By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The much-awaited
Amended Electoral Act can only be passed into law and assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari before the next general elections in Nigeria if members of the National Assembly
decide to place the nation above party’s interest in the determination of the provisions of the new Electoral Act.
This is the candid opinion of a Member of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah who has asked Nigerians to talk to their representatives in the Senate and the Federal House of Representatives, to accept the fact that they must act patriotically and to
shun party politics to work together to produce the new Electoral Act before 2023 general elections.
Senator Na’Allah said this on Sunday while addressing State House Correspondents after paying a courtesy visit to President Buhari at Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He he disclosed that the National Assembly (NASS) which he is a member is working assiduously to ensure it gives Nigerians Electoral Act that will guarantee free, fair and creditable elections in the country.
Reminded that some stakeholders are expressing concerns that the attitude of the present NASS towards the amendment of the Electoral Act suggests that it’s not ready to pass that law before the next election, Na’ Allah replied:
“Luckily, I’m a member of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters so I must be given the benefit of knowing what is going on. We have finished our public hearing, we have taken inputs, there are certain things that no matter how you try to be accommodative enough, they are practically impossible. But those ones that guarantee a free and fair electoral process have been taken into account and I’m very sure we will give Nigerians an Electoral Act that they will be very proud of.
“Well, of course, that means that every Nigerian has a responsibility to talk to his representatives in the Senate and the House, to accept the fact that he must act patriotically. He must place the nation above his party’s interest in the determination of the provisions of the Electoral Act. Once we do this, we don’t have a problem.
“I am not sure there is any Nigerian, responsible Nigerian, who is not interested in an electoral law that gives us the comfort of conducting a free, fair and credible election. These three concepts have often been misused by people who don’t know, they are distinct and distinguishable and they are mutually repellent. It is one thing for an election to be free, it is another thing for it to be fair, it is another thing for it to be credible. The yardstick for measuring the three concepts are completely different”.
Asked what is the position of the National Assembly on electronic voting, the Senator said that will be determined when the principal law is to be considered on the floor of the Senate.
Meanwhile, Senator Na’ Allah has also urged Nigerians to rally round President Buhari in this critical moment in the life of Nigeria in order to overcome many challenges confronting the country.
He revealed that the present security challenges was part of the reasons he visited the President on Sunday in Abuja.
According to him: “I’m just here (Presidential Villa) on routine visit as a responsible member of this country and I felt that this is the best time that I need to come and see my President and discuss some issues of national importance and we have had a very frank discussion with the President and I’m happy to tell Nigerians that there is a commitment, a real commitment, to reverse most of the concerns established by Nigerians as far as this country is concerned”.
