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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted general elections in 2019 to fill 1,558 positions.
Arising from the conduct of the elections, some of the Political Parties and Candidates filed Petitions before the various Election Petitions Tribunals and Courts to ventilate their grievances and all the Petitions have been determined. For the records, a total of 807 post-election petitions were filed, out of which 582 were dismissed, 183 withdrawn by the petitioners and only 30 petitions, representing less than 2% of the total resulted in orders by the Tribunals and Courts to the Commission to rerun the elections.
Subsequently, the Commission conducted court-ordered re-run elections in 30 Constituencies in 12 States of the federation and made declarations and returns.
In the re-run elections in the South East of Nigeria, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) won the election in 2 Constituencies in Abia State. In the 3 Constituencies where the Commission conducted elections in Imo State, the Action Alliance (AA), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) secured one seat each.
The Commission conducted the court-ordered re-run elections under very difficult circumstances occasioned by the desperation and unwholesome activities of some of the political actors bent on compromising and disrupting the process, thus endangering the safety of the staff and attempting to secure their predetermined outcomes.
Staff of the Commission risked their lives, performed under delicate conditions and engaged in electoral operations aimed at protecting the integrity of the process and ensuring credible outcomes.
The Commission’s code of conduct ensures that all our staff remain non-partisan in the discharge of their official duties. This is the only way they can maintain the delicate balance between all the contending political parties and candidates in the political process.
It is therefore unhelpful and counterproductive to profile senior staff of the Commission operating in any part of the country and paint them with the brush of partisanship just to score political points.
Furthermore, the Commission will resist the invitation to be drawn into the debate on the propriety, correctness or otherwise of the decisions of the various Election Petitions Tribunals and the Courts as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) have clearly and comprehensively delineated the powers and areas of jurisdiction of various institutions of our democracy. Decisions of courts and tribunal are final and the rule of law dictates that all authorities and persons give effect to them.
Rather, the Commission will focus on its efforts and that of other institutions to bring about necessary reforms to give Nigerians comprehensive and robust electoral framework that will take care of perceived and identified flaws and lacunae in the electoral process.
The Commission enjoins Political Parties and Candidates to develop the democratic spirit and assist the Commission in the conduct of free and transparent elections.
We assure Nigerians that the Commission will remain focused and determined to continue with improvements in the electoral process and solidify the sovereign right of the Nigerian people to freely choose their representatives.
RECENT FIRE INCIDENTS IN ANAMBRA, IMO INEC OFFICES
Two fire incidents were reported at INEC offices in Idemili North Local Government area in Anambra State and Orlu Local Government Area in Imo state at the weekend. The Commission has reported the two incidents to the Police and Fire Service in the respective states and investigations are underway to determine the causes. Although, no life was lost, the extent of the damage is still being assessed.
