The House of Representatives will hold a plenary session on Wednesday to amend the Electoral Act 2022.
The Clerk of the House, Yahaya Danzaria, in a statement on Tuesday, said the lawmakers will convene to amend “a fundamental error” in the act.
Earlier, the Senate had amended section 84(8) of the Electoral Act, to recognise statutory delegates for indirect primaries.
The bill, sponsored by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta) was considered and passed by the upper chamber yesterday.
In the current Electoral Act, statutory delegates are not recognised, hence the new amendment seeks to include statutory delegates in the act.
The current 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.”
The proposed amendment seeks to add, ” in addition to statutory delegate prescribed in the Constitution of the party.”
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In the statement issued by Mr Danzaria, the “session has become necessary especially as to amend a fundamental error in the Electoral Act.”
Since its signing into law, the Electoral Act has been a subject of controversy, particularly the attempt to remove section 84(12) which is a subject of judicial review.
It is unclear if the president will sign the bill before the commencement of primaries by most of the political parties ahead of the June 3 deadline by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
