BEVERLY HILLS, July 26, (THEWILL) – The Senate on Wednesday approved a provision in the constitution alteration bill which allows for candidates to participate in elections without being members of political parties.
This followed the laying of a report of the constitution review committee which had worked on some sections of the 1999 constitution. The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu did this during the day’s plenary.
Eighty-two senators voted in favour of the bill which seeks to make room for independent candidates in elections, while five rejected it.
The upper legislative chamber also approved a provision for the funding of state’s house of assembly directly from the consolidated revenue fund of the concerned state.
The provision reads: “Section 121 of the principal act is altered by substituting for subsection (3), a new subsection (3) – ‘(3) any amount standing to the credit of the- house of assembly of the state, and judiciary, in the consolidated revenue fund of the state shall be paid directly to the said bodies respectively; in the case of judiciary, such amount shall be paid directly the heads of the courts concerned.”
