Federal lawmakers amend electoral bill to accommodate consensus candidates......

 

The Senate and House of Representatives have adjusted clause 84 of the electoral act amendment bill to accommodate consensus candidate option for political parties.

Clause 84 (2) of the latest amendment of the electoral act reads that “The procedure for the nomination of candidates by political parties for the various elective positions shall be by direct, indirect primaries or Consensus.”

Recall that both chambers last week re-visited the electoral act amendment bill after President Muhammadu Buhari refused to assent to it, citing direct primaries clause in the bill as one of the reasons for his rejection. 

Mr Buhari said assenting to the electoral reform law will further worsen Nigeria’s security challenges.

However, the House of Representatives while re-examining the bill, approved indirect and direct primaries for picking party candidates, while leaving out the option of a consensus candidate. On its part, the upper legislative chamber included the consensus candidate option.

However, in the latest harmonised version of the bill passed on Tuesday by the National Assembly after Abdullahi Yahaya, senate leader, sponsored the motion, the House of Representatives agreed with the upper legislative chamber on having the consensus candidate option.

Mr Yahaya explained that the decision to revisit the bill was needed to address some fundamental issues that require fresh legislative action by both chambers of the national assembly.