Senate Urges INEC to Ensure the Participation of Internally Displaced Persons

The Senate has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to employ all administrative mechanisms within the Electoral Act to ensure that internally displaced persons of adult age exercise their franchise in the forthcoming elections. The resolution came at its plenary on Tuesday, 16th December, 2014 during the second reading of the Bill for An Act to Amend the Electoral Act, 2010 which seeks to amend section 42 of the Principal Act by the insertion of section 42(2) to make provisions for internally displaced persons to vote in their respective camps nationwide. The Senate was of the view that a resolution rather than an amendment would be more effective and timeous in ensuring that internally displaced persons were given an opportunity to exercise their franchise in time for the general elections in February, 2015.  Senator Makarfi (PDP:Kaduna)  for instance proposed that a directive to the electoral management body to employ its administrative powers would be following the model of countries like Afghanistan, Syria and Cuba who had faced a similar problem . Senator ItaEnang PDP: Akwa-Ibom) also observed that the proposal of section 42(2) was superfluous and unnecessary as the general provision of section 42 states that  “The Commission shall establish sufficient number of polling units in each registration area and shall allot voters to such polling units” sufficed to meet the peculiar exigencies of the situation.  It is hopeful that INEC would do the needful in ensuring that internally displaced persons participate in the forthcoming elections.