The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged the Nigerian government to simplify the recently modified Electoral Act so that voters can understand it.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, stated that what Nigeria requires is clear legislation on the Electoral Act, written in simple language that is understandable to all Nigerians.
Prof Amupitan made the request during a Civil Society Network-organized citizens’ town hall meeting on Election Integrity and the Electoral Act on Sunday in Abuja.
The INEC Chairman’s demand comes amid the debate surrounding the real-time transmission of election results, which he believes must be explained given Nigeria’s widely diversified population, particularly in its political and electoral landscape.
He stated, “We have gone through the Electoral Act from beginning to end, and we have looked at some of the problematic issues, especially in a country that is so varied.
“What Nigeria needs is what I call simple legislation, simple language legislation, in which every Nigerian can comprehend and appreciate the requirements of each part.
“When INEC stepped in, we considered that the transmission of the results should be mandatory. But, to be honest, the only challenge we had was defining what we meant by “real time.”
“For example, in the FCT area council election that recently took place in Kuje, the results from five area councils were released on time, while the results from Kabi ward did not arrive until the next Sunday. We were unable to contact our cops; they were not available via phone.
“I don’t see transmission as a problem; the difficulty is the adequacy of our current network.
“You anticipate that in a facility like FCT, you should be able to send your results without interference.
“But we had a situation where it was impossible for us to have a real-time transmission of results because of coverage.”