Kalu rejects motion to summon INEC chairman, says briefing sufficient

File photo: The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has said the Independent National Electoral Commission’s periodic public briefings are sufficient to address concerns about preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Kalu stated this during Wednesday’s plenary while contributing to a debate on a motion seeking to invite INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, to brief the House on the commission’s preparations for the elections.

The Minority Whip, Mansur Soro, and the Deputy Minority Leader, Abdulsamad Dasuki, moved the motion.

Opposing the proposal to summon Amupitan before the full House, Kalu argued that the move could distract the electoral body, given the time remaining before the elections.

He said any concerns beyond INEC’s public briefings should be directed to the relevant standing committee of the House, which is constitutionally mandated to engage with the commission.

According to him, inviting the INEC chairman to address the entire House at this stage could create unnecessary panic and undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

Kalu maintained that the commission had been complying with the Electoral Act and addressing public concerns through its engagements.

He also argued that the House should support INEC’s preparations rather than subject it to what he considered an untimely plenary inquiry.

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He said, “Mr Speaker, I have gone through this well-written motion by my brother, Mansur Soro, and I have also taken cognisance of some paragraphs of this particular motion which have to do with awareness, concern and recognition paragraphs. Mr Speaker, it appears that when the chairman of INEC presented to the public not too long ago and addressed some of these concerns and questions, they were not listened to.

“We are very serious about public engagement, about the preparations. Mr Speaker, they have not complained about logistics. They have started on time.

“It is the committee of the House that has been given this responsibility to do so, and that is why I stand not in support of the prayer of this particular motion, because supporting the prayer is belittling the mandate of the committee set up to carry out this function.

“Inviting the Chairman of INEC to come and brief the House when he just briefed the entire nation is not ideal. Don’t we believe in our committees again? They are charged with the responsibilities, and the chairmen of these committees are well educated and informed to carry out their responsibilities. Mr Speaker, based on that, I want to move that this prayer be changed to inviting INEC to meet with the committee for any briefing, not coming to the House.”

The deputy speaker’s proposed amendment, which sought to refer further concerns to the relevant House committee, was seconded by Babajimi Benson, a member representing Lagos State.

Following a voice vote conducted by the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, lawmakers supported the amendment, and the motion was referred to the House Committee on Electoral Matters.

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