Alleged plot to shift poll: it’s fake news, we’re unaware — Presidency

THE Presidency has described as fake news allegations that the Federal Government was planning to shift the January 16 elections.

African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council, ADC-PCC, had earlier raised an alarm over alleged plot to pressure the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, into shifting the January 16 presidential election, warning President Bola Tinubu against seeking to evade an electoral verdict.

But Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, while reacting to the allegation, said the government was unaware of any move to shift the election.

“The federal government is not planning to shift the date of the election or postpone any election. This is not in the works; the federal government is unaware of this, and this is just fake news as far as we are concerned.”

However, the council said it had received information that INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, would be summoned to the Presidential Villa and instructed to alter the election timetable, with just 80 days to the poll.

In a statement by its Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the council urged Tinubu to abandon any such move and called on Amupitan to reject any instruction to change the date and immediately make any such approach public.

“The election date belongs to Nigerians. It must not be rewritten behind closed doors at the Villa,” the council said.

It said Nigerians had endured three and a half years of soaring prices, shrinking incomes and relentless hardship, insisting that they must be allowed to judge the Tinubu administration at the ballot box on January 16.

“A government that has made life this difficult for Nigerians must not be allowed to postpone its day of judgment,” it said.

While acknowledging Ebola as a serious public health concern, the council said health professionals must be allowed to contain the disease, adding that INEC must take necessary steps to protect voters and election workers.

It cited the position of the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, that there was currently no reason to postpone the election, warning against using the health emergency as a political justification for delay.

The council also put INEC, domestic observers and international election monitors on notice, demanding that any proposal to alter the timetable be made openly, backed by published health evidence and subjected to public scrutiny.

“The Presidency must not use a health emergency to escape an electoral verdict,” it added.

At press time, the electoral commission was yet to react to the development.

Reps to summon INEC for briefing on readiness

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has resolved to invite INEC to appear before its committee to provide a comprehensive assessment of its preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Mansur Manu Soro and Abdussamad Dasuki, which raised concerns over operational challenges facing the commission.

The motion, initially seeking INEC’s appearance before the House, was amended to require the commission to brief the relevant committee on its readiness for the elections.

Under the resolution, INEC is expected to appear before the committee within seven legislative days and provide a detailed status report on its preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The lawmakers said the assessment should cover voter registration, Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, production and distribution, election logistics, deployment of technology, recruitment and training of personnel, electoral security, risk assessment and funding. They also called for information on budgetary appropriations, funds released, outstanding releases and the implications of any funding gaps for the commission’s preparations.

The House expressed concern over reports from CVR centres across the country indicating inadequate registration equipment, limited personnel, network challenges, prolonged waiting times and increased demand from citizens seeking to register or update their voter records.

According to the lawmakers, these difficulties could restrict the participation of eligible voters, particularly first-time voters, rural residents, persons with disabilities, students and workers.

They warned that failure to address the operational gaps promptly could undermine public confidence in the electoral process and threaten the peaceful conduct of the 2027 elections.

The lawmakers noted that the credibility, transparency and acceptability of the elections would depend significantly on INEC’s preparedness in areas such as voter education, logistics, technology deployment, personnel training, security coordination and timely funding.

They further observed that the recently concluded Ekiti State governorship election had provided useful lessons on election administration, technology deployment, logistics management and stakeholder engagement that could inform preparations for the 2027 polls.