ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety) has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that non-conduct of the outstanding legislative rerun elections in parts of South East and South South is invitation to anarchy and insecurity.
The rights group, in a letter to the Commission on Wednesday and signed by its board chairman, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, warned that the delay in the conduct of the rerun polls in the affected constituents in the three southern and opposition dominated states of Anambra, Imo and Rivers, is a breach of the constitution and electoral laws.
Umeagbalasi noted that the “legal disputes associated with the conduct of polls into the country’s 469 federal legislative seats on March 28, 2015, mandatorily commenced in April 2015 and mandatorily concluded in December 2015 (six months of procedural proceedings plus two months of appellate proceedings), while the appellate court ordered reruns or related others; must be commenced and concluded in March 2016”.
“These laws and judicial orders have been observed in gross breach by your electoral Commission till date,” he added.
He, however, deplored the fact that for over 12 months after the country’s federal legislative poll was conducted, a number of outstanding reruns abound, especially in the aforementioned three states.
Presently, he said, at the Senate five senatorial districts with combined electoral population of 10 million to 15 million have been denied quality and deliberative legislative representation since December 2015.
According to him, similar sad fate has befallen other vacant House of Reps seats particularly those in Rivers State, adding that the five vacant senatorial district seats and those of the House of Reps in Rivers State are in the realm of “primus inter pares” or first among equals; considering their strategic importance to national cohesion, unity and development.
He said: “As important as Rivers State is to the country’s national wealth and politics, yet it does not have serving senators till date; likewise Anambra State and its Central Senatorial District and Imo State and its North or Okigwe Senatorial District.
“There are no legal, administrative or political excuses that can impeach the right of the people of the areas to enjoy quality and deliberative representation at the National Assembly of Nigeria. The right of a people to vote is sacrosanct, constitutional and justiciable.”
Umeagbalasi stated that the “Commission is aware, there is still outstanding Senatorial rerun for the Imo North (Okigwe) Senatorial District, which expired on March 11, 2016.
The letter further read: “Till date, Your Commission has observed these judicial orders in gross breach. The electoral fate of the electorates of the Imo North (Okigwe) Senatorial District has remained at crossroads following Your Commission’s adamant refusal to fix a new date for the rerun.
“The Anambra Central Senatorial Rerun is also outstanding till date. The Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, had on 6th of December 2015 nullified the election of Senator Uche Ekwunifie and ordered Your Commission to conduct a Senatorial rerun into the vacant seat in 90 days or within 90 days. The 90 days court order within which Your Commission was mandated to conduct the rerun expired on 6th of March 2016.
“In Rivers State, there are still outstanding reruns involving Rivers South-West, Rivers South-East and Rivers East Senatorial District seats as well as nine House of Reps seats. The 90 days court order expired on 10th and 11th of March 2016. In the case of nine House of Reps seats the 90 days court order within which to conduct their reruns expired on 12th of March 2016. Till date, Rivers State has no senatorial representation at the Senate and nine of its 13 House of Reps seats are currently vacant on account of failure and incompetence of your commission to conduct and conclude reruns into the vacant seats.”
The group further warned that INEC’s actions with regards to the outstanding polls, is a “clear threat to Nigeria’s pluralist democracy arising from the Commission’s highly despicable and widely condemned conducts; widely considered as a clear invitation to anarchy”.
They also demanded that INEC must not only fix new dates for the outstanding reruns immediately but also apologise to all Nigerians and the electoratesof the nine federal constituencies and three senatorial districts in Rivers State as well as those of Imo North and Anambra Central senatorial districts.