Independent Candidacy Bill Scales First Reading

SAN FRANCISCO, March 09, (THEWILL) – The Bill to provide for independent candidacy in Nigeria's political system at the Senate was on Wednesday re- introduced by the Lawmaker representing Anambra North Senatorial District, Senator Stella Oduah.

The Bill titled: 1999 constitution of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill 2016 (SB. 228) in the tradition of the senate was introduced and read for the first time by the Senate Leader Senator Ali Ndume and the Clerk of the Senate.

This Bill seeks to amend sections 131 (c) 177 (c) 62 (2) & 106 (d) of the 1999 Constitution as amended which stipulates that candidates for elections must be sponsored by political parties.

THEWILL recalls that the 7th National Assembly had debated and supported the independent candidate clause and made an alteration; by inserting a new paragraph (d), which reads, “He is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that party or he is an independent candidate” in the fourth amendment to the 1999, however it failed to scale through before the end of the that assembly.