NASS Goofed At Reordering INEC’s Timetable –Constitutional Lawyer

An Osun State based constitutional lawyer, Mr. Bola
Ige has lashed out at the National Assembly for proposing a
reordering of the general elections sequence in the country, saying
that it lacked the power to alter policies made by the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Members of the National Assembly in an attempt to implement the
amendment to the Electoral Act 2010 carried out proposed
alterations to the sequence of the general elections in 2019 and
beyond.

By the amendment, the National Assembly election will be
conducted first, followed by state Houses of Assembly elections and
governorship elections, while the presidential election will be
conducted last.

The amendment to Section 25 of the Electoral Act, which was
substituted with Section 25 (1) has been adopted by a joint session
of the electoral committees of both chambers of the National
Assembly and is expected to be passed by the plenary sessions
before transmission to the president for assent.

According to the amended version, the elections shall be held in
the following order: National Assembly elections; State Houses of
Assembly and Governorship elections; and Presidential election on
separate days.

But Barrister Ige while featuring on a programme on the Osun
State Broadcasting Corporation in Osogbo at the weekend argued that
the federal lawmakers goofed by trying to alter the status quo,
saying that the National Assembly is acting beyond its power.

“I have no apology to say that the National Assembly is acting
beyond its power. The power of INEC is not subjected to Senate’s. I
disagree with Senate in trying to reorder the sequence of
elections. It is absurd, it is inconsistent and
inconsequential.

“The whole essence of the sequence change is for these lawmakers
to skew the timetable in their favour. Some of them are afraid of
losing their seats, so they are reordering the election sequence in
order to have good footing. It is unfortunate that our political
players are the ones soiling the image of Nigeria, not the
political system,” Ige said.

On the newly released timetable of elections in the country by
INEC, Ige said that the 36 years span timetable is a good
development to the nation’s Democratic system.

According to him, INEC has the constitutional backing to make
such step and that there was nothing wrong in attempting a new
phenomenon like the new election timetable.

An Osun State based constitutional lawyer, Mr. Bola
Ige has lashed out at the National Assembly for proposing a
reordering of the general elections sequence in the country, saying
that it lacked the power to alter policies made by the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Members of the National Assembly in an attempt to implement the
amendment to the Electoral Act 2010 carried out proposed
alterations to the sequence of the general elections in 2019 and
beyond.

By the amendment, the National Assembly election will be
conducted first, followed by state Houses of Assembly elections and
governorship elections, while the presidential election will be
conducted last.

The amendment to Section 25 of the Electoral Act, which was
substituted with Section 25 (1) has been adopted by a joint session
of the electoral committees of both chambers of the National
Assembly and is expected to be passed by the plenary sessions
before transmission to the president for assent.

According to the amended version, the elections shall be held in
the following order: National Assembly elections; State Houses of
Assembly and Governorship elections; and Presidential election on
separate days.

But Barrister Ige while featuring on a programme on the Osun
State Broadcasting Corporation in Osogbo at the weekend argued that
the federal lawmakers goofed by trying to alter the status quo,
saying that the National Assembly is acting beyond its power.

“I have no apology to say that the National Assembly is acting
beyond its power. The power of INEC is not subjected to Senate’s. I
disagree with Senate in trying to reorder the sequence of
elections. It is absurd, it is inconsistent and
inconsequential.

“The whole essence of the sequence change is for these lawmakers
to skew the timetable in their favour. Some of them are afraid of
losing their seats, so they are reordering the election sequence in
order to have good footing. It is unfortunate that our political
players are the ones soiling the image of Nigeria, not the
political system,” Ige said.

On the newly released timetable of elections in the country by
INEC, Ige said that the 36 years span timetable is a good
development to the nation’s Democratic system.

According to him, INEC has the constitutional backing to make
such step and that there was nothing wrong in attempting a new
phenomenon like the new election timetable.