Abuja- The Senate on Tuesday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explore all administrative means to ensure that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country voted in the 2015 general elections.
A resolution to that effect was passed by the upper legislative chamber, which directed the commission to do everything possible to carry out the responsibility.
The resolution was sequel to a Bill sponsored by Sen. Ali Ndume (PDP-Borno) and presented at plenary.
Pushing a case for the bill, Ndume said that it was intended to ensure that the IDPs, spread across the country as the result of insurgency in the North-East zone of the country, were not prevented from voting during the elections.
According to him, Section 42 of the Electoral Act required an amendment, which would include a provision for the establishment of special polling units for IDPs.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section empowers the electoral commission to explore all legitimate means to ensure that all qualified voters were made to cast their votes at election.
In his contribution, Sen. Ita Enang (PDP-Akwa Ibom) said that only an administrative mechanism was apt in handling the issue, adding that “what the Bill seeks to do is contained in Section 42 of the Electoral Act’’.
Aligning himself to Enang’s submission, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremandu, said that the Bill could only provoke thoughts on why the IDPs must not be disenfranchised on election days.
“It is the responsibility of INEC to ensure that these people who are eligible voters are provided with special polling units in their camps to exercise their rights to vote.
“This is purely an administrative issue but we can use our powers here to mandate INEC not to trivialise that portion of the Electoral Act.
‘’It could be used as a standard to measure the electoral process when the chips are down, so efforts must be taken to block all loopholes,’’ he said.
Sen. Ayogu Eze (PDP-Enugu) said that the commission should liaise with the appropriate authority to take inventory of actual number of eligible voters that were displaced.
Also supporting the bill, Sen. Maina Lawal (APC-Borno) said that it was important to compel INEC to capture eligible voters who were currently displaced in order to cast their votes in 2015 election.
“Many contestants are banking on the votes from the North-East region to sail through their contests.
‘’So, it would not be fair if that region is cut-off because the people are no longer in points where they registered to participate in the elections,’’ he said.
Commenting, President of the Senate, David Mark, said that the Bill should be ‘’saved’’ by converting it to a resolution.
“The most important aspect of the proposed Bill is to ensure that eligible voters who are displaced presently are made to vote,’’ Mark said.
In another development, the senate has set aside a Bill to amend the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act to include Anambra as one of the member states.
Sen. Andy Uba, who presented the Bill, recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan had in one of his visits to the state conferred the status of oil-producing state on Anambra following the discovery of crude oil in the state.
According to him, the listing of Anambra among oil-producing states would abate misunderstanding that could come from the exploration of the substance.
“It would also be used as template to guide against arbitrariness of oil companies that might do business in the locality,’’ he said.
Opposing the Bill, Sen. Ahmed Lawal (APC-Yobe) said that the area where the discovery was made still remained in dispute.
According to Lawal, I stand to oppose this bill because it is hasty and not proper.
He said that Kogi and Enugu state were contesting ownership of the area where the oil deposit was located.
Agreeing with Lawal, Sen. Attahiru Ali (PDP-Kogi) reminded his colleagues that a Presidential Committee on the issue, headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo was yet to submit its final report.
“Until the matter is resolved, the states involved must maintain decorum in order not to spark off another round of violent clashes between the communities,’’ he said.
Sen. Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi) cautioned that the Senate should not involve itself in the technical part of the controversy, saying ‘’the presidential committee should be allowed to do its job’’.
“The committee is set up to carry out scientific analysis of the area with the view to apportioning the area to the right owner, so this Bill is therefore hasty,’’ he said.
On his part, Sen. Ayogu Eze said that the dispute had generated enormous acrimonies between communities in the area.
“The host communities could be found in the three states of Anambra, Enugu and Kogi. If the deposit is Anambra, the drilling goes through Kogi and Enugu; only mutual understanding can solve the problem.
‘’This Bill that seeks to cede the region to only Anambra is hasty and inappropriate,’’ Eze said.
NAN reports that the Legislatives Houses (Power and Privileges Act Cap L12, 2011 Bill 2014) has passed through first reading.
Also at the plenary, the Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions laid its report on the screening of Mr Joseph Nnanna as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) before the senate. (NAN)