Pius Danba, a human rights attorney, has expressed worry over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) delay in holding a bye election for Taraba State’s Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency.
He asserted that the workout was past overdue.
In a letter to the INEC Chairman on Tuesday, Danba, who made his stance public, said that the INEC had broken the constitutional rule requiring a 30-day maximum for holding elections to replace vacancies.
There have been rumors that the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency seat has remained empty since the unexpected death of Ismaila Yushau Mohammed, the election winner, on February 25.
He said, “It will interest you to know that from the 22nd day of April, 2023 to the 13th June, 2023 is 52 days,” in response to the question of why INEC has continued to take its time.
“Ismaila Yushau Mohammed passed away well over 170 days ago, and the position of the representative for the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency has been open since the House of Representatives’ first session on June 13, 2023.
“Over 118 days and counting, the people of Jalingo/Yorro/Zing have had no representation at all, which is in violation of Section 76 (1) (2) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) Constitution,” the statement reads.
The Electoral Act of 2022, he said, only allows for a 21-day grace period following a candidate’s death.
The eminent lawyer criticized the Commission for giving the gubernatorial elections in Bayelsa and Kogi top priority.
It seems that your panel does not view the election of the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency as being at all an equally significant constitutional action, the speaker stated.