Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas has commented on the tribunals that followed this year’s election.
He opined that over judicialisation of electoral outcomes in the country is greatly eroding the confidence of the people in the legitimacy of political leadership in the country.
The Speaker who spoke while addressing his colleagues before the House adjourned for the Christmas and New Year break said the outcomes of elections should be decided at the polling unit and not in a courtroom.
Speaker Abbas said the House recognises the importance of electoral reforms in strengthening the nation’s democratic institutions and took the initiative to take the lead in soliciting citizens’ input on the Electoral Act 2022 and recommendations on how to strengthen it to deliver more free and fair elections and reduce the judiciary’s influence on the electoral process.
He said the citizens’ town hall on electoral reforms organised by the House had made far-reaching recommendations that would be considered in amending the Electoral Act.
He said the House has made significant strides in fostering greater collaboration with citizens in all its key legislative activities which has been achieved through engaging citizens in oversight, committee activities, and other legislative processes.
According to him, these efforts have ensured that the voices of the people are heard and their inputs are incorporated into the lawmaking process.
