Politics

2023: 22 States At Risk Of Election Malpractice , CSOs Raise Alarm

Published

3 years ago

January 27, 2023

With about 28 days to the general elections, findings by a coalition of ten civil society organisations have identified 22 states with high risks of manipulation and malpractices.

The findings also revealed that while 12 states had medium election manipulation risks, three States were classified as having low risk of manipulation.

The CSOs stated these issues during the presentation of the Election Manipulation Risk Index first iteration report.

According to The PUNCH, three EMRI iteration reports would be released on the 2023 general election.

The ten organisations were International Press Centre; Institute for Media and Society; Partners for Electoral Reform; Albino Foundation; Nigerian Women Trust Fund; The Kukah Centre; Enough is Enough Nigeria; Center for Journalism Innovation and Development; SBM Intelligence; Dataphyte; and Yiaga Africa.

The event was attended by Samson Itodo, Dr. Akin Akingbulu, Samson Ezenwa, Cynthia Mbamalu, Emmanuela Azu, Lanre Arogundade, Yemi Adamilekun and Jack Epelle.

The report said, “As preparation for the 2023 general election reaches advanced stages, attempts to distort election outcomes using manipulation strategies are on the rise. Key actors are devising strategies to punctuate electoral preparations and neutralize the impact of laudable reforms aimed at enhancing the integrity of the electoral process.

“The political interference with INEC operations, tampering with the voter register, frivolous litigations and resistance against electoral technology like BVAS and IReV, and administrative lapses are electoral risks that may potentially impugn the integrity of the 2023 elections.

“Election manipulation risks are high in twenty-two states of the federation. The states are classified as high-risk due to the presence of more than three EMRI variables. The states include Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Oyo,Osun, Ekiti, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Kaduna, Bauchi, Adamawa, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa.

“EMRI reveals twelve states with medium election manipulation risks. The states include Bornu, Yobe, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Zamfara, Kebbi, Ogun, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River. Three states are classified as low risk. They include Gombe, Ondo, and Federal Capital Territory.”

The CSOs also made some recommendations for the Independent National Electoral Commission to mitigate the risks

While calling on INEC to deploy trusted, incorruptible, and experienced administrative secretaries, Heads of ICT, and operations to high risks states, the coalition suggested intense scrutiny of applications for ad-hoc personnel recruitment.

The report said, “Applicants should undergo competency tests, and names of successful applicants should be published for public scrutiny. INEC should create a system for submitting objections against partisan and compromised ad-hoc officials. INEC should intensify oversight and monitoring of its officials in high and medium-risk states. This includes establishing a reporting mechanism that enables citizens to report concerns and complaints against INEC officials.”

The EMRI recommended a clean-up of the voter register to remove multiple registrants, fictitious names, and underage registrants, while greater transparency should be done with the management of claims and objections submitted by citizens to INEC.

The findings also recommended diligent prosecution of INEC officials responsible for the manipulation of the voter register and voter suppression, while enhanced monitoring and oversight of INEC officials managing the PVC collection process should be done to prevent manipulation and deliberate denial from issuing PVCs to certain persons.

To check election fraud, the CSOs made the following recommendations.

They are, “Increase public awareness of mitigation measures in the 2022 Electoral Act against election manipulation. INEC should ensure adequate training of its staff to enforce compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC Regulations and Guidelines Election litigation.

“The judiciary should dismiss cases instituted to undermine the preparations for the general elections. The Nigerian Bar Association should take disciplinary actions against legal practitioners engaged in election manipulation using the judicial process.”
PUNCH

Politics

APC Clears Wike Loyalists, Disqualifies All Fubara-aligned Aspirants For State Assembly

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Editor

Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has released the list of cleared and disqualified aspirants ahead of the party’s primaries for the 2027 general elections.

According to the list, 33 aspirants were cleared to participate in the primaries, while 65 others were not cleared.

Notably, all 32 aspirants believed to be aligned with the camp of Governor Siminalayi Fubara were disqualified from the exercise.

In contrast, incumbent members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, were cleared.

In a statement issued by the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Chibike Ikenga, members who purchased the House of Assembly Expression of Interest and Nomination forms were advised to verify their status on the notice board at the party’s state secretariat located at No. 268B Aba Road, Port Harcourt.

Ikenga further stated that appeals arising from the screening outcome should be submitted through the party secretariat.

He added that the appeal process is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, May 12, by 10 a.m. at the party secretariat.

Meanwhile, in a report released by the screening committee, it listed several reasons for the disqualification of affected aspirants.

Among the reasons are: “Nominations by persons who are not financially up to date members of the Party, contrary to Article 9.3 of the Party Constitution, inducement and attempted bribery of Committee members, submission of unsworn affidavits, failure to present voters cards, failure to present Party membership slips or cards, conflicting dates of birth, failure to confirm payment of membership dues by nominators, irregular party membership numbers of nominators, inconsistencies in names appearing in submitted documents, insufficient nominators with required numbers which fall short of three nominations per ward, invalid affidavits that failed to disclose material particulars relating to NECO certificates.”

Politics

BREAKING: NDC Zones Presidency

Published

4 days ago

May 9, 2026

Editor

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has zoned its presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria for a single 4-year term.

The motion was moved at the National Convention of the NDC by the member representing Ogbaru Constituency of Anambra State in the 10th National Assembly, Afam Victor Ogene and was adopted by the delegates.

It was also resolved that after the four years single term, the Presidential ticket will be automatically zoned to the north.

This decision has cleared the way for the former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi and other southern aspirants to processd and purchase the presidential form of the party.

Details later…

Politics

Crisis Hits APC Govs Forum As 18 Rejects Uzodinma’s Removal

Published

5 days ago

May 8, 2026

Editor

A serious crisis is currently brewing in the Progressive Governors’ Forum following the sudden removal of the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, as its chairman.

Reports had it earlier that a cross-section of All Progressives Congress, APC, governors removed Uzodinma and installed the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, as its chairman.

Although the Director-General of the forum, Folorunso Aluko, in a statement on Friday, said the reports of Uzodinma’s removal were fake and misleading, sources privy to the matter confirmed to DAILY POST that some governors met on Thursday night and removed Uzodinma.

The meeting, according to reports, was led by the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and was held at the Ogun Government Lodge.

However, in a swift move to counter the decision of the Abiodun-led group, 18 other governors met behind closed doors at the Imo Lodge on Friday and passed a vote of confidence in Uzodinma.

Some of those present at the meeting included the governors of Ondo, Kaduna, Taraba, Sokoto, Ebonyi, Borno, Lagos, Kogi, Kano, Yobe, Kebbi, Benue and Jigawa states, while Nasarawa State was represented by its deputy governor.

Speaking on the unfolding events, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State said: “All of us woke up to that very unfortunate story, which was virtually in all the media in Nigeria. But the truth of the matter is that the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum is very united.

“We are stronger now than at any other time. And, of course, we are all supporting the president for what he has been doing.

“We also want to assure everyone that the APC is united, the governors are united, the forum is united, and there is no problem at all.”