The consideration of the Electoral Act (Re-peal & Re-enactment) Bill is gaining momentum as the joint committee of the Senate on INEC and the House of Representatives on Electoral Matters, get set to present the final draft of the bill to plenary in both chambers of the National Assembly. A 2-day retreat of the joint committee was held on 29th and 30th January in Abuja, and was supported by Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). At the retreat, proposals and amendments were made to the bill following the clause-by-clause consideration of the proposed provisions carried out by a Technical committee set up to work on the bill. The retreat was held with a view to producing a final draft bill. The recommendations of the joint committees will be presented to plenary for further legislative action upon the resumption of the National Assembly.
It will be recalled that a retreat of the Technical Committee set up to work on the bill held from the 7th to 10th January.
The retreat took into account, suggestions from INEC, civil society and the public, addressing the requests by Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to state categorically INEC’s obligation to facilitate access by PWDs to vote, including the provision that INEC “shall take reasonable steps to ensure that voters with disabilities are assisted at the polling place…” The joint committee also provided legal support for INEC to use technology for voting and transmission of results.