*Electoral Act states new rules

By Ben Agande

ABUJA— THE new  Electoral Act has introduced the American-styled primaries in the election of candidates from the presidential to councillorship positions in the country.

Unlike in the past where presidential candidates of political parties emerged through a one-off national convention of the party, the new Electoral Act provides for the emergence of presidential candidates through a process of Special Conventions in the 36 states of the federation after which the candidate with the highest number of votes would emerge as the party’s presidential candidate.

From left: President Goodluck Jonathan; former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar; and former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo at the opening of an international seminar on peace support operations organised by the Ministry of Defence in Abuja, yesterday.

Section 87 (4) of the new Electoral Act, states that in the case of nomination to the position of a presidential candidate, a political party is expected to:

(i) Hold special conventions in each of the 36 states of the federation and the FCT where delegates shall vote for each of the aspirants at the designated centres in each state capital on specified dates.

(ii) A national convention shall be held for the ratification of the candidate with the highest number of votes.

(iii) The aspirant with the highest number of votes at the end of voting in the 36 states of  the federation and the FCT shall be declared the winner of the presidential primaries of the political party and the aspirant’s name shall be forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the candidate of the party after ratification by the national convention.

The Act also provides for the holding of special conventions in the case of gubernatorial, national and states assemblies as well as elections into state local councils in all states of the federation.

Section 87 of the new Act also makes it mandatory for all political parties to conduct primaries which shall either be direct or indirect primaries.

Equal opportunities

Section 87 (3) provides that “a political party that adopts the direct primaries procedures shall ensure that all aspirants are given equal opportunity of being voted for by members of the party.”

It further provides in section 87 (6) that “where there is only one aspirant in a political party for any of the elective positions mentioned in subsection 4 (a), (b), (c) and (d), the party shall convene a special convention or congress at a designated centre on a specified date for the confirmation of such aspirant and the name of aspirant shall be forwarded to the INEC as the candidate of the party.

To guard against the inclusion of new conditions to frustrate some candidates from the convention of the party, the Act provides that “a party that adopts the system of indirect primaries for the choice of its candidates shall clearly outline in its constitution and rules the procedures for the democratic election of delegates to vote at the convention, congress or meeting.”

However, where a political party fails to comply with provisions of the Act, section 87 (9) states that the party’s candidate for the election shall not be included in the election for the particular position in issue, while sub-section 10 of the Act states that “any aspirant who complains that the provisions of the Act or the guidelines of the party had not been complied within the selection or nomination of a candidate for election may apply to the Federal High Court or the High Court of a State for redress.”