Kalu protects INEC from plenary ‘distractions’, backs committee’s handling of public concerns

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has said that the periodic public briefing by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is sufficient to address public concerns on preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Kalu canvassed the position on the floor of the House during Wednesday’s plenary while contributing to the debate on a motion moved by the Minority Whip, Hon. Mansur Soro, and the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Abdulsamad Dasuki, to invite the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, to brief the House at plenary on the preparations by the Electoral Body for the 2027 general elections.

Opposing one of the prayers of the motion to invite the Chairman to the plenary, the Deputy Speaker said that with about 80 days to the elections, it will amount to a distraction for the INEC Chairman and his team. 

According to him, every other concern beyond the public briefings of INEC should be channeled to the relevant Standing Committee of the House constitutionally mandated to interface with the Commission. 

Kalu argued that inviting INEC before the full House at this time risks causing panic and eroding public confidence in the electoral process.

He noted that the Commission has been complying with the Electoral Act and is already responding to concerns through its public engagements.

To avoid security risks and undue pressure on the Commission, the Deputy Speaker maintained that such matters are best handled at committee level, describing the committee as the House in miniature.

Kalu added that the House, as the bastion of democracy, should be canvassing support for the Commission, stressing that the timing of any plenary inquisition is wrong when INEC is in the middle of public engagement and preparations for the elections. 

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

“We are very serious about public engagement, with regards to 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 up to carry 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 proposed amendment of the Deputy Speaker to refer further concerns to the relevant committee of the House was later seconded by Hon. Babajimi Benson from Lagos. 

When put to a voice vote by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, who presided over plenary, the motion was overwhelmingly supported, prompting the Speaker to refer the motion to the House Committee on Electoral Matters.