Nigeria’s House of Representative on Tuesday rescinded it’s earlier decision to jettison consensus mode of primaries in the electoral act amendment Bill.
Speaker femi gbajabiamila just as the House resumed plenary said the leadership of the House met and agreed to tow the line of the Upper legislative chamber by adding consensus and its guidelines to the new electoral law.
Gbajabiamila noted that this is to avoid going for a conference committee so as to ensure speedy passage and deepen the country’s democracy .
A motion for rescission was immediately moved by the leader of the House Ado Doguwa so as to go over the process again and include consensus mode of primary to the options.
Also read: Electoral bill 2021: Senate makes u-turn, inserts direct, indirect primary and consensus
The House further added a subsection that states that “a written consent must be secured by the political party from all other candidates indicating their willingness to withdraw from the race”
With this the bill will immediately be forwarded to president Muhammadu Buhari for assent as there is no need to set up a conference committee for harmonisation.
Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe
