'Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
DAILY COURIER – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, to exercise caution in his public statements after he accused the electoral body of selective implementation of elections to fill vacant legislative seats arising from political defections.
In a statement issued by Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, the commission dismissed the allegations as baseless, noting that the Governor failed to provide specific instances of selective action.
Fubara had claimed that INEC deliberately refused to conduct elections to fill vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly, where a deepening political crisis has resulted in two factions battling for control. The crisis has seen some lawmakers declare the seats of 27 members vacant, while the affected lawmakers have retaliated with similar pronouncements.
Responding to the allegations, INEC clarified that the situation in the Rivers State Assembly is already before multiple courts, including the Supreme Court, and as such, remains subjudice. The electoral body emphasized that it had been joined in several lawsuits regarding the matter and must await judicial pronouncements before taking any action.
"Under the circumstances, the Commission must await the final judicial pronouncement on the matter before it embarks on a puerile exercise that may eventually amount to a nullity and a waste of public funds," the statement read.
INEC further urged public officials, including Governor Fubara, to be mindful of their statements, warning that unfounded allegations could mislead the public and undermine trust in democratic institutions.
"We urge people occupying high public offices to be circumspect in their public statements before they mislead the public and cast aspersion on public institutions, particularly where they are aware of the pendency of cases in court," the statement added.
The Rivers political crisis has deepened in recent months, with Governor Fubara and a faction of the Assembly locked in a prolonged battle for control. The INEC response signals that no fresh elections will be conducted for the disputed seats until the courts resolve the legal tussle.
