An APC Chieftain, Mr Adebola Ogunleye says the conduct of by-elections by INEC to fill vacant National Assembly seats is necessary, irrespective of the timing and the cost of conducting them.
Ogunleye said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday, while responding to INEC’s plan to conduct by-elections in Kebbi, Kano, Ondo, Rivers, Nasarawa and Enugu states.
NAN reports that INEC had fixed by-elections to fill vacant seats into the Senate, House of Representatives and Kebbi State House of Assembly for June 20.
NAN also reports that three senatorial by-elections will be conducted in Rivers, Nasarawa and Enugu to fill the vacancies created by the death of Senators Barinada Mpigi, Godiya Akwashika and Okey Ezea.
The vacancy in Ondo South Senatorial District was as a result of the appointment of Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) and his subsequent resignation from the upper chamber.
Ogunleye, however, reiterated his support for INEC’s conduct of the by-elections, saying that it was a roadmap to consolidating democracy and promoting people’s representation.
“The issue of the Ondo south senatorial district bye elections is a case with unusual circumstances. It is, however, a constitutional matter that requires the conduct.
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“The by-election is necessary because it will be unfair to deny the constituency their representation for over a year,” he said.
The APC chieftain, while dismissing the argument that individuals could be nominated to fill vacant seats, especially when the period is close to the conduct of general elections, described by-elections as a global democratic standard for filling of vacant seats.
He, however, advocated for constitutional reforms that would prohibit serving lawmakers not to take appointments till the expiration of their tenures.
(NAN)
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