The Nigerian Senate has moved to correct the lacuna in the Electoral Act which came to the fore in the Kogi governorship election on November 2015 where the governorship candidate Abubakar Audu died after the election but before the result was announced.
To address this controversy, the upper chamber is recommending that in the event a governorship or presidential candidate dies after an election but before the result is announced, the party shall conduct a fresh primary within 14 days to get a new candidate.
The Senate approved the recommendation as part of its amended electoral bill which also provides that INEC shall suspend the conduct of a new election for 21 days when the death of a candidate is recorded after the commencement of an election and before the announcement of result.
The Senate is also amending clause 10 of the bill, which seeks to amend the Electoral Act on the use of card readers.
The amendment insists on the use of card readers but makes allowances for likely failure of card readers.
The Senate is also amending the Electoral Act prescribing a five-year jail sentence for any presiding officer who intentionally tampers with election records.
