By OSERHEIMEN A. OSUNBOR
THE Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in its Third Schedule Part I Item F 15 sets out the powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. It states inter alia: “The commission shall have power to – (a) organise, undertake and supervise all elections to the offices of the President and Vice President, the Governor and Deputy Governor of a State, and to the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each State of the Federation; ….”
The Constitution in section 158 guarantees the independence of the Commission along with some other Federal bodies in order to ensure that they exercise their respective functions free from external influence, control or interference.
The need for the Commission to carry out its functions free from any external control is very crucial considering the fact that free, fair and credible elections form the basis of citizens’ participation in the…
Source: Vanguard Newspaper