Political party chieftains hail Omo-Agege over planned amendment to Electoral Act

The National chairman of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Sanni Yabagi, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to devise a new method of conducting elections in the country, saying that the present manual system in use in the country has failed.

Yabagi who was reacting to the promise by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, to introduce a bill for comprehensive amendment of the Electoral Act No. 6 of 2010, said such amendment must accommodate the conduct of lower elections first before the presidential election, stressing that Nigerians are often distracted.

 “Our party has always canvassed for such amendment but, it must be done right, it is good that it is coming from the top senate leadership, it did not originate from PDP Senator.

 “I think there is no doubt that our electoral system need amendment and surgical operation. But if you ask me I think there must be changes to allow for electoral voting.

“INEC should start by conducting the lowest elections first before the presidential election. You can see that Nigerians are often distracted and would refuse to vote after the outcome of that election,” Yabagi said.

Also speaking on the planned amendment, the national chairman of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Emmanuel Dania, praised the move by the lawmaker, but however, warned that electronics voting must be introduced, adding that it was critical to the survival of the nation’s democracy and must be adopted.

 “I think the amendment has become inevitable at this point, we should commend them, but electronic voting is very important, look at what happened in Kogi and Bayelsa states in the recent elections, it shows that our democracy is in great danger if we don’t act fast.”

Omo-Agege had said that the bill, co-sponsored with Abubakar Kyari, the senator representing Borno North Senatorial District, was now making its way to public hearing, having scaled Second Reading with overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate.

According to him, “it is a decisive response to a plethora of our Supreme Court’s decision inviting the National Assembly to make sensible amendments to the Electoral Act. And I believe it is responsible for us to take the apex court’s constructive guidance on issues that fundamentally affect our democracy.

 “This apart, Section 153 of the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, specifically and expressly empowers INEC to “issue regulations, guidelines, or manuals for the purpose of giving effects to the provisions of this Act and for its administration thereof.

 “The pervasive non-compliance with the Guidelines, Regulations and Manuals, would carry clear consequences for people who think violating electoral due process is a rewarding exercise,” he said.

He said the amendment of the Electoral Act would afford INEC modern technologies into the electoral process, particularly in the accreditation of voters.

Omo-Agege said that the bill would also mandate INEC to publish the Voters’ Register for public scrutiny at every Registration Area and on its website, at least seven days before a general election.