National Assembly passes Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021
THE National Assembly, yesterday, passed the much anticipated Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 after both the Senate and the House of Representatives deliberated extensively on the report of the Conference Committee on the bill.
The Senate also passed the harmonized version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The passage followed the consideration of the report of the Conference Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on the bill.
In line with customary legislative procedures, the two chambers had in September, set up Conference Committees to reconcile disparity in the versions of the bill as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on October 13, constituted a seven-man conference committee to meet with their counterparts in the House to harmonize the differences in the Senate and House versions of the bill. The Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi(APC, Kebbi North), who chaired the Conference Committee in the Senate, presented the report on the harmonized version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
In his presentation, he said the bill, when passed by the National Assembly and subsequently assented to by the President, would regulate the conduct of federal, state and area councils in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, elections.
Abdullahi, who disclosed that the Conference Committee at its retreat, considered and adopted twenty-one clauses in the bill, said: “It is imperative to point out that with the successful harmonization of this bill, a process that started from the 7th Assembly through to the 8th National Assembly has now been completed by the 9th National Assembly.
“The bill is now ready for passage and Presidential assent. I am happy to state that most of what we call ‘citizens top priorities’ on the Electoral Act Amendment, including the use of technology, have been addressed by the Electoral Bill, 2021,” he said.
The Senate had on October 13, 2021, re-amended certain aspects of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill contained in Clauses 43, 52, 63 and 87, respectively.
The re-amendment to the clauses was duly carried out amid a motion for re-committal sponsored by Senator Yahaya Abdullahi. Accordingly, while adopting the conference committee report yesterday, the Senate approved the re-amended clauses to provide for direct primaries for aspirants to all elective positions.
In all, 21 clauses were harmonized, including the contentious clause 52; which makes provision for Electronic Transmission of Election Result, ETR. The lawmakers settled for the Senate version which empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and grants it the discretion to deploy Electronic Transmission of Results.
On the nomination of candidates by political parties as contained in Clause 87, the National Assembly again adopted and passed the version of the Senate on direct primary, against indirect arrangement or leaving the option open for the political parties to decide.
The adoption of direct primary by the National Assembly is bound to conflict with the interest of Progressives Governors’ Forum, PGF, who met in Abuja on Monday to express their displeasure on direct primary arrangement.
In the House of Reps, a similar report was laid and adopted, with the lawmakers saying the bill would be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent in seven days. Briefing journalists after plenary, the Chairman House Committee on Telecommunication. Akeem Adeyimi, who had earlier laid the report for consideration in the Committee of the Whole, said the National Assembly was done with the bill.
He said: “Today (yesterday), the National Assembly has finally concluded its own side of the Electoral Act amendment bill. On the floor of the House of Representatives today (yesterday), November 9, 2021, the process that started since 2010 to get Nigerians an Electoral Act amendment for the sake of our elections and related matters was laid on the floor by me, after which the House went into the Committee of the whole, with the speaker presiding to consider the report.
”All the processes regarding this amendment has finally been concluded today (yesterday). The next phase is Presidential assent.”
Similarly, the House Spokesman, Benjamin Okezie Kalu said it was memorable day for National Assembly as it had successful passed the bill into law. In his remarks, speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, said: “We must all agree that the Electoral Act is something we need to wave running behind right now. Nigerians have been asking for this day since June.”
Suzan O
