News and Events

Senate passes Electoral Bill 2002

Source: (New Nigerian Newspapers)    
Date: 23 April 2002

Wahab Dosunmu, Acting chairman of the Senate INEC committee


THE Senate has passed the electoral bill 2002, and endorsed the recommendation that all general elections be held the same day nationwide.
The recommendation was contained in the report of the committee set up after the National Assembly’s joint session, which was handed over to the Senate committee on INEC for its views.
Acting chairman of the Senate INEC committee, Senator Wahab Dosunmu said the Senate should disregard the recommendation to hold all elections same day and allow INEC to decide on the matter.
When the Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim put the matter to voice vote twice, it was overwhelmingly defeated, with the Senators preferring that elections should hold the same day, a position which tallies with that of the House of Representatives.
Anyim said he was worried by allegations that the Senate’s position was illegal in view of the Supreme Court’s ruling, but Senator Lawal Shuaibu who chaired the joint committee said the decision was covered under the National Assembly’s power on election procedure.
Still, some Senators called for a division and at the end, those in support of holding elections same day won by 28 - 14 votes.
Senator Shuaibu said the section concerning that was removed from sequence of election in the former Electoral Act due to procedure.
The Senate also resolved to retain section 1(1) which concern voters’ registration, agreeing that INEC should review voters’ register before any general election.
On section 21 which requires political parties to file the names of their candidates 90 days to election, the Senate upheld that, but amended section 23 which allows a candidate who leaves his party to contest under another party and can file nomination 30 days to the election.
Under the amendment, political parties are now the ones allowed to substitute the names of their candidates not later than 30 days to the election.