The House of Representatives will on resumption from the 8-weeks annual recess commence debate on the general principles of a bill seeking to conduct elections to the offices of President, State Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Area Councils simultaneously.

According to the bill sponsored by Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon. Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere and 50 others, the date for the elections is to be determined by Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and for related matters.

The proponents of the bill seek to alter Sections 76, 116, 132 and 178 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Clause 2 of the proposed bill seeks to alter Section 76 by inserting in a new subsection (3) which states that: “For the Purposes of Section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Area Councils shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.

Clause 3 of the proposed legislation, seeks to alter Section 116 by inserting a new subsection (3) as follows: (a) For the Purposes of Section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Area Councils shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.

Clause 4 of the bill further seeks to alter Section 132 of the Principal Act is altered by inserting a new paragraph (a) into subsection (1) as follows: (a) For the Purposes of Section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Area Councils shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.

Clause 4 of the bill seeks to alter Section 178 by inserting a new subsection 2 after the extant subsection 1 and before the extant subsection 2 and renumbering accordingly as follows: (2) For the Purposes of sub section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Area Councils shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act. (Nigerian Tribune)