Taraba: Rights attorney criticises INEC for the delayed conduct of the reps byelection

Pius Danba, a human rights attorney, has voiced his worries with INEC’s delay in holding a bye election for Taraba State’s Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency.

He claimed that the practise was overdue.

Danba, who made his position known on Tuesday in a letter sent to the INEC Chairman, claimed that the INEC had broken the constitutional rule requiring a 30-day maximum for holding elections to replace vacancies.

Following the unexpected passing of the election winner, Ismaila Yushau Mohammed, on February 25, OBASANJOP NEWS24 reported that the seat representing the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency has remained vacant.

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In response to his question about INEC’s persistent inaction, he stated, “It may interest you to know that from the 22nd day of April 2023 to the 13th June 2023 is 52 days.

The seat of the representative for the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency has been vacant ever since the House of Representatives was inaugurated on June 13, 2023, and it has been well over 170 days since the death of Ismaila Yushau Mohammed.

“Section 76 (1) (2) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) is violated because the people of Jalingo/Yorro/Zing have not been represented at all for more than 118 days and counting.”

He further pointed out that the Electoral Act of 2022’s Section 34 (3) (b) only allows for a 21-day grace period following a candidate’s passing.

The eminent lawyer criticised the Commission for giving the Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections top attention.

“It seems that your commission does not regard the election of the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency as an equally important constitutional activity at all,” he remarked.