'ELECTORAL ACT ALTERED BEYOND RECOGNITION' - SENATOR IRETI KINGIBE

Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has raised concerns that the Electoral Act was significantly altered from its original version.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, Kingibe explained that she was part of the Electoral Reforms Committee and insisted that many provisions in the current Act differ from what was initially agreed upon.

According to her, the document presented later did not reflect the outcome of the committee’s work. She emphasized that she still possesses copies of the original draft and questioned some of the changes that appeared in the final version.

Kingibe highlighted concerns about election procedures, particularly the absence of standard security features on ballot papers. She noted that, historically, ballot papers issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have always included safeguards to prevent irregularities, making the reported changes unusual.

She further explained that the reform process took two years and involved extensive collaboration. The effort included joint sessions between the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as input from INEC and civil society organizations. The resulting document, she said, was designed to promote free and fair elections.

However, Kingibe maintained that the final version of the Electoral Act deviated significantly from what was collectively agreed upon, stating that nearly every aspect of the original proposal was altered.