Government

Over 1M Nigerians Have Completed Online Voters Card Pre-Registration – INEC

Published

3 years ago

July 27, 2021

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) affirmed that over 1 million additional voters have completed their online pre-registration for the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) within the last four weeks across the country.

INEC’s national commissioner, and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said this through a statement released in Abuja on Monday.

Of the 1 million new eligible voters, 259,450 people have completed their registration in Osun State and it is currently been followed by Edo state with 98,286 new voters.

These two states were closely followed by Anambra state with 65,014, followed by Bayelsa with 63,250, and later Lagos State with 61,991, this came as Yobe with 1,893, followed by Sokoto State with 2,453, Jigawa 2,593, and Zamfara with 2,769 were some of the least stare registered.

The state’s distribution of the online fresh registration released by INEC in Abuja on Monday showed the weekly update provided by INEC for week four which also reveals that the commission received 1,135,395 applications.

The figure of the total applications received includes those for voter transfer, requests for replacement of Permanent Voter Cards, and update of voter information record, etc.

According to the commission, the distribution of the 1,135,395 total applications by age group showed that 740,063 of them were youths between the ages of 18 to 34 years.

The applications from the middle-aged of between 35 to 49 years old were 278,042; the elderly from 50 to 69 years were 102,578; while the old from 70 years and above were 14,712

The distribution by occupation indicated that artisan constituted 75,877 of the total applications; farming/fishing – 81,096; public servants -25,298; business -230,551; house wives -25,816; students 355,227; civil servants 44,093; traders 97,624; others/not specified 199,813.

Also, the distribution by gender showed that females constituted 492,449 of the received applications while males were 642,946 as well as showed that 12,274 of the applicants indicated to be persons living with disabilities.

Okoye, providing an update on the online pre-registration which started nationwide on June 28, disclosed that the commission, also on Monday, commenced physical registration at its 811 state and local government area offices nationwide.

According to the statement, “As of 7 am today, Monday, July 26, the number of new registrants has risen to 1,006,661. The detailed distribution of the registrants by age, State/FCT, gender, occupation, and disability for week four of the exercise has been uploaded on the commission’s website and social media platforms.

“However, the distribution by age still shows that 740,063 (or 73.5 percent) are young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 34. As earlier announced by the commission, physical or in-person registration begins today, Monday, July 26 at our 811 state and local government area offices nationwide.

“The exact locations of the designated centers have already been uploaded to our website and social media platforms. For further details, citizens are encouraged to contact our state offices through the dedicated telephone numbers provided in the uploaded publication.

“‘Nigerians who pre-registered online can now complete their registration at those centers based on scheduled appointments. In addition, other Nigerians who prefer to register physically/in person can now do so at those centers.

“Both online pre-registration and physical/in-person registration will continue simultaneously until the suspension of the CVR exercise on June 30, 2022, to enable the commission to clean up the data and compile the voters’ register for the 2023 General Election.”

Okoye appealed to all citizens who wished to register to approach any of INEC’s state or local government area offices nationwide to do so, as the commission entered the next phase of the CVR exercise.

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Government

I Knelt Down, Begged Wike for Peace to Reign in Rivers – Fubara Reveals Amid Tension

Published

6 hours ago

October 8, 2024

Ugwoke Ogbodo

Amid the growing political tension and upheaval in Rivers State, Governor Sim Fubara, has revealed that he has done everything possible for him to prevent the current panicking situation in the state.

According to him, he practically knelt down for his estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike and begged him to let go of their feud, but the former governor rebuffed his pleas.

While speaking on a television political programme, Fubara went into memory lane on how he had strived to please the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, saying he (Fubara) kept all understanding with Wike.

The governor said he has been showing understanding in order not to expose the state to violence but added that the minister thwarted his good intentions for the state, hence the violence that has enveloped Rivers.

According to him, “There is nothing I have not done on this earth for peace to reign. I can tell you the number of times I have knelt to beg that let’s allow this issue to go. I have done everything.”

He therefore urged Wike, his predecessor, to allow peace to reign in the state by letting go of Rivers State.

Fubara stated that the current troubling situation in the riverine state has gotten to a point where Wike needs to let go and allow peace in the state.

Investors King had reported that Rivers was thrown into crisis on Monday, a day after the swearing-in of 22 winners of the controversial Saturday local government elections in the state.

The swearing-in of the chairmen from other political parties other than the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, had enraged Wike’s camp as hoodlums began attacking local government council secretariats, burning office equipment, files, chairs and tables, and equipment.

Disturbed by the ugly development, President Bola Tinubu had directed the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to secure Rivers State’s local government secretariats following the arsons.

Meanwhile, Olabode George, former deputy national chairman of the PDP, urged Wike to allow Fubara to work.

In a statement, George said asked Wike to leave Fubara alone and allow him to fastrack dividends of democracy for his people.

Government

One Feared Killed, Property Destroyed as Hoodlums Set Rivers LG Secretariats Ablaze

Published

1 day ago

October 7, 2024

Ugwoke Ogbodo

In an alleged move to prevent the newly elected Local Government Chairmen in Rivers State from resuming offices, hoodlums went on a rampage across council secretariats in the state, setting them ablaze and destroying property.

At least, one person was reportedly killed as sporadic shooting rented the air in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of the state on Monday after some hoodlums stormed the premises.

Recall that protests had rocked some local government areas over the order of the police to unseal the Secretariats of the 23 LGs of the state which have been under lock and key since July.

Sequel to the relocation of police personnel stationed at the 23 council offices, it was gathered that the new chairmen, who had been sworn in by the state governor, Sim Fubara, made attempts to resume their offices on Monday.

However, there was tension as some protesters armed with guns and dangerous weapons besieged the secretariats and started torching the building and other property in sight.

They started shooting while people started running in different directions.

In a similar pattern, violent protests occurred at other LGs where some youths took over the council headquarters in Emuoha and Ikwerre LGs.

In Ikwerre LG, protesters who invaded the secretariat in Isiokpo set fire to a section of the secretariat, preventing the workers from assessing the place.

It was gathered the situation prevented the newly sworn-in Chairman of Ikwerre from going in to inaugurate his councilors.

Gunshots were heard at Ikwerre LG Secretariat in a video obtained by Investors King as some people were screaming for help amid the fire.

A source said the police later moved in to quell the riot while the fire was put out, though some parts of the council headquarters were damaged.

In Emuuoha LG, protesters prevented the newly sworn-in chairman from assessing the council headquarters in Isiokpo.

The protesters claimed that the candidate of the Action Peoples Party which they termed an unpopular and unknown party does not have what it takes to win the just concluded election.

The protesters were said to have blocked the main entrance to the secretariat.

They were said to have taken control of the administrative building, saying they would not allow the Chairman, David Omereji, to assume office.

Their supporters insisted that they recognised the immediate past KG Chairman, Dr Chidi Lloyd, as the duly elected chairman and demanded that he be allowed to complete his tenure as extended by the state House of Assembly.

The PDP Emohua Council Chairman, Morrison Jim, addressed the public, reaffirming the party’s commitment to democracy and the rule of law.

He said despite not participating in the recent election due to a court order, the PDP remained strong and united.

Earlier on Monday, protesters invaded the Eleme LG secretariat and set it on fire, destroying several buildings and cars, including a police vehicle inside the council premises.

Government

Wike’s Camp Dares Fubara After Swearing in LG Chairmen From Another Party as PDP Govs’ Forum Reacts

Published

1 day ago

October 7, 2024

Ugwoke Ogbodo

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), loyal to the FCT Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Nyesom Wike, has declared fresh ‘war’ against the state governor, Sim Fubara for swearing in the newly elected local government chairmen from another party.

The local council election, held last Saturday, saw the Action Peoples Party (APP) winning 22 out of 23 chairmanship positions, while the Action Alliance (AA) secured one.

Additionally, the APP claimed victory in 314 out of 319 councillorship seats across the 23 local government areas (LGAs) of Rivers State.

Following the election, Fubara swore in the newly elected council chairmen on Sunday. It is understood that after losing control of the PDP to Wike, Fubara’s supporters shifted their allegiance to the APP.

Reacting, PDP Publicity Secretary, Kenneth Yowika expressed the party’s intention to take legal action, stating that the camp didn’t recognize Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony.

Yowika emphasised that the party had long maintained that the election was illegal, citing a Federal High Court ruling by Justice Peter Lifu, which prohibited the conduct of the council election.

He stressed that the state government’s decision to proceed with the election was a violation of that judgment.

Reiterating the party’s stance on adhering to the rule of law, he described his camp as law-abiding, promising not to engage in physical confrontation with the governor.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed, has said that his Rivers State counterpart, Governor Fubara has proven himself a true democrat.

Mohammed said Fubara has against all odds, pushed through with decisions and actions to deepen democracy.

Mohammed further said Fubara has done so by being proactive with an open mind and deploying his democratic instincts with strategies to carefully deliver democratic governance at the local government level, irrespective of party allegiance or consideration.

Mohammed, who is also the Governor of Bauchi State, made the remark shortly after he witnessed the swearing-in of 23 democratically elected Rivers State Local Government Council Chairmen at the Executive Chambers of Government House in Port Harcourt on Sunday evening.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi, in Port Harcourt on Monday morning and sent to newsmen.

The PDP Governors’ Forum chairman affirmed that Rivers State is a PDP State, even if the just sworn-in local government chairmen and councilors are of different political parties.

He bemoaned the situation, describing it as the problem that they have found themselves both as a party and as governors.

However, Mohammed said Fubara, who is the Vice Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, is still an avowed member of the PDP even though other parties constitute the body of elected officers at the local government level.

Mohammed pointed out why it is inadvisable to ignore a sitting governor at the sub-national level because of the role he plays and the following he commands.

This is why, he insisted, the effrontery to undermine the office and person of Sir Siminalayi Fubara as the Governor of Rivers State is largely not acceptable.

Responding to how soon the PDP will resolve its festering crisis and achieve the desired unity, Governor Mohammed assured that it may seem prolonged but quickly added that true reconciliation was in view.