Senate to ban State High Courts from entertaining pre-election disputes

The Senate on Wednesday passed into second reading an amendment to the 1999 Constitution that would prevent High Courts of a state from entertaining pre-election disputes emanating from congresses, conferences, conventions or other meetings convened by political parties for the purpose of electing members of its executive committees or other governing bodies.
The Amendment was sponsored by Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege.
It has been forwarded to the Senate Adhoc Committee on the Review of 1999 Constitution.
The Amendment reads: “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (in this Act referred to as “the Principal Act”) is altered as set out in this Act.
“Alteration of Section 272.
“Section 272 of the Principal Act is further altered by inserting after subsection (3), a new subsection (4) –
“Nothing in this section shall empower the High Court of a State to entertain a dispute from a member of a political party challenging the actions or decisions of a political party in respect of the election of a principal officer or member of its executive committee or other governing body following from a congress, conference, convention or other meeting convened by that political party for the purpose of electing such principal officers or members.
“This Act may be cited as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration, No. 29) Act, 2020.”