President Buhari has Signed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into Law

President Buhari has Signed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into Law

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the electoral act amendment bill into law. The Bill was signed at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on 25^th February 2022.

Present at the signing ceremony was the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President Ahmad Lawan; speaker of the house of representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; and chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Kayode Fayemi. 

The legislation was transmitted to the president on January 31 after both chambers of the national assembly had worked on it.

President Buhari had initially rejected the bill after the national assembly made direct primary compulsory for political parties in the country. The president noted that the provision “violates the spirit of democracy”.

The signing of Electoral Act into law. pic.twitter.com/O1nwPGiSPX

— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) February 25, 2022

It was on this ground that the senate and house of representatives made amendments to provide for indirect and direct primary, as well as consensus candidates.

Parties can now use any of the three options to elect their candidates for any election that will be organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). You should also know that electronic transmission of election results is part of the new provisions in the bill.

Read Also: eNaira Goes Live! – Here’s all you Need to Know

Here’s the President’s address:

“It is gratifying to note that the current Bill comes with a great deal of improvement from the previous Electoral Bill 2021. There are salient and praiseworthy provisions that could positively revolutionize elections in Nigeria through the introduction of new technological innovations. These innovations would guarantee the constitutional rights of citizens to vote and to do so effectively.

“The Bill would also improve and engender clarity, effectiveness and transparency of the election process, as well as reduce to the barest minimum incidences of acrimony arising from dissatisfied candidates and political parties.

“These commendable efforts are in line with our policy to bequeath posterity and landmark legal framework that paves the way for a credible and sound electoral process that we would all be proud of.”

Read the bill here