The Nigerian Senate has explained why it has not taken any official action on a proposed change to the Electoral Act that would make belonging to more than one political party a criminal offence.
The upper chamber says it can only consider the bill after it has been formally passed and transmitted from the House of Representatives.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, noted that legislative rules require a bill to complete several steps in the lower chamber before the Senate can review it.
These steps include first and second readings in the House, public hearings, and final approval.
Only after this process can the Senate deliberate on the matter.
The amendment, if approved, would make it illegal for individuals to be members of more than one political party.
It also proposes penalties for offenders, including a fine of up to ₦10 million, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. Anyone found to have dual membership would lose recognition in all political parties until their status is corrected.
The goal of the bill is to curb problems such as political defections, manipulation of party membership records, and weak enforcement of party rules.
Currently, Nigerian law discourages joining multiple parties, but enforcement has mostly been through administrative measures, with no criminal punishment.
For the bill to become law, it must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate before being sent to the President for approval.
Until all these steps are complete, the Senate says it cannot make any formal statement on the proposal.
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