The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill for the first reading, proposing amendments to the 1999 Constitution to allow independent candidates to participate in presidential, governorship, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly, and local government elections without being sponsored by political parties.
The bill, titled *”A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended),”* is sponsored by Akin Rotimi, the House spokesperson and representative of Ikole-Oye Federal Constituency in Ekiti State. It seeks to amend key sections of the Constitution, including sections 7, 65, 106, 131, 177, and 221, which currently mandate party sponsorship for election candidates.
In a related development, the House of Representatives has reiterated its commitment to fast-track the passage of the 2025 Appropriation Bill. A statement from Akin Rotimi on Monday emphasized that the House will focus on passing key bills such as the Whistleblower Protection Bill, aimed at strengthening good governance and enhancing national security during the second year of the 10th Assembly.
