Rivers Rerun Polls: Why NASS Slammed INEC

Reasons the two cham
bers of the National Assembly gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) up till December 10 to conduct pending National Assembly elections in Rivers are now public.
The Senate threatened to suspend its plenary if the electoral body failed to meet the deadline, pointing out that the state had remained without representation in the National Assembly for a long period.
According to the chamber, the situation is unconstitutional.
The lawmakers took the decision after adopting a motion by the Deputy President of the Senate, Mr. Ike Ekwerenmadu, and co-sponsored by Leader of the Senate, Alhaji Ali Ndume.
Also, the House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct all pending re-run elections into legislative positions in Rivers and Anambra.
The lower chamber decision followed the unanimous adoption of a motion under matters of urgent public importance sponsored by the House Minority Leader, Rep. Leo Ogor (PDP-Delta) and five others.
Moving the motion, Ogor said that INEC’s inability to conduct re-run elections in the two states had denied the people their constitutionally guaranteed right to representation at the National and State Houses of Assembly.
He said, “And by extension led to a denial of the peoples’ right to participate in critical national issues that have come for deliberation including national appropriations.”
Moving the motion, Ekweremadu said that in spite of the resolution of the senate on September 27 urging INEC to conduct the elections, “the commission refused to oblige”.
He said, “lNEC has failed, refused and or neglected to conduct re-run elections in Rivers, into the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly.
“The failure of lNEC to conduct the re-run elections in Rivers within the time-frame ordered by the respective election petition tribunals/courts is in breach of the Electoral Act and Section 76 of the 1999 Constitution, thus endangering the nation’s democracy.
“Non-representation of the entire people of Rivers in the Senate and some constituencies in the House of Representatives and House of Assembly is in breach of Section 14 (2) (c) of the 1999 Constitution, and endangers peace and order in the state.
“Failure of lNEC to conduct election in Rivers has continued to deny the people of the state their constitutionally guaranteed rights to be represented in the legislative houses.
“lNEC had successfully conducted elections in the North-East of Nigeria, especially in the areas around Sambisa Forest in spite of the area having been acknowledged worldwide to be ravaged by terrorist activities.