The House of Representatives on Tuesday adopted its conference committee’s report on Electoral Act amendment Bill, signalling its final passage by both houses of the National Assembly.
This however was not without a brief opposition the move by Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, who on Order of personal privilege insisted that the content of the report was not known to members, before the move to have it considered and adopted, asking therefore that it be stepped down.
But Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila explained that all the issues involved were already public, especially with the earlier adoption of the report by the Senate.
Addressing journalists afterwards, spokesman of the House, Benjamin Kalu, and Chairman of the House’s conference committee, Akeem Adeyemi, described the development as the final stage of the process, noting that the baton h been passed to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent
Kalu who gave assurances that clean copy of the bill may within one week, be transmitted by the National Assembly’s bureaucracy to the presidency, also explained that the process have gone beyond any possible adjustment to the content as adopted by both chambers.
On what if Buhari withhold assent to the latest efforts of the parliament, Kalu said “we cannot predict, or prophesy on the next action of Mr. president”, stressing that the House has fulfilled its own part as required by the processed involved in lawmaking.
He said if however the president take a position on such matters which the parliament is not comfortable with, “the law is very clear”, adding, “we won’t want to preempt Mr. President. When we get to the bride, we’ll cross it”.
The latest amendment give nod to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) transmitting election results through electronic means, and also for political parties to use direct primaries in selecting candidates, amongst others.
