The House had harmonised the version earlier passed by the Senate and transmitted to it for concurrence, with five similar bills sponsored by its members.

A bill to create a National Electoral Offences Commission and an Electoral Offences Tribunal has been approved.

This comes after the bill passed second reading at the House of Representatives.

The House had harmonised the version earlier passed by the Senate and transmitted to it for concurrence, with five similar bills sponsored by its members.

The consolidated bill was jointly sponsored by the Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa (on behalf of the Senate); Chairman, House Committee on Electoral Matters, Aishatu Dukku; John Dyeh, Francis Uduyok and Kingsley Chinda.

The legislation is titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to Establish National Electoral Offences Commission and the Electoral Offences Tribunal to Provide for the Legal Framework for Investigation and Prosecution of Electoral Offences for the general Improvement of the Electoral Process in Nigeria; and for Related Matters.’

At the plenary on Thursday, the Majority Whip, Mohammed Monguno, who led the debate on the bill on behalf of the Majority Leader, justified the proposal while highlighting the benefits for the electoral system and the electorate.

Monguno said, “This bill is very relevant and germane to the dream or quest for Nigeria to attain a truly democratic status in the comity of nations, especially against the backdrop of the clamour to deliver an election that is transparent, fair and accountable to the yearnings and aspirations of the people of this country.

“As a legislature that is responsive and responsible for the yearnings and aspirations of the people that gave us the sacred mandate to represent them, it behoves us as per Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), that gave us the power to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the country, to enact the Electoral Act to make it ‘octotonous;’ that means to make it (to be) in consonance with the yearnings and aspirations of the people.

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