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INTRODUCTION
Ladies and Gentlemen of the PRESS
With barely six weeks to the April elections, I consider it appropriate to meet with you once again at a forum such as this. In line with our commitment to transparency and credibility of the electoral processes, we are utilizing this forum to review how far we have come at the Independent National Electoral Commission in our preparations for the April elections. We should also be able to clarify for the benefit of Nigerians issues pertaining to procedures in the forthcoming elections.
IMPORTANT STRIDES SO FAR
You will all recall that since our inauguration on 30th June, 2010, INEC has recorded some important strides, as follows:
1. An enabling Legal Framework for the electoral processes – particularly the Voter Registration exercise and the impending General Elections – is put in place.
2. A fresh Voters' Register was compiled between January 15, 2011 and February 7, 2011. As we speak now, provisional figures show that we were able to capture the records of 67, 764, 327 potential voters into our data bank during that exercise. Even though the exercise was not without challenges, INEC demonstrated a capacity for rapid response in dealing with those challenges. This process, by the timeline stipulated in the Electoral Act, will culminate in the publication of official Register of voters for elections on March 2nd, 2011.
3. The Commission has been processing particulars of candidates submitted by political parties, substitutions and withdrawals Today, Monday February 21st, is the deadline for the withdrawal/nomination of Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates by the parties. But the process is ongoing, and will conclude with the withdrawal/nomination of Governorship, Deputy Governorship and State Assembly candidates by political parties not later than Monday, February 28th, 2011. There has been a lot of discussion in the media about INEC's handling of this process and today we have an opportunity to brief you on what we have done so far, the challenges faced, and how we have addressed them.
3.I SUBMISSION OF LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR THE 2011 GENERAL ELECTIONS
3.I.I In exercise of the powers conferred on the Commission by Section 153 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) the Independent National Electoral Commission issued a Time Table and Schedule of Activities for the 2011 General Elections. In response to the 31st January, 2011 dateline for the submission of lists of candidates Political Parties propose to sponsor at the 2011 General Elections, a total of 54 Political Parties submitted candidates.
3.I.2 The Commission will conduct elections into the offices of President and Vice President of the Federation, Governors and Deputy Governors of some states of the Federation and into membership of the National Assemblies. A total of 20 Presidential candidates shall contest the elections. The following Political Parties have candidates for all Constituencies including the office of President.
3.I.3 ACN, ANPP, CPC, PDP while other Political Parties have candidates in varying degrees. A total of ten (10) Political Parties did not submit any candidate for the 2011 General Elections.
3.I.4 The last date for withdrawal of candidates for election to membership of the National Assembly was 14th February, 2011 while the last date for the withdrawal of for Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates is today 21st February, 2011. Candidates for election to the office of Governor and Deputy Governor of a State and to the membership of the State Houses of Assembly have up to the 28th February, 2011 to withdraw their candidature.
3.I.5 The list of nominated candidates will be published by the Commission between the 2nd and 16th March, 2011 in accordance with the Time Table and Schedule of Activities issued by the Commission.
3.I.6 The Commission received several petitions from aggrieved party members complaining generally that they won the primary elections but names other than their own were sent to the Commission by their Political Parties. The Commission is investigating these allegations and will inform the Political Parties of its finding having regard to the fact the Commission monitored the primaries conducted by the Political Parties.
3.I.7 The process of withdrawal and substitution of withdrawn candidates posses some challenges. Some candidates have complained to the Commission that they never withdraw from the elections but their Political Parties are illegally substituting them, thus denying the signatures purportedly made by them. The Commission is also investigating these allegations and will soon make its findings known to the Political Parties.
3.I.8 The greatest challenge on the nomination process is the alarming number of Court Orders. Several Exparte orders were served on the Commission restraining it from accepting and recognizing some candidates nominated by their Political Parties. There are over 150 (One hundred and fifty) pre-election cases filed nationwide against the Commission. This morning alone ten new cases were served on the Commission with the likelihood of many more yet to be served. The Commission is doing everything possible to be represented in Court in the cases.
Meanwhile, the Commission has substantially deployed non-sensitive materials and consumables for the April elections. Plans have also been concluded for recruitment and training of 360,000 ad hoc staff that will be engaged by the Commission for the April elections. Similarly, the process of accrediting observer groups and media practitioners for the elections is nearly concluded.
THE APRIL ELECTIONS
The foregoing are indications of the preparedness of INEC for the elections which begin with the National Assembly elections on April 2nd. This Commission will spare no effort to deliver on its promise that the elections will be free, fair and credible. We recognise that a major step towards achieving that goal is to be transparent with our operations. And that is why we have called you to this briefing. I look forward to a fruitful interaction.
Thank you.
Professor Attahiru Jega, OFR
Hon. Chairman, INEC
Source: OPENING REMARKS AT A PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE CHAIRMAN, INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION, PROF. ATTAHIRU M. JEGA, OFR, ON FEBRUARY 21, 2011 (http://www.inecnigeria.org/opening-remarks-at-a-press-conference-by-the-chairman-independent-national-electoral-commission-prof-attahiru-m-jega-ofr-on-february-21-2011/)