PDP governors to National Assembly: Delay in Electoral Act amendment threatens 2023 polls

The PDP Governors’ Forum on Tuesday told the National Assembly that any further delay in passing and assenting to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill would do grievous and irreparable damage to the 2023 elections.

Therefore, the governors enjoined the parliament to immediately set up its conference committee that will harmonise the different versions of the Electoral Act Amendment bills passed by both chambers.

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Chairman of the forum and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, in a statement issued Tuesday, urged them to harken to the wishes of Nigerians and be guided by the national interest, particularly on the issue of electronic transmission of results.

The governors requested the Senate and House of Representatives conference committees when set up, to adopt the House version of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill on the issue of electronic transmission.

The PDP Governors Forum, which also asked the National Assembly Conference Committee to jettison the House of Representatives’ decision that has the effect of forcing all political parties to adopt only one method of conducting primaries, recalled that the House amended S.87 (1) of the Act, by deleting indirect primaries and mandating only direct primaries.

The governors were of the view that political parties should be allowed discretion to adopt either direct or indirect primaries in their constitutions and in practice.

They advised that the Senate version which retained the original provision in the Electoral Act should be adopted in the interest of the growth of political parties and freedom of choice that remained the hallmark of a functional democracy.

We are on it – Lawan

The Senate President Ahmad Lawan yesterday said a Conference Committee would be set up to harmonise the two versions of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill passed by the Senate and House of Representatives in July 2021.

Lawan, who stated this in a speech to welcome senators back from two-month annual recess, said the Senate conference committee will be announced soon.

He said, “Both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill in July 2021. There are, however, some differences between the two versions of the bill.

“There is, therefore, the need to set up a conference committee between the two chambers to harmonize the two versions. The Senate conference committee will be announced soon.”