COVID-19 justifies Electoral Act amendment – Reps
The House of Representatives yesterday said the COVID-19 pandemic had given them more reason to amend the Electoral Act to conform with eventualities and changing times.
The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abuja.
Kalu said the Electoral Act amendment was still on the front burner of the House.
“If there was no reason to look at the Electoral Act, the Covid19 has given us reasons to take another look at it. I am sure that INEC came out with new policies that include Covid-19 protocols and that is going to be used for the Edo and Ondo elections. “We are watching to see how the application of that policy with regard to social distancing and others will work because you cannot use Covid19 as an excuse to disenfranchise those who are supposed to participate in an election,” he said.
Kalu said it was the duty of government to provide solution to existing problems so that people are not hindered from exercising their rights at the end of the day, adding that it is also its responsibility to protect the lives of Nigerians, even without Covid-19.
“Like you mentioned, there are gaps in the Electoral Act which we are all aware of. Two important things will pre-occupy us in this second year. These are the Electoral Act and the PIB. These two things are going to be on the front burner.
“We are still working to get this assignment done while respecting the protocol. We are conscious of the need to amend the Electoral Act and we believe that it be priotised now we have by-elections and the big one in 2023 and we don’t want to wait until it is too late before we start running around.
“Nigerians should know that we are conscious of the fact that the reasons to amend the Electoral Act have increased when you take into consideration the impact and consequences of Covid-19.
“There are so many bills on constitutional amendment before the House and several of these bills have already been referred to the committee on constitutional amendment which is yet to begin its work,” he added.