The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the amended Electoral Act, insisting that the legislation does not provide any meaningful advantage to Nigerian citizens.
The chairman of IPAC, Yusuf Dantalle, made this assertion on Thursday while speaking during an interview on Arise Television. During the discussion, he emphasized that the council had earlier developed a unified position and forwarded its recommendations to the National Assembly, but none of those proposals were reflected in the final amendment.
He explained that the council carefully examined the provisions of the Electoral Act alongside constitutional review processes and collectively agreed on a set of recommendations designed to strengthen the nation’s democratic framework. These proposals were compiled, harmonized, and formally submitted to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Act Amendment and Constitutional Review.
However, he lamented that none of the submissions provided by IPAC were included in the final legislative outcome.
Dantalle stated:
“Some of the irregularities we highlighted are still present in the current law. From our assessment, the Electoral Act does not provide any real benefit to Nigerians.
“During the process involving the review of both the Electoral Act and the Constitution, IPAC—which represents all registered political parties—held several consultations where we clearly outlined our collective position.
“We compiled our recommendations, harmonised them, and forwarded the document to the National Assembly Joint Committee responsible for the Electoral Act amendment and constitutional review. Unfortunately, none of those proposals were considered or adopted.”
He questioned the overall value of the amendment and its potential impact on Nigeria’s democratic process.
Dantalle further raised concerns about the practical implications of the legislation, asking what tangible benefits the country stands to gain from the new provisions.
He said the key issues that should guide electoral reforms include whether the law strengthens democracy, improves governance structures, and enhances the credibility of the electoral system.
According to him, these are the fundamental questions that remain unanswered.
“The major concern now is: what exactly does Nigeria gain from this? How does the amended law improve the democratic process? In what way will it strengthen the system? These are the issues we continue to raise,” he said.
To illustrate his argument, Dantalle referenced the implementation challenges surrounding Nigeria’s National Identification Number registration process.
He recalled that the government previously mandated all telecommunications users to link their phone numbers to the National Identification Number (NIN) Nigeria.
However, the deadline had to be extended after authorities were unable to complete the process within the stipulated timeframe.
Dantalle argued that if such logistical difficulties occurred during the NIN registration process, greater caution should be exercised when implementing reforms related to elections.
He pointed out that electoral activities have a direct impact on every citizen because they determine leadership positions and influence national governance.
Given the importance of elections, he questioned why there appeared to be urgency in passing and signing the Electoral Act without fully addressing stakeholder concerns.
“Remember that in this same country, authorities attempted to link every phone line to the National Identification Number. The government later extended the deadline because the process could not be completed within the given time.
“Now we are dealing with elections that influence the lives of all Nigerians and determine leadership within the country. So the question remains: why the haste in passing and signing the Electoral Act?” he asked.
Kindly Share:
Discover more from LMSINT STORE
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
