General
SERAP Tasks INEC on Recognition of Right to Vote Securely
By Adedapo Adesanya
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to pursue constitutional and legal reforms that would explicitly recognize Nigerians’ right to vote and to vote securely in free, fair, and honest elections as a fundamental right.
In the message addressed to Mr Mahmood Yakubu, the electoral body’s chairman, SERAP urged him “to promote constitutional and legal reforms that would contain explicit mandatory provisions on internet voter registration, and the use of modern technology, including in casting and counting, voter registration and systems for reporting results.”
Recall that the Supreme Court on Thursday, affirmed the presidency of President Bola Tinubu as it struck out cases of Mr Abubakar Atiku and Mr Peter Obi, which both alleged voting irregularities among others.
In the letter dated October 28, 2023, and signed by SERAP deputy director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said, “The explicit recognition of the right to vote and to vote securely would improve the right to representative democracy in the country.”
SERAP said, “The continuing resistance by politicians to bring the country’s electoral legal rules up to date with modern technology, and make the use of technology mandatory in our electoral process is entirely inconsistent and incompatible with Nigerians’ right to effectively participate in their own government.”
According to SERAP, “Large-scale election infrastructure insecurity poses serious threats to the fundamental right to vote that INEC can no longer ignore. The challenges facing the electoral process can be addressed by a swift adaptation and innovation in both election laws and election technology.”
“Democracy works best when everyone participates. The legally enforceable right to vote is the bedrock of any democratic society. The right to vote and to vote securely is too important to be left to the whims of politicians.
“Confidence in the electoral process is on the decline. Many Nigerians are expressing concerns about the credibility and integrity of the electoral process.
“Nigerian politicians have little incentive to pursue genuine constitutional and legal reforms that would improve the exercise by Nigerians of their right to participation in the electoral process and in the mechanisms of government.
“INEC has constitutional and statutory responsibilities to promote and advance the right of eligible Nigerians to vote and to vote securely as part of their internationally recognized right to political participation.
“Under section 2(b) of the Electoral Act 2022, the commission ‘shall have power to promote knowledge of sound democratic election processes.’ INEC also has the constitutional mandate to take the recommended measures under Section 153 of the Nigerian Constitution and paragraph 15(a) of the third schedule,” it stated.
It added that the right to vote and vote securely would also impose clear obligations on the electoral commission and other authorities to ensure the ‘will of the people’ in elections, and to administer elections in an objective and neutral manner, and in conformity with modern technology.
“The crisis confronting Nigerian elections and lack of public trust and confidence in the electoral process can be addressed if the right of Nigerians to vote and to vote securely is explicitly recognized as justiciable constitutional right,” the group further stated.
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.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Residents of Nigeria experienced a power outage on Saturday, January 11, 2025, after the national grid collapsed.
It was the first that occurred this year and it happened at about 3 pm today, according to information gathered by Business Post.
Last year, the nation recorded about 12 grid collapse that almost embarrassed the government, which later set up a team to look into the causes of the frequent collapse of the grid.
It was later that today’s incident occurred after power generation went down from 2,111.01 megawatts at 2:00 pm to about 390.20 megawatts by 4:55 pm.
This development caused a cut in power supply in most parts of the country, but the situation has been brought under control, with electricity restored in most affected areas.
-
Feature/OPED5 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism8 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz2 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy2 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking2 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports2 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn
-
Technology4 years agoHow To Link Your MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile Lines to NIN