2019 elections time-table stands, Yakubu insists

-Okays Bello’s registration transfer from Abuja to Okene

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said it still “stands by the time-table” earlier released for the 2019 General Elections, despite the re-ordering of the sequence by the National Assembly.

The two chambers of the National Assembly, recently amended the 2010 Electoral Act, consequent upon which it altered the 2019 general elections, which among others, fixed the presidential election as the last and that of NASS as first.

This is contrary to the earlier one released by INEC which put the presidential election as the fi rst and that of the National Assembly as the last.

The amended bill, which is presently awaiting President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent, has continued to generate mixed reactions from Nigerians. Clarifying the commission’s position yesterday at a media parley in Abuja, the Chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, said the commission’s arrangement on the general elections stands for now until the bill becomes a law.

He said, “until the bill by the National Assembly is passed,” the Commission would work wiTh extant laws. “On the ongoing amendment of Section 25, there is no legal lacuna. What we are doing is under the existing law. When the bill is accented to, we will study the provisions and know what to tell Nigerians,” he said.

The INEC boss said the Electoral Act as amended “is still relevant to the operations of INEC,” adding that the Commission was not encumbered by any legal lacuna, nor does he foresee any constitutional crisis to emanate from bills pending at the National Assembly.

Yakubu stated that Nigerians, who registered last year, would get their permanent voter cards (PVCs) before May, this year, while those who registered this year will get their PVCs before the 2019 general elections. The INEC chairman disclosed that the Civic Voter Registration (CVR) will be taken to the ward levels in Ekiti and Osun to boost the ongoing registration, adding that an additional 400 direct data capturing machines have been sent to the two states to speed up the process.

On the reported under-age voting in Kano, the chairman stated that there was a limit to what the commission could do in elections organised by State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), but enjoined the forum to ensure that all elections organised at the state level were credible at a meeting last week.

Yakubu, who assured that the voter register would be thoroughly cleaned up before the 2019 general elections, stated that since his commission had improved in the conduct of its elections, SIEC should adopt the same mechanism to improve on its own elections.

He also urged Nigerians to report cases of infractions witnessed on the field during elections to enable the commission apply sanctions to culprits, to act as a deterrent to others.

While reacting to the commendations on its use of magnifying glasses in the Anambra governorship elections, Yakubu assured that the commission would ensure polling centres were made friendlier for the physically challenged and the senior citizens, by deploying the use of wheel chairs at the polling centres.

Earlier, Chief Bayo Budunrin of Daar Communication, who represented President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Waheed Odusile, commended the commission for recognising the media practitioners as major stakeholders, pledging that the union would continue to adequately report the activities of the commission.

Bello’s registration transfer In a related development, the Commission has reversed itself to give approval for the transfer of registration for the Kogi state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to Okene local government area of Kogi state. The approval was confirmed in a press statement issued yesterday in Lokoja by the state INEC’s Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Ahmed Bagudu Biambo, on behalf of the Resident Electoral Commissioner.

The transfer of Governor Bello’s registration from Abuja to Okene, Kogi state, came on the heels of the last year’s indictment of the governor by INEC over allegation of double registration.

It will be recalled that INEC, in a statement issued on December 14th, 2017, had dismissed two of its officials for their alleged roles in the alleged electoral scandal involving the governor.

Bello was accused of double voter registration, an allegation he consistently denied. Clarifying this in a statement, INEC said: “Following reports of the alleged double registration by the Governor of Kogi state in the on-going Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, the commission set up a panel of investigation into the involvement of staff in the matter.”

The commission also indicated that it could not prosecute Bello “only because he enjoys constitutional immunity from prosecution.” “The initial report submitted by the panel was referred to the Appointment, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee, which made recommendations to the Commission.

“While the Governor of Kogi state currently enjoys immunity from prosecution, the Commission took the following decisions in respect of its own staff : Summary dismissal of two staff for acts of gross misconduct; immediate and compulsory retirement of an electoral officer for acts of gross misconduct.” However, the Commission, in its latest press statement announcing the approval of the governor’s registration, said, “following enquiries, the Independent National Electoral Commission, Kogi state, wishes to inform the public that the governor, Alhaji Yaya Bello, formally applied for transfer, on January 26, 2018, through the electoral officer, INEC, Okene local government area.

“Having satisfied that he met the requirements for such transfer in accordance with the provisions of the electoral act and guidelines, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Kogi state approved the transfer of his registration from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to Okene local government area of Kogi state.

“In granting the approval, the Resident Electoral Commissioner acted in accordance with the provision of the law and guided by INEC guidelines and procedures for such transfers. No preference or favour were granted or shown to the governor.”

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