New Electoral Act: National Assembly empowers INEC to demand troops deployment for elections 

New Electoral Act: National Assembly empowers INEC to demand troops deployment for elections

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…presiding officers to announce results at polling units

The National Assembly has empowered the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), to be the sole authority to request for
the deployment of security personnel for election purposes in the
country.
The new development is part of the new amendments proposed to the
Electoral Act 2010, which includes a new sub-section (b) to the extant
section 29 (1) of the principal Act that will give more powers to INEC
on troops deployment.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives adopted the conference
committee report on a bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act No. 6
of 2010 yesterday, following a motion moved to that effect by Hon.
Jerry Manwe.
The House consequently received and adopted the conference
committee report on the amendment bill in order to ensure a level-
playing field for all participants in the electoral process and for more
transparent process of conducting elections in the country, among
others.
The report, which was presented in plenary by the chairman of the
House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Manwe, has a total of 28
amendments contained in it.
On the new powers to INEC, the report said: “This new provision seeks
to ensure that the commission is responsible for requesting and
deploying relevant security personnel necessary for elections or
registration of voters; assigning them in the manner determined by the
commission in collaboration with the relevant security agencies, with
the condition that the deployment of the Nigerian Armed Forces shall
only be for the purpose of securing the distribution and delivery of
election materials.”
Section 29 (1) (b) of the adopted amendment states that
“notwithstanding the provions of any other law and for purposes of
securing the vote, the commission shall be responsible for requesting
for the deployment of relevant security personnel necessary for
elections or registration of voters and shall assign them in the manner
determined by the commission in consultation with the relevant
security agencies.”
“Provided that the commission shall only request for the deployment
of the Nigerian Armed Forces only for the purpose of securing the
distribution and delivery of election materials and protection of
election officials,” it added.
The amendment also empowers INEC to disqualify candidates by
providing for Section 7 (A), which provides that: “Any political party
that presents to the commission the name of a candidate that does
not meet the qualification stipulated in the constitution and this Act
shall be disqualified from participating in that particular election for
that office.”
There is also another amendment to Section 63 (3) by empowering
INEC presiding officers to announce results at polling units.
The new provision states that, “The presiding officer shall then
announce the result at the polling unit and shall thereafter give the
candidates or their polling agents, the assigned police officer, the
assigned representative of the State Security Service, assigned
representative of Security and Civil Defence Corps, accredited election
observer groups and a representative of the media a copy each of the
signed and announced result form.”