By Ben Agande
ABUJA—NATIONAL Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, yesterday alerted the nation on the constraints before the commission which may significantly hinder the commission’s effort to prepare the voters’ register and conduct the 2011 elections.
These hindrances, according to INEC boss, are the controversy surrounding amendment of the 1999 constitution as well as the failure of President Goodluck Jonathan to assent the Electoral Act

Jega who met with leaders of the registered political parties in Abuja, said the commission was not sure where it stood at the moment.

He said: “The commission has planned its activities on the understanding that these amendments have been consummated and finalized. Instead, there have been controversies over whether the President has to assent to the constitutional amendments or not, a matter which is subjudice.

“At the same time, to the best of my knowledge, Mr. President is yet to assent to the new Electoral Act. All have constrained INEC’s preparations for both the voters’ registration exercise and the elections.

“Our position remains that we are bound by whatever existing legal architecture provided to us and we need not be drawn into controversies over such issues. I, therefore, appeal for a speedy conclusion of these issues to enable us firm up preparations for the voter registration and elections.”

Jega said the commission was ready and “would release a time table of events” as soon as all the uncertainties surrounding the legal framework for the conduct of the elections were clarified.

The IEC boss said political parties shared similar responsibilities with IEC of ensuring free, fair and credible elections in the country, stressing that should either party fail to play by the rules, free fair and credible elections would immediately be put in jeopardy.

He told leaders of the political parties:“Let me state what we consider to be the irreducible mission of our commission. It is to conduct free, fair and credible elections based on a dependable and permanent Voters’ Register.

In doing this, we offer the Nigerian people a strong leadership built on openness, fairness and unimpeachable integrity. We want Nigerians to judge us on these grounds. We hope that we are correct in assuming that you share this mission and that we can consider you allies in its pursuit and attainment.”

While expressing concern about the absence of internal democracy in the political parties, Jega challenged the leaders to ensure that they entrenched internal democracy in their parties.

Jonathan only got new Electoral bill Tuesday night—Abba Aji

Meantime, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba-Aji, said the harmonized version of the Electoral Bill only got to the President on Tuesday.

He said the threat by some members of the National Assembly to override the President’s veto was misplaced.

The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Alli Ndume had said at a news conference, Tuesday, that the National Assembly was contemplating overriding the President’s veto on the bill .

Delay by NASS

But in an interview in Abuja, the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters said: “I can confirm to you that the new electoral bill is with the President now. It got to the presidency on Tuesday and it is now on the President’s table.

But he cannot look at it today (Wednesday) because of the FEC meeting. I can assure you that the President has no problems with the bill.”

He explained that  though the  bill was passed three weeks ago, it was not transmitted to the President immediately, adding: “Though the bill was passed three weeks ago, it took sometime before the Legal Department of the National Assembly could produce a clean copy of the bill.

The Legal Department of National Assembly has the responsibility to prepare clean copies of bills and I think they did a good job. The President has no problems with the bill.”

The National Assembly had passed the new electoral law after the conclusion of the constitution amendment bill. Some aspects of the 1999 constitution were removed and placed under the electoral law to make room for flexibility of future amendments.

When the new law comes into effect, elections will hold not later than 150 days to the handing over date.