Sign Electoral Bill Now to Improve Electoral Credibility, CSOs Tell Buhari

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

A coalition of civil society organisations in Bauchi State yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in order to give credibility to the 2023 general election.

This was contained In a joint statement by Executive Director, Young Leaders Network, Seun Onarinde; Executive Director, Leadtots Development Initiative, Nicholas Oshojah and Program Manager, Women Development Association for Sustainable Development, Sukumun Ezekiel.

In their statement, the CSOs observed that the signing of the bill would help early preparations of the 2023 general election, already scheduled to hold between January and March 2023.

The statement added that the bill contains sections aimed at improving the quality and credibility of elections and addressing certain deficiencies in the existing electoral act.

It listed the areas to include legal backing for the use of electoral technologies for the purpose of voter accreditation and electronic transfer of election results, extension of restrictive timelines for electoral activities, concise definition of over voting and the conferment of legal authority on the Independent National Electoral Commission to review questionable election results.

The statement said: “It is about four weeks since the Bill was passed to the Presidency and the Bill is yet to receive assent. This is giving Nigerians especially the citizen group much concern.

“We believe the bill at its present state will increase citizen’s participation in the electoral process; promote the capacity of the institutions to promote transparency of the electoral processes and promote democratic processes in the nation.

“Hence, the assent to the bill will help early preparations and effective elections of the 2023 general election, which is 14 months away. The success of any election is predicated on transparency and how certain the legal framework of the nation is, amongst others things.

“It is for this reason that the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance and the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance requires that any amendment to the electoral legal framework must be concluded at least six months to the date of election.

“There is no iota of doubt that in January 2019, while inaugurating the APC presidential campaign council in Abuja, Buhari said he will leave a legacy of credible elections in Nigeria, adding that it is the foundation of political stability and peace in any nation. This statement is very strong and resonates hope for every Nigerian that the president wants to give Nigeria a gift of a credible democratic election.

“However, the delay of the President in accenting to this Bill can make Nigeria to doubt his credibility and integrity. We therefore urge the President to save his image and protect his integrity by accenting to the Bill as he promised Nigerians.

“This Bill which upholds direct primaries for political parties will eliminate all illegal and opportunist setbacks to youth and women political participation.

“We also urge the President who, in his good gesture, accented to the Not too Young to Run Act in 2019 should make history again by accenting to this Amended Electoral Bill 2021. This will show Nigerians that the President is indeed a supporter of youth and women emergence in governance positions.”

The CSOs called on political actors and state governors not to stand as a step-down towards the accent to the bill, urging them to see this as an opportunity to give to Nigerians credible elections they had been asking for.