Senate to suspend plenary if Rivers State re-run elections are not concluded by INEC

The Nigerian Senate has at last given the National Electoral Commission (INEC) till December 10 to conduct all pending National Assembly elections in Rivers.

It was further learnt that the Senate threatened to interrupt its plenary unless the electoral body conduct the aforementioned elections in Rivers State. Has the state has been denied representatives in the national assembly for a long time, and is unconstitutional for a state to be deprived such right as being enshrined in the constitution.

Motion which was brought up by the Deputy President of the Senate, Mr. Ike Ekwerenmadu, and co-sponsored by Leader of the Senate, Alhaji Ali Ndume, was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers.

Stirring the motion, Ekweremadu stressed that in spite of the resolve of the senate on September 27 urging INEC to conduct the elections, “the commission refused to oblige”.

He said, “lNEC has failed, refused and or neglected to conduct re-run elections in Rivers, into the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly.

“The failure of lNEC to conduct the re-run elections in Rivers 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, thus endangering the nation’s democracy.

“Non-representation of the entire people of Rivers in the Senate and some constituencies 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 has continued to deny the people of the 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 in spite of government acknowledged threat of militant activities that necessitated provision of additional security personnel in the state for the elections.”

He further expressed his displeasure saying that the Commission has no justifiable reason not to have conducted the elections and admonished his fellow lawmakers to support the motion.

Similarly, Ndume said that it was unfair that Rivers had no representation in the Senate. This is because, it will unjust for the Senate to deliberate on the Petroleum Industry Bill without a representation from the state.

He said, “If it is our colleagues 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?”

Ndume said that the new leadership in INEC had a lot to do in the area of conducting successful election.

He said, “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 election?

“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.”

Also supporting, Sen. Matthew Uroghide stated that the non-representation of Rivers in the Senate was an inhumane treatment to the people of the state.

“There is no way we can perpetrate inhuman treatment to a people than what INEC is doing in Rivers.

“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.”