Kogi: Reps move to make running mate replace dead governorship candidate

A Bill for an Act to make provisions to cover a lacuna in the event of death of a governorship candidate anytime before conclusion of an election yesterday passed Second Reading in the House of Representatives.

The bill also seeks to amend the 2010 Electoral Act to empower election tribunals and courts to declare candidates who scored the second highest votes as winners of elections when the tribunal or court finds the winner of an election unqualified for election, abinitio.

Sponsor of the Bill and House Majority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila of the All Progressives Congress, APC, described it as a proactive measure to prevent a recurrence of the 2015 Kogi governorship election debacle.

It would be recalled that the APC candidate, the late Abubakar Audu was already coasting home to victory in the November 2015 election before his death was announced. His running mate, James Faleke, who sought to step into Audu’s position as standard bearer was denied the opportunity by the party leadership, who settled for the runner up in the APC primary, Yahaya Bello. Faleke is a member of the House of Representatives.

The bill, sponsored by Gbajabiamila and six others equally seeks inclusion of the Card Reader as part of the Electoral Act as well as ensure that all political parties are gender sensitive and eliminate all forms discrimination in political parties.

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