Buhari signs Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law
President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the re-worked Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law.
Buhari signed the bill into law at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, last Friday after many months of controversy over aspects the president was not comfortable with especially the modes of primaries to be approved for political parties.
The president signed in presence of the vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; president of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and other officers.
In his address, president Buhari said in line with established tradition, he received inputs from relevant ministries, departments and agencies of government after careful and thorough reviews of the Bill and its implications to democratic processes in Nigeria.
He said, “It is gratifying to note that the current Bill comes with a great deal of improvement from previous Electoral Bill 2021. There are silent and praiseworthy provisions that could positively revolutionize elections in Nigeria through the introduction of new technological innovations. These Innovations would guarantee the constitutional rights of citizens to vote and to do so effectively.
“The Bill would also improve and engender clarity, effectiveness and transparency of the election process, as well as reduce to the barest minimum incidences of acrimony arising from dissatisfied candidates and political parties.
“These commendable efforts are in line with our policy to bequeath posterity and landmark legal framework that paves the way for credible and sound electoral process that we would be proud of.
“This, however, cannot be said about one provision as contained in the proposed Bill, which provision constitutes fundamental defect, as in conflict with extant constitutional provisions”.
