There are fears that the governorship elections
in Kogi and Bayelsa states might be postponed
due to the absence of national commissioners
which might force the Independent National
Electoral Commission to alter its earlier election
timetable.
According to This Day, the postponement has
became imperative partly because national
commissioners that were supposed to oversee
the elections has retired after the expiration of
their tenures.
It was learnt that non-constitution of a new INEC
management board was said to have hampered
the activities of the commission.
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Another reason given for the shift of date for the
election is due to the financial state of the
electoral body which accounts had been frozen
by Central Bank of Nigeria for non-compliance
with the present administration policy on the
transfer of funds to the Treasury Single Account.
An official of the commission who pleaded for
anonymity said: “ Zakari has sent two requests to
the presidency regarding the composition of the
INEC board but no reply has been received at the
moment. But we have unconfirmed information
that Buhari may be announcing the appointment
of INEC commissioners this week .”
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Observe Kogi, Bayelsa Guber Poll
The Kogi and Bayelsa states elections were
supposed to hold on November 21 and December
5 respectively.
In a related development, Zakari had admitted
that the electoral act used in conducting the
2015 general elections had major lapses .
The INEC boss who was speaking while in a
meet with a delegation of military attaches of
foreign missions in Nigeria called for a review of
the act, adding that a review will address the
shortcomings and improve the commission’s
work.
