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The senate on Wednesday said it should not be held responsible if the 2011 elections fail.

While debating the
second amendment of the constitution, senators were of the view that
they have done everything possible to ensure that the 2011 general
elections are credible, free and fair.

The deputy
majority leader of the senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba, who spoke at the end
of the sitting, said the public should know where responsibilities lie
because the current amendment to the constitution is at the instance of
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The senators, who
generally expressed scepticism over the success of the 2011 elections,
rebuffed claims that they are responsible for the hitches in the
electoral process and that they have been bribed by the executive to
effect amendment in the electoral act in their favour.

“We are not trying
to frustrate the elections next year,” David Mark, the senate president
said. “We are doing everything humanly possible to make the election
free and fair.” His colleague, Patrick Osakwe (PDP Delta state) added
that:

“Nigerians should
be aware that in case there is any failure in the elections, the
national assembly has done its best for INEC.”

Bill advanced

The senate said it
was set to conclude the second amendment to the 1999 constitution next
week following the successful passage of the bill through second
reading on Wednesday.

The bill proposes
that election be held not earlier than 90 days and not later than 30
days before the end of tenure of the running office, different from the
current constitutional provisions of not earlier than 150 days and not
later than 120 days.

Mr. Mark, while
closing debate on the bill, asked the senate ad hoc committee on
constitution review to submit a clean copy of the bill by next week for
passage into law.

The bill was read
for the first time on Tuesday and, according to the deputy senate
president, Ike Ekweremadu, is in consonance with the new dates demanded
by the Independent National Electoral Commission for adjustment to the
election time frame.

The bill comprises 10 clauses dealing with time frame for elections and matters of election petition and adjudication.

While most
senators argued in favour of the amendments to the constitution, some
proposed that the time frame for conduct of elections be completely
expunged from the constitution and inserted into the electoral act for
ease of future amendments.

However, the
second clause that seeks to let governorship election petitions get to
the Supreme Court was met with serious opposition.

“With this amendment, there will be a reinstatement of governorship
elections tribunal which the first amendment abrogated,” the deputy
senate president said. “The aim here is to cure the ill of contrary and
contradictory judgments often witnessed in Appeal Court decisions on
governorship election appeals.” Many senators were of the opinion that
there was no need extending such gesture to the governors. Others
argued that allowing the petitions to drag for so long would give
governors an unusual advantage over the contesting parties.