Nasarawa LG election: Assembly wants NASIEC officials sacked for misconduct

From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

Nasarawa State House of Assembly (NSHA) has passed a resolution seeking for the immediate sack of the Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC), Dr. Abdullahi Modibbo, alongside all his Commissioners for alleged misconduct.

The Assembly arrived at its decision yesterday after deliberating on a motion moved by the Majority Leader of the House, Godiya Akwashiki (PDP, Nasarawa Eggon West), brought under the matter of public interest.

In his motion, Akwashiki accused the NASIEC chairman and his commissioners of refusing adhere strictly to the local government election law, thereby failing to conduct a credible, free and fair election during the recently conducted local government election.

“It is unfortunate and uncalled-for that the local government election was marred by lots of irregularities which necessitated the assembly to summon the NASIEC chairman and his commissioners on March 26th, 2014 to explain the irregularities”, the Majority Leader noted.

He maintained that it was unacceptable to the House that after it instructed the NASIEC chairman to go ahead and declare the results from the three local governments earlier declared as inconclusive, Modibbo has failed to comply with the directive.

Akwashiki therefore called on his colleagues to support his motion to enable the NASEIC chairman and the commissioners be sacked for misconduct and for not adhering strictly to the local government laws in carrying out their responsibilities of conducting the LG election.

Mohammed Okpede (PDP-Doma North), while seconding the motion earlier moved by the Majority Leader, urged his colleague to support the motion for the removal of the state electoral body within 24 hours in the interest of peace and to serve as deterrent to others.

Ahmed Musa Mohammed (PDP-Nasarawa Central) and Speaker of the House, after putting the motion to vote for the immediate removal of the NASIEC chairman and his commissioners, directed the Clerk of the House to communicate the resolution to the executive in the state.