A bill seeking establishment of a commission, as well as a tribunal charged with the responsibility of investigating and prosecuting electoral offenders, was Wednesday stepped down in the House of Representatives, following protest by a member, John Dyegh, over duplication.
Listed on the order paper for its second reading debate as A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Electoral Offences Commission, and Electoral Offences Tribunal, to provide the legal framework for investigation and prosecution of electoral offences, it was a consolidation of four proposals from other members.
Drama started when the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, yielded floor to Majority Leader of the House, Alhassan Doguwa, who was listed alongside Aishatu Dukku, Francis Charles Uduyok and Kingsley Chinda as sponsors, to move motion for the second reading of the bill, but the lawmaker curiously appeared not to be aware he was party to the bill.
“When you bring this kind of bill, you have to let me know,” he stated.
This was followed immediately with the protest by Dyegh, who recalled that he sponsored a bill on the same subject matter during the 8th assembly, but that President Muhammadu Buhari returned same owing to some observations which were not addressed before the assembly ended.
