JUST IN: Senate deletes clause for compulsory direct primaries from electoral bill

TECHNOCRAT MEDIA, Abuja

The upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly – The Senate has deleted clause 87 of the electoral bill 2021 which makes provisions for compulsory direct primaries for all political parties in Nigeria.

Senate leader, Abdullahi Yahaya sponsored a motion on Wednesday which paved way for the alteration and removal of the clause.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said “Let me congratulate the Senate and indeed the National Assembly by passing the amendment to the Electoral Bill, 2010.

“This is one of our major pillars in our legislative agenda when we started in 2019. This is one thing that Nigerians are so interested in because it is one sure way of enhancing our electoral processes.

“Today, as it stands, there is provision for all the possible options of selection of candidates from the presidency to the councilorship. The three options are Direct Primaries, Indirect Primaries, and Consensus.”