Posted by By BASHIR UMAR, Abuja on
Senate President, Senator David Mark, has assured that the proposed amendment of the 1999 constitution will work together with all interest groups, especially the Justice Muhammad Uwais- led Electoral Reform Committee.
Senate President, Senator David Mark, has assured that the proposed amendment of the 1999 constitution will work together with all interest groups, especially the Justice Muhammad Uwais- led Electoral Reform Committee.
Senator Mark said the National Assembly will accommodate all stakeholders to ensure that all grey areas in the previous constitution are addressed.
Speaking when he played host to the Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee in Abuja, he noted that the amendment this time will avoid as much as possible areas of controversy.
Mark stated the amendment of the constitution will reflect the true wishes and aspirations of Nigerians.
'We are conscious of the situation on ground, and the constraints of constitution amendment, but we shall carry out our assignment diligently based on the situations on ground."
He urged the Uwais Committee to liaise with National Assembly for possible areas of cooperation and collaboration, pointing out that anything needed to be done would be done to avoid areas of friction.
'What is important is to get the best for our country, because the friction that trailed the last general election was avoidable," Mark stated.
Earlier, Chairman of the Electoral Reform Committee, Justice Uwais, who led other members to the National Assembly, requested for co-operation between his committee and the National Assembly on constitutional amendment.
Uwais stated: 'We need to seek the support and cooperation of the National Assembly in carrying our assignments, because amendment of the constitution and the electoral act would be involved."
Uwais stated that the committee has held a lot of workshops and invited experts on electoral matters from Ghana, Canada, Mexico, South-Africa, India and Lesotho, to make imput in the assignment. The essence, he stated, was to examine their own systems, strength and weaknesses in order to correct the short comings in the nation's electoral system.
He hoped that the outcome of the assignment would bring a better electoral system in Nigeria.