By : Asuquo Cletus Felix
The Cross River State House Of Assembly has passed the 2024 Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) Amendment Bill.
This was disclosed in a statement sent to Street News on Wednesday by Matthew Okache, anipr the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker.
The passage Matthew disclosed, was during a session of the house, after extensive deliberations by law makers on principal law, amending several sections to align with current realities and to streamline the electioneering process.
He noted that during the passage, the Speaker Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem emphasized that the amendment is crucial for expediting the conduct of Local Government elections
It reads ‘The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, has commended the Honourable Members for their unwavering dedication to duty, which has facilitated the early passage of the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) Amendment Bill 2024.
“During a session of the House, the lawmakers deliberated extensively on the Principal Law, amending several sections to align with current realities and to streamline the electioneering process. The Speaker emphasized that the amendment is crucial for expediting the conduct of Local Government elections. He noted that the revised law is also designed to check undue excesses, ensuring that elections are conducted fairly and transparently across all party lines.
“Key amendments include the revision of the campaign duration for Local Government Elections, now stipulated to be not less than 30 days and no more than 90 days. Furthermore, Section 20 A(1) of the new law mandates that “all registered political parties intending to hold congresses or primaries for nominating candidates for any elective office in the Local Government Council must give the Commission at least 21 days’ notice in writing to attend and monitor such events”
“Additionally, “Section 29 of the Principal Law was amended to stipulate that a candidate for the office of Chairman shall be deemed duly elected if they are the only candidate nominated and have secured a majority of YES votes, with not less than one-third of the YES votes cast in at least two-thirds of all wards in the Local Government Area. If the only candidate fails to be elected under these conditions, a fresh nomination process shall be conducted”
In separate contributions, Members commended Governor Otu for his commitment to conducting the Local Government Elections.
