The Nigerian Senate amended the Electoral Act Amendment Bill again during a brief session on Tuesday.
The bill’s contentious Clause 84 was changed by lawmakers.
The clause addresses how political parties would choose candidates for elective seats through primary elections.
The parliamentarians mandated that political parties employ only a direct primary form of election in a bill passed by the National Assembly in 2021.
President Muhammadu Buhari, on the other hand, vetoed the bill, citing insecurity, the cost of holding direct primaries, and an infringement on Nigerians’ freedom to participate in governance as reasons for his decision.
He had stated that he would sign the bill provided the clause was amended to include consensus candidates and indirect primary options in the electoral process.
The statute was revised last week by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The House, on the other hand, adopted just direct and indirect primaries as procedures for selecting candidates for elective posts, whereas the Senate allowed for both.
However, in the Senate’s harmoniSed version of the bill, all three kinds of primaries were adopted, along with a clear explanation of “how parties can employ consensus to elect candidates.”
The motion
Senate Leader Abdullahi Yahaya asked the Senate to “revoke its judgment on the impacted section of the law was enacted and remit same to the Committee of the Whole for deliberation” to recommit the bill to the Committee of the Whole.
While noting that the president withheld assent to the bill due to his observation in Provision 84, the member noted that the clause raised some fundamental issues that required further legislative action by both houses.
These concerns, he said, needed a combined leadership meeting to provide Nigerians with a long-lasting Electoral Act.
He requested that the Senate reverse its judgment on the bill’s passed section and recommit it to the Committee of the Whole for reconsideration and passage, citing Senate Standing Orders 1(b) and 52(6).
Passage
Lawmakers agreed to a “uniform version of Clause 84 of the bill” – with that of the House of Representatives – in the Committee of the Whole.
Although the wording of this clause was not known at the time of publication, Senate President Ahmad Lawan said that the bill’s modified Clause 84 deals with political party nominations.
He stated that the report is harmonised and that “the House has the same report.”
“By amending Clause 84 – the way parties hold primaries to create candidates – we have accomplished our job on the revision of the Electoral Act.” The law was passed by the Senate and House of Representatives with minimal modifications.
The House passed the direct and indirect manner, while the Senate passed the direct, indirect, and consensus mode.”
“What we’ve done is give each form of primaries a very clear and sufficient description,” Mr. Lawan explained “As for the agreement, the two chambers have offered a very clear explanation of how the consensus candidate would come in this statute.”
While he expressed delight with the bill’s harmonisation and passage, he voiced confidence that the president will sign it.
As the senators unanimously adopted the suggestions, there was no reaction or comment from any politician.
The law will be sent to the president for confirmation after the House passes the reconciled version.