The Inter-Party Advisory Council on Monday commended the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for signing the amended Electoral Act into law, describing it as “a watershed, a positive turning point in the nation’s democracy.”
The organisation said that with the e-transmission of results, the era of changing figures of votes cast would be over.
The national chairman of IPAC,Yabagi Sani, said this during a press conference which was held in Abuja.
He also urged the National Assembly to immediately expunge the clause pointed out by the President which mandates denies political appointees to resign from their positions before participating as delegates at political party congresses and conventions or, as aspirants to elective offices.
Sani said, “With the Electoral Act and its revolutionary provisions and innovations, there are silver-linings appearing on the nation’s political and democratic firmaments.
“It is a transformational departure from an inglorious era to a new dawn in the ways and manner of conducting elections in Nigeria.
“Highlights of the new Electoral Act that inspire hope includes the clause that stipulates that funds for general elections must be released at least one year before the elections.
“This, in the opinion of IPAC, will provide the Independent National Electoral Commission, the requisite time-span and scope for proper and adequate preparations without the usual encumbrances resulting from delays and red-tapes experienced in the remittance of funds from the government.
“This is just as Section 94 of the Act stipulates early commencement of campaign seasons at least 150 days to elections. This provision has the advantage of giving the political parties and candidates sufficient time to get to the electorate with their manifestos.
“With the electronic transmission of election results from the polling units through to the collation centres, we in the IPAC are confident that the practice of distorting figures of votes cast, may have become history.”
He also said that the provisions in the Electoral Act for the application of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation and Authentication System, as well as the other technologies and digitisation in the electoral process, would tremendously enhance the integrity and credibility of future elections in the country.
He said, “IPAC, along with all progressive-minded Nigerians and concerned members of the global community, are elated by Clause 54 of the Electoral Act 2022 which makes it mandatory for INEC to make special provisions for People Living with Disabilities and those with special needs.
“This clause has broadened the scope of inclusiveness as it has largely eliminated the long exclusion of the large population of PLWDs from participating in the electoral and voting processes.”
Speaking on the clause pointed out by the President to be expunged, he said “we share the views of the President on the Clause which makes it mandatory for political appointees to resign from their positions before participating as delegates at political party congresses and conventions or, as aspirants to elective offices.
“To us in IPAC, this Clause runs contrary to the provisions of Sections 40 and 42 of the constitution on the inalienable fundamental rights of every eligible citizen to participate in the electoral processes.”
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