Senator representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, has stated the newest modification to the Electoral Act by the Nationwide Meeting has successfully closed the loopholes that beforehand enabled electoral manipulation.
Talking on ARISE Tv on Wednesday, Nwaebonyi stated the brand new authorized framework makes digital transmission of election outcomes necessary, stressing that the revised regulation now carries larger power than present pointers issued by the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC).
Main with the Senate’s place on the modification, the lawmaker stated, “no one can rig election in Nigeria” beneath the brand new association.
Based on him, the important thing distinction between the 2022 Electoral Act and the newest modification lies in how digital transmission of outcomes is now offered for within the regulation itself.
“The distinction between the Electoral Act of 2022 and what we’re doing now, and which can make the choice of the courtroom completely different from what occurred in INEC versus Atiku, which is a very talked-about case, so far as this digital transmission of votes is worried, is that this time, the Nationwide Meeting have inserted it in our regulation,” the lawmaker stated.
He defined that the language of the modification makes the supply obligatory.
“And the phrase there may be ‘shall’, not ‘could’. That’s the distinction,” he added.
Nwaebonyi additional argued that the brand new Electoral Act would override any conflicting operational pointers issued by INEC, together with these referring to using the End result Viewing Portal (IREV).
“And furthermore, the Electoral Act overrides the INEC guideline. If there may be battle between the rule of thumb and the Act, the Act is an Act of the parliament. The rule is a suggestion of the company. So the Electoral Act supersedes the rule of thumb,” the senator stated.
The Ebonyi lawmaker maintained that the modification would basically change the authorized context by which future election disputes are decided, notably in relation to digital transmission of outcomes.
“So with what we’ve got performed now, no one can rig election in Nigeria,” he stated.
He, nonetheless, famous that the success of the reform would depend upon the vigilance of political actors and stakeholders.
“All that’s required is for all eyes to be on the ball by all political gamers,” the senator added.
The Senate had on Tuesday reconvened in an emergency session following public outcry over earlier adjustments to the Electoral Act, particularly provisions on the transmission of election outcomes and the standing of INEC’s IREV portal.
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