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*Says no more time for politicians to be in office without an election

By Joseph Erunke, ABUJA

FORMER governorship candidate in Imo State, Uche Nwosu, said President Muhammadu Buhari has pushed election riggers out of business with his signing of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law.

Nwosu, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, who spoke with newsmen, Sunday, in Abuja, noted that the president’s action would boost voters’ confidence in the ongoing democratic process.

The politician, who hailed Buhari following his assent on the bill, described his action as a “courageous step”, noting that with the development, politicians planning to rig the 2023 general elections have no place to hatch their plans anymore.

Açcording to the philanthropist, the 2022 Electoral Act is the “end of the road” for corrupt politicians who, he noted, were relying on subverting the electoral process.

He said that apart from making it easier for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deliver credible polls, it will go a long way to boost voters’ confidence in the process and help check the disturbing cases of voter apathy witnessed in recent elections.

According to Nwosu, who contested the 2019 governorship election in Imo State, by signing the Electoral Bill into law, President Buhari, has demonstrated a strong commitment to sanitizing the electoral process before leaving office.

In his words, “I want to congratulate President Muhamamadu Buhari for being courageous enough to sign the Electoral Bill. It is a new dawn for Nigeria’s democracy. It shows that to me. President is a man of integrity, when you say a thing, you accomplish it, that’s what a leader should be. The new Electoral Bill will change the election process in the country.

“If you look at it very well, you see that it is no more time for politicians to find their way into office even when there is no election and the time has gone when someone will stay in Abuja or anywhere else and declare himself the winner of any election. This election that is coming in 2023bis a grassroots election, if you’re not popular among the people, you can never win. So the new Electoral Act is a good thing that has happened to this country because it will change the political atmosphere”.

On the release of the comprehensive timetable for the 2023 elections, Nwosu commended INEC, adding that the timely publication of the dates for the election, will give politicians and political parties ample time to get prepared.

He said, ” the best thing INEC has done is to announce the date for the 2023 elections because the earlier the better, what has happened in the past is for INEC to announce dates a few months to election and people start running helter-skelter but what has happened now will allow politicians to start preparing on time and start wooing the people because you don’t have to wait until you become a candidate to do that”.

Vanguard News Nigeria