Okpozo tasks NASS on Electoral Reform Bill

By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN—SECOND Republic senator, Senator Francis Okpozo, has stressed the need for the National Assembly to speed up the Electoral Reform Bill so as to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to display the voters register at least two weeks before any election.

He said this would reduce the marginalization of people as well as prevent electoral fraud. Senator Okpozo who is one of the leaders in the Niger Delta, stated this yesterday, while reacting to the weekend governorship election in Anambra State.

While describing Governor Peter Obi’s victory as the voice of the people of Anambra State, Okpozo, however, frowned that some  people were denied the right to vote at the election due to the omission of their names in the voter-register, arguing that such mistake would not have occured if the voters- register was displayed two weeks ahead of the election.

He commended Anambra people for avoiding external interference from those he described as “ political heavy weights” during the election, adding that “ the result of the election shows that the people who came from outside to campaign laboured in vain because Anambra people maintained the tradition that Anambra man is  Anambra man.

“I also commend the people for their vigilance in observing the deficiencies created by INEC and challenging them out rightly especially the snatching of ballot papers and boxes. INEC should as from now try  to follow the due process of displaying the voters-register at least two weeks before the election.

That is why we are also calling on the National Assembly to speed up the Electoral Reform Bill so as to eliminate some of these irregularities during elections,” he stated.