By Joyce Babayeju
A coalition of 26 civil society organisations have declined to speak on report that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), would sign the Electoral Amendment Bill on Friday, saying “no comment for now.”
While asking the President to sign the Bill, the CSOs said they would open up after being convinced that he would do the needful.
The coalition had on Tuesday protested against the refusal of the President
to sign the Electoral Amendment Bill.
After declaring a national day of protest to demand immediate assent to the reworked Electoral Amendment Bill by the President, the CSOs said the peaceful public direct-action activities was to further the demand for the President’s assent to the Bill.
But when asked to comment on the report that the Bill would be signed on Friday , the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said, “Let’s wait and see.”
He said, “The news suggests that the President will assent to the Bill on Friday. So, we will be waiting to see the action he will take on the Bill and our expectation is that he will assent to the Bill. No comment for now, only to continue to urge him to assent to the Bill.”
The members of the coalition pushing for the signing of the Electoral Amendment Bill included Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Yiaga Africa, Partners for Electoral Reform, International Press Centre, Institute for Media and Society, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, The Albino Foundation, Centre for Citizens with Disability, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, Labour Civil Society Coalition, Transition Monitoring Group, CLEEN Foundation and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre.
Others were Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Nigeria Network of Non-Governmental Organisations, Inclusive Friends Association, Enough is Enough, The Electoral Hub, Centre for Liberty, Take Back Nigeria Movement, International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre, 100 Women Lobby Group, Women in Politics Forum, Raising New Voices, Millennials Active Citizenship Advocacy Africa and Ready To Lead Africa.
On January 31, 2022, the National Assembly transmitted the Electoral Bill 2022 to the President for assent after reworking the Bill.
