Senate Passes Electoral Act Amendment Bill

The Senate has passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill for third reading.

The passage followed the adoption of the report by the joint Senate and House of Representatives committee on the bill, which was presented the Chairman, Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission, Senator Suleiman Nazif.

President Muhammadu Buhari had withdrawn assent to the bill three times, raising various constitutional and drafting issues.

The committee had addressed the issues raised by the President in a harmonised, fourth version of the bill.

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, who said passage of the bill was “almost impossible,” expressed hope that the President would assent to the bill when transmitted by the National Assembly.

The House of Representatives has also scheduled third reading of the bill for today.

Details later…

The Punch