By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Worried by the delay to get a new Electoral Law which is crucial to preparations for Nigeria’s future elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has appealed to the National Assembly for a speedy passage of the Electoral Amendment Bill currently before it and send same to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent.
This appeal was made in Abuja on Tuesday by INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu who also disclosed that the Commission will quickly release the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election based on the new law.
Prof. Yakubu spoke at the First Quarterly Meeting with Political Parties for the Year 2022 held at INEC Conference Room, Abuja. It was attended by Chairmen and Secretaries of the 18 registered political parties in Nigeria.
According to the INEC Chairman the National Assembly should expedite action on the new Electoral Act Amendment Bill by removing the grey areas as pointed out by President Buhari and return it for his Presidential Assent.
Said he: “On the Electoral Amendment Bill currently before the National Assembly, the Commission is encouraged by the Senate President’s assurance to give priority attention to the Bill when the National Assembly reconvenes from its recess today, and the commitment by the President to assent to the Bill as soon as the issue of mode of primaries by political parties is resolved.
“We look forward to a speedy passage of the Bill, which is crucial to our preparations for future elections. As soon as it is signed into law, the Commission will quickly release the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election based on the new law”.
Also in his remarks Prof. Yakubu has stated clearly that: “the year 2022 is going to be a very busy year for the Commission and the political parties, pointing out that the 2023 General Election is just 396 days away from Tuesday, All the critical preparations must be concluded this year”.
According to him: “The Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) which commenced in June last year has entered the third quarter. As at yesterday Monday 17th January 2022, a total of 8,260,076 eligible Nigerians commenced the online pre-registration, completed the registration physically or applied for transfer to new voting locations, replacement of their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) or updated their voter information records as required by law”.
He said the Commission has been publishing weekly progress reports of the exercise, adding that: “We are aware that Nigerians want to know when their PVCs will be available for collection”.
“At the moment, the Commission is undertaking the most comprehensive cleaning up of the data to ensure that only eligible citizens are added to the voters’ register for the 2023 General Election and will share our findings with Nigerians and the actual dates for the collection of the PVCs nationwide will be announced very soon”
“I want to request that you continue to encourage eligible voters who have not registered to do so, bearing in mind that those who had registered at any time previously need not register again. Also, encourage voters who wish to transfer from their present Polling Units to new ones created as part of the Commission’s expansion of voter access polling units to do so immediately”.
Meanwhile, the Commission has also decided that the suspended Ekiti East I State Constituency bye-election will be combined with the State Governorship election holding on June 18, 2022.
However, the date for the Shinkafi State Constituency bye-election in Zamfara State will be announced after a thorough review of the security situation in the area, while the Commission awaits the declaration of vacancy by the Kaduna State House of Assembly in respect of Giwa West State Constituency.
In another development, the Commission said it is now turning to the major end-of-tenure and off-cycle elections, party primaries for the Ekiti State Governorship election are scheduled for January 4 to 29, 2022.
For the Osun State Governorship election, primaries will hold from February 16 to March 12, 2022 just as it said In the case of Ekiti State, all the 18 political parties have served the mandatory notices for the primaries.
According to INEC Boss: “Let me seize this opportunity to draw the attention of parties to the necessity for transparent and rancour-free primaries. Parties should also respect their chosen dates for the primaries based on the Commission’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities”.
“Already, many parties have rescheduled their primaries several times. While the Commission has earmarked a period of three weeks and 4 days (i.e. 25 days) for the conduct of the Ekiti State Governorship primaries, virtually all political parties have decided to hold their primaries in the last 4 days i.e. 26th – 29th January 2022”.
“In fact, seven political parties have chosen the last day for their primaries. Similarly, no party has so far submitted its list of aspirants, the composition of its electoral panel, or the register of members or list of delegates depending on the chosen mode for electing its candidates. As at yesterday, only one party has indicated the venue for its primaries. I urge you all to do so immediately to enable us to work out the detailed plans for monitoring the primaries”.
“All primaries for electing candidates must take place in the constituency where election will hold as required by law. In the cases of Ekiti and Osun State Governorship elections, any primaries conducted outside the two States will not be monitored by the Commission and their outcomes will not be accepted. This also applies to primaries for bye-elections conducted outside the constituencies”.
Also speaking at the event, the new Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the Chairman of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Engineer Yabagi Sani, who responded to Prof Yakubu’s remarks promised INEC the corporation of IPAC in the days ahead.
He also called on the National Assembly and the Executive to quickly resolve the issues and pass the new Electoral Act Amendment Bill which said should be signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari without further delay.
