The House of Representatives is set to begin discussions on a bill that seeks to grant the Independent National Electoral Commission the authority to organize Presidential and Gubernatorial debates for candidates running for the offices of President and Governor.
The bill, sponsored by Hon. Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, also proposes the electronic transmission of election results as soon as they are declared by the returning officer.
The bill, which aims to amend the Electoral Act 2022, is designed to introduce a new section 24 and amend existing sections 62 and 68. The key provisions of the bill will ensure that candidates for President and Governor participate in debates where they will present detailed analyses of their manifestos and plans for governance if elected, according to Nigerian Tribune.
According to the bill, the new section 24 mandates that INEC organize debates for Presidential and Gubernatorial candidates on a date set by the Commission. It also stipulates that Presidential candidates must provide a comprehensive breakdown of their manifesto during the debate, while Gubernatorial candidates will do the same for their respective states.
Additionally, the bill seeks to amend section 62 of the Electoral Act, which addresses the transmission of election results. Clause 3 of the bill proposes that, after the announcement of election results, presiding officers must immediately transmit and upload the results to INEC’s website or server. The transmission will be certified by polling agents to ensure the accuracy of the results. Once transmitted, the results, along with other election materials, will be securely delivered to the designated person as prescribed by INEC.
This proposed legislation aims to enhance transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s electoral process while fostering greater public engagement with political candidates.
Clause 2 of the bill seeks to amend the Electoral Act referee to the Principal Act “by inserting a new section 24 before the extant section 24 and renumbering as follows: (1) The Commission shall cause a Presidential and Gubernatorial Debate to be conducted for persons seeking for election into the offices of President and Governor of a State respectively, on a date to be appointed by the Commission.
“(2) A person seeking for election to the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, shall be required to participate in the Presidential Debates wherein he shall provide a detailed analysis of his manifesto and the plans he intends to carry out if elected as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“(3) A person for election to the office of Governor of a State shall be required to participate in the Gubernatorial Debates, wherein he shall provide a detailed analysis of his manifesto and the plans he intends to carryout if elected as Governor of the State.”
Clause 3 which seeks to amend section 62 “by inserting a new subsection (1) before the extant subsection 1 and altering subsections 2 and 3 as follows:
62. (1) After the recording and announcement of the result, the presiding officer shall immediately transmit, and upload the result so recorded and announced into the website, dashboard, server, or portal, whichever is applicable, of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) electronically.
63.
Before doing so, the polling agents of the candidates at an election shall be required to certify that the results to be transmitted and uploaded are the true and correct results of the votes as already recorded and announced.
“(2) After the recording, announcement, transmission, and uploading of the result, the presiding officer shall deliver same along with election materials under security and accompanied by the candidates or their polling agents, where available, to such person as may be prescribed by the Commission.
“(3) The Commission shall compile, maintain, and update, on a continuous basis, a register of election results to be known as the National Electronic Register of Election Results which shall be a distinct database or repository of polling units by polling unit results, including collated election results, of each election conducted by the Commission in the Federation, and the Register of Election Results shall be kept in electronic format by the Commission at its national headquarters and shall be stored on its website, dashboard, server, or portal, whichever is applicable.
“(4) Any person or political party may obtain from the Commission, on payment of such fees as may be determined by the Commission, a certified true copy of any election result kept in the National Electronic Register of Election Results for a State, Local Government, Area Council, registration area or Electoral Ward or Polling Unit, as the case may be, and the certified true copy shall be in printed and electronic format.”
The proponent of the bill also seeks to amend section 68 which stipulates that: “(1) The Commission shall cause to be posted on its notice board, dashboard, website, server, or portal, whichever is applicable, a notice showing the candidates at the election and their scores, and the person declared as elected or returned at the election.
“(2) The notice showing the candidates at the election and their scores, and the person declared as elected or returned at the election, as provided in subsection 1 of this section shall be posted on the Commissions notice board, dashboard, website, server, or portal, as the case maybe, contemporaneously.”
