The continuous delay by President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill is brewing a social crisis, as a coalition of civil society organisations has fixed February 22nd to stage a national protest.
No fewer than 26 Civil Society Organisations are currently mobilising for the protest, DAILY POST has learnt.
The move according to them is intended to mount further pressure on the presidency to do the needful and sign the amended bill into law.
Some of the prominent CSOs spoiling for a protest are Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Yiaga Africa, Partners for Electoral Reform (PER), International Press Centre, Institute for Media and Society, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, The Albino Foundation, Centre for Citizens with Disability, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), Labour Civil Society Coalition (LASCO), Transition Monitoring Group, CLEEN Foundation, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Nigeria Network of Non-Governmental Organizations (NNNGO) among others.
Their concerns stem from insinuations that the delay in granting presidential assent to the Electoral Bill, 2022 may create legal uncertainties that will threaten the integrity of the off-cycle elections in Ekiti, Osun, including the 2023 general election, which is only 366 days away
