By Our Correspondent
The Senate has amended the controversial Electoral Bill to include direct and indirect primaries for the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
The Senate has now considered and approved the fresh amendments made to the 2010 Electoral Act (amendments) Bill 2021 based on the observations made by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The latest amendment corrected Clause 84 of the earlier version passed in December which made direct primary mode of election mandatory for political parties while electing their candidates.
The amendment was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, APC, Kebbi North that urged Senators to rescind the earlier decision on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill which made provision for only direct primary in the conduct of elections in the country.
When the motion was put into vote after consideration, it was unanimously adopted by the Senators.
The Senate after the mater was debated at both the committee of the whole and plenary, rescinded its earlier position on the mandatory direct primary and added the two other options as recommended by the President.
With the development, both direct and indirect primaries are provided for in the new Electoral Act.
Recall that President Buhari in declining assent to the bill, urged the National Assembly to consider the inclusion of other options like the indirect primary and consensus in the contentious Clause 84.
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