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Parliamentarians in the Federal House of Representatives yesterday have rejected the proposal to reduce the number of registered political parties in nigeria from 54 to only 2 parties.
The re-introduction of a two-party system in the nation’s political process was rejected after a hotly debated session where the members vote for and against the bill.
The clause, which was introduced by Minority Leader Rep. Mohammed Ali Ndume (ANPP, Borno), seeks to reduce the number of political parties in the country from 54 to 2.
The House was thrown into a rowdy session for two hours with members lobbying for and against the clause introduced in the bill seeking to amendments the 2006 Electoral Act.
Amidst the confusion Speaker Dimeji Bankole announced that the House will use a simple voice vote to either accept or reject the clause.
But the decision did not go well with some members, leading Rep Ndume and his colleagues to stage a walk out.
After a heated argument, the speaker put the question but there was no clear winner. He however went ahead to bang the gavel in favour of the nays. Many members protested the result.
The speaker then said those for two-party system should move to the left side of the chamber while those against should move to the right.
Still, proponents of the two-party kicked against the decision and demanded that members be allowed to vote using the electronic voting machine.
But Bankole said there were some members who did not bring their cards into the chamber and argued that their votes should count.
Even with members refusing to sit as said by Bankole, the speaker asked the Clerk of the House Mohammed Sani-Omolori to count those seated on either sides of the divide after which he announced that, “The House in a committee of a whole considered the clause seeking to provide for two-party system and 1 member abstained from voting, 48 voted for while 172 voted against.” Thus, the plenary session was ended amidst confusion and disorder.
Rep. Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi) told journalists after the session that using the electronic voting machines would have allowed people to vote from their consciences, adding that still “those against the two-party system will have had their way if we used the electronic voting machines.”
Parliamentarians in the Federal House of Representatives yesterday have rejected the proposal to reduce the number of registered political parties in nigeria from 54 to only 2 parties.
The re-introduction of a two-party system in the nation’s political process was rejected after a hotly debated session where the members vote for and against the bill.
The clause, which was introduced by Minority Leader Rep. Mohammed Ali Ndume (ANPP, Borno), seeks to reduce the number of political parties in the country from 54 to 2.
The House was thrown into a rowdy session for two hours with members lobbying for and against the clause introduced in the bill seeking to amendments the 2006 Electoral Act.
Amidst the confusion Speaker Dimeji Bankole announced that the House will use a simple voice vote to either accept or reject the clause.
But the decision did not go well with some members, leading Rep Ndume and his colleagues to stage a walk out.
After a heated argument, the speaker put the question but there was no clear winner. He however went ahead to bang the gavel in favour of the nays. Many members protested the result.
The speaker then said those for two-party system should move to the left side of the chamber while those against should move to the right.
Still, proponents of the two-party kicked against the decision and demanded that members be allowed to vote using the electronic voting machine.
But Bankole said there were some members who did not bring their cards into the chamber and argued that their votes should count.
Even with members refusing to sit as said by Bankole, the speaker asked the Clerk of the House Mohammed Sani-Omolori to count those seated on either sides of the divide after which he announced that, “The House in a committee of a whole considered the clause seeking to provide for two-party system and 1 member abstained from voting, 48 voted for while 172 voted against.” Thus, the plenary session was ended amidst confusion and disorder.
Rep. Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi) told journalists after the session that using the electronic voting machines would have allowed people to vote from their consciences, adding that still “those against the two-party system will have had their way if we used the electronic voting machines.”
