Ekweremadu hails Buhari, says journey to Electoral Act frustrating

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has hailed the President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2022 into law.

Ekweremadu, who said he had been part of the nation’s electoral reform for over 10 years, said “the journey to the new Electoral Act was by far the most frustrating.”

He said this in a post on his Facebook page titled, ‘The New Electoral Act Is Progress For Our Democracy,’ shared on Friday shortly after the President signed the Bill into law.

Ekweremadu said, “After the major electoral reform of 2010 that also involved amendments to the 1999 Constitution to, among others, open the doors to technology in our electoral system, check some executive excesses, manipulations by political parties, and strengthen the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) through financial and administrative autonomy, our expectation after amendments to the Electoral Act in 2015 was that the new administration would support the National Assembly to further straighten our electoral laws and system.

“Unfortunately, four times, the amendments were turned down in the 8th National Assembly, apparently thwarted by narrow, partisan interests and ambitions.

“The efforts in the current National Assembly also faced similar challenges, but it is heart-warming that it has finally materialised with the presidential assent.

“Certainly, we didn’t get all we pushed for in the new law, but it is nevertheless a quantum leap for our electoral system and I congratulate all, who played a part in it, notably the civil society, media, and all Nigerians, who stood up for the nation’s democracy.

“With the electronic transmission of election results, early primary elections, and adequate time for INEC to prepare for elections, among other breakthroughs, our elections will never be the same again and more Nigerians will be encouraged to exercise their franchise, knowing that their votes will count.”