Senate Threatens to Suspend Plenary Over Rivers Re-run Election

Senate The Upper house of the National Assembly of Nigeria on Wednesday gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Dec. 10 ultimatum to conduct pending National Assembly elections in Rivers.

The Senate threatened to suspend its plenary if the electoral body failed to meet the deadline, pointing out that the state had remained without representation in the national assembly for a long period.

According to the chamber, the situation is unconstitutional.| The lawmakers took the decision after adopting a motion by the Deputy President of the Senate, Mr Ike Ekwerenmadu, and co-sponsored by Leader of the Senate, Alhaji Ali Ndume. Moving the motion earlier, Ekweremadu said that in spite of the resolution of the senate on Sept. 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.” Ekweremmadu said that INEC had no excuse not to have conducted the elections and urged his colleagues to support the motion. In his contribution, Ndume said that it was unfair that Rivers had no representation in the Senate.