In compliance with the judgement of the Supreme Court, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented certificates of return to the Zamfara state governor-elect, deputy governor-elect, three senators-elect and seven members of the House of Representatives-elect.
Speaking at the presentation of the certificates in Abuja on Monday, the Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu warned that the Commission “will no longer accept the submission of names of candidates by political parties under Section 31of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) unless there is evidence, monitored by the Commission, of compliance with the provision of Section 87 of the Act.
“It is only after they (political parties) comply with this requirement of the law can their names be submitted to INEC under Section 31. We shall continue to work with the political parties to ensure strict compliance.”
This, he said, was in order to reduce the spate of litigation associated with them.
Yakubu further said, “at the moment, there are 809 pre-election cases pending in various courts across the country challenging the conduct of primaries by political parties for the 2019 general elections,” adding that “the number was clearly more than the total number of petitions currently before the various election petition tribunals nationwide challenging the outcome of the main elections.”
The INEC boss also disclosed that 3 more certificates of return have been withdrawn in addition to the earlier 25 reportedly withdrawn and issued to persons declared winners by courts of law.
He stated that with the Zamfara case, the number of court judgements arising from improper party primaries has risen to 64.
“I want to reiterate the importance of conducting proper primaries before elections in order to reduce the spate of litigation associated with them. At the moment, there are 809 pre-election cases pending in various courts across the country challenging the conduct of primaries by political parties for the 2019 general elections.
“This is clearly more than the total number of petitions currently before the various election petition tribunals nationwide challenging the outcome of the main elections.
“In our last update, the commission reported that 25 certificates of return had been withdrawn and issued to persons declared winners by courts of law. Since then, three more certificates have been withdrawn by court order. With the Zamfara case, the figure has now risen to 64.
“In addition, the Commission is studying nine more judgements we were served in the last one week in which primary elections conducted by different political parties were upturned by the courts.
Prof Yakubu stated that the Zamfara example is not the first pre-election case determined by the Supreme Court arising from the recent party primaries, noting that the apex court had determined the case of Lere Federal Constituency in Kaduna State which the Commission had already complied with and issued the certificate of return to the winner.
“It is therefore important to continue to emphasise to our political parties their obligation to conduct credible primaries for the nomination of candidates.
“Our democracy in particular and electoral process in general can never be virile unless political parties rise to the challenge of internal party democracy.
“It is in this context that the latest judgements of the Supreme Court are crucial steps in strengthening our electoral jurisprudence. On the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa and Kogi states, the INEC chairman said, “Let me once again remind political parties that we have exactly 171 days to the Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections scheduled for 16 November 2019.
“Party primaries are scheduled to be conducted between 2ndand 29thAugust 2019. Let us make the two elections shining examples of internal democracy by the way the political parties conduct their primary elections. This will no doubt have a positive impact on the conduct of the proper elections.”
Zamfara state governor-elect, Bello Mohammed Matawale who commended President Muhammadu Buhari for not interfering in the judicial process irrespective of his party being the ruling party.
Matawale said since the commencement of democracy in 1999, the state had not experienced good leadership saying that his leadership would usher in the first people-oriented administration.
Twenty-four certificates will be presented in Gusau to winners of the State Assembly elections this Friday.
