INEC seeks scrapping of bye-elections

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The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said it is considering allowing Political parties who won elections to replace dead elected members instead of conducting bye-elections frequently.

The commission said this via its new policy document on conducting elections amid COVID-19, released on Monday.

This was as the electoral umpire decried the rising cost of elections in the country, saying it would be liaising with the National Assembly to see how political parties can nominate replacements for dead representatives in line with a Supreme Court judgment that votes belong to the parties and not individuals.

The document reads in part;

“The commission will engage with the legislature and other stakeholders to explore ways of responding to the rising cost of conducting frequent bye-elections.

Especially in consideration of the Supreme Court position that votes belong primarily to political parties, as well as the Commission’s records, which show that only in 10% of all bye-elections since 2015 did the party that won originally lose the election.”


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