Reps: Only Supreme Court can stop benefits of elected officers

The House of Representatives on Wednesday, passed the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill and said only the Supreme Court had final word on fate of elected politicians sacked by the judiciary.
They said that any elected office holder who lost his position at an Election Tribunal level would remain in office and enjoy all accrued benefits until the determination of Appeal and final verdict by the apex court.
This new provision in the Bill is contained in Section 143 as amended.
The bill also provided for restriction in qualification for elective office to relevant provisions of the 1999 (as amended) and the use of card readers and other technological devices in the conduct of elections.
The proposed Act indicated a timeline for submission of list of candidates, criteria for substitution of candidates as well as limit of campaign expenses by political parties.
Similarly, the bill addressed issues bothering on omission of names of candidates or logo of political parties during elections.
The bill also provides in Section 140 that any electoral officer who omits party names or logo, leading to postponement of an election, shall be liable to two years imprisonment or N2 million fine on conviction.
Motion for the passage of the Bill and adoption of the many parts as approved by the Senate was adopted pursuant to Order 1, Rule 1(2) and Order 9 Rule 1(6) of the Standing Order of the House.
Following the adoption of the motion, Clerk of National Assembly (CNA) was directed to transmit the Bill to the Presidency.