Reps ask INEC to conclude pending re-run elections

The House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct all pending re-run elections into legislative positions in River and Anambra states.

The resolution was passed following the adoption of a motion under matters of urgent public importance sponsored by Leo Ogor, Minority Leader and five others.

To this end, Speaker Yakubu Dogara who presided over the plenary session, referred the motion to the joint Committee on Legislative Compliance and Electoral Matters to ensure compliance and revert to the House within two weeks with a confirmed date for the election.

In his lead debate, Ogor (PDP-Delta) 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.

“By extension led to a denial of the peoples’ right to participate in critical national issues that have come for deliberation including national appropriations,’’ he added.

Ogor argued that INEC’s failure to conduct the elections violates section 48 of 1999 constitution which provides that the Senate shall consist of three Senators from each state and one from the Federal Capital Territory.

He further said that it also violates section 49 which provides that the House of Representatives shall consist of 360 members representing constituencies of nearly equal population as far as possible.

“The above constitutional provisions are mandatory, thus failure to comply with any of them is unconstitutional.

“The Court of Appeal in December 2015 ordered that re-run elections be conducted within 60 days, but INEC has consistently refused to do so. Apart from the one it conducted on March 19, 2016 in only four out of 12 federal and few state constituencies that re-run elections were ordered in December 2015.

“While almost all states are adequately represented in the parliament, Rivers state continues to be unrepresented due to INEC’s deliberate neglect and refusal to conduct outstanding elections in the state,’’ Ogor said.

In his remarks, Femi Gbajabiamila, Majority Leader) said the call became necessary in view of the need to safeguard the country’s democracy.

He argued that Nigerians in the affected federal constituencies are “underrepresented and there are obvious shortcomings in the constituencies where the elections are not concluded,’’ Gbajabiamila said.