The Senate Committee on Electoral Matters has affirmed that the Electoral Act 2022 would make positive impact and ensure free, fair and credible General Elections in 2023, in Nigeria.
The Vice Chairman of the Committee, Olalekan Mustapha, disclosed this when he led other members of the committee on a courtesy visit to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
During the courtesy visit, Senator Mustapha noted that the Committee was in the state on a zonal sensitisation exercise on the Electoral Act, 2022.
Saying the turnout had been quite impressive and participants had gone home with good impression of the process of electioneering in the country.
He disclosed that there would be no deviation from what happened in the Ekiti and Osun state governship elections, where the new electoral act, which has returned power to the people, was totally adopted.
Mustapha stated: “We have had two elections held in the last few months and the two elections were guided by the 2022 Electoral Act.
Up until today a sizable number of people across the country believe that the two elections were very credible, transparent and I don’t think we are going to have anything less, in fact it will be better in 2023. The results were transmitted electronically, so there won’t be a difference in the one of 2023.”
In his response, Governor Seyi Makinde, who was represented by his deputy, Bayo Lawal, declared absolute support for the Electoral Act, 2022, saying it would ensure the credibility of the forthcoming 2023 General Elections and bring sanity to the electoral process in the country.
Lawal promised that the state government would use various fora to help the Committee amplify and expand the message to the nooks and crannies of the state, and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to also buy into the idea.
He stated: “The sensitisation is not just about this Committee, as I believe INEC will take it upon itself a little more than what the Senate Committee is doing. This is because we must have a template across the nation to give the impression that it will no longer be possible to rig election.”
Lawal asserted that Nigeria was making progress in electoral processes with the introduction of the Electoral Act, 2022, which came as a result of the amendments made to the Electoral Act, 2010, and was used in the conduct of two significant elections, the governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states, where people already knew what to expect before the results were announced by INEC.
He noted: “INEC was only giving imprimatur of authority by declaring results. Respective political parties already knew the outcome of the exercise. So, this sensitisation is good and coming at an approprate time. This will make members of the public to be aware of what they are expecting to come across in the 2023 General Elections.”
While appreciating the Committee for the sensitisation exercise, the deputy governor enjoined political parties, politicians and other stakeholders to embrace the idea of sensitisation so that their members would be well educated on the current position of the Electoral Act.
S.O
