ABUJA – Senate yesterday criticized the spate of inconclusive election being conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), even as it urged President Mohammadu Buhari to fill the key vacant positions in the commission to enable it complete the outstanding polls across the country.
This followed a motion to this effect which was moved by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekwerenmadu, and co-sponsored by the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume.
The lawmakers lamented that the commission is not properly constituted today, even as it said the elections conducted today may not be said to be valid.
In the motion, Ekweremadu had lamented the absence of Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in 20 out of the 36 states of the federation, which it said if not addressed on time, will inhibit INEC from conducting any legitimate election now.
The Senate in the motion observed that non appointment of RECs to fill the 20 vacancies was in breach of Section 14 (2) of the Third Schedule of the1999 Constitution, as amended.
While urging Muhammadu Buhari to do the needful by nominating qualified persons to fill the vacant positions in INEC to enhance its capacity, the Senate called on the commission to immediately conclude all pending elections in the country.
It mandated its committee on INEC to hold a public hearing to review the performance of INEC in the last one year with a view to ascertain the factors that may have caused the perceived decline of the electrical system.
To this end, the upper chamber directed the commission to conclude the delineation of additional constituencies across the country as soon as possible.
In his concluding remarks, Saraki urged INEC to conclude elections in the affected constituencies, adding that the President should make the required appointments into the commission’s vacant positions to ensure that it is properly constituted.
Meanwhile, in his debate, Ekweremadu had said the trend of inconclusive election has left both chambers of the National Assembly and some State Houses of Assembly without the full complement of their membership, while millions of Nigerians are left without representatives for a long period of time.
“The developments at few electoral exercises carried out so far by our electoral umpire have left much to be desired being a research sample of the entire population. We are worried about the fate of the 2019 general elections in the face of the present state of inconclusive elections and postponements.
In his own remarks, Co-sponsor of the motion and Leader of the Senate, Senator AliNdume (APC Borno South), said lawmakers cannot see something going wrong and fail to do anything as a Senate.
“I wonder where INEC derived the power to postpone elections anyhow. It is better to take wrong decisions than not to do at all”, he said.
Deputy Leader of the Senate, Bala Na’Allah, in his remarks, said “The combined effect of section 42 and 70 made it compulsory for the President to recognise the diverse nature of Nigeria. It will be unjust for certain sections of Nigeria not being represented in the National Assembly where critical decisions are taken.”
