A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has cautioned the National Assembly against overriding President Muhammadu Buhari over the Electoral Act amendment bill stalemate.
Jega stated this at the citizens’ townhall on Electoral Bill 2021 organized by Yiaga Africa and partners in Abuja on Sunday.
Equatorial Guinea upsets Algeria, AFCON champions on the brink of elimination
Jega: Nigeria should go into the next elections with a new law
According to him, with the way the provisions of the bill stands, the National Assembly should do the needful rather than contemplating overriding the President by removing the contentious provisions.
He said, “The Electoral Act bill contains quite a lot of good things that can enhance electoral integrity. Since 2010, the country has not had any substantive improvement on electoral laws and in the 2021 Electoral bill, there are a lot of substantive things.
“What is key is to give INEC the law to improve ahead of the 2023 General Elections and also off-cycle elections before the 2023 polls. The challenge is what the National Assembly introduced in the Electoral Bill, which is without serious contemplation.
“It is very important that we have a lot of legal frameworks. I think, clearly, the electoral process would have better integrity if we do direct primaries appropriately.”
Jega stated that INEC made 31 recommendations to the amendment of the 2010 Electoral Act to conduct credible elections, adding that only 25 were approved by the National Assembly.
Speaking at the event, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Apata, said, “I am so disappointed with the way things have turned up. Everything about the Electoral bill spelt progress but we can’t get it right if steps are not taken.
“The bill should have been passed long ago. The President and the National Assembly, being of the same party, should have ironed this out to avoid this logjam.”
The NBA leader noted that the booby trap set might catch up with the nation and send the country back to square zero.
He, therefore, urged the National Assembly to take out the provision of direct primaries and transmit immediately to the President for assent, who should be given the benefit of doubt.
