Senate assures INEC of support as it amends Electoral Act

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has said that the Senate would accord the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) all the necessary support to deliver credible elections in 2023. He stated this on Wednesday, after the Senate re-amended the Electoral Act, approving direct, indirect primaries or consensus for political parties in choosing their candidates. Lawan said that “We will still be around to ensure that INEC receives every possible support from the National Assembly, for it to conduct the 2023 elections successfully, transparently and with integrity. “(And) Nigerians will all be proud of when it comes to either off-season elections or the general elections in 2023. “But laws alone will not be enough. We could have the best laws. If we don’t operate them properly, they may not mean much. “I urge practitioners, politicians and INEC, to ensure that we obey and operate the laws as provided in the Electoral Act.” The Senate President also congratulated the Senate and the National Assembly “for once again standing up to the occasion by passing the amendment to the Electoral Bill 2010. “This is one of the major pillars in our legislative agenda when we started in 2019. “This is one of the Bills that Nigerians particularly are so interested in, because it is a one sure way of enhancing our electoral processes and producing leaders at various levels of governance. “What we have done today is to respond to the observation of Mr President and we have done that very patriotically. “Today, as the Bill stands, there is provision for all possible options for selection of candidates from the president to the councillorship. “The available options we have are: the direct primaries, indirect primaries and consensus candidature. “What this means is that political parties are now challenged to ensure that they choose what is appropriate, what is suitable for them when it comes to the processes of producing their candidates, once this becomes law, ” he said.