By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Two Nigerians who know the inner workings of electoral processes which could berth good governance in Nigeria have added their voices to the call on President Muhammadu Buhari to give his Assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill which has been transmitted to him by the National Assembly (NASS).
This is even as former Director, Voter Education and Publicity (VEP) Nick Dazang of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has warned that should President Buhari delays further to Assent, Nigeria may be in the breach of ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance as it concerns Time-table for General Elections.
Speaking on Monday on African Independent Television breakfast programme ‘Kakaaki’, Dazang posited that INEC is racing against time hence further delay in the President Assenting to the Bill may impact negatively to the conduct of the 2023 General Elections.
According to the immediate past INEC Spokesman, “INEC do not have all the time in the world to prepare for the next General Elections in 2023. Already, INEC has missed two timelines. Time is not waiting for anyone. I am not comfortable in not getting the new Electoral Act Amendment Bill over the line. Delay is dangerous”.
Also speaking on the issue, Jide Ojo, Member, International Election Observer Group agreed with Dazang that President Buhari should do the needful, adding that the new Bill will enhance the credibility of Nigeria elections.
He however argued that Nigeria may not have been in the breach of ECOWAS Protocol since the President has a 30-day window to Assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill from the time NASS transmitted it to the Executive.
But Ojo, a Development Consultant who
has been a development worker since 1998 and a Carter Centre Short Term Observer to Ghana Presidential Election in December 2008, IFES Delegate to observe the US Mid Term Elections in November 2010 and African Union Short Term Observer to observe the May 2014 Presidential election in Egypt, insists that the new Bill should no longer be delayed if the 2023 General Elections will be taken serious by Nigerians and international community.
Said he: “I don’t see why President Buhari will not sign the Bill now that the National Assembly has included the Indirect Primary and Consensus Mode of primary elections he wanted. All the three modes are prone to manipulations by Nigerian politicians but let him Assent it anyway, so that the country can move forward”.
