On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a bill on its first reading aimed at amending the 1999 Constitution to permit independent candidates to compete for elective positions in upcoming elections.
The proposed law is titled, “A bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As amended) to allow for the participation of candidates who are not sponsored by political parties in the presidential, governorship, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and local government council elections.”
Sponsored by Akin Rotimi, the spokesperson for the House and representative of the Ikole/Oye Federal Constituency in Ekiti State, this bill aims to amend Sections 7, 65, 106, 131, 177, and 221 of the constitution.
