Iwu Faults INEC on Osun, Says

Guidelines Do not Apply to Governorship 

A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral  Commission,  Professor Maurice Iwu has faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission's decision to reschedule part of the Osun State governorahip election due to cancellation of some votes.

In a statement, Iwu who said that he invented the inconclusive elections outcomes, particularly where elections did not hold for one reason or the other, said he latter discovered that the proposal violated provisions of the consrirurion and was forced to drop it.

He said: "Actually, during the review of INEC's Elections' Manual, my committee and I as the Chair, invented the inconclusive elections outcomes, particularly where elections did not hold for one reason or the other.

"However, we the initiators of the inconclusive elections realised that our proposal was against the provisions of the 1999 Constitution ( as Amended ), particularly the presidential and the governorship elections and returns.

"Our proposals could be applied only in Senatorial, Federal House of Representatives, and State Assembly elections and returns, for which the Constitution did not specify how these returns should be made.

"In this, what is required by the constitution is that the 'first past the post' and/or that the candidate must have the polled majority of the votes cast.

"Secondly, that the candidate in addition to it, must obtain 25 per cent of the total votes cast in two-third of the LGAs of the state in question or of the states incase of presidential election.

"The electoral act or INEC guide lines cannot supersede the constitutional provisions for that purpose.

"As the Constitution has clearly spelt out the manner and how a return should be made in the cases of governorship or presidential elect ion returns.

Now that the abuse of this tool is becoming obvious, the beneficiaries of this anomaly have refused to listen or adjust accordingly."