The Independent National Electoral Commission has attributed the delay in conducting by-elections across the country, including the one to replace the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, to financial constraints.

The PUNCH reported that since June 2023, 23 vacancies have emerged in various constituencies due to the deaths or resignations of lawmakers who assumed executive positions at federal, state, and local government levels.

INEC conducted nine by-elections so in 2024, but 14 more vacancies have been recorded, creating an ongoing challenge for the electoral body.

The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, who spoke to The PUNCH on Thursday, said several by-elections are pending, but no date has been fixed due to a lack of funds.

Oyekanmi explained that the commission had approached the National Assembly to request additional financial support to facilitate the electoral process.

The CPS said, “We have several bye-elections to conduct and still counting. No date has been fixed yet, and one of the reasons is lack of funds.”

In his defence of the 2025 budget proposal before the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters at the National Assembly Complex on January 10, 2025, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated that the commission would require about N126bn to fund its activities for the year and begin preparations for the 2027 general elections.

He noted that the N40bn proposed in the 2025 budget by President Bola Tinubu was inadequate, particularly considering the need to cover salaries and allowances following the recent increase in the minimum wage.

He explained that in 2024, the commission received the same N40bn allocation, which was only sufficient for salaries and certain social contributions such as NHIS, pensions, and ITF.

While the government has provided N500m for the pending by-elections, he emphasised that the amount remains insufficient to cover the full cost of the exercise.

On January 22, 2025, at a consultative meeting with political party leaders, the INEC Chairman expressed concern over the financial and logistical burden posed by the increasing number of by-elections in Nigeria.

He urged the legislature to consider reforms that would introduce more cost-effective methods of filling vacancies in the National and State Assemblies.

Credit: PUNCH

President Bola Tinubu has set up an inter-ministerial committee to investigate allegations of telecom providers linking National Identification Numbers to subscribers’ lines without their consent.

Impeccable sources in the Presidency told our correspondent that Tinubu gave the directive on Tuesday during the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, Abuja.

The committee has the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani and the Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda.

Tinubu, who listened to a briefing by the Minister of Interior, directed that the committee consider the matter and provide the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction with accurate data to carry out its mandate.

One source privy to the deliberations at Tuesday’s FEC meeting revealed, “It is an inter-ministerial committee; the President asked the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, the Minister of Interior, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, the Minister of [Communications, Innovation and] Digital Economy and that of Education, too, to figure out what is going on and deal with the issue.

“The National Security Adviser is also on that committee. The interior minister is there because, you know, NIMC is under the interior.”

Another source, who asked to remain anonymous, said, “It is true; the President set up a small committee to take care of the challenge of the NIN-SIM linkage. The one involving Telcos. He wants that issue resolved as soon as possible.”

However, it was not clear what timeline the President gave to the committee to investigate the matter and revert to him.

Reports reveal that some telecommunications providers linked customers’ National Identification Numbers to their mobile SIM cards without obtaining consent.

Subscribers discovered that their lines had been linked to unfamiliar NIN records or had their own NIN associated with multiple lines without explicit authorisation.

Consumer advocacy groups and affected individuals have called for investigations into how such linking occurred, emphasising the need for improved transparency and stronger data protection measures.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives initiated an investigation into the matter.

This followed a motion sponsored by Rep. Patrick Umoh and Professor Julius Ihonvbere during Wednesday’s plenary.

Umoh, who moved the motion, expressed concerns about the risks posed by this unauthorised linkage, particularly the exposure of subscribers to criminal activities and the potential harm to legitimate NIN holders.

He argued that this practice violates the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, 2019, which protects the privacy and personal data of all Nigerians.

“This action is a clear violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act and the NDPR, which guarantee the right to privacy and data protection for every Nigerian,” Umoh argued, adding that “The linking of NIN to SIM cards without consent exposes citizens to serious risks, including identity theft, financial fraud, and other forms of cybercrime.”

The lawmaker also highlighted how innocent citizens have been wrongfully implicated in crimes, facing reputational damage, harassment, and legal challenges due to unauthorised data linking.

Therefore, the House tasked its Committees on Communications and Interior with investigating the matter and submitting a report in four weeks.

It also urged the Nigerian Communications Commission to investigate telecom providers involved and take immediate action against those found wanting.

Tuesday’s FEC meeting was the second in the two days, as council members considered 101 memos in both sittings.

The police have dropped the N1.3bn fraud charges they filed against Gbolahan Obanikoro, son of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, and four others.

The decision was communicated to the Federal High Court in Lagos via a Notice of Withdrawal filed under Section 108(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

In the document, dated February 4, 2025, and signed by Chief Superintendent of Police Justin Enang, and sighted by our correspondent, the police did not specify the reason for the withdrawal of the charges marked FHC/L/902c/2024.

The document read: “Take notice that the prosecution hereby withdraws the above-mentioned charge against the defendants herein.”

The police had charged the defendants with five counts, bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretenses, false representation, and fraud.

Listed alongside Obanikoro as defendants are Adejare Adegbenro, 51; Balmoral International Limited; M.O.B. Integrated Limited; and DDSS International Company Limited.

In the charge, marked FHC/L/902c/2024, the police accused the defendants of conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretenses, and fraud involving the sum of N1,356,057,330.43.

The Inspector General of Police, through the Special Fraud Unit in Ikoyi, Lagos, accused the defendants and others at large of conspiring amongst themselves between May and September 2013 to fraudulently obtain the sum of N1,356,057,330.43 from Access Bank Plc (formerly Diamond Bank).

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They were accused of allegedly misrepresenting themselves to the bank’s staff and officers, claiming they were involved in the business of importing cars from Dubai for sale in Nigeria, and that the money was needed to finance the importation of a set of brand-new cars for resale.

The defendants were also accused of converting, transferring, retaining, or taking possession of the funds, knowing or having reason to know that such funds were proceeds of unlawful activity.

Additionally, the police alleged that they unlawfully converted N1 billion of the bank’s funds for personal use.

The defendants were originally scheduled to be arraigned on January 26, 2025, before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa.

The arraignment could, however, not go on as the defendants were absent from court.

Though the prosecutor, Momoh Bello, applied for a bench warrant against them, counsel for the fourth defendant ( M.O.B. Integrated Limited), Joshua Abel, opposed the prayer.

The judge later rescheduled the arraignment to February 27, 2025.

Meanwhile, our correspondent gathered on Thursday that the hearing to officially strike out the case could take place today (Friday).