The House of Representatives is to reintroduce the Electoral Act Amendments Bill 2021 on Wednesday for legislative action and passage.
Speaker House of Representatives Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila while welcoming the lawmakers from the end of year break emphasised that the objective was to strengthen the nation’s democracy to serve Nigerians.
Mr. Gbajabiamila while stressing the need to reform the nomination process by the political parties in the country said the process was as important as the general elections and would allow more participation of citizens.
Serve Democracy
“A credible electoral law is what the people want. It is what the people deserve, and we must give to them. The Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill includes many other provisions that will serve our democracy well, and we cannot throw away the baby with the bathwater.” Speaker said.
On the Constitutional Amendment being embarked on, the Speaker said priority would be given to the process to address the long standing areas of disagreement so as to conform with the current realities.
Mr. Gbajabiamila said members must work hard to conclude the amendments as part of the legislative agenda of the 9th Assembly to ensure the wellbeing of the individual in a life of safety and freedom.
He said “Amending our nation’s constitution to address longstanding areas of disagreement and remove the vestiges of militarism from our democracy is one of the central commitments we made in the 9th House. It is a commitment we must meet or risk the harsh judgment of history.
Therefore we will prioritise action to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives.”
On the performance of House of Representatives in 2021, the Speaker said the Legislature has passed and taken legislative actions to address longstanding challenges of governance and economics in the country, despite challenges, especially imposed by Covid19.
Lateefah Ibrahim
