Senate threatens suspension of plenary over River rerun

The Senate has threatened to suspend plenary indefinitely if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fails to conduct all pending parliamentary elections in Rivers State by December 10, 2016.

The upper legislative chamber also urged the Federal Government to immediately appoint a Minister from Kogi State in line with the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

These resolutions followed a motion on the non-conduct of parliamentary elections in Rivers State by the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and co-sponsored by Senate Leader Ali Ndume.

Although the Deputy Senate President initially moved that plenary be suspended if the electoral body failed to conduct the outstanding elections in the state before the end this month, Chairman Senate Committee on INEC, Abubakar Kyari, however, explained that the Commission had promised to conduct the polls by December 10.

The state had been without federal lawmakers since December 11, 2015 after the Appeal Court sacked all three senators and some legislators in the lower chamber.

Ekweremadu in the motion entitled: ‘Non–Conduct of Elections in Rivers State’,  argued  that in spite of Senate’s resolution (S/Res/O16/02/16)  of 27th of September 2016, calling on lNEC to immediately conclude all pending re-run elections in the country, the commission failed in carrying out the order particularly in Rivers State.

He said failure of the commission to conduct the elections 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.

According to him, “Non-representation of the entire people of Rivers State in the Senate and some constituencies of Rivers State in the House of Representatives and State 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 State has continued to deny the people of Rivers State their constitutionally guaranteed rights to be represented in the legislative houses where laws affecting them are being made, and has engendered palpable anxiety amongst people of the state.

“Also aware that INEC recently conducted successful elections in Edo State even after security advice from Police and DSS forced a rescheduling of the election date”.

In his contribution, co-sponsor of the bill, Ndume, wondered how the electoral body successfully conducted elections in the North East ravaged by terrorist activities, yet failed to hold successful federal elections in Rivers State.

He expressed regret that lawmakers from the state would not witness the Second Reading of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and condemned the new leadership of INEC for the untidy arrangement in getting elections conducted at the right time.

To him, the Yakubu Mahmood-led INEC has been plagued with ‘inconclusive elections, suspension of elections and confusion’.

Virtually all the senators who contributed supported the motion, the template upon which Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) brought in the issue of non-representation of Kogi State in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) since the death of the late Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, James Ocholi eight months ago.

Consequently, the Senate through an additional prayer, urged the Federal Government to immediately appoint a Minister from Kogi State in line with the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

In his remarks, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, urged both INEC and the President to do the needful within the time frame given since the country according to him, practices representative democracy.