Why We Amended Electoral Bill – Senate

The Senate on Wednesday amended the Electoral Act Amendment bill with a provision authorizing political parties to determine the procedure for the conduct of primary elections. The Senate leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi said the motion was meant to take into consideration the observations of the president in his letter vetoing the bill.

This followed the reintroduction of the bill in both the Senate and House of Representatives by Senator Yahaya Abdullahi and Rep Abubakar Hassan Fulata respectively during plenary on Wednesday.

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President Muhammadu Buhari had declined assent to the draft law passed last year over the provision of direct primaries as the sole mode of conducting political parties’ primaries.

It states that; “a political party seeking to nominate candidates for elections under this bill shall hold direct primaries for aspirants to all elective positions, which shall be monitored by the Commission (INEC).”

The president had said he would assent the electoral act bill if the lawmakers provided options for the conduct of political parties’ primaries.

The Senate, in a motion for re-committal by the Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi) amended the bill to provide for direct, indirect and consensus methods of electing aspirants to all elective positions.

Explaining why the Senate was amending the Electoral bill, Abdullahi said that the motion for re-committal of the bill to the Committee on the Whole was due to the need to address observations by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“This is to 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),” he said.

Credit: Daily Trust

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