Constitution Review: Reps approves Bill for independent candidacy in elections

JONAS  EZIEKE , Abuja

As part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Construction of Nigeria, the House of Representatives has passed into first reading a bill that is pushing for the institution of independent candidacy in all elections in the nation’s ground norm.

The bill, sponsored by the House Spokesman and Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon Akin Rotimi Jnr was read for the first time at plenary on Thursday and soon will be listed for second reading.

The proposed legislation is titled “A bill for an act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as (amended) to allow for the participation of candidates who are not sponsored by political parties in the presidential, governorship, National Assembly, state houses of assembly and local government councils elections and for related matters, 2024”.

The bill sponsor, Hon Rotimi who spoke to the media at a briefing after plenary explained that the intention of the bill is to encourage inclusion and expand the democratic space by allowing more people to participate.

He said, “This bill will broaden the democratic process, thereby allowing citizens who are not affiliated with any political party the opportunity to run for public offices”.

The bill is seeking the amendment of Section 7 of the Principal Act to be altered- by inserting after subsection (4), new subsections “(4A)”, and “(4B)” to read: “(4A) Notwithstanding any other law, any individual eligible to vote or contest an election into the State House of Assembly, shall have the right to be a candidate for election to any local government office notwithstanding that such individual does not belong to, or is not sponsored by any political party.”

The bill proposed in (4B) that “A candidate who does not belong to, or is not sponsored by any political party shall only contest an election if- (i) in the case of a Chairmanship election, such a candidate has obtained the verified signatures of at least ten per cent of registered voters from at least two-thirds majority of all the electoral wards in the respective local government area.

It also proposed in 4B (ii) that “In the case of a Councillorship election, such a candidate obtains the signatures of at least ten per cent of registered voters from at least two-thirds majority of all the polling units in the respective electoral wards”

Similarly, the bill provides that “Section 65 of the Principal Act is further altered by substituting for subsection “(2)”, a new subsection “(2)” – “(2) A person shall be qualified for election under subsection (1) of this section if he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent; and (a) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that party; (b) he is an independent candidate and has obtained the verified signatures of at least ten per cent of registered voters from at least two-thirds majority of the local government areas in his Senatorial District or Federal Constituency as the case may be”

Also speaking, the Executive Director of a Non-Governmental Organizations NGO ElectHer, Ibijoke Faborode, said it aims to democratic the political space.

“It is democratizing the space, you know, for people like you and I to also have access to the electoral process as well, and to ensure that every Nigerian is also part of the process.

“It also ensures that most especially the vulnerable population such as women, youth, persons with disability are also given a level playing field, right, to explore opportunities within the political and electoral system,” she said.

For a better society

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