BREAKING: Senate, Reps Approve Direct, Indirect Primary In Electoral Bill

The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved direct and indirect primary clauses as a mode of electing candidates by political parties for general elections.

This is a return to the original provision as contained in the extant law, the Electoral Act of 2010 before the National Assembly expunged indirect primary mode.

The president rejected the bill when it was sent to him.

The rejection however compelled the House and the Senate to reconsider the bill and vote to include “direct and indirect primary” provision in the electoral bill.

The House relisted the bill and dissolved into executive session.

After returning, the House moved again into Committee of the Whole and unanimously passed the provision.

Meanwhile, the Senate has equally amended and passed its version of the bill after the Senators amended the section that compelled political parties to use only direct mode of primary for electing candidates for elections.

This came after President Buhari rejected the bill over reservations on Clause 87 which deals with the mode of primary election to be used by political parties.

Buhari had said he was prepared to sign the bill if the Clause was amended to include consensus candidates and indirect primary options to the mode of selecting a candidate for an election.