Senate rescinds decision on Direct Primaries, approves 3 options

The Senate has backed down on its adoption of direct primaries in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021, passed on November 18, 2021 by the National Assembly.

Accordingly, the upper chamber in Clause 87(2) of the report approved direct, indirect primaries or consensus as procedure for the nomination of candidates by political parties for the various elective positions.

The decision followed the adoption of a motion for the re-committal of the bill to the Committee of the Whole by Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi at Wednesday’s plenary.

In the earlier approval, the Senate had amended the bill adopting Direct Primaries for political parties.

Speaking on the motion, Abdullahi explained that the motion for re-committal of the bill to the Committee on the Whole was due to the need to address observations by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“This is to make necessary amendment in accordance with Order 87(c) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2022 (as amended); and relying on order 1(b) and 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2022 (as amended),” he said.

TheStar