By Sarah NEGEDU
Chairman Elect of the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Mr Christopher Zakka, is calling for a Presidential ascent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, saying the Bill when finally signed into law, will further boost voters’ confidence in the electoral system.
Zakka who gave the advice yesterday in Abuja while addressing Journalists on the just concluded FCT Area Council election, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Bill into law, noting that it will not be acceptable to conduct the 2023 general election with the electoral law left behind by the past administration since 2015.
Zaka explained that electronic transmission of result which is included in the newly amended electoral Bill by the National Assembly would give credence to next year’s general election hence the need for the President to give his ascent to the Bill.
“The manual collation of result in the past has resulted to rigging in so many ways, therefore the introduction of electronic transmission of result is a welcome development towards the emergence of credible leaders at all levels in the forthcoming general election” He stressed.
He therefore advised Nigerians to support the new electoral amendment Bill passed by the both chambers of the National Assembly for the overall development of the country.
The AMAC Chairman elect also commended President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of the FCT, INEC and relevant agencies for ensuring a free, fair and credible Chairmanship and Councillorship Election in the Area.
Zaka also thanked residents of the area council for giving him the mandate to pilot the affairs of council for the next three years, with a promise to prioritise policies and programmes targeted at meeting critical developmental needs of rural areas.
He said his administration will ensure rural communities get 80percent priority attention, in terms of provision of water supply, electricity, education, roads, healthcare and other interventional programmes, while urban areas would get only 20percent, in order to widen access to better living standard.
“What I’m going to do differently is to focus on these rural areas. I’m giving urban areas 20percent, and I’m taking 80percenr to rural communities. This is because, these people need government intervention.
“In the urban areas we have a lot of social amenities already, but I’m telling you the truth that visit some of our villages, you would shed tears. So I’m going to focus my attention down to our rural areas, in order to give them a better life”.
He therefore solicited the support of the residents to enable him succeed in his developmental programmes.
