POLITICS
NEC Releases 2019 General Election, Stakeholders Engagement Reports
By John Onah, Abuja
The Report of two Committees set up by the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) to produce the official account of the
conduct of the 2019 General Election and to review the election based
on the outcome of the Commission’s Retreats and Stakeholder
Engagements held from 28th May to 12th July 2019 have been released
to the public.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony Friday, the INEC Chairman Prof
Mahmood Yakubu said the report is presented in 13 Chapters covering
the major issues associated with the conduct of the election.
These are according to him, include the vision, mission, opportunities
and challenges of the Commission upon its inauguration on 9th November
2015.
It also touched on the lessons learnt from the conduct of over 170
off-cycle governorship elections and bye-elections, the review of the
2012-2016 Strategic Plan (SP) and Strategic Programme of Action (SPA),
the 2015 Election Project Plan (EPP) and the design, formulation and
implementation of the 2017-2021 Strategic Plan, Strategic Programme of
Action and the 2019 Election Project Plan.
The report also examines in detail the key activities, preparations
and challenges associated with the conduct of the 2019 General
Election ranging from registration of new political parties, conduct
of continuous voter registration, monitoring of party primaries,
candidate nomination process and party campaigns, the recruitment and
training of ad-hoc staff and the accreditation of election observers
and party agents.
The report further discussed the processes and procedures for the
conduct of the General Election, including the deployment of personnel
and materials, the operation of the Situation Room and Collation
Centres and the organisation and management of the Counting, Collation
and Declaration of results at National, State, LGA and Registration
Area levels.
Again, the report deals with pre-election and post-election
litigations. The last section of the report focuses on the preparation
and delivery of the election in the 36 States of the Federation and
the FCT. The concluding part of the report dwells on the critical
issues and challenges associated with the preparation and conduct of
the election, lessons learnt and specific recommendations for
addressing them.
Speaking further, the Chairman said that the Second report was about
the review of the 2019 General Election based on the outcome of the
Commission’s Retreats and Stakeholder Engagements.
“It covers the outcome of internal debriefing meetings and external
engagements with electoral stakeholders held from 28th May to 12th
July 2019. The aim was to evaluate the Commission’s actions, processes
and procedures before, during and after the election”.
“While the internal review involved the Commission’s debriefing
sessions with its Electoral Officers, Administrative Secretaries,
Directing Staff and Resident Electoral Commissioners to critically
appraise its performance in the conduct of the election, the
engagement with external stakeholders involved meetings with leaders
of political parties, members of the Inter-Agency Consultative
Committee on Election Security (ICCES), Civil Society Organisations
and the Media”.
According to the chairman,the engagements which consisted of a total
of 12, in six separate internal and external meetings.
He disclosed that the review exercise enabled the Commission to listen
to its officials, receive feedbacks from relevant stakeholders and
learn vital lessons in the continuing effort to improve the conduct of
elections in Nigeria.
“Presented in 16 Chapters, the Report identifies the main issues
discussed in the review exercise and provides detailed assessment on
the opportunities and challenges associated with each of the issues as
well as actionable proposals for resolving them. Although the
Commission has undertaken such a review in the past, this is the first
time that the report is published and disseminated with the public”,
he added.
“It contains 180 recommendations that either require administrative
action by the Commission or amendments to strengthen the existing
electoral legal framework by the National Assembly. Some of the
recommendations that require administrative action by INEC are already
being implemented resulting in improved management of the electoral
process as seen in the recent off-cycle Governorship elections in Edo
and Ondo States. We are similarly engaging with the National Assembly
on aspects of the recommendations that require legislative action’.
He assured all Nigerians that the hard copies of the two reports will
be widely disseminated while soft copies will be uploaded on our
website on Monday, November 9.
Earlier in his welcome remark, the National Commissioner, Elections
Operation and Logistics, Prof Okechukwu Ibeanu said the report
represents the commission’s sense of accountability and the and
analysis of the 2019 elections.
The report according to him, also represent the story of the
commission on the election and its quest to build strong virile
institutional memory as well as a reference gift from the commission
to researchers and the general public.
While thanking the international partners for their support, he called
on the public to rally round the commission noting that elections is
not just the business of the commission alone.
From Christopher Tom, Uyo
Non-indigence in Akwa Ibom State especially the Igbo’s community has promised to give the highest number of votes across the state to Governor Umo Eno come 2027 governorship elections in the state.
The Igbo community said they will not fail to vote massively for the Governor.
The President of Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Hon.
Keyceey Chidiadi made this known while speaking with media practitioners shortly after the Uyo chapter of Igbo community unity day celebration 2025 in Uyo.He said Igbo’s scattered across the 31 local government Area of the state without any doubt seriously doing their businesses without any crisis, showcasing their love, unity among the indigence of the state while also contributing their quotas to boost the state economy.
According to him, the Igbo’s are about five thousand while some have not been recorded because they have not identified with the community and advise others to join the train before it’s too late for them.
He said their vote come 2027 is massively for Pastor Umo Eno without compromise because of his leadership style and developmental strive, showcasing true democracy carrying every individual along not minding the state or religion the people came from but stand on peace, unity among the people to benefit the dividend of democracy.
He called on Igbo’s resident in the state to make sure they vote here without going to their various states to maintain their voting strength as the highest numbers of people across the non-indigence communities in Akwa Ibom State.
He said they are law abiding citizens and not ready to accommodate or entertain any crisis, violence, because of their peaceful nature created by God, especially respect for the government of the day while corporate to preach peace in the state. He commended the community for embracing peace after 27 years of crisis without a leader among them, but now peace has restored to them across the communities in the state.
From Francis Sadhere, Delta
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Delta State Office, has announced the commencement of the display of the Preliminary Voter Register for claims and objections across the state.
According to a press release by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Etekamba Udo Umoren, the exercise will begin on Monday, 15th December 2025 and end on Sunday, 21st December 2025.
The display will take place at all the 25 Local Government Area offices of INEC in Delta State between 9:00am and 3:00pm daily.
INEC explained that the exercise is in line with the Electoral Guidelines and is aimed at correcting any anomalies that may have occurred during the recent voter registration exercise.
The Commission noted that the process is essential to producing a credible and reliable voter register, which remains a key instrument for conducting free, fair and credible elections.
The Commission urged eligible voters in the state to seize the opportunity to visit INEC offices in their respective local government areas to confirm that their names and personal details are correctly captured in the register. Voters were also encouraged to report cases of omission, errors in spelling, or any other discrepancies.
In addition, members of the public were advised to raise objections to the inclusion of names of deceased persons, underaged individuals, or any other doubtful entries found in the register.
INEC reiterated its commitment to electoral integrity and called on all Deltans to actively participate in the exercise as part of their civic responsibility.
The Commission concluded the notice with a call to action, encouraging eligible citizens to register and participate in the electoral process.
…Says Defectors to Ruling Party Will Regret
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
A former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Jackson Lekan Ojo has given further insight into why governor Ademola Adeleke chose the Accord Party instead of the APC when he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
All the governors that dumped the PDP had detected to the ruling APC, including governor Simi Fubara of Rivers State who joined the party last week.
Speaking at the weekend, Dr Jackson Ojo said the people of Osun State prevailed on Governor Adeleke not to join the ruling APC when it became apparent that there was no point in remaining in PDP over the festering crisis in the PDP.
According to him, the people of Osun State already have deep hatred for the APC and joining the party was never an option for the governor.
Dr Ojo maintained that the performance and achievements of Governor Adeleke is his biggest selling point ahead of campaign for his reelection and the people of Osun State will troop into the Accord Party with him.
“Governor Adeleke trusted himself. He trusted his performance and achievements as governor of Osun State that is why he crossed over to a relatively unknown political party, the Accord Party. All of us have been talking to our people in Osun State to give him maximum support. I have featured of recent at least three times in Osun Broadcasting Corporation to talk to our people. I have been discussing about this, I have been contributing.
“I was one of the people that told the governor to go to Accord Party. I told my governor you don’t need to go to APC because the people of Osun State already hated the APC. I told him to go to any other political party, go to APGA, go to Accord Party because of your performance it will make everybody follow you. And he is going to win the election.
He added that the PDP is already a dead party and that is the reason gales of defection have been hitting the party.
He, however, warned that politicians who are defecting to the APC will regret it as they will be denied the automatic ticket that was used as bait to lure them into the party.
“I don’t think there is any miracle that can resurrect PDP today because they are already in the grave and it just to cover the earth on them. I don’t blame anybody crossing from the PDP because the party is already factionalized. But why are they all going to the APC, the APC is over saturated now. There are persons in APC before that have been fighting.
“You know I belonged to this party before and I know their modus operandi. This is a party that will tell you to go and queue and wait for your time because some people are already working before you came. APC is not a party you just cross to and they give you ticket the second day.
“When my brother who is a member of the House of A Representatives decamped from the PDP to the APC I told him it is good to decamp from the PDP but for going to the APC you are going to regret it. They promised them that they are going to give them automatic ticket but at the end of the day he went and picked the membership card but they called them and told them that crossing to the APC does not mean you are going to have automatic ticket. I hope it will not happen to Simi Fubara in Rivers State.”
Speaking on cold war in Rivers state between Governor Fubara and Lawmakers in the State, Dr Ojo declared that the loyalty of the Lawmakers should be to the people of Rivers State and not to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
“Former governor Nyesom Wike did not give life to the members of the House of Assembly that are loyal to him. Whatever he must have done for them the governor is there today and he could do better.
“The law is already there in place. Nobody should teach the governor how to settle with these people (Lawmakers). These people are not stones, they are not abstract. They are people you can call on phone, they are people you can meet. You don’t need any other person or intermediary. You have direct access to them and they have direct access to you.
“He should deploy more diplomatic ways and he has to settle with them.
“The members of the House of Assembly don’t need to be loyal to the governor, they just have to do their work according to the dictates of the law. Then the governor too has to do his work according to the dictates of the law. We are greeting or not greeting does not matter.
“What is loyalty? Loyalty of the governor and loyalty of members of the House of Assembly is to Rivers people. Greeting or no greeting, when it is time for the governor to send Bill to them he will send it, they will study it holistically and if it is for the benefit of the people of Rivers State they should approve it.
Reacting to the defection of Governor Fubara, Dr Ojo said: “Fortunately or unfortunately I am not one of his consultants. Possibly he must have consulted with his loyalists. I monitored his statement when he said those of you that suffered with him here and there that now we are going to the APC. He knows the best why he decamped to the APC.
“Decamping to APC does not matter anything to me because a political party is just a vehicle. Every achievement of Fubara in Rivers State today is not because he belonged to the PDP. If all his co-travelers are well contacted and they are well informed that the situation will not boomerang against them, then I say kudos to them, congratulations to them.
“But I hope whatever chased them out of PDP will not chase them out of APC.”
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