BEVERLY HILLS, October 31, (THEWILL) – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that it cannot disqualify Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi state and gubernatorial flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for double registration because it is not an offence under the electoral act.
Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, made this known while speaking at a quarterly media meeting with journalists on Wednesday saying the commission cannot prosecute the governor because he also enjoys constitutional immunity.
“On the issue of double registration, there is nothing INEC can do with someone who has constitutional immunity. The governor in question has a guaranteed constitutional immunity,” Yakubu said.
“We disciplined our staff that were involved because it is within our reach to take administrative action against them. Moreover, the electoral act does not permit us to disqualify anyone based on the account of double registration.
“This is our handicap.”
THEWILL recalls that Natasha Akpoti, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), had asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to disqualify the governor from the November 16 gubernatorial election over alleged double registration as a voter.
Akpoti was a governorship candidate but was disqualified by the electoral commission over an invalid nomination of her running mate.
In the suit, Akpoti said Bello allegedly committed the offence of double registration on May 23, 2017, at the government house in Lokoja after he had reportedly registered as a voter in Abuja in 2011.
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