Niger Assembly removes state Independent Electoral Commission chairman
The Niger State House of Assembly has removed the Chairman of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission, Baba Aminu, for his inability to effectively discharge his official responsibilities.
The legislators announced his removal after he briefed them on the preparedness of the commission towards the conduct of the local government elections, adding that it had not been suspended despite the resolution passed by the Assembly to suspend the preparations.
Aminu was removed alongside one other Commissioner who was said to have spoken on a radio station that the Assembly had no right to shift the local government elections.
The sacked chairman was also unable to give account of the number of total registered voters in the state, saying that only the Independent National Electoral Commission had the record.
“I have no account to work on. For the total number of registered voters in Niger State, I do not know. You will have to go to the federal INEC to get the total number.”
When asked why the Commission was still going ahead with the conduct of the local government elections, the chairman stated that he had yet to receive directives from the court or the state government to stop the preparation for the council elections.
The legislators frowned upon an earlier statement made by the sacked chairman where he said he was only loyal to the court and the governor.
The legislators said he was supposed to be impartial but since he was loyal to two masters, he would not be the impartial umpire as needed for the state council elections.
“You do not have the capacity to run the state Independent Electoral Commission. Instead of being impartial, you are likely to tilt toward the political party that your Principal belongs to,” the legislator representing Borgu constituency, Abba Bala, stated.
The legislator representing Agwara constituency, Bello Ahmed, called for the removal of the chairman and he was seconded by Binta Mamman representing Gurara constituency.
(Punch)
