Professor Attahiru Jega, a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to swiftly pass the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021.
The bill’s approval, according to Jega, will strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s elections.
The former INEC Chairman urged the Buhari government to do all possible to guarantee that Nigeria’s future elections be held under the new legislation.
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“This nation would be better off if we go into the next election with a new electoral legislation that will improve the integrity of the election preparations and conduct,” Jega stated at a Townhall Meeting on the Electoral Bill on Sunday.
Professor Jega said that the law has 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 passed with little or no changes.
The modifications, according to Jega, are the first in 12 years, and delaying assent to the law over a provision would jeopardize INEC’s capacity to effectively prepare for the next elections.
