The National Assembly is proposing an amendment to Section
84 of the Electoral Act, 2022 to prevent political parties from nominating
candidates of the same religion as presidential and vice presidential
candidates.
This is to avoid a repeat of controversy trailing the
Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for
the 2023 general elections,
Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Smart
Adeyemi, who dropped the hint during a media briefing on Sunday in Abuja, said
the proposed amendment seeks to promote unity and religious harmony in the
country.
He showed a draft copy of the proposed legislation titled:
“A Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act 2022 and for other matters
connected thereto, 2022 to journalists during the briefing.
Adeyemi, who is the lawmaker representing Kogi West
Senatorial District and sponsor of the bill, explained that Section 84 of the
Electoral Act would be amended by inserting a new subsection that “No political
party shall nominate candidates of the same religion as Presidential candidate
and Vice Presidential candidate after this
dispensation.”
According to the him,the controversy which the Muslim-Muslim
presidential ticket of the APC has generated in the polity, necessitated the
move .
To prevent future occurrence, he stressed that a new
sub-section is being proposed to Section 84 of the 2022 Electoral Act.
“Section 84 of the Principal Act will be amended by
inserting a new subsection 3 which will state thus “No political party shall
nominate candidates of the same religion as Presidential candidate and Vice
Presidential candidate after the 2023 election.
“When this is accommodated, it will serve as a guide against
any oversight such as this in the future as further occurrences will be deemed
as silent policy which is capable of bringing down the fabrics of the nation,”
he said.
Adeyemi added that wide range consultations on the need for
the amendment have been made with the leadership of the Senate and other
colleagues.
He, however, said that though apprehensions raised by the
Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN over same faith Presidential ticket are genuine
but the broad mindedness and pedigree of those in the race for Presidency for
now would allay all fears being raised.
He pleaded that those in the race should be assessed based
on their pedigrees and not their religious faith or even political party.
“Nigerians should look at the individual candidates
contesting for the presidency in 2023 and not the political parties they belong
to or religion they practice.”
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