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Buying of delegates during primaries is a diabolical practice – INEC

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has advised Civil Society Organisations to shine a light on party primaries and pay special attention to the buying of delegates, calling it as a “diabolical practice.”

The panel stated that several delegates openly boasted about how much money they made from aspirants during party primaries.

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of INEC, made the observations during the first Regular Consultative Meeting with CSOs for the year 2025.

According to him, while civil society organisations have been actively watching general elections and voicing concerns about vote-buying at polling stations, there is now an urgent need to address the issue of delegate-buying during party primaries.

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Yakubu stressed that the nomination process is an important step in the electoral process because only candidates who emerge from party primaries are on the ballot for residents to vote on Election Day.

He said; “I would like to urge civil society organisations to be as interested in party primaries as you are actively engaged in the monitoring of secondary elections conducted by INEC. After all, only the candidates nominated by the political parties are placed on the ballot paper for citizens to vote for on Election Day.

“From your monitoring reports as accredited election observers, you have consistently expressed concerns over vote-buying at Polling Units during elections. Some of you have made actionable recommendations on how to curtail the menace which have been favourably considered by the Commission. It is time to cast your net wide by focusing on the incidence of delegate-buying by aspirants during primaries.

“Some delegates openly boasted of how much money they made from aspirants during party primaries. You should intensify your advocacy in support of the practical steps taken by the relevant security and law enforcement agencies to tackle this diabolical practice”.

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The INEC Chairman informed the CSOs that the commission announced the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Anambra State Governorship election on October 17th, last year.

“As required by law, the Notice of Election was published on 13th November 2024 i.e. 360 days before the date fixed for the election scheduled to hold on 8th November 2025. The next activity is the conduct of party primaries which begins next month. All political parties interested in fielding candidates for the election shall commence their primaries on 20th March 2025 and end three weeks later on 10th April 2025. The commission’s preparation for the election is on the agenda for this meeting.

“Similarly, the Commission has released the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory FCT which is the only part of the country where INEC conducts Local Government election. The election will hold on Saturday 21st February 2026. As you are aware, the four-year tenure of the six Chairmen and 62 Councillors will end next year. The last Area Council election was held on 12 February 2022”, he added.

Ezenwa Nwagwu, Convener of Partners for Electoral Reforms, acknowledged the INEC Chairman’s views and pledged the CSOs’ commitment to combating vote-buying in both general elections and primaries.

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“The challenge that you have thrown to us is a challenge that we will have to approach from a multi-stakeholder perspective. The menace of vote-buying at the general elections and that perpetrated by the politicians will need the collective effort of not just civil society, but also security agencies and the media. We will continue to shine a light on the activities of politicians, their parties, and candidates”, Nwagwu stated.

He also urged INEC to maintain and perhaps exceed the level of preparedness displayed in the Ondo State Governorship election to ensure a credible and transparent electoral process in Anambra State and beyond.

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Man lands In hospital after ingesting sniper, following heartbreak

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A man identified as Adedoye Emmanuel is currently in critical condition at the Igando General Hospital’s intensive care unit in Lagos State after attempting to take his own life by ingesting Sniper Insecticide.

This incident occurred at a hotel on Governor’s Road in the Ikotun area of Lagos, where Emmanuel had been staying.

According to reports, Emmanuel, a resident of the Agbado area in Lagos, was driven to this extreme measure by heartbreak from an undisclosed woman, as well as other life issues.

Unable to cope, he checked into the hotel armed with Sniper insecticide, Coca-Cola, and Action Bitters. He then mixed these substances together and consumed the dangerous cocktail.

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As the concoction began to take effect, Emmanuel raised the alarm and fled his room.

Man Hospitalized After Ingesting Sniper Following Heartbreak

The hotel owner swiftly intervened and rushed him to a private hospital, where he revealed his motives before losing consciousness.

He was subsequently transferred to the Igando General Hospital’s intensive care unit, where medical staff are fighting to stabilize his condition.

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Emmanuel’s full identity remains unknown, as he was not carrying any form of identification at the time of the incident. Additionally, the two phone numbers he provided before losing consciousness have either been unreachable or turned off.

The matter has been reported to the Ikotun Division Police, who investigated Emmanuel’s hotel room and discovered the empty can of Sniper insecticide.

A concerned individual, who wishes to remain anonymous, has generously offered to cover Emmanuel’s medical expenses at both the private and General hospitals. Efforts to contact his family members have so far proven unsuccessful.

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Nigerians consume creamers, not milk – Dairy expert

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A manufacturer, the Operations Director of Manufacturing Industry Canada, Olufemi Johnson, said what is consumed as milk in Nigeria are creamers.

Johnson made this known in an interview with Channels Television on Thursday while speaking on the challenges facing Nigeria’s dairy industry.

According to him, Nigeria’s dairy has remained stagnated due to under-investment.

“When it comes to the dairy industry, we are not anywhere in Nigeria.

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“As a society, we don’t have milk, or kids don’t have milk protein. We didn’t grow with milk protein. What we called milk in Nigeria is not milk but creamers. They are not qualified to be called milk.

“There is a global standard of what is called milk. You don’t milk, milk, but bottle it,” he stated.

Experts in the have lamented the widespread of inferior milk in Nigeria.

Recall that the federal government in June 2024 launched the National Dairy Policy, 2023-2028 to drive growth in the sector.

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Funds delaying by-elections to fill vacant legislative seats – INEC

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Credit: PUNCH

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