Amended Electoral Act would be ready soon- Saraki

Ahead of the 2019 Presidential Election, Nigeria's Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, yesterday, said that an amended 2010 Electoral Act would be ready before the end of this year. This is in order to address some very salient and grey areas.

However, Saraki raised alarm over the spate of inconclusive elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

He said it had become imperative to amend the Act to do the right thing at all times, stressing that the country often recorded low turnout in elections because they did not believe in the electoral system.

Declaring open a summit on elections organized by the Senator Abubakar Kyari-led Senate Committee on INEC yesterday, Saraki said: "We must conclude the amendment by the end of the year.

"My view is that politics should now start early. Let us amend the areas we all agreed on because we may not agree on all the issues."

Saraki is of the opinion that the issue of diaspora voting and voting opportunities for IDP's, should be addressed while reviewing the Electoral Act.

Meanwhile, Chairman of INEC, Professor

Mamood Yakubu, yesterday stressed that the commission would conduct re-run elections in affected senatorial districts and federal constituencies by July 31.

Professor Yakubu, who listed the challenges that had been confronting INEC since 2015, said INEC had conducted 129 elections since the conclusion of the 2015 general election.

According to him, 23 election certificates were withdrawn in accordance with court rulings and

such certificates re-presented to rightful winners of elections in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

The INEC boss stressed the need for an

amendment to the 2010 Electoral Act to ensure that candidates whose elections were nullified because of improper nominations by their parties, should have their certificates re-issued

to the runners-up.

He said the move will save the nation the huge cost of conducting fresh elections in such circumstances.

The INEC boss also added that the committee should ensure the inclusion of card readers in the Electoral Act, ahead of the conduct of the next general election.

He said such provision should cover the use of other forms of technology to enable INEC have the full power to deploy any technological innovation it deemed fit without any legal hindrance.

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