Frantic efforts made by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives during the emergency plenary paid-off as grand move to reduce the number of days for a political party to submit lists of candidates proposed to sponsor at the election to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The proposal seeks to amend Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 by substituting the figure 180 days in line one with the figure 150 days.
It provides that: “Every political party shall, not later than 150 days before the date appointed for a general election under this act, submit to the commission, in the prescribed forms, the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor at the elections, who must have emerged from valid primaries conducted by the political party.”
Trouble started after the executive session held at the beginning of the session, as disenchanted PDP lawmakers and a cross section of the APC and other opposition parties expressed stiff opposition against proposed amendment of Section 29 of the Electoral Act, No 13, 2022 and for related matters, in response to the voice vote put by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idris Wase, overwhelmingly shouted ‘Nay’.
Piqued by the unreceptive attitude of the lawmakers to the agreement reached during the executive session that the controversial clause be deleted, after about a minute of rowdy session, Wase said: “Colleagues can we listen to ourselves in silence, we have dropped the other bill that we all agreed not to take.”
Despite the persuasion, majority of the members chorused ‘Nooooo’!After about a minute of mild protest from the dissenting lawmakers, the Deputy Speaker, put the question again, saying: “Those in support of the motion that the House move into the Committee of the Whole say hi? In response, few members shouted ‘Ayes’.
However, when, the Deputy Speaker put the question saying: “Those against the motion say nay, majority of the lawmakers shouted ‘Nay’, but the Deputy Speaker ruled that the ‘Ayes’ have it and banged the gavel.
At this juncture, the Deputy Minority Leader, Honourable Toby Okechukwu raised a ‘Point of Order on personal explanation’, but the Deputy Speaker who was visibly angry, moved to the table for the clause-by-clause consideration.
While giving update on the House resolutions, chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Benjamin Kalu said: “Recently, a coalition of political parties approached the INEC in view of what they considered the current realities to shorten the expected time for submitting the list of candidates by the various political parties. Their proposal is for it to go from 180 days to 150 days.
“For me, that was a wrong move. Wrong in the sense that we are talking about a piece of legislation that was just recently assented to by Mr President, the same president who wrote back to the House on issues of adjusting one or two sections of that law.
“One would have expected the coalition of these political parties to have the National Assembly as their first port of call on issues arising from the Electoral Act increasing or reducing the number of days, the right port ought to have been lobbying the National Assembly because at this point, INEC does not have the power to amend the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The said number of days was not borne out of the regulation of INEC but a law passed by the parliament.
“Somewhere, members of these various political parties including my own party, the APC and PDP, strong opposition and majority parties, one way or the other made this objective of producing the number of days to appear before the Order Paper of the Senate today. And somehow, the House also, through supplementary order, had it on their paper for consideration but lucky enough, it went through the first reading and did not see the light of day.
How Work, Sleep, Phone Usage Cause Spondylosis, Pain In Legs, Arms, Back —Dr Oladiran, Consultant Orthopaedic And Trauma (Hip) Surgeon
“Members of the National Assembly said no. Why did we say no, the answer to that is found in the reason in the making of that law, the legislative intention for choosing 180 days. It was not just chosen at random. There was a reason. To give sufficient time for INEC to prepare and also for the political parties to deal with all the issues associated with the process of primaries which the law recognises as a pre-election issue.
“You will recall that often times, pre-election matters flood the corridors of the courts, suffocating all other judicial functions and this law seeks to cure that mischief and issues arising from political primaries and will be dealt with sufficiently within the space of time.
“I think it was a good law. And that was why the members of the House of Representatives refused to bend on this particular provision. So, this is me announcing to Nigerians that we have returned to the status quo. Section 29 of the Electoral Act remains as it is. 180 days remain as it is. It is healthier for our democracy, for the 2023 elections.”
However, the lawmakers unanimously passed through first reading, second reading and third reading, the proposed amendment to Section 84(8) of the Electoral Act 2022, which seeks to confer the status of automatic delegates on the president, former governors, National Assembly members etc.
