Blame Jonathan If 2011 Election Fails, Reps Tell INEC

ABUJA, August 19, (THEWILL) - The House of Representatives has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Nigerians to blame the executive arm of government and not the National Assembly should the 2011 general elections fail.

It also accused the Executive arm of government of dilly-dallying in assenting to the Electoral Bill 2010 and the INEC supplementary budget.

Chairman of the House Committee on Information and National Orientation, Honourable Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, who made this known in a press statement Thursday in Abuja, said the House and the Senate have discharged their constitutional responsibility by passing the 2010 Electoral Bill and INEC supplementary budget.

"Contrary to the impression given by the INEC on the passage of the electoral law and the supplementary bill for it to undertake voter registration, the House of Representatives and indeed the two chambers of the National Assembly have fully discharge their constitutional responsibility.

"If there is anything holding back the bills to becoming law, it’s the assent of Mr. President", Wadada said.

He said in its commitment in ensuring that all democratic processes were adhered to for the 2011 elections to hold, the House may soon reconvened to override the President’s veto on the bills once the stipulated time expires.

INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega had on Wednesday expressed concern over the conduct of the 2011 general elections, saying that the commission was two weeks behind schedule, due to the non-availability of the enabling laws.

Although, the National Assembly had passed both the Electoral bill and the INEC supplementary bill more than a week ago, the presidency claimed that it only received a clean copy of the bill last Monday.