The House of Representatives has introduced a bill to bar serving officials of political parties from contesting for elective offices.
The proposed legislation is titled ” A bill for an act to alter the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 ( as amended) to provide for compulsory resignation of national and state executive members of political parties seeking elective government positions and for related matters. ”
Sponsored by Mansur Soro, the bill, according to the explanatory memorandum, is intended to enhance “transparency and fairness in the activities of political parties relating to primary election. ”
Specifically, the proposed legislation is seeking to alter Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to introduce a sub section c, which stipulates that “any member of the national or state executive Committee of a political party contesting for elective government position shall resign his membership of the executive Committee of such party at least 30 days before the primary election.”
Recall that already, Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act, 2022, bars political appointees at every level from seeking the nomination of their political parties for any elective office.
Soro said in a report by Daily Sun that the key objective is to ensure a level playing field for everyone seeking the nomination of a political party for elective office.
The lawmaker explained that when serving party officials contest for primaries, while retaining their positions, it gives them undue advantage.
“The objective is simply to ensure a level playing ground for all. Some party executives contest the primary election while occupying their seats and that gives them unfair advantage,” the lawmaker stressed.
The All Progressives Congress ( APC) Spokesman, Felix Morka, and his Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) counterpart, Debo Ologunagba, could not be reached for comments.
Neither of the two was responding to their phone calls or whatsapp messages.
Nevertheless, a member of the PDP National Working Committee ( NWC), who does not want his name in print, said the proposed legislation, if passed into law, would amount to meddling in the internal affairs of political parties.
“I think, because they are elective positions, if that law is enacted, it should apply to the National Assembly too. They ( NWC) are elected for a term. That should be an issue of the party management. It is an elected position for a term. If you now say people must resign, given the way party organs are structured, deputies are not members of NWC.
“Let’s assume the Organising Secretary, the Publicity Secretary and some key officers like Legal Adviser decide to resign; you have the critical organs.
“It is like going to the internal affairs of the party and regulating it. Let the party on their own say yes, for this purpose, we need to do this,” he argued.
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