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Senate amends Electoral Act, includes Statutory Delegates in Party Congresses and Conventions

The Senate has altered the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and provided for the participation of statutory delegates in the conventions, congresses or meetings of political parties in Nigeria.
The expeditious consideration followed the suspension of relevant Senate Rules to pave the way for the First, Second and Third Reading of the bill same day.
Titled, “A bill for an Act to Amend the 2022 Electoral Act No. 13 and for other Related Matters, 2022 (SB 1002),” the proposed legislation was sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central).
Statutory delegates include the President, Vice President, State and National Assembly members, Governors and their deputies, Chairmen of Councils, Councillors, National Working Committee of political parties, Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of political parties amongst others.
In his Lead Debate, Senator Omo-Agege said the amendment became necessary to correct an ‘unintended error’ in the Electoral Act signed by President Muhammadu Buhari this year.
This, he noted, would ensure the participation of both satutory and elected delegates in the conventions, congresses of political parties.
“As couched, Section 84(8) of the Electoral Act, 2022 does not provide for the participation of what is generally known as ‘statutory delegates’ in the conventions, congresses or meetings of political parties.
“The extant subsection only clearly provides for the participation of elected delegates in the conventions, congresses or meetings of political parties held to nominate candidates of political parties.
“This is an unintended error, and we can only correct it with this amendment now before us,” he said.
Seconding the motion, Senator Uche Ekwunife (PDP, Anambra Central) said the amendment would ensure that statutory delegates were not disenfranchised in the primaries of political parties to elect candidates for the 2023 General Election.
After the First and Second Reading of the Bill, Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi North), moved for the suspension of Rule 80 (1) of the Senate State Order to allow for the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill by Committee of the Whole.
Speaking after the approval, Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan who presided over the session, explained that the move was an ’emergency effort to ensure’ that statutory delegates were not disenfranchised in the forthcoming primaries of political parties.
He said after the processes are concluded in both chambers of the National Assembly, the bill would be transmitted to the Executive for assent within the week.
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SANWO-OLU ASSURES LAGOSIANS OF ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has assured Lagosians that the State will continue to sustain its enviable status as the fifth largest economy in Africa and also achieve its vision to become Africa’s model megacity as well as a global economic and financial hub that is safe, secure, functional and productive.
Sanwo-Olu gave the assurance at the Year 2022 edition of the Punuka Annual Lecture with the theme:
“Taxation of the Digital Economy: The Challenges and Prospects for the Nigerian Economy”, held recently at Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, represented by the
Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, reaffirmed Lagos State’s commitment to improving the ease of doing business through the development of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and ensuring overall prosperity for every citizen.
He averred that the Lagos State Government will continuously seek ways of improving revenue generation through a tax system that is modern, efficient and effective, noting that it is in this regard that the present administration considers the lecture timely and relevant.
Sanwo-Olu said the State faces major challenges in taxing income/profit accruing from e-commerce and digital activities as the transactions more often than not transcend borders, while the contracting entities usually do not have a fixed base (tax residence rule) in the State.
Explaining that the trend has made it difficult to trace, track and establish taxing rights over the huge profits made by multinational enterprises and individuals, the Governor said the inability to garner the requisite tax income from such e-commerce businesses is detrimental to revenue collection/generation.
According to him, the emerging trend requires laws to regulate their operations, just as monitoring will also help to establish the economic presence of these entities for tax purposes.
Mr. Governor reiterated that the State is always open to ideas, strategies and ways to effectively and comprehensively improve tax administration processes and procedures in line with emerging trends in the digital economy towards maximising its revenue generation capacity.
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EndSars: Osun govt compensates Police brutality victims, presents cheques of N53,290,000.00
