INEC Suspends Buruku By Election In Benue.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said it had suspended the conduct of the by-election into the Buruku Federal Constituency in Benue State scheduled to hold today.
The commission’s scribe in the state, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu, in a statement yesterday said the suspension was sequel to a motion from the Supreme Court asking the electoral body not to proceed with the exercise. Ogakwu, who expressed regrets over the inconveniences the suspension would cause stakeholders, assured them of the commission’s commitment to conduct credible elections in the country.
The Supreme Court had on May 31, ordered Mr. Orker Jev of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), now the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Buruku Federal Constituency of the state in the National Assembly to vacate his seat.
The same court ordered the INEC to conduct fresh election within 90 days to feel the vacancy created by Jev’s sacking. Parties in the appeal were Jev, who is the appellant, while other respondents were Sekav Iortyom, INEC and ACN.
Jev had gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the decision of the Court of Appeal in Makurdi, which affirmed the ruling of the lower court, which asked INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to him.
Justice Walter Onoghen, who presided at the hearing, directed that Jev’s name be removed from the ballot box and replaced with that of the 1st respondent, Sekav Iortyom. The panel also ordered the appellant (Jev) to pay the sum of N500,000 to each of the respondents except the 2nd respondent (INEC).
The panel explained that the 1st respondent, Sekav Iortyom, could not be declared winner and asked to be sworn in following Jev’s ouster because such an order would violate the provisions of Section 141 of the Electoral Act.
See the letter