INEC Approves Nov. 18 For Anambra Guber Election
By Victor Ernest with agency report
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved November 18, 2017 for the conduct of the Anambra governorship election.
INEC’s national commissioner, Solomon Soyebi, made the announcement at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.
He said the 1999 Constitution as amended, and the Electoral Act had stipulated that the earliest day for the conduct of the election shall be October 18, 2017, while latest date for the election shall be February 14, 2018.
It also stipulated that the tenure of the state governor would expire on 16 March, 2018.
According to INEC timetable for the election, campaigns by political parties will start on Aug. 18 and close by Nov. 16, while primaries will be held between July 22 and September 2.
Special Investigation Panel
The national commissioner also spoke about the Joint Police/DSS Special Investigation Panel on Rivers Re-Run elections of Dec. 10, 2016.
According to him, the commission has received the report of the panel which has indicted 25 staff of the commission.
He stated that the commission would cooperate with the law enforcement agencies to see to the persecution of the indicted staff, adding that the commission would not ”shield staff that engages in any conduct that will undermine the integrity of the electoral process”.
The commissioner also stated that the commission had also considered the report of its Administrative Inquiry into the same election in which 28 staff were indicted of misconduct.
He explained that the commission accepted the report’s recommendations that all the 28 indicted staff should face internal disciplinary action for gross misconduct, dereliction of duty and negligence.
The commissioner added that INEC would also offer automatic employment to two National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members; Aguna Isaac and Ademola Oluwatoba who served as Presiding Officers during the election.
He said that the decision was to reward them for their professional conduct during the election.
He noted that arising from the lessons learned, the commission would carry out major overhaul of its entire Rivers office.
