A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have urged the National Assembly to uphold citizens’ recommendations in developing a new electoral law for the country in the first quarter of this year.
This is contained in a jointly signed statement by YIAGA Africa, Centre for Liberty, NESSACTION, Raising New Voices, Millennials Active Citizenship Advocacy Africa, and ReadyToLeadAfrica.
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The eighth National Assembly had passed the bill and transmitted it to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
But Buhari withheld his assent to the bill on the grounds that the proposed law would usurp the constitutional powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to decide on election matters and would create “some uncertainty about the legislation to govern the process”.
The CSOs said the ninth assembly under the leadership of Ahmad Lawan, senate president, and Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, promised Nigerians a new electoral law by the first quarter of 2021.
“We rely on the leadership of the National Assembly to ensure that this goal is achieved. We hold the National Assembly to its commitment to release the proposed bill this first quarter of 2021,” they said.
According to them, the national assembly joint committee on INEC and electoral matters had invited citizens to a public hearing in December, where several recommendations were provided.
The CSOs said the lawmakers should include the recommendations made during the public hearing as they meet to deliberate on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
