The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has called on the National Assembly to guiding the conduct of elections in the country.
Yakubu according to INEC online newspaper made the call when Steering Committee members of the Nigerian Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS), led by Its Chairman, Mr Aminu Shagari, visited the Commission on Friday in Abuja.
He said that early passage of necessary legislation would give the Commission ample time to prepare for the 2019 general elections.
He observed that since the next general polls were only 470 days away, the early passage of such electoral laws would assist the Commission in planning adequately.
“As we approach the 2019 General Elections, there are a number of issues I think we can collaborate on with the NILS.
“As we speak today, we have 470 days to the 2019 general elections. It is therefore urgent for the National Assembly to continue to expedite action on passing the appropriate legislations.
” This is key so that we have enough time between the time the law is finally assented to and the period before the conduct of elections,” Yakubu said.
On the budget for 2019 general elections, Yakubu said the proposed cost for it would emerge by next week, when the Commission considers and approves its draft Election Project Plan.
He commended the NILS’ role as a non-partisan organ of the legislature, especially for its contributions to the democratic process.
Yakubu said it was the Commission’s desire to develop greater ties with the Institute in the area of capacity building and trainings for Political Parties, which he said would boost the Commission’s work.
Shagari, who is also a Member of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, said the visit was to seek the Commission’s cooperation in building virile democratic institutions in the country through sustainable capacity building.
He disclosed that the NILS would soon begin to run a Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s Degree programmes in Elections and Political Party Management, in affiliation with the University of Benin (UNIBEN).
He implored the Commission to enroll its staff for the new courses(NAN)