Presidential election will hold first, INEC insists

The Independent National Electoral Commission says it is
standing by its decision to hold the 2019 presidential and National
Assembly elections on the same day while the governorship and state
legislative elections will come next.

The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said this at the
quarterly consultative meeting with the media in Abuja on
Monday.

INEC had announced last year that the presidential and National
Assembly elections would hold on February 16, 2019 while the
governorship, state assembly and area council elections in the
Federal Capital Territory would take place on March 2, 2019.

The National Assembly, however, opposed the sequence of the
election and amended the Electoral Act such that the National
Assembly election would hold first while the presidential election
would come last.

The bill has since been transmitted to President Muhammadu
Buhari for assent.

However, the INEC boss said the commission would continue to
prepare for elections based on its own schedule since it could not
make plans based on speculation.

When asked if the electoral body would challenge the matter in
court, the INEC boss said when the time comes the commission would
take a decision.

Yakubu said, “There are many ‘ifs’ but here, we deal with
certainty. As far as the commission is concerned, there is no legal
lacuna at the moment. What we have done is on the basis of the
existing law and nothing has changed.

“If the bill is accented to, we will look at the provisions and
inform Nigerians on the next step. But as far as the commission is
concerned at the moment, we are operating under the existing law
and we have issued a timetable for the activities accordingly.

“If something happens tomorrow, we will examine it and proceed
accordingly.”

The INEC boss said the budget for the 2019 elections had been
drafted based on its own sequence and timetable.

He said the proposal would soon be transmitted to the National
Assembly for approval.

“Right now, the draft is on my table based on the current
schedule of activities. Thereafter, we will submit it to the
approving authorities,” Yakubu said.

When asked what had happened to the 205 INEC officials that were
suspended after being indicted by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission for allegedly receiving bribes during the 2015
elections, Yakubu said he was still waiting for the EFCC to take
action.

He noted that most of the officials had not been prosecuted by
the anti-graft agency, adding that he had written to the EFCC to
act quickly.

Yakubu added, “The interdiction (of 205 officials) was based on
the interim report we received from the EFCC. An interdicted person
is placed on half pay until the person’s innocence or guilt is
established.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission says it is
standing by its decision to hold the 2019 presidential and National
Assembly elections on the same day while the governorship and state
legislative elections will come next.

The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said this at the
quarterly consultative meeting with the media in Abuja on
Monday.

INEC had announced last year that the presidential and National
Assembly elections would hold on February 16, 2019 while the
governorship, state assembly and area council elections in the
Federal Capital Territory would take place on March 2, 2019.

The National Assembly, however, opposed the sequence of the
election and amended the Electoral Act such that the National
Assembly election would hold first while the presidential election
would come last.

The bill has since been transmitted to President Muhammadu
Buhari for assent.

However, the INEC boss said the commission would continue to
prepare for elections based on its own schedule since it could not
make plans based on speculation.

When asked if the electoral body would challenge the matter in
court, the INEC boss said when the time comes the commission would
take a decision.

Yakubu said, “There are many ‘ifs’ but here, we deal with
certainty. As far as the commission is concerned, there is no legal
lacuna at the moment. What we have done is on the basis of the
existing law and nothing has changed.

“If the bill is accented to, we will look at the provisions and
inform Nigerians on the next step. But as far as the commission is
concerned at the moment, we are operating under the existing law
and we have issued a timetable for the activities accordingly.

“If something happens tomorrow, we will examine it and proceed
accordingly.”

The INEC boss said the budget for the 2019 elections had been
drafted based on its own sequence and timetable.

He said the proposal would soon be transmitted to the National
Assembly for approval.

“Right now, the draft is on my table based on the current
schedule of activities. Thereafter, we will submit it to the
approving authorities,” Yakubu said.

When asked what had happened to the 205 INEC officials that were
suspended after being indicted by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission for allegedly receiving bribes during the 2015
elections, Yakubu said he was still waiting for the EFCC to take
action.

He noted that most of the officials had not been prosecuted by
the anti-graft agency, adding that he had written to the EFCC to
act quickly.

Yakubu added, “The interdiction (of 205 officials) was based on
the interim report we received from the EFCC. An interdicted person
is placed on half pay until the person’s innocence or guilt is
established.”