The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, announced on Monday that the 2022 Electoral Act will be amended to reinstate statutory delegates, including key political figures, to participate in political parties’ primaries for the 2027 general election.
Akpabio acknowledged that the omission of these delegates in the existing law had led to the creation of “super-delegates” during the 2023 elections and 2022 primaries.
Speaking during a meeting with the national leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja, Akpabio explained, “There were defects in the last Electoral Act that was amended.
We inadvertently created what I may call super-delegates in the 2023 elections and the 2022 primaries.”
He further clarified that this oversight had excluded important political figures such as the President, Vice President, Governors, and members of Parliament from participating in the primaries, which ultimately limited the democratic process and created imbalances in the selection of candidates for legislative, gubernatorial, and presidential elections.
Akpabio emphasized that the amendment would address this oversight, ensuring that statutory delegates, who hold important roles within the political landscape, are included in future primaries.
He noted, “We ended up at a national level bringing out the President, but several key figures were omitted, which meant that unless you contested as an ad hoc delegate, you were not welcome at the primaries.”
In addition to the amendment, Akpabio raised concerns about the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in candidate selection, asserting that political parties should have the authority to select their candidates based on their manifestos and the candidates’ track record of public service.
“The political parties should have the power to select its candidates who will best serve its manifestos and have the integrity to represent its people,” he said.
Akpabio also urged the NBA to take stronger action against quacks in the legal profession, highlighting the presence of unqualified practitioners, some of whom have even held senior positions within the bar.