Sanya Adejokun & Samuel Ogidan, Abuja
Senate yesterday explained that it ordered the chronology of election in the new Electoral law to avoid “the bandwagon syndrome”.
In addition, the upper legislative chamber also said it was already waiting for request for Supplementary Budget approval from President Goodluck Jonathan for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be able to conduct the voter registration.
These came on a day that the Senators screened and confirmed Dr. Mohammed Ahmad Wali and Dr. Christopher Okuba Iyimoga as INEC commissioners.
Briefing newsmen, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Ayogu Eze, said that Senators “thought in their wisdom that for easy of election and to ensure that there are no bandwagon effect, let us order it because what Nigerians want is credible election.
“We can make laws with regards to the conduct of elections to ensure that the elections are conducted in a manner that will give Nigerians the confidence in the system. By stating clearly that we need three separate elections, we have tried to ensure that these elections are separated for purposes of easy administration.
“If we leave it hanging, they might lump them together as in the past and the complains would continue but this time around, we want to make sure that whatever impediment are on the way of free and fair election are removed,” he said.
Eze stated that the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act was being done in consultations with INEC “trying to look at the time frame that is very convenient for INEC. They’ve written to us at the committee level and we have taken this in plenary and it has been passed. These are timeframes that INEC has given to us that if we grant them those time frames, they will be able to conduct the elections. Because when it was supposed to be 90 days, they suggested 60 days and we obliged them so that they have enough time before election.
“So, instead of the voters’ register being ready in October or thereabout, they now have up to November, two clear months before election in January. So, we are working the road with INEC because they are the ones who are going to operate this election. Some of the things we have granted in the Electoral Act were suggestions,” he declared.
The Senate spokesman gave the assurance that the money needed by INEC to conduct a credible voter register would be approved as soon as such request was made by the President.
“On the issue of funding which INEC has spoken about, I want to let you know that the National Assembly is very willing and once we have the proposal with regards to what fund we need to give INEC, we are going to give it very positive consideration.
“We are very willing to ensure that we cooperate with INEC to ensure that this election becomes something that will glorify rather than impugn the integrity of Nigeria in the international community. We are ready to work with INEC,” he emphasised.
Earlier during plenary, the Senators had screened and approved the nominations of the last two names to complete the full complement of INEC commissioners.
Senate President David Mark congratulated the nominees telling them “what the nation wants is a free, fair and credible election and I believe that you will join your colleagues to ensure that this happens.”
