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The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explore all administrative means to ensure that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country voted in the 2015 general elections.
A resolution to that effect was passed by the upper legislative chamber, which directed the commission to do everything possible to carry out the responsibility.
The resolution was sequel to a Bill sponsored by Sen. Ali Ndume (PDP-Borno) and presented at plenary.
Pushing a case for the bill, Ndume said that it was intended to ensure that the IDPs, spread across the country as the result of insurgency in the North-East zone of the country, were not prevented from voting during the elections.
According to him, Section 42 of the Electoral Act required an amendment, which would include a provision for the establishment of special polling units for IDPs.
The section empowers the electoral commission to explore all legitimate means to ensure that all qualified voters were made to cast their votes at election.
In his contribution, Sen. Ita Enang (PDP-Akwa Ibom) said that only an administrative mechanism was apt in handling the issue, adding that "what the Bill seeks to do is contained in Section 42 of the Electoral Act".
Aligning himself to Enang’s submission, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremandu, said that the Bill could only provoke thoughts on why the IDPs must not be disenfranchised on election days.
"It is the responsibility of INEC to ensure that these people who are eligible voters are provided with special polling units in their camps to exercise their rights to vote. This is purely an administrative issue but we can use our powers here to mandate INEC not to trivialise that portion of the Electoral Act.
"It could be used as a standard to measure the electoral process when the chips are down, so efforts must be taken to block all loopholes,’’ he said.
Sen. Ayogu Eze (PDP-Enugu) said that the commission should liaise with the appropriate authority to take inventory of actual number of eligible voters that were displaced.
Also supporting the bill, Sen. Maina Lawal (APC-Borno) said that it was important to compel INEC to capture eligible voters who were currently displaced in order to cast their votes in 2015 election.
"Many contestants are banking on the votes from the North-East region to sail through their contests. So, it would not be fair if that region is cut-off because the people are no longer in points where they registered to participate in the elections,’’ he said.
Commenting, President of the Senate, David Mark, said that the Bill should be ‘’saved’’ by converting it to a resolution.
#IDPs #Borno #APC #PDP #INEC
A resolution to that effect was passed by the upper legislative chamber, which directed the commission to do everything possible to carry out the responsibility.
The resolution was sequel to a Bill sponsored by Sen. Ali Ndume (PDP-Borno) and presented at plenary.
Pushing a case for the bill, Ndume said that it was intended to ensure that the IDPs, spread across the country as the result of insurgency in the North-East zone of the country, were not prevented from voting during the elections.
According to him, Section 42 of the Electoral Act required an amendment, which would include a provision for the establishment of special polling units for IDPs.
The section empowers the electoral commission to explore all legitimate means to ensure that all qualified voters were made to cast their votes at election.
In his contribution, Sen. Ita Enang (PDP-Akwa Ibom) said that only an administrative mechanism was apt in handling the issue, adding that "what the Bill seeks to do is contained in Section 42 of the Electoral Act".
Aligning himself to Enang’s submission, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremandu, said that the Bill could only provoke thoughts on why the IDPs must not be disenfranchised on election days.
"It is the responsibility of INEC to ensure that these people who are eligible voters are provided with special polling units in their camps to exercise their rights to vote. This is purely an administrative issue but we can use our powers here to mandate INEC not to trivialise that portion of the Electoral Act.
"It could be used as a standard to measure the electoral process when the chips are down, so efforts must be taken to block all loopholes,’’ he said.
Sen. Ayogu Eze (PDP-Enugu) said that the commission should liaise with the appropriate authority to take inventory of actual number of eligible voters that were displaced.
Also supporting the bill, Sen. Maina Lawal (APC-Borno) said that it was important to compel INEC to capture eligible voters who were currently displaced in order to cast their votes in 2015 election.
"Many contestants are banking on the votes from the North-East region to sail through their contests. So, it would not be fair if that region is cut-off because the people are no longer in points where they registered to participate in the elections,’’ he said.
Commenting, President of the Senate, David Mark, said that the Bill should be ‘’saved’’ by converting it to a resolution.
#IDPs #Borno #APC #PDP #INEC