Electoral Act amendment bill will be submitted this February – National Assembly

The National Assembly says it would submit the Electoral Act Amendment Bill to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent before the end of February.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Committee (INEC) Senator Kabiru Gaya disclosed this when he spoke to journalists in Abuja.

“We are doing the Electoral Act, we have virtually completed work. What we are supposed to do at this stage is to bring it to the floor of the Senate for consideration and also the floor of the House of Reps for consideration.

“We are doing a joint hearing made up the Senate and the House, so that we can fast track work and also reduce the issue of having so many differences in the bill.

“If we are working together with the house, it means the bill will be one. The house bill and the Senate bill will be one. There will be no need to go for concurrence.

“I believe Nigerians will be happy with the Electoral Act 2021, which hopefully before the end of this month, will leave the chambers of national assembly to Mr President for his assent.

“As we have promised that within the first quarter of 2021 the bill be signed, we hope and pray that it will be signed and it will enhance democratic progress in the country,” he said.

Gaya said that the committee was doing its best to ensure an electoral act that would guarantee free, fair and credible elections in the country.

“Whatever we need to do to improve the elections, the quality of our elections, we will continue to do that.

“I wish to thank the leadership of the Senate and the Speaker of House of Representatives for encouraging us to make sure that we fast track work on this issue of Electoral Act,” he stated.

He adds that people must have free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria, which means there has to be an amendment of the Electoral Act giving way for a law that will allow free, fair and credible election.