From Fred Itua, Abuja
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu disclosed yesterday, that, at least 20 states of the Federation have no Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC).
Ekweremadu said this was contrary to Section 14 (2) of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
He said this in a motion at Senate’s Tuesday plenary and added that inconclusive elections do not portend anything good the nation’s democracy.
Ekweremadu also said postponement of elections are wrong signals and symptoms that cannot be dismissed with the wave of the hand. The Enugu lawmaker noted that 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.
“Developments at few electoral exercises carried out so far by our electoral umpire has 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. We are worried that the trend of inconclusive elections and whimsical postponement of elections are wrong signals and symptoms that cannot just be dismissed with wave of hands.”
Co-sponsor of the motion and Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, in his remarks, said lawmakers cannot see “something going wrong and fail to do anything as a Senate.”
Ndume also queried where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) derived its powers to postpone elections.
“I wonder where INEC derived the power to postpone elections anyhow. “It is better to take wrong decisions than not to do at all.”
His deputy, Bala Na’Allah said: “The combined effect of sections 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.”
Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe declared that elections conducted so far by INEC are illegitimate if only one third of the commission is filled.
Adopting prayers of the motion, Senate called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately nominate suitably qualified persons to fill the vacant positions of INEC in line with the Constitution to enhance the capacity of the electoral commission to conduct conclusive elections.
The chamber further called on INEC to immediately conclude all pending elections in the country while mandating its committee on INEC to conduct a public hearing to review the performance of INEC in the last one year with a view to ascertaining factors that may have caused perceived decline of the electrical system.
INEC was further directed to conclude delineation of additional constituencies across the country.
Senate’s decision is expected to be forwarded to president Buhari for compliance.
In concluding remarks, Saraki urged INEC to conclude elections in the affected constituencies. “Buhari should ensure that those vacant positions should be filled,” he added.