by Azeez Adeniyi

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill seeking to replace dead presidential and governorship candidates with their running mates for second reading.

The bill, sponsored by Sunday Karimi and Eucharia Azodo also seeks to further amend the Electoral Act to empower the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize voting by Nigerians in the Diaspora.

Karimi said the failure of the Electoral Act to point out what happens when a candidate dies led to the controversy in Kogi State in 2015 when the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Abubakar Audu died while the election was inconclusive.

He said, “The Act is silent about changing of candidates during an ongoing election, although, going by the spirit of Section 33, the Electoral Act 2010 prohibits changing/substitution of candidates during an ongoing election.”

He added that “should a flag bearer of a party for a presidential or gubernatorial election dies during the election, the running mate who holds a joint ticket with his superior automatically steps into his shoes so that the said election can be concluded without delay.”

Speaker Yakubu Dogara referred the bill to the committees on electoral matters and justice after its second reading.

Azeez