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We Can Handle LG Elections If Law Permits, INEC Chairman Declares

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By Nathaniel Gana

Thursday 25th July 2024

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has assured lawmakers that the Commission has the capacity to conduct Local Government elections across the country, if the laws are amended to empower the Commission to do so.

He gave the assurance on Thursday 25th July 2024, when he led a team from the Commission to appear before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters at the National Assembly complex to brief the lawmakers on preparations for the Edo and Ondo governorship elections, scheduled for September and November respectively.

Highlighting some of the positives recorded by INEC, Prof.Yakubu said elections are held regularly in the FCT Area Councils, thereby guranteeing certianty and leaving no room for the appointment of caretaker committees.

The INEC Chairman said the dynamism about the elections could also be seen from the pattern of those who emerge as winners, pointing out that two major political parties currently occupy three Chairmanship seats each in the FCT. He said there has never been a time that one political party won all the seats in the FCT Area Council elections, in contrast to what happens in the Local Government elections conducted in the States.

Commenting on the upcoming end-of-tenure governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, the INEC Chairman assured that the Commission was ready to conduct the elections.

His words: “As we speak, we have 57 days to the opening of polls in Edo state, and 113 days to the election in Ondo state. The Commission is prepared for the elections. I must also say that this particular Commission has a history of having successfully conducted two governorship elections in each of the two states. We conducted the Governorship election in Edo in 2016, September 2020, and by God’s grace we will do so again in September 2024. Also in Ondo State, we conducted the governorship election in 2016, October 2020, and by God’s grace, we will conduct another one on the 16th of November 2024. So, we have a lot of experience in both states.”

The INEC Chairman also disclosed that the Commission has successfully implemented eight out of the 13 activities outlined in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for both states without shifting or delaying any activity.

His words: “Number nine activity in the case of Edo State is the submission of the names of the polling agents by political parties, which according to the timetable, is at the end of this month on the 30th of July.”

On the Commission’s concerns ahead of the elections, Prof. Yakubu noted that despite the challenge of flooding at the Edo INEC State office, the Commission has overcome the slight setback and remobilized for the election.

He however acknowledged a concern raised by one of the Political Parties on the use of the Edo State Security Network (ESSN) in the electoral process in the state, but assured that the matter was taken up with the Commissioner of Police who promised to resolve the issues.

PHOTO CAPTION:
R-L: INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, National Commissioners, Dr Baba Bila, Prof. Sani Adam, Mr Sam Olumekun mni, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, Mallam Mohammed Haruna and Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, during the Commission’s presentation before the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja on Thursday 25th July 2024.

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We Can Handle LG Elections If Law Permits, INEC Chairman Declares

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Elon Musk Contributes Nearly $75 Million To Boost Trump’s Presidential Campaign

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According to recent filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Billionaire Elon Musk has contributed almost $75 million to a political action committee (PAC) he established to back Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

The donation underscores Musk’s growing involvement in Trump’s bid for the White House.

Musk, the world’s richest man, has become increasingly active in the Republican campaign.

He joined Trump on stage at a Pennsylvania rally and regularly criticizes his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, on social media.

Trump has praised Musk at campaign events and promised to appoint him to a committee to reduce government bureaucracy if re-elected.

Musk’s America PAC raised $74.95 million between July and September, focusing on grassroots efforts to boost voter turnout in key battleground states like Pennsylvania.

The PAC’s website offers volunteers $30 per hour to help increase voter participation, with performance bonuses available.

In contrast, Kamala Harris’s Harris Victory Fund PAC raised $633 million during the same period.

Harris, who entered the presidential race after President Joe Biden’s withdrawal, has energized the Democratic base with a strong campaign focused on swing states.

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Orji Uzor Kalu reveals amount he earns monthly as senator

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The lawmaker representing Abia North in the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, has disclosed that he earns a total of N14 million every month as a Senator.

The Senator, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, dismissed the belief among some Nigerians that lawmakers are living in affluence while the masses live in poverty.

“I earn N14 million for everything in a month. That is everything encompassing, the overhead, the worker’s salary, everybody,” Uzor-Kalu said.

Uzor Kalu, who is a former governor of Abia State, argued that the N14 million is not enough to buy petrol to travel to his constituency, maintain the constituency office among other things.

No official vehicles for lawmakers
One of the most controversial issues that have always been raised against the national assembly is the luxury cars given to lawmakers as their official vehicles.

However, Senator Uzor Kalu denied that lawmakers are given official personal vehicles, saying that the only the various committees in the national assembly that are given vehicles.

“I am in the Senate and a lot of things are said about the Senators and I sit there quietly and watch, and most of these things are not true. All I know is that committees get vehicles, no lawmaker is given any vehicle,” the Senator said.

On the economic hardship in Nigeria, Senator Uzor Kalu said it is not peculiar to Nigeria as the impact of COVID-19 is still affecting economies globally. He said the only reason some countries are no longer feeling the COVID-19 impact the way Nigeria is feeling it is because they have built a robust economy for a very long period.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu is aware of the country’s unstable economy and is taking steps to address the challenges facing Nigeria.

“The president himself knows that Nigerians are suffering and hungry. He is a street person; he knows the street very well.

“The president some nights uses his car to go around and know what is happening in Abuja here,” he said.

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NATO opens its doors: Putin is furious

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NATO opens its doors: Putin is furious © Pixabay
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NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte , said on Thursday that Ukraine would be a NATO member state in the future.

He also acknowledged that he was unable to say exactly when the country would join the transatlantic organization.

Arriving at the meeting of the Atlantic Alliance’s defense ministers in Brussels from today to Friday, Rutte said that at the moment, it seemed that Ukraine would become the 33rd ally, with NATO currently having 32 members, while admitting that another country could join the transatlantic organization before Kiev. A demonstration of NATO’s determination to thwart Moscow’s plans.

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