*Says it will improve the electoral process
Success Nwogu
A former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki on Friday eulogised President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2022 into law.
In a statement, Saraki, who is a former two-term Governor of Kwara State, said the new law will improve the electoral process and fortune of Nigeria.
He stated that it has the propensity to encourage free, fair, and peaceful elections such that people’s votes will count; the majority will have their way and the minority will have their say.
Saraki said, “The new law provides an opportunity for all Nigerians to be part of the efforts to build a better future for our country. They have the chance to have their voices heard. If we want a fresh start, if we want a new direction for Nigeria, we all have to vote for it.
“This new Electoral Act will bring us closer to having free, fair, and peaceful elections where people’s votes will count and where the majority will have their way and the minority will have their say. For too long, the old electoral law had been part of the problem. We can now seek to elect our leaders having in mind the current challenges
facing our country.
“With a new Electoral Act, we can move on to debating real solutions to the problems of insecurity, creation of jobs, strengthening of the economy, cementing national unity, and building a better future for all Nigerians.
“I commend President Muhammadu Buhari for finally signing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law. I also commend the National Assembly, Civil Society Organisations, and all Nigerians that insisted that we deserve a new law that will guarantee fairer elections in 2023 and beyond.
“I must also specifically applaud members of the civil society for their continuous agitation for the passage and signing of the new Electoral Act.”
Saraki, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum, commended some institutions,
organisations and groups that played vital advocacy roles leading to the signing of the Act.
He said, “Let me specifically commend the efforts of groups like Adopt A Goal Initiative; Raising New Voices Initiative; Human Rights Advocate; One Love Foundation; To Build The Nation Civil Society; YIAGA Africa; International Press Centre (IPC); Centre for Citizens
With Disability (CDD); Albino Foundation; CLEEN Foundation; Institute for Media and Society (IMS); Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF); Human
Rights Advocate; Ready to Lead Africa and Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCI), amongst many others.
“They have kept the issue of the passage of the Electoral Act on the front burner for the past year. They were unrelenting and with the passage of the law, they deserve to be specially commended. We hope they will continue this good work on other key issues that are very
important to the development of our dear country.
“The young people in these CSOs have yet again shown that they can build a better nation if they set their minds to it. Their persistence, energy, and constructive agitation have contradicted any claim that Nigeria’s young people are lazy!
“Rather, the young people of today are reminding us of the role their forebears played in the Nationalist struggle of the pre-independence era — particularly, the National Youth Movement (NYM), played in bringing an end to colonial rule.
“I enjoin these young people in the CSOs to take their efforts toanother level by mobilising their numerous colleagues to go and register to vote in the coming general elections.
“The new law provides an opportunity for all Nigerians to be part of the efforts to build a better future for our country. They have the chance to have their voices heard. If we want a fresh start, if we want a new direction for Nigeria, we all have to vote for it.
“This new Electoral Act will bring us closer to having free, fair, and peaceful elections where people’s votes will count and where the majority will have their way and the minority will have their say. For too long, the old electoral law had been part of the problem. We can now seek to elect our leaders having in mind the current challenges
facing our country.
“With a new Electoral Act, we can move on to debating real solutions to the problems of insecurity, creation of jobs, strengthening of the economy, cementing national unity, and building a better future for all Nigerians.
“That is why it is with great joy that I welcome the news that the country finally has a new Electoral Act. It is better late than never!”
Buhari, had on December 21 declined assent to the Electoral Bill which was transmitted to him on November 19, after the Senate and the House of Representatives had passed it.
He had cited security, financial, and legal implications for rejecting the bill.
The upper and lower legislative chambers reworked some sections of the bill and transmitted a new version to Buhari.
It was therefore a great delight and relief to many Nigerians, including civil society organisations, groups, the media and politicians who had mounted pressure on the President to sign the new Act.
The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, were present when Buhari, has signed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2022 into law at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on Friday.
The President in his address explained that 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.
Buhari said, “It is gratifying to note that the current Bill comes with a great deal of improvement from the previous Electoral Bill 2021. There are salient 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 all be proud of.
“Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members of the National Assembly, from the review it is my perspective that the substance of the Bill is both reformative and progressive. I am making this bold declaration because I foresee the great potential of the Bill. Worthy
of note include the democratic efficacy of the Bill with particular reference to sections 3, 9(2), 34, 41, 47, 84(9), (10) and (11) among others.
“This, however, cannot be said about one provision as contained in the proposed Bill, which provision constitutes a fundamental defect, as it is in conflict with extant constitutional provisions.
“Section 84 (12) constitutes a disenfranchisement of serving political office holders from voting or being voted for at Conventions or Congresses of any political party, for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election in cases where it holds earlier than 30 days to the national election. The section provides as follows: “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”
“This provision has introduced qualification and disqualification criteria that ultra vires the Constitution by way of importing blanket restriction and disqualification to serving political office holders of which they are constitutionally accorded protection.
“The practical application of section 84(12) of the Electoral Bill, 2022 will, if assented to, by operation of law, subject serving political office holders to inhibitions and restrictions referred to under section 40 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“It is imperative to note that the only constitutional expectation placed on serving political office holders that qualify, by extension as public officers within the context of the constitution is resignation, withdrawal or retirement at least 30 days before the date of the election.
“Hence, it will be stretching things beyond the constitutional limit to import extraneous restriction into the constitution on account of the practical application of section 84(12) of the bill where political parties’ conventions and congresses were to hold earlier than 30 days to the election.”…. Continue reading