A bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to strip the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of its powers to register and regulate political parties, was rejected yesterday by the House of Representatives.

The bill is co-sponsored by Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, and Francis Waive.

The proposal is aimed at transferring the powers to the Office of the Registrar-General of Political Parties.

The bill was presented for second reading but was voted down after a voice vote conducted by the deputy speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary.

The House also rejected another constitution amendment bill, sponsored by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, seeking to establish the principle of rotation for the offices of the president and vice president among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones— North-Central, North-East, North-West, South-East, South-South, and South-West.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has assured Nigerians that all necessary amendments on the Electoral Act will be completed before the 2027 polls.

Yakubu also debunked insinuation in some quarters that he has been sacked, saying he still remains the country’s chief electoral officer.

The INEC Chairman spoke while fielding questions from newsmen on Monday shortly after the inauguration of two INEC Commissioners by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chamber, State House, Abuja.

According to him, the commission alongside relevant stakeholders have reviewed the 2023 general election and came up with 142 recommendations, stressing that out of the number, eight required electoral amendment.

The INEC boss said the commission has been interfacing with the National Assembly and that two weeks ago, it had a retreat in Lagos with the joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on electoral reform.

“Thereafter, the National Assembly is going to organize a public hearing, and it’s after the public hearing that now a new bill will, at the end of the day, be submitted to the president for assent,” he said.

Yakubu further stated: “So, we’re working with the National Assembly on electoral reform, but at this point, I’m not going to give you any more details.

You will hear from the National Assembly whose responsibility it is, but we reviewed the 2023 general election on our own.

“We engaged with the stakeholders. We came up with 142 recommendations out of this 142 recommendations, eight require constitutional or Electoral Act amendment, and we discussed this with members of the National Assembly.

One week after the leadership of the Labour Party (LP) under Mr Julius Abure appointed a disciplinary committee to investigate alleged anti-party activities by the Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, and the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the LP has also named a panel to probe Abure’s tenure as National Chairman.

The NCC, led by a former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, is aligned with the camp of Otti and Obi.

The NCC has also given Abure 48 hours to stop “parading” himself as the chairman of the LP, arguing that his tenure has lapsed.

He is required to show cause as to why he should not be sanctioned for insisting that he remains the party’s national chairman.

The Nenadi Usman-led NCC addressed a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday to react to what it described as the “excesses of Abure,” vowing to prevent his alleged bid to destabilise the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

The former minister, who read the press conference statement, noted that following the Supreme Court’s judgment on 4 April 2025, which ended Abure’s tenure, it had been expected that the factional chairman would act more maturely by embracing reconciliation with the current NCC to rebuild the party.

She expressed surprise that, rather than uniting with the party leadership to strategise as one body, Abure had opted to continue presenting himself as chairman while discrediting key party figures such as Otti and Obi.

Usman stated, “After a careful and comprehensive review of the Supreme Court judgment delivered on Friday, 4 April 2025, the National Executive Council (NEC) is deeply concerned by the subsequent actions of Barr. Julius Abure, particularly his continued impersonation of the esteemed office of the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

“These actions have not only violated the spirit and letter of the law but have also tarnished the image and integrity of our great party.

“In the exercise of its constitutional mandate and in strict accordance with the disciplinary provisions of the Labour Party Constitution 2019 (As Amended), the NEC, in session, hereby announces the commencement of disciplinary actions against Mr Abure.

These actions begin with the constitution of a special investigative committee to review Mr Abure’s conduct as it affects the party’s image and integrity.

“In line with due process and the party constitution, the NEC gives Mr Abure 48 hours to show why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for his numerous acts of misconduct against the party.

“The formal notice of disciplinary action will be sent to the last known address of Barr. Julius Abure.

“Mr Abure is hereby warned to desist from parading himself as the National Chairman of the Labour Party or impersonating the office in any form.

The apex court of the land has clearly and finally nullified his claim to leadership, and his tenure has long expired.

“His continued acts of reckless denigration of party leadership and open hostility towards the party will attract severe sanctions.”