kenya’s voter register is just 22.1 million and the voter turnout was 65 per cent, which was about 14 million votes, in Nigeria we are expecting around 45 per cent voter turnout which is close to 40 million people.

“Yet Kenyan polls open as early as 6am and close by 5pm that is 11 hours for a voter register of just under 2.1 million what that means is that everybody gets to vote.

“ However, people in Nigeria with higher voters’ polls open for just six hours from 8:30 and closes by 2:30pm that is just six hours for a voter register of 95 million people.

“With the BVAS, it takes a person two minutes to accredit and voting , mathematically, if it takes one person two minutes to go through the process to vote, it means in an hour, it will take just about 30 persons to vote,” he said.
Njoku added: “This is because if we go ahead with what we have, which is just six hours for 95 million persons to be able to get to vote, we may end up seeing close to 30 million Nigerians being disenfranchised in the 2023.
“Going forward, if Kenya with a voter register of 22 million persons allows 11 hours for citizens to vote, INEC needs also to expand its voting time.”
Mr Hamzat Lawal, the Chief Executive Officer, CODE, said that the report launched revealed CODE’s activities of holding public officials accountable and demanding that they keep their promises to their constituents by expediting timely interventions.

Lawal said that in 2021, with support from Ford Foundation, CODE supported local leaders in Rivers grassroots in a campaign borne out of the need to combat pervasive corruption, poor accountability, and the negligence of community development.

He said that this have been amounting to years of under-development, exposure to hazardous health risks due to oil substance leakages into water supplies and the sheer impact of these on livelihoods and the quality of life.

He said that CODE visited 19 project sites in 10 communities in nine LGAs and as a result ,so many abandoned projects were completed.

Lawal added that the World Bank has approved a 150million dollar credit for the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), to improve secondary education opportunities in the country.

He said that the AGILE project which was being carried out in 7 states would be implemented by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with Connected Development CODE, a Non-Governmental Organisation.

He said that the seven states were Kano, Kebbi, Kaduna, Kastina, Borno, Plateau and Ekiti State.

He stated that the AGILE PROJECT was expected to be a platform for girls health education, gender based violence awareness, and prevention as well as life skills, for a period of 5 years

“We also tracked N1.167 billion worth of constituency projects in 30 communities across 3 senatorial zones of Kaduna State under Deepening Citizens’ Interest in Government Spending and Addressing Accompanying Corrupt Practices ( DESPAAC).

“We trained 53 students in Anti-Corruption, Transparency, and Accountability under the Power Of Voices Partnership Fair For All Project In Oil Regions.

“CODE also initiated and revived integrity and anti-corruption clubs in 30 schools across FCT, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers states,” he said.

Lawal said that CODE assessed the readiness of 90 Primary Health Centres(PHCs) to receive, store and effectively administer vaccines with the purpose of equally driving quality standardisation of PHCs across the six geopolitical via follow the money project among others .

Also speaking ,Mr Ani Nwachukwu ,Research and Policy, CODE, said that there was need to address the security situation in the country especially at the grassroots otherwise it would affect the 2023 General Elections.

Nwachikwu said that CODE was implementing a national security watch projects that looked at analysing security breakdowns across the federation.
“We are unveiling the first edition for the monthly security dossier,” he said. (NAN)

POLITICS

I Didn’t Call for Ganduje’s Resignation – Alia

Published

on

Share


From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue has denied calling for the resignation of Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman.
This was contained in a press statement issued on Wednesday in Makurdi by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Tersoo Kula.


The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CPS was reacting to some media reports that the governor has called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.

The Kula said the governor at no time called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.
He said the governor enjoyed a good relationship with the Ganduje-led leadership of APC.
“It is imperative to clarify that at no point did Governor Alia assembled, attended and sent a representative or participated in any meeting to discuss the removal or call for resignation of Alhaji.
Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
“The Benue State governor remains firm in his support and allegiance to the leadership of the National Working Committee of the APC, under the leadership of Alhaji Ganduje.
“Furthermore, at no point, whether publicly or privately, has the governor advocated or expressed any desire for the resignation of the National party chairman”, he said.
He said the governor was focused on positively changing the fortunes of the state.
“He is alive to his responsibilities as the leader of APC in Benue State and is doing everything legitimate to reposition the party for future victories.” Kula said.
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in Benue State said it has withdrawn the only case filed by the embattled state chairman of the party, comrade Austin Agada that was pending before High Court 4 in Makurdi.
It said the said case has been consequently struck out by Justice T.A. Kume.
The state publicity secretary of the party, Daniel Ihomun,  said this was done in compliance with the directive of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in its 146th meeting held on the 20th March, 2024, wherein resolutions targeting peace were made directing all pending cases filed by members of the party in Benue State against the party or concerning the party and its members be withdrawn within 7 days.
Mr. Ihomun in a statement, made available to newsmen in Makurdi, said the State Legal Adviser of the APC, Alyebo Mathew Esq, at the instance of the state chairman, filed a Notice of Withdrawal on the 25th March, 2024, in the only case filed by the chairman that was pending before High Court 4 in Makurdi.
The party urged all members affected by the directive to withdraw all matters in court to clear the way for proper reconciliation that will ultimately pave the way for peace in the party.

Continue Reading

POLITICS

Mutfwang Meets PDP North Central Leadership Calls for Unity among Officials

Published

on

Share


From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has called for unity a purpose among officials of the North Central geopolitical political zone towards the growth of the party in the region.
He noted that the region has consistently remained a stronghold for the PDP since its inception, attributing it to the party’s ideologies and its developmental impact on the citizens at any given opportunity.


Governor Mutfwang made the commendation during a meeting on Wednesday with PDP officials from the North Central, led by the zonal National Vice Chairman, Hon.
Theophilus Dakas Shan, at Plateau House in Abuja the nation’s capital.

While applauding the dedication, patriotism, and steadfast support of the PDP officials in the region for their role in promoting unity and internal democracy in the party reiterated that such dedication will not be forgotten by the party.
Governor Mutfwang through his Director of Press and Public Affairs expressed his gratitude to the zonal officials for their commitment during the 2023 general elections, an effort he said aligned with the party’s principles.
He reiterated that the party’s mission is to govern not for personal gain but for the people’s liberation, voicing his expectation that the PDP will continue to be the people’s party, deserving of significant involvement in its administration.
As the opposition party, the Governor emphasized the need to strive for the governance Nigerians aspire to, stating, “We must offer constructive criticism to the government and ensure the Nigerian people are not shortchanged.”
The Governor announced plans to reform the party into a robust, dependable, and credible political platform that enables Nigerians to run for elections and fulfill the promise of democracy.
The National Vice Chairman of the PDP North Central Zone, Hon. Theophilus Dakas Shan, congratulated Governor Mutfwang on his election and Supreme Court victories.
He pledged full support to his administration, noting that the Governor’s unique position as the sole PDP-elected Governor from the zone will not be taken for granted.
He acknowledged the North Central’s role in electing the National Chairman of the PDP by consensus before the 2023 elections. However, recent political events in Benue State, has set aside the Chairman from office adding that the zone needs to address the matter as a family.
Hon. Shan said plans are underway to hold congresses of the Party and called for unity to ensure that the process is reliable, credible, and universally accepted, thereby minimizing potential litigation.

Continue Reading

POLITICS

FG Seeks Swedish Govt Support on Technical Education

Published

on

Share

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Federal Government is seeking the support of the Swedish Government to help drive its ongoing efforts of integrating technology and skills into the education sector.The Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman who made the appeal while hosting the Ambassador of Sweden to Nigeria, Annika Hahn-Englung, on a working visit to the ministry on Tuesday in Abuja, said it was important to leverage Sweden’s technical expertise.

The Minister also said the Federal government is seeking the support of the Swedish government in the development of indigenous languages to aid sound educational development in Nigeria.
He said: “The presence of (Swedish) tech companies in education and training is very important for us because one of the major things this ministry is focusing on now is to bring technology and skills into our education system right from the very early stage of education and we feel it is a very important mechanism tool for learning and teaching.
”And so we will be looking at your experiences to see how we can grow from that because what we want is right from primary school we want our students to be exposed to technology and skills so that at that stage they can grow with it and nurture critical thinking capabilities.“Right now education is not all about just providing training for jobs and skills of today, but preparing them to think about the skills of tomorrow and the best way to do that is by nurturing critical thinking capability right at the early stage.“So we will be leveraging your expertise and experience in order for us to develop our plans and integrate skills and technology into the curriculum at all the levels of our education system in Nigeria.”Mamman who noted that some agreements had been signed between Nigeria and Sweden in the past, however, stressed the need for both countries to deepen bilateral relationships by committing to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in several areas of partnerships.The Swedish envoy had earlier named some Swedish firms in Nigeria engaged in educational and entrepreneurship programmes.Hahn – Englung who expressed Sweden’s readiness to deepen existing relationships, especially in the area of education, noted Sweden’s desire to have more students study in the country’s institutions of higher learning.“We have quite a number of companies especially when it comes to EdTech but then also, we have ideas to see what we can do more together.“We have many Nigerian students going to Sweden every year. They are very competitive students we have noticed but we will like to see that expand more.”

Continue Reading

Read Our ePaper

Top Stories

NEWS9 hours ago

FCT HOS: Why President Tinubu Extends Atang’s Tenure By 6 Months

ShareBy Laide Akinboade, AbujaPresident Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has approved the extension of Atang Udo Samuel, as the the Head of...

NEWS9 hours ago

FGGC Benin Emerges Winner of 2023 National Senior Secondary Schools’ Debate

ShareBy Tony Obiechina, AbujaThe Federal Government Girls College, Benin has emerged overall winner of the 2023 National Senior Secondary Schools’...

NEWS9 hours ago

We’re Meeting Our Targets on Airport -Kuje Road Construction – Wike

ShareBy Laide Akinboade, AbujaThe Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, haom Wednesday,  expressed satisfaction with the...

NEWS9 hours ago

Osun to Partner FG on Culture, Tourism Development

ShareFrom Kunle IdowuGovernor Ademola Adeleke has secured a partnership deal with the Ministry of Tourism on the development of tourism...

POLITICS10 hours ago

I Didn’t Call for Ganduje’s Resignation – Alia

ShareFrom Attah Ede, MakurdiGovernor Hyacinth Alia of Benue has denied calling for the resignation of Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, the All...

POLITICS10 hours ago

Mutfwang Meets PDP North Central Leadership Calls for Unity among Officials

ShareFrom Jude Dangwam, JosThe Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has called for unity a purpose among...

POLITICS10 hours ago

FG Seeks Swedish Govt Support on Technical Education

ShareBy Tony Obiechina, Abuja The Federal Government is seeking the support of the Swedish Government to help drive its ongoing...

Metro10 hours ago

FG Declares March 29, April 1, Public Holiday to Mark Easter Celebration

ShareThe Federal Government has declared Friday, March 29, and Monday, April 1, as public holidays to mark the Easter celebration.This...

NEWS10 hours ago

Nigeria Prepared to Expedite Sustainable Dev’t in Collaboration with Partners — Tinubu

SharePresident Bola Tinubu yesterday said his administration is committed to deepening democracy by ensuring adherence to the rule of law...

NEWS10 hours ago

Police Engage Bandits in Gun Battle, Kill two, Arrest One in Benue

ShareFrom Attah Ede, Makurdi Men of the Benue State Police Command yesterday engaged bandits in gun duel in Mba-Mtsar village,...

Copyright © 2021 Daily Asset Limited | Powered by ObajeSoft Inc