Awka, Nigeria – The Anambra House of Assembly on Tuesday amended the State Electoral Commission and Local Government Laws.
The amendments which both passed through the first, second and third readings came just as the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission Law announced that it would conduct council polls 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.
The assembly said 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 a Congress monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
One of the bills, christened Anambra State Electoral (Amendment No. 2), also provides that National Chairman and Secretary of a political party shall be those elected at the Convention of the Party monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
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.
Dr Somto Udeze, Speaker of the Anambra House of Assembly, said the amendment took effect on Aug. 13.
The bill for a Law for Monitoring and Regulation of Herbal Practices and Regulation in Anambra, sponsored by Mr Tony Muobike and 28 others, also passed the second reading
