Senate President Ahmad Lawan in his New Year message urged Nigerians to take advantage of the opportunities provided to them to actively participate in the ongoing electoral process.
Lawan said the 2022 Electoral Law had ignited hope in the system and increased anticipation about the upcoming general election.
He said: “We appreciate and congratulate our citizens for having faith in our nation and for always supporting efforts to build a manly nation.
“The IX National Assembly has been a very active participant in this nation-building process.
“Since our inception in 2019, we have established a strong Legislative Agenda to advance our collective aspirations as a nation and have a positive impact on the lives of our people. A Senate that works for Nigerians. We have remained steadfast in our commitment to the Agenda.”
Lawan pointed out that there are less than six months left for the end of this Assembly.
The president of the Senate said: “First, we have improved stability in governance through productive cross-party collaboration with the other branches of government, particularly the Executive.
“This has paid off in the unprecedented number of quality bills passed by the National Assembly and duly signed into law by the President.
“Some of the most critical bills that have become law include the Deepwater and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts (Amendment) Act 2019, Companies and Related Matters Act 2020, Police Reform Act of Nigeria, 2020, Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, and Electoral Act, 2022, just to mention a few. These are critical legislative interventions relevant to the promotion of good governance in our beloved nation.
“For example, the Electoral Law Project (amendment) of 2022 has revived interest in political participation in our country and increased confidence in our electoral process. We passed this bill early enough and with some innovations to ensure a better conduct of our elections, especially after the 2023 elections.”
He said lawmakers were also able to reset financial years to make the budget cycle stable and predictable.
Lawan noted: “This change has greatly helped in the implementation of projects and programs, as well as the overall performance of national budgets. This is a legacy of the ninth National Assembly that we have sustained since 2019, as reflected again, in the approval of the Appropriation Bill 2023 on Wednesday, December 28, 2022.
“I am immensely proud that the new Electoral Law has ignited new hope in the system and raised expectations about the upcoming general elections.
“Furthermore, we have given all possible support to the Independent National Electoral Commission to successfully conduct credible polls and will continue to do so until that goal is achieved.
“The 9th National Assembly will continue to provide the necessary legislative interventions for good governance until the end of its term in June 2023. I urge all Nigerians to actively participate in the electoral process, to achieve our collective goal of good governance for prosperity and National unity”.
“I wish you all a happy and prosperous 2023,” he added.
