Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Adebayo Balogun, on Friday disclosed that there is no existing law stopping any serving lawmakers or political office holders from contesting bye-elections in the country.
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Hon. Balogun, who represents the Ibeju-Lekki federal constituency of Lagos State, stated this in Abuja during a media chat with Parliamentary Correspondents, underscoring the need for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be truly independent and well-funded to carry out its constitutional functions efficiently and effectively.
He also noted that there was no such plan in the ongoing electoral reforms to disenfranchise serving legislators both at the state and federal levels from exercising their right to vote and be voted for.
The lawmaker observed that INEC cannot hide under the guise of paucity of funds to deny the right of serving parliamentarians to participate in any by-Elections in the country.
While reacting to a recent statement made by INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu when he pleaded with political parties to start fielding fresh candidates for bye-elections into state and federal legislative positions to cut costs, Hon. Balogun said INEC Boss’ statement was just a mere suggestion which has no correlation in the Electoral Act yet.
“But that’s not part of our Electoral Act, and it’s not part of whatever we are considering for now, to make such law to restrict anybody from contesting.
“And personally, if I have to even advise, it’s even better you use serving members who are experienced in the field because if you talk about replacing a Senator, you should be looking at a Rep member to replace such a person.
“And it’s unfortunate that it came as a by- election. Naturally, after every season, every dispensation, most of the people that contest for a Senatorial seat are usually former House members.
“So it’s unfortunate that this thing happened, people die or some are due to resignation. But if such opportunity comes, we should not restrict it to certain people. We should leave it open for everybody. This is a democracy; let the person with the highest number win.
“That’s what democracy is all about. It’s about the number. So, we should not restrict it. And he is a technocrat, he might just feel let me just save money.
“But when talking about politics, it’s not just about money. It’s about interest. It’s about what the people want. So let the wish of the people prevail in every federal constituency and senatorial district, and even in Nigeria at large.
“Like I said, it’s not part of our law, so it’s advice. So it’s either you take the advice if it’s convenient for you, or you don’t take it.
“Advice is not a law. And I don’t think anybody who has a candidate that wants to vote for will feel good if they say his or her own candidate has been disqualified by the INEC Chairman unlawfully.
“So, I advise anybody interested in contesting to continue with his ambition and let the people in their own constituency make their decision.
“So, I think no party can put that into their law or has put it in their law for now, and I don’t think it will. It will be unlawful for anybody to be excluded on such a basis. So that’s my own candid opinion,” he said.
Hon. Balogun added that efforts are being intensified to ensure adequate funding and financial autonomy. For the Electoral body.
He maintained that every eligible person has the right to contest elections irrespective of the office currently serving or holding.
He, therefore, urged all the political parties and electorates to consider fielding serving lawmakers to contest high elective positions in the country during general elections,s, especially in the cases of by-elections.
While noting that the experiences acquired in lawmaking cannot be overemphasized, Hon. Balogun argued that it was evident in the past that most serving lawmakers like that of Governor Diri Douye and his deputy in Bayelsa, Monday Okpebholo and his deputy in Edo State among others who contested in the past won elections and are doing very well.
Hon. Bayo Balogun added that such can not be tenable in a country where we have a lot off-season elections like Anambra, Bayelsa Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo States among others, where a serving Senator and Reps member may wish to contest in such elections in their respective states.
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