Chairman-elect of Abuja Municipal Area Council, Mr Christopher Zakka, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, saying the it would further boost voters’ confidence in the electoral system.
Zakka, who gave the advice in Abuja while addressing journalists on the just concluded FCT Area Council election, noted that it would not be acceptable to conduct the 2023 general elections with an electoral law left behind by the past administration since 2015.
Zakka 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 elections, hence, the need for the president to give his assent to the bill.
“The manual collation of results in the past has resulted in 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 elections,” he said.
He advised Nigerians to support the new electoral amendment bill passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.
The chairman-elect also commended President Buhari, minister of the FCT, INEC and relevant agencies for ensuring a free, fair and credible chairmanship and councillorship elections in the area.
Speaking on his roadmap, the chairman-elect said he would prioritise policies and programmes targeted at meeting critical developmental needs of rural areas.
He said his administration will ensure rural communities get 80percent priority 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.
