mahmood-yakubu
Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has set December 10 as the date to conduct the remaining elections in Rivers State for National and State Assembly seats. This comes after the Senate threatened to boycott  plenary sessions if INEC failed to hold outstanding elections in the state.

The Senate had accused Nigeria’s principal electoral body of depriving the people in the state of representation in the Federal legislature. Pressure on INEC actually began to mount after Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike last week raised the alarm that the electoral commission was shortchanging the state by not conducting elections into the legislative seats several months after it declared polls conducted for those positions as inconclusive.

Following that, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Leo Ogor drew the attention of the House to the issue and it was roundly condemned by most members who saw it as a possible threat to the nation’s democracy. The Senate did not only condemn INEC’s seeming nonchalance, it issued an ultimatum.

Although INEC said it did not arrive at its decision as a result of pressure from the Upper Chamber of the Assembly, many Nigerians believe otherwise.

A statement by INEC on the rescheduled elections read:

“After months of intensive planning and wide consultations, the Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday approved the conduct of Lagos’ House of Representative election on Saturday, December 3, 2016.

“Federal Capital Territory councillorship election will also hold on Saturday, Dec 3, 2016.

“Rivers, National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives) and State House of Assembly elections on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016.”

At the moment, Rivers State is not represented by a single senator in the Senate and still has vacant seats in the House of Representatives and the State House of Assembly.