News Investigators/ A former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, has defended the conduct of by-elections in the country, describing it as constitutional matter that must not be ignored in spite of concerns over cost.
Mr Maku, a former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State and Labour Party (LP) chieftain, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.
He said that by-elections were necessary to ensure that citizens, whose representatives have left office for one reason or the other, were not denied representation in the legislature.
According to him, important national and community issues are constantly being deliberated upon in legislative chambers, thus making it necessary for every constituency to have representation at all times.
“By-elections are a constitutional matter. There are critical issues that are usually deliberated in the legislature. So should those people be without representation for a year because of cost?” he queried.
Mr Maku stressed that democracy thrives when people continue to have a voice through their elected representatives, adding that leaving constituencies vacant for a long period would amount to denying citizens their democratic rights.
In respect to the conduct of by-elections to fill the vacant seats in the National Assembly, the former minister noted that a notice for the exercise had already been fixed for June 20 by INEC.
He said that the process should be allowed to go on in line with constitutional provisions.
Mr Maku maintained that while concerns about the financial implications of elections might be valid, democratic representation remains more important for the stability and inclusive governance.
The former minister urged stakeholders and citizens to support the electoral process and ensure peaceful participation during the conduct of the by-elections.
NAN