TVC E. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday May the 29th, 2016 said it declared the Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency by-election inconclusive as a result of “over-voting.”
Dr. wilfred uji, returning officer for the election said this in Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state, citing section 53 of the Electoral Act, which INEC the power to cancel election in polling units where there was over-voting.
INEC’s commission’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, revealed that INEC had conducted 127 elections in the last six months,he also said the electoral umpire had conducted 50 re-run elections in 16 states in obedience to court orders, while seven by-elections, occasioned by death or resignation had been conducted in five states.
The INEC boss said two more elections were organized at the weekend in Kwara and Nasarawa states due to the death of two members of Kwara State House of Assembly and the Federal House of Representatives respectively.
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, speaking at a retreat organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral and Political Parties Matters in Abuja, at the weekend, also said INEC conducted three end-of- tenure elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“ In the case of the FCT, it was one election, but conducted in 68 different constituencies-six council chairmen and 62 councillors. In addition, the courts have so far upturned 23 constituency elections – House of Representatives and state assemblies – and ordered the commission to withdraw certificates from candidates adjudged not to have been validly elected.
Going further , he said, We have since complied and issued certificates to the rightful winners from the 2015 general election. We still have 31 more elections to conduct from the 2015 nullified elections, in addition to the forthcoming end-of-tenure elections for governorship in Edo (September) and Ondo (November) states.”
Yakubu , however, assured the commission’s resolve to conduct transparent, free and fair elections in the country.
