Senate Passes Electoral Act Amendment Bill …Approves Electronic Transmission, Direct Primary …NASS Assures Transmission To Buhari In Seven Days

The Senate, yesterday, approved the conference committee report on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The report was approved after the Senate Leader, YahayaAbdullahi, moved a motion, yesterday.
This is as the National Assembly has assured that a clean copy of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill will be transmitted to President MuhammaduBuhari for assent within seven days.
The Senate Leader, YahayaAbdullahi, who chaired the Conference Committee in the Senate, presented the report on the harmonised version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
In his presentation, he said the bill when passed by the National Assembly, and subsequently assented into law by the president, would regulate the conduct of Federal, State and Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory Elections.
He disclosed that the Conference Committee at its retreat considered and adopted twenty-one clauses in the bill.
“It is imperative to point out that with the successful harmonisation of this bill a process that started from the 7th Assembly through to the 8th National Assembly has now been completed by the 9th National Assembly.
“The bill is now ready for passage and Presidential assent.
“I am happy to state that most of what we call ‘citizens top priorities’ on the Electoral Act Amendment, including the use of technology have been addressed by the Electoral Bill, 2021″, the Senate leader said.
The chamber on October 13, 2021, re-amended certain aspects of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill contained in Clauses 43, 52, 63 and 87, respectively.
The re-amendment to the clauses was duly carried out amid a motion for re-committal sponsored by Senator YahayaAbdullahi.
Accordingly, while adopting the conference committee report on Tuesday, the Senate approved the re-amended clauses to provide for direct primaries for aspirants to all elective positions.
It also empowered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Clause 63 to determine the procedure for voting and transmission of results during an election.
The Senate and House of Representatives had in July passed different versions of the bill.
While the Senate proposed either direct or indirect mode of party primary, the House of Representatives made direct primary mandatory for all parties.
The Senate had also in its version, empowered the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to determine the electronic transmission of election results.
The House did not give such powers to the NCC in its version.
The provision caused an outrage, with many calling on the Senate to follow the example of the House of Representatives which adopted the use of technology “where practicable.”
The development led to the setting up of a conference committee.
In the conference committee report, both chambers of the National Assembly empowered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine the best mode to transmit election results.
The electoral commission will now have to decide how to transmit election results — either electronically or manually.
Both chambers also approved that all political parties must use the direct primary mode in picking candidates.
A clean copy of the bill is expected to be produced and sent by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr Amos Ojo to President MuhammaduBuhari, for assent.
However, the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ben Kalu has disclosed that a clean copy of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill will be transmitted by the National Assembly to President MuhammaduBuhari for assent within seven days.
Kalu briefed journalists, yesterday, after the House adopted the report of the joint committee on the electoral bill.
The House had adopted the report of the AkeemAdeyemi conference committee which he laid yesterday.
Kalu, who appeared alongside Adeyemi, said the lawmakers have done their parts and it was now left for the president to assent.
“Today, we have asked the bureaucrats to pass the ball to the executive. Within the seven days or thereabout, this particular piece of legislation will be migrating to the president, who is interested in seeing that democracy is grown in Nigeria.
“This he has shown by the recent election that took place in Nigeria, where many who depended on him calling the shots from Abuja were disappointed.”
The adoption of the report by the Committee of the Whole was not without controversy, as the minority leader kicked against the adoption of the report.
He accused the Femi Gbajabiamila-led House of rushing the consideration of the report without giving the members opportunity to review the report.
He was, however, ruled out of order by the speaker, who informed him that consideration of harmonisation report does not require debate.