2019: Ekweremadu passes no-confidence vote on INEC, security agencies

The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Tuesday passed a vote of
no confidence on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,
saying the electoral body was recording a fast decline.
He also said that the syndrome of vote buying and perceived misuse of
security agencies would be the major challenges of the 2019 general
elections.

Ekweremadu stated this in Abuja when he received a joint high-level
delegation of the International Republican Institute, IRI, and the
National Democratic Institute, NDI, Washington DC, USA, on a
preliminary visit to Nigeria ahead of its planned Joint International
Elections Observer Mission during the 2019 general elections.

These reactions followed the declaration by INEC that the Osun
governorship elections held last Saturday was inconclusive.

According to Ekweremadu, "The fast-declining independence of the
election management body as well as vote-buying syndrome and misuse of
security agencies are the major problems ahead of the 2019 general
elections. INEC is fast declining and descending into the arena.

"Prior to 2010 electoral reforms, INEC was barely independent. It was
the 2010 Electoral Act and Constitution amendments that deepened the
independence of the electoral body and strengthened the electoral
system as evident in the 2011 and 2015 elections.

"Unfortunately, as we head towards 2019, there have been a lot of
challenges, particularly the challenges of implementing the existing
laws; and this has taken us back to where we were, instead of making
progress.

"INEC needs to exercise the independence conferred on it by previous
electoral reforms to be able to stand its ground, irrespective of
whoever or whichever party that is in government, whether APC or PDP.
It should not tend towards the government that is in power.

"Looking at Osun State, for instance, an election took place, somebody
won from the results declared at the polling units, ward collation
centres, local government collation centres, and the state collation
centre. But contrary to the provisions of our electoral laws, INEC has
asked the people to go back and repeat some of the elections. That is
completely unacceptable.

"Ironically, just recently, we had instances where similar situations
arose in both Kogi and Bauchi, among others, and winners were
declared," the lawmaker added.