By Habeeb I. Pindiga & Aliyu Abubakar
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2006

This decision, coming exactly five months to the first set of elections on April 14, is expected to whittle down powers of the electoral commission to postpone scheduled polls.

Section 27 of the Electoral Act 2006 empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone elections in cases of natural or manmade crisis.

Senators at a session behind closed doors yesterday raised concerns over the tardy voter registration exercise, which they say may provide INEC the excuse to postpone the elections, a reliable source said.
Senate’s spokesman, Victor Ndoma-Egba, confirmed the proposed review and the concerns of senators over the electronic voter registration but declined to be specific on the aspect of the electoral law to be changed.

The slow pace of the registration unless checked may scuttle the entire elections, he told Senate correspondents.

Section 27 of the election law says “(1) Where a date has been appointed for the holding of an election, and there is reason to believe that a serious breach of the peace is likely to occur if the election is proceeded with on that date or it is impossible to conduct the elections as a result of natural disasters or other emergencies, the commission may postpone the election and shall in respect of the area, or areas concerned, appoint another date for the holding of the postponed election.”

A joint Senate committee on election matters and judiciary has been mandated to consider the prevailing difficulties the voter registration exercise, look at the contentious aspects of the law and proffer solutions, Ndoma-Egba said.

“The Senate at the closed session discussed concerns raised about the ongoing voter registration exercise. The Senate is deeply worried about the possibility of that exercise failing, and the effect or the consequences of that failure on the 2007 elections.
“So the Senate has mandated its committees on INEC and judiciary to within the next seven days come up with solution to all identified and identifiable shortcomings, not only on the ongoing exercise but also on the recently passed 2006 Electoral Act.”

Asked whether the Senate would want to change the electoral law, Ndoma-Egba said: “There is the possibility of amending the Electoral Act 2006. Our commitment is to ensuring free, fair and timely elections in 2007. And the Senate will do everything in its power to make sure that the elections are not only held on schedule but that they are also free and fair. So the possibility of amending the 2006 Electoral Act is present.”

He said the electronic voter registration is too tardy for comfort.

“As we speak many, many senators have not even been registered. I for one have not been registered. I have just received information that one machine has reached my local government. And there are many others whose local governments are yet to receive any machine.

“Now for the electoral process, there are deadlines, there are timelines for activities. There are timelines for registration of voters, there are timelines for parties to submit their candidates, there are timelines for the election proper. Because under the constitution you must have election during a particular period. Now if you are not able to meet these timelines, then it means there is a high possibility that you may not hold the elections as at when the constitution prescribes.

We want to keep faith to the constitutional provisions, that is why the Senate is doing everything in its power to make sure that these timelines remain sacrosanct.”