The Ijaw Youth Council has commended the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), for signing the reworked Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2022, into law.
The council described the presidential assent as laudable and a show of Buhari’s commitment to ensure credible elections in 2023, adding that it is the “finest legacy” his administration would bequeath to the country.
The IYC in a statement on Tuesday signed by its spokesperson, Ebilade Ekerefe, said the new electoral law would strengthen the nation’s democracy and electioneering process.
He, however, urged the president to demonstrate the same commitment to other areas of governance, particularly issues concerning the Niger Delta.
Ekerefe said the issues include the appointment of a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission Board, publishing of the NDDC forensic audit report, investigation of the commission’s accounts between October 2021 and February 2022, and the completion of the East-West Road.
Ekerefe said, “The decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2022 is commendable and remains the finest legacy his government will leave behind in view of the outcry by Nigerians for our electoral process to be strengthened.
“This has also shown that all hope is not yet lost as the Niger Delta people will continue to demand the immediate setting up of the NDDC substantive board, publishing of the forensic audit report, and probe of the NDDC accounts between October 2021 and February 2022.
“Another germane issue that requires president’s intervention is the East-West Road which serves as the economic nexus of the Niger Delta region.”
He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to leverage the amended electoral law to conduct free, fair, and generally acceptable polls to guarantee constitutional democracy.
The IYC also pointed out that all hands must be on the deck to ensure full implementation of the Electoral Amendment Act, 2022 before, during, and after the general elections next year.
“We must ensure that it is not just the transmission of election results alone, but the transmission of accredited results. There should be two transmissions. The first stage of the battle has been won, and we must now prepare for stage two,” it stated.
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