Political appointees can't vote in primaries - Senate

An attempt by the Presidency to ensure that political appointees vote as delegates in political party primaries was turned down on Wednesday by the Senate.

In the Electoral Act sent to the lawmakers some weeks ago, the Presidency made efforts to amend the laws in a way that will enable political office holders and their aides to participate as delegates at the party primaries. The bill also tried to vest the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the power to determine the sequence of elections.

The lawmakers however said the rejection of the bill will not have any adverse effect on the new time-line requested by INEC as it is a constitutional matter.

Toxic bill

The bill met with stiff opposition from senators who shouted it down. The debate almost turned rowdy as lawmakers dismissed the clause which sought to overturn the proposal banning political appointees from voting as undemocratic and "toxic". "This bill is entirely killing all the work we have done throughout last year and which Nigerians are happy with," Kabiru Gaya (ANPP Kano State) said. "This bill should be thrown away." The most contentious part of the bill was the one seeking to amend Section 87(7) by proposing that political parties which adopt the system of indirect primaries for choosing candidates, shall stipulate in their constitutions or guidelines those who will be delegates at congresses or conventions.

The amendment would have allowed political parties to change at will the rules governing procedures for primaries by issuing new guidelines rather than relying on the provisions of the current 2010 Electoral Act which analysts say will enshrine internal democracy in political parties.

The bill also proposed that Section 87(8) of the Electoral Act 2010 be deleted. That section provides that no political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of nomination of candidates for any election.

Section 87(8) is viewed as revolutionary because it prevents the president and governors from inundating political party congresses with ministers, special advisers, commissioners and other political appointees who will normally vote for their bosses or the candidates their leaders choose.

"For the party to decide the delegate is simply undemocratic," Mr. Gaya said.

"This should not be accepted," Kanti Bello (PDP Katsina State) also said.

Various senators argued along this same line. They called for the rejection of the bill in its entirety saying any further debate was a waste of time. The bill was thrown out 17 minutes after debates commenced on it.

Even though the Senate president and his deputy appealed to the senators to let the senate use the template offered by the bill to introduce other valid amendments to the electoral act, the senators were too keyed up to allow debates.

2011 elections on course

The senators said discarding the bill will not stop the conduct of credible elections next year since the timeline requested by INEC has been accommodated in the ongoing constitution review.

Voting on the constitution review could however not continue on Wednesday as anticipated by the Senate. However, Ayogu Eze, the senate spokesman said the voting will take place on or before Tuesday next week.

Victor Ndoma-Egba (PDP Cross River State) and Mr. Eze hinted that the Senate is working on an in-house bill that will accommodate the necessary changes the constitution review will cause on the electoral act.

Having been rejected by the Senate, the electoral bill automatically dies without any discussion in the House of Representatives since the law requires both chambers to agree on every bill before it can become law.

The Presidency cannot also return the bill until six months have elapsed.

Some maturity is appearing from the Senate thank God. To have succumbed would have spelt disaster for all in both the short and long run.