By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has urged the National Assembly to make laws to regulate election process rather than ordering the process of election.

It will be recalled that the National Assembly recently invited the INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega on various clarifications on the 2011 general elections.

Fashola made the remarks while speaking with newsmen at the closing session of the 5th Lagos State Executive and Legislative Parley at Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area with the theme; ‘Planning and Budgeting for Accelerated Development.”

His words: “I believe that this is a matter that should be left for the electoral umpire to decide, even though the national assembly has the power to make laws to regulate election, what the national assembly should do is to put a regulation in the law and enable INEC from time to time to review that process because INEC has more of the technical knowledge about election process in the country, INEC meets with the party, it has field officers and further has the
technique to monitor election.

“What is necessary for the National Assembly is to make recommendation to the umpire who will in turn consult all the political parties to make decision based on the evidence; we will re-order the pattern of election wide recommendation, too many things that are there in the constitution which we try to refer to, we should apply common sense to some of this things.”

While commenting on the statements from some quarters in the country that there might be no election in 2011 Fashola dismissed it urging every well meaning Nigerians to discard the statement.

He said: “We should stop raising unsupported alarm, we will have election in 2011, and Nigerians want to make this election an election that will define all future election in the country. Let us stop thinking about the speculation that there may be no election but the process requires everybody to sign up.”

The governor, in his earlier address during the parley stressed the need for the sustenance of the spirit of mutual understanding.