Politics
Court Dismisses Labour Party’s Suit, Rules That “Only INEC Can Determine Mode Of Collating, Transmitting Election Results”
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that it is only the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that is empowered by law to determine the mode of collating and transmitting election results.
Justice Emeka Nwite, in a judgment, also held that it is only INEC that has the prerogative to direct how Polling Unit Presiding Officer should transfer election results, including the total number of accredited voters and results of the ballot.
Before dismissing the suit, Justice Nwite held that the collating and transferring election results manually in the 2023 general elections is in line with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The judgment was on a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1454/2022 filed by the Labour Party (LP), with INEC as the only defendant.
LP had prayed the court to declare that INEC has no power to choose manual method other than the electronic method provided for by the relevant provisions the Electoral Act, 2022.
The Labour Party urged the court to issue an order directing INEC to comply with the Electoral Act, 2022 on electronic transmission of result in the forthcoming general election.
The judge said: “From the argument of the learned plaintiff’s counsel, I am of the humble opinion that the bone of contention or the sections that seeks for interpretation are actually sections 50(2) 60(5) and 62(2) of the Electoral Act, 2922.
“Section 47(2) as cited by the learned counsel to the plaintiff only deals with accreditation of voters using a Smart Card Reader, but not collation or transmission of result as postulated by the learned counsel,” the judge held.
Justice Nwite said that Section 60(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022 provides for the transfer of election result, including the total number of the accredited voters from the polling unit.
He noted that Section 62(2) of the same Act provides for compilation, maintenance and continuous update of the register of election result as distinct database for all polling units’ results as collated in all elections conducted by the commission.
“The said Section 62(2) has mandated that such register of election results shall be kept in an electronic format by the commission at its national headquarters.
“Now a close reading of Section 50(2) of the Act has provided for voting and and transmission of result to be done in accordance wit the procedure to be determined by the commission.
“This is to say that the commission is at liberty to prescribe or choose the manner in which election results shall be transmitted.
“In same ambit, Section 60(5) empowered the Polling Unit Presiding Officer to transfer the election results, including the total number of accredited voters and results of the ballot in a manner to be prescribed by the commission.
“This is also to say the commission is again at liberty to prescribe to the Polling Units’ Presiding Officer the manner in which to collate and transfer the election results as well as the accredited number of voters in an election under the Act.”
“In view of the foregoing, can the act of the defendant (INEC) in collating and transferring election results manually in the forthcoming 2023 general elections be said to be contrary to the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022?
“The answer can only be in the negative as there is no where in the above cited sections where the commission or any of its Agents is mandated to only use an electronic means in collating or transferring of election result.
“If any, the commission is only mandated to collate and transfer election results and number of accredited voters in a way or manner deemed fit by it.
“In view of the above, I am finding that, by the provisions of Sections 50(2) and 60(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022 the correct interpretation of the said statutes is that the defendant (INEC) is at liberty to prescribe the manner in which election results could be transmitted and I so hold.
“Consequently this matter is hereby dismissed,” Justice Nwite said.
INEC declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election, after he defeated Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
President Bola Tinubu has banned members of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, from purchasing petrol dependent vehicles.
The President has also directed the mandatory procurement of compressed-natural-gas-powered vehicles by all government ministries, departments, and agencies.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement on Monday evening, May 13, 2024.
According to him, the directive is in line with Tinubu’s commitment to ensure energy security, drive utility, and cut high fuel costs.
He said the President’s directive is also in furtherance of Nigeria’s effort to transition to cleaner energy as CNG-enabled vehicles have been adjudged to produce lower emissions, even as they present a more affordable alternative for Nigerian energy consumers.
Addressing members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the State House on Monday, President Tinubu affirmed that there is no turning back in the energy reforms initiated by his administration.
“This nation will not progress forward if we continue to dance on the same spot. We have the will to drive the implementation of CNG adoption across the country, and we must set the example as public officials in leading the way to that prosperous future that we are working to achieve for our people. It starts with us, and in seeing that we are serious, Nigerians will follow our lead,” the President stated.
“The President further directed the rejection of all memos brought by members of FEC seeking the purchase of traditional petrol-dependent vehicles, tasking the affected members of the council to go back and diligently seek value-driven procurements of CNG-compliant vehicles.
The President remains committed to effectively harnessing the nation’s gas potential, alleviating the burden of high transportation costs on the masses while enhancing the standard of living of all Nigerians,” the statement added.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says he made a mistake when he chose to support Sim Fubara to succeed him as the governor of Rivers State.
Channels TV said this when he spoke at a function in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State on Saturday, May 11. The governor at the function apologized to the people of the state for his “mistake”. He said he is a human who is bound to make mistakes, assuring the people, however, that the mistake would be corrected at the appropriate time.
“I want to say this clearly, in life when you have made a mistake, you say I have made a mistake, there is nothing you can do about it. I have made a mistake, I own it up and I say God forgive me and I will say all of you forgive me, but I will correct it at the appropriate time.
I am a human being, I am bound to make mistake, my judgement can be wrong, so forgive me for making a wrong judgement. That is life, so nobody should kill himself,” Wike said
Some days ago, Governor Fubara was quoted as saying that he appreciates Wike for supporting him to become the governor of Rivers State, but would not worship him.
In what seems to be a direct response to that statement by Fubara, Wike in his speech said that there was no time he told anyone to worship him as he is not God.
However, the Minister said that politicians ought to be grateful to those who supported them to attain office rather than showing ingratitude.
“I respect people who appreciate what God has done for them, who appreciates what God has used people to do for them. God does not come down, God uses people to help people. So, when you are helped you appreciate them and then God will know that you have also appreciated him. I have never told anybody to worship me, nobody can worship man. All of us believe that we only have one God and it is only that God we worship and we will continue to worship that God. But as politicians, you appreciate people who have helped you” he said
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has assured Nigerians that the fuel crisis being experienced in the country will soon be a thing of the past.
Bamidele gave this assurance in an interview with newsmen on the sidelines of the Oil Technology Conference in Houston, Texas on Friday.
He said the legislature is working tirelessly to ensure that fuel scarcity and frequent queues at filling stations are resolved and that there were plans to involve more private-sector players in the construction of new refineries.
In his words;
“The Senate is working to ensure that more private-sector players are licensed to own and operate refineries. This is to support other smaller ones that are springing up in several parts of the country.
“In addition to licensing new refinery operators, the Federal Government and Senate are working to ensure that the existing refineries are turned around with repairs and replacement of parts carried out where necessary,” he said.
Bamidele said the Senate had received an assurance from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited that two of its refineries in Warri and Port Harcourt would come on stream before the end of the year.
Opeyemi maintained that the focus was to ensure that Nigeria meets its OPEC production quota.
He further explained that achieving such milestones would provide more revenue for the government and halt lack and borrowings.
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