Again, Buhari refuses to give assent to Electoral Amendment Bill

President Muhammadu Buhari has again refused to give assent to the electoral act amendment bill.

The senior special assistant to the president on electoral matters (senate), Ita Enang, made the development known Monday.

The National Assembly had passed the bill, which Buhari had initially withheld assent in March, on July 24 and transmitted it to the president on August 3.

Enang said Buhari is declining assent to the bill due to some drafting issues that remain unaddressed following the prior revisions to it.

“His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has by communication dated August 30, 2018, to the Senate and the House of Representatives declined Assent to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 2018,” Enang said in a statement.

“I pray for leave, that in view of public interest, the fact of the National Assembly vacation, the imperative to avoid speculation and misinformation, that I give just a few of the rationale by Mr. President.

“Mr. President is declining assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill due to some drafting issues that remain unaddressed following the prior revisions to the Bill.’’

“Mr. President invites the Senate and House of Representatives to address these issues as quickly as possible so that he may grant President Assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill.”

Some of the issues highlighted by Buhari on the bill, according to Enang, are:

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“A cross referencing error in the proposed amendment to Section 18 of the Bill. The appropriate amendment is to substitute the existing sub-section (2) with the proposed subsection (1A), while the proposed sub-section (1B) is the new sub-section (2A)’

“The proposed amendment to include a new Section 87 (14) which stipulates a specific period within which political party primaries are required to be held has the unintended consequence of leaving INEC with only 9 days to collate and compile lists of candidates and political parties as well manage the primaries of 91 political parties for the various elections. This is because the Electoral Amendment Bill does not amend sections 31, 34 and 85 which stipulates times for the submission of lists of candidates, publication of lists of candidates and notice of convention, congresses for nominating candidates for elections.”

Buhari had earlier said that the proposed law would override the constitutional powers of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to decide on election matters.

One of the content of the bill includes making sure that only the card reader is used and no more incidence form during elections.