Electoral Bill 2021: Senate Makes U-Turn, Inserts Direct, Indirect Primary and Consensus

The Senate on Wednesday beats a tactical retreat from its earlier stance on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill (2021) when it within minutes, reworked and passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill (2021); inserting a new Section (84) which makes provision for both direct and indirect primary in the amended bill.

Newera News learnt the upper legislative chamber also made provision for consensus in the new Section 84.

In the Committee of the Whole, the lawmakers adopted Clause 84 of the bill which reads “A political party seeking to nominate candidates for elections under this Act shall hold direct or indirect primaries for aspirants to all elective positions, which may be monitored by the Commission.”

The Senate had on Tuesday promised to work expeditiously to clean up the Electoral Act Amendment Bill following President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to assent to the bill.

Electoral Bill 2021: Senate Makes U-Turn, Inserts Direct, Indirect Primary and Consensus

Buhari had rejected the Electoral bill, picking holes in an obnoxious Section 87 that seeks to make direct primary legally binding on all political parties in their nomination of candidates for election.

In the President’s view, the arrangement will apart from stifling freedom of choice and also hike the cost of conducting elections and pile unnecessary pressure on the country’s security.

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