Reps Challenge INEC On Inconclusive Elections, As Senators Reject Move To Debate Issue

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmoud Yakubu, with other officials at a briefing in the early hours of Saturday, just before the Commission announced the postponement of the general elections. Photo: ChannelsTV/ Sodiq Adelakun.

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives have questioned the powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare an election inconclusive.

The lawmakers who frowned on the number of the elections declared inconclusive by INEC in the 2019 general elections, unanimously agreed to immediately constitute a special committee to look into the Electoral Act for improvements.

The members of the House of Representatives had turned out in their numbers for the first proceedings since the elections.

However, as they got set for the first business of the day, a lawmaker, Sunday Karimi from Kogi State, raised the inconclusive elections as a matter of urgent public importance.

His submission elicited positive reactions, with the lawmakers questioning the powers of the electoral umpire to declare elections inconclusive.

When the matter was raised in the upper legislative chamber, many of the senators opposed the idea of debating the matter.

Both chambers eventually adjourned till Tuesday, March 19, to allow re-elected members receive their certificates of return.

INEC had said it would present the certificates to the elected members of the National Assembly in the 2019 general elections on Thursday, March 14.