New Telegraph

Reps bar INEC RECs, electoral officers from partisan politics after retirement

As part of measures to reposition the electoral process in the country, the House of Representatives yesterday passed through second reading a bill seeking to ban staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from engaging in partisan politics within five years of engagement, resignation and official relief of duties. Titled;

 

“A bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act to prohibit members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  and the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from engaging in partisan politics within five years of recruitment, resignation and official relief of duties; and for related matters”, was sponsored by Hon. Tasir Olawale Raji (APC, Lagos).

 

In his lead debate, Hon. Raji said the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act by creating a new sub-section 2 in Section 146, which provides that: (2) “a person who holds or has held office as a member of the commission appointed by the President by virtue of the 3rd Schedule, Part 1(F) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Resident Electoral Commissioner appointed under the Act shall

not, until after a period of five years immediately after retirement, resignation or official relief of duties, be qualified for any elective office in Nigeria.”

 

He said there was the need to cure the lacuna created in Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which stipulated that; “Every Nigerian is free to belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his/ her interest.”

Read Previous

Osimhen inches closer to Napoli move

Read Next

Fayemi reiterates commitment to community policing

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *