Both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Assembly have stated that they are dedicated to ensuring that credible elections are held in the states of Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi respectively.
During the first meeting of the committees on electoral concerns for both the House of Representatives and the Senate, a consensus was established to make this decision.
Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Sharafadeen Alli, Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, and Hon. Bayo Balogun, his counterpart from the House of Representatives, all participated in the meeting that took place on Monday in Abuja.
According to InfoStride News, the elections for governor in the states of Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi have all been scheduled to take place within the next few weeks.
During his statement to the members of the National Assembly who were present at the meeting, Yakubu highlighted the plans and preparations that the commission had made in order to ensure that the elections in the three states would be trouble-free, transparent, and credible.
He gave his word that the commission was ready to work with the National Assembly and any other relevant stakeholders to improve the election process in the country, and he guaranteed them of the commission’s willingness to do so.
In his remarks, Alli demanded that INEC do everything that is within its power to ensure the credibility of the elections that would be held in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi.
The legislator insisted that the purpose of the meeting was to address significant topics regarding INEC’s activities and preparations for the upcoming elections in the three states.
He went on to say that the 9th Assembly had set a high bar for the committee, particularly with regard to the passage of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Electoral Offences Commission Establishment Bill, 2022. Both of these pieces of legislation were passed during the 9th Assembly.
He stated, “Based on the brief I have received, there are pending technical issues that need attention on the Electoral Offences Committee Bill and, as you are all aware, there have been calls for possible improvements on the Electoral Act, 2022.” The Electoral Act, 2022 is the law that governs elections in the United States.
“The committee will also organize zone-specific interactive sessions with stakeholders in order to provide participants with the opportunity to formulate game plans on pertinent problems relating to pre-election matters. Other pertinent problems, such as potential loopholes in the Electoral Act and the Electoral Offences Commission (Establishment) Bill, are also covered in this report.
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