Breaking News
Senate Resolves: Burden of proof in electoral Matters Lies on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC
…As lawmakers call for stiffer penalties for electoral offenders, condemn defections and electoral violence
The Senate has proposed a major reform to Nigeria’s electoral process, seeking to shift the burden of proof in election petitions from litigants to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as part of the ongoing process to repeal the Electoral Act 2022 and enact a new Electoral Bill, 2025.
Lawmakers made the proposal on Wednesday during debate on the general principles of the Bill for an Act to regulate the conduct of federal, state, and area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory. The bill was sponsored by Senator Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South).
INEC Must Be Held Responsible — Akpabio
Presiding over the debate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said INEC must be held accountable for the conduct and integrity of elections, stressing that the electoral umpire, being in custody of materials and logistics, should bear the responsibility of proving that elections were conducted in accordance with the law.
“I agree with Senator Dickson and other senators who have called for shifting the burden of proof in electoral litigations from litigants to INEC,” Akpabio said. “INEC is responsible for election logistics and conduct; it must therefore prove that the processes it supervises comply with the law.”
Dickson: Burden of Proof Must Shift to INEC
Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West) argued that the time had come to reform Nigeria’s evidential standard in electoral disputes.
“The current rule that the challenger must prove irregularities unfairly handicaps justice,” he said. “INEC conducts the elections, appoints ad-hoc officials, collates and announces results; it should therefore bear the primary burden of proving that elections were conducted peacefully and lawfully.”
Dickson noted that Nigeria must consolidate democratic gains and strengthen electoral integrity, citing examples from Ghana and other African democracies. He urged the Senate to modernize the system, empower INEC to deploy more technology, and ensure adequate funding.
Oshiomhole: Election Violence Fuels Crime
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) decried the militarization of elections and the post-election surge in crime caused by unrecovered weapons.
“After every election, crimes rise because weapons given to hoodlums during elections are not recovered,” he said. “Even under the current laws, we can have credible elections if we have a change of heart.”
He urged security agencies to be properly guided on their roles during elections to prevent abuse of power and violence.
Dandutse: Defections Degrading Nigeria’s Democracy
Senator Muntari Dandutse (APC, Katsina South) condemned political defections, describing them as “disgraceful and shameful,” and called for legal provisions to strip defectors of their seats.
“It is disgraceful to carry the people’s mandate to another party,” Dandutse said. “To restore the dignity of Nigeria’s democracy, we must ensure that people remain in the parties that brought them to office.”
He also urged that the number of registered political parties be reduced to not more than ten, arguing that many currently exist only on paper.
Senators Call for Stricter Sanctions and Electoral Reforms
Senator Sampson Ekong (APC, Akwa Ibom South) emphasized the need for a change of attitude toward electoral integrity, noting that laws alone cannot deliver credible polls without enforcement.
“We don’t lack the laws, but enforcement. We must ensure that results reflect the people’s will and that players see themselves as trustees of the people,” he said.
Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) also urged the inclusion of all elected political officeholders as delegates in party primaries to strengthen internal democracy.
The Senate will now proceed to clause-by-clause consideration of the Electoral Bill, 2025, where proposed reforms—including the shift of evidential burden to INEC, stronger sanctions for electoral offenders, and regulation of defections—will be critically reviewed.
Breaking News
POLITICS: Wike-led PDP Faction Takes Over Party Secretariat In Oyo
Members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, have taken over the secretariat of the party in Oyo State.
The secretariat, located in the Molete area of Ibadan, was in the custody of the faction loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde of the state until Thursday when the members loyal to Wike took over the premises.
DAILY POST gathered that the PDP members stormed the secretariat on Thursday and occupied the premises with hundreds of members of the party in attendance.
PDP chairman in the state, Professor Abdulrahman Akinoso, confirmed the development to DAILY POST.
Akinoso in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST on Thursday, insisted that the real owners have taken over the premises.
He said, “It is true. It is not faction. It is PDP. We have taken over the premises. It was in the morning. We were there in the morning. We just left the premises. We are now in control. We have taken over the premises.” .…For more, Complete your reading.
Breaking News
POLITICS: Foreign Recognition Won’t Secure Re-election – ADC Tells Tinubu
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has told President Bola Tinubu that foreign recognition will not secure him another term in office, insisting that Nigerians will judge his administration by its performance, not by diplomatic gestures from other world leaders.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party reacted to the Presidency’s celebration of a purported letter from United States President Donald Trump to Tinubu.
The ADC said presenting the letter as an endorsement of Tinubu’s administration was misleading, stressing that diplomatic correspondence between world leaders is a normal part of international relations.
“The Presidency’s attempt to present President Donald Trump’s letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as though it were a referendum on the state of the nation is not correct,” the party said.
According to the ADC, countries cooperate, leaders exchange views and letters regularly, adding that such communication does not amount to an endorsement of a government’s performance.
The party accused the Tinubu administration of being desperate for international validation instead of focusing on solving Nigeria’s challenges.
“It is apparent that this administration is desperate to seize upon any gesture of international recognition as proof of success at home,” the statement said.
The ADC maintained that “a letter from a foreign president, however well-intentioned, cannot substitute for the verdict of the Nigerian people.”
It added that the true measure of any government is not what foreign leaders say about it, but what citizens experience daily.
The opposition party argued that Trump’s letter had not changed the reality facing millions of Nigerians, especially those affected by insecurity.
“For the millions of Nigerians still living with the consequences of this government’s failures, President Trump’s communication changes nothing. It did not say that insecurity has been overcome or that Nigerians can once again travel freely, farm safely and sleep without fear,” the party stated.
The ADC also pointed to the continued captivity of hundreds of women and children in parts of Borno State and Kaiama in Kwara State, while many communities in Benue and other parts of the country still live in constant fear because of insecurity.
The party further noted that, despite the Presidency’s celebration of the letter, the United States Department of State has not changed its travel advisory for Nigeria.
According to the ADC, several Nigerian states remain under Level 3 and Level 4 travel advisories, with American citizens still being urged to reconsider or avoid travel because of crime, terrorism, kidnapping and civil unrest.
“We therefore wonder how correspondence from a government that designates several Nigerian states as ‘Do Not Travel’ areas can be regarded as an endorsement,” the party said.
It argued that the travel advisory shows the international assessment of Nigeria’s security situation remains different from the image the Presidency is trying to project.
The ADC said Nigerians are more concerned about their safety than diplomatic exchanges between presidents.
“The daily reality of Nigerians is shaped not by diplomatic correspondence, but by the guarantee that they can go about their lives without falling victim to violent crime or terrorism,” it said.
The party stressed that Trump’s letter was simply communication between two presidents and “does not amount to an endorsement of this government’s overall performance.”
It urged the Tinubu administration to focus less on celebrating diplomatic courtesies and more on delivering measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
“Ultimately, Nigerians will not judge this government by the letters it receives from foreign capitals. They will judge it by whether .…For more, Complete your reading.
-
Breaking News8 months agoTerrorists Want ₦2m ‘levy’ in Katsina Community Despite Peaceful Agreement
-
Breaking News8 months agoEx-EFCC Exhibit Keeper Kaduna Zonal Directorate, Allegedly Steals ₦22m
-
Breaking News9 months agoNiger Delta Group hails Tinubu, NUPRC for ₦373bn host community fund and 536 life-changing projects
-
Breaking News7 months agoBreaking News: Nigerian Air Force Reportedly Kills 750 Terrorists in Borno State
-
Business9 months agoHouse of Representatives probes $35m modular refinery project
-
Business3 months agoBREAKING NEWS: Zenith Bank Rewards Investors with ₦410.69bn Dividend at AGM
-
Breaking News9 months agoUCL: Osimhen Statement after Galatasaray’s 3-1 Win over Bodo/Glimt
-
Breaking News7 months agoNasarawa Insecurity: Suspects Apprehended, Man Hunt Ongoing – Gov Sule
