Anambra Poll: Time running out for passage of electoral act

The moment the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the timetable for the 2021 Anambra Governorship Elections, one would think the National Assembly would show more anxiety to resume from its recess and get to work to speed up the passage of a new electoral act. Thus the news that the National Assembly has postponed […]

The moment the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the timetable for the 2021 Anambra Governorship Elections, one would think the National Assembly would show more anxiety to resume from its recess and get to work to speed up the passage of a new electoral act. Thus the news that the National Assembly has postponed its resumption from January 26th to February 9th, 2021 is not cheering.

The National Assembly had initially promised to ensure passage of a new bill to regulate the conduct of the federal, state and area council elections and other related matters in December 2020. However, this did not happen as the legislators, understandably, prioritised the passage of the 2021 budget.

On 9th December 2020, the Joint National Assembly Committee on INEC held a public hearing on the bill. It was indeed a very vital step towards improving Nigeria’s electoral legal framework and giving Nigerians an electoral law that will serve the good of everyone. The array of recommendations provided by Civil Society Organisations, groups and other stakeholders do not just go a long way to show the magnitude of loopholes in Nigeria’s electoral system, but the urgency needed to fix the system.

While the Anambra governorship election is coming up in November, activities leading up to the elections commence as early as June where political parties must conduct primaries or democratically nominate candidates for the elections. The commission and indeed political parties will no doubt need ample time to adjust to any new legislation that will impact on the political party primaries.

Nigerians look forward to the passage with optimism as the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan has reiterated that the aim of the ninth assembly is to achieve all the targets set in the legislative agenda and the Electoral Amendment bill is part of it. But, with the resumption of plenary now February 9th and the need to consolidate all recommendations received from the public hearing, the March 2021 deadline for the passage of the electoral act may just be under scrutiny.

Also, the bill will be sent to the President where it will undergo intensive review, which may come back to the legislature for further review before final assent.

This makes the responsibility of the Joint Committee on INEC and electoral matters even more tasking if they indeed want the new electoral law to be passed by the end of March 2021 as promised. Since it doesn’t seem like lawmakers will resume earlier than planned, there is a need for them to intensify effort to consolidate recommendations, conduct reviews and other post-public hearing processes.

The National Assembly must prioritise the election amendment bill and must be willing and committed to making the necessary sacrifice in the overall interest of the country for the timely passage of this bill.

Moshood Isah is the Media Officer of Yiaga Africa