Senate c’ttee asks INEC to stop new polling units…Reps suspend debate on Electoral Act

Committee chairman Andy Uba told journalists in Abuja yesterday that while the idea behind the creation of additional units was good, the timing was wrong and as such it must be stopped.“We have sent a letter to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and we expressed our reservations over the planned creation of additional polling […]

Committee chairman Andy Uba told journalists in Abuja yesterday that while the idea behind the creation of additional units was good, the timing was wrong and as such it must be stopped.
“We have sent a letter to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and we expressed our reservations over the planned creation of additional polling units across the country,” Uba said.
“What he is doing is good but the timing is wrong. We are close to an election year and we have so many displaced people in the North eastern part of the country. So where will the INEC put the new polling units?”
Uba also said, “If they (INEC) continue with it (new polling centres), we will pass a resolution to overrule it. It is simple, and once we pass our resolution is he going to go ahead that he doesn’t care?
“There are consequences when you say you don’t care, that is what it is but I know he (Jega) is a gentleman and he is a man that keeps to his words. We had a meeting and have sent him a letter.”
Uba said explanations given by the INEC boss that “his integrity from what people are saying, is at  stake but that is not our business. And I don’t believe that there is nothing he has in mind against anybody or anything.”
Meanwhile consideration of the report on Electoral Act amendment in the House of Representatives yesterday stalled over disagreement on certain amended sections of the Principal Act.
The House, presided over by Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, had already reached clause nine out of the thirty-seven of the proposed amendment, when a member of the Electoral Matters committee rose in disagreement with a section of the new bill.
Rep Simon Yakubu Arabo (PDP, Kaduna) said a clause nine’s Proviso, which talks on the inability of INEC to reject a candidate submitted by his/her political party had been agreed to be deleted at the level of the committee’s meeting, but has surprisingly remained on the new amendment.
Deleting the Proviso will be sequel to the insertion of new subsection, which said that “any political party that presents to the Commission the name of a candidate that does not meet the qualification stipulated in the Constitution, and this Act, shall be disqualified from participating in that particular election for that office.”
Consequently, the Deputy Speaker asked Rep Arabo to seek clarification from the committee’s chairman, Rep Jerry Manwe (PDP, Taraba), who later corroborated the stance of Rep Arabo.
Rep Manwe said the error was arrived at due to the hurried manner in which they compiled their report.