Anambra HoA Amends, Passes Electoral, LG Laws After Fixing Date for Election
The Anambra House of Assembly on Aug. 13 amended the State Electoral Commission Law 2024 for the second time after it was passed on May 30.
The Assembly also passed the Local Government Laws making it pass through the first, second and third readings at a sitting a day after the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission had announced on Aug.12 that the council poll would be conducted on Sept. 28.
Both amendment bills were sponsored by Mr Ikenna Ofodeme(APGA), the Majority Leader and Mr Chukwunonso Igwe (PDP) representing Ekwusigo and Ogbaru 1 State Constituencies respectively.
Rt. Hon Somto Udeze, Speaker of the Anambra House of Assembly said the amendment took effect on Aug. 13.
According to the amendments, nomination of candidates shall be conveyed to the Commission and only be entertained if it was signed by the Anambra Chairman and Secretary of the political party elected at the Congress monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, or where there are none.
The bill christened Anambra State Electoral (Amendment No. 2) also provided that National Chairman and Secretary of the political party shall be those elected at the Convention of the Party monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, or where there are none;
It also added the phrase “collation and declaration of results” after the phrase “counting of votes” to now read “Counting of votes, collation and declaration of results” in the Marginal Note and Table of Content of the principal law.
“Section 24(12), where there is a dispute as to or division in the leadership of the party, the Commission shall entertain and act on only such documents mentioned in sub section 11 of this section.
“It shall be countersigned by a higher number of members of the National Assembly from Anambra and members of the Anambra House of Assembly, elected on the platform of the party and who are still members of the party,” it said.
The Assembly also passed Local Government (Amendment No. 9) Bill, 2024 amending and expunging all sections and clauses relating to conduct of election at the local government levels
“Section 3 of the Principal Law is hereby amended by expunging the following paragraphs in its entirety: “Electoral Commission” means the State Independent Electoral Commission.
“Register of voters” in relation to a ward or constituency means the list of voters registered and eligible to vote in a local government, ward or constituency;
“Tribunal” means Local government council election tribunals; “Ward or Constituency” in relation to local government area means a ward or constituency established for the local government area by the State Independent,” it said.
