Why Supplementary and Governorship Elections will hold together – INEC

Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will conduct supplementary elections alongside the upcoming governorship and house of assembly polls.

The governorship and state house of assembly elections is scheduled for 9th of March 2019.

The commission made the resolution following the disruptive conducts witnessed in certain areas during the February 23 presidential polls.

A statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye confirmed the decision today.

“In a number of locations, it could not conclude the elections due to disruptions and deliberate noncompliance with the use of smart card readers (SCR),” Okoye said in a statement.

Okoye further said the supplementary elections will now hold in places where elections did not hold at all.

“Consequently, the meeting decided that supplementary elections will be conducted in all areas where elections did not take place and/or where returns could not be made on Saturday, 9th March 2019 alongside the governorship and state house of assembly elections.”

In another statement, INEC clarified that only National Assembly elections will hold onMarch 9th and not Presidential. The statement said:

The supplementary elections will only hold for National Assembly seats and in areas where violence prevented the declaration and return of a candidate. The list of PUs, areas, senatorial districts & constituencies affected is available from INEC State Offices #NigeriaDecides2019