The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has reacted to recent allegations by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, qccusing the Commission of selective conduct of elections to fill vacant seats.
Fubara had earlier asserted that the electoral umpire was being selective in executing elections to replace vacancies originating from the defection of serving members of the National and State Assembly from one political party to another.
In a statement released on Friday and signed by the Chairman’s Chief Press Secretary Rotimi Oyekanmi, INEC pointed out that the governor had not offered concrete examples of the purported selective action.
In particular, the governor charged that the Commission purposefully failed to fill the vacancies brought on by the ongoing conflict in the Rivers State House of Assembly, where two factions are vying for control.
Approximately 27 lawmakers switched from the PDP to the APC during the crisis.
While acknowledging the circumstances in the Rivers State House of Assembly, INEC stated that “the matter is pending in court and, therefore, subjudice.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission has been joined in several suits filed by litigants at various courts, including the Supreme Court,” it added.
“Under the circumstances, the Commission must await the final judicial pronouncement on the matter before it embarks on a puerile exercise that may eventually amount to a nullity and a waste of public funds.
“We urge people occupying high public offices to be circumspect in their public statements before they mislead the public and cast aspersion on public institutions, particularly where they are aware of the pendancy of cases in court.”
