Stop blackmailing Electoral Act, lobby your lawmakers, Lawan urges Nigerians

The Senate President, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan has urged Nigerians to direct their energy towards lobbying the lawmakers, instead of blackmailing the leadership of the National Assembly for allegedly tinkering with the report of the joint Committees on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2021.

In plenary on Tuesday, Lawan expressed that the allegations of manipulating the contents of the bill is the work of mischief makers bent on blackmailing the leadership of the National Assembly.

The Senate President, further advised Nigerians to lobby lawmakers on any aspect of the bill they feel strongly about, insisting that the National Assembly would do only what is right when it eventually considers the bill.

Lawan disclosed that the attempt by some elements to blackmail the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives resulted in the publication of his phone number and that of the Speakers’ on various online platforms.

“There are various accusations, insinuations that the leadership of the Senate, sometimes the leadership of the National Assembly have tampered with the report of the committee on INEC of both chambers.

“Some of those accusing the leadership of the National Assembly are innocently misinformed, some are simply mischievous and rabble-rousers.

“This is the first time this report is laid here. This is the decision of the committee on INEC and, therefore, whatever will be discussed or considered about the Electoral Act Amendment Bill will be on the basis of what has been presented to the Senate here.

“If anybody feels very strongly about anything, lobby distinguished Senators to canvass for your position, rather than blackmail our leadership, because my telephone line and that of the Honourable Speaker were published. In one day, I received over 900 messages saying we have manipulated this, we didn’t.

“We will do what is right, we have our procedures and lobbying is part of democracy.”