INEC Swears In Nine More RECs Against 2019

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, on Wednesday swore in nine more Resident Electoral Commissioners ahead of the 2019 general elections...

The commission had earlier sworn in 14 RECs on July 8, 2017 thereby bringing the total number of those sworn in by the commission to 23.

President Muhammadu Buhari had nominated 27 Resident Electoral Commissioners for INEC on March 27 to fill the vacancies created by those who retired from service.

Those sworn in on Tuesday are Mr. Mike Igini, Mrs. Asamau Maikudi, Prof. Sam Egwu, Abdulganiyu Raji, Prof. Shehu Risikuwa, Sam Omeku, Geidam Kassim, Mallam Sadiq Musa and Sam Olumekun.

Yakubu, who restated the commitment of the commission to the conduct of improved elections in the country in 2019, said INEC would soon release the Election Project Plan and the Election Management System that would make it possible to track activities every day.

He said that the new RECs would not be allowed to serve in their respective states of origin even though they could serve in their geopolitical zones.

He reminded them of the heightened preparations for the forthcoming election, which he said, was 548 days away.

Yakubu, who also spoke on the ongoing nationwide voter registration by the commission, said a total of 2, 092,434 new voters had so far been registered.

According to him, a total of 1,810,153 were registered in the first quarter while 282,281 were registered in the second week of the first quarter.

He said that the decision of the commission to move the CVR from the local government level to the registration areas in Anambra State would soon be extended to the entire country with the acquisition of new Direct Data Capture Machines.

The INEC chairman added that the commission had issued a certificate of registration to the African People’s Party which applied for registration in 2014 in compliance with a court order.

The registration of the APP brings the total number of registered political parties in the country to 46.

Yakubu said that the commission would release the timetable and schedule of activities for the recall of the member representing Bebeji Constituency in the Kano State House of Assembly, Mr. Abubakar Galadima Kuku, in accordance with the commission’s guidelines.