The Anambra State House of Assembly has amended the State Electoral (Amendment No 3) Law 2024 to capture the tenure of Local Government Chairmen and Councillors to two years.
The State House of Assembly passed the amendment during plenary in Awka thereby becoming the three times Anambra State Electoral Law was amended this year precisely the last one month.
At a resumed plenary on Thursday, the House passed the Anambra State Electoral (Amendment No 3) Bill 2024 as it was read the First time, Second time and Third time and subsequently passed into law.
This was in line with the Standing Order of the House in Order 74, clause one where the rule allows the three readings to be completed in one day with the approval of a two-third majority of the members present.
But leading the debate for Second Reading, the Chairman House Committee on Public Petitions, Barr Obi Nweke said the amendment becomes necessary so as not to create a lacuna in the future in the state Local Government system.
“There is a lacuna in legislative business. The first one we did today was to recapture the tenure of the entire council for a period of two years.
“The second amendment was just a typographical error, referred to section 23 and 24 instead of 24 and 25. It’s just a minor amendment to ensure clarity for the entire local government council to avoid ambiguity that may lead to unnecessary litigations.
“The amendment was effected on Section 110 of the Principal Law, where a new subsection 4 was inserted to show clarity in the parent law, and which seeks to dissolve the local government Council at the expiration of a period of two years, commencing from the date of inauguration of the council.
“In the parent law, the tenure of Chairman and deputy was specified as two years excluding Councillors. But this one captured all of them.”
The Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Somtochukwu Udeze said the law shall be cited as Anambra State Electoral Law No 3 2024 and shall take effect on the 12th day of Sept 2024.
This third amendment is coming less than 16 days to the local government elections scheduled for September 28, 2024.#
By OGEMDI OZOEMENAM, Awka
