Senate votes for independent candidacy, change of police name

- 82 senators have voted to allow independent candidates contest in elections in the country

- 87 senators also voted to change the name of the Nigeria Police Force to become Nigerian Police

- The alterations by the National Assembly must to be signed into law by the Nigerian president before they become effective

The Nigerian Senate has voted to alter the constitution to allow independent candidates contest elections in the country and to change the name of the Nigeria Police Force.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Senate approves independent candidacy for elections

As an independent candidate, an individual will be able to contest in an election without belonging to any political party.

In supporting the bill on independent candidacy during plenary on Wednesday, July 26, 82 senators voted YES to support the bill while 14 senators voted NO and 5 abstained.

The Senate has also voted to support the bill to change the name of the Nigeria Police Force to become Nigerian Police.

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In the vote on the name change, 87 senators voted for YES while 2 voted for NO with 1 abstaining.

The following amendments were made during the debate on report for constitution review which had been earlier adopted adopted by the joint session of the committees of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

But the alterations by the National Assembly have to be signed into law by the Nigerian president before they become effective.

Legit.ng recalls that Senate president, Bukola Saraski, had said that the Senate will commence the debate on report for constitution review on Tuesday July 25.

The Senate president who made the statement on Monday July 24, in a tweet added that the debate will be streamed live on all the social media platforms of the Senate

In the video below, Legit.ng TV asked some Nigerians if they support calls for the scrapping of the Senate.

Source: Legit.ng