The Senate on Thursday, July 15, passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021.
The passing of the bill followed clause-by-clause consideration and adoption of recommendations of the report of the Joint Committee on INEC at Senate plenary on Thursday.
It amended clause 52(3) of the bill to empower the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to determine the suitability of the network for electronic voting procedures with the approval of the National Assembly.
Clause 52(,3) of the bill had prescribed that INEC may adopt electronic voting and electronic processes where practicable.
The clause, which had provided for INEC to determine electronic voting process where practicable was, however, amended to empower NCC to determine the suitability of network to conduct electronic election processes with approval of the National Assembly.
While presenting the report, Chairman of the committee Sen. Kabiru Gaya (APC- Kano) said the bill was designed to holistically address all issues affecting the conduct of free, fair and credible elections in the country.
He said National Assembly had made several attempts at amending the Electoral Act No. 6, 2010; but the bill was not assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He, however, said the National Assembly was poised to give Nigerians a new electoral act; thus forming a legislative agenda for the ninth Senate.
“Owing to the challenges experienced in the eight National Assembly as it relates to the Amendment of the Electoral Act, the ninth National Assembly decided to adopt the all-encompassing approach in the 2021 Amendment process.”
He said the bill with 158 clauses seeks to regulate the conduct of Federal, State, and Area Council elections; to make provisions for restriction of qualification; for elective offices to the relevant provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.
“The bill also provides for use of card readers and other technological devices in elections; political party primaries as it relates to a timeline for the submission of a list of candidates.
“It also provides for criteria for substitution of the candidate; the limit of campaign expenses among others.”
He also said that the bill also addresses the omission of names or candidates; or logo of political parties in an election and its resultant consequences.
“There are also provisions on guidelines on replacement of lost or destroyed permanent voters card; dates for conducting primary elections shall not be earlier than 180 days before the date of the election,” Gaya said.
Lawan after the passage of the bill said: “We have gone through probably the most rigorous process we ever had.
“We had at a point had to go through a division; but that is democracy.
“No hard feelings and I’m sure that Nigerians will appreciate the debt of concern by all of us here.”
