Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has insisted that the 2023 general elections were the best set of elections ever held in Nigeria.
The Speaker, while admitting that the polls were not perfect, noted that they were a step forward in the country’s efforts to ensure credible polls.
This comes as the Speaker promised that the Electoral Offences Commission Bill would be passed into law before the House’s term expired in June.
Gbajabiamila made these remarks on Tuesday in Abuja, while welcoming his colleagues back from the recently concluded Governorship and State Assembly elections.
“Any objective assessment of these elections will show marked improvements from prior outings. This is not to suggest perfection but to acknowledge evident progress in our collective efforts to ensure elections we can all be proud of,” he said.
According to Gbajabiamila, the amendments to the Electoral Act by the 9th National Assembly have been particularly instrumental in improving the election process through the use of technological tools to facilitate voter accreditation and transmission of election results.
With each new election season, we become more aware of areas requiring changes to ensure a better outing next time. This process of ongoing reform and continuous improvement must continue. As a necessary first step, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should collaborate with stakeholders to conduct a meticulous assessment of the election process. This is necessary to inform further reforms and improvements,” he said.
While speaking on the Bill seeking to establish the Electoral Offences Commission, the speaker said: “The Electoral Offences Act is one area where we must take action before the culmination of the 9th House of Representatives. The Act is necessary to ensure effective enforcement against individuals and organizations whose violations of our electoral laws undermine our constitution and threaten our democracy. A system of vigorous prosecution and punishment of electoral offenders will serve as a deterrent to others in the future and help build confidence in our elections.”
Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila has noted that the constitution amendment Bills signed into law last week by President Muhammadu Buhari would advance the cause of Nigeria’s federation and bring the country closer to achieving her highest national ambitions.
“When we began the constitutional review process in the 9th House of Representatives, I said this was an opportunity to achieve a constitution that resolves many issues that fracture our nation and hinder our progress.
“Last week, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, signed into law constitutional amendments enacted by the National Assembly and ratified by the state legislatures across the country.
“These constitutional amendments include consequential reforms to the design and operations of the Nigerian state, particularly with regards to the devolution of powers to the states and strengthening the judiciary and legislature at the subnational level,” he stated.
