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“Cure your visible ignorance”: INEC tells Nigerians abusing Yakubu

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INEC receives electoral management innovative tools from EU

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says those laying curses on Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the commission, should make better use of their time.

Speaking, Rotimi Oyekanmi, chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, also admonished those attacking Yakubu to “cure themselves of their visible ignorance of the laws governing the electoral system and the commission’s processes and procedures”.

On February 25, the first year anniversary of the 2023 presidential election, some Nigerians took to social media platforms to rain curses on the electoral commission boss.

The aggrieved youths had alleged that Yakubu rigged the 2023 presidential election for incumbent President Bola Tinubu.

However, Oyekanmi described the 2023 elections as “a huge success and the most painstakingly planned”.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) believes that the 2023 general election was a huge success, despite some challenges that the commission had to grapple with,” he said.

“However, Oyekanmi described the 2023 elections as “a huge success and the most painstakingly planned”.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) believes that the 2023 general election was a huge success, despite some challenges that the commission had to grapple with,” he said.

“It was the most painstakingly election and for the most part, our plans were successfully executed.

Just last Friday, we released the official report of the election, which consisted of 526 pages, organised into 14 chapters and fortified with 60 tables, 14 boxes and 10 graphs. There is a lot to chew in the report.

“And for the first time ever in Nigeria’s electoral history, the 2023 elections unveiled unprecedented political diversity, with four political parties capturing gubernatorial seats, effectively breaking the duopoly that has long dominated the political scene.

“Besides, seven parties won senatorial seats, eight secured federal constituencies and nine were successful in state legislatures.

“While the report emphasises the significant impact of technological advancements on the integrity of the electoral process, especially the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) which reduced electoral fraud and bolstered the credibility of elections, the document also explained the challenges encountered with the INEC result viewing (IReV) portal during the presidential election.”

“With the report now in the public domain, we expect stakeholders to interrogate it and offer useful advice on how we can further improve the electoral system.”

He added that: “As for those persons who embarked on what they described as a ‘a day of curses’, my advice is that they should pay adequate attention to substantive issues, make more productive use of their time, and cure themselves of their visible ignorance of the laws governing the electoral system and the commission’s processes and procedures”.

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Prince Harry visits sick Nigerian soldiers in Kaduna

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Prince Harry and his team visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to interact with wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment.

The Duke of Sussex is in Nigeria with his wife to champion the Invictus Games, which Harry founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans.

Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022 becoming the first African country to join.

Prince Harry’s visit to Kaduna came 68 years after his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II visited the state during the time of the late Premier of Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello.

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Senate approves death penalty for drug traffickers

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Senate on Thursday, May 9, approved the death penalty for those convicted on the charge of drug trafficking in the country.

The punishment prescribed in the extant NDLEA Act is a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The resolution of the Senate followed its consideration of a report of the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Drugs and Narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters presented the report during plenary, Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC-Borno North).

The bill, which passed its third reading, aims to update the list of dangerous drugs, strengthen the operations of the NDLEA, review penalties, and empower the establishment of laboratories.

Section 11 of the current act prescribes that “any person who, without lawful authority; imports, manufactures, produces, processes, plants or grows the drugs popularly known as cocaine, LSD, heroin or any other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for life” was amended to reflect a stiffer penalty of death.

Although the report did not recommend a death penalty for the offence, during consideration, Senator Ali Ndume moved that the life sentence should be upgraded to the death penalty.

During a clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, put the amendment on the death penalty to a voice vote and ruled that the “ayes” had it.

But Senator Adams Oshiomhole objected to the ruling, saying that the “nays” had it.

He argued that matters of life and death should not be treated hurriedly, but Barau said it was too late, as he failed to call for division immediately after his ruling.

The bill was subsequently read for the third time and passed by the Senate.

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