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Electoral Bill: CSO's Issue NASS 30-day Ultimatum To Override PMB's Decision

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSO's) have issued the National Assembly a 30-day ultimatum to either override President Buhari’s decision to withhold assent to the 2021 Electoral Bill or remove the contentious clause (s) and transmit it back to the President for assent.

To this end, they urged the NASS to ensure that all clerical, editorial, and cross-referencing gaps in the current bill are resolved before transmitting it back to the President, adding that it would avert further complications and logjam in an effort to strengthen the electoral process. 

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja today by the Program Manager of International Press Centre (IPC) Lagos, Stella Nwofia and endorsed by Yiaga Africa, IPC, Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), Albino Foundation and CLEEN Foundation.  

Others are Institute for Media and Society (IMS), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) and Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ). 

The Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives had yesterday, read a letter from President Buhari over his decision to withhold assent to the Electoral Bill 2021 that was transmitted to him on 19th November, 2021.

The coalition also recommended that the President should expeditiously assent to the revised bill upon receipt from the National Assembly, even as they pleaded with the media and development partners to protect the will of Nigerians to safeguard the electoral reform process from manipulation.

They expressed disappointment over PMB's action, saying that it undermined public confidence and trust in the electoral system.  

The statement reads: "More disappointing is the fact that the President delayed his response until the effluxion of time required for assenting to legislation, which is  the date that the National Assembly is proceeding for the Christmas and New Year holiday."

"The President’s decision to withhold assent to the bill will have serious implication for INEC as it prepares for the FCT Area Council election, the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, and ultimately the 2023 general election."

"The non-conclusion of the electoral amendment process will mean that these elections will be conducted using the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), denying INEC the opportunity to test the efficacy of some of the new innovations introduced in the proposed electoral bill 2021."

"This is apart from the delay the commission will have to contend with in the required effort to review its guidelines, regulations and manuals in accordance with certain provisions of the bill." 

"Furthermore, based on the revised timelines for specific electoral activities in the bill, INEC and other stakeholders will have to grapple with logistical, financial, and programmatic difficulties in the run-up to the 2023 general election."

"We reckon that this may not mean well for Nigeria’s electoral democracy, hence the clamour for the speedy conclusion of the electoral reform process".

"It must be emphasised that the successful conduct of any election is predicated on the certainty and clarity of the election legal framework, amongst other factors."

"This is to preclude any uncertainties that may occasion manipulation and subversion of the electoral process." 

"It is for this reason that the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Good Governance and the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance requires that any amendment to the electoral legal framework be concluded at least six months to the election date", it concluded, 

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