The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has promised to implement the amended Electoral Act if assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari. This was disclosed by INEC National Commissioner, Voter Education and Publicity, Solomon Soyebi, on Thursday during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
The Senate had on Wednesday adopted the conference committee report on the Electoral Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill, which alters the sequence in which elections are conducted in the country. Presidential and National Assembly elections have always held (on the same day) before other polls, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections follow.
But the amendment means that the National Assembly polls would be conducted first, followed by the state lawmakers, and the governors while the presidential election should take place last. Asked if the amendment can be implemented by INEC in the 2019 general elections, Soyebi said, Unfortunately, yes, if the amendment becomes a law now.
"If it’s assented to by the President, it becomes a law. We have no basis to disobey the law; we have to work within the law as it is.”While also reacting to speculations that the electoral body intends to file a legal suit to challenge the adoption by the Senate, the INEC National Commissioner said, “there is no iota of truth in that.”
He said the commission operates within the ambit of the law, noting that it would be difficult for the electoral body to challenge the law when it is bounded by it.“Everybody has a role to play in the governance of Nigeria, ours is just to conduct elections and we have nothing to do with the making of the law. So, if the law is made today, we are just there to obey it,” he said.
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