Decrease

The Senate has rejected a bill seeking to amend the electoral act 2010.

The Senate rejects the bill because they said that it contains clauses that permits for selective voting and selective nomination by parties and also makes room for transitional government.

The rejection followed the refusal of some sections in the bill seeking to allow political parties decide on delegates, by the lawmakers.

What was in the law made provisions for direct primaries, but the draft proposal is seeking for the party caucus to decide who will be a delegate at the primaries, the draft is also seeking to alter the order of elections as provided for in the law.

The lawmakers argued that the amendment will make nonsense of all the work the lawmakers have done over the years to give Nigerians a law that will ensure a credible election.

Attempts by the chairman of the senate committee on the review of the constitution and the leader of the senate to salvage the bill was met with stiffer opposition.

After calls of "put the questions" renting the air by the lawmakers, the senate president put the question and with an overwhelming no answer the bill was thrown out.

This puts to rest months of speculations that the executive is allegedly seeking to amend clauses in the electoral act to favour it in the coming polls.

What remains to be seen is what will become of the bill with regards to the time extension sought by the Independent National Electoral Commission.