Reps pass to second reading bill to conduct general elections on same day

The House of Representatives, at its plenary on Tuesday, passed through second reading a bill seeking to conduct general elections for the offices of the President, State Governors, National Assembly members, State Houses of Assembly members, and Local Government Area Councillors simultaneously on the same date.

The proposed legislation, sponsored by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, Hon. Francis Ejiroghene Waive, and 34 other lawmakers, was presented for second reading by the House Leader, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere.

As encapsulated in the bill, the date for the general election is to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in consultation with the National Assembly.

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The bill provides that: “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) (herein referred to as the ‘Principal Act’) is altered as set out in this Bill; Section 76 of the Principal Act is altered by inserting in a new subsection (3) as follows.

For the Purposes of Section(1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Area Councils shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.

Section 116 of the Principal Act is altered by inserting a new subsection (3) as follows; For the Purposes of Section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Area Councils shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.

Section 132 of the Principal Act is altered by inserting a new paragraph (a) into subsection (1) as follows; For the Purposes of Section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Area Councils shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.”

When put to a voice vote by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, it was passed as the majority of lawmakers voted in support.

In the same vein, the House passed through second reading a bill seeking to make the Court of Appeal the final arbiter for hearing and determining governorship election petitions.

The private member bill, sponsored by Hon. Nnamdi Ezechi, seeks to alter Section 246 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

As provided currently, Section 246 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) stipulates that the decisions of the Court of Appeal in respect of litigations arising from National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly election petitions shall be final.

The bill intends to alter that provision of the Constitution to include governorship elections.

Once enacted, the law will prevent gubernatorial election disputes from reaching the Supreme Court.

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