House of Representatives has revisited the stalled amendment to the 2010 Electoral Act.
President Muhammadu Buhari for a record three times, declined assent to the amendment Bill transmitted by the outgoing National Assembly, citing different reasons for his veto on the proposed alterations.
Presenting report of the committee in charge on Tuesday, Hon. Edward Pwajok told the House that the latest attempt was done in line with the concerns raised earlier in the year by President Buhari, as contained in a communication addressed to Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara.
The President had in the latest rejection which was prior to the 2019 general elections stated that “I am declining assent to the Bill principally because I am concerned that passing a new electoral bill this far into the electoral process for the 2019 general election which commenced under the 2015 Electoral Act, could create some uncertainty about the applicable legislation to govern the process.
“Any real or apparent change to the rules this close to the election may provide an opportunity for disruption and confusion in respect of which law governs the electoral process.”
He also requested that the National Assembly make adjustments to some clauses in the Bill, with the hope its enactment would take effect only after the year’s general elections. “This leads me to believe that it is in the best interest of the country and our democracy for the National Assembly to specifically state in the Bill, that the Electoral Act will come into effect and be applicable to elections commencing after the 2019 General Election,” he noted.
The House in adopting the drafting adjustments as requested by the President, in a committee of the whole, presided over by Speaker Dogara thus altered sections 5, 11(seeking to amend section 36 of the Act), and 24(amending section 85(1).
Buhari initially declined assent to the Bill on the argument that the proposed amendment attempted to usurp the constitutional powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to decide on election matters, and for the second time rejected over clauses he wanted reviewed by the National Assembly.
