Few hours to 2023 and about 46 days to general elections, the Senate has urged Nigerians to take active part in the coming elections.
This is as Southern Senators tasks them on Unity and Patriotism in the New year for Nationhood journey of the country.
In separate statements issued in Abuja Saturday, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, caucus of Southern Senators and Senator Chimaroke Nnamani , felicitate Nigerians on the new year and urged them to make the best of the general elections ahead through active participation.
Lawan in a personally signed statement, said the 9th Senate had kept faith with Nigerians through implementation of its Legislative Agenda and by extension, facilitation of good governance in the country within the last three and half years.
The statement reads in part: “At our inception in 2019, we set out a robust Legislative Agenda to advance our collective aspirations as a nation and make positive impacts in the lives of our people. A senate that works for Nigerians. We have remained unwavering in our commitment to the Agenda.
“It is less than six months to the end of this Assembly. I am proud to say that all of us have kept faith with the Nigerian people as their representatives.
“The ninth Assembly has been the breaker of many legislative jinxes in this Fourth Republic, having recorded breakthroughs in many areas of our national legislative environment that had defied the interventions of previous Assemblies.
“First and foremost, we have enhanced stability in governance through productive cross-party collaboration with the other arms of government, particularly the Executive. This has yielded fruits 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 of such Bills that have been signed into law include the Deep Offshore and inland Basin Production Sharing Contract (amendment) Act, 2019, Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, Nigeria Police Reform Act, 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 dear nation.
“For instance, the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill 2022 has rekindled interest in political participation in our country and raised confidence in our electoral process. We passed this Bill early enough and with some innovations to guarantee better conduct of our elections especially beginning from the 2023 elections.
“We were also able to reset our financial years to make our budget cycle stable and predictable. This change has helped immensely in the implementation of projects and programmes, as well as in general performance of the national budgets. This is one legacy of the ninth National Assembly that we have sustained since 2019, as reflected again, in the passage of the 2023 Appropriation Bill on Wednesday, 28th December, 2022.
“I am immensely proud that the new Electoral Act has ignited fresh hope in the system and heightened expectations about the forthcoming general elections.
“In addition, we have provided every possible support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to successfully conduct credible polls and we will continue to do so until that goal is accomplished.
“The ninth National Assembly will keep providing the necessary legislative interventions for good governance till the end of its tenure in June, 2023.
“I urge all of us Nigerians to take active part in the electoral process, towards achieving our collective goal of good governance for national prosperity and unity”.
Forum of Southern Senators in a statement signed by its Chairman, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele ( APC Ekiti Central) , said; ” We thank God for giving us the opportunity to see the new year as it is neither by might nor by our own strength to see this new year, but by the help of Almighty God because nobody can receive anything expect he has been given by God.
“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to our community and religious leaders to continue to preach the message of peace among all Nigerians, because a nation can’t progress or prosper unless there is unity among tribes and religious organisations.
“We must know that a peaceful and united nation is a bedrock and fertile ground for progress and prosperity to be attained and sustained.
“With that spirit of unity and patriotism, we believe citizens can get it right by voting their conscience in any election without external influences and inducements.
“We charge Nigerians to get it right in the new year by supporting governments to build strong institutions that can stand the test of time and that can put the nation on a faster pace of peace, unity, political emancipation and economic prosperity”.
In his own new year message , Senator Nnamani craved for a free, fair and credible elections that would reflect the true wishes and aspirations of Nigerians.
He urged Nigerians to vote for candidates who can be trusted saying “ we need public officers who can truly identify with the people because the outcome of 2023 polls will define the future of Nigeria.
“We should do away with mundane issues of ethnic or religious sentiments but to vote for candidates based on capacity and competence to deliver”, he stressed.