INEC Issues Statement Regarding Rivers Assembly Dispute

INEC Issues Statement Regarding Rivers Assembly DisputeThe Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has addressed the ongoing controversy within the Rivers State House of Assembly. He explained that INEC has refrained from intervening due to conflicting court rulings regarding the assembly’s legitimacy.

The crisis involves a power struggle between two factions: one loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the other to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. Fubara’s faction recently called for bye-elections to fill the seats of 25 assembly members aligned with Wike, who were allegedly declared vacant.

During a stakeholder meeting with media executives in Abuja, Yakubu stated that INEC’s inaction stems from “several conflicting court judgments” from both state and federal courts, complicating the commission’s ability to assess the legitimacy of the factions. He noted, “Three members declared the seats of 25 members vacant, leading to retaliation where those 25 declared the seats of the three vacant. The court judgments from the Rivers High Court and the Federal High Court present differing views on these lawmakers’ legitimacy, and INEC has been closely monitoring the situation.”

In addition to addressing the Rivers Assembly issue, Yakubu mentioned that INEC is preparing for bye-elections for various House of Representatives and Assembly seats that have become vacant due to member deaths or resignations. The commission aims to schedule these elections by mid-December.

Yakubu also highlighted the logistical challenges posed by frequent bye-elections, noting that INEC has conducted around 20 such elections since July 2023. To mitigate this issue, the commission is considering allowing political parties to directly nominate replacements for vacant seats, a practice common in other democracies that could save INEC considerable resources.

Regarding the upcoming Ondo State governorship election, Yakubu assured that lessons from previous elections have been incorporated to improve voter accreditation and the timely upload of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal. He urged Nigerians, especially legal experts, to contribute input on potential changes to the electoral process, emphasizing the commission’s commitment to ensuring consistency, legitimacy, and efficiency in handling electoral matters.

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