Yabagi Sani, the National Chairman of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), has questioned the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) implementation of the new Electoral Act 2022.
According to him, the way the commission implemented the new act disenfranchised many voters.
According to Track News, Sani, who is also the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), any law that tends to disenfranchise the populace should be reconsidered because it cannot be said to be in accordance with the constitution.
Sani, who questioned the commission’s handling of the new electoral law’s implementation, stated that the only challenge that INEC is facing is how to manage the implementation of the Electoral Act of 2022 in terms of deepening democracy.
According to Track News report, the IPAC chairman stated that while the commission is focused, committed, and ready in terms of funds and logistics, it needs to open up the process so that everyone can participate.
He advanced that the INEC registered voter list revealed that many people were disenfranchised on the grounds that the portal was closed, which is not democracy.
He claims that political parties and citizens are upset because the entire process is about allowing citizens to participate, and if anyone introduces anything that limits that participation, that is not democracy.
“In a democratic setting, any law that disenfranchises citizens is bad.” If you hear that people are being disenfranchised because of the INEC timetable, which cannot and will not supersede the law, that is a bad regulation in terms of democracy,” he added.
Sani stated that democracy is about the people, and it is aimed at bringing as many people as possible to partake in the trend, rather than using the regulation to disenfranchise citizens because democracy is about unhindered access to political participation, “We are not practicing an autocratic system.”
“There is no evidence that the agency or regulation is deepening democracy.” It is not correct. “The regulator should work to open the space for people to come in, as long as they are not breaking the law,” he said.
Sani stated that the law is power in and of itself, not regulation; rather, regulations are intended to facilitate the implementation of the law in order to advance the course of democracy, not to stifle it.
He went on to say that what the Commission should have done now is to give political parties unrestricted access to democracy.
“We understand that the law must be followed, but if the law is not broken by people, it is perfectly fine.” “INEC doesn’t get democracy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Senator Kabir Gaya, Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, has stated that the Bill for an Act to Establish the Electoral Offences Commission will be ready before the 2023 general election.
According to him, the Senate had sent the Bill to the House of Representatives and was waiting for their approval.
“It’s on the drawing board.” The Senate has already completed its work, and it is now up to the House to concur and agree. We are working hard to have it ready before the 2023 elections. “We intend to use it in the 2023 election,” Gaya stated.
The House had harmonised the Senate version and sent it to the Senate for concurrence with five similar bills sponsored by its members.
The legislation is for an Act to establish the National Electoral Offences Commission and the Electoral Offences Tribunal, to provide a legal framework for the investigation and prosecution of electoral offences, and to address other related issues in an effort to improve Nigeria’s electoral process