The Senate has scrapped the provision establishing State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) in the Nigerian constitution.
Under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the state governors are bestowed on power for the composition of SIEC as contained in Section 3 of Part II of the constitution.
Unlike INEC that has an organisational structure mainly comprising Chairman and National Commissioners, SIEC is made up of a chairman and not less than five but not more than seven other persons of the constitution.
By the amendment, the Senate has equally deleted section, thereby vesting the powers to conduct council elections on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It, however, retained the immunity clause in the constitution for the President and Governors by adopting the Senate version of the amendments on the issue and rejected the House of Representatives version which removed the immunity clause.
The National Assembly also amended sections 65 and 106 of the 1999 Constitution, making provisions for independent candidacy in the future elections in Nigeria.
