ABUJA – The Senate will work towards passing a new Electoral Act by December 2016, Senate President Bukola Saraki said on Monday.
According to him, the new Electoral Act would be an amendment to the 2010 version.
Mr. Saraki disclosed this while declaring open an interactive session among stakeholders in the electoral process on strategy for the review of Electoral Act 2010 organized by the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Senate President was of the view that cognisance should be taken of Nigerians in diaspora in future electoral process as well as clear cut roles of security agencies.
His words, “We must conclude the amended by the end of the year. My view is that politics starts early let us amend the areas we all agree on because we may not agree on all the issues.
“By the end of 2016 we shall have amended Electoral Act
“It will be important to take another look at the role of our security personnel from the Police, to the Department of State Security and the Military.
“This is especially so in the light of certain revelations to the effect that the previous government had signed into law an amendment to the Electoral Act empowering the military to be used during elections for a variety of reasons,”
Speaking, INEC Chairman, Professor Mamood Yakubu, said that all outstanding rerun elections would have been concluded by July 31.
Yakubu advocated the need for an amendment to the 2010 Electoral Act with a view to ensuring that candidates whose elections are nullified as a result of improper nominations by their candidates should have their certificates re-issued to the runners-up.
