Electoral Law Ammendment: Kwara Speaker To Prioritise Peoples’ Interest
By Tunde Akanbi, Ilorin
The Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, North Central Nigeria, Engineer Yakubu Danladi-Salihu has given assurance of the Tenth Legislature to continue to uphold the tenet of democracy by putting the interest of the people first.
Engineer Danladi-Salihu gave the assurance while declaring open a one-day public hearing on a bill to amend “Kwara State Local Government Electoral Law CAP K32” at the committee room of the Assembly complex in Ilorin.
According to the Speaker, stakeholders’ observations, contributions, and recommendations would be critically looked into to fine-tune the amendment of the bill to enable the umpire to conduct credible and fair elections that would represent the will and wishes of the people.
“Our primary goal is to ensure that the electoral laws are fair, just and promote the principles of democracy. We are committed to addressing any shortcomings in the existing system and proposing necessary amendments that will strengthen the integrity and credibility of Local Government Elections in our beloved state,” Engr. Danladi-Salihu noted.
He said that justice would be done to the amendment which aims to bring Kwara Electoral Law up to speed with the 2022 Electoral Law passed by the National Assembly.
“In line with our commitment to promoting transparency and inclusivity, we have made it a priority to incorporate the opinions and suggestions of stakeholders from various sectors of the society. We firmly believe that this collaborative approach will result in a more effective and efficient Electoral system that meets the aspirations and expectations of the people of Kwara State,” the Speaker explained.
Critical stakeholders including members of the opposition parties, Civil Society Organizations; CSOs, Non-Governmental Organisations; NGOs and the members of the general public who attended the public hearing offered useful contributions and recommendations and urged House to consider their submissions in fine-tuning the law.
Lateefah Ibrahim