March 18, (THEWILL) – The National Assembly has unveiled plans to amend the 2022 Electoral Act to reinstate statutory delegates in political party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during a meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association, led by its President, Afam Osigwe, SAN.
Akpabio described the omission of statutory delegates from party primaries as a critical oversight in the 2022 Electoral Act, which must be corrected.
“There were defects in the last Electoral Act that was amended, and we want to address them. One of such issues was the inadvertent exclusion of statutory delegates from the primaries of political parties, which created what I may call super-delegates,” Akpabio stated.
He noted that the omission affected key political figures, including the President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, members of the National and State Assemblies, and Local Government Chairmen, who were previously allowed to vote in party primaries.
“We ended up at the national level with only about 2,380 delegates deciding the presidential candidate because approximately 3,000 statutory delegates in each local government area were excluded from the process,” he explained.
The Senate President further revealed that the review would also focus on the powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission regarding candidate selection.
“At the time, it seemed like INEC had the final say on who could be a candidate, rather than the political parties themselves. We believe parties should have the authority to select candidates who align with their manifestos and possess the integrity and track record to deliver democratic dividends to the people,” he added.
The amendment, he said, is aimed at strengthening internal democracy within political parties and ensuring broader participation in the electoral process.
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