General
INEC Chair Tasks Media On Balanced Reports
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Yakubu Mahmood, has urged journalists to always cross check their facts from several channels available to them at the Commission before going to press.
He said because accuracy is one of the hallmarks of professional journalism, it was necessary for the media to ensure its reports are unbiased.
Prof Mahmood also said, “The Commission welcomes and appreciates constructive criticism, which will help us grow since no Election Management Body is perfect.”
Speaking at the 12th all Nigerian Editors’ conference (ANEC) held in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, last Friday, the INEC Chairman, represented at the occasion by the Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, noted that the Commission was aware of the unprecedented attention and scrutiny it had gotten from the press following the conduct of recent elections through several articles that had been published or aired on what INEC did or did not do.
The INEC Chairman reiterated the challenges that have hampered the smooth conduct of elections in recent times, which the Commission had constantly, spoken against and tried to mitigate.
“The most daunting problem encountered by the Commission in conducting elections thus far is violence, which manifests in many ways: physical attack (sometimes leading to unfortunate death) on INEC staff (ad-hoc and regular), intimidation, completion of result sheets under duress and sundry electoral malpractices. At times, violence takes the form of attack on our offices, facilities and public institutions used as polling centres,” he said.
He re-affirmed INEC’s willingness and readiness to conduct elections in any part of the country, but stressed that: “the environment has to be conducive for us to perform our duty. Under no circumstance will INEC conduct an election where our permanent and ad-hoc staff, voters, local and international observers, local and international journalists face the imminent danger of being killed or maimed. No election is worth the life of a human being and we take the safety of our staff and all stakeholders very seriously. The Commission will never conduct or conclude any election that has not met the minimum threshold of credibility under our laws.”
He used the opportunity to correct the wrong impression that all recently conducted elections under his watch were inconclusive. He explained that: “over the last eight months, INEC has conducted over 83 re-run elections, 7 by-elections and three end of tenure elections.
“Of these, 58 were successfully concluded, contrary to the insinuation that all our elections have been inconclusive. It is instructive to note that 22 of the remaining inconclusive elections arose from the March 19 elections in Rivers, which all stakeholders agreed were marred by violence, demonstrated by the untimely death of a youth corps member.”
Professor Yakubu further explained that: “We have thus always ended up with inconclusive elections in all the areas where violence took place. In instances where the Commission could not vouch for the credibility of the process or its outcome, elections were either cancelled in the entire constituency, relying on Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), or in selected Polling Units, relying on Section 53 of the Electoral Act (as amended)”.
On the Commission’s plans to consolidate on the gains of the 2015 general elections and improve the electoral process ahead of the 2019 general elections, the INEC Chairman disclosed that: “The Commission is also looking at ways by which election results can be transmitted electronically from the Polling Units to the Collation Centres in the interest of security, sanctity of the ballot, speed and accuracy. Similarly, we have designed a portal from which all registered voters can confirm and verify their registration online ahead of elections.”
The workshop was attended by various Editors from media organizations across the country with the Commission also being represented by the Commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, Deputy Director in Charge of Publicity, Nick Dazang and the Assistant Director of Publicity, Chinwe Ogbuka.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Tinubu-led administration and the 36 state governors at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja.
In a statement issued by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, it stated that the provisions of the amended Cybercrimes Act remain vague, arbitrary, and repressive, enabling authorities to criminalize legitimate expression and restrict media freedom.
The suit challenged the alleged misuse of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 to suppress freedom of expression, saying it violates human rights, particularly those of activists, journalists, bloggers, and social media users.
The organisation seeks several reliefs, including a declaration that Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 is unlawful and inconsistent with Nigeria’s human rights obligations; and an order directing the government to repeal or amend the legislation in compliance with international standards.
“The provisions of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 have opened the door to criminalising legitimate expression and punishing activists, journalists, bloggers, and social media users.
“This is a harshly punitive approach that fails to provide safeguards against misuse, particularly for the peaceful and legitimate exercise of human rights,” the SERAP statement read.
However, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Bola Tinubu on Saturday, January 11, 2025, left the shores of Nigeria for the United Arab Emirates to take part in the 2025 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2025).
He was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Tuggar, and other senior government officials.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that Mr Tinubu was invited for the event by his UAE counterpart, Mr Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
He will attend the programme starting from today, Sunday, January 12 to Saturday, January 18, 2025.
However, President Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria before the end of the summit on Thursday, January 16, 2025.
The event, themed The Nexus of Next; Supercharging Sustainable Progress, is expected to bring together global leaders to accelerate sustainable development and advance socioeconomic progress.
In addition, it will enable policymakers, business, and civil society leaders to explore pathways to fast-track the transformation to a sustainable economy and evolve a new era of prosperity for all.
ADSW, a testament to the power of collaboration, has been held annually for over 15 years. It provides a global platform to foster multi-stakeholder cooperation in addressing global challenges and accelerating growth.
It has birthed high-value agreements and strategic partnerships between governments, industry leaders, and clean energy pioneers worldwide, driving impactful alliances and advancing the sustainability agenda worldwide.
At the event, President Tinubu will stress his administration’s reforms, including those related to energy sufficiency, transportation, public health, and economic development.
The Nigerian leader and his entourage will also meet with the emirate’s leadership to discuss issues of interest affecting the two nations.
By Dipo Olowookere
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, remains at the centre of a storm of corruption allegations that have plagued his tenure.
Critics, anti-corruption groups, and opposition leaders have accused him of financial mismanagement, extravagant spending, and abuse of office, yet no substantive action has been taken against him.
Recent reports by People’s Gazette revealed that the 40-member Lagos State House of Assembly, under Mr Obasa’s leadership, spent over N43 billion on “back-up vehicles for honourable members” between January 2023 and the third quarter of 2024.
This expenditure, part of a larger N90.5 billion disbursed for questionable projects, has raised concerns among Lagos residents about the state’s priorities amid widespread economic hardship.
Budget documents showed the Assembly spent about N30.1 billion on vehicles in 2023 and about N13.3 billion in the first three quarters of 2024. Critics argued that these sums, which equate to roughly N1.1 billion per lawmaker, were frivolous.
Mr Obasa has faced allegations of corruptions since early in his tenure, including reports of owning over 60 bank accounts used to misappropriate public funds. In 2019, People’s Gazette reported that the lawmaker conducted suspicious foreign exchange transactions totaling $2.4 million (N1.1 billion). These funds were allegedly funneled through personal accounts and mutual fund investments.
In October 2020, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invited the Speaker for questioning over allegations of fraud. Despite evidence of financial impropriety, including allegations of inflated contracts and misappropriated Assembly funds, the EFCC has yet to take decisive action. Protests led by civil society groups like the Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CISNAC) demanding accountability have yielded little progress.
Mr Obasa has consistently denied these allegations. Speaking at a recent plenary, he dismissed claims of spending N17 billion on constructing a gate as “spurious and funny.”
He also refuted allegations of spending N200 million on a nonexistent thanksgiving service, attributing the accusations to political fear-mongering ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, critics have dismissed these defenses as self-serving. A 2020 House panel, composed of Mr Obasa’s allies, cleared him of wrongdoing—a decision labeled a “kangaroo judgment” by anti-corruption advocates.
Prominent anti-corruption campaigner, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, has urged the EFCC to act on the mounting evidence against Mr Obasa, warning that his actions undermine legislative independence and public trust.
“These revelations justify the urgent need for mechanisms to enforce probity and accountability in public office,” Mr Suraju said.
Despite the scandals, Mr Obasa appears unperturbed and untouchable, with analysts attributing his survival to political connections and an entrenched culture of impunity.
As Lagos State prepares for the 2027 elections, the Speaker’s continued tenure symbolizes a broader challenge of corruption and governance in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Observers now await further developments as pressure mounts on anti-graft agencies to act decisively.
For Lagos residents, however, the scandals highlight a troubling disconnect between political leadership and the needs of the people.
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