We Are Caught In-between Conflicting Court Rulings: INEC Breaks Silence on Rivers Assembly Crisis

The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Friday, clarified its stance on the ongoing crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly, attributing its silence to conflicting court judgments on the matter.Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting with media executives at INEC headquarters in Abuja, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu addressed calls for the commission to intervene.

A faction loyal to Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara had urged INEC to conduct a by-election to fill the seats of 25 lawmakers loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

In response, Wike’s faction also declared vacant the seats of members allied with Fubara.

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Yakubu explained that contradictory court decisions at both state and federal levels have left INEC unsure of which group holds legitimate authority in the Assembly, complicating any immediate action.

He said, “The seats of 25 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were declared vacant by three other members. The 25 members also declared the seats of the three vacant.

“After that, there was a court judgment from the Rivers High Court as well as the Federal High Court on the legitimacy of each of these groups of lawmakers.

“We at INEC have been following the developments. We do not know what will happen next, and so we are seeking the views of Nigerians, especially legal experts on this.”

In addition to the Rivers Assembly crisis, Yakubu disclosed plans to conduct by-elections for other vacant legislative seats, aiming for mid-December for House of Representatives and House of Assembly positions left empty due to the death of incumbents.

Yakubu also raised the possibility of allowing political parties to nominate replacements directly when their members’ seats are vacated by death or resignation, a practice followed in some other countries.

He noted that frequent by-elections have created logistical issues, with INEC organising roughly 20 by-elections since July 2023.

Yakubu indicated that the commission is consulting stakeholders on the feasibility of adopting this approach in Nigeria.

As for upcoming elections, Yakubu said INEC has drawn lessons from recent elections and is implementing improvements, particularly in voter accreditation and the upload of results to the INEC Result Viewing portal.

He noted that preparation would be critical in the upcoming Ondo State governorship election.