The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday, expressed support for  the amendment of the Electoral Act by the National Assembly to provide minimal role for the Armed  Forces during elections.
This came as the electoral  body  categorically ruled out  electronic and diaspora voting in the 2015 elections even as it appealed to the National Assembly to extend the time for conduct of run-off elections to offices of president and governor from 7 days to 21 days.
INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, stated this in  a position paper presented at a Public hearing  on the Amendment of the 2010 Electoral Act by the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters,  led by Jerry Manwe. . Other stakeholders also presented papers on the one-day event.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) – an association of all registered 25 political parties in Nigeria,  has urged  the National Assembly to outlaw “cross-carpeting” by politicians to other political parties after winning elections on a prior party.
The IPAC Chairman, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, who doubles as national chairman of the National Conscience Party (NCP) said the decision was unanimously agreed after a meeting of  political parties.
Expressing support for the amendment of the Electoral Act 2010,  Jega submitted that there was need to amend  Section 29 (1) of the Electoral Act (b) that limits the role of the military to “securing the distribution and delivery of electoral materials.”
The  paragraph(b) read: “Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law and for the purposes of securing the vote, the commission shall be responsible for requesting for the deployment of relevant security personnel necessary for elections or registration of voters and shall assign them in the manner determined by the commission in consultation with the relevant security agencies.
“Provided that the commission shall request for the deployment of the Nigerian Armed Forces only for the purpose of securing the distribution and delivery of electoral materials.”
The opposition-led All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently traded  words over the legality or otherwise of the President to deploy the country’s military during elections, the latest being the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections.
The PDP had maintained  that the powers of the President to deploy troops was backed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as Section 8 of the Armed Forces Act.
But the APC argued  that the powers are not “absolute”. The party said the President can only exercise such powers subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.
On the voting right of Nigerians residing abroad , the INEC boss declared  that while the electoral body was seeking constitutional amendments to allow for electronic and diaspora voting, it could only be adopted in “subsequent elections” from 2015.
He said: “It will be difficult for INEC to prepare adequately for the process. There is simply no time to do that, we (INEC) will not be able to do electronic voting in whatever form on or before the 2015 elections.”
Jega digressed a little to comment on what should be the  timeframe for run-off elections. According to him  it will be “technically impossible” to conduct a run-off election in 7 days.
The INEC chairman explained that the body  had  identified 23 Sections of the 2010 Electoral Act which required amendment. He expressed optimism that the amendments if approved by the National Assembly would provide a level playing field  for participants and enhance the  electoral process.

2015 elections : INEC  seeks limited role for soldiers