Nigerian Compass
03 April 2011
THE CANCELLED OR POSTPONED ELECTION, JEGA FUMBLED!
Muyiwa Oyinlola
Is tomorrow a feasible date for the rescheduled conduct of the National Assembly, as proposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)?
An appropriate answer to the question is a difficult proposition. But, from available analysis, tomorrow may pose more problems than it is set out to solve.
Following the observed challenges in conducting a free and fair poll yesterday, in view of the non availability of key materials, the electoral commission’s chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, announced a suspension of the exercise yesterday and a shift to tomorrow.
One, the election ballot papers are no longer security documents as they have been distributed to all polling units and voting has actually taken places in many centres. A big poser is: How will INEC guarantee that those ballot papers will be returned intact and may not have been reproduced before Monday?
It is believed that the commission’s best credible option is to reprint the ballot papers and lobby the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act as it relates to the sequence of the elections such that that of the National Assembly will hold on 23rd or 30th of this month. In doing so, the National Assembly can invoke the Doctrine of Necessity.
An appropriate answer to the question is a difficult proposition. But, from available analysis, tomorrow may pose more problems than it is set out to solve.
Following the observed challenges in conducting a free and fair poll yesterday, in view of the non availability of key materials, the electoral commission’s chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, announced a suspension of the exercise yesterday and a shift to tomorrow.
One, the election ballot papers are no longer security documents as they have been distributed to all polling units and voting has actually taken places in many centres. A big poser is: How will INEC guarantee that those ballot papers will be returned intact and may not have been reproduced before Monday?
It is believed that the commission’s best credible option is to reprint the ballot papers and lobby the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act as it relates to the sequence of the elections such that that of the National Assembly will hold on 23rd or 30th of this month. In doing so, the National Assembly can invoke the Doctrine of Necessity.
If not, the commission may face a lot of litigations that may arise from disputes over the conduct tomorrow.
The business sector, that will surely be affected by yet another public holiday may resist the fresh stay-at-home order, while public apathy may not be ruled out.
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