A Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), has called on President Muhammad Buhari to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 without further delay.
They made the call at a news conference on the imperative of timely assent to the bill in Abuja on Thursday, December 2nd, 2021
Some of the CSOs were Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre (IPC) Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), Albino Foundation, CLEEN Foundation, Institute for Media and Society (IMS), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), and Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ).
Mr. Samson Itodo, the Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, a member of the coalition said that the Presidency on Nov. 19, acknowledged the receipt of the bill from the National Assembly for presidential assent, noting that the bill contained specific provisions directed at enhancing the quality and credibility of elections which also addressed certain lacunas in the existing electoral legal framework.
“Such provisions in the bill include: Legal backing for the use of electoral technologies for the purpose of voter accreditation and electronic transmission of election results.
“Others include an extension of restrictive timelines for electoral activities, concise definition of over-voting and the conferment of legal authority on INEC to review questionable election results,’’ he said.
Another member, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, the Executive Director, International Press Centre, said that timely assent to the bill by the president would help in actualizing the will and aspiration of the people.
Arogundade urged the President to honour his commitment to bequeath to Nigerians an electoral system that guaranteed the conduct of credible, inclusive, and peaceful elections.
According to him, the National Assembly can amend the bill in the next electoral cycle based on real and perceived lacuna identified in its implementation.
Some of the CSOs were Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre (IPC) Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), Albino Foundation, CLEEN Foundation, Institute for Media and Society (IMS), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), and Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ).
-NAN-
