Bill Seeking to Define Conditions for Vote Transfer Scales Second Reading in House

James Emejo in Abuja
The House of Representatives on Tuesday at plenary, passed for second reading a bill for an Act to alter Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution to make the votes scored by a candidate sponsored by a political party the votes of the candidate and limit the transfer of votes scored by one candidate to some other person and for other related matter.

Essentially, the bill seeks to making or retain the existing provision as subsection (1) of the constitution and adding a new subsection (2).
The new amendment shall read: “221(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1)above, the votes scored by a candidate nominated and sponsored by a political party belongs to the candidate specifically sponsored for the said election and it is not transferable to another candidate, except where the sponsored candidate is a presidential or gubernatorial candidate who dies during an ongoing election and his vice or deputy as the case may be shall complete his poll.”

Notably, the constitutional amendment is geared towards the proposed amendments which the House is seeking to effect in the Electoral Act to define conditions that would warrant vote transfer in an election.
It would be impossible to amend sections of the Electoral Act without first amending the constitution and the latter has equally scaled second reading in the House.
Nevertheless, the bill for an Act to amend Section 221 of the construction was sponsored by Hon. Karimi Sunday (Kogi, APC).

According to him, the bill seeks to discourage political party tyranny by making votes scored by a candidate in an inconclusive election the votes of the candidate.
It further prohibit the party from transfering the said votes to another party in a supplementary election.