Senate
By Davies Iheamnachor
Center for Liberty, CL, and Society for Promotion for Better Rivers State, SPBRS, have tasked the National Assembly to give priority attention to the speedy passage of the new Electoral Bill, adding that bill would end electoral malpractices at polls.
The groups also issued the National Assembly deadline of December 2020 for the passage of the bill, noting that its expedience would help the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC test run the electoral Act in 2021 Anambra elections.
Speaking, weekend, in Port Harcourt, Project Leader of Center for Liberty, Ariyo-Dare Atoye noted that the December 2020 deadline is appropriate because the political climate is yet to be polarized by partisan politics.
He said, “If we do not get this bill passed in 2020, by 2021 partisanship will give in, the lawmakers and politicians will manipulate the process along party line.”
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Atoye, however, urged the National Assembly to upon resumption see the passage of the 2020 Electoral Act amendment Bill as the topmost priority, emphasizing that the latest effort at reviewing the 1999 Constitution must not be allowed to scuttle or alter the speedy passage of the Bill.
“As a matter of national concern, the National Assembly upon resumption must make the 2020 passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill its topmost priority as, without electoral reforms, our general elections will continue to be threatened and undermined by violence and rigging.
“We want to make this clarion call to the leadership of the National Assembly that, the latest effort at reviewing the 1999 Constitution must not be allowed to scuttle the 2020 Passage of the Electoral Act.”
