By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

ABUJA—THE Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, yesterday, said that an amended 2010 Electoral Act would be ready before year end, to address very salient and grey areas, ahead of 2019 presidential election.

He, however, raised alarm over the growing anxiety generated by inconclusive elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

He said it had become imperative to amend the Act to do the right thing at all times, stressing that the country often recorded low turnout in elections because they did not believe in the system.

Saraki

Saraki, who spoke while declaring open a summit on elections organised by Senator Abubakar Kyari-led Senate Committee on INEC in Abuja yesterday, said: “We must conclude the amendment by the end of the year.

“My view is that politics now start early. Let us amend the areas we all agreed on because we may not agree on all the issues.”

According to the Senate President, in reviewing the Electoral Act, the issue of diaspora voting should be addressed and the Senate would also look at the issue of allowing voting opportunities for Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.

Meanwhile, Chairman of INEC, Professor Mamood Yakubu, yesterday stressed that the commission would conduct re-run elections in affected senatorial districts and federal constituencies by July 31.

Professor Yakubu, who listed the challenges that had been confronting INEC since 2015, said since the conclusion of the 2015 general election, INEC had conducted 129 elections.

According to him, 23 election certificates were withdrawn in accordance with court rulings and such certificates re-presented to rightful winners of elections in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

The INEC boss stressed the need for an amendment to the 2010 Electoral Act to ensure that candidates whose elections were nullified because of improper nominations by their parties, should have their certificates re-issued to the runners-up.

He said the move will save the nation the huge cost of conducting fresh elections in such circumstances.

Yakubu added the committee should ensure the inclusion of card readers in the Electoral Act, ahead of the conduct of the next general election.

He said such provision should cover the use of other forms of technology to enable INEC have the full power to deploy any technological innovation it deemed fit without any legal hindrance.

Also speaking at the event, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, made case for early and direct primaries by political parties to make the nation’s electoral process more credible and deepen democracy.