A NEC Member of NLC, Comrade Issa Aremu has lauded the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which on Wednesday 25 April 2018 reaffirms the right of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make rules guiding the election timetable.
Comrade Aremu said only INEC has the responsibility to organize a cost effective, transparent, free and fair elections adding that National Assembly could only make laws to strengthen institutions not to run them through what he called “self-serving serial amendments”. “National Assembly members should have eyes on nation building not respective members’ advantages and benefits.” he said.
The National Assembly Conference Committee on Electoral Act (amendment) bill had adopted a controversial reordered sequence of the 2019 general election, putting the presidential election last contrary to timetable released by INEC. By the reordered sequence, the national assembly election is expected to come first, followed by governorship and state houses of assembly, and presidential contrary to the timetable released by INEC which put presidential and national assembly elections first and governorship and state assembly to follow.
President Muhammadu Buhari had refused assent to the bill on the argument that it violates parts of the constitution. Not happy with the President’s position, some legislators threatened to evoke its powers under section 58(5) of the 1999 constitution to override the president. The Accord Party through through its counsel Wole Olanipekun, filed an application to stop the lawmakers from tampering with the electoral act.
The labour leader urged the National Assembly to avoid what he described as “predictable wasteful litigations” which would aggravate political tensions, ” and make electoral process an art of war instead of a process of electing accountable representatives of the people.”
