The FCT Area Council elections are scheduled to hold on 12 February 2022. In the run up to the election, the political and electoral landscape has been rife with voter apathy, intra-party rivalry, and insecurity. Given the status of the FCT as the seat of the federal government in the country, coupled with the fact that only local elections are held in the territory, the upcoming FCT Area Council elections are highly significant.
The Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021, having gone through First Reading, Second Reading, the Committee Stage, and Third Reading, is now at the Joint Conference Committee Stage. The National Assembly Conference Committee on Electoral Reform has been constituted to harmonise the differences between the House Bill and the Senate Bill. Stakeholders can engage NASS during the Conference Committee Stage in the following ways:
The ninth National Assembly is currently undergoing a comprehensive process of electoral reform with the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021, which aims to repeal the Electoral Act 2010 and enact a new law governing elections in Nigeria. In July 2021, both Chambers of the National Assembly passed slightly different versions of the Bill.
The onset of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has changed virtually all aspects of everyday life. This includes the activities that are carried out to ensure the effective running and functioning of society. In this context, it is inevitable that elections would be conducted in a vastly different way than usual. This applies to not just voting on election day, but also pre-election activities such as civic and voter education.
