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Five Govs Tenure : Confusion in INEC over S’Court Case
By
Ike Abony
Thisday 04 Aug 2011
Prof. Attahiru Jega , INEC Chairman
ELECTION TIMETABLE
Kogi Dec 3, 2011
Adamawa Jan 14, 2012
Bayelsa Feb 11, 2012
Sokoto Mar 10, 2012
C’River April 14, 2012
Edo July 14, 2012
There was confusion Wednesday at the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) over the true state of the appeal
filed on its behalf by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), to set aside
the lower court's ruling that extended the tenure of office of
five state governors.
But addressing journalists in Abuja, INEC’s Commissioner in
charge of Information and Publicity, Prince Solomon Soyebi, said
the commission did not brief any counsel to file any appeal on
its behalf at the Supreme Court.
However, THISDAY which published the story is in possession of
the court papers and stands by its story.
In the contentious appeal, the commission had argued that the
justices of the Court of Appeal were wrong when they held that
the time already spent in office by the governors should not be
contemplated when computing the period of four years, which the
governors were constitutionally entitled to.
Soyebi said there was no time the commission contemplated going
to the Supreme Court on the issue.
He said rather than occupy itself with appealing the judgment,
the commission was perfecting preparations for elections in the
affected states.
To jump-start the exercise, Soyebi unveiled a timetable for the
governorship elections in the affected states.
Going by the schedule, elections will begin this year with Kogi
State on December 3; Adamawa, January 14, next year; Bayelsa,
February 11, 2012; Sokoto, March 10, 2012; Cross River, April
14, 2012; and Edo, July 14, 2012.
According to him, the tenures of the Governors of Kogi, Alhaji
Ibrahim Idris; Adamawa, Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd.); Bayelsa,
Mr. Timipre Silva; Sokoto, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko; Cross River,
Liyel Imoke; and Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, would
expire on or about the following dates: Kogi State, April 4,
2012; Adamawa, April 30, 2012; Bayelsa, May 27, 2012;
Sokoto, May 28, 2012; Cross River, August 27, 2012; and
Edo, November 12, 2012.
He argued that: “By the provision of section 180(2) of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as
amended), a governor of a state shall vacate office at the
expiration of four years from the date when he took the oath of
allegiance and oath of office.
“By the provision of section 178 (2) of the 1999 Constitution as
amended, an election to the office of governor of a state shall
be held on a date not earlier than 150 days and not later than
30 days before the expiration of the term of office of the last
holder of the office. The commission is by section 30 (1) of the
Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), expected to issue notice for
the elections not later than 90 days before the date of the
elections.”
According to the timetable, governorship elections will also
hold in Ondo and Ekiti States in 2013; while similar
elections would take place in Anambra and Osun in 2014.
Soyebi said the commission was planning elections in the states
because governorship polls were not conducted there during this
year’s general election.
“The commission has decided to stagger the elections for
effective planning and utilisation of personnel,” he said.
On the issue of voter’s register, he said INEC had a policy of
continuous voter registration.
He also said the process for the certification of the current
register was still on, adding that whatever was approved for use
would be adopted for the elections in the affected states.
“We will not break the laws of the nation. If any of the
affected states has its register certified, that is what would
be used for the election, but bear in mind that the law also
does not empower us to certify the register every other month,”
he said.
Explaining further on the exercise, Soyebi said there would be
quality personnel that would handle the elections including the
ad hoc staff that would be drawn from the National Youth Service
Corps (NYSC) and complemented by top public servants who would
serve as supervisors and returning officers.
He equally used the occasion to assure Nigerians that INEC had
made proper financial arrangements for the elections, adding
that should the need for more funding arise at any point, it
would, as a law-abiding entity, go back to the government within
the confines of the law.
Also, according to the timetable, the commission said run-off
elections to the office of governor of a state (if any) would be
held within seven days after the announcement of the result of
the election.
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