New Electoral Act, ready for March 2021 – Senate

New Electoral Act, ready for March 2021 - Senate

The Senate has assured Nigerians that a new Electoral Act that will address all issues affecting free and fair elections in the country will be ready by March 2021.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission, Senator Kabiru Gaya, gave the assurance on Thursday.

He spoke when his panel concluded the screening of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, whose nomination as Chairman of INEC for a second term in office was sent to the Senate by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), a few weeks ago.

The panel also screened Prof. Abdullahi Abdul-Zuru as INEC Commissioner representing the North-West geopolitical zone.

Asked what he would do differently if his appointment for a second tenure was ratified by the Senate, Yakubu said the federal lawmakers should do everything possible to make sure that they concluded work on the Electoral Act amendment before the end of March next year.

The chairman of the panel, while addressing journalists after the screening, said the National Assembly would present a new Electoral Act to Nigerians before the end of March 2021.

According to PUNCH, he said arrangements had been concluded to conduct the public hearing on the Electoral Act amendments by December 9 this year.

“On the 9th of December, we are doing public hearing so that we can fast-track the passage of the Electoral Act by March next year,” Gaya said.

On the allegation of N2bn bribery against the chairmanship nominee, Gaya said the leadership of the Senate had taken a legal action against the media organisation that wrote the story.

He said, “From our own investigation, it was a lie. Nothing came into the National Assembly. Why should we raise an issue that doesn’t exist?

“I know that the leadership of the Senate has taken legal action against the writers.”

Gaya also said the names of four nominees of Buhari as resident electoral commissioners, including a media aide to the President, Lauretta Onochie, had not been forwarded to his committee.

“Those other REC nominees from the various states, as soon as we receive them, we will work on them,” he added.

Yakubu had earlier attributed voter apathy to the fact that many Nigerians accused political office holders of poor performances and failed promises.

He said, “Voter apathy is caused by series of factors, including violence during electioneering.

“I agree that we need to do more as INEC in the area of voter education.

“Voter education means that we need to tell the voters what to do on election day, when they get to the polling units, the nature of the ballot paper, the voting procedures, how they queue in the context of COVID-19.

“There is another important function that is supposed to be discharged by others, particularly the political parties and agencies such as the National Orientation Agency, and that is the area of voter mobilisation.

“Political parties should mobilise the voters. INEC cannot mobilise the voters, we can only sensitise them on how they vote on election day.”

He challenged the National Assembly members to address issues regarding the numbers of political parties expected to participate in election, and Diaspora voting in the proposed Electoral Act amendment.

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