May 11, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives on Wednesday, passed an amendment to the Electoral Act 2022, to allow statutory delegates to participate and vote in party conventions, congresses and meetings.
This comes a day after the Senate passed the same amendment.
In an accelerated passage, the lawmakers amended Section 84(8) of the law, which initially allowed only elected delegates of a party to participate in the conventions or other party meetings.
The House passed the amendment after consideration of a bill titled: “A Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act No 13, 2022; and for Related Matters (HB. 1984) sponsored by Hon Abubakar Hassan Fulata.
Section 84(8) of the Electoral Act does not provide for the participation of what is generally known as statutory delegates in the conventions, congresses or meetings of political parties.
“This was an unintended error and it can only be corrected with this amendment”, said Fulata.
According to Section 84 (8) of the Electoral Amendment Act, a political party that adopts the system of indirect primaries for the choice of its candidates shall clearly outline in its constitution and rules the procedure for the democratic election of delegates.
This according to the Act is to vote at the convention, congress or meeting, in addition to statutory delegates already prescribed in the constitution of the party.
THEWILL reports that statutory delegates include, councillors, local government chairmen and their vices, political party chairmen in all the 774 LGAs, state and federal lawmakers.
Others are Governors and their Deputies, President and Vice President, political parties’ National Working Committee members, state party chairmen and secretaries.
The amendment will allow statutory delegates, in addition to the delegates elected by various political parties at congresses and conventions to elect candidates for various political offices.
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