March 01, (THEWILL) – The senate on Tuesday passed the bill which seeks to allow independent candidates to contest for elective positions.
The novel provision would allow for individuals to vie for elective positions without using any registered political party as a platform.
89 senators voted in support of the bill while five voted against it.
The lawmakers however vetoed a bill seeking to allow Nigerians in diaspora to vote during elections.
Another bill which seeks to provide for the election of Mayor for the Federal Capital Territory was rejected by lawmakers who voted 62 YES, thus not meeting the two-third majority.
The proponents of the bill had sought for 73 votes to meet the requirements to pass the bill but fell short after last minute intrigue when it all appeared positive.
Also, a bill seeking to ensure that a person who is a registered voter and resident in the FCT is appointed a minister representing the FCT also failed to scale through.
Only 67 senators voted YES instead of the required 73.
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