The Senate on Wednesday revisited the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021, and recommended the direct, indirect and consensus arrangement for the nomination of candidates for elections.
The Senate in its deliberation on the bill expunged the express recommendation of the use direct primaries for the nomination of party candidates which the President rejected.
The Senate also made it a condition for
‘a political party that adopts the direct primaries procedure to ensure that all aspirants are given equal opportunity of being voted for by members of the part’ in Section 84(3).
The Senate further adopted in Clause 85(4), that “a political party that adopts the system of indirect primaries for the choice of its candidate shall adopt the procedure outlined below; (a) In the case of nominations to the position of Presidential candidate, a political party shall, (i) hold special conventions in each of the 36 states of the federation and FCT, where delegates shall vote for each of the aspirants at designated centers in each State Capital on specified dates.”
The clause further provides for a National Convention to be held for the ratification of the candidate with the highest number of votes.
The amendment followed a motion by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdulahi, representing Kebbi North, for the recommittal of the Committee of the Whole to hold further deliberation on the bill.
He told the Senate that President Buhari had withheld his assent to the
the Electoral Act No. 6 2010 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2021 which was passed by the National Assembly and forwarded to the President on Thursday, 18th November, 2021 because of his his observation in Clause 84.
The President had said that signing the bill into law would have had serious adverse legal, financial, economic and security consequences on democratic governance in the country, in a letter of December 13, 2021.
The President had predicated his refusal of assent to the bill on advice from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government after a thorough review.
Ezrel Tabiowo, Special Assisted to the President of Senate quoted Senator Abdulahi as having explained that “the motion for the re-commital of the bill to the Committee on the Whole was to address the observation by Mr. President C-in-C and make necessary amendment in accordance with Order 87(c) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2022 (as amended); and relying on order 1(b) and 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2022 ( as amended).”
