The House of Representatives recently deliberated on a bill sponsored by Awaji-inombek Abiante (PDP, Rivers), which sought to amend critical sections of the constitution, namely sections 134 and 179.
These sections delineate the criteria for electing the President and Governor, respectively.
The proposed amendments aimed to introduce a mandatory requirement for presidential and gubernatorial candidates to secure more than 50 percent of the total votes cast to be declared winners, thereby challenging the existing simple majority rule.
In essence, Abiante’s proposal aimed to address a perceived deficiency in the electoral process, particularly exemplified by the 2023 presidential election.
In that election, Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), emerged victorious without securing a majority of the total votes cast but rather achieving a simple majority with 8.79 million votes.
Despite the potential significance of the proposed changes, the bill faced resistance during the legislative process.
When the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, called for a vote on whether the bill should be considered for a second reading, the majority of voices in opposition were more prominent than those in support.
Despite repeated attempts to clarify the vote, the prevailing sentiment against the bill led to its rejection as the Speaker ruled in favor of those advocating against its further consideration.