February 25 Senate: INEC considers Postponement

February 25 Senate

OpenLife Nigeria reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is considering postponing the Enugu East Senatorial District election on account of the death of the Labour Party, LP, Senate candidate for the February 25 election.
The electoral body has promised to abide by the provisions of the Electoral Law on the death of a candidate before the commencement of an election.

The commission was reacting to enquiries on the killing of Labour Party (LP) senatorial candidate in Enugu East Senatorial District, Oyibo Chukwu, who was killed by gunmen on Wednesday.

The development has prompted the LP to ask for poll shift in the area.

INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu said once the commission is informed of the candidate’s death and the commission is satisfied, it would countermand the election for two weeks, as provided for in the electoral law.

Yakubu, who addressed reporters ahead of the commencement of the general election, said the concerned party had not informed the commission about the death of its candidate.

The INEC chairman said another candidate for the senatorial election died in Kano recently and that INEC was duly informed by the party concerned.

He said the party forwarded the name of another candidate for the election, adding that the election for that senatorial district would go ahead with the name of the new candidate.

Citing Section 34 of the Electoral Act, Yakubu said such a postponement could only be done if the political party involved officially notifies the commission.

He said: “There are procedures to handling such an issue. In such a situation, the commission will have to countermand the senatorial district for two weeks. The section can only be activated if the party involved officially notifies the commission.”

Section 34(b) stipulates that in the case of election into a legislative House, the election shall start afresh and the political party whose candidate died may, if it intends to continue to participate in the election, conduct a fresh primary within 14 days of the death of its candidate and submit the name of a new candidate to the commission to replace the dead candidate:

“Provided that in the case of presidential or gubernatorial or Federal Capital Territory Area Council election, the running mate shall continue with the election and nominate a new running mate,” the section says.