Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) has postponed till the first quarter of year 2020, its proposed Council polls which was earlier billed to hold on November 30, 2019
Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Joseph Loko who disclosed this during the Commission’s Stakeholders Forum held at the George Akume Hall, Local Government Service Commission, Makurdi, the state capital on Monday.
The BSIEC Chairman however hinged the postponement on what he described as glaring contradictions on the timetable released by the Commission on September 23, 2019.
“The import of this meeting is to inform stakeholders on preparations so far, to also intimate them that the Commission has taken note of the contradiction on the timetable released on 23rd September, 2019, in respect to Section 30 of Electoral Act, 2010(as amended) which has provided for 90 days notice of election and Section 15(2) of the Benue State Electoral Law, 2012(as amended) which has provided for 21 days notice, which conflicts with Section 30 of the Electoral Act, 2010”, he stated.
Loko said following the shortcomings realized from its timetable, the Commission has postponed its election date from November 30, 2019 to the First quarter of 2020 to accommodate and make further clarifications on the provisions of the existing Electoral Laws.