Former Attorney-General of Nasarawa State, Barrister Lagi Innocent has declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, lacks legal power to cancel an election that has been conducted, with results collated and declared at the polling units, wards and constituencies.
Speaking during a programme on the African Independent Television, AIT, on Wednesday, Barrister Lagi Innocent said that should INEC exercise the power it does not have, it would mean that the Commission is deliberately dragging the nation to the unfortunate era of June 12, 1993 when an election was illegally nullified.
He explained that INEC can only cancel an ongoing election, no an election that has been concluded with collation at different levels of the electoral process.
According to him, once voting has taken place, with collation done at different levels, only a court can take decision on the process. He added that the court is also empowered to collate results in case of disruption in the process after voting and counting has taken place at the polling units.
He said: ” Except we are trying to have a situation of June 12. INEC cannot do that it is not lawful “.
He faulted the approach of the Federal Government to election security during the Rivers rerun. He explained that the repeated announcements bordered on subtle intimidation.
The Former Nasarawa State Attorney-General stated that it is the direct responsibility of the Federal Government to protect citizens during an election using security agencies. He said the Federal Government cannot shift that responsibility to the civil society.
He said Rivers State is largely peaceful with usual Crimes like other states. He said that with the conclusion of the elections the imported security would depart for normal life to return.
