The House of Representatives in Nigeria has passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to mandate that all elections—presidential, governorship, National Assembly, state assembly, and local government—be conducted on the same day.
Sponsored by Imo lawmaker Ikenga Ugochinyere and 35 others, the bill was presented during plenary on Tuesday by House Leader Prof. Julius Ihonvbere.
A copy of the bill obtained by The PUNCH reveals that it proposes an amendment to Section 116 of the Constitution, adding a new subsection (3) that states:
“All elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly, and Local Government Area Councils shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.”A corresponding amendment is proposed for Section 132, introducing a new paragraph (a) to subsection (1), reinforcing the requirement for all elections to be held at the same time.
During the plenary session, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu put the bill to a voice vote, and it received overwhelming support from lawmakers. The proposed legislation has now been referred to the House Committee on Constitution Review for further deliberation.
