12th September, 2015
Dr Frederick Fasehun, the National Chairman, Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), says the party will not participate in the forthcoming elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States because of the inaction of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Fasehun told NAN on Saturday in Lagos that UPN was abstaining from the polls because it believed that there was no constitutional provision for an acting Chairman of INEC to conduct an election.
He said that the appointment of an acting national chairman for INEC and giving the mandate of conducting election to the acting chairman “is an aberration”.
As the Kogi and Bayelsa elections is scheduled for November 21 and December 5 respectively, Fasehun said his party would only participate in the polls if President Muhammadu Buhari appoints a substantive Chairman for the election umpire.
“The constitution does not give room to acting chairman of INEC to conduct election. It does not even recognise an acting INEC chairman.
“It is illegal, any election done or conducted under the present acting chairman of INEC is null and void,” he said.
Fasehun called for the perfection of the use of card reader for subsequent elections to forestall the complaints of disenfranchisement in the past general elections.
He said that for election to be free, fair and democratic every register voter must be made to participate and the system must be made simple for easy understanding.
Speaking on Buhari’s 100 days in office, Fasehun underscored the urgent need for the president to constitute his cabinet for government to run in accordance with statutes.