New Electoral Law May Not Guarantee Credible Elections – Ex- INEC Chief

A former Independent National Electoral Commission National Commissioner, Prof. Lai Olurode, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the amended Electoral Bill into law.

Olurode, a Professor of Sociology at the University of Lagos, who said this in a statement on Friday, however said the new electoral act would not guaranteed credible polls.

He also applauded the steadfastness of all stakeholders in their advocacy and interests in improving Nigeria’s electoral landscape.

He said, “The additional technology being introduced into the electoral process at the back end and front would arrest the audacity of electoral fraudsters.

“As commendable and as necessary as the new law is, the provisions contained in the new law may not produce the desired outcome.

“The role of human agency, a section of which may decide to be unscrupulous, is critical for attaining the deliverables. Ethical challenges may mar an otherwise laudable electoral legislation.

“Nigeria has one of the most comprehensive electoral laws in the world. Our elections, for decades, have consistently been undermined by a tiny political elite who are preoccupied only by staying afloat politically and who do not give a damn to the interest of the majority of Nigerians.”

To make the new law deliver on its mandate, the former INEC chief calls for vigilance on the part of all election stakeholders in translating the law into practice.