2023 Elections: If You Defect, You Lose Your Seat – INEC Chairman Tells Lawmakers

ABUJA_____As political parties prepare to launch out in the hopes of securing seats and political offices ahead of the 2023 election year, the electoral umpire, INEC has released some disturbing news to the political bodies.

As is the norm in some quarters where politicians have wantonly and with no regard for the electoral process, formed the habit of jumping from one political party to another, the electoral umpire has slammed a verdict on politicians who continue in that fashion.

Speaking, the chairman of the independent electoral commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu gave the recommendations while presenting a paper on ‘Report of the 2019 General Election’ in Abuja on Friday.

According to the paper, anyone who defects from one political party to another should automatically lose his seat.

The only exception to the new law will be if the political parties merged and even at that, there must be a backing legislation to that in terms of the party constitution.

This law applies for lawmakers in the state and federal houses of assembly.

Apart from the law prohibiting lawmakers from defecting, the body also made some other proposals like:

The creation of an ‘Electoral offenses commission and tribunal’ which will be vested with the powers to arrest, investigate and prosecute all electoral offenders.

Create an automated nomination process in order to facilitate the storage, access, and retrieval of all candidates’ data.

Giving the commission the option of sourcing its ad hoc personnel from among its retired staff instead of from outsiders.

The instant delivery of all non-sensitive election materials to states and FCT offices within 30 days to any election.

The need to properly review the criteria for recruiting, selection of collation officers, and returning officers for future election processes.

The INEC chairman added that most of the recommendations that do not require the backings of the law have already been implemented but others that need the backing of the law are already being scrutinized by the appropriate quarters.