Politics

Why We Can’t Conduct Council Elections Next Year — INEC

Published

1 year ago

June 28, 2024

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has asked political parties and other stakeholders to avert their minds to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 (As Amended) with respect to the tenure of Area Council Chairmen in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

According to the commission, the Act guarantees a four-year tenure for the Chairmen and Councillors, not the three years provided in the Electoral Act 2010.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this at a meeting with the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, on Friday in Abuja.

He said the tenure of the current chairmen and councillors would lapse in June 2026.

Yakubu said the Commission had earlier received inquiries from some law firms, an individual, a political party and one FCT chairmanship aspirants’ forum regarding the tenure of the area councils.

He added that there was also a demand for the Commission to release the timetable and schedule of activities for the area council elections.

Yakubu said their inquiries were based on the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which was the subsisting law at the time elections to the area councils were held on Saturday, February 12, 2022.

Vanguard recalls that the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) provides for a three-year tenure for Chairmen and Councillors, a development that had fueled speculations that the tenure of the chairmen expires next year.

Explaining the position of the law, Yakubu said: “Nigerians are aware that the National Assembly has since repealed and re-enacted the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) as the Electoral Act 2022.

“In particular, in the exercise of its powers as the law-making body for the FCT, the National Assembly extended the tenure of the Area Councils from three to four years, thereby aligning it with executive and legislative elections nationwide.

“This is one of the important provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The Act came into force on Friday 25th February 2022, two weeks after the last Area Council elections in the FCT.

“By the time the elected Chairmen and Councillors were sworn-in four months later on 14th June 2022, they took their oath of allegiance and oath of office on the basis of the new electoral Act (i.e. the Electoral Act 2022) which provides for a four-year tenure. Consequently, their tenure therefore expires in June 2026.

“For the avoidance of doubt, tenure is not defined by the date of election but the date of the Oath of Office for executive elections or the date of inauguration for legislative houses. For the executive, the tenure belongs to the elected individual while for legislators, the tenure belongs to the Legislature.

“A President/Vice President-elect, Governor/Deputy Governor-elect, Senator-elect, Member-elect, Chairman-elect or Councillor-elect cannot exercise the powers of office and draw from the remuneration attached to it until such a person is sworn in or the legislative house is inaugurated.

“To further illustrate this position, the Commission has since released the Timetable for the 2024 Edo and Ondo State Governorship elections. This does not mean that whoever wins the election in Edo State in September or in Ondo State in November will immediately assume office. This will only take place after the administration of the oath of office upon the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent holders of the offices. Elections are only held earlier in order to a avoid vacuum. That is why the Constitution empowers the Commission to hold elections not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the end of tenure of incumbent holders of elective offices.

“In the case of the FCT, Section 108(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 under which the current Chairmen and Councillors were sworn-in on 14th June 2022 is clear and therefore unambiguous:

“1. An Area Council shall stand dissolved at the expiration of 4 years commencing from the date –

(a) when the Chairman took the oath of office; or

(b) when the legislative arm of the Council was inaugurated whichever is earlier”.

“Again, there are several judicial authorities, including the judgement of the Supreme Court, that tenure begins from the date of oath of office and not the date of election.

“The Law Firms that have written INEC on behalf of their clients ought to have drawn their attention to both the law and judicial pronouncements on the matter. You may also wish to note that when the Electoral Act 2022 was signed into law two weeks after the Commission conducted the last Area Council elections in the FCT, the incumbent holders (Chairmen and Councillors) challenged us that we conducted the election too early, claiming that the new Electoral Act extended their tenure from three to four years. We reminded them that they took their oath of office under the old law before the coming into force of the new Electoral Act. Therefore, their tenure will expire in June 2022.

“I wish to reassure you that we are aware of our responsibilities under the law. Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 requires the Commission to release the Timetable and Schedule of Activities 360 days (i.e. One year) before the date fixed for the election. It cannot be released two years ahead of elections”.

Yakubu added that the Area Council election in the FCT conducted by INEC remains a model for Local Government elections in the country, noting that there is stability of tenure for Chairmen and Councillors.

“There has never been a caretaker committee in any Area Council in the FCT. Democratic elections are conducted on regular basis. There is plurality of electoral outcomes as no single political party has ever won elections in all the 68 Constituencies (six Area Council Chairmen and 62 Councillors). We will continue to uphold the sanctity of tenure and improve the credibility of these elections.

“May I, therefore, appeal to all persons with ambition to contest for the positions of Chairmen and Councillors in the FCT to be guided by the provisions of the law and judicial pronouncements on the issue of tenure. I also appeal to political parties to enlighten their members accordingly. At the appropriate time, the Commission will release the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election”, he stated.

Earlier, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council IPAC, Yusuf Mohammed Dantalle, said they were at the Commission to seek clarification on the tenure of the current Chairmen for the six Area Councils as well as the 62 Councillors in the FCT.

He said whether three or four years, the issue had been settled before but that he still deemed it necessary to bring along other stakeholders to the commission to get first-hand information about the tenure of council chairmen in FCT.

Politics

Mass Defections: Ndume Predicts Implosion In APC

Published

2 days ago

November 18, 2025

Editor

Former Senate Leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has raised the alarm over the wave of defections by governors and lawmakers from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that the party may be courting an internal collapse if the trend continues unchecked.

Ndume, who represents Borno South in the Senate, spoke on Sunday night at the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe Annual Award Lecture, held at the NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja, where he received the honour of Most Outstanding Legislator and Advocate of National Unity.

In a candid acceptance speech that drew murmurs from the audience, the outspoken lawmaker dismissed many of the defectors as political lightweights with little or no value to add to the governing party, insisting that the APC is becoming “overloaded” with “mostly empty cargo.”

Checks by The Guardian revealed that the gale of defections accelerated within the last year, leaving the opposition parties badly depleted.

No fewer than five governors, including those of Delta, Bayelsa, Enugu and Taraba, have dumped their parties for the APC. Also awaited is the defection of the Plateau State governor.

Ndume, in a metaphor-laden address, warned that the rising influx poses structural danger to the ruling party.

“I have warned that the APC is becoming overloaded. And when you overload a ship, especially with mostly empty cargo, it risks capsizing,” he declared.

Describing the defections as a coordinated assault on Nigeria’s democratisation, the organisation said it amounted to a calculated attack on political pluralism and a betrayal of voters’ mandate.

Politics

Oshiomhole Criticises Obaseki’s Govt, Scores Okpehbolo High

Published

3 days ago

November 16, 2025

Editor

The Senator representing
Edo North District at the National Assembly, Adams Oshiomhole, has criticised the immediate past administration in the state over what he described as ground-breakings that yielded no meaningful projects, including the failed Gelegele Port and abandoned housing schemes.

The former governor of the state spoke while fielding questions from journalists over the weekend in Benin.

Oshiomhole also criticised the EdoBEST programme as “deceptive,” alleging that most schools lacked electricity or Wi-Fi to support its digital monitoring claims.

He further accused the past administration of neglecting public schools and reducing teacher numbers drastically.

Oshiomhole, who
sharply criticised the media for relying on what he described as political ancestors in the opposition, noted when asked questions on PDP: “You ( journalists ) had a meeting with PDP ancestors, because that party is politically dead. In this part of the world, when you are dead, you join the ancestors.

“So, did they speak to you from their graves? I answer questions from the living, not the dead. And I do not intend to join them anytime soon. So please, leave PDP out of it.

“If you must ask me a question, then I also have the right to ask you a counter-question: What did the PDP accomplish in their first year?

“They performed numerous so-called groundbreakings—Gele-Gele Port that mysteriously shifted into Benin when it rained, housing estates, and many others.

“They broke the ground so much that Edo almost became an earthquake zone. Fortunately, God designed our soil well”, Oshiomhole added.

Assessing Governor Okpebholo’s performance in one year, Oshiomhole stated that the governor inherited a state abandoned for eight years but has already delivered visible and verifiable projects.

He pointed to the Ramat Park flyover project as a major intervention that will significantly reduce traffic congestion and improve economic productivity in Benin City.

He praised Okpebholo for rehabilitating long-abandoned schools and providing better learning environments, referencing images recently displayed by the governor during a public presentation.

The senator highlighted the revival of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, which he said almost collapsed due to inadequate subvention under the past administration.

He commended Okpebholo for raising the institution’s monthly subvention to ₦500 million, resolving long-standing academic disruptions.

Oshiomhole also applauded the restoration of subvention to Edo University, Iyamho, increased from zero to ₦250 million monthly, describing it as a strategic investment in higher education.

He added that the governor has shown leadership by restoring peace to the traditional institution and resolving lingering tensions in the Benin Kingdom.

He maintained that Okpebholo’s one year in office has brought relief across the state, with major roads being reconstructed and abandoned institutions revived.

According to him, the governor’s humility, firm leadership and ability to hire and fire when necessary have restored discipline in government.

Oshiomhole said the governor has allowed his achievements to speak for him, noting that “action speaks louder than voice.

Speaking on his primary duty as a senator, Oshiomhole said that, although, senators come from specific districts, their legislative duties extend to the entire country.

He explained that all motions, bills and appropriations passed in the Senate must be designed with national application, adding that his focus has always been on contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.

The former governor reiterated that during his 2023 senatorial campaign that his priority was federal intervention for Edo would be the rehabilitation of the Benin–Auchi–Okene Road.

Oshiomhole narrated how the road, once a smooth 90-minute journey from Iyamho to Benin, had deteriorated so badly that travellers sometimes spent seven hours or even slept on the route.

The Iyamho-born political tactician said the industrial expansion in Okpella, now a major cement hub hosting BUA and Dangote plants, had further increased the pressure on the highway.

“You will also recall that during my campaign, those who had time to listen would remember, because during elections, journalists are oversubscribed. I stated clearly that the most important federal project I wanted addressed was the Benin–Auchi–Okene road.

“When I was growing up in Iyamho, it took about an hour and a half to get to Benin City. At one point, it began to take about seven hours, and if you were unlucky, you could even get trapped and sleep on that road. With the heavy movement of trucks, the situation became worse.

“This happened partly because of the industrial growth around Okpella. That axis has become the cement hub of Edo North, hosting production plants for Dangote and BUA.

“Moving these products around adds to the congestion. That is why, as soon as I got to the Senate, the very first motion I moved was on the Benin–Okpella–Okene road.

“Working with the then Senator Monday Okpebholo, now the Governor of Edo State, we mounted pressure on President Tinubu to think outside the box on how to fund and complete the road”, he said

Oshiomhole revealed that there was a heated exchange with the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, during the 2024 budget defence when only ₦200 million was initially allocated to the major highway, insisting that the government had to treat the road as a priority.

Speaking on Tinubu’s administration, the Edo Senator said the state is benefiting from the Tinubu administration’s nationwide social protection programmes, though, he maintained that the state still requires increased federal presence.

Politics

BREAKING: Nigerian Senate Approves Tinubu’s N1.15tn Loan Request

Published

1 week ago

November 12, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Senate has approved the request of President Bola Tinubu to raise N1.15 trillion from the domestic debt market to cover the unfunded portion of the 2025 budget deficit.

This comes after the adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt during plenary on Wednesday.

According to the committee, the 2025 Appropriation Act provides for a total expenditure of N59.99 trillion, representing an increase of N5.25 trillion over the N54.74 trillion initially proposed by the Executive.

The expansion created a total budget deficit of N14.10 trillion. Of this, N12.95 trillion had already been approved for borrowing, leaving an unfunded deficit of approximately N1.15 trillion (N1,147,462,863,321).

In a related development, a motion by Senator Abdul Ningi was adopted, directing the Senate Committee on Appropriations to intensify its oversight to ensure that the borrowed funds are properly implemented in the 2025 fiscal year and used strictly for their intended purposes.

Recall that President Tinubu had on November 4th requested the approval of the National Assembly for a fresh N1.15 trillion borrowing from the domestic debt market to help finance the deficit in the 2025 budget.

The President’s request was conveyed in a letter. According to the letter, the proposed borrowing is intended to bridge the funding gap and ensure full implementation of government programs and projects under the 2025 fiscal plan.