House of Assembly denies plan to amend LG electoral law
The Kaduna state house of assembly has refuted claims that it plans to amend the state’s local government electoral law ahead of the LGA elections slated for October 19.
On Tuesday, Edward Masha, chair of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna state, expressed concerns over the credibility of the upcoming council polls.
He accused the assembly of attempting to alter the Kaduna State Local Government Electoral Law (2024) few days to the polls.
Masha alleged that the assembly was working to amend provisions related to the declaration of results and the appointment of collation officers.
The PDP chair also said that his party would not tolerate any attempt to undermine the electoral process.
In response, Henry Marah, chair of the house committee on information, dismissed the allegations, stating that there was no such amendment listed on the assembly’s order paper for October 9.
“We are here today to boldly inform the people of the state that nothing like that is going to happen today,” Marah said.
“I have a copy of the order paper, which outlines all our activities for the day, and there is no mention of an amendment to the SIECOM laws.”
Marah clarified that some adjustments had been made to laws governing the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECOM) before the assembly’s recess.
He said the decision was made in response to specific issues that arose, including the logistical difficulties surrounding electronic voting.
”These logistical issues necessitated the switch to manual voting. Other changes were made to account for the security situation in certain parts of the state,” he said.
“Laws are dynamic in nature. Even the National Assembly amends laws after every election cycle to address prevailing circumstances, so there is nothing wrong with us doing the same.”
Marah further highlighted the state’s inability to procure electronic voting machines for over 3,000 polling units, given the limited time and the fact that the machines are manufactured outside Nigeria based on specific orders.
The lawmaker added that the amended law allows the commission to collate and announce results at its head office or other designated locations “if security concerns arise”.
