Change required in our electoral process

It is generally believed that the purport of alteration provision(s) in each and every statute is to cure any mischief, vagueness, defect and lacuna observed in the subsequent application of such state...A reminder of this was the amendment of section 45 of Electoral Act 2006, which in its provision had it that tribunal or court of law shall hear and determine Election petition matters accelerated.Owing to this, it was rightly observed that the failure of the 2006 Act to fix a 'Time Limit' within which Election petitions shall be dispensed with, was a great defect in the Act, as Electoral Matters were been prolonged technically by the learned counsels of Respondent. Aregbesola v Oyinlola's case suffice here, where final judgment was given almost 6 months to the expiration of a 4 years term which was even the subject of litigation. Consequently, in 2010 when another General Election was fast approaching, a need arose for the amendment of the above reviewed provision of the 2006 Act. Subsequently, the new version of Electoral Act 2010 came on board and in its provision(s) altered the provision of 'Accelerated Hearing' and replaced it with '180 days time limit' for hearing and determination of Election Disputes.Though the provision of 180 days time limit is a welcome development to the country's electoral process, as it tends to cure the defect of Accelerated Hearing outrightly, but the 2010 Electoral Act that now allows the supreme court to have appellate jurisdiction on Governorship Election Petition posed another electoral mundane, as Governorship Election Disputes are lingering before the apex court.At this juncture, it would interest one to say that alteration of accelerated hearing is like to fast track election petitions hearing while allowing Governorship election's disputes to go to the apex court is like re-introducing what was obtainable during the time of accelerated hearing. Against this backdrop, I put pen on paper to re-echo the urgent reformations our chequered Electoral process needs....Iyanda Ismail,Faculty of law,Unilorin.
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