Reps Reject Bill To Alter Conditions For
Winning Presidential
House of Representatives has rejected a bill seeking to
change the conditions to be met before candidates could be declared winners of
presidential and governorship elections.
The bill, sponsored by Awaji Abiante, sought to make it
mandatory for presidential and governorship candidates to secure more than half
of votes before being declared winners.
The bill, if it had passed, would prevent what happened
in the 2023 presidential election, when President Bola Tinubu’s votes was less
than the combined votes secured by Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and others.
The bill sought to amend Section 134 of the 1999
constitution which provides conditions for winning presidential election, and
Section 179, which sets the criteria for winning governorship polls.
However, the House on Wednesday rejected the bill even
before the sponsor could lead the debate.
Immediately the bill was announced, Ahmed Jaha, a
lawmaker from Borno State, opposed it.
When the speaker, Tajudeen Abbas put the bill to votes,
it was rejected.
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