Yakubu Busari
A former Member of the House Representatives Hon Lumumba Adah Adeh has expressed concern over the long delay by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct the bye-election into Irigwe/Rukuba state Assembly and the failure to delineate the constituency since 1999 as the constitution required by them.
Lumumba who stated this in an exclusive interview in Jos said the absence of a member representing his constituency at the state Assembly has become a serious concern to him.
He said,” well I am not only concerned about the Irigwe /Rukuba state constituency but I am generally concerned about the attitude of INEC to the bye-elections especially when it concerns the legislative seats, the constitution provides for INEC to conduct bye-election where a vacancy exists within 90 days”.
According to him,” we have had a situation where INEC I think is being callous about it, giving flimsy excuses to allow it to be dragged for a very long time “.
He explained that in the case of the Bassa /Jos North federal constituency for example that had to be dragged for almost one year before the bye-election was held. We had a lot of other constituency seats where bye-election ought to have been held, you see deprivation of the constituency from representation “.
He stated that taking the case of Irigwe/ Rukuba constituency for well over six months now, they are without constituency representatives,” it is not fair”. We are in a democracy and that is why in every constituency everybody is supposed to be represented.” You can imagine what this constituency has lost just for lack of representation “.
Hon.Lumumba Adeh said,” I want to call INEC and the National Assembly to give INEC a provision of law to compel them to hold this election. What we always hear is that INEC concocted stories saying for the challenges of insecurity and other flimsy excuses so this election cannot hold “.
He frowned that, this situation only happened with the legislative seats and it doesn’t happen with the executive seat, their elections are held promptly, so I want to call INEC to sit up on its duties as an election umpire which is stipulated in the constitution or if this is too much for them let shift them to other body like the issue of the commission of the electoral offense registration and things like that.
Lumumba appealed to INEC to decentralize INEC by transferring to great other agencies that can perform the task to reduce the burden and other things that INEC is supposed to do like the delineation of the constituency. We are aware that the constitution provided that within 10 years, the constituency should be delineated which they have not done since 1999, so there is a great imbalance where people are complaining and people are crying till now nobody has done anything to correct that.
He called on INEC to sit up and that if their duties are too much for them.
According to him, with the kick-off of the electioneering campaign activities, the atmosphere is charged as a matter of fact the election of the state Assembly, President, and Reps.
He stressed that parties are launching their campaign which meant the politics is hitting up, the moment we say much the electorate is watching and for us APC the ruling party the opportunity is bright so I don’t see where any party would prevail against the APC.
Lumumba Adah is optimistic about the landslide victory of APC in the forthcoming general elections in 2023, speaking of APC Presidential candidate’s health conditions, Hon. Lumumba said what do we expect of a human being once you are above 60 years of age you would be experiencing one illness or the other and this is not a determinant for performance or for longevity once you are mentally alert you can do the job.
He called on Nigerians to wisely vote for competence devoid of any sentiment attach.
