The Rivers State House of Assembly has committed the bill seeking to amend the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law No. 2 of 2000 into a committee stage.
Presenting the bill at the floor of the House yesterday, the House Leader, Hon. Golden Ngozi Chioma (Etche Constituency II) said the bill, if amended, would strengthen and fortify the commission in carrying its constitutional obligation.
He explained that when the bill becomes an Act, it would help the executive arm of government to conduct credible local government elections in the state, and urged the lawmakers to give support to the passage of the bill.
The bill is seeking to amend Sections 5 and 13 of the principal law which will give the commission, among other things, powers to supervise and ensure conduct of credible primaries by political parties for the purpose of election into local government councils in accordance with the constitution and regulation issued or made by the political parties.
The bill also seeks to increase the number of members of the commission from seven to eight, while political parties seeking to change a candidate after primary has been concluded may do so in writing not later than 21 days to the election by giving cogent and verifiable reasons.
The motion was seconded by the Deputy Leader, Hon. Hope Ikiriko (Ahoada West).
In a related development, the bill seeking to amend the Rivers State Local Government Law No.5, 2007 has also been committed into committee stage.
Presenting the bill at the floor of the House, the Leader, Hon. Golden Ngozi Chioma, said the bill, when passed into law, would bar any one serving as chairman or member of a caretaker committee to contest for any position in the local government election to be conducted while serving as chairman or member.
It further stated that the bill seeks to empower the state governor, where an emergency or any other situation arises which makes impossible the holding of local government election within the stipulated period under the principal law, under the expiration of the tenure of the serving council administration, appoint for each of the local governments a caretaker committee of not more than seven of which one shall be chairman.
The motion was seconded by the House Chief Whip, Hon. Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja, representing Opobo/Nkoro Constituency.
Committing the bill to the committee stage, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Tonye Harry who presided, urged the two committees to work hard in order to realise the objectives of the bills.
The RSIEC committee has Kennedy Ebeku as chairman, Anthony Okeah, Collins Ordu, Samuel Eke, Inimgba Irene Martins and Hon. Taneh Felicia as members.
