Senate President Ahmed Lawan on Wednesday said an amendment to the nation’s electoral law would be ready by next year.

At the public hearing on the repeal of the Electoral Act 2010 and enactment of the 2020 Electoral Act, held in Abuja yesterday, Mr. Lawan said that the Electoral Act Amendment Bill will be passed by the first quarter of 2021.

Mr. Lawan added that the passing of this legislation would enable the 2020 Electoral Act to be tested ahead of the elections to check its efficacy.

“A free fair and credible election in 2023 is doable; we just have to remain focused,” Mr. Lawan said. “I have participated in several elections since 1999 and none of them has been the same. I have had different experiences. It means we always have some new emerging problems.”

The joint hearing was organised by the Joint Committees on INEC and Electoral Matters, and its proposed amendments had been reviewed by the chairperson of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Aisha Dukku.

The bill seeks to resolve issues concerning INEC’s introduction of modern technologies into the electoral process, such as voter accreditation and the use of card readers and other devices at party primaries and general elections.

In January, Mr. Lawan had stated that the flaws of the 2019 general elections and other elections would be examined in a bid to create solutions for future elections.

The bill was reintroduced after three attempts had been made to amend. Those attempts failed because President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent, citing numerous grounds of disagreement.