A Coalition of Civil Society Groups has asked the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, to resign if the National Assembly fail to pass the delayed Electoral Reform Bill in 30 days.
The coalition group which is made up of Center For Liberty, Concerned Nigeria, the Electoral Hub, and Raising New Voices Initiative made the demand at a media briefing in Abuja and threatened to shut down legislative activities by occupying the National Assembly complex.
The groups said Lawan and the leadership of the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Electoral Matters have betrayed the solemn pledge made to Nigerians on December 9, 2020, at the public hearing conducted on the Electoral Bill.
They accused the ruling All progressives Congress, APC, the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and political key players of displaying unconcern manner to achieve credible elections in the country.
They further noted that petitions have been forwarded to some of Nigeria’s foreign partners on democratic governance to alert them of the 9th National Assembly’s unreadiness to pass a new Electoral Act in order to review their partnership with the National Assembly and predicate future support on the passage of the Electoral Act.
The Electoral Reforms Bill, if passed, is expected to immediately bring integrity to elections, embrace technology, and open the process to transparency and accountability.