Breaking News: Bill on Electoral Offences Commission: Prof. Mahmood Yakubu -Chairman INEC, Chief of Army Staff, IGP, H.E. Prince Frank Ukonga DA Nat. Chairman and others storm the National Assembly.

Senator Suleiman Nazif, [Chairman Senate Committee] Senator Mao Ohuabunwa and other senators Committee Members of the Electoral Offences Commission Proposed Bill- Public hearing @ the National Assembly

The Senate Public hearing on the proposed bill on National Electoral Offences Commission was held in the Senate Conference Hall, National Assembly in Abuja on Monday 12^th of March 2018 and the event was well attended by major stakeholders.

INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu and INEC Sec

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Bill who also chaired the public hearing is Senator Suleiman Nazif, other members of the Committee are Senator Abubakar Kyari, Senator Abdulahi Adamu, Senator Mohammed Hassan, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, Senator Sabi Abdulahi, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, Senator Omo Agege, Senator James Manager, Hon Aisha Duku House Committee Chairperson on INEC Represented the Honorable Speaker of the House of Representative Hon. Yakubu Dogara, The Senate President was represented by Senator Ibn Na’llah.

The Chairman INEC Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and the INEC Secretary and top officials of INEC attended.

H.E. Prince frank Ukonga DA Nat Chairman greeting the Sabi Abdulahi
and Senator Abubakar Kyari

The Political parties were represented by Hon Gashiom Benson National Chairman DPP and Deputy Chairman IPAC, H.E. Prince Frank Ukonga National Chairman DA- Democratic Alternative Party, H.E. Godson Okoye National Chairman UDP, Hon Unwosu National Chairman ADC, Hon Kenneth Udezie National Chairman Action Alliance Party, and many others.

The Chief of Army Staff Major General Buratai was represented by Major General Nuhu Angbazo, the DSS National Director Alhaji Daura Lawal was represented by Alhaji Yau Umar, the Inspector General of Police Mr. Ibrahim Idris , Navy, Civil Defence, Corp, Customs, Immigration etc were all represented…

Civil Societies –CLO were well represented among which is PLAC, and others.

Prince Frank Ukonga,Senator Abdulahi Adamu, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa,
INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu

In his remarkable speech the Chairman of the Committee Senator Suleiman Nazif declared the event opened after the National Anthem and presented the proposed bill and gave the necessity and sufficiency premises for the reason de entrée of the bill which was heralded by the entire participant by a loud ovation.

The Senate President H.E. Senator Bukola Saraki was represented by Senator Ibn Na’allah gave a warm speech in support of the bill as timely addressed to serve as both punitive and deterrence to electoral Offences culprits who seems to be basking on some impunity because there is no commission to handle and prosecute electoral offences which he said endangers the growth of sustainable democratic dispensation in Nigeria …

The INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu presented a formidable paper in support of the establishment of the Electoral Offences Commission saying that of the more than 870,000 cases of electoral offences in 2015 election INEC was only able to prosecute less than 1% due to several reasons.

The chief of Army Staff Major General Buratai represented by Major Genral Nuhu Agbazo Commended the Bill as timely. The National Director DSS Alhaji Lawal Daura represented by Yau Umar commended the bill and spoke on the recruitment of the proposed commission enforcement arm through secondments from the existing security apparatus of the country and it was heralded.

Senator Ibn Na'allah and Senator Suleiman Nazif

Speaking to the Media H.E. Prince Frank Ukonga the National Chairman of DA- Democratic Alternative Party heralded the bill as necessary to serve as deterrence and it will help to sanitize the electoral process of Nigeria addressed to entrench genuine democratic dispensation in Nigeria and the African continent.