The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) addressed the ongoing conflict in the Rivers State House of Assembly on Friday, explaining that its lack of action stemmed from conflicting court rulings on the matter.
At a stakeholders’ meeting with media executives held at INEC’s Abuja headquarters, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu responded to calls for the commission’s intervention.
A faction aligned with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has urged INEC to hold a by-election to replace 25 lawmakers who support FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. In contrast, Wike’s supporters declared vacant the seats of members loyal to Fubara.
Yakubu stated that conflicting judgments from both state and federal courts have left the commission uncertain about the Assembly’s legitimate leadership, complicating any potential response.
He explained, “The seats of 25 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were declared vacant by three other members. The 25 members also declared the seats of the three vacant.
“After that, there was a court judgment from the Rivers High Court as well as the Federal High Court on the legitimacy of each of these groups of lawmakers.
“We at INEC have been following the developments. We do not know what will happen next, and so we are seeking the views of Nigerians, especially legal experts on this.”
Beyond the Rivers crisis, Yakubu announced plans for bye-elections to fill other vacant legislative positions, aiming to hold these elections by mid-December to replace House of Representatives and House of Assembly members who passed away.
Yakubu also proposed the possibility of political parties directly nominating replacements when members’ seats are vacated due to death or resignation, a system used in some other nations. He noted that frequent by-elections have placed a logistical strain on the commission, which has organized around 20 by-elections since July 2023.
Yakubu shared that INEC is currently consulting stakeholders to assess the feasibility of this alternative approach in Nigeria.
As for future elections, Yakubu said that lessons learned from recent polls are being applied to improve voter accreditation and the result upload process on the INEC Result Viewing portal, especially in preparation for the upcoming Ondo State governorship election.
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