November 1, 2024
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has disclosed that the commission is yet to act on Rivers state Assembly crisis because of the several conflicting court judgements and controversies trailing the Assembly.
The INEC boss revealed this while speaking at a stakeholders meeting with Media Executives at the Commission headquarters in Abuja.
The leadership of the faction loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara wrote the commission to conduct bye election to fill the position of the 25 members of the Assembly loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Some Nigerians also accused the commission of failing to act on the request by the lawmakers
Mahmood said INEC has not acted because of the several conflicting court judgements on the crisis in the Assembly.
He also maintained that as a result of the crisis and the conflicting judgements of courts at the state and federal levels, the commission has also not conducted the bye election into the Assembly occasioned by the death of one of the members.
He disclosed that the Commission was looking towards the middle of December to conduct bye elections into the House of Representatives declared vacant as a result of death of members of the House as well as some House of Assembly seats.
READ MORE; Rivers Assembly crisis: Amaewhule, Oko-Jumbo factions at dagger drawn.
According to him: “The seats of 25 members of the Rivers state House of Assembly were declared vacant by three other members. The 25 members also declared the seat of the three vacant.
“After that, there was a court judgement from the Rivers High Court as well as the Federal High Court on the legitimacy of each of these group of lawmakers. We at INEC has been following the development. We don’t know what will happen next and so, we are seeking the views of Nigerians, especially legal experts on this.
However, he said the commission was working out the logistics for the conduct of the bye elections stating that it will soon announce the date for the elections.
Mahmood said that the Commission was carrying out consultations on the possibility whereby the political that loses elected member either due to death or resignation can nominate a candidate to fill the vacant position.
He said conduct of bye elections has created lots of logistic issues for the commission, emphasizing that between July 2023 when the current government came into power, it has about 20 bye elections.
He explained that in other parts of the world, the political party whose member dies simply nominate another person to take over the seat, adding that in Nigeria, this is not the case.
He said the commission was discussing the possibility of adopting the same method with stakeholders in the nation’s electoral process and sought for suggestions from Nigerians.
