2019 elections: Group seeks prompt amendment to Electoral Act

The Executive and Legislature have been urged to close ranks and ensure that the various proposed amendments to the Electoral Act were carried through in view of their implication for the success of the next general elections.

This formed part of the recommendations by Participants at a “round table on election petitions arising from the 2015 general election” held in Abuja on Monday by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC).

They also noted that there was the need for both arms of government to also carry through the amendment to the Constitution, particularly as it affects the electoral process.

Speakers identified the various laudable amendments to the Electoral Act, which they said was needed to further perfect the electoral process.

PLAC’s Executive Director, Clement Nwankwo appealed to the two arms of government to “work together and not allow the controversy over election sequence affect the enormous work that have gone into the amendment to the Electoral Act.

“If politicians have not deliver on their promises and hope to win reelection by frustrating legal provisions and amended to existing laws, they will be disappointed this time.” he said.

Rights activist, Festus Okoye, who examined the state of the nation’s electoral jursprudence, made some suggestions for improvement.

He said: “The National Assembly and the Presidency should complete the alteration to the Constitution and the amendment to Electoral Act at least six months to the election.”

Okoye also advocated for the need for certainty in the electoral process regarding the exact legal and constitutional framework that will govern the conduct of elections.

He suggested the need for continuous training for judges assigned to hear election disputes to bring them up to date on issues and challenges in the management and handling of election petitions.

Okoye, while noting the controversy over the legal status of the smart card reader, suggested a gradual infusion of the technologies into the Constitution and Electoral Act to allow for clarity.

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