Nigeria Senate has thrown out the request of President Muhammadu Buhari for amendment of section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act which prevents appointive political office holders from contesting for election from party primary level without resigning. The request was rejected after the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC Kebbi North), made the lead debate for the second reading of the bill on Wednesday. Buhari last week wrote to the Senate seeking an amendment of section 84 (2) subsection 12 in the 2021 Electoral Act. He asked the National Assembly to amend section 84 (2) Subsection 12 which states that no political appointee shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of any candidate for an election. Buhari said the controversial clause imposed ‘blanket restrictions’ on political appointees from taking leadership positions in their political parties. Section 84 (12) of the amended electoral act, which the president faulted, states that “no political appointee at any level shall be voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.” Buhari said such restrictions disenfranchise political office holders from exercising their rights to vote or be voted for. “Hence, it will be stretching things beyond the constitutional limit to import extraneous restriction into the constitution on account of practical application of section 84(12) of the bill where political parties’ conventions and congresses were to hold earlier than 30 days to the election, Buhari said. Buhari signed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law on February 25 but faulted Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act, 2022.
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