The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over comments by the Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini.
Igini in his recent interview with Arise News relying on Section 115(d) of the Electoral Act 2022 claimed that politicians who bought two nomination forms risked two years imprisonment.
This resolution was a sequel to a motion moved by Mark Gbillah representing Gwer East/Gwer West Federal constituency in the 9th National Assembly on Wednesday during plenary.
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Gbillah said Mr Igini recently claimed that any politician with two nomination forms if convicted risks two years imprisonment.
In his motion, Gbillah said the comment by Igini is a misinterpretation of the Electoral Act 2022. He added that lack of due process in the Commission allowed Igini to make such comments.
“The recent unguarded and erroneous interpretation of certain provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act by the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Mike Igini, who while referring to Section 115(d) of the 2022 Electoral Act said amongst several other things that politicians will go to jail for buying more than one nomination form.
“We are preventing them from being candidates for prison and they are calling our names everywhere” implying INEC is making decisions about politicians and the electoral process based on a flawed interpretation of the Act without recourse to the National Assembly or a court of competent jurisdiction for proper interpretation,” he said.
He also criticized the decision of the Commission to end the continuous voter registration despite millions of Nigerians showing readiness to register.
Gbillah, who is also Deputy Chairman House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream),House of Representatives stated that INEC cannot be trusted to conduct a credible election in 2023, faulting the by-elections in Osun and Ekiti states.
The House, therefore, resolved to mandate the committee on Electoral matters to investigate the process of voter registration, including alleged constraints on timely procurement/production of voter’s cards although the year to the 2023 elections.
The committee is to investigate if the comment made by Mr Igini is valid.
