Janet Samuel, Abuja
In its commitment to filling vacancies in the National and State Assembly constituencies, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, has proposed first week of February 2024: as the new date for the re-run elections.
Mahmoud who made the disclosure at an extraordinary consultative meeting of the commission with political party leaders in Abuja, said the re-run elections would involve constituencies where Election Petition Appeal Tribunals had ordered a re-run due to specific litigations.
With 34 constituencies requiring re-run elections, comprising one Senatorial District, 11 Federal Constituencies, and 22 State Assembly constituencies, Prof. Yakubu highlighted that these contests represent only 2.8% of the 1,191 petitions filed, assuring that a comprehensive analysis of petitions, including reasons for court decisions, will be presented after all litigations are conclude.
According to him, out of the 34 constituencies identified, only three required elections for the entire constituency, while the rest involved specific polling units.
”So far, the Election Petition Appeal Tribunals have ordered the Commission to conduct re-run elections in 34 constituencies made up of one Senatorial District, 11 Federal Constituencies and 22 State Assembly constituencies. However, the 34 constituencies constitute 2.8% of the 1,191 petitions filed by litigants. Significantly, out of the 34 re-run elections, it is only in three cases that the Commission was ordered to conduct elections in the entire constituencies. In the other 31 constituencies, elections are to be held in a few polling units.” he said
Mahmood however assured political parties that the Commission would present a comprehensive analysis of all litigations, including Governorship elections pending appeal at the Supreme Court.
