• PDP kicks as INEC omits party on ballot papers in Jos
• IPAC threatens withdrawal of all parties over PDP’s exclusion
• Gbajabiamila leads rally for Laguda ahead of Surulere by-election
• Five political parties sign peace accord in A’Ibom

As Nigerians across various constituencies in 26 states march to the polls tomorrow for the scheduled rerun and by-elections, voter fatigue and apathy, lukewarm mobilisation by political parties, absence of awareness and sensitisation by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and election observers may mar the exercise.

Already, Nigeria is the second country in the world with the lowest voter turnout in general elections, worse than war-ravaged Afghanistan and Libya, according to a recent survey by Picodi. The ranking placed Nigeria in 186th position, only after Haiti, among 187 countries in the world.

Nigeria recorded a new low in voter turnout during the last general elections in 2023. With a national turnout of 29 per cent, a survey showed that the last election had the lowest participation rate in the country’s six decades of independence.

It showed that of the 93.4 million registered voters last year, 87.2 million people collected their Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) but the total number of actual voters on election day was only 24.9 million.

Ahead of tomorrow’s polls, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the restriction of all forms of vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation from 12.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. on the Election Day in all states where polls will be conducted, except those on essential services.

Those listed for essential duties are officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), electoral observers, accredited media and observers both foreign and domestic, ambulances responding to medical emergencies, and firefighters across 26 states.

The affected states include Ebonyi, Yobe, Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Katsina, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

The IGP has also ordered a ban on all security aides to VIPs and escorts from accompanying their principals and politicians to polling booths and collation centres during the election.

According to police spokesman, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, “state-established and owned security outfits and organisations, quasi-security units, and privately-owned guards and security outfits are also barred from participating in election security management.

“The movement restrictions, including the ban on VIP aides, escorts, and state security outfits, are crucial measures aimed at preventing any undue interference or intimidation during the electoral process. The IGP emphasises that these restrictions are implemented to safeguard the integrity of the elections and guarantee equal participation for all citizens of the affected states.

“The IGP urges political parties, candidates, and their supporters to conduct themselves responsibly and by the electoral laws, as any attempt to disrupt the electoral process or violate the established guidelines will be met with the full force of the law.”

Meanwhile, there was drama at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) head office in Jos, Plateau State capital, when the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state discovered its name was missing from the ballot papers for the re-run elections. The absence of the party’s name was discovered during an inspection of the sensitive election materials by party officials and INEC representatives.

John Akans, the state publicity secretary of PDP, who was present at the inspection venue, protested stating that his party would not accept such.

“We have identified you as the National Commissioner of INEC. Let us see how you are going to conduct these elections. You have been our problem in Plateau. You either go back or do the right thing. Don’t take us for granted in this country. You are perpetrating illegality. Let us see how you will do it. You will meet us on the field,” Akans said while referring to the INEC National Commissioner, Muhammed Kudu Haruna.

Responding, Malam Haruna said the Commission held a stakeholders’ meeting with all political parties on January 9, and was informed that the party would not participate in the elections. He added that the Appeal Court judgment had disqualified PDP from participating in the re-run elections to be conducted in Jos North Senatorial District and Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency.

According to him, PDP went to the Federal High Court in Abuja where the court dismissed the suit saying that it did not have justification to entertain the matter. “Hence, the implication of the ruling is that the earlier court ruling subsists until it is set aside by a superior court. Our duty is to obey the court whether it is wrong or right.

“We had a meeting with political parties right before now and told them that in a rerun, disqualified candidates and political parties cannot participate, this is an established law. The Supreme Court ruled about it in Labour Party versus INEC several years ago and the PDP was a beneficiary of this several years ago. INEC is a law-abiding institution, we will never flout any law,” he explained.

Reacting to the ban, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in the state through its chairman, Abubakar Dogara, said: “The position of IPAC is that it is either PDP participates in the election or all parties will not take part because the Court of Appeal said all political parties should participate in the election.

“We noticed that one of us is not on the ballot papers and, therefore, we sat down and agreed that an injury to one is an injury to all, therefore, if PDP is not participating, no political party will participate”, he maintained.

According to Dogara, “We were not informed that one of us will not be part of the election, we were told that the list of parties that will take part in the election will be forwarded to us within a week, that was on January 9 but we never got that list till now, just two days to the election.

“We prefer peace on the Plateau rather than elections or anything. We know how fragile the issue of peace is on the Plateau, we are trying to avert anything that will take us to the doom day,” he stressed.

In Lagos, INEC yesterday took delivery of sensitive materials for Saturday’s Surulere Federal Constituency I by-election from the CBN. INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Prof. Ayobami Salami, told newsmen that the commission was fully prepared for the election.

He said the Commission had invited representatives of political parties and security agencies to witness the exercise for openness, adding that the onward distribution of the materials from the state headquarters to the six wards and 258 polling units that make up the Surulere Federal Constituency I would begin on Friday.

Twelve candidates from different political parties will be contesting in the February 3 election. The seat became vacant due to the resignation of the former occupant, Femi Gbajabiamila, who after winning, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as his Chief of Staff.

Yesterday, Gbajabiamila appealed to the electorate in the constituency to come out en masse and vote for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its flag-bearer, Fuad Kayode Laguda. Gbajabiamila, who personally led the rally, said it was imperative for voters within the Surulere Constituency 1, to support Laguda and the APC, if they wanted the good work he (Gbajabiamila) did while he represented the area for over five terms and as a Speaker of the House of Representatives, to continue.

He also appealed to the people that the Federal Government is doing everything possible to address the economic issues and in due course, Nigerians would have the cause to smile.

In Akwa Ibom State, five political parties and their candidates for Ikono/Ini House of Representatives and Ibịono Ibom State Assembly seats have signed a peace accord. The peace pact was signed at the INEC state headquarters in Uyo by Glory Edet of PDP and Effiong Ekpenyong of the Accord Party for the House of Representatives seat.

Others who also signed the accord were Ezekiel Ekerete of the Action Democratic Party, Alphonsus Okon of the Labour Party and Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo of the Young Progressives Party.

For the Ibịono Ibom State Assembly seat, Moses Easien of the YPP and Godwin Ekpo of the PDP, major contenders, were among those who signed the peace pact.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State, Isah Ehimeakhe, while addressing stakeholders, called all parties to be committed to the accord they signed.

In Cross River, INEC said it is ready for the rerun and bye-election in the 34 polling units across Akamkpa/ Biase Federal Constituency, Yala II and Obanliku state constituency. The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Gabriel Yomere, disclosed this in Calabar during the inspection and deployment of sensitive electoral materials, including security to ensure a credible House of Representatives rerun tomorrow.

He said all the materials necessary for the conduct of the election including BVAS machines, ballot papers, and result sheets among others have been mobilised for the election to be contested among 10 of the 17 political parties.