The Senate, has approved the right of independent candidates to contest in presidential, governorship, national, state assemblies and local government councils’ elections in the country.
The upper legislative arm at today’s plenary instructed the Clerk of the National Assembly to submit the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 58 for President Muhammadu Buhari’s consideration and signing into law in accordance with the Authentication Act.
The transmitted legislation is the constitution alteration bill No. 58.
which seeks to alter parts of the Constitution to allow for the participation of independent candidates in elections in the country.
The bill, as passed, provides that for any Nigerian to contest for presidential election as an independent candidate, he or she must obtain the verified signatures of at least 20 per cent of registered voters from each state of the federation provided that a registered voter shall not sign for more than one independent candidate in respect of the same office.
For governorship, the independent candidate must obtain the verified signatures of at least 20 per cent of registered voters from each of the local government areas of the state.
While a ontestant for national assembly elections must obtain the verified signatures of at least 20 per cent of registered voters from each of the local government areas in the respective senatorial district or federal constituency.
The bill also empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prescribe the payment of administrative fees by independent candidates for respective elections. It mandates the electoral body to waive 50 per cent of the administrative fees for women candidates.
At the plenary, the Deputy Senate President and chairman of the senate ad hoc committee on constitution review, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege informed the senate that the Gombe State House of Assembly had passed Constitution Alteration Bill Nos. 46 and 58 and sent its resolution to the National Assembly.
He said that the development satisfies the requirements of Section 9(2) of the Constitution for passage.
