Prof. Lai Olurode, a former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has stated that the recently approved electoral law does not ensure free and fair elections in the country.
Olurode, who made the announcement in a statement on Friday, praised President Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) for signing the bill into law.
The Professor of Sociology at the University of Lagos further praised all stakeholders’ commitment to enhancing Nigeria’s electoral scene through their advocacy and interests.
The former INEC boss said, “The additional technology being introduced into the electoral process at the back end and front would arrest the audacity of electoral fraudsters.
“As commendable and as necessary as the new law is, the provisions contained in the new law may not produce the desired outcome.
“The role of human agency, a section of which may decide to be unscrupulous, is critical for attaining the deliverables. Ethical challenges may mar an otherwise laudable electoral legislation.
“Nigeria has one of the most comprehensive electoral laws in the world. Our elections, for decades, have consistently been undermined by a tiny political elite who are preoccupied only by staying afloat politically and who do not give a damn to the interest of the majority of Nigerians.”
The former INEC chief asks for vigilance on the part of all election stakeholders in putting the new law into effect in order for it to fulfill its mandate.