Review electoral bill and transmit to Buhari for assent in 30 days, CSOs tell n’assembly

A group of civil society organisations (CSOs) has asked the national assembly to remove “contentious clauses” in the electoral act amendment bill and transmit to the president for assent within 30 days.

The CSOs’ position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The statement was signed by Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre (IPC), Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), Albino Foundation, CLEEN Foundation, Institute for Media and Society (IMS), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) and Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ).

TheCable had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari, in a letter to the national assembly, withheld assent to the electoral bill over concerns raised on direct primaries.

Speaking on the development, the CSOs said the president’s action undermines public confidence and trust in the electoral system.

“The President’s decision to withhold assent to the bill will have serious implications for INEC as it prepares for the FCT Area Council election, the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, and ultimately the 2023 general election,” the statement reads.

“The non-conclusion of the electoral amendment process will mean that these elections will be conducted using the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) denying INEC the opportunity to test the efficacy of some of the new innovations introduced in the proposed Electoral Bill 2021. 

“This is apart from the delay the Commission will have to contend with in the required effort to review its guidelines, regulations and manuals in accordance with certain provisions of the Bill. 

“Furthermore, based on the revised timelines for specific electoral activities in the Bill, INEC and other stakeholders will have to grapple with logistical, financial, and programmatic difficulties in the run-up to the 2023 General Election.

“To avert further complications and logjam in the efforts to strengthen the electoral process, we strongly recommend as follows: The National Assembly as a matter of national emergency should either override the President’s decision or remove the contentious clause (s) from the Bill and transmit the Bill back to the President for assent within the next 30 days. 

“The National Assembly should ensure that all clerical, editorial, and cross-referencing gaps in the current Bill are resolved before transference back to the President.

“The President should expeditiously assent to the revised Bill upon receipt from the National Assembly.”

The CSOs also asked stakeholders in the media and other civil society groups to “sustain the effort to protect the will of the people and safeguard the electoral reform process from policy capture and manipulation”.