Senate has passed an amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 to give statutory delegates voting rights during political parties’ congresses and conventions.
The current version signed by President Muhammadu Buhari last February prevents statutory delegates from participating in party primaries.
Currently, councillors, local government chairmen and their deputies, party chairmen in all the 774 Local Government Areas, state and Federal lawmakers, state governors and their deputies, president and vice president, National Working Committee members of political parties, party chairmen and secretaries at the state level constitute the statutory delegates.
On Tuesday, Senate, during plenary, amended the clause after considering a bill sponsored by Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege.
With Tuesday’s amendment, statutory delegates as well as other delegates elected by various political parties will be allowed to vote during congresses and conventions to elect candidates for the various political offices.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan, while addressing the other lawmakers after the passage of the bill, said the “unintended clause” had to be amended before the take-off of party primaries.
Lawan stated that the House of Representatives would, on Wednesday, pass the same amendment before transmitting it to the President for assent next week.
The Senate President said the amendment was necessary in order to ensure no one is denied their rights in partisan political activities.
