Politics
Electoral Act Amendment Bill And 2023
By the pronouncement of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), exactly one year from today, Nigerians will be going to the polls in the next round of general elections in the country.
Chairman of INEC, Prof, Mahmood Yakubu, stated this in April last year during a one-day Public Hearing on the National Electoral Offence Commission (Establishment) Bill 2021, organised by the Senate Committee on INEC in Abuja, indicating in the same breath however, that a timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections could only be made public after the legal framwork for the elections had become law.
“ By the principle established by the commission, the 2023 General Election will hold on Saturday, 18th February, 2023 which is exactly one year, nine months, two weeks and six days or 660 days from today.
“We hope to release the Timetable and schedule of Activities for the General Election immediately after the Anambra Governorship election scheduled to hold on 6th November, 2021.
“ In order to do so, there should be clarity and certainty about the electoral legal frame work to govern the election. We are confident that the National Assembly will do the needful in earnest, Prof. Yakubu said.
“As soon as it (the Electoral Act Amendment Bill) is signed into law, the Commission will quickly, release the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections based in the new law’’, the INEC Chairman said in Abuji during the Commission’s first quarterly on January 18, 2022.
Speaking at the same event, the Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and Chairman of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Yabagi Sani, lamented that a major impediment to the successful conduct of the 2023 general elections, is the lingering debacle between the executive and legislature on the fake of the electoral amendment bill.
While urging the President to sign the bill into law without further delay, the IPAC Chairman said ‘’We at IPAC are anticipating the emergence of an Electoral Act that will address among others, the lingering and fundamental issues relating to the legalisation of electronic accreditation of voters as well as the electronic transmission of election results; issues relating to substitution of candidates in the event of death in an election,; a redefinition of what amounts to over-voting; early release of funds to INEC; early commencement of campaigns by political parties and, the period that political parties are legally allowed to commence campaigns in the countdown to elections’’.
On December 30, 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari transmitted to the National Assembly a letter declining his assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 earlier delivered to him for his statutory endorsement. This was after he had sat on the bill until the very last of the 30 days provided him by law within which he was required to either append his signature or return the bill to the legislature.
According to President Buhari, the Electoral Act (Amendment ) Bill 2021, seeks to amend certain provisions of the extant Electoral Act 2010. Part of the objective of the Bill is the amendment of the present Section 87 of the Electoral Act 2010 to delete the provision for the conduct of indirect primaries in the nomination of party candidates such that party candidates can henceforth only emerge through direct primanies.
“ The conduct of direct primanies across the 8,809 wards across the length and breadth of the country will lead to a significant spike in cost of conducting primary elections by parties as well as increase in the cost of monitoring such election by INEC, who has to deploy monitors across these wards each time a party is to conduct direct primaries for the presidential, gubernatorial and legislative posts.
“ The addition of these costs with the already huge cost of conducting general elections will inevitably lead to huge financial burden on both the political parties, INEC and the economy in general at a time of dwindling revenues.’’
For this and attendant consequences, and sundry issues he identified, the president said, ‘’In the premise of the above, I hereby signify to the National Assembly that I am constrained to withhold assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 in line with the provisions of section 58(1,) and (4) of the 1999 constitution (as amended).
“ It is my considered position that the political parties should be allowed to freely exercise right of choice in deciding which of direct or indirect primaries to adopt in the conduct of their primary elections as their respective realities many permit.’’
In the circumstance, the National Assembly which has the power to either veto the president’s position or rework the bill in accordance with his observations and propositions succumbed to the latter as many Nigerians had thought they would do in line with their observed lack of courage to square up to the president on critical national issues.
On Monday, January 31, 2022, the Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare disclosed in a statement that ‘’The Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Olatunde Amos Ojo has transmitted the authenticated copies of the Electoral Bill 2022 to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, on 31st January, 2022’’.
The Presidential aide said ‘’ This was done in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Acts Autheritication Act cap Az LFN 2004’’, adding that ‘’ Mr President had withheld assent to the Electoral Bill 2021 transmitted to him on 19 November, 2021.
The Electoral Bill was thereafter reworked by the National Assembly and both the Senate and the House of Representation passed same on 25th January, 2022.’’
To the consternation and irritation of Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari is back to his characteristic hibernating on the bill as nearly three weeks after receiving the document, the only thing that has been heard from the Presidential quarters is that the chief executive of the cantry is consulting again.
Expressing his disappointment with the unfortunate situation, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, last Saturday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, noted with regret that President was being sentimental and biazenly partisan in his handing of the matter and urged him (president) to do the needful in the interest of all Nigeria.
“ Every time this government, this party will find an excuse of not signing an Electoral Act. In 2018 to 2019, when they inserted the card reader in Electoral Act Amendment Bill, Mr President said no, it is too early, I will not sign because they know if they had inserted it (card reader) in 2019 election, it would have been difficult for APC to win,’’ he said, arguing that ‘’ Now, we are in 2022, going for 2023, National Assembly, in their wisdom said there must be direct primaries by all the parties. Mr President came and said no, put options. National Assembly, in their wisdom, has amended the bill and agreed to what Mr President said. Now again Mr President said I’m in dilemma, I’m consulting.
‘‘What is he consulting about? That there is a clause that says if a minister or a commissioner wants to run for election, you have to resign, that is why up till now Mr Prersident cannot assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill?’’
Speaking at an event in Abuja last week, Prof. Attahiru Jega, former chairman of INEC, underlined the importance of a good law for the integrity of the electoral process, noting that ‘’We were in an unfortunate situation where a tendency had began to develop, where both the Executive and Legislature did not see the necessity of urgent improvement in the electoral of legal frameworks that we can keep up upscaling the integrity of our elections,’’ adding that ‘’ Luckily, now we have a good law arising from the reform process which commenced after the 2019 election.’’
Prof. Jega said though it was unfortunate that it had taken this long to amend, the bill is perhaps ‘’ the best electoral law in our history’’ and expressed the confidence that ‘’ It will certainty add tremendously value to the integrity of our elections henceforth when it is signed.’’
Last Monday, Governors elected under the People Democratic Party (PDP), at the end of their meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, urged President Buhari to sign the Bill without further delay.
In a communiqué read to journalists by the Vice Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Goernor Okezie Ikpeazu, governors under the main opposition party in the country said the president’s delay in assenting to the bill was a sign of unwillingness to provide Nigerians with a reformed electoral legal framework that could provide solutions to much of the challenges confronting our electoral system.
“Waiting to run out the 30 days is yet another sign of unwillingness by Mr President to give Nigeria a reformed electoral framework’’, they said, adding that ‘’If there are still misgivings on any aspect of the Bill, amendment may be introduced at a later stage’’.
For now the nation waits and critical electoral activities towards the 2023 general elections remain in limbo as President Muhammadu Buhari seems determined to fully enjoy another 30 days reverie before telling Nigerians whether or not he believes the 2023 general elections should take place under freerer, fairer and more credible atmosphere.
By: Opaka Dokubo
The Senate yesterday urged President Bola Tinubu to remove the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Hussaini Magaji, over what lawmakers described as a persistent refusal to appear before its Committee on Finance.
The resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu during a session where members of the President’s economic team were present for engagement with the committee.
Tension rose at the commencement of the meeting when agency heads were introduced and senators observed the absence of the CAC Registrar-General, who had been invited to account for the commission’s activities, particularly on revenue matters.
Moving the motion, Kalu expressed anger over what he termed repeated disregard for legislative oversight, accusing the CAC boss of consistently avoiding invitations to appear before the committee.
He said, “Since I came to the Senate, this CAC man has always given excuses that he is in the Villa or going to London. He is not above the law. This man is not coming to the Senate. Look at the ministers of finance and budget. They are both here. We summoned them and they came.
“But this man thinks he’s bigger than the Senate. We’re not going to take that rubbish again. He had refused on so many occasions to honour our invitation to appear before this committee. We have issues with the reconciliation of the revenue of CAC.
“I move a motion that the man should be reported to Mr President and ask for immediate removal because we cannot continue with him. Is that what we’re doing here? He should come and give us an account of what he had done.”
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, corroborated the concerns, pointing to unresolved discrepancies in the reconciliation of the commission’s revenues.
He noted that despite several invitations, the registrar-general had failed to show up to address the issues raised by senators.
“The registrar-general of the Corporate Affairs Commission has refused on so many occasions to honour the calls, invitations or summons of this most important committee.
“There are only about three committees that are in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Committee of Finance is one of those committees. Sections 88, and 89 have given us these powers.
“And as registrar-general, we have issues with the reconciliation of their revenue. Anytime he is invited, he will give us one reason or another, and he will send junior officers to come and talk to the Senate. That cannot be accepted,” he said.
In a further show of frustration, Senator Adams Oshiomhole proposed that the Senate escalate the matter by withholding approval of the CAC’s 2026 budget pending the registrar-general’s personal appearance before the committee.
Oshiomhole also suggested that the commission be restrained from spending its internally generated revenue without prior approval of the national assembly.
“This senate should decline to appropriate anything in the 2026 budget until we are satisfied that he has accounted for previous money and spending properly.
“And should he spend money that is not appropriated, he should be heading to Kuje prison,” Oshiomhole said.
The motion urging the President to remove the CAC Registrar-General was subsequently put to a voice vote and adopted.
The development underscores renewed assertiveness by the Senate in exercising its constitutional oversight functions, particularly over revenue-generating agencies.
The Corporate Affairs Commission, which regulates companies and business registrations in Nigeria, is a key contributor to non-oil revenue, making accountability and transparency central to its operations.
President Bola Tinubu has appealed to the leadership of the 10th Senate to amend the constitution to provide a legal framework for the establishment of State Police to tackle insecurity nationwide.
President Tinubu made the appeal during an interfaith breakfast with senators at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday.
The president said that the creation of State Police has become urgent to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, strengthen grassroots policing, and enhance states’ capacity to respond swiftly to threats within their jurisdictions.
He noted that a decentralised policing structure would complement existing federal security architecture and promote intelligence-led, community-focused law enforcement.
“We are facing terrorism, banditry, and insurgency. But we will never fail to make a right response to this cause. What I will ask for tonight is for you (Senators) to start thinking how best to amend the constitution to incorporate the State Police for us to secure our country, take over our forests from marauders, and free our children from fear,” he said.
The president commended the cordial relationship between the Executive and the Senate, saying that unity is needed to defeat terrorism and banditry in the country.
“It is a good thing that we are working in harmony, we are looking forward to a country that evolves, a country that takes care of its citizens and protects all.
Tinubu thanked the Senate for its unflinching support towards achieving various economic reforms of his administration, especially the fuel subsidy removal and tax reform policy.
“I have a lot of credit for bold reforms. Without your collaboration and inspiration, those reforms would not be possible. We are reformists together. What we gave up and what we stopped is monumental corruption in the subsidy system. We don’t want to participate in monumental corruption and arbitrage foreign exchange.
You don’t have to chase me for dollars; you could see what Nigeria is today. You should be proud, and I am glad you are. What we are enjoying is a stable economy, and prosperity is beckoning us. We need to work hard, and this attendance means a lot to me,” the president said.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, commended the president for hosting the leadership of the Senate to the Interfaith breaking of fast.
He commended President Tinubu for providing the visionary leadership the nation needs at this critical time, stating that the administration’s bold reforms have now brought more revenue to governors at the sub-national level for the development of critical infrastructure.
The Senate President prayed for the administration, and for the nation’s peace and prosperity.
Alhaji Mohammed Kasim, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has won the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Philip Akpeni, the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced the results on Sunday morning.
Alhaji Kasim polled 22,165 votes to defeat Alhaji Yahaya Shehu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 17,788 votes.
Alhaji Biko Umar of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) scored 1, 687 to come in third place.
“I am the returning officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Gwagwalada chairmanship held on Feb. 21, 2026,” Akpeni said.
“That Mohammed Kasim of PDP, having certified the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”
In the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Maikalangu, the APC candidate, was declared the winner of the chairmanship poll with 40,295 votes.
Andrew Abue, the Collation Officer for AMAC, said Hon. Maikalangu, who is the incumbent AMAC chairman, was returned elected having scored the highest number of votes cast.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) came second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 3,398 votes.
According to Abue, the total number of valid votes in the chairmanship poll was 62,861, while the total votes cast stood at 65,197.
He added that the number of registered voters in AMAC was 837,338, while the total number of accredited voters was 65,676.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr. Joshua Ishaku of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Bwari Area Council Chairmanship election.
Announcing the result on Sunday in Bwari, the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Mohammed Nurudeen, stated that Ishaku polled a total of 18,466 votes to emerge victorious in the February 21, 2026 poll.
“I am the Returning Officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Bwari chairmanship held on Feb. 21, 2026. That Joshua Ishaku, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Nurudeen said.
According to the results declared, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) secured 4,254 votes, while the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) polled 3,515 votes to place second and third respectively.
The declaration adds to the series of results emerging from the 2026 FCT Area Council elections, as political parties assess their performance ahead of future contests.
INEC UPLOADS 2,602 OF 2,822 FCT CHAIRMANSHIP RESULTS ON IReV
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had uploaded 2,602 out of the 2,822 expected polling unit results from Saturday’s chairmanship elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as at 5:55am on Sunday, data retrieved from its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) showed.
According to The Tide source, the figure represents an overall upload rate of about 92.2 per cent across the six area councils of the territory.
A council-by-council breakdown indicates that Municipal Area Council recorded the highest number of submissions in absolute terms, with 1,309 of 1,401 polling unit results uploaded, representing 93.43 per cent.
In Gwagwalada Area Council, 330 of the expected 338 polling unit results had been uploaded, representing 97.63 per cent — the highest upload rate among the six councils.
In Bwari Area Council, INEC uploaded 463 of 485 polling unit results, translating to 95.46 per cent.
In Abaji Area Council, 129 of 135 polling unit results had been uploaded as at 5:55am, representing 95.56 per cent.
In Kwali Area Council, 164 of the expected 201 polling unit results were available on the portal, representing 81.59 per cent.
In Kuje Area Council, 207 of 262 polling unit results had been uploaded, representing 79.01 per cent — the lowest rate among the six councils as at the time of review.
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