Politics

Senate Pledges Credible Election in 2023

By Web News 498

The Senate Committee on Electoral Matters has reiterated that the Electoral Act 2022 would ensure free, fair and credible elections in 2023 in Nigeria.

The vice chairman of the committee, Olalekan Mustapha said this when he led other members of the committee on a courtesy visit to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

Senator Mustapha stated that the committee was in the state on a zonal sensitization exercise on the electoral act 2022, adding that, there would be no deviation from what happened in the Ekiti and Osun Governorship elections, where the new electoral act was adhered to.

Responding, Governor Seyi Makinde, who was represented by his deputy, Chief Bayo Lawal declared absolute support for the Electoral Act, 2022 as it would bring sanity to the electoral process in the country for the forthcoming 2023 general election.

Governor Makinde while lauding the committee for the sensitization exercise, enjoined political parties, politicians and other stakeholders to embark on a series of enlightenment for the people on the importance of the new Electoral Act.

Iyabo Adebisi

Politics

FG Loses Suit on Electoral Law

By Web News 504

The Supreme Court has struck out a suit by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney General of the Federation challenging Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act.

In a unanimous judgement delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim on Friday, the apex court said allowing the suit would amount to approbating and reprobating at the same time.

Justice Agim, who delivered the lead judgment, held that President Buhari, having earlier assented to section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act, 2022, could not turn around to approach the court to strike it down.

He said the request by the President to the National Assembly to delete the provision already assented to amounted to a constitutional violation.

The President and his Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, had filed a suit at the Supreme Court, seeking an interpretation of the controversial clause in the Electoral Amendment Act, 2022.

The President had signed the Electoral Act, 2022, into law on February 25, 2022.

Section 84 (12) of the legislation provides that “no political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election”.

However, in Friday’s ruling, the Supreme Court held that President Buhari, having assented to the bill on February 25, 2022, “cannot turn around to challenge same act”, and the suit was consequently struck out.

Frcn Abuja / Titilayo Kupoliyi

Politics

Senate Amends Electoral Act To Allow President, Govs, Lawmakers Vote At Party Congresses, Primaries

By Web News 715

The Senate on Tuesday amended the Electoral Act, 2022, to allow ‘statutory delegates’ – all those elected – to participate and vote in the conventions, congresses, or meetings of political parties.

This followed the expeditious consideration of a bill during plenary which scaled first, second and third readings, respectively, and was passed by the lawmakers after consideration by the Committee of the Whole.

Those identified as ‘statutory delegates’ include the President, Vice President, members of the National Assembly, governors and their deputies, members of the State Houses of Assembly, chairmen of councils, councillors, and national working committee of political parties, amongst others.

In his presentation, the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, who sponsored the ‘Bill to amend the 2022 Electoral Act No. 13,’ said it seeks to amend the provision of Section 84(8) of the law.

According to him, the provision of the section “does not provide for the participation of what is generally known as ‘statutory delegates’ in the conventions, congresses or meetings of political parties.”

“The extant section only clearly provides for the participation of elected delegates in the conventions, congresses, or meetings of political parties held to nominate candidates of political parties.“This is an unintended error, and we can only correct it with this amendment now before us”, the Deputy Senate President said.

In his remarks after the bill was passed, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said the amendment became imperative in view of the deficiency created by the provision of section 84(8) of the extant Act.“The amended Electoral Act of 2022 that we passed this year had a deficiency that was never intended, and that deficiency will deny all statutory delegates in all political parties from participation in congresses and conventions.“And, therefore, such a major and unintended clause has to be amended before the party primaries start in the next eight days.

This is emergency legislation, so to speak. Our expectation is that the National Assembly – the two chambers – would finish with the processing of this amendment of this bill, between today (in the Senate) and tomorrow (in the House of Representatives), and then the Executive will do the assent.”

The Senate President added, “That is so important to enable every statutory delegate to participate in the party primaries right from the beginning that will start on the 18th of May, 2022.

So, this is an emergency effort to ensure that nobody is denied his or her rightful opportunity as a delegate, especially the statutory delegates, and these are those who are elected.

“These are the President, Vice President, members of the National Assembly, governors, members of the State Houses of Assembly, chairmen of councils and their councillors, national working committee members of all the political parties, and so on.“This is a fundamental effort to ensure that we address this within the week, so that by next week, the Electoral Act, 2022 (amended version), will be very salutary for us to start our party primaries.”

Channels/Olaolu Fawole

Politics

UPDATE: INEC Sets Date For 2022 Ekiti Governorship Elections

By Web News 660

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has fixed 18th of June 2022 for the Ekiti State Governorship election.

The information is contained in a time-table signed by the Commission’s secretary, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony.

The commission quoted Section 178 (1) &(2) of the 1999 Constitution and section 25 (8) of the Electoral Act which empowers it to conduct election to the office of the governor not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent Governor.

According to the time table, political parties are expected to conduct their primaries including resolution of disputes arising from the exercise between 4th and 29th of January, 2022.

The commencement of campaigns by political parties in public is billed for March 20, 2022.

The statement affirms that the tenure of Governor Kayode Fayemi will end on October 15, 2022.

Amos Ogunrinde

Politics

Rep Calls for Strengthening of Electoral Act, Institutions

By Web News 665


Mr Benjamin Kalu, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, says Nigeria must strengthen its laws to ensure politics is practised without ethnic, religious or tribal considerations.

Kalu (APC-Abia), who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, said Nigeria must strengthen its electoral institutions to reduce the influence of those in power.

 “We saw in the recent U.S. election that the ‘power of incumbency’ had no influence over electoral institutions unlike in most African democracies. He stressed that the U.S elections had also shown that “the independence of institutions and unbiased electoral umpire cannot be questioned; the credibility of the institutions cannot be easily influenced even by a sitting president or governor”.

Kalu also said that there must be equal opportunities for all to participate in politics, adding that women should be supported by family and friends. The lawmaker commended the emergence of Kamala Harris as the first female Vice President-elect in the Nov. 3 U.S elections, saying that women should be motivated to participate in politics and not be called names when they do.


According to him, some of these women were born leaders, and what was required was for them to be given the chance to make a contribution, saying that women should emulate Harris and work hard, rather than wait for the platform to be given to them, to secure political power.

 “I am proud of Americans, for the first time, they have given a woman a chance to become the second citizen of the U.S. It is something we need to emulate, we need to know that in politics and leadership of a nation, ethnicity, race or religion should not play a role. “I am currently working with lawmakers around the world on a ban on the use of religion, during elections and in politics. “We need a ban on discrimination; once somebody has the competence, he should be seen as being able to lead and not be rejected on grounds of ethnicity or religion”, the lawmaker said.

Kalu said that the 9th Assembly had demonstrated strong political will to enhance the electoral process in the country by amending the Electoral Act, stressing that the House had debated and passed the amendment bill for second reading, urging all Nigerians to participate in the public hearing, when it is scheduled.

He urged African leaders, particularly in Nigeria, not to insist on contesting election outcomes in court but to ensure that they delivered dividends of democracy to the people. (NAN)

Vanguard