By The Editor
Abuja (Precise Post) – Former President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki has commended Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah for his courage, conviction and his comments regarding the passage of the Electoral Act.
Saraki who gave the commendation while reacting to the statement credited to his former colleague via his twitter handle, said it’s inspiring to see a ranking member of the Senate and the ruling party like Sen. Na’Allah speak in a statesmanlike manner regarding the need to pass an amended #ElectoralAct in order to give Nigeria a freer and fairer electoral process.
“By calling on Nigerians to engage their representatives to pass the #ElectoralAct, Sen. Na’Allah has shown that being a member of Parliament is about weighing the long-term interests of the nation, above the short-term considerations of your own political party, Saraki added.
Precise Post recalls that Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah has advised Nigerians to put pressure on their representatives in the National Assembly to pass the amendments to the Electoral Act.
The All Progressive Congress (APC) senator representing Kebbi State, told correspondents after a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja during the weekend, that even though public hearing has been completed and inputs taken, there is the need for the lawmakers to do the right thing.
Na’Allah spoke against the concerns raised by stakeholders including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the amendments may not be passed early enough for the 2023 general elections.
He said Nigerians must talk to their members in the National Assembly to act patriotically during the consideration of the amendment bill.
Na’Allah said: “Luckily, I’m a member of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters. So, I must be given the benefit of knowing what is going on.
“We have finished our public hearing, we have taken inputs, there are certain things that no matter how you try to be accommodative enough, they are practically impossible.
“But those ones that guarantee a free and fair electoral process have been taken into account and I’m very sure we will give Nigerians an Electoral Act that they will be very proud of.
“Well, of course, that means that every Nigerian has a responsibility to talk to his representatives in the Senate and the House, to accept the fact that he must act patriotically.
“He must place the nation above his party’s interest in the determination of the provisions of the Electoral Act. Once we do this, we don’t have a problem.
“I am not sure there is any Nigerian, responsible Nigerian, who is not interested in an electoral law that gives us the comfort of conducting a free, fair and credible election.
“These three concepts have often been misused by people who don’t know, they are distinct and distinguishable and they are mutually repellent.
“It is one thing for an election to be free, it is another thing for it to be fair, it is another thing for it to be credible. The yardstick for measuring the three concepts are completely different.
