A bill seeking the establishment of an independent authority for the registration, regulation, and funding of political parties in Nigeria passed second reading in the House of Representatives.

The bill, co-sponsored by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, and Edo lawmaker Marcus Onobun, enjoyed overwhelming support from lawmakers present at Thursday’s plenary.

Giving a brief synopsis of the bill, Onobun, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, said there was the need to take away the powers of regulation of political parties from the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“We need an independent authority to regulate and fund political parties,” he said, stressing that when passed into law, INEC would focus solely on the conduct of elections in the country.