Senate tasks FG on safety of electoral officials, materials

News Agency of Nigerian

March 24, 2021 10:47 PM

The Senate has urged the Federal Government to ensure the safety of electoral officials and election materials during elections.

Nigerian Senate [Twitter/NGRSenate]

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion, ‘Election Violence in Ekiti and Need to Eschew Restraint’, at the plenary on Wednesday.

The motion was sponsored by Sen. Biodun Olujimi (PDP- Ekiti).

Olujimi, in her lead debate, noted the sudden disruption of the March 20 by-election for the Ekiti East Constituency 1 seat, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

She recalled that the by-election became necessary following the death of Mr Juwa Adegbuyi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a lawmaker at the state House of Assembly.

She said the by-election, which had commenced peacefully in an orderly manner, was suddenly disrupted at noon when hoodlums invaded the polling centres to snatch ballot boxes.

According to her, no fewer than three persons were feared dead, while many others sustained injuries.

The senator noted that in a democracy, no election was worth the blood of any person.

The people, she said, should be allowed to make their choices through their votes.

Subsequently, the senate further resolved and urged the Inspector-General of Police (I-G) to order a full scale investigation into the violence to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators of the dastardly act.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the senate also called for the accelerated passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which was before it.

The bill seeks to forestall election violence and establish the Electoral Offences Commission to handle issues relating to electoral offences.

News Agency of Nigerian