Reps concur with Senate on consensus, pass Electoral Act Amendment Bill

The House of Representatives has passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, thereby, agreeing with the Senate on consensus as part of the three modes of conducting party primaries by political parties.

In a brief deliberation on Tuesday in Abuja, the House of Representatives amended the controversial Clause 84 of the Bill.

The Clause 84 deals with the mode of primary election to be used by political parties to select candidates for elective offices.

In the Committee of the Whole, the lawmakers adopted a harmonised version of Clause 84 of the Bill with that of the Senate.

Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House, said it had concluded its task on the Amendment to the Electoral Act by passing the amendment to Clause 84 on the mode of conducting primaries by parties to produce candidates.

Clause 84 was the reason President Muhammadu Buhari withdrew his assent with the only option of direct primaries.

The Senate had on January 19, adopted direct, indirect and consensus mode of party primaries, the House of Reps adopted direct and indirect mode.

TheStar