The spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Barrister Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has expressed optimism that Nigerians would be experiencing free and credible elections in the future, with the signing of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law by President Muhammmadu Buhari.
Ugochinyere, who spoke to journalists in Owerri, Friday, stated that President Buhari had shown patriotism and defended his oath of office by signing the bill into law, noting that the signing of the bill had wide implications for the democratic system of the country.
He said the “law which provides for electronic accreditation of voters and transmission of election results, will solve previous legal issues that had arisen in that regard.”
He also noted that granting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the power to review already declared election results, as well as affirming that the number of accredited voters should be used to determine over-voting in an election, are among the commendable provisions.
According to him, “with such provisions, days are gone when a candidate would do everything to be declared winner by all means, by electoral officers, because the umpire was not permitted to reverse itself.”
“Now has no reason not to deliver credible polls, with the newly signed law in place,” he said.
He, however, said Nigerians should not relent in ensuring that the provisions of the law were implemented and that security agencies allow for free and fair polls.
