House of Representatives Rejects Bill to Amend Election Rules
The House of Representatives has rejected a proposed bill to amend sections 134 and 179 of the constitution, which outline the conditions for the election of presidents and governors in Nigeria. Sponsored by Awaji-inombek Abiante of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from Rivers State, the bill aimed to mandate that presidential and governorship candidates secure more than 50 percent of the total votes cast to be declared winners.
Under the current constitution, a presidential candidate is deemed elected if they secure the highest number of votes cast and have not less than one-quarter of the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all states in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Similarly, a governorship candidate must meet similar requirements at the state level.
Abiante’s proposal sought to change the simple majority rule to a true majority, ensuring that a candidate must secure more than 50 percent of the total votes cast when there are more than two candidates in the race. This move was aimed at avoiding scenarios like the 2023 presidential election, where Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), won with a simple majority.
The debate on the bill was contentious, with Speaker Abbas Tajudeen facing opposition when he called for the bill to be considered for a second reading. Despite attempts to gauge support through voice votes, the opposition was strong, leading to the Speaker ruling in favor of those who wanted the motion thrown out.
The rejection of the bill has sparked debate and controversy within the House of Representatives, with supporters and opponents of the proposed amendments expressing strong views on the matter. The decision highlights the complexities of amending election rules and the challenges of achieving consensus on such critical issues.
Vanguard News
