Politics
What INEC Will Do If BVAS Fails – Commissioner
The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it has plans should the Bimodal Voter Registration System fails during the forthcoming 2023 elections.
The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, who spoke on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’, noted that the Commission had trained technicians who would be on standby at polling units.
There had been speculations about the possibility of server failures in the course of the transmission of election results through BVAS, especially by some politicians.
Okoye on Sunday noted that the electoral body had already made provision for the use of the BVAS in the over 176,000 polling units in the country. He, however, noted that INEC also made provision for spare BVAS machines in the case of any failure.
READ ALSO: 2023: INEC Removes Polling Units From Politicians’ Homes, Churches, Mosques, Shrines
“For each electoral ward, we are going to have some spare BVAS to be deployed speedily if there is any issue or any challenge in any of our polling units. We have also trained technical support staff that can also intervene if there is any challenge with the BVAS.
“But if there is sustained malfunction of the BVAS up to the time of the closing of the poll, the Electoral Act demands that we should undermine voting in that particular polling unit and repeat voting within 24 hours,” Okoye stated.
He earlier described as “an impossibility”, the plan by any politician who was already allegedly harvesting PVCs to rig the elections.
According to INEC, BVAS technology that will be used for the accreditation and authentication of voters in 2023, will reject biometric data of persons who are not original owners of traded permanent voters cards.
“In terms of any politician bypassing the BVAS, I want to tell you that that will not happen, that is an impossibility,” Okoye said.
READ ALSO: Polls: INEC Knocks Tinubu Over Comment On E-transmission
“Anybody who is purchasing a permanent voter card is just engaging in an exercise in futility. The only thing any person can do is to make sure the voter does not vote on election day but for you to come to the polling unit on election day with a voter’s card belonging to someone else, and you attempt to vote with it, that is an impossibility, the BVAS will not capture your fingerprint,” Okoye said.
INEC also noted that polling units near politicians’ homes had been removed.
He said, “We removed polling units from the palaces of traditional rulers, we removed polling units that are near the homes of politicians, we removed polling units that are in shrines, we also removed polling units from places we consider not conducive for electoral business.”
Okoye also admonished voters to support the commission’s efforts through shared responsibility and mandate protection to ensure free and fair 2023 elections.
Politics
Defection: Peter Obi Simply Looking For ‘Food Is Ready’ Party – Wike
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe on former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his recent defection.
Speaking during a media parley on Wednesday, Wike said Obi is looking for a ‘food is ready’ political party.
READ ALSO:JUST IN: Why I left ADC For NDC With Kwankwaso – Peter Obi Opens Up
The minister said, “Obi was in APGA, he couldn’t build APGA. He went to Labour, he ran away again from Labour. All he’s looking for is food is ready political party.”
Recall that Obi and Rabi’u Kwankwaso, former presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, on Sunday officially joined the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Politics
2027: Nobody Wants Fubara – Wike
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that there is widespread support for Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to return in 2027.
Speaking during his monthly media parley on Wednesday in Abuja, Wike suggested that Fubara can’t claim to enjoy unanimous backing from the public.
He explained that the political crisis in Rivers State had earlier been addressed through the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, particularly during impeachment proceedings initiated against Fubara.
According to Wike, the President advised all parties to embrace peace, leading to the withdrawal of the impeachment move by the State House of Assembly after agreements were reached.
READ ALSO:Rivers APC Suspends Fubara Over Alleged Anti-party Activities
Wike, however, alleged that the governor failed to fully adhere to the terms agreed during the arbitration process.
Reacting to claims that the people were urging Fubara to seek re-election in 2027, Wike rejected the assertion, insisting that such narratives were misleading.
Wike maintained that appearing before the President for arbitration required respect for the outcome, noting that all parties were expected to uphold their commitments.
He said: “The President, intervened in the impeachment proceeding. I said withdraw, let their be peace. And the governor said, look, I’m ready for peace. Look, I’m no longer interested for this. I will not do this. The Assembly went and withdrew the impeachment.
“Having withdrawn the impeachment, he is now too smart on what you agreed before the President. It’s like when you go on arbitration.”
READ ALSO:Court Restrains Rivers Assembly, CJ From Impeaching Fubara, Deputy
Wike continued, “This one is what I don’t like. Nobody wants anybody. Please, don’t tell me that. Excuse me.
You can go and tell that to the market people or children. Two years that people say he should come out. Who told you that?
“Which politician will say that I was sleeping they came and woke me? Even if people people come to wake you, can’t you say, no, I won’t do it. I’m not prepared for it.
“That you appeared before a President of the country on arbitration, the two parties on arbitration, and these people respected Mr. President, and have done their own part.”
Politics
2027: Wike Opens Up On Preferred Rivers Guber Candidate
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday said he hasn’t endorsed any candidate for the Rivers state gubernatorial election in 2027.
Wike stated this on Wednesday during his monthly media parley in Abuja.
Wike said that the endorsement will come only after a meeting by the joint coalition in the state.
READ ALSO:2027: Wike Refuses To Confirm Or Deny Chinda’s Governorship Bid
He said: “I haven’t endorsed anybody. And I can’t endorse anybody until the joint coalition meets.”
DAILY POST reports that questions have been raised concerning the fate of current governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, in 2027.
The FCT Minister was reported to have endorsed former State Commissioner for Works, Alabo Dakorinama George Kelly, as his preferred candidate for the Rivers State governorship election.
Sources told DAILY POST that Wike settled for George after a closed-door meeting with key political stakeholders in Port Harcourt on Monday.
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