The Independent National Electoral Commission says it is standing by its decision to hold the 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections on the same day while the governorship and state legislative elections will come next.
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said this at the quarterly consultative meeting with the media in Abuja on Monday. INEC had announced last year that the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on February 16, 2019 while the governorship, state assembly and area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory would take place on March 2, 2019.
The National Assembly, however, opposed the sequence of the election and amended the Electoral Act such that the National Assembly election would hold first while the presidential election would come last. The bill has since been transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
However, the INEC boss said, “There are many ‘ifs’ but here, we deal with certainty. As far as the commission is concerned, there is no legal lacuna at the moment. What we have done is on the basis of the existing law and nothing has changed. If the bill is accented to, we will look at the provisions and inform Nigerians on the next step. But as far as the commission is concerned at the moment, we are operating under the existing law and we have issued a timetable for the activities accordingly.
If something happens tomorrow, we will examine it and proceed accordingly.”
From punch
*Just wondering if INEC is govt controlled or if they can work independently without fear or favour....
INEC being independent fire. The reason is any Assembly member who didn't deliver his or her constitution for buhari, they will rig you out.
ReplyDeleteWhy can’t they just put everything and everyone on the ballot on the same day and get it over with?? INEC officials be looking for ways to milk the country and line their pockets. Let them try it for once. Put all the baton the ballot one time.
ReplyDeleteGovernment controlled. What is wrong if we hold all the same day
ReplyDeleteStella, please read what the INEC boss said carefully. His statement is very correct, the calendar is based on the existing law.
ReplyDeleteThe current bill passed by the National Assembly isn’t a law yet until it is accented to by the President. That’s how laws are made.
INEC will be doing wrong to adjust it’s calender based on an ongoing legislative process.
The lawmakers themselves should’ve been more proactive to start this process way before the electoral calender came out. By the way, they are also being selfish themselves to get the president to support their reelection and then leave him to their mercy
They have already fixed who will win what, so the manipulations have already started .. .
ReplyDeleteWhatever!
ReplyDeleteIt is govt controlled so that the governors and other politicians will submit their state to the president and the president will secure theor position. Decietful people everywhere
ReplyDelete