In a move that could significantly impact on the outcome of elections in 2019, the National Assembly Conference Committee on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill has adopted the new schedule of elections as approved by the House of Representatives.
This followed the meeting of the conference committee on Tuesday in Abuja, which adopted the recommendation of the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives, on January 24, voted to change the order of elections in the country, in contradiction to the dates and timetable earlier released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.
In the proposal, lawmakers amended the 2010 Electoral Act by approving that the conduct of National Assembly election will hold first, followed by Governorship and House of Assembly, while the presidential election will be conducted last.
This is differed from the order in INEC’s timetable, where the presidential and National Assembly elections were billed for February 16, 2019 and governorship and house of assembly poll fixed for March 2, 2019.
The new order of elections could affect the bandwagon effect that usually carries that party that wins the presidential election into winning more of the governorship and national assembly elections is muted in the 2019 elections. Political analysts have also noted that it could have a positive impact for democracy generally as it would force voters to focus more on candidates contesting for other positions in government.
Both chambers of the National Assembly are now expected to adopt the report of the committee, which would be presented in plenary any moment from now.
The development has confirmed BusinessDay story on Monday, which indicated that the version of the lower legislative chamber would be adopted.
The conference committee, which is made up of lawmakers from both chambers, was set up to harmonise the two separate versions of the Electoral Act passed by both legislative bodies.
Even though the presidency is said not to be comfortable with the new order of elections, indications that it would be adopted by the Senate and the committee emerged on January 4 when the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu backed the reordering of schedule of elections approved by the House of Representatives.
He disclosed his backing of the new order when he received a delegation of the British High Commission in Nigeria led by the High Commissioner, Paul Arkwright.
Ekweremadu told the visiting High Commissioner that the new order would help the electorate to judge each candidate on his or her own merit at each level of election.
“We are no longer comfortable with the bandwagon effects and winner-takes-all approach whenever the presidential election holds first.”
“We want a level playing field for all political parties irrespective of being a governing party or in opposition. As it stands, the party with the majority in the presidential election is likely to win majority of governorship and state assembly elections and this does not augur well for our polity. Let the presidential election hold last and let the people decide,” a member of the conference committee who pleaded anonymity had told BusinessDay.
At the meeting on Tuesday, Chairman of the committee, Suleiman Nazif (APC Bauchi State), put the contentious order of elections to voice vote, which was unanimously adopted by the 12 members present.
Speaking after the unanimous adoption of the new sequence of election, Nazif said the bill did not in any way violate any provisions of Section 76 of the 1999 constitution which empowers INEC to fix dates and conduct elections.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this bill with the inclusion of section 25(1) which makes provision for sequence of election different from the one earlier rolled out by INEC has not in any way violated any provisions of the laws governing the operations of the electoral body”, he said.
In his remarks, Chairman of the House Committee on INEC, Edward Pwajok said what the conference committee did was very necessary in giving credibility to the electoral process in the country.
He stated that “The sequence of election provision in the bill is not targeted at anybody but aimed at further giving credibility to the electoral process by way of giving the electorates the opportunity to vote based on individual qualities of candidates vying for National Assembly seat”.
Making further clarification on the sequence of election, a member of the Committee, Dino Melaye (APC Kogi State), said that while fixing date for election is the prerogative right of INEC, extant laws of the land gives schedules for such elections as sole responsibility of the National Assembly.
Other members of the committee including Shehu Sani, Gilbert Nnaji, Abiodun Olujimi, Peter Nwaoboshi also supported the reordered sequence of elections.
Sources at the national assembly have told BusinessDay that they would override any presidential veto of the bill.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
