Benue assembly amends electoral law, passes bill for 3 yrs tenure for council chairmen

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Benue State House of Assembly, on Monday, amended the State Local Government Electoral law of 2012, to paveway for a three years tenure for council chairmen in the state.

The bill to amend the LG electoral law of 2012 was passed after scaling through the third reading at the plenary, presided over by the Speaker, Hyacinth Dajoh.

The amended law mandated only the Organizing Secretary of Political Parties to submit names of delegates and candidates for the local government elections to the commission.

The new law now provide that the tenure of elected leadership of the local government councils is now three years as against two years.

Furthermore, the bill stipulated that an aspirant who complained that any of the provisions of the law and the guidelines of a political party have not been compiled within the selection or nomination of candidate of a political party for election, may apply to the Federal or State High Court for redress.

The amended Benue State Local Government electoral law forbids the courts from stopping the holding of party processes, primaries or Local Government Elections.

A statement issued and made available to newsmen in Makurdi by the Chief press secretary to the Speaker of the State Assembly, Terver Zamber, said the law also accommodated insertion of a new section 15 (4) thus, ” (4)

According to him, notwithstanding the provision relating to time for the doing of an act under the law , the Commission shall have the powers to abridge same.

The passage of the bill is a pointer that council polls will be conducted by Governor Hyacinth Alia.