Senate amends 2022 Electoral Act to give statutory delegates voting right

Section 84 (8) of the Electoral Act 2022 has been amended by the Senate to allow statutory delegates to vote during political parties’ congresses and conventions.

Electoral Act, which was recently amended by the Senate and assented to by the President Muhammadu Buhari in February this year, forbids statutory delegates from voting during party primaries.

Statutory delegates refer to councillors, local government chairmen and vice-chairmen, political party chairmen in all the 774 Local Government Areas, state and federal lawmakers, governors and their deputies, president and vice president, political parties’ National Working Committee members, state party chairmen and secretaries.

Barely three months after the Electoral Act 2022 was amended by the senators and assented to by Buhari, the lawmakers during plenary on Tuesday (today), amended Section 84 (8), after considering a bill sponsored by Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege.

With the amendment, statutory delegates can now participate alongside other delegates elected by various political parties, in voting exercises during congresses and conventions to elect candidates for various political offices.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan speaking after the amendment, said the “unintended clause” needed to be amended ahead of party primaries for the 2023 general elections.

According to him, the House of Representatives would do the same on Wednesday, after which the document would be transmitted to the president for assent next week.

He added that the amendment had become imperative in order not to deny anyone his rights during political parties’ activities.