The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, will conduct supplementary elections in 18 states on Saturday and conclude the hitherto suspended polls in Rivers state in April.
Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Voter Education and Publicity Committee who stated this Thursday at a press conference in Abuja, said out of the 18 states, supplementary governorship election will be conducted in six states- Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Plateau and Sokoto.
Okoye announced that collation and announcement of results of the suspended Rivers polls resumes April 5th and the conduct of supplementary elections in the state where necessary is scheduled between 13 and 15 April while presentation of certificate of returns to the governor-elect as well as State House of Assembly- elect holds 19th April.
He also disclosed that the Commission had taken urgent steps to vacate the interim injunctions restraining it from collating the governorship election results in Tafawa Balewa local government area of Bauchi State, and proceeding with supplementary election in Adamawa state.
“Supplementary elections will be conducted in 18 states of the federation on 23rd March 2019. Details of the states and constituencies where the elections will take place will be uploaded on our website before the close of work today.
“All observers and the media accredited by the Commission to cover the 2019 general elections are free to observe the elections. They will have unimpeded access to the material distribution centres, polling units and collation centres.
“Arising from the meeting held on 19th March 2019 between INEC and security agencies, the latter have given the assurances of adequate security, professional conduct and unimpeded access to all levels of the election and collation centres.
“The INEC Situation Room will be activated on Saturday 23rd March 2019. Nigerians can reach the Commission via 0700-2255-4632 and its social media platforms (twitter: @inecnigeria; Facebook: INEC Nigeria).
“The Commission encourages all registered voters in the areas where elections will be conducted to come out and cast their ballots. We also appeal to all stakeholders for continuous support”, Okoye stated.
On the pending cases in Bauchi and Adamawa states, the INEC National Commissioner said, “the supplementary governorship election earlier scheduled to hold in Bauchi state is now a subject of litigation which was initiated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Mohammed A. Abubakar.
“An interlocutory injunction to suspend the process has been served on the Commission by the Federal High Court, Abuja. While the Commission has complied in accordance with its policy to obey all court orders in deference to the rule of law, it has also taken urgent steps to vacate the order and dismiss the action.
“It should however be noted that the litigation and consequential order only affect the collation of results for the governorship election in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area. Consequently, the supplementary elections will proceed as scheduled on Saturday 23 March in the other 15 Local Government Areas of Bauchi State as well as the Kirfi State Constituency Supplementary Election in Kirfi Local Government Area.
“Similarly, the Adamawa State High court issued an injunction restraining the Commission from proceeding with the supplementary election following the application by the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), a registered political party which did not take part in the main election. While the Commission has also complied with the order, it has equally taken steps to vacate it and dismiss the action.
“Notwithstanding the legal action over the Supplementary Governorship election, elections will hold in Nassarawo/Binyeri State Constituency in Mayo – Belwa Local government area where the election had to be countermanded following the death of a candidate before the polls, as well as the supplementary State Constituency election and Uba/Gaya State Constituency in Hong Local Government Area”.
Giving detailed update on the suspended Rivers polls, Okoye said, “following the violent disruption of the electoral process in Rivers during the Governorship and State Assembly elections on 9th and 10th March 2019, the Commission was compelled to suspend the process
“The Commission set up a Fact-Finding Committee that visited Rivers State and submitted its report which revealed that while election could not hold in a few areas, it was successfully concluded in others with the declaration of winners in 21 state constituencies. Collation was on-going at the time of the suspension of the process. The activities and timelines for the resumption and conclusion of the process are as follows:
“Engagement with security agencies, March, Abuja. ICCES meeting (Rivers State) 29th March, Port Harcourt. Meeting with Stakeholders, 30th March, Port Harcourt. Issuance of Guidelines for resumption of collation of results 1st April, INEC Headquarters, Abuja. Revalidation of Polling Agents and Observers for collation of results 25th 31st March Abuja and Port Harcourt.
“Resumption of collation and announcement of results 2nd – 5thApril, Port Harcourt (Venue to be agreed with stakeholders). Supplementary elections where necessary, 13th April Various locations. Announcement of results of all supplementary elections, 13th – 15th April Various locations. Issuance of all outstanding Certificates of Return Latest 19th of April, INEC Office, Port Harcourt.”
He further announced that, “Certificates of Return in respect of Governors-elect shall be presented by supervising National Commissioners of the respective states between Wednesday 27th and Friday 29th March 2019. They will be assisted by Resident Electoral Commissioners and Legal Officers of the Commission.
“The precise date for the presentation in each state shall be made known by the respective Resident Electoral Commissioners after consultation with the supervising National Commissioners
“For the State Houses of Assembly, the date of presentation of Certificates of Return to the respective winners will be announced in due course.”
Responding to questions on non-presentation of certificate of return to Rochas Okorcha, Senator-elect for Imo West Senatorial District, Okoye stated that, “he has taken the matter to court and I think that it will be more prudent and more rational to wait for the outcome of the matter he has filed in court before we make any further comment.
“When a matter is pending in court, the best thing to do is not to prejudge the matter that is already in court but you allow the judicial process to run its course. If at the end of the day the court makes an order that we should give him a certificate of return, the Commission will of obey such order. If on the other hand the court takes a different position and makes other orders in relation to the conduct of the election in Imo West, we will also comply with the order. But as at today, the matter is pending in court and best thing to do is to wait for the outcome of the judicial process.
While denying knowledge of the purported movement of collation centre for supplementary governorship election in Benue from the State INEC Office to the Nigerian Airforce Base Makurdi, the INEC Chief Spokesman said, “On the issue of the collation centre for Benue state, I am not aware that the collation centre has been moved. I am the supervising National Commissioner for Benue state and the supplementary elections will take place in Benue State on Saturday and I don’t have any information as at now that the collation centre has been moved.
“But as you know the Resident Electoral Commissioner has been engaging with the different stakeholders in the electoral process in relation to this election and what we want is a situation where we are going to conduct the governorship election in Benue State in a very peaceful and conducive atmosphere. So he is engaging with different stakeholders and if there has been agreement between the Commissioner and the different stakeholders when I get to Benue, I will be availed of such agreement.”
James Kwen, Abuja
