The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to exclude its staff engaged in malpractices during the Feb. 25 elections from participating in the March 11 governorship and State assemblies elections.

The NBA made the call on Wednesday in Abuja in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Habeeb-Lawal.

The association also advised INEC to fix all bugs or glitches that affected the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines used during the presidential and national assembly elections.

“The NBA urges INEC to ensure that all bugs or glitches in the BVAS machines and other election technology are fixed and improved.

“All INEC staff, including collation and returning officers, with proven cases of misconduct in the Feb. 25 elections should be excluded from the March 11elections,“it said.

The association urged the Inspector-General of Police to ensure the timely deployment of police officers on duty for the March 11 elections.

It also called on political parties to educate their members and supporters on the need to eschew all forms of actions in violation of the Electoral Act.

The NBA commended Nigerians for their resilience and perseverance in carrying out their civic duties, during the presidential and national assembly elections.

The association encouraged citizens to show same values and resolve in the upcoming governorship and state houses of assembly elections.

The NBA urged INEC to address some major challenges observed during the Feb. 25 presidential and national assembly elections.

“ These include the late arrival of INEC officials and ballot materials at the polling stations, malfunctioning BVAS machines, limited or non-transmission of the results from the polling units to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV),“it said.

Other challenges are insecurity at some polling units, violent attacks on voters and officials, voter intimidation, snatching and destruction of among others.

The association said that findings from their observers indicated that, only a quarter of the electorate representing 27.1 per cent were impressed with the conduct of the elections.

“The majority of the voters representing 64.6 per cent said they are somewhat satisfied,“it said.

It also said its observers found out that only 8.2 per cent of the electorate rated the election poor or very poor.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NBA Election Working Group deployed over 1,000 INEC accredited observers, drawn from 128 branches of the association to monitor elections across the 36 states and the FCT.

The President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu is not looking for a rubber stamp National Assembly but a robust one.

Senator-elect, Adams Oshiomhole, Edo North Senatorial District stated this while speaking with newsmen at the presentation of certificate of return to Senators-elect in Abuja on Tuesday.

”Our president-elect looks forward to a senate that would contribute to the development of the country.

”I will not be part of the legislator for the powerful but to the countrymen,” he said.

Oshiomhole, a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said he had been been the voice of the people as a textile union activist, NLC President, and Governor of Edo , even in his choice of projects.

“I will be part of the senate that legislates for the good people of our countrymen, not for the powerful, by making sure that what we do in appropriation will be such that Nigerians get value for money.

“It is expected that the executive is powerful but does not have absolute power, so it will not be subject to legislative check.

“We are not there for the allowance. There are couple of things that can be done differently so that the renewed hope of our party can be translated into reality.

“Even the president-elect will not look forward to a rubber stamp assembly but the one that can help to contribute to knowledge.

“Nobody has absolute knowledge but working together and negotiating to have a win-win formula that will contribute to the dividends of democracy,” he said.

Oshiomhole also said that the 10th Senate would work for economic growth, robust GDP that would rely on power reforms.

“The current problem we face in the power sector was because it was meant to favour friends and relatives, who knows nothing about power.

“Now we have to find the courage to deal with a system that makes citizens pay bills for power they did not consume, which for me is fraud.

“Government must protect its citizens, and customers must be protected otherwise all the energy spent to vote for a few guys enjoy does not worth my while.

“ There are couple of things we have to do differently.”

Oshiomole said that the 10th Senate would also look into the issue of petroleum products.

“We still see long queues and each time I see the queues I feel agitated because I fought against these obnoxious policies when I was the President of NLC.

“We must take a radical action to ensure that the petrol we consume is refined in Nigeria.

”I will not go to the senate to lament but make laws that would be enforced,” Oshiomhole said.

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun, Mr Muritala Audu, has urged Nigerians to unite behind the President-Elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, for the growth and development of the country.

Audu, in statement on Monday in Lagos, congratulated Tinubu on his victory at the Presidential election on Feb. 25.

“I congratulate Asiwaju Tinubu and urge Nigerians to unite to secure our growth and development as a nation,” he said.

Urging electorate to support Gov. Dapo Abiodun’s second-term bid in Ogun, Audu described the governor as a performer “whose class towers far above other contenders in the race ahead of the March 11 2023 general election.”

He said that Abiodun’s second term would attract many great developments to the state.

“When it comes to governor of Ogun state, and all state representatives across the state, the present occupier of the Oke Mosan is by all standard a performer.

“A governor who within a short stint has turned the tide of Ogun State for good. Prince Dapo Abiodun has virtually delivered on many of his electoral promises.

“A second term for Gov. Dapo Abiodun will translate to good political fortunes for the state, most especially now that we have a Yoruba man as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as he is likely to as a ranking governor be imbued with the required clout to influence greater development to the state.

“A governor can only become so powerful in the FEC/State and earn influential and decisive Federal projects to the state only if he is a second term governor,” Audu said.

According to him, only top-performing governors get to feature in office for second term.

He said that a powerful position could only be given to a ranking governor “not a rookie”, hence the reasons why the electorate should vote for Abiodun for second term in order to become a ranking governor.

Audu said that this could place Abiodun at a vantage position to earn a position like Chairman of Governor’s Forum or Chairman of APC Governors forum that would in turn help to attract developments to Ogun.

“A dedicated and committed party leader like Dapo Abiodun, who has made us proud in every aspect of governance, should be elected at the next general election,” he said.

The chieftain, however, urged party leaders whom the governor might have offended in the course of duty, to forgive and close rank with him.

“I see victory at the end of the tunnel, come March 11, with Prince Dapo Abiodun on the ballot for Ogun,” Audu said.

He added that other representatives of the State Assembly, who had equally proved their mettle should enjoy revalidation of their mandate for the benefits of all. (