Osaze-Uzzi Accuses Senate of Stalling Electoral Act Amendment

 

A former Director of Voter and Publicity Education at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, has alleged that the Senate is deliberately delaying the passage of amendments to the Electoral Act.

Osaze-Uzzi made the allegation on Tuesday while speaking during an interview on Arise Television, warning that the delay could force Nigeria to rely on the Electoral Act 2022, which he said contains several unresolved flaws.

According to him, available evidence suggests that the delay is not accidental but a calculated move.

“The evidence shows that the Senate is deliberately delaying the passage of the Electoral Act. The circumstantial evidence points to a deliberate ploy,” he said.

He expressed concern that despite earlier assurances that electoral reforms would be treated as a top legislative priority, progress has remained slow.

Osaze-Uzzi noted that while issues such as agriculture and the national budget are receiving attention, critical electoral reforms are being sidelined, despite widespread agreement that the 2022 Electoral Act requires urgent review.

“A lot of commentators, lawyers, civil society groups and members of the media have pointed out the flaws in the Electoral Act 2022. Nigerians saw the issues clearly,” he stated.

He recalled that shortly after the Act was passed, the National Assembly itself identified omissions, particularly regarding statutory delegates at political party conventions, and attempted to amend the law by sending it back to the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We are now too close to elections to be engaging in this kind of delay. Electoral laws should not be treated lightly at this stage,” Osaze-Uzzi warned.

He urged the Senate to act swiftly in the interest of credible elections and democratic stability.