20100724
africanews

Dark cloud now hangs over the January date of the 2011 elections as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is now in a serious dilemma over the date. Following the reworking of some clauses of the 1999 Constitution, it is now mandatory for the commission to hold the forthcoming elections between December 30, 2010 and January 29, 2011.

But the National Assembly, THISDAY learnt, is working on Plan B to accommodate any eventuality without shifting the May 29 handover date.

The option is to shift the implementation of the amended constitution till after the handover.
Yesterday, INEC gave two conditions under which it would deliver a free, fair and transparent general election next year.

One is the amendment of the 2006 Electoral Act by the National Assembly and the other is for the nation to cough out between N55 and N72 billion to produce a fresh voters' register.

The commission's Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega at his maiden press conference at the commission's headquarters in Abuja said in the absence of the funds and amendment of the 2006 Electoral Act, INEC would use the voters' register produced during the tenure of former chairman Maurice Iwu.

But he gave a caveat: the old register can only guarantee 10 per cent success if used.
Notwithstanding the conditions, Jega said categorically that the "May 29 2011 handover date is sacrosanct. Please have no illusion about it."

The INEC chairman said the commission is determined to compile a fresh voters' register, as that is the sure way to ensure a free, fair and credible election.

Jega painted the scenarios presented to INEC by the amendment of the 1999 constitution and 2006 Electoral Act.

He said: "Based on amendments to Sections 76(2), 116(2), 132(2) and 178(2) of the Constitution, elections must take place between 150 and 120 days to the end of tenure.

Consequently, the forthcoming elections must hold between 30th December 2010 and 29th January 2011. If we take the midpoint between these two dates to give room for effective preparations and possible runoff elections, it means that the elections will take place between the 8th and 15th of January 2011."