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The National Assembly on Tuesday approved the participation of independent candidates in political activities in the country.
It also approved that its Presiding Officers would henceforth be members of the National Security Council.
These resolutions of the Senate followed approval of Constitution Alteration Bills No. 46 and 58 by the number States required to make them part of the constitution.
The Chairman, Senate Ad hoc Committee on the Review and Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, in a motion informed the Senate that the Bills have been passed by the required number of states to make them form part of the constitution.
According to Constitution Alteration Bill No 58, for any Nigerian national to contest presidential election as independent candidate, he or she must obtain the verified signatures of at least 20 per cent of registered voters from each State of the Federation provided that a registered voter shall not sign for more than one independent candidate in respect of the same office.
For governorship, the independent candidate must obtain the verified signatures of at least 20 per cent of registered voters from each of the local government areas of the State.
The bill also states that anyone willing to contest National Assembly elections, he or she must obtain the verified signatures of at least 20 per cent of registered voters from each of the local government areas in the respective Senatorial District or Federal Constituency.
The proposed legislation empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prescribe the payment of administrative fees by independent candidates for respective elections.
It also mandates the electoral body to waive 50 percent of the administrative fees for female candidates.
Peoplesmind
