The Senate yesterday moved to strengthen the
nation’s democratic process as it amended the
Electoral Act.
The Senate recommended that in the case that
the candidate of a political party dies before the
conclusion of the election, the party shall within
14 days conduct a fresh direct primary to replace
the dead candidate.

It also recommended that in such circumstance, the
commission shall continue with the election,
announce the final result and declare the winner of
the election.
This amendment to the INEC Act puts to rest the
controversy that arose at the November 21, 2015 Kogi
State governorship election where the candidate of
the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Abubakar
Audu, died before the conclusion of the election.
According to the report, a presiding officer, who
wilfully and knowingly contravenes any provision of
this section that applies to him, shall be guilty of an
offence and shall be liable, on conviction, to
imprisonment for at least five years without an option
of fine.
The debate on the recommendation of the committee
on the use of card reader became controversial as
some lawmakers kicked against it.
Giving an insight into the committee’s report on card
reader, the chairman, Senate Committee on INEC,
Senator Abubakar Kyari, said that if the card reader
rejects more than 10 percent of registered voters, the
election should be suspended.
The committee had recommended that in the case
that the card reader malfunctions to the point of
rejecting up to 10 per cent of the voters, the presiding
officer should use manual accreditation.
But some senators canvassed that the election be
suspended for another day.
Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio insisted that
it would lead to many cases of inconclusive elections
which, according to him, had been the trade mark of
the current Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC).
He posited that the presiding officer should resort to
the use of manual for the purpose of election.
The amendment of the Electoral Act was sequel to a
report of the Senate Committee on INEC, read out by
its chairman, Senator Kyari (APC, Borno North).
Laying the report at pleanery, Sen Kyari asked the
upper chamber to consider the report on the INEC Act
(Amendment) Bill 2016 (SB 231 and SB 234)
Parts of the reports read: “If after the commencement
of poll and before the announcement of the final
result and declaration of a winner, a nominated
candidate dies, the Commission shall, being satisfied
of the fact of the death, suspend the election for a
period not exceeding 21 days; the political party
whose candidate died may, if it intends to continue to
participate in the election, conduct a fresh direct
primary within 14 days of the death of its candidate
and submit a new candidate to the Commission to
replace the dead candidate; and subject to
paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection, the
Commission shall continue with the election,
announce the final result and declare a winner.
On accreditation of voters, transmission of
accreditation data, and issuance of ballot papers to
voters, the report said:
“A person intending to vote in an election shall
present himself with his voter’s card to a Presiding
Officer for accreditation at the polling unit in the
constituency in which his name is registered.
“The Presiding Officer shall use a Smart Card Reader
or any other technological device that may be
prescribed by the Commission from time to time for
the accreditation of voters, to verify, confirm or
authenticate the genuineness or otherwise of the
voter’s card; that the voter’s card presented by the
voter is registered at the polling unit in the
constituency in which the card is presented; the
biometric connection or otherwise of the intending
voter with the voter’s card; and the number of duly
accredited voters in the polling unit.
“An intending voter shall not be accredited to vote in
an election if the voter’s card presented by him to the
Presiding Officer is not a genuine voter’s card issued
by the Commission to the intending voter, registered
at the polling unit in the constituency in which the
card is presented, and biometrically connected to
the intending voter.
“Notwithstanding paragraph (3) (c) of this section, the
Presiding Officer, on being satisfied that an intending
voter is the owner of the voter’s card, may accredit
the intending voter to vote in the election:
“Provided that where the number of voters accredited
under this subsection exceeds ten percent of the total
number of registered voters in the polling unit, the
Commission shall suspend the election in that unit
and comply with subsection (3) (c) of this section at a
later date, if the result of the election at that polling
unit may affect the overall result in the Constituency.

“The Commission shall continue the conduct of an
election suspended under subsection (4) of this
section within seven days of the suspension if the
result of the election at that polling unit may affect
the overall result in the Constituency.”

Read More From Source: www.ebiraland.com/2016/12/kogi-news-senate-proposes-fresh-primary.html

nice

audu's death has brought about positive amendment in our constitution


adios baba audu