Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has accused lawmakers of overturning every aspect of the Electoral Act, asserting that the final version presented was far removed from the original document worked on by the committee.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday, Kingibe, who was a member of the Committee for Electoral Reforms, expressed frustration over the alterations made to the Act.

She revealed that many of the key provisions in the law were not part of the original document discussed by the committee.

“What they presented was not what we worked on,” Kingibe stated. “I have the original documents, and I can show you the changes. The final version was completely different from what we agreed upon during our deliberations.”

The lawmaker also pointed out discrepancies with the handling of ballot papers, stressing that security measures on INEC ballot papers had always been a standard procedure in past elections. She questioned how any election could be conducted without proper security features to prevent fraudulent votes.

Kingibe elaborated further, stating, “In every election we’ve held, we’ve always ensured that ballot papers had security features. But when this was brought up to me, I realized that I didn’t see any mention of that in the final document. That part was clearly missing.”

Reflecting on the reform process, Kingibe revealed that the committee had worked diligently over two years, with participation from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, INEC, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). She emphasized that the goal was to create a framework for free and fair elections. However, she lamented that the reforms were ultimately undermined, with every aspect of the document being “turned upside down.”

This revelation from Kingibe raises serious concerns over the integrity of the Electoral Act and the potential consequences for future elections in Nigeria

Source: PM News