RERUN ELECTIONS: SENATE THREATENS TO GO ON STRIKE
Electoral Commission
(INEC) till December 10, 2016 to conduct the pending National Assembly rerun
elections in Rivers State.
Failure to adhere to
the ultimatum, the Senate threatened to suspend plenary. It stressed that the
non-representation of the state in the National Assembly was unconstitutional
and condemnable.
The Upper Chamber
adopted the resolution following a motion sponsored by the Deputy Senate
President Ike Ekwerenmadu and co-sponsored by the Leader of the Senate, Senator
Ali Ndume.
Presenting his lead
debate, Ekweremmadu bemoaned that despite the resolution of the Senate taken on
September 27, 2016, which urged INEC to conduct the election, the commission
refused to act accordingly.
Ekweremadu said:
“lNEC has failed, refused and or neglected to conduct re-run elections in
Rivers State into the Senate, House of Representatives and state House of
Assembly.
“The failure of lNEC
to conduct the re-run elections in Rivers State 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 (as amended), thus
endangering the nation’s democracy.
“Non-representation
of the entire people of Rivers State in the Senate and some constituencies of
Rivers State 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 State has continued to deny the people of Rivers
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.
“Elections were held
in Bayelsa State in spite of government’s acknowledged threat of militant
activities that necessitated provision of additional security personnel in the
state for the elections.”
Ekweremmadu stressed
that INEC had no excuse not to have conducted the election and urged his
colleagues to support his motion.
Contributing, Ndume
told his colleagues that it was unfair that Rivers had no representation in the
Senate. He said it was unthinkable that the Senate was about to discuss the
Petroleum Industry Bill(PIB) without a representation from the state.
“If it is our
colleague from Rivers today, it could be you any day. You can imagine if
because of insurgency, elections were not conducted, I will not be here, let
alone being the Senate Leader.
“How would it be for
my people who are ravaged by insurgency not to have somebody to tell you people
or my colleagues what is actually on ground?
“Just imagine the
motions we raised that led to the passage of the bill on the North-East
Development Commission, how would I have proposed it?,” he queried.
Ndume said the new
leadership in INEC had a lot to do in conducting successful election.
“We have a new
leadership in INEC. And we know the history now; inconclusive, suspension and
confusion. And we have to do something. Very soon, we will be preparing for
general elections. If we cannot conduct one election in Rivers, how do we
conduct the general elections.
“I know there are
problems in Rivers, but elections must hold. The voice should come out from
here. It is better to take a wrong decision than not to take a decision at
all,” he said.
Also, Senator Matthew
Uroghide said the non-representation of Rivers state in the Senate was an
inhumane treatment to the people.
“There is no way we
can perpetrate inhuman treatment to a people than what INEC is doing in Rivers
State. It is inhuman and the National Assembly cannot sit and have this country
tolerate this treatment. I support this motion, INEC should be called to order.
This is no time for favouritism. So I ask that INEC be called to conduct the
election. I believe one month is too much,” he said.
The Senate also
approved an additional prayer moved by Senator Dino Melaye, urging
President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint a minister from Kogi State to replace the
late Mr. James Ocholi, who died alongside his wife, Blessing, on Kaduna/Abuja
Road on March 5 this year.
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