The Senate has threatened to suspend its plenary sessions pending the conduct of all rerun elections in Rivers State. It has also given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) an ultimatum to conduct elections pertaining to the State in the Senate, and its vacant constituencies in the House of Representatives and Rivers State House of Assembly by 10th December 2016.
Raising the point of order at the Senate plenary on Wednesday, 2nd November, 2016, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu (PDP:Enugu), noted that INEC had failed to conduct re-run elections in Rivers State into the Senate andsome constituencies in the House of Representatives and Rivers State House of Assembly despite a Senate’s resolution in September mandating INEC to conclude all pending re-run elections in the Country. The Deputy Senate President also noted that INEC had failed to conduct the rerun elections in Rivers State within the time frame ordered by the respective Election Petition Tribunals/Courts in breach of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended and section 76 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Sen. Ekweremadu was also of the view that the conduct of the electoral management body threatened the nation’s democracy. He also added that the non- representation of legislators in the Senate and in some seats in the House of Representatives and State House of Assembly amounted to a breach of section 14(2) (c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which guarantees participation by people in their government. He also observed that INEC had conducted successful elections in Borno, Edo and Bayelsa States, despite the security concerns in these areas. The Senate also urged the Federal Government to appoint a substantive minister from Kogi State following an additional prayer by Sen. Dino Melaye (APC:Kogi).
