The National Assembly (NASS) has re-amended the 2021 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and has approved both direct and indirect primaries as mode of selection of candidates by political parties.
Recall that precisely a month ago, President Muhammadu Buhari had declined assent to the Bill that was passed on November 18, 2021, on grounds of insecurity and cost of conducting direct primaries.
As recommended, NASS reworked Clause 84 of the bill with the subsection 3 to now state that “a political party that adopts the direct primary procedure shall ensure that all aspirants are given equal opportunity of being voted for by members of the party.”
Clause 84(4) further provides that “a political party that adopts the system of indirect primary 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 and FCT, where delegates shall vote for each of the aspirants at designated centers in each state capital on specified dates.”
The clause provides that a National Convention shall be held for the ratification of the candidate with the highest number of votes.
Both chambers, that is NASS and the House of Representatives, made the re-amendment in separate plenary sessions.
In the Senate, the lawmakers also added the consensus clause for the nomination of candidates by political parties for elective positions but at the House of Representatives, the legislators removed the consensus option.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), during a meeting in Abuja, commended the Senate for re-amending the Electoral Act, although a number of Civil Society Organizations backlashed the move by the lawmakers to include the consensus option.
According to YIAGA Africa, the addition of consensus option as a method by parties to select candidates for election by the Senate raises questions on the commitment of the upper chamber to speedy passage of the bill.
Close to 12 other CSOs joined in rejecting the consensus option as included by the Senate.
