Reps Amend Electoral Act To Include Statutory Delegates In Primaries

Reps Amend Electoral Act To Include Statutory Delegates In Primaries

The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed an amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 to enable statutory delegates to participate in political parties’ congresses and conventions.

The amendment was done during an emergency plenary session presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase.

The House passed the amendment to section 84 of the Act after consideration of a bill titled: “A Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act No 13, 2022; and for Related Matters (HB. 1984), sponsored by Hon Abubakar Hassan Fulata.

The amendment, which was on the nomination of candidates by parties and those to participate in it, was made to Section 84 (8) of the Act.

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The provision in the Principal Act reads, “A political party that adopts the system of indirect primaries for the choice of its candidate shall clearly outline in its constitution and rule the procedure for the democratic election of delegates to vote at the convention, congress or meeting.”

Section 84 of the Principal Act was amended by deleting subsection (8) and inserting a new subsection (8) as follows: “A political party that adopts the system of indirect primaries for the choice of its candidates shall clearly outline in its constitution and rules the procedure for the democratic election of delegates to vote at the convention, congress or meeting, in addition to statutory delegates already prescribed in the Constitution of the party.”

Also the House was thrown into a rowdy session as members rejected an amendment to Section 29 of the Act.

The amendment sought to reduce the number of days before the date appointed for a general election that political parties have to submit the list of candidates, who emerged from valid primaries to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The proposed amendment sought to reduce the number of days from 180 days to 150 days.

Addressing reporters later on, the House Spokesman Ben Kalu said the intention for 180 days is to give sufficient time for INEC to prepare and also for the political parties to deal with all the issues associated in the process of primaries, which the law recognizes as pre-election issues.

“Often times pre-election matters flood the courts, suffocating other judicial functions. This law seeks to cure that mischief, so that issues arising from political party primaries would be dealt with sufficiently within the space of time,” he said.

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