A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to pass the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021, immediately.
According to Jega, the passage of the bill would improve the integrity of elections in Nigeria.
The former INEC Chairman asked the Buhari administration to do everything within its power to ensure that Nigeria goes into the next elections with a new bill.#
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Jega said during a Townhall Meeting on the Electoral bill on Sunday:
This country will be better off if we go into the next election with a new electoral law which will enhance the integrity of the preparations and conduct of the elections.
While the debate over direct and indirect mode of primaries continues, Professor Jega explained that the bill contains a lot of new amendments.
36 recommendations had been made for the bill by INEC to the National Assembly, 31 of which were approved with little or no amendments.
According to Jega, the amendments are the first in the last 12 years, and withholding assent to the bill, over a clause, would, therefore, be detrimental to INEC’s ability to adequately prepare for coming elections.
Also, Jega cautioned the National Assembly against overriding President Muhammadu Buhari over Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill logjam.
Jega gave this warning Sunday while speaking at the citizens’ town hall on the Electoral Bill 2021 organised by Yiaga Africa and partners.
He said:
With the way the provisions of the bill stands, the National Assembly should do the needful rather than contemplating overriding the President by removing the contentious provisions.
He affirmed that the Electoral Bill contains quite a lot of good things that could enhance electoral integrity.
He said what is most important is to give INEC the law to improve upon ahead of the 2023 election and to ensure that parties coordinate directly.
It’s very important that we have a lot of legal frame work. I think clearly the electoral process would have better integrity if we do direct primaries appropriately.
Any governor that manipulates direct primaries can manipulate indirect primaries indirectly.