De-Registration: Enugu House Threatens Court Action

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, Politics Wednesday, May 21st, 2014

IGNATIUS OKPARA, Enugu

The Enugu state House of Assembly on Tuesday handed down a one week ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to resolve the issue of de-registration of voters in 621 polling units in the state or face legal action.

According to the House, the commission should also discard the issue of asking rural dwellers to tender proper identity cards before they could seek for re-registration.

African Examiner recalled that over 40 percent of voters in the state, who participated in the 2011 general election, have been de-registered, prompting the electoral body to fix date for fresh registration.

In a resolution during its plenary, the Assembly posited that if the units christened, ‘zero registration units,’ by INEC were not corrected on or before May 27, it would drag have no option than drag the nation’s electoral body to court.

In a motion sponsored by member representing Igbo-Etiti West Constituency, Okechukwu Nwoke, and six others, the Enugu lawmakers, resolved that INEC should endevour to have recourse to its back-up resource pool.

The House, however, requested the electoral body to tender an apology to the affected local government areas for the unwarranted socio-political and psychological trauma caused the affected people.

It also wants INEC to take full responsibility of the financial implications of the exercise and pay damages in terms of money.

The Eugene Udoh, led 24- man House further urged the state Governor, Sullivan Chime, to send a high-powered delegation to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to formally complain of the disenfranchisement of over 40 per cent of electorates in the state as well as explore avenues to arrive at possible headway.