The Electoral Amendment Bill will be transmitted to President Muhamadu Buhari for assent in the next seven days, spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has said.
Kalu stated this while briefing journalists alongside the chairman of the House Conference Committee on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, Akeem Adeyemi (APC, Oyo) after the parliament adopted the report of the committee.
The Senate and House of Representatives had passed different versions of the bill in July, after which both chambers set up conference committees to harmonize the differences in the proposed legislation, especially with regards to electronic transmission of election results.
Section 52 of the bill passed by the Senate, empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine the procedure for the transmission of results during the general elections.
It said, “subject to section 63 of this bill, voting at an election and transmission of results under this bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by INEC.”
The bill, as passed by the House of Representatives, gives INEC the sole power to transmit results of elections by electronic means “where and when practicable”.
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But in the conference committee report, both chambers empowered INEC to determine the best mode to transmit election results, including electronic transfer. They also adopted direct primaries for aspirants to all elective positions, which shall be monitored by the electoral body.
The spokesperson explained that the two chambers agreed on the fundamental position that has to do with clause 87 as well as clause 52 for the House and clause 53 for the Senate.
“This bordered on the issue of transmission of results as well as direct or indirect primary by the political parties. Oftentimes, when we have a divergent opinion on a particular clause in a piece of legislation, the rule is that the two houses will have a conference committee that will do the harmonization.”
On the next line of action on the new law, Kalu said: “It will go to the clerk to the National Assembly from where it will go to the President. The matter, in the eyes of the parliament, has been decided, which means that the parliament has done all that the law requires it to do with regard to lawmaking.
“We have asked the bureaucrats to pass the ball fully to the executive. I am sure that within seven days or thereabout, the legislation will be migrating to the President who is interested in ensuring that democracy in our country is strengthened.
Similarly, the chairman of the Conference Committee, Adeyemi said the National Assembly has finally concluded its own side of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and the next phase is the presidential assent.
