Lagos by-election: Fashola inexplicably absent at polling unit

A former governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN), was inexplicably absent at his polling unit, to vote for his party’s (APC) candidate for the Surulere 1 House of Representatives. Fashola, who was expected at the polling unit with the wife, Mrs Abimbola Fashola, was not seen throughout the election. Journalists, who waited for the former Minister of Power, Works and Housing, from 8.a.m. when the election started, left for other places after hours of waiting, while some stayed till the end on the possibility of him coming. One of the party members who pleaded anonymity said that the former governor was actually expected to come around to exercise his franchise. ”We actually expected him but along the line it was clear that he will not be coming again. I heard that he is not in town,” the party member said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that voting for the Surulere Federal Constituency 1 in Polling Unit 002, at State Junior Grammar School (Special), Itolo Street, Eric Moore, Surulere, started at 8.00 a.m, as INEC agents arrived on time to set up the unit. The unit, which is the venue where Fashola was expected to cast his vote, saw voters trickling in. The unit which had 750 registered voters, recorded only 45 voters who came to exercise their franchise.

Feb 3 Bye-Elections: INEC Expresses Concern Over Threats Of Violence

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised worry about threats of violence ahead of the February 3 bye-elections and rerun. Speaking Tuesday in Abuja at a meeting of the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu stated that, based on his experience, conducting isolated elections, such as bye-elections and reruns, can be extremely difficult. He said, “We must pay attention to the potentials for disruptive behaviour by some candidates and their supporters. A re-run election conducted in one Polling Unit or a handful of Polling Units can be severely disrupted by acts of thuggery knowing full well that these few locations will determine the outcome of the election. “Arising from the reports we received from the States, concerns have been raised about the impact of the prevailing insecurity in some States on the conduct of the elections, made worse by incendiary statements by some political actors. We will present such concerns and reports at this meeting for appropriate security response.” Yakubu noted that there are many parties involved in elections and that security agencies must ensure that INEC can deploy staff and materials, protect observers, the media, and the polling and collation agents who represent the candidates and political parties. “Without a secure and peaceful environment, the conduct of credible elections is imperiled,” he stated. Speaking on the by-election, Yakubu said, “There are two categories of elections. First are the bye-elections arising from the death or resignation of members of the National and State legislative houses affecting two Senatorial Districts, four Federal and three State Assembly Constituencies. “The second category is the re-run elections by order of Election Petition Appeal Tribunals. In my remarks at the Commission’s extraordinary meeting with leaders of political parties last month, I reported that the elections affect 35 National and State Constituencies. Since then, four additional orders of the Court of appeal have been served on the Commission in respect of Yabo/Shagari Federal Constituency of Sokoto State, Madara/Chinade State Constituency of Bauchi State as well as Kudan and Kauru/Chawai State Constituencies of Kaduna State. “This brings the total number of affected constituencies to 39 which translates to 2.6% of the 1,491 Constituencies for which elections were conducted nationwide in the 2023 General Election. “The nine bye-elections are fresh elections covering the entire constituencies. However, with the exception of three Constituencies (Plateau North Senatorial District and Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency in Plateau State and Kachia/Kagarko Federal Constituency in Kaduna State), the re-run elections are to be held in a few Polling Units. In some cases, only one Polling Unit is affected in an entire Federal or State Constituency.”

TEI Gears Up for February Bye-Elections with Intensive Training Workshop

In preparation for the upcoming Bye Elections and Court-Ordered Fresh/Re-run Elections scheduled for February 3rd, 2024, The Electoral Institute (TEI) orchestrated a one-day Training-of-Trainers Workshop. Attended by TEI Trainers, collaborating department staff, and State Training Officers (STOs) participating remotely through ZOOM, the workshop aimed at arming participants with the latest insights into electoral process advancements. The primary focus of the workshop was to empower Coordinating Trainers with the skills necessary to conduct detailed and effective training sessions across all states affected by the impending elections. Special emphasis was placed on training Supervisory Presiding Officers, Presiding Officers, and Assistant Presiding Officers in billing and counting procedures. Participants were also familiarized with the operation of the Biometric Voter Authentication System (BVAS) and guided through the process of uploading election results onto the INEC Result portal using the INEC Results Viewing Device (IREV). Dr. Sa’ad Umar Idris, Director-General of TEI, stressed the importance of embracing innovations and new initiatives, underlining the crucial role of participants in passing on this knowledge to election personnel. He highlighted TEI’s significant contributions to the electoral process, including the use of E-learning platforms and the INEC Training bot during the 2023 General Elections. Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, National Commissioner, and Chair of the Board of Electoral Institute (BEI), officially inaugurated the training on behalf of the DG Electoral Institute. Prof. Zuru urged participants to serve as exemplary ambassadors of the Commission, emphasizing their critical roles as Trainers, Coordinators, and Monitors throughout the entire electoral process across the Federation.

INEC Releases Final List of Candidates for February Bye-Elections 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially unveiled the roster of candidates for the upcoming by-elections scheduled for February 3, 2024.  The bye-elections are necessitated by the unfortunate death or resignation of members from both the National and State Houses of Assembly. According to a statement issued on Wednesday by INEC National Commissioner Sam Olumekun, the electoral process will span nine states, encompassing two Senatorial Districts, four Federal Constituencies, and three State Constituencies.  Notable areas include Ebonyi South, Yobe East, Kebbi State, Lagos State, Ondo State, and Taraba State, among others. The timetable, schedule of activities, as well as the personal particulars and final list of candidates, have been made accessible in INEC state offices and the relevant constituencies.  INEC has also adhered to the provisions of Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022, by publishing this information on their official website and social media platforms. Commissioner Olumekun urged Nigerians to meticulously examine the personal details, including Form EC9 and academic credentials, of the candidates. He emphasized that individuals with reasonable grounds to believe that a candidate provided false information during party primaries can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court, as stipulated in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022. Importantly, the commissioner clarified that this publication is exclusively for the upcoming bye-elections, which involve fresh elections with candidates nominated through party primaries. For re-run elections occurring on the same day, the list and personal particulars of candidates were published before the 2023 General Election, as they are not open to new or disqualified candidates.