PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on
Tuesday wrote the Senate, declining assent to
the new amendment to the Electoral Act
regarding election sequence in the 2019
general elections.
Buhari
President Buhari in a letter to the Senate and
read by Senate President Bukola Saraki at
plenary said that it became imperative for him
to withhold assent because it will infringe
upon the constitutionally guaranteed discretion
of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) to organize, undertake and
supervise elections provided in Section 15(A)
of the third statue to the Constitution.
Buhari’s letter read, “Pursuant to Section 58(4)
of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria 1999 (as amended), I hereby convey to
the Senate, my decision, on 3rd March 2018,
to decline Presidential Assent to the Electoral
Amendment Bill 2018 recently passed by the
National Assembly.
“Some of my reasons include the following:
A.The amendment to the sequence of
elections in Section 25 of the principal act,
may infringe upon the constitutionally
guaranteed discretion of the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) to
organize, undertake and supervise elections
provided in Section 15(A) of the third statue
to the Constitution;
“The amend to Section 138 of the principal
act to delete two crucial grounds upon which
an election may be challenged by candidates,
unduly limits the rights of candidates in
elections to a free and fair electoral review
process;
“The amendment to Section 152 Subsection
325 of the Principal Act may raise
Constitutional issues over the competence of
the National Assembly to legislate over local
government elections.
“Please accept Distinguished Senators, the
assurances of my highest consideration.
Yours Sincerely, ”
“Recall that the Senate had on Wednesday,
February 14 approved an amendment places
the Presidential as the last of the elections to
be conducted in the country while that of the
National Assembly election will hold first,
followed by gubernatorial and State Houses of
Assembly assembly polls.
With this arrangement, it is a clear indication
that President Muhammadu Buhari and other
presidential candidates in the 2019 general
election may be made to walk on tight rope to
get elected.
The bill had been passed and concurred with
by the two chambers of the National Assembly
and in the process of being forwarded to
President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.