The president of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki, has insisted that the National Assembly had powers to legislate over the Independent National Elelctoral Commission (INEC) and other agencies of government.
Saraki made the statement on Monday, March 12, when speaking on the controversy generated by the recent amendment to Section 25 of the Electoral Act, which seeks to re-order the sequence of polls during the general elections, The Punch reports.
The Senate president who was represented by the deputy majority leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, at the hearing conducted by the Senate’s joint committee on INEC; and judiciary, human rights and legal matters, called on INEC to be cautious over the issue.
He said: “Of recent, there have been arguments on who has power to do what,” he said, adding that Nigeria had a lot of people who knew how to go to court to get all kinds of judgments.
“INEC should be cautious of who it is listening to. We would not sit anywhere this constitution will be violated. It is necessary we caution ourselves. We need this country, we love this country.”
Saraki also raised concerns that some political aspirants and parties were already campaigning when INEC was yet to declare electioneering open.
He said: “The Senate in particular would be very worried, if INEC begins to condone the actions of some political parties. You have not declared campaigns open, and some are already campaigning.”
He called on the electoral commission to sanction politicians or parties that violate electoral rules.
ln another related story .a socio-political Igbo group has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deliberately disenfranchising the people of the south east region.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo said the electoral body is denying the south east people access to the ongoing continuous voter registration.
The president general of the group, John Nnia Nwodo, on Monday, March 12, while making the allegations insisted that it was not just mere talk, but facts that emerged out of investigation.
He made the allegation when the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Enugu State, Emeka Ononamadu, paid him courtesy visit.
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