By Ejiofor Alike
The Constitution and Electoral Reform Committee set up by the federal government to review the electoral system in Nigeria and make recommendations and draft bills for the improvement of the system has called for memoranda from members of the public, political parties, stakeholders, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other interest groups.
In a statement issued yesterday by the Chairman of the committee and former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani and the Secretary, Dr. Mamman Lawan, the memoranda shall be concise – not more than 2,500 words, precise and well-articulated.
According to the statement, the memoranda shall be on any of the issues concerning review of the 1999 Constitution as amended (as it affects electoral matters), the Electoral Act 2010 as amended and/or any other relevant piece of legislation; the application of technology in the electoral process; and the decisions of courts on electoral matters and their impact on the electoral process.
Other issues include: electoral offences and their prosecution; the efficiency of electoral institutions Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and state electoral commissions) the role of security agencies in the electoral process; or any other issues directly relevant to the electoral process.
The memoranda, which should be submitted latest by November 3, 2016, would be in six hard copies and a soft copy to be submitted to the Secretary in Room 2A 31, 2nd Floor, Federal Ministry of Justice, 71B Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama, Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier this month constituted the 24-man committee to address the defects in Nigeria’s electoral laws and constitution.
Members were drawn from civil society organisations, academia, legal profession, traditional institutions, as well as former legislators.
The committee will review the electoral environment, laws, and experiences from recent elections conducted in Nigeria and make recommendations to strengthen and achieve the conduct of free and fair elections in the country.
