Senate passes Electoral Bill for second reading

THE Senate on Wednesday, passed through second reading, the Electoral Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill 2018.

This followed the presentation of the lead debate on the proposed budget by the chairman of Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), Senator Suleiman Nazif.

Senator Nazif, while presenting the bill said that the bill was passed by the National Assembly before it proceeded on its annual recess on July 24 and transmitted for assent but that it was rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari, who declined his assent.

He also said that the President gave reasons for declining assent, which he said included observations of “cross-referencing error,” and “fears of increased cost of conducting elections,” among others.

He told the lawmakers that the Joint Committee of the National Assembly came up with additional amendments based on the draft submitted by the Executive.

He said: “The first electoral amendment bill which addressed the issue of sequence of elections also made provision for card reader as well as the powers of National Assembly to legislate for Local Government Councils, which the President declined assent.”

In his contribution to the bill, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, said that some sections of the bill may be un-implementable adding: “I am worried about item seven which is Section 140 (5).

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“It reads; if at the point of display or distribution of ballot papers by the commission, a candidate or his agent discovers that his name, name or logo of his party is omitted, a candidate or his agent shall notify the commission.

“The commission shall: a. Cancel the election to rectify the omission, b. Appoint another date for the election.

“I think this is very dangerous because what happens is that somebody who believes he will lose the election will raise an objection without even consulting the other candidates, and write to INEC.

“INEC now believes him and then postpones the election, which now becomes an isolated election where you cannot determine what will happen. I think this would be unfair to the rest candidates.

“So, I suggest that sample ballot papers should be displayed before the election to give candidates and their parties room to make their inputs before election day, rather than wait till election day for objections to be raised.”

Senator James Manager, who also commented on the bill said that the Senate should take a critical look at all the provisions to avoid the back and forth on the bill.

He said that there was a need to do a thorough job on the bill to enable the President assent to it this time, adding that it was the fourth time the bill was being worked on by the legislature.

Senate President Bukola Saraki in his remarks said that the committee on INEC should work on the proposed amendment bill and report to the Chamber in one week.