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Anambra Poll: INEC will not Deploy Election Materials to 86 Polling Units – Yakubu

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will not deploy personnel or election materials to the new 86 polling units in Anambra for the state governorship election.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this during the commission’s consultative meeting with leaders of political parties on Friday in Abuja.

Yakubu explained that the 86 polling units were among the recently converted polling units and did not have any registered voters in the units.

He noted that the state would be the first that voting would be taking place in new polling units since the recent successful conversion of voting points arising from the expansion of voter access to polling units in Nigeria.

He recalled that an additional 1,112 polling units were established in Anambra in addition to the existing 4,608 locations, bringing the total number of polling units in the State to 5,720.

“Voters were encouraged to seize the opportunity of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise to transfer to the new polling units most convenient for them. Many did not do so.

“This can be partly attributed to the security situation in the state which has affected the commission’s pre-election outdoor activities, including voter education and sensitisation.

“Understandably, the voters have also been more circumspect in asking for transfer to polling units.

“At the same time, the Commission did not use its powers under Section 42 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) to allot voters to the new polling units in order to minimise the disruptions that may occur from such a decision in view of the forthcoming Governorship election.

“Consequently, out of the 5,720 polling units in Anambra State, 86 (1.5 per cent) have no voters.

“For that reason, the Commission will not be deploying personnel and materials to these polling units.

“Furthermore, 894 (15.6 per cent) of the polling units have between 1 and 49 voters. Election will hold in these polling units.

“We will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure that all Polling Units have voters allotted to them ahead of the 2023 General Election.

“Meanwhile, in our avowed commitment to transparency, the Commission has compiled a comprehensive list of all the Polling Units without voters as well as those having under 50 registered voters.

“Copies of the list will be made available to all political parties at this meeting. The same document will also be uploaded to our website and social media platforms for public information,’’ Yakubu said.

He reassured the party leaders that INEC was ready for the Anambra  governorship election on Nov. 6.

He said that the commission had moved all non-sensitive materials for the election to the 21 local government areas of the state.

“As usual, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is handling the delivery of sensitive materials to the state on schedule. Our State office in Awka is arranging for stakeholders to inspect the materials at the premises of the CBN in Awka.

“As it is the case in all elections, the sensitive materials are moved under security escort to each Local Government Area from where they are distributed to the Registration Areas or Wards and finally to Polling Units on Election Day.’’

Yakubu therefore urged the party leaders to inform their agents to be present for inspection of the materials at the CBN premises and to follow the movement of the materials to various locations should they chose to do so.

He said that as required by law, INEC requested political parties to upload the names and other personal details of their polling agents to a dedicated portal at least two weeks to the election.

The chairman, however, said that at the deadline of the directive on Oct. 21, 17 out of 18 political parties participating in the election nominated their agents for all or a substantial number of the polling units and collation centres.

“One party failed to nominate a single agent for any polling unit or collation centre although it has a governorship candidate and a running mate participating in the election.’’

The statistics provided by INEC revealed that Boot Party was the only party that failed to submits its agents.

Yakubu said that with just a few days to the state election, it was INEC hope that any lingering grey areas would be discussed and addressed at the meeting.

“We will also brief you about the assurances we received from the security agencies and the outcome of our interactive meeting with the Joint Committee of the National Assembly this week.’’

Responding, the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr Leaonard Nzenwa, said that the council, mindful of the situation in Anambra, had prevailed on its members to maintain highest decorum and play by the rules.

He regretted that it has not yielded the expected result.

“Sadly, the Governorship Candidate for Labour Party, Dr Obiora Abasi, who was kidnaped months ago has not been let off the hook even with millions paid as ransom by his family and well-wishers,’’ he said.

Nzenwa said that the state election had not only been adjudged to be the most costly state election in Nigeria, INEC has also validated it that it had cost it much.

He urged INEC to put its best forward to conduct credible election, while calling for more sensitisation for people of the state to come out to vote in spite of the present worries in the state. (NAN)

POLITICS

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

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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.

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POLITICS

Mutfwang Meets PDP North Central Leadership Calls for Unity among Officials

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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.

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FG Seeks Swedish Govt Support on Technical Education

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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.”

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