Yiaga Africa yesterday said the newly introduced timelines for key electoral activities in the Electoral Act Amendment bill 2021 would facilitate early preparations and promote issue-based political engagement.
The Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo while briefing newsmen on drafting errors and cross referencing gaps in Electoral bill, 2021 said it is imperative for the National Assembly and the President to ensure the electoral reform process is concluded expeditiously.
He also expressed concern if a climate of legal uncertainties will befall upcoming elections and Nigeria will lose the opportunity to test the efficacy of new innovations introduced in the electoral Bill, especially during the off-cycle elections in Ekiti and Osun, before deployment for the 2023 General Elections.
He called on the National Assembly to expeditiously conclude this process and re-transmit the Electoral Bill 2021 to the President for assent within 30 days from 21st December 2021.
In his words “As the nation prepares for the off-cycle elections in the FCT, Ekiti and Osun and the 2023 general elections, a new legal framework is required to safeguard the integrity of these elections.
“The Electoral Bill 2021 is replete with provisions that address electoral manipulation and the intractable and protracted problem of poor election logistics.
“Furthermore, the bill strengthens INEC’s financial independence and it also empowers the commission to reject falsified election results.
“We recall that in August 2018, President Buhari premised his decision of declining assent to the 2018 Electoral (Amendment) Bill on certain drafting errors and cross-referencing gaps in the Bill,” he said .
Also, the Country Director of the ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi said “it is our hope that Civil Society Organizations ( CSOs) efforts make a difference.
“We are trying to hold the Federal Government accountable and hope for the timely intervention on the president and the National Assembly on the Electoral bill,” he said.
