Reps considering bill to allow parties fill vacant seats without bye-elections

A bill for the amendment of the Electoral Act 2022 to allow political parties to nominate candidates to fill a vacant seat if a lawmaker dies or resigns has passed the first reading at the house of representatives.

When a member of the national or state house of assembly resigns or dies, the presiding officer — the senate president or speaker — declares the lawmaker’s seat vacant.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will then organise a by-election for political parties to field candidates to fill the vacant seat.

However, the bill is seeking to allow the political party of the former occupant to nominate a replacement instead of the electoral commission conducting a bye-election.

Akin Alabi, the lawmaker who sponsored the bill, told TheCable on Thursday, that the government would be relieved of the expenses involved in conducting bye-elections when it is passed into law.

Alabi said the act of replacing a lawmaker is practised in the US.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker who represents the Egbeda/Ona-Ara federal constituency of Oyo state, said to nominate a successor, a political party may conduct a primary election or follow any other process allowed by law.

He added that the risk of electoral violence and malpractices associated with by-elections would be eliminated if the bill scales through.

However, critics argue that the proposed legislation would disenfranchise voters by denying them the opportunity to choose their representatives.