The house of representatives has aligned with the senate on
a clause providing the consensus candidate option for political parties.
When both chambers of the national assembly revisited the
electoral act amendment bill last week, the house approved indirect and direct
primaries, but the senate went a step further by including the consensus
candidate option.
In the first harmonised version of the revised harmonised
bill, the consensus candidate option was excluded.
But while passing another harmonised version of the bill on
Tuesday after a motion was sponsored by Abdullahi Yahaya, senate leader, the
lower legislative chamber agreed with the upper legislative chamber on
consensus candidacy.
Yahaya said the decision to revisit the bill was because
“some fundamental issues which require fresh legislative action by both
chambers of the national assembly emerged on the clause”.
“Recall that on Wednesday, January 19, 2022, section 84 of
the electoral act No.6 2010 (amendment) bill was reconsidered in the committee
of the whole following the withholding of assent by the president with
observations,” he said.
“These necessitated a joint leadership meeting in order to
give Nigerians an enduring electoral act that can stand the test of time.”
After the bill was passed, Senate President Ahmad Lawan had
said it contains detailed explanations on how the consensus candidates could
emerge.
“The senate and the house passed the bill with slight
differences. While the house passed the mode to be direct and indirect, the
senate passed that and consensus candidate option,” Lawan said.
“What we have done is to give very clear, sufficient
definition to the mode of primaries.
“And as for the consensus, the two chambers have produced,
in this bill, very clear definition of how the consensus candidate will
emerge.”
A clean copy of the harmonised version of the bill will be
sent to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
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