The Senate has passed an amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 to allow statutory delegates participate in political parties’ congresses and conventions.
Statutory delegates include councillors, local government chairmen and their vice, political party chairmen in all the 774 LGAs, state and federal lawmakers, governors and their deputies, president and vice president, political parties’ National Working Committee members, state party chairmen, and secretaries.
The electoral act signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in February excludes statutory delegates from taking part in party primaries.
But the upper legislative chamber on Tuesday following a bill sponsored by Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, during plenary, amended the clause.
The amendment will allow statutory delegates, in addition to the delegates elected by various political parties, vote during congresses and conventions to elect candidates for various political offices.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan, who spoke shortly after the amendment, said the “unintended clause” has to be amended before commencement of party primaries.
According to him, the House of representatives would also passed the same amendment on Wednesday before transmitting it to the president for assent latest next week.
The amendment, he explained, became imperative to ensure that no one is denied his rights during political parties’ activities.
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