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2023 Polls: INEC Meets Collation, Retuning Officers For Post-election Review

Published

2 years ago

July 22, 2023

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday met with Collation and Returning Officers for the 2023 general elections to review issues regarding the election results management.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, while addressing the officers at the post-election review meeting in Abuja, said the commission would like to hear their experiences on the field.

He said that the commission would also want to know what could be done to improve the aspect of election result management.

Yakubu said that INEC was aware that as collation and returning officers, they worked under extremely challenging circumstances by tediously and manually completing designated forms as provided by law.

He added that the officers either moved the designated forms to the next level of collation or concluded the processes as returning officers.

“Many of you also have the cognate experience of result management, having served in similar capacities in at least three electoral cycles.

“The Commission appreciates your commitment, dedication to duty and sacrifice to the cause of our democracy.

“At the same time, issues have arisen and some Nigerians have raised concerns about result management at various levels.

“While some of the issues are subject of litigations and therefore subjudice, we can nevertheless discuss them broadly and most importantly share experience on the way forward.

“It is, therefore, the commission’s expectation that at this meeting, we will identify areas of strength and weaknesses as well as the necessary reforms that we need to introduce going forward,” Yakubu said.

He added that more specifically, INEC would want to hear their perspectives on the processes and procedures for recruitment, training and posting of collation and returning officers; logistics for movement to and from their places of assignment.

“The integrity of the collation and declaration procedure, including the application of the law, regulations and guidelines for result management;

“The role of technology in result management; Security of Collation/Returning Officers and the collation centres; and conduct of party agents and election observers during collation;

“Conduct of security personnel; and any other lessons that will improve the future collation and declaration of results, “ he said.

Yakubu described the meeting as important as it involved 37 State Collation Officers for the Presidential Election (SCOPEs), many of whom also doubled as Returning Officers for the 28 Governorship elections.

He said that for the legislative elections, INEC invited the Senatorial District Collation Officers across the six geo-political zones of the country, who also doubled as returning officers for senatorial elections.

“It is practically unmanageable to invite all the collation and returning officers for 1,462 federal and state constituencies made up of 109 Senatorial Districts as well as 360 Federal and 993 State Houses of Assembly constituencies.

“We, therefore, focused on the Senatorial Districts since they are bigger and cut across the other constituencies,” he said.

Yakubu reiterated that when the review engagements were exhausted, a comprehensive report would be prepared.

NAN reports that INEC had earlier met other stakeholders, including the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), Electoral Officers (EOs) and leadership of transport unions, who participated in the election.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen, the Vice Chancellor, of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Kabir Bala, who served as the State Retuning officer for Sokoto State, believed that the review would improve the future elections in the country.

Bala said that the review would help look at the hiccups that happened during the polls and the possible solutions.

He however said that for Nigeria to have better elections there must be a change of attitude by Nigerians as politicians and electorates.

Bala said that the politicians needed to change their attitude of “I must win at all costs” and those elected should be patriotic to serve, while the electorate must satisfy their conscience by voting for the best candidate in any election.
VANGUARD

News

Shock As Adeleke Employs Roadside puff-puff Hawker As Govt House Chef

Published

12 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday shocked a female puff-puff seller during a rally in Osogbo by buying all her snacks with ₦50,000 and offering her employment as a chef at the Government House.

This happened when Osun public servants trooped out in their thousands in what they called an appreciation solidarity rally in support of the governor for his support and care since he took over state governance.

It was observed that the governor, who sat in the bus, had sighted the woman who was among the crowd cheering him.

He immediately beckoned to the woman carrying a plastic container filled with puff-puff on her head and asked how much it would cost to buy all the snacks.

The female hawker, who was visibly surprised and star-struck at the level of her proximity to the governor, found it difficult to even tell the governor how much she sold the snacks.

Surprisingly, Adeleke handed her a bundle of ₦50,000 to the cheers of the crowd.

The lucky woman knelt down in appreciation of the governor’s generosity.

Excited onlookers quickly rushed to share the snacks in the plastic already purchased by the governor.

The governor invited the vendor inside the vehicle where one of his officials questioned her academic background, and she revealed that she holds a Nigerian Certificate in Education.

Adeleke further asked about the dishes she could prepare and instructed his aides to take her contact details for employment as a chef in the Government House.

Confirming the development, the Commissioner II at the Osun State Civil Service Commission, Olaniyan Taofeek, shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “The moment Gov. Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller into a Government House chef.”

A Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Media, Oni Gbenga Lawrence, also corroborated the incident in a post on X, stating: “Moment Governor Ademola Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller to Government Chef… not only ₦50k but he invited her into his car and employed her as chef in the Government House.”

The Guardian correspondent, who was at the scene of the welcome rally, made efforts to interview the lucky vendor, but they did not yield as she was not allowed to alight from the bus throughout the event.
(The Guardian)

News

Katsina Govt Revokes Licenses Of All Private, Community Schools

Published

13 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

The Katsina State Government has withdrawn the operating licenses of all private and community schools in the state, with effect from August 13, 2025.

The announcement came through a circular issued by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and signed by Commissioner Hajiya Zainab Musa-Musawa.

The ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Sani Danjuma, released the document in Katsina on Saturday.

According to the circular, the move is part of the government’s effort to strengthen quality assurance and standardization within the education sector.

“The withdrawal of licenses is aimed at ensuring that schools operate in line with approved standards and provide quality education to students,” Danjuma said.

The circular also outlined a review of fees for license application, registration, and annual renewal.

“Owners of affected schools are required to obtain fresh licenses by submitting proof of payment to the ministry on or before September 30, 2025.”

The statement also added that school operators have been warned not to increase tuition or other charges without government approval.

The ministry further promised to issue additional guidelines soon, including categorization of schools and the revised fee structure.

News

JUST IN: Oldest Missionary To Nigeria, Ruth Elton, Is Dead

Published

14 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

British-born Nigerian missionary, Ruth Elton, reputed to be the oldest missionary has passed on at the age of 91.

Ruth Elton, born 7 September 1933, was a British-born Nigerian missionary whose lifelong dedication to faith, healing, and revival left an indelible mark on communities across western and central Nigeria.

It was learnt that Elton died on Saturday at Sharon compound, Alafia Bamin Quarters in Ilesa, Osun State.

She was the only daughter of Pa Elton and her remains have been deposited at the mortuary.

Ruth Elton, daughter of Sydney Granville Elton (Pa Elton), who is referred to as one of the founding fathers of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, had approached a Kaduna court and nationalised as a Nigerian.

At old age and despite the happenings in Nigeria, she still held in high esteem her father’s prophecies that although Nigeria could be known globally for corruption, it would only for a while as new dawn would beckon when the country would be known worldwide for righteousness and prosperity.

Elton moved to Nigeria in 1937 with her parents and served as a Christian missionary across Egbe, Okene, Koton Karfe, and other parts of Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Osun States.

A naturalised Nigerian, having renounced her British citizenship in the 1970s, she embraced the country completely and became fluent in Ebira and Yoruba.

Elton, who remained single, believed that she had made a true mark in the country and apart from her missionary work, she saw her efforts in taming infant mortality, especially in Okene, Kogi State as a generational impact.

Relating her experience on infant mortality in the country, Elton recently noted that many newborn babies had passed on due to lack of proper care and hygiene, adding that the practice of force-feeding babies contributed to the challenges, especially in the face of poor awareness.