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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.
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NiMet Predicts Three-day Rain, Thunderstorms From Monday

Published

22 hours ago

September 21, 2025

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JUST IN: Ooni Visits Olubadan-designate Ladoja In Ibadan

Published

1 day ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, on Sunday, paid a visit to the Olubadan designate, Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The PUNCH reports that Oba Ladoja will be installed as the 44th Olubadan on Friday, September 26, 2025, following the demise of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who joined his ancestors on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the age of 90 years.

The two paramount rulers are currently exchanging pleasantries.

Details later…

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JUST IN: FG Revokes 1,263 Mineral Licenses Over Unpaid Fees

Published

1 day ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has announced a fresh revocation of not less than 1,263 mineral licenses.

These licenses, which will now be deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System portal of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.

The minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, gave the revocation announcement in a statement issued by his special assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Sunday in Abuja.

The minister explained that the directive was issued due to the companies’ failure to comply with the requirement of paying their annual service fees.

The latest revocation brings the total mineral titles revoked under the current administration to 3, 794 including,619 mineral titles revoked for defaulting in paying annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year.

By opening up the areas formerly covered by these licenses, the revocation is expected to spur fresh applications by investors looking for fresh opportunities.

The statement read, “Not less than 1,263 mineral licenses will be deleted from the portal of the Electronic Mining Cadastral system of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, MCO, following their revocation by the Federal Government.

“These include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.”

Approving the revocation following the recommendation of the MCO, the Minister said applying the law to keep speculators and unserious investors away from the mining sector would make way for diligent investors and grow the sector.

“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder, while financially capable and industrious businessmen are complaining of access to good sites, is over.

“The annual service fee is the minimum evidence that you are interested in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke the license because the law allows you to return the license if you change your mind,” the minister said.

He warned that the revocation does not mean the Federal Government has pardoned the annual service debt owed by licensees, adding that the list will be forwarded to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission to ensure that debtors pay or face the wrath of the law.

“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the license application processes with speculative activities.”

In the recommendation to the minister, the Director-General of the MCO, Simon Nkom, disclosed that there were 1,957 initial defaulters when the MCO published the intention to revoke licences in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025.

He informed the minister that the gazette was distributed to MCO offices nationwide to sensitise licencees and encourage them to comply within 30 days in compliance with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and relevant regulations.

He observed that the delay in the final recommendation was due to complaints of several licensees who claimed to have paid to the Federal Government through Remita and had to be reconciled.

Earlier this month, the DG MCO had hinted that more mining licences would be revoked as part of ongoing efforts to sanitise the solid minerals sector and protect investors from fraudsters.

According to Nkom, the clean-up exercise, which covers expired, speculative, and inactive titles, is necessary to make room for genuine investors and ensure compliance with the law.

This is part of ongoing efforts at sanitising the sector since the inception of the Tinubu administration, and the salutary effects of the reforms are massive and manifest despite the attempts to push back by defaulters and their agents.