THE Electoral Forum on Monday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to the Electoral Bill 2022, as it also expressed delight that some of its recommendations have been reflected in the reworked law.
A statement signed by Prof. Adebayo Olukoshi, Chairman of The Electoral Forum, noted that its recommendations that were eventually reflected on the new law include Section 50(2)) on the mode of voting and transmission of results which is to be determined by INEC; Section 65 which empowers INEC to review results declared under duress; and Section 84, which grants political parties the power over the mode of primaries to adopt in electing their flag bearers.
“Ultimately, we are convinced that the Electoral Act 2022 is a step in the right direction, as it provides an enabling framework for the conduct of credible elections come 2023. We further urge the National Assembly, in future amendment efforts, to consider other contentious areas that require electoral reform, including the mode of appointment of INEC members, timelines for by-elections, and campaign finance. We are confident that these continuous efforts at improving the electoral legal framework will yield positive results in subsequent elections, with attendant positive effects for our democracy,” Prof Olukoshi said.
The Electoral Forum is an initiative of The Electoral Hub that pools resource persons from electoral management bodies together with other electoral stakeholders to conceptualise solutions to the unique problems facing electoral governance in Nigeria. Its activities are supported by the MacArthur Foundation and the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).
