Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Senate moves to amend Electoral Act

Following the controversies the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket the APC is fielding in the 202 presidential race, members of the Senate have proposed an amendment to a section of the Electoral Act 2022.

The sponsor of the bill and Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Smart Adeyemi, told journalists during a briefing in Abuja on Sunday.

In a draft copy of the bill he showed the newsmen is a  piece of legislation  titled “A Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act 2022 and for other matters connected thereto.

The Kogi West senator who lost his return ticket explained that Section 84 of the Electoral Act would be amended by inserting a new subsection which states:  “No political party shall nominate candidates of the same religion as Presidential candidate and Vice Presidential candidate after this dispensation”.

“Section 84 of the Principal Act will be amended by inserting a new subsection 3 which will state thus ‘No political party shall nominate candidates of the same religion as Presidential candidate and Vice Presidential candidate after the 2023 election,’” he said.

“When this is accommodated, it will serve as a guide against any oversight such as this in the future as further occurrences will be deemed as silent policy which is capable of bringing down the fabrics of the nation.”

Adeyemi assured that the Senate leadership and other lawmakers are aware of the proposal.

Concerning the controversies APC’s presidential candidate Bola Tinubu generated by picking Se. Kashim Shettima as his running mate, the law makers advised the Christian Association o Nigeria to entertain no fear.

“Nigerians should look at the individual candidates contesting for the presidency in 2023 and not the political parties they belong to or religion they practice,” he said.

Those opposing the ticket, including members of the ruling party, insist it is an Islamization agenda—though the party and its selection committee insist it’s a strategy the party needs to win.