Clement Nwankwo urges INEC to give at least 360 days’ notice before elections and calls on National Assembly to prioritise the Electoral Bill
Clement Nwankwo, Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to provide at least 360 days’ notice before elections, stressing the importance of electoral certainty.
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Nwankwo made the remarks emphasizing that delays in the passage of the Electoral Bill by the National Assembly risk undermining preparation for upcoming elections.
“We need time for preparation for the election. We need certain things in the electoral laws and legal framework, including international instruments such as ECOWAS protocols, the Nigerian Constitution, and the Electoral Act, which stipulate the need for certainty in electoral law,” he said.
Highlighting existing provisions, Nwankwo explained that the 2022 Electoral Act already requires a 360-day notice for elections, adding that announcements and pronouncements relating to the notice must be issued promptly.
He commended the National Assembly for its ongoing deliberations, noting that both the Senate and House of Representatives are reviewing and refining the Electoral Bill to ensure readiness ahead of elections.
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“The Senate and the House of Representatives are going through the process of deliberations, reviews, conversation and actually do have a document,” Nwankwo added, urging lawmakers to expedite the bill’s passage.
