The 2022 Electoral Act’s strong predictions for reinstatement of statutory delegates in political party primaries prior to the 2027 general elections are clear.
Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, made this known on Monday at a meeting with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) leadership in Abuja.
The 2022 Electoral Act’s omission of statutory delegates from party primaries was criticized by Akpabio as a costly error that needs to be fixed before the next round of elections.
The lawmaker said, “There were shortcomings in the previous Electoral Act that need to be addressed. We unintentionally produced what I might refer to as super-delegates in the 2023 elections and the 2022 primaries. statutory delegates, including the president, vice president, governors, deputy governors, members of parliament, and local council chairs, were exempt from the primaries without any express intention from the parliament.
He argued that democracy is less participatory because of this exclusion, which reduces the number of candidates who were chosen.
Numbers are the foundation of democracy. When statutory delegates were left out, that meant that they had no say in choosing party flag bearers for legislative, governorship, and presidential elections unless they contested as ad hoc delegate. He remarked, “We need to fix this.”
Additionally, Akpabio stated that the 2022 Electoral Act’s provisions for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be reviewed by the National Assembly.
He continued, “It appeared as though INEC served as the primary arbitrator for candidate selection rather than the political parties.” We must make sure that parties have the authority to choose candidates with the best intentions and track records to deliver democratic benefits to the electorate.
I Remain In APC, Will Popularize The Party, and Buhari Declares His Party.
In addition to calling for electoral reforms, Akpabio also urged the NBA to sanitize the legal profession, highlighting the existence of dishonest attorneys without proper credentials.
According to the Senate president, some prominent legal professionals never actually received their bar.
Senator Akpabio told the NBA delegate, “It is the duty of the NBA to eradicate such liars in order to defend the integrity of the profession.”
In his response, NBA President Afam Osigwe (SAN) urged the National Assembly to use the ongoing constitutional amendment process to implement reforms in the justice system.
Source: Channels TV
Leave a Reply