By As part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution, the Nigerian Senate, on Tuesday, passed a bill on independent candidacy.
The legislation is titled: ‘Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999; to allow for Independent Candidacy to any Elective Office in Nigeria, and for Related Matters (HB. 754)’, and seeks to allow independent candidates to contest for elective positions.
Using the electronic voting system, 89 senators voted in support of the bill while 5 voted against it.
With the new law in place, interested Nigerians can now run for political offices without having to go through the rigours of seeking the nomination ticket of political parties.
In May 2020, the bill was first introduced on the floor of the House of Representatives by Hon. Mohammed Tahir Monguno.
Monguno who led the debate on the legislation had argued that the independent candidacy bill seeks to deepen the Nigerian democracy and give a level playing field for all Nigerians who want to contribute their quota to national and local development.
Though the passage of the bill is considered a step in the right direction, there are however concerns about the workability of independent candidacy in the Nigerian political space which is riddled with partisan politics.
