Professor Attahiru Jega, a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has encouraged President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to swiftly pass the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021.
The bill’s passage, according to Jega, would improve the integrity of Nigeria’s elections.
The former INEC Chairman urged the Buhari administration to do all possible to guarantee that Nigeria’s future elections be held under new legislation.
“This country will be better off if we go into the next election with a new electoral law which will enhance the integrity of the preparations and conduct of the elections,” Jega said during a Townhall Meeting on the Electoral bill on Sunday.
Professor Jega explained that the bill contains a lot of fresh revisions while the discussion over direct and indirect primaries continues.
INEC offered 36 suggestions to the National Assembly for the bill, 31 of which were approved with little or no changes.
The modifications, according to Jega, are the first in 12 years, and delaying assent to the law over a clause would jeopardize INEC’s capacity to effectively prepare for the upcoming elections.
