EARLY VOTING FOR PERSONS ON ELECTION DUTY ADVOCATED

The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) is preparing a bill for a law that will allow persons on election duty to vote early.

The Director General of NILDS, Prof. LadiHamalai, made the plan known in Abuja at a one-day sensitisation workshop on election observation in preparation for the general election.

Prof. Hamalai said the step was to curb the incessant disenfranchisement of persons who worked on election days.

Such persons include journalists, security operatives, INEC officials, Ad-hoc staff as well as election observers and monitors.

She noted that other smaller countries in Africa were already taking such steps, and that the institute also planned in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to forward a bill for Diaspora voting.

The Director said that the bill was aimed at allowing those who had roles to play on election days to vote before the days for elections.

NAN/CHIDINMA UJOH