20th February, 2022
A coalition of 26 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has demanded President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent to the reworked Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
They threaten to stage a protest on Tuesday, 22nd of February, 2022, at the Unity Fountain in FCT, Abuja, if the President fails to sign the bill in two days.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the Media Officer of Yiaga Africa, Moshood Isah, the CSOs urged citizens to “call on President Muhammadu Buhari to act on this matter of urgent national importance.”
The bill allows electronic transmission of results, strengthens the financial independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission and empowers the commission to reject falsified election results.
The statement read in part, “Further aware, the bill, when signed, requires INEC to issue Notice of Election not later than 360 days before the day appointed for an election. Therefore, the President has to give assent to the bill on or before February 22, 2022, if the dates announced for the 2023 elections are to be maintained.
“We are concerned that the delay in granting presidential assent to the Electoral Bill, 2022 will create legal uncertainties that threaten the integrity of the off-cycle elections in Ekiti, Osun, and the 2023 general election, which is 366 days away.
“The civil society community resolves to declare Tuesday, February 22, 2022, as the national day of protest to demand immediate assent to the bill.
“Civil society networks will organise peaceful public direct-action activities to further the demand assent to the bill.
“We urge citizens across the nation to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to act on this matter of urgent national importance”, the statement concluded.