Senate Sets To Enfranchise Nigerians On Essential Duties During Polls By Early Voting

ABUJA- THE Senate has begun moves to amend the Electoral Act to allow Nigerians on essential duties to exercise their right to vote early during elections.

A Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act No. 13, 2022, to provide for early voting at elections, including criteria for eligibility, procedure at the elections and for other related matters, 2025 (SB. 412) was sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua(APC, Katsina Central).

The bill Scaled Second Reading In The Senate.

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau(APC, Kano North), who presided over plenary referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters for further legislative action and report back in four weeks.

In his lead debate on the general principles of the bill, Senator Yar’adua noted that the bill sought to enfranchise a significant group of Nigerians, “Who, due to the nature of their duties on election days, are denied the opportunity to exercise their most fundamental democratic right; the right to vote.”

In his contribution, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim(APC, Ondo South) who noted that exclusion of anyone from voting is ‘terrible to democracy,’ said: “The bill seeks to reduce the lacuna between our electoral process that disenfranchises some of our citizens.”

Also, Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) said: “If we can unbundle the voting arrangements on election day, it will ease our work.”