The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria has announced the postponement of six Senatorial and nine House of Assembly by-elections scheduled to hold in eleven states as a result of unrest triggered by #EndSars protests across the country.
In a statement issued by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, INEC said the decision was taken after an emergency meeting with the 37 Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) which took place on Thursday last week to review the elections based on the current security situation in Nigeria.
“Accordingly, the Commission has decided to postpone the by-elections in the 6 Senatorial Districts and 9 State Constituencies. This decision complies with Section 26 (2) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), which gives the Commission the power to postpone an election if there is reason to believe that a serious breach of the peace is likely to occur if the election is proceeded with on that date, or that it is impossible to conduct the elections as a result of natural disasters or other emergencies.”
Citing the spate of violence in many parts of the country, the Commission revealed that it will continue to monitor the situation in all the states and constituencies, and also consult with relevant stakeholders before another meeting scheduled two weeks from now in which a new date will be deliberated on.
#EndSARS Protests Take A Violent Turn
Despite the peaceful nature of the protests, the #EndSARS movement took a violent turn when on Tuesday, October 20, 2020, soldiers opened fire on peaceful protesters at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos state. According to eyewitness reports and a growing missing person’s list, several people were shot dead, a report the government can neither confirm nor deny properly..
The by-elections were scheduled to hold on October 31, 2020, to fill in vacancies caused by the death and resignations of previous members.
This story is part of our new series on Nigeria where we analyse electoral and political reform in the country ahead of the next general elections in 2023.
