Abbas: We’ll Produce Better Electoral Laws for 2027 Polls

Juliet Akoje in Abuja.

Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, yesterday, said the 10th House would work to produce a better Electoral Act that would ensure improved elections in the year 2027.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Musa Abdullahi Krishi, Abbas noted that the House had already identified some areas in the electoral law that need to be strengthened ahead of the next election cycle.
He said this when he received a European Union delegation to Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States led by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Samuela Isopi, at his office in Abuja, yesterday.

The 9th National Assembly had reviewed the Electoral Act 2010, leading to the emergence and application of the Electoral Act 2022 for the 2023 elections.
But the speaker stated that a further review of the current Act would produce better results in the 2027 elections.
Abbas, who received the delegation in company with several members of the House, also said the Green Chamber under his leadership would do its best to pass legislation to encourage women and youth participation in politics and governance.

“I want to particularly express our appreciation to the European Union for all the supports and contributions that you have been giving the Nigerian Government, and by extension the Nigerian Parliament since 1999.
“It is on record that you are one of the biggest singular contributors in terms of technical support to the National Assembly since inception of this institution in 1999,” he said.

Abbas, who also received copies of the EU reports on Nigeria’s 2023 elections, said they would be studied carefully.
“We have already set the ball rolling and the machinery in action. We realised that in spite of all that we did in 2022 to strengthen the law (Electoral Act), there are other issues that cropped up, which require our attention, and we will not leave any stone unturned.

“All those areas of weaknesses in the Electoral Act, we are going to revisit and review them. I want to assure you that the 2027 election will be a better election than the 2023. And the laws that we are going to review would be the best for this country,” he stated.
He informed the EU delegation that the 10th House has created about 15 friendship groups for EU countries alone, noting that a new one dedicated to the EU and its Parliament would be set up soon.

He said the 10th House has raised the number of standing committees dedicated to women and their interests from one to two, namely Committee on Women Affairs and Committee on Women in Parliament.
Earlier, Ambassador Isopi raised three issues of concern to the EU, namely: women in politics and governance, electoral reforms and inter-parliamentary relations. ORISA

She said the EU has been a champion and an advocate of democracy, and has supported Nigeria’s democracy since its return in 1999.
Isopi added that at the request of the Nigerian government, the EU has continued to monitor elections in the country and made observations and recommendations.

Others in the EU team were the Deputy Head of delegation, Mr. Zissimos Vergos; Political Adviser, Mr. Osaro Odemwingie; Programme Manager, Democracy and Good Governance, Ms Laolu Olawumi, and the Media Adviser, Modestus Chukwulaka.