Electoral Act: Only Supreme Court can stop benefits of elected officers – Reps
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the Electoral Act (amendment) bill into law, declaring that any elective office holder sacked by an election tribunal can remain in office and enjoy all accrued benefits until the final determination of the matter by the Supreme Court.
This new provision in the extant Act is contained in Section 143 of the amendment bill.
According to the explanatory memorandum of bill, the legislation seeks to amend the Electoral Act No. 6, 2010 to make provisions for restriction in qualification for elective office to relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
It also provides for the use of the card reader and other technological devices in the conduct of elections and for political parties to provide a timeline for the submission of list of candidates, criteria for substitution of candidates as well as limit of campaign expenses.
Similarly, the bill addresses issues bothering on omission of names of candidates or the logo of political parties during elections.
The bill also provides in Section 140 that any electoral officer who omits a party’s name or logo, leading to the postponement of an election, shall be liable on conviction to a N2 million fine or two years imprisonment or both.
The House had during the debate on the motion sponsored by Rep. Emmanuel Orker-Jev (PDP/Benue) resolved to rescind its earlier decision on clauses 1 to 26 of the amendment bill, which was considered on October 17, 2018 and deferred further consideration of the remaining clauses of the bill.
The motion was adopted pursuant to Order One, Rule 1(2) and Order Nine Rule 1(6) of the Standing Orders of the House.
According to him, certain new matters considered by the House are pertinent to the electoral process to be captured in the bill to ensure transparent and credible 2019 elections.
Following the adoption of the Senate version, the Clerk of National Assembly (CNA) is to transmit the bill to the Presidency for assent.
