I’m Not The Only Brain Behind Amended Electoral Act, Says Omo-Agege

Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has dismissed speculations making the round that he wrote the Amended Electoral Act, saying he couldn’t had single-handedly written the Act.

He spoke at a consultative meeting in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

Omo-Agege who is a frontline governorship aspirant under the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Delta state, called on members of the public to disregard the misinformation making the rounds that he alone wrote the Amended Electoral Act.

He noted that that the people have been misinformed about the amended act which was enabled by the National Assembly, and duly assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Going forward, we are not going to sit down and allow the state government to use the instrumentality of the Nigeria Police to intimidate our people. I may declare that, yes, they may wield power here at the state level, that we are also available to checkmate the activities in Abuja.

“That was the thrust of the remarks that I made there but I also understand that there has been some misinformation and misconstruction of those remarks most especially to the extent that, I Ovie Omo Agege claimed authorship of the new electoral act.

“So people should take a deep breath, don’t loose their sense of humour, no one person alone writes a bill and pass a bill in the National Assembly.”

On the controversial section 84 (12) of the amended electoral act which states that no political appointee at any level shall be voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the nomination of candidates for any election, he said the section has been nullified by a Federal High Court in Umuahia, Abia State but currently being challenged on appeal by the National Assembly.

Omo-Agege said, “It’s now up to the courts to exercise the section 6 powers of the constitution on judicial review to decide whether or not this section stays or should be deleted.

“There’s not a chance in the world, I will claim authorship of section 84(12) when I’m opposed to section 84(12)”.

He assured his party members that introduction of the BAVAS system of voting will bring transparency and ensure a fair and credible electoral process for the 2023 forth coming general elections.

“We understand that when the first electoral act was promulgated in 2010, it was a good law. It was written and passed with the best intentions but in the implementation of the act, so many imperfections, so many mischiefs raised their heads and ever since, we’ve been fighting and battling on how to address those mischiefs taken into account that the law is organic. In the course of the implementation, you find out the loopholes, the lacuna that you need to address and one of that, is the introduction of technology to address those toxic votes that emanate from different places.

Omo-Agege submitted that, in supporting the electoral bill, his intention is for all Nigerians to benefit from the electoral processes as the 2023 forthcoming general election draws near.