The Coalition of United Political Parties has urged the National Assembly to ensure that a clean copy of the amended Electoral Act is presented to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent.
The spokesman of CUPP, Mr. Imo Ugochinyere, in an interview with our correspondent on Monday, said the National Assembly should ensure that Buhari signed the document into law as one of its first tasks.
He urged the parliament to clean up typographical errors said to be contained in the document, which the President refused to sign into law, ahead of the 2019 general elections.
He said, “The first thing the parliament should do because it is a completed work, is to clean the document up and send it to the President first before we even talk of other amendments before the 2023 election. Let the President sign this one before the 2023 election.
“Let it not be that we will leave it, wait for another two years, set up electoral amendment committee and by the time it is ready for signing, they start putting pressure on the President that if he signs it, it may make them not to win.”
Ugochinyere alleged that some leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress did not want Buhari to sign the law.
He noted the party leaders were of the opinion that the law could jeorpadise the chances of the APC winning the 2023 elections.
He warned that if a good foundation for a free and fair election was not put in place in the country, Nigeria would collapse.
Ugochinyere said, “Now that there is no election, the President should sign it. We are hearing rumour that they will re-work it, take it back to a different House Committee and start another one afresh.
“We know that once they do that, these political introductions will come for two years, we might still be on this journey. But let us sign this one that has been done and the President did not find any fault in it.
“If we do not set a foundation for a free and fair election, this country will collapse.”
The CUPP spokesperson also urged the National Assembly to probe the use of security funds meant to fight insecurity.
Ugochinyere said it was worrisome that Boko Haram insurgents were still attacking security operatives and wreaking havoc, regardless of the huge sum of money alleged to have been spent on the fight against terrorism.
He urged the federal lawmakers to assert the independence of the legislative arm of government and ensure that the service chiefs, who he accused of incompetence, were relieved of their jobs.
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