THE Senate, on Wednesday, approved further amendments to the 2010
Electoral Act, as it empowered the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) to deregister any political party which failed to win at least a seat in
any of the state Houses of Assembly in the country.
Also, the Senate approved the inclusion of former Senate presidents and
Speakers of the House of Representatives as members of the National Council of
States.
This was contained in the constitution amendment bill seeking further
alterations of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which was passed by the
lawmakers on Wednesday.
While approving the inclusion of former presiding officers in the
Council of States, the senators altered the Third Schedule to the
Constitution.
The amendment paved the way for former Senate presidents and Speakers of
the House of Representatives to become members of the Council of States.
Senators, numbering 89 on the floor, voted in support of the amendment
to the Electoral Act.
The amendment empowers the electoral body to deregister political
parties which fail to win any of the presidential, governorship, chairmanship
of a local government area council, or a seat in the National or states
Assemblies.
Besides, the Senate also approved alteration of sections 68 and 109 to
mandate the clerk of the National Assembly and the clerks of states Houses of
Assembly to notify INEC of any vacancy arising from resignation, death or
defection of any member.
The clerks are to write within seven days of the existence of such
vacancies.
The Senate also voted in support of alteration of sections 134 and
179 which deal with the extension of the time for conducting presidential and
governorship rerun from seven to 21 days.
The lawmakers also conferred exclusive jurisdiction on the Federal High
Court to try electoral offences, but the lawmakers deferred voting on
amendments to section 9(3a) of the constitution, which seeks to confer powers
to initiate new constitution on the president.
Also deferred was the provision seeking to mandate INEC to conduct a
referendum within six months of the receipt of the draft constitution.
The senators will, also at a later date, vote on Clause 3(n), which
states that “If the Draft constitution receives a simple majority of votes cast
in 2/3 of all states of the federation, it shall come into force as
constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”