The senate has passed an amendment on the Electoral Act 2022, allowing statutory delegates to participate in political parties’ congresses and conventions.
Statutory delegates include councilors, local government chairmen and their vice, political party chairmen in all the seven hundred and seventy-four local government areas, state and federal lawmakers, governors and their deputies, president and vice president, political parties’ National Working Committee members, state party chairmen and secretaries.
The current version, which was assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari in February this year, failed to accommodate their participation in party primaries.
The senate amended the clause after considering a bill sponsored by Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege during plenary.
The amendment will henceforth, allow statutory delegates, to as well as delegates elected by various political parties, to vote during congresses and conventions.
Speaking after passing the bill, the senate president, Senator Ahmad Lawan explained that it was an unintended omission that needed to be urgently corrected before the commencement of party primaries next week.
He said the House of Representatives would also pass the same amendment on Wednesday before transmitting it to the president for assent latest next week.
The senate president noted that the amendment became imperative to ensure that no one is denied the right to vote during political parties’ activities.
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