The National Assembly is preparing to transmit to President Muhammadu Buhari the reworked Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill. Both Chambers of the National Assembly have now amended the Bill to take into account the objections and reasons given by the President for refusing Assent on 6th December 2018, ahead of the 2019 elections. It will be recalled that President Buhari declined assent to the bill on four occasions, stating the fourth time that the proposed amendment was coming too close to the 2019 General elections. The conduct of the General elections have exposed loopholes in the current electoral legal framework and an imminent need for reform. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu represented by the National Commissioner and Chairman of Voter Education and Information Committee, Festus Okoye, described Nigeria’s current electoral legal framework as problematic, at the 12th National Delegates Conference of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) of Nigeria held in Jos, Plateau State on Wednesday, 8th May 2019. He underscored the need for an improved framework to address the uncertainty and other irregularities inherent in the electoral process. Prof. Yakubu also made a case for an electoral law that provides for settlement of pre-election matters at least 60 days before an election, to deal with the problem of alteration of political party logos and names of candidates too close to elections. SIECs were enjoined to adopt the use of Smart Card Readers for Local Government elections to enhance the integrity of the process and were assured of the INEC’s support in the event that they heed the advice. Also, INEC while commenting on the practice of multiparty democracy in Nigeria, which has given rise to ninety-one (91) political parties, called for a national conversation to deliberate on how to improve on the regime of political party registration at the 2019 Press Freedom Award night.
In view of calls from various quarters for the amendment of the framework governing elections in Nigeria, it is hoped that President Muhammadu Buhari will assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.